The Widow of Rose Hill (The Women of Rose Hill Book 2)

by Michelle Shocklee

  Carolina stood at the pump, her thin arms working the handle continuously to keep up with the demand. Her rounded eyes spoke of her fear, but she kept working. Other women struggled to get skittish plow horses and milk cows out of the larger barn nearby, lest an errant spark ignite that structure as well.

  Amid all the chaos, Levi was keenly aware that Natalie was not among the people frantically laboring to save the building. What if Jerzo had broken into the house and even now had Natalie in his clutches, finishing what he hadn’t been able to the first time?

  He had nearly convinced himself to leave the bucket line and race up to the house when he saw her rush into the glow the flames created. His relief was short-lived when he saw her face.

  “Samuel,” she cried, nearly collapsing into Levi’s arms when he hurried to her. Her panic-filled eyes met his. “Samuel isn’t in his room. I’ve searched the house. He isn’t in the kitchen or the quarter or anywhere.”

  Sobs shook her body. Levi cradled her against his chest. As vital as the grain barn was, the boy was far more important. “We’ll find him,” he said, soothing her even as his mind whirled. Where could Samuel be? Surely Jezro hadn’t harmed the child.

  “Mama! Mama!”

  Natalie gasped and pulled away from his embrace. All eyes looked upward. Samuel’s tiny form, still dressed in his nightclothes, was silhouetted in the opening of the hayloft of the blazing barn.

  “Samuel!”

  Natalie’s terror-filled cry sent chills coursing through Levi. A murmur ran through the crowd.

  “Get that water comin’! Hurry!” Moses shouted, frantically tossing a full bucket onto the wall beneath Samuel.

  Levi tore off the bandana and ran to the barn, stopping under the loft opening. Heat radiated around him. “Jump to me, Samuel.” He stretched out his arms. “I’ll catch you.”

  But Samuel shook his head. “Noooo. I’m scared.” His bony shoulders shook, and he disappeared from view.

  “Samuel!” Natalie rushed over, coughing and covering her mouth. Tears flooded her face. “Samuel!”

  Levi pulled her away from the fiery building. She fought his grip.

  “My son! Levi, I have to get my son!”

  He grasped her by the shoulders and gave her a shake. “I’ll get him, Natalie. Trust me. Stay here.” Harriet hurried over and draped her arm across her mistress’ trembling shoulders. He met the servant’s wide-eyed gaze, and she nodded in understanding.

  With no time to spare, Levi ran to the trough and jumped in. Carolina shrieked, but he paid no attention to her or the others who looked at him as though he’d gone insane. Dripping with water, he charged past the line of men. Moses grabbed his arm.

  “Colonel, it be too dangerous.” Fire glow reflected in the man’s worried eyes.

  “If it were Isaac, would you go in after him?”

  The man didn’t hesitate. He shoved a blanket someone had soaked in water into Levi’s hands. “Lord, protect this man and our Samuel …”

  Levi didn’t wait to hear the end of the prayer. He rushed into the burning structure, ducking low to keep out of the worst of the smoke. The bottom rung of a ladder was visible a short distance from the door. Throwing the blanket over his head, he scaled the rough wood.

  “Samuel!”

  The boy didn’t answer, but Levi could hear him coughing.

  “Samuel, come to me. I’m at the ladder. I’ll take you to your mama.”

  The roar of the fire echoed in the narrow space. Shouts continued outside. Finally, Samuel emerged through the smoke on his hands and knees, his face streaked with soot and tears.

  “Come to me. We need to get you out of here.”

  “But the kittens and the mama cat,” Samuel said, looking behind him. “They’re scared too.”

  A crash sounded behind Levi, but he didn’t turn to see what it was. Samuel started to cry. It was foolhardy to risk their lives for a barn cat, but the boy might fight Levi if he tried to make a grab for him. “Show me where the cat is,” he said, crawling onto the wooden platform built for hay storage.

  Tucked in the corner against the wall, the mother cat and four new kittens crouched. A child’s blanket lay next to them. With a swift move, Levi scooped the animals into it, then hoisted Samuel onto his back, covering them both with the wet blanket. “Hold on to me and don’t let go.”

  With the boy’s scrawny arms looped around his neck, choking him almost as much as the smoke, Levi descended the ladder as fast as his cumbersome passengers would allow. Though thick smoke completely obscured the entrance, he knew it was to his left. Hurrying in that direction, another deafening sound came from above.

  The roof was about to collapse.

  Natalie stared at the opening to the barn, her eyes stinging and watery, but she would not look away. Black smoke billowed out, and terrible noises came from within. Still, Levi and Samuel did not appear.

  “Oh God, oh God,” she whispered over and over.

  Harriet stood beside her, her own mutterings beseeching the Lord to spare Samuel and the colonel. A woman who’d lost children of her own, her prayers for the life of another’s innocent child surely reached heaven and God’s ear.

  The minutes dragged by.

  Finally, Moses shouted.

  Natalie gasped, holding her breath, her hands clasped against her heart.

  Like an apparition emerging from swampy fog, a blanket-covered form came through the smoke. Levi stumbled, and Moses kept him upright, leading him toward her. She couldn’t move as she watched them approach. He held a small bundle in his hands, but it was too small to be her son.

  “No!” She covered her mouth with her hands. Harriet’s arm tightened across her shoulders, offering strength.

  When he reached her, Levi dropped to his knees and placed the bundle gently on the ground. She recognized Samuel’s blanket, and a silent wail began in her heart. When the soft material flopped open to reveal a cat and several kittens, she could only stare, confused. He’d saved a cat family but let her son perish?

  “Mama!”

  The lump on Levi’s back wiggled. The blanket dropped to the ground, and there was her son, clinging to Levi’s neck. “Samuel!”

  The boy slid down Levi’s back and ran to her. She sank to the ground, enveloping the precious child in a fierce embrace. She wept, and so did he. “Thank you, Lord,” she sobbed into his smoky hair. “Thank you.”

  When she lifted her eyes, she met Levi’s steadfast gaze. How could she have doubted him?

  A crash behind him drew their attention. The roof of the barn gave way, sending flames and sparks high into the night air. Shouts for more water rang out, and Levi, after one last look at her, hurried back to the line of men.

  Natalie carried Samuel to the house, leaving the noise and commotion behind.

  “Stay with me, Mama,” he whispered when they reached the porch, his arms tightening around her neck.

  “I will, love.” She might never let him out of her sight again.

  They settled on the swing, Samuel curling into a ball next to her. Tomorrow she would find out why he’d been in the barn and if he were responsible for the fire. But not tonight. Tonight, she would hold him and comfort him and reassure herself that he was safe.

  Eventually, Samuel fell asleep, leaving Natalie to stroke his hair as his head lay in her lap. She listened to the sounds of people fighting the fire until a large group of riders entered the yard. One of the soldiers must have gone to Langford Manor to get help, for men in uniform were suddenly everywhere.

  Closing her eyes, tears rolled down her cheeks. God had given her back her son. When all seemed lost, He sent Levi. Strong, courageous Levi. He’d risked his own life to save Samuel. Even now, he battled to save the other barns. Levi. The man who’d kissed her with more tenderness and passion than she knew existed. A man her son adored. A man she knew she could trust without a shadow of doubt.

  A man, she joyfully admitted, whom she loved with all her heart.

  S
oldiers were milling about the yard, cups of strong coffee in their hands, when the sun peeked over a cloudless eastern horizon. The acrid smell of smoke hung heavy in the air, but thankfully, the fire was no longer a threat. They’d been able to contain it to the one barn, although Levi doubted any of the grain and corn would be salvaged. Between the smoke, flames, and water, it had doubtless all been destroyed.

  “Mo’ coffee, Colonel?”

  He glanced up from his place on the porch steps to see Harriet come toward him, a blue enamel pot in her hands. She looked as tired as he felt. “I believe I’ve had my fill, but thank you.”

  She nodded, her serious gaze resting on him. “You runnin’ in after Samuel ’bout the bravest thing I ever saw, Colonel.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “Losing a chile the worst heartache a person can go through in this world. You done saved Miz Natalie’s life, I ’spect, just as shorely as you saved little Samuel. Don’t know that she would’a survived iffen somethin’ happen to that boy. You done a good thing for this family, Colonel. A mighty good thing.”

  He watched her walk away, thoughtful. While the praise was appreciated, saving Samuel was not something he’d done to be heroic. The truth was, sometime between the day he and his men had arrived at Rose Hill and last night, he’d fallen in love with Natalie and Samuel. Seeing the boy in the opening to the hayloft, flames licking the walls behind him, Levi felt he was looking at his own son. The danger hardly crossed his mind.

  “She’s right, you know.”

  Natalie’s soft voice came from behind him. Levi turned. She stood in the doorway, an expectant look shining in her eyes. He stood, muscles aching from fighting the fire most of the night, and went to her. There hadn’t been an opportunity to talk after he’d carried Samuel out of the barn. Harriet said she was resting when he and the men came looking for coffee after the last bucket of water had been tossed onto the smoldering embers. Several of his men continued to watch what remained of the structure to make certain it no longer posed a threat.

  Now, with her mere inches away, he didn’t know where to begin. He loved this woman. He wanted to spend the rest of his life protecting her and Samuel. That she’d returned his kiss, sweet and promising, ignited a hope deep in his heart.

  “How is Samuel?” He was overcome by a powerful desire to pull her into his arms, yet he knew he could not with so many people nearby.

  “Sleeping. He confessed to sneaking from the house to see the kittens after I tucked him into bed.” She looked toward the barns, though the burned-out remains were not visible from the porch. When she met his gaze again, tears pooled in her eyes. “I nearly lost him, Levi,” she whispered, her chin trembling. “How can I ever thank you enough for saving him?”

  By marrying me.

  The words were on his tongue, but he knew now was not the time to speak of such an important and complicated matter. Later, when she’d had time to recover from the shock and fear of nearly losing her son, he would tell her of his involvement in the battle at Bull Run. Then he would confess his love for her and for Samuel and beg her to marry him.

  “You don’t need to thank me. Knowing Samuel is safe is all that matters.”

  The look of love she gave him was nearly his undoing. If Eunice had not appeared in the doorway at that exact moment, he would have swept Natalie into his arms and proposed right there in front of the world.

  “The last time I saw this many Yankees was the day they burned me out.” Eunice turned a narrowed glare to Levi. “And now we’ve lost all our grain to a fire. Seems suspicious, don’t you agree, Colonel?”

  Her implications were clear.

  “Cousin Eunice.” Natalie turned abruptly to face the woman. “I hope you’re not suggesting the soldiers had anything to do with the barn catching fire.” Natalie glanced at Levi. “Samuel has already admitted he was there. Perhaps he tried to light a lantern.”

  “Pfft.” Eunice eyed Levi. “I wouldn’t be so fast to put the blame on the boy. Not when you have a yard full of Yankees. It was certainly fortunate that you happened to be at Rose Hill when the fire started, Colonel. Whatever would have become of poor little Samuel had you not arrived for a visit well after dark when most of us were already abed?”

  Levi’s ire rose, but he would not sink to the woman’s level. Ignoring her, he turned to Natalie. “The embers will stay hot for several more hours. My men will remain to make certain no other fires pop up.”

  She nodded. “Thank you”—she glanced at Eunice then back to him—“Colonel.”

  He tried not to grin. “You’re welcome, Mrs. Ellis.”

  The secret smile on her lips reminded him of how soft and yielding they’d been under his own. He hoped to get another chance—soon—to kiss them again.

  He turned to leave.

  “Co’nel!”

  Harriet carried Samuel onto the porch, his hair a wild mess and sleep still in his eyes. The boy wiggled out of her arms and hurried to him.

  “Mama says you’re a he-ro. That means you were brave.” He grinned up at his mother. Natalie smiled at him, smoothing the unruly locks into place before lifting her gaze to Levi. That she considered him a hero, he had to admit, puffed his chest a bit.

  “How are you?” He knelt on one knee so he’d be eye level with the boy.

  Samuel’s little brow tugged into a frown. “I was scared before you came and got me.” A smile melted it away. “The mama cat and her babies are in the kitchen. Harriet put ’em in a crate so me and Isaac don’t have to go down to the barn to see ’em.”

  Levi rustled Samuel’s hair, leaving it messy again, and stood. “That’s a good idea.”

  “Did you catch the bad man?” Samuel peered up at him.

  “The bad man?” He looked to Natalie for explanation, but her expression echoed his confusion.

  “The one with the marks on his face. Moses said he was a bad man and I should stay away from him.” Samuel grabbed a fistful of Natalie’s skirt, inching closer to her. “He was in the barn, too, but he didn’t know me and the cats were there.”

  When Levi glanced at Natalie, her eyes had rounded with alarm. Kneeling again, Levi kept his voice calm. “What was he doing in the barn?”

  Samuel shrugged. “He wanted some corn, I guess. He was diggin’ in all the bins and spilled some on the ground. I was gonna tell him Moses would be mad, but one of the kittens was sleepin’ in my lap, and I didn’t want to ’sturb it.”

  Levi frowned, trying to piece together the story. Why would Jezro still be at Rose Hill, searching grain bins? “And then what did he do?”

  “He found one of Mama’s candlesticks in the corn and put it in a bag. He put something else in too, but I couldn’t see what it was.” Samuel frowned. “I don’t think he was s’pposed to have Mama’s candlestick. She says they aren’t to play with.”

  “No, he wasn’t,” Levi said, smiling at the boy so he wouldn’t sense the fear that swept the adults on the porch. “But you were a very brave boy to stay quiet. Now, why don’t you go check on the kittens? I imagine they miss you.”

  Samuel grinned and looked up to his mother. “Can I?”

  “Of course. Harriet will take you.” Though she smiled as she spoke, Levi heard the tremor in her voice.

  Once Samuel and Harriet disappeared around the corner, Natalie’s wide eyes met his. “Jezro started the fire, I know it.”

  Eunice, unusually silent and rather pale, put her arm around Natalie’s waist.

  “I fear you may be right.” Levi glanced to the dozens of soldiers in the yard, preparing their horses to return to camp. “I will have the men search every inch of the plantation, but Jezro is most likely long gone.”

  “That’s what Corporal Banks said yesterday, but look what happened. My son nearly died because of Jezro!” Natalie’s eyes blazed.

  Levi understood her fear. “He came back last evening to get the items he’d stolen. There is no reason for him to stay around.”

  “We need to alert the patrollers,” Eunice said, givi
ng her head a firm nod. “They have dogs trained to track Negroes. The judge—”

  “Please, Cousin Eunice,” Natalie said, exasperation echoing in the firm words. “Now is not the time for a story about the judge.”

  Eunice’s eyes widened with indignation. “Well, how do you like that? I am simply trying to help, but I can see I am not wanted here.” She shot a glare at Levi and marched into the house.

  Natalie closed her eyes for a long moment. “I’ll apologize to her later. For now”—her gaze held Levi’s—“I’m frightened.”

  Her vulnerability tore at Levi. Throwing caution to the wind, he reached for her. Without hesitation, she folded herself into his embrace.

  “I won’t let him hurt you or Samuel,” he said, smoothing her hair as her cheek rested against his chest. “If he is anywhere near Rose Hill, we’ll find him.” Although Eunice’s suggestion to use the patrols and their dogs wasn’t how Levi would like to handle the situation, it might be the only option. Jezro needed to be found before he hurt anyone else.

  “Will someone tell me what the devil is going on here?”

  Levi and Natalie sprang apart, startled to hear Alexander Lopez’s angry voice. The man sat astride his huge mount, immaculately dressed, glaring at them.

  “What are all these soldiers doing at Rose Hill,” he said, leveling a threatening look at Levi, “and why is my fiancée in the arms of another man?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Alexander’s loud voice drew the attention of everyone in the yard, much to Natalie’s dismay.

  “Your fiancée?” Levi’s gaze shot to her, confusion in his voice.

  Frustrated, she turned to the man on the horse. “Alexander, you and I are not engaged. We simply—”

  “I asked you to be my wife, and you agreed to consider it. Surely an understanding such as ours would prevent you from seeking the attentions of another man.” His cold eyes grazed Levi. “Especially one who was so recently your enemy.”

  A gasp from the open door revealed Eunice had returned. She sent Natalie a reproachful frown. “You didn’t tell me Señor Lopez proposed.”