Embers of Anger (Embattled Hearts Book 1)

by Anna St. Claire

  He might not remember him, Nolan realized with a start. Nolan sought first to quiet the dog and tried to grab him. Missing, he fell forward into the dirt. “Aiden, it’s me, Nolan… shhhh! Shhhh!” He spit dirt from his mouth. “Dang it, Aiden, can you hush up your dog?”

  “Nol’n? My br-brudder Nol’n? No, my brudder is fighting the damn

  Yankees.” Aiden pulled his shoulders back and pushed out his chest. Stepping forward, he reached for his puppy, trying to grab Bo and hold the sword up for protection at the same time. Bo was relentless. He continued his furious bark at the now moving mound of brush.

  “Please, Aiden, please get your dog to be quiet. If I wasn’t your brother, how would I know your name?”

  Aiden peered closer at him. “Uhhh… well, you don’t look like Nol’n.” He tugged hard on his beard. “B… but you do know my name. But my brudder is away at his army job.” He reached up and scratched the back of his ear.

  Deciding to chance it, Aiden stepped up to retrieve Bo. “Bo. Shhh! Bo. It’s all right. Come on, boy.” The puppy at first resisted, but Aiden’s soft words of encouragement finally pulled his attention away from Nolan. He knocked Aiden down, licking his face.

  “It’s good, boy. This here’s my brudder Nol’n. ‘Cept I don’t member him looking like this.” Suddenly, Aiden grinned. “If you are my brudder, then, who is my sister?”

  Nolan barely had the energy to pull his face from the dirt and look at his little brother. “Ella is our sister, and you have been a fine young master while I have been gone. I can only be home for a little while, but this has to be our secret. Aiden, can we have a secret between brothers?”

  “I’m a pirate. Bo here is a pirate, too. Pirates keep secrets good, Nol’n. But why can’t Ella know, too?”

  “I will tell Ella, but not today. I’m not feeling too good. Can you help me hide until tomorrow—in the cellar, over there? I can’t let those men see me, or they will take me away for good. I will explain everything to you and Ella. But can you trust me?”

  Aiden put his chubby little hands on his hips, pushed out his chest, and looked into his brother’s face. “I will help you, Nol’n. But how we gonna do it?”

  “Well, first… keep a look out. I need help to get to the root cellar. Are those men gone?”

  “Yea, well, Colonel Ross, he and the lieutenant colonel, they left a little while ago. But the other men, they are staying in the tents out back.” Aiden stepped close to Nolan, peering closer into his face, almost nose to nose. He lifted up his brother’s beard and looked underneath. “You smell bad, Nol’n. And why you got a beard?” He wrinkled his nose and covered it with the palm of his hand to keep from smelling him.

  Nolan gently touched his brother’s cheek. The little dog, Bo, sat still watching both of them. Remarkably, no one had reacted to the barking dog. The continuous hammering must have camouflaged the noise.

  It worried him a little that his brother could be outside and not be noticed. He would talk to Ella about that when he finally saw her. But right now, he needed to find a place to sleep. His body was failing him. “Aiden, can you help me get to the root cellar? I am going to stay there for a while, just to rest.”

  “Sure, Nol’n, but we have your bed upstairs. That might be better.”

  “No. Remember, Aiden, I cannot let these men see me. Trust me for now. Please. Just help me get to the root cellar. There is a bed in there.”

  Satisfied that no one could see them, the three of them quickly made their way through the tall weeds and brush. When they got close enough, they bolted to the root cellar on the side of the house.

  Opening the door, Nolan climbed down the steps. He paused at the top step and gave Aiden a small hug, conscious now of how bad he smelled.

  “Remember, this is our secret. I will sleep here tonight. We’ll figure out something else tomorrow. You need to stay away from the cellar, so no one will see you. All right?”

  Slowly nodding his head, the little boy straightened his shoulders. Nolan could see he was trying to look like the pirate he wanted to be. It was clear that Aiden didn’t understand why Ella couldn’t be told he was home. Causing his little brother pain hurt him.

  “Come on, Bo. Let’s go.” The two of them ran together to the front porch, leaving Nolan staring after them. He closed the cellar door, latching it from inside.

  Reaching along the wall, Nolan felt for the lamp they kept on a small shelf near the top of the steps. Grasping it, he turned up the wick and lifted off the top. Nolan took a match from his pocket and struck it on the underside of his boot. He lit the wick and replaced the globe. The light helped. He looked around and noticed that there wasn’t much food. His sister and brother didn’t appear to be starving, but the plantation looked as sparse as this cellar.

  He wasn’t going to get a full stomach here. He noticed a barrel of apples that were being stored and grabbed up a couple. This would have to do. He had hoped for something different—more.

  He lifted the lid off of a crate and pulled out some old blankets for the bare cot in the corner. Sleep would be welcome. He didn’t feel too well.

  Chapter 8

  The wind whistled as it blew with force. Parts of the house groaned in response. It had been raining for over a day and the fields looked like marshes and small ponds. Ella peered out her front door and surveyed her property.

  In the week since Colonel Ross and Lieutenant Colonel Jameson had first shown up and invaded her home, things had changed. She had to admit it was for the better.

  Crossing her arms, she examined the results. The fences were mended and painted. The shutters were back, secured, and painted just in time. The house itself needed painting, but she certainly didn’t expect that to be done. That was her responsibility. All of it was, really. It was an amazing amount of work, and not one penny had she put forth.

  How did all of this happen?

  It had to be due to Colonel Ross.

  She hugged herself to restrain the tingling feeling that took control of her spine.

  He came into her life—well, stormed into her life—and while he was intrusive, she found it strangely comforting having him around, something she would never admit to another soul.

  She looked at the almost fifty tents that had been set up on the grounds, and the parked wagons. Her home felt under siege. She knew more men and their tents were coming once this storm finally let up.

  Colonel Ross had several hundred men under his command. He planned for all of them to camp here. Where in the world would so many men stay?

  The thought that her home would be providing a place for them to stay ready for battle was distressing. However, when she just focused on her vision of the colonel, or even his voice, butterflies swarmed her stomach.

  What did that mean? Surely, she wasn’t really becoming soft. She would not be a traitor to her brother or her people. They were the invaders, and she should remember that.

  She tried to keep her mind on the anger she should feel about his intrusion, but at the same time, the thought of him nearby gave a sense of comfort she hadn’t felt since Nolan and her daddy were there.

  She couldn’t reconcile this feeling. She was glad things were going better than she had thought, but then, life never stayed good. It would mess up. It was going well before Nolan had left home.

  Then her daddy stole what little money they had, the money she thought she had hidden. He found it and took it, leaving her and her little brother penniless. They had nothing but debt, a dwindling plantation to keep going, and fifty mouths to feed.

  Now things seemed better once again. Her brother was still out there. While that wasn’t the best circumstance, at least he was still among the living, and when this war ended, she felt hopeful that he would be home.

  The colonel really had made things better for all of them. She felt safer. She tried to reason that Colonel Ross was just a cog in the larger Yankee wheel, and he was trying to help her.

  No. She needed to get past these
ridiculous feelings. She shouldn’t expect this time of contentment to lull her into a feeling of false security.

  She watched the small current that had formed in her yard, noticing small limbs and other things fighting for position as they floated past. Ella had never seen this much water on her property. She wondered how the men managed to live in those tents. Absently, she leaned her head against the pane of the window.

  “This dratted rain doesn’t show any sign of stopping. I’m tired of being cooped up inside. Lands sakes! Now the wind is picking up. This storm is just getting worse and worse,” she railed out loud to herself, easing her conscience about the possibility she was losing some of her animosity and distrust towards the troublesome duo.

  As if to reinforce her thoughts, a very large, very dead magnolia branch crashed to the ground in front of the porch. She jumped back, and her foot caught on the corner of the doormat.

  Ella flailed her arms in an effort to remain standing, but she fell anyway. She knocked the sconce off the wall on her way to the floor, sending the glass globe and its base crashing into pieces when it hit the wooden flooring. Luckily the candles were not lit.

  When she opened her eyes, the broken glass was all around her, but she managed not to sit on any. Geez! That could have been painful.

  The crash echoed throughout the first floor of the house. Almost immediately, footsteps raced down the hall and slowed at the door where she lay.

  “Miss Ella? Miss Ella! Is you alright?”

  “My pride. Just my pride. I think we will need a new entry light though.” She pointed to the wall where a sconce used to sit. She looked at where her foot had caught and still didn’t understand how it happened. “I tripped on the carpet,” she lamented.

  Lizzy helped Ella up. “There you go, Miss Ella. Now what had you so p’occupied that you didn’t look where your feet was step’n?”

  “I was thinking about how I didn’t feel...” She swallowed. “I don’t hate them as much.” She nodded toward the library. “And it bothered me. I don’t completely understand how that happened.”

  “Miss Ella, you just reacting to how they treat’n us. The colonel gave his word. When you can let go of some of that anger, you can see other things.” Seeing the door propped open, Lizzy stepped outside on the porch. “My goodness, there sho gonna be a powerful storm here, soon. See those dark clouds over yonder? I hadn’t seen one of them in a while,” she said with a note of astonishment. “It may be what they call a hurricane. Wonder what Ol’ Indie would say about it?”

  “I don’t recall ever seeing clouds like these.” Crossing her arms protectively, she stared at the broken glass. “This persistent storm...I’m tired of being cooped up. I feel like a chicken in a pen. Why, I feel like I should lay an egg. That’s how long I’ve been holed up in here. This storm won’t let up. It’s so dark.”

  “It looks bad, sho’ nuff.”

  A feeling of alarm swept through her. “That’s what I was afraid you’d say. I have never seen one, but my mamma used to talk about a fierce storm that happened when she was a young girl. She said the wind was horrible, and the rain kept going on forever until it flooded fields and houses. The river swelled really big with waves and washed over the land. Many people died.” She thought about her mamma’s story. “I think we need to get the windows boarded. Those with shutters should be locked down. Let’s hurry!”

  Lizzy and Ella rushed upstairs and started opening window sashes and securing the storm shutters. The ones in the front of the house were larger. She would need Carter to help with those. “Where can we put the livestock to keep them safe? We don’t have much, and we can’t afford to lose what we have.” She talked as she worked, glancing at Lizzy. “I hope Colonel Ross does something about his men. They cannot stay in tents in this storm. I may not like Yankees, but I cannot wish them harm. They may be cruelly hurt or die.”

  She was beginning to care and could not account for this sudden feeling. It made her uncomfortable, and she felt disloyal. Still, Ella’s focus was on saving the lives of the men.

  “We need to close these shutters. Lizzy, find any servants you can to help you. Maybe Carter can give us a hand. Wait, no. We can handle the shutters. Send Carter to find Jason and have him warn the rest of the people and the men in the tents.” She stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts. “If Carter can’t locate Jason, there has to be someone in charge who can warn those men to take cover. Have you seen the colonel?”

  Lizzy was still staring up at the clouds. “I hear Carter now. He is looking for Aiden.”

  “Aiden? What do you mean looking for Aiden? Aiden’s missing?” Panic hit her. Ella realized that she had not seen Aiden or Bo in the last hour. “We have to find him!”

  Terror pulsed through her. She sprinted downstairs with Lizzy behind her. The pitch of her voice elevated in panic. Without looking back, she flung open the screen door and pushed her body against the onslaught of wind and rain. “Aiden, Bo, where are you? Can you hear me? Aiden, Bo? Are you out here?” The wind blew harder and almost completely muffled her voice. The rain pelted her face, and it was difficult to see anything.

  “In this storm? Miss Ella, surely the boy is in the house somewhere. We will find them.”

  No longer listening, Ella was already making her way down the front steps. Cupping both hands together above her eyes in an attempt to shield them from the pelting rain, Ella ran around the house. “Aiden, Bo…answer me! Aiden, can you hear me?” She screamed as loud as she could but could barely hear herself over the sound of the wind and rain. The wind was strong and pushed her against the trees. She struggled free and moved back towards the house.

  Ella fought against the panic making its way through her body. Where has Aiden gone?

  As she turned the corner of the house and started towards the back, the cellar door to the house opened. Ella jumped back with a cry of alarm. Out poked two arms holding one casserole dish. The arms placed the casserole dish on the ground. A black skillet and a kitchen towel followed.

  Stunned, she stopped and watched the small arms move the dishes out of the way. Now she was curious. A little blond head of a five-year-old boy emerged with a golden yellow puppy. He turned around and tried to push the door closed but was blown almost back into the opening by the wind.

  Stunned beyond words, Ella moved to help him just as he managed to push the door closed.

  “Aiden Terrance, there you are! What in the world are you doing coming out of the root cellar?” More relieved than angry, Ella forgot the storm for a moment and grabbed him. She sniffed and screwed up her nose at an odor. “You stink. What in tarnation have you been into? Oh, my goodness! You smell awful, like you been rolling in… in… refuse.”

  She gently moved Aiden aside. Bo yipped at her and tried to block the door. She pushed the puppy aside and pulled hard to open the entrance to the cellar. The wind took it from her hand slammed it back against the frame, leaving it open. Holding the edge of the door as securely as she could, she peered down. A waning lantern cast light from the bottom of the steps, illuminating a man lying on a pallet of blankets.

  She started to scream but stopped when he looked up. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t remember anyone with that much hair. Blond hair. She turned and looked at Aiden, who was firmly looking down.

  “Aiden? Who is that? Do you know? You do! What are you…” she admonished him. She wasn’t going to get any answers from him. “Wait right here. Do you understand me? I have never taken a switch to you, Aiden, but if you move from that spot, I will. Do not move.”

  Instantly, she regretted the threat, knowing she would never be able to carry it out. Aiden looked up at her, his eyes brimming with tears. She looked back at the blond-haired man and her heart seized. Ella recognized who it was.

  Tears ran down her face unchecked. She dropped down and pulled her brother close to her, holding him against her body to protect him from the pelting rain and wind. They both cried.

  “Nol�
�n is real sick, Ella. Bo and I, we tried to feed him and make him betta. But he didn’t get betta and now he can’t talk to us. I think he might die, like my frog, Twigs.”

  Squeezing Aiden tightly, Ella understood that her brother was very sick and quickly needed help. She looked around and knew one thing had to happen now. She needed to get her brother out of this root cellar.

  Ella studied Nolan for a few moments. She could see his body slightly rising and falling. It was obvious that he hadn’t had a bath, clean clothes, or real food. She noticed remnants of cake and smuggled dinner lying on the floor. Aiden had indeed been trying to take care of his brother. A gnawed-down corncob thrown in the corner told her that this had been going on for the past few days. They had corn two days before.

  Tears spilled from her eyes as she saw the lengths Aiden had gone to help Nolan. How had they kept this a secret? When had Nolan come home? Nothing made sense.

  “Aiden, you and Bo come with me. We have a bad storm coming, so come and hold my hand tight.” She gripped his small hand.

  “But Ella, we can’t leave our brudder.” He tried to tug his hand away.

  “We have to leave him right now. But I’m going to help him, I promise.”

  Once they made it inside, Ella stooped down and looked into Aiden’s eyes, wiping both the wet hair away from her face and the tears from his. “You and Bo are to stay in the parlor. If anyone comes looking for me, do not tell what I am doing. Anyone, understood?”

  Aiden peered up at his sister. “You mean like Colonel Ross? Nol’n don’t like him being here.”

  Startled by her brother’s revelation, she took a moment to think before responding. “Yes, most definitely the colonel. Tell him… tell him that I’m getting dressed. If he comes. Which he shouldn’t. At least I don’t think he is supposed to come. Will you do as I ask?”

  He nodded. “Me and Bo will sit in the parlor.”