Hannah looked at William and then to the soldiers. “Mr. Barnett, is there a problem?”
“This is my good friend Tyler Atherton,” William announced. “These are his men. We haven’t had a chance to discuss why they’ve come.” He turned back to Tyler. “This is Miss Hannah Dandridge. Her father took over the ranch.”
“Miss Dandridge, it’s a pure pleasure to meet you.” Tyler offered her a teasing smile. “I can see why Will is stayin’ close to home.”
Hannah blushed, but looked to William for answers. Her quizzical stare made it clear that she was waiting for an explanation.
“I’m wondering if it would be all right with you if we gave these men and horses food and maybe a bed for the night.”
Hannah glanced back at the men. “You’re willing to let Confederate soldiers stay here?”
William frowned. “Of course I am. This man is my friend. He and his men are hungry and tired. I wouldn’t begrudge anyone food and rest.”
She seemed to consider this only a moment before turning to Tyler. “Your men are welcome to stay, Mr. Atherton.”
“You can call me, Tyler, Miss Dandridge.”
“That would hardly be appropriate, Mr. Atherton. I do see, however, you are a soldier.”
“Yes, ma’am. A lieutenant in the Texas Third Cavalry.” Tyler’s gaze never left Hannah’s.
William felt a strange sense of jealousy wash over him when Hannah offered Tyler a smile.
“Then perhaps you would allow me to call you . . . Lieutenant.”
Tyler laughed and gave a sweeping bow. “You can call me anything, ma’am, so long as it ain’t late to the dinner table.” His men laughed, as well, and even Hannah appeared amused.
“Well, I’ll leave it to Mr. Barnett to show you where you can wash up and make yourselves comfortable. I’ll see to your meal.”
She turned and walked away, pausing only a moment at the door to glance over her shoulder. William wanted to think she was looking at him, but he figured she was probably more interested in his friend.
William decided to let it drop. There was no telling what Miss Dandridge might be thinking. “Come on, boys. We can put your horses up back here.”
Hannah wasn’t accustomed to being so popular. The men in the lieutenant’s company were more than happy to entertain her with stories and even some music. One of the men, a Private Bierman, played a lively harmonica while another private sang.
The soldiers seemed to find it pleasant to be in the company of children, and Andy and Marty were delighted by the attention. Two of the men actually got on the floor to shoot marbles with Andy, while Private Bierman showed Marty how to blow into the harmonica.
Had it not been for the very sad circumstances that had brought them there, Hannah might have found the entire visit a delight. Instead, she was considering everything that the lieutenant had discussed over lunch.
The Confederate soldiers were desperate for food. The entire South was suffering. The scenes depicted by the lieutenant and his men were not ones Hannah wanted to dwell on for long. When they spoke of the siege at Vicksburg and people even eating the dead horses, she thought she might well be ill. She was glad Juanita had fed the children separately in the kitchen.
Tyler Atherton and his men had come to see if they might get William’s help in moving some cattle east—smuggling them past Union troops in order to feed the South. They hoped to at least get them past the Mississippi River, at which point they could turn the herd over to other Confederate troops.
“I hope I didn’t upset you overmuch,” the lieutenant said, coming up behind Hannah.
She jumped and turned so quickly that her boot caught in the rug. She would have fallen had the lieutenant not taken hold of her.
“There now. I do apologize. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” He smiled, and she liked the way his eyes seemed to twinkle.
“That’s quite all right. I was watching the children have fun with your men. They seem so carefree in these moments that it’s hard to imagine the war is really going on at the same time.”
Atherton nodded and his expression turned serious. He let go of his hold on Hannah. “It’s goin’ on all right. That’s why I’m hopin’ you’ll agree to help us with the cattle.”
“I can’t imagine it not being the right thing to do,” Hannah said. “Even the Bible tells us to feed the hungry. I can understand the Yankees wanting to keep the Confederate soldiers weak, but how can they even begin to live with themselves when they think of starving out innocent women and children?”
She looked up to find William had entered the room. Her mind immediately went to what Herbert Lockhart had said about William and his family being at Vicksburg from the start of the battle. Had he allowed her family to starve? Had he approved the methods used for bringing the town and the soldiers there to their knees?
“I have no idea of how you will manage this cattle drive without the Yankees knowing what is happening, but you have my blessing,” Hannah said. “And I’m certain my father would agree . . . were he here.”
“Well, we have some ideas on gettin’ those steers to the Mississippi. We have friends all along the way to help us. That was part of what we’ve been doing these past months. See, we were cut loose just before the battle at Vicksburg.”
“You were at Vicksburg?” she asked.
“My men and I were sent out just before the Yankees descended on us. We’ve been establishin’ stops along the way while workin’ to get this far west. It hasn’t been easy, but I believe that God has been on our side.”
“Both sides like to believe that, Tyler,” William said, interrupting the conversation, “but I don’t think that God is paying much attention to this war.”
The room went silent at this declaration. The lieutenant’s men left off their play with the children and got to their feet. Hannah could feel the tension build. She knew if she didn’t do something, there might very well be a fight.
“Gentlemen, I am of a mind that God loves all of His children equally,” Hannah said. “No doubt He is grieved by this war and weeps, just as I have, over the loss of life.” She hoped William would say nothing more and allow the matter to drop.
“Of course you’re right, Miss Dandridge,” the lieutenant agreed. “War is a despicable thing, and we should not even be discussin’ it in your presence. We will, if you would so graciously allow us, depart for a time of rest. My men and I have long been in the saddle and we’re a mite weary from our endeavors.”
“Most certainly you may go, Lieutenant,” Hannah replied. “I will see to it that you have everything you need.”
The handsome man took hold of her hand and bowed over it. Hannah thought him quite gallant—a true knight in shining armor. Only this armor was poorly made wool and tattered cotton. The mix-matched uniforms all looked as though they’d seen better days.
Atherton led his men from the house, but Hannah didn’t miss the scowls on their faces as they passed William. She was afraid if words were exchanged again, the men would most likely come to blows—and she didn’t want to see that happen in front of her brother and sister.
“I wonder if I might have a word with you, Mr. Barnett.”
William seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation and stepped back. “Perhaps you might accompany me to the smokehouse. I want to check on the fire.”
“Can I come, too?” Andy asked.
“No,” Hannah replied. “I need you and Marty to get back to your studies. I will be with you shortly to check on your work.”
“Aw, do I have to?” Marty moaned and picked up her doll. “All I ever do is read and write. Doing school is hard.”
Hannah suppressed a smile. “You must be educated, Miss Martha. Now get your slate and practice your alphabet while I’m gone.”
She didn’t wait to see if they heeded her command, but rather led the way through the house and out the back door. William Barnett followed her a few paces behind, but once they were outside, he
came alongside her.
“I would appreciate it,” she began, “if you and your friend would refrain from discussing the war further—at least around the children. I have no desire to watch you brawl and bring the war to this house.”
“There’s no desire for that on my part, either, Miss Dandridge. I assure you.” William stopped and turned to face her. He continued to study her. “Is there something else you wish to discuss?”
Hannah wanted to ask him about his part in the Battle of Vicksburg, but decided she should follow her own advice and say nothing more regarding the war. “I just want to protect the children. They shouldn’t have to hear or see the ugliness associated with this war.”
“I couldn’t agree more. No child should have to.” He turned and looked away. “Now, if you’re finished, I need to see to the wood.”
“Certainly,” Hannah said, unable to think of anything else to say.
She felt her loyalties being torn in two different directions. Her family had suffered greatly at the hands of the Union Army. William Barnett had been a part of that army, and perhaps, as Mr. Lockhart said, was among the very soldiers who put an end to the lives of her grandfather and brother.
Yet even with that in her thoughts, Hannah knew that Mr. Barnett was a good man. She’d heard him talk of his regrets in going to war. She knew that he only served out of obedience to his father . . . and wasn’t she there for the very same reason? How could she fault a man for that?
Still, the stories of Vicksburg and the siege haunted her. The idea that William Barnett might well have fired the shot that ended her brother’s life was more than she could bear. Without another word, Hannah turned and hurried back to the house. She needed to distance herself from William Barnett and all that he represented.
Now, if her heart would just cooperate.
12
William and Tyler worked together to bring in four longhorn steers. They’d found them down by the river and decided to drive them into one of the holding pens until the men could take them east. The real work would come in another day or two, when they set out for rounding up the rest. They would probably be gone for at least a week, depending on how far out the animals had spread on the open range. Allowing cattle to graze at will was both a wonderful blessing and an exhausting curse to the rancher.
Riding an older reliable mare his mother had once owned, William was glad for the chaps he’d tied on. The brush was dry and much of it dormant as the colder months were upon them. His legs would have taken a real beating had it not been for the leather protection. Tyler had borrowed a pair of chaps from Berto, but he didn’t seem nearly so roughed up. He’d let William do most of the hard work of getting the steers onto open ground.
“So tell me more about Miss Hannah. Is she your gal?” Tyler asked.
“Hardly. She’s no one’s gal that I can see. She’s her own woman through and through.”
Tyler laughed. “I haven’t seen anyone so pretty since leavin’ to join up.”
“Which brings me to a question of my own,” William said, throwing Tyler a sidelong glance. “Why didn’t you head out to California like you talked about? Last thing you told me was that you had no mind to join up.”
“Well, those plans were made before the Comanche burned us out and killed Pa. You weren’t here when it happened. I think you’d been gone maybe a month.” He squinted and pulled the brim of his forage cap down to block out the sun. “The rest of the family was with me in Dallas because Pa was worried about a raid and wanted Ma and Lenore safe. When word of the attack came, my ma and sister were grief-stricken beyond words, but Grandpa Venton and I were mad. We made the women stay in Dallas and rode out with a handful of men to see what was left of the ranch and Pa. There was nothing but burning stubble and the dead.” Tyler shuddered and stared out across the landscape. “My pa and the hands put up a good fight, but not good enough. Only a couple of the men survived. My pa . . . died.”
William could see the man’s thoughts had clearly taken him back to that day. “I’m sure sorry about that, Tyler. I hadn’t heard about the attack.”
“I didn’t even try to write you—I knew it would be too difficult to get word across the lines.”
“I appreciate that you even thought of trying. You were about the only one who remained on speaking terms with our family. You and your family.”
Tyler shook his head. “None of us wanted this war. I was praying that Texas would choose to stay out of it. My pa felt just like yours. Even Sam Houston wanted no part of it and folks . . . well, they used to listen to him. I guess this was bigger than all of us though.”
“I guess so,” William replied. “I’m almost glad I got shot when I did.”
“Where’d you catch it?”
“Vicksburg.”
Tyler turned in the saddle and fixed William with a look of disbelief. “Does she know that?”
William knew he was talking about Hannah without needing to hear her name. “No. I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell her. It’s bad enough she thinks of me as the enemy. Partly because of my father’s stand in the war, and partly because this has become her home and now I’m here to reclaim it.”
“And will you?”
“What? Reclaim it? I’m trying to. I went into Dallas the other day and spoke with an old friend of the family. He’s a judge and believes we were wronged. He’s trying to get the place returned to me.”
“And what will happen to Miss Dandridge and her family if he does?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t figured anything much further along than helping you with these cattle.”
“And what of Miss Dandridge’s father? She said he’s gone missing.”
William considered this for a moment. “I fear it may be more than that. She’s had no word from him in months. By her own account, it isn’t like her father to remain out of touch. He has the means and intelligence, even a good number of connections with the Confederate government. If he wanted to get a message to his family, I doubt he’d have any trouble.”
“So you figure he’s captured or dead.”
“That’s about the size of it. As much as I hate to admit it, I tend to agree with Lockhart’s belief that the man is dead.”
“Herbert Lockhart? Don’t tell me he’s still around to cause trouble. He’s pestered my ma with letters wanting to buy the ranch. She told him it was my decision, but Lockhart keeps askin’.”
“He settled in Cedar Springs full time. He and Miss Dandridge’s father were partners in law and in the real estate market.”
“Was Mr. Dandridge as corrupt as Lockhart?” Tyler asked.
“I somehow doubt it,” William answered. “I never knew Lockhart all that well, but didn’t like him just the same. Strangely enough, he seems to think of Hannah—Miss Dandridge—as his own personal property. He keeps telling her that her father wanted them to marry.”
Tyler laughed at this. “I can just bet he does. A fella that old with a young beauty like Miss Dandridge would be quite the match. Did her father really want Lockhart to marry her?”
Shrugging, William maneuvered his horse to the right to get around one of the steers and encourage him to get back in step with the others. “I don’t know much, but the way she talks, I can’t imagine her father made those wishes very clear—if he mentioned them at all.”
“I can’t imagine any man hatin’ his child so much that he’d want her to marry a weasel like Lockhart,” Tyler added.
They rode in silence for a few moments before William asked, “So why did you join up to fight?”
“I wanted to make my grandfather and ma proud. I know Ma didn’t want me to go, but Grandpa Venton said it was our duty. Once the fighting began in earnest, Grandpa said that was enough of that. He felt like the North was stickin’ its nose into our business. He would have gone, too, if they’d have had him.”
“They probably would now.” William shook his head. “The South has to know it’s going to lose. They lack the indus
try they need to hold out forever.”
“You want to know something, Will? I believe that’s the truth of it. I had thought at one time the North might just let us slip away and be done with it. But now it’s a fight of pride as much as anything else. The North isn’t going to let the South off easy, no matter what. In fact, even after this war is over, I’ve no doubt we’ll be payin’ for our actions for a long time.”
“Yeah, I think you’re probably right.”
They had reached the edge of the yard and William rode ahead of the steers to open the gate at the pen. The cows were surprisingly docile and plodded one by one through the opening. William secured the gate behind them and turned to smile at Tyler. “Now just another fifty-six or so to round up.”
“You won’t regret this, Will. I’ll make sure our side knows about your help. In fact, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“What’s that?”
“I want to set out three herds of twenty steers each. That’s a small enough number so as not to arouse too much suspicion. Three men can easily handle that many . . . in fact two men can do it. I thought maybe you and me, we might make up one team.”
“You want me to help you drive the cattle east?”
Tyler nodded. “I figure to send the other two groups to the north and south of us. Like I said, we tried to arrange places along the way where folks would help us. We have a good plan, but I’d feel a whole sight better if you would ride with me. Private Bierman isn’t much of a cattleman. He rides well enough, but his father bought his way into the cavalry. I think the boy only worked in his pa’s store prior to that. I’ll put him with two of the other men and that will just leave another two-man team. If you’d join us, I’d make sure the Confederacy knew of your help. Maybe give you a clean record in their eyes.”
“I don’t want to help any army,” William replied. “I’m doing this for the sake of feeding the hungry. I would just as soon see civilians receive this food as feed the Confederate Army. If you hate me for that, I understand, but it doesn’t change my heart.”
Chasing the Sun Page 11
