A Corner of Heaven

by Raine Cantrell

  Nervous, Elizabeth nodded, busy fussing with Nicole’s bonnet and then with her own. Josh had already opened the gate, and Elizabeth looked up into the yard where two great sycamores and a magnolia tree offered shade.

  Colter took hold of her hand and with his other lifted Nicole into his arms. He smiled and squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “You won’t regret this, I promise.”

  Josh followed them with one small trunk as Colter led them through the well-tended garden to the back door. At his knock, Dobie opened it and stood aside to let them enter.

  High ceilings for coolness, bare plaster walls trimmed with mahogany moldings, and a wide central staircase were all Elizabeth saw before Colter drew her attention to the young woman approaching them.

  “Elizabeth, this is Naomi.”

  “An’ me,” Nicole piped up, staring with childish curiosity at Naomi.

  “And you, princess,” Colter said, unaware of the pride in his voice or the look he bestowed on his child. “This is Miss Nicole…” A hectic flush tinted his cheek and he turned away.

  Elizabeth hurried to his side, realizing what he had been about to say. She was unsure of how to greet the graceful, lovely woman who watched them all with a serene expression. Was she free or a slave? Nicole, growing impatient, took the choice from her.

  “Will you play with me? Can you make best honey cakes like Rua? I wanna get down,” she demanded of Colter.

  Naomi offered her hand to the child Colter set down. “Yes, I will play with you. But I do not know these honey cakes. Perhaps you will like my crème brûlée,” she suggested in a rich, liquid voice.

  “What’s that?”

  “A sweet crème like a custard. It is my favorite treat.”

  “I wanna see my room.”

  “Nicole, we ask, not demand,” Elizabeth scolded.

  “Sorry, Mama. May I?”

  “With your permission, madam?” Naomi asked.

  Elizabeth noted there was nothing servile in either Naomi’s gaze or manner. She nodded, strangely unsettled by the quadroon’s poise.

  “While Naomi shows Nicole her room, we can use the drawing room, Elizabeth.”

  He ushered her inside before she could express her vague misgivings. The room was narrow, but the careful placement of the dark mahogany furniture gave a feeling of spaciousness. A plain wooden mantel over the fireplace was graced with a gilt clock flanked by two gilt candle holders. The mirror above, also framed in gilt, reflected Elizabeth’s image. Her travel dress was plain and dusty. She couldn’t help but compare it to the richer cloth of Naomi’s gown, although that dress had been simply adorned at the neckline, sleeve and hem with matching bands of ribbon in a muted shade of blue that complemented her bronze skin.

  “You don’t like her,” Colter said, coming to stand behind her.

  “What a foolish thing to say. I don’t know her.”

  “But you’ve judged her and found some flaw that has made you uncomfortable. Because she is a woman of color?”

  Elizabeth took a few steps away but kept her back toward him. “She’s lovely.”

  “Andre believes so. Now, stop fencing with me and tell me what’s wrong. I wish I could stay but I must—”

  “I’m sorry, Colter. You’ve told me so little about her.” With a slight shrug, Elizabeth turned. “I’m being foolish, and you must leave.” She started toward him, but Colter was already closing the distance between them.

  With a soft cry, Elizabeth held him tight.

  For a moment, Colter wanted to make rash promises. He kept silent and savored the feel of her in his arms before he kissed her. When desire demanded a deepening of kiss and touch, Colter broke away.

  “I’ll try and come back tonight, but I can’t promise that I will. And Naomi will tell you what you need to know.”

  “I love you. Go, and may the Lord keep you safe.”

  There was more Colter longed to say, but Josh was at the doorway. “Got all the belongings unloaded, Miss Elizabeth. Reckon I’ll be gettin’ back. Colonel, suh, will you be needin’ a ride?”

  “No, Josh, but before you go back I want you to…”

  Elizabeth didn’t hear the rest. Colter had walked out into the hallway with Josh, and she heard Nicole call him. There were no tears this time. She refused to think of his leaving at all.

  Colter did not come back. Disappointed, Elizabeth did, however, try her best to become acquainted with Naomi. Nicole was completely won over, but then she was a child easily pleased by anyone who offered her attention. Elizabeth could not fault Naomi by manner or word, for she was warm and generous, as well as patient with her daughter.

  Once Nicole was settled in bed, her pride and joy castle clock set in the center of the bureau, Elizabeth offered to make tea for the two of them. Naomi gently insisted that she would make a tray for them and bring it into the parlor.

  The windows were hung with full lace curtains that swept the floor with their hems. A Brussels carpet in a floral pattern of blues, grays and green set the restful mood of the room. The corner cupboard was bare, but the wood gleamed from recent polishing. Elizabeth was pleased with the pianoforte set against one wall, for she loved to play and had often wished she could teach Nicole. The two settees that flanked the fireplace were upholstered in green silk brocade, and the smaller occasional chairs of carved ebony were worked in a needlepoint tapestry. A few marble-topped tables completed the room.

  She didn’t realize she was smiling until Naomi entered and remarked, “You find the room pleasing.”

  “Yes, it is charming.” She watched Naomi, once more struck by the grace of every move she made.

  The china service was Derby, blue bordered with gilt, and Naomi handled the delicate pieces as if she had done so all her life. Elizabeth admitted she was curious, yet good manners forbade her asking direct questions. Once more, Naomi seemed to know the direction of her thoughts.

  “My father is white and was once wealthy. All my life I have been surrounded by elegance and the best that his gold could buy. Including my mother. She was his mistress and she died when I was not ready to become a woman.” With a sad smile, Naomi set her cup down.

  “Please, don’t talk about this if it—”

  “But you wish to know, do you not?” she queried in her rich voice.

  There was no censure in the gaze she directed at Elizabeth. With a charming shrug of her shoulders, she said, “It is of no import to me, but to you this matters a great deal. My father lost his fortune. We traveled north to Virginia and he decided to resettle here. But when his gambling losses proved too much, he decided to use me to settle them. Andre was there and chose not to allow that to happen. He found me these rooms, provides my clothes, my food—”

  “Naomi, stop, please. I have no right to pry.” For a moment Elizabeth debated with herself. Honesty won.

  “In a way, I believe you and I are—”

  “Both very loved by two very kind gentlemen,” Naomi finished for her and then freed a soft, almost natural musical laugh.

  They spoke far into the night, from practical matters such as arranging schedules around Elizabeth’s work hours, to sharing their concerns for the outcome of the war. By the time Elizabeth suggested they retire, she found herself almost happy that Colter had brought her here, even if she missed Emily, Rutha and Josh.

  Their days fell into a pattern that provided them both with needed friendship, along with complete agreement as to the sharing of household chores. Dobie remained unobtrusive, refusing to take his meals with them, but Elizabeth learned to appreciate his escort as the Christmas season approached and Richmond grew more and more crowded.

  There was a rumor that Secretary Memminger wanted to move part of his department out of Richmond. Gossip ran hot, for the idea provoked a storm of controversy. Officials argued that having the notes printed and signed in the same place reduced the chance of forgery and theft. Elizabeth was torn. She could not lose her job, but the thought of moving so far and being unable to see Colter
was agony.

  Both she and Naomi managed to earn a little extra money by sewing for the clothing bureau. Mrs. Galwey made the arrangements. They earned one dollar for each shirt, and four dollars for a coat that required days to complete. Food prices were soaring, so there was no choice. And when the decision came to retain the Treasury in Richmond, many heaved sighs of relief.

  Emily sent Josh with an invitation to come out and stay for Christmas. Elizabeth argued with Naomi to come with them, but she refused.

  “If my Andre comes, I wish to be here for him.”

  “But we can leave him a note,” Elizabeth suggested. “Colter will likely stop there first if he is able to get home.”

  “Then you must take your lovely little girl and be there waiting for him.”

  Perhaps it was the spirit of the season that prompted Elizabeth to then extend an invitation to Jenna. But unlike Naomi, she did not mention the possibility of Hugh coming to her. She refused to leave the city so she would not miss the parties she had received invitations to.

  Naomi and Nicole had decorated their parlor with boughs of pines that Dobie had taken them out to gather. Ribbon streamers lent a festive air with their bright red color. A small tree sat in one corner, trimmed with yarn bows from scraps found in an old workbasket in the pantry. Naomi, clever with a needle, had made lace flowers, and Dobie surprised them with a wooden star shining with gilt. Candles were missing from the holders, but they were expensive now and Elizabeth had to forgo buying them. As it was she paid dearly for a pair of lace-trimmed hankies to give Naomi. They had agreed that Dobie needed a new shirt, and they both had a hand in making one for him. These gifts were exchanged the afternoon of Christmas Eve when Elizabeth returned home from work.

  Nicole was in a fever of excitement to leave, and there was a great deal of giggling with Naomi that ceased whenever Elizabeth approached them. By the time Josh came for them, Nicole had a covered basket that she refused to part with, and Elizabeth had wished a peaceful holiday to Naomi. Dobie was already mounted on his horse, waiting.

  The air was chill and Elizabeth tucked a blanket over Nicole’s legs to keep her warm. With her daughter cuddled at her side, she asked Josh about Emily and Rutha, learning they were well, but upset to hear that stragglers from both armies had been sighted close to the farmhouse.

  “Took to hidin’ the foodstuffs, Miss Elizabeth. Ain’t tellin’ when they’ll come ’round to stealin’. Preacher man came by an’ stayed for supper. Said folks been losin’ horses, mules, pigs an’ whatever else could be carried off.”

  “Maybe Miss Emily should reconsider coming to live with us in Richmond. It would be a little crowded, but we could manage. You all would be safer there.”

  “You can try talkin’ to her, but I doubt she’ll go.”

  Nicole had fallen asleep by the time they reached the farm. It was almost dusk, but Rutha came from the kitchen, laughing and crying to see them. The aroma of roasting meat drifted out into the night air as baskets were lifted and carried inside.

  Once told that Miss Emily was in the front parlor, Nicole ran off to see her. Elizabeth unpacked her small contributions to their holiday meals.

  “A whole loaf of sugar,” Rutha said, smiling as she took the napkin-wrapped loaf from Elizabeth. She licked her lips and rolled her eyes, making Elizabeth laugh.

  “And there’s rice, white potatoes and a slab of bacon.” Elizabeth looked up from the basket and reached for the one Josh was carrying inside. “Now Rutha, I don’t want you to be insulted, but there are two pies in here, a gift from the young woman who cares for Nicole.”

  Rutha looked at them, muttering to herself as she stored them on a shelf in the pantry. Elizabeth motioned for Josh to take her brown burlap-wrapped packages. “For the tree,” she whispered. At the bottom of the basket was a doll for Nicole, but she would put that out after Nicole was asleep. Hanging her cloak and bonnet on hooks near the door, she smoothed her hair and went to greet Emily.

  After supper, when the gifts were beneath the tree, Elizabeth sat on the carpet by Emily’s chair. Earlier, to please Nicole, they had lit the ten candles Rutha managed to make for the tree holders. Light reflected off shining tin star shapes, and red velvet bows cut from an old gown of Emily’s added bright color.

  “Nicole should be pleased with her new boots.”

  “I hope so, Emily. I paid dearly for them, but she’s growing so fast, I worry what will happen this time next year. The shortages of food and clothing are no longer occasional, they are constant. I don’t know how long the additional sewing Naomi and I do will last. And I’ve told you about the rumor to move part of the Treasury away from Richmond.” With her cheek resting on Emily’s knee, she sighed.

  “You’re thinking about Colter, aren’t you?”

  “The nights are long, and yes, when I am not keeping myself busy with work, I think far too much about him. This is a night of peace, but for many there is none.”

  “When you were a little girl, your father would take you outside on Christmas Eve, before you went to bed, and show you the brightest star.”

  A warmth stole through Elizabeth at Emily’s mention of a forgotten childhood memory. She reached up to clasp her hand gently with her own.

  “Thank you for that gift. It doesn’t surprise me that he shared that with you.”

  “But there is a question in your voice,” Emily noted softly, raising her other hand to stroke Elizabeth’s head. “It wasn’t easy for me to cope with missing him. No woman will miss her love the same way. But you’re strong, Elizabeth. You’ll manage to live through this, and when the war is over I hope that there will be a way for you and Colter to be together. He loves you so.”

  When she left Emily to seek her bed, Elizabeth fell asleep to the refrain, when the war is over…

  All too soon, dawn broke the night sky and Nicole was whispering for her to hurry and wake. Rutha had a tray of honey cakes and cups filled with hot cider waiting as Emily joined them around the tree.

  They held hands to pray, Nicole curbing her impatience when Dobie gave her a stern look. Rutha, with her rich voice, led them to sing hymns until the words of peace gave each person a measure of it.

  Since Nicole’s boots and porcelain doll, dressed in gay pink brocade, were unwrapped, they were the first gifts claimed, and shown off with excited cries. Emily, seated near the fireplace, cried, too, but her tears were a blend of joy and sadness when she opened the music box to the lilting tune of a waltz that she often hummed. Nicole danced and, to everyone’s surprise, Dobie partnered her, restoring a happier mood. Elizabeth gave Josh a new wool jacket and Rutha a leather-bound Bible that she often wished for. When Dobie received new wool socks, he mentioned they had already given him a new shirt, but Nicole explained that she had helped her mother count the stitches to knit these for him.

  Josh had made Nicole a wooden stool with her name carved above a little bird, and from Emily, who supplied the velvet, and Rutha, who sewed, Nicole had a lovely red Christmas dress with a matching bow.

  Nicole had everyone sit while she gave Elizabeth her present. Opening the basket where the gift had been hidden, Elizabeth removed her little girl’s first sampler. The word mother was stitched in uneven letters in blue thread, and on either side were fair renditions of a heart in red.

  “Naomi helped me,” Nicole said, standing before her mother. She anxiously watched her trace over the letters, but a smile broke when Elizabeth hugged her tight and assured her that it was beautiful, the bestest of all presents she ever had.

  When it had been properly exclaimed over by all to Nicole’s satisfaction, Emily announced that she had gifts for everyone from Colter. Rutha brought her the small boxes, where Emily found, to her surprise, a cameo pin for herself that Colter had asked Dobie to purchase for him. Nicole had a locket on thin red velvet ribbon to match her new dress, and Rutha and Josh had their first gold coins to treasure. For Elizabeth, there were creamy pearl-drop earrings and a note.

  Think of
me whispering I love you each time you wear these. And while I adore your delicate ears, they are not where I wish to put my ring. But someday…

  Colter

  Yes, my love, someday, when the war is over, she silently promised, refusing to dispel their gaiety or to allow the shadows of the past to intrude on this day.

  Supper was a feast of roast turkey and Rutha’s special ham, baked in a crust. Biscuits, sweet potatoes swimming in syrup, stuffing, rice spiced with a blend of herbs and for dessert, Naomi’s pies along with raisin custard.

  All too soon, it was time to pack and make the trip back to Richmond. Elizabeth finally gave up hope that Colter would come. But as she gathered her gifts from her room, she gazed at the bed where he had loved her and once again sent out her thoughts, wishing him peace wherever he was.

  Candles burned in the windows of the homes they rode past. Sometimes voices were raised in song, or the merry tunes being played on pianos and fiddles reached them. But as they neared what Elizabeth now thought of as home, the house was dark.

  Thinking that Naomi had retired early, she wasn’t alarmed. But once Dobie had carried their gifts and baskets inside, Elizabeth was struck by a sense of emptiness. Naomi’s room was empty, the bed unslept in and, on her own, she found a note.

  Word has come that my Andre has been wounded. I have gone to care for him.

  “Dobie, Dobie,” she called, running through the hall. “Naomi is gone.” She showed him the note, realizing too late that Dobie couldn’t read. Ignoring his embarrassment, she told him its brief contents. “She cannot travel alone. If only we knew when she learned of this. You’ve got to find her.”

  “I can’t be leaving you or—”

  “Dobie!” Livid, Elizabeth’s voice sliced across his. “Naomi is lovely, young and Negro. She will be at the mercy of any white man that accosts her.” Rubbing her head, she tried to think. “First we must find out how she would try to travel. Why didn’t she come with us? We could have helped her.”

  “Ain’t no sense in gettin’ yourself all fretted. If you promise to stay put, I’ll see what I can find out.”