The eastern sky was gradually turning pink. Another dawn, another day, he thought, looking down at her. How many days does this make now? Seven? Eight? No, today is only the fifth since I met up with you. Not even a week. I suppose I should be grateful to be alive, and not in prison yet, but I can’t help being a bit chary of what may happen next.
The camp around him was waking up. He could hear the jangling of tack and stamping of hooves, the familiar sounds of cavalry in the morning. Major Lewis did say they’d be off early. He bent over to whisper in her ear.
“Miss Anderson, it’s time to wake up now.”
She mumbled something, and pulled her soggy blanket up over her head. Travis grinned in spite of himself. My, did he know that feeling. He shook her gently by the shoulder. She flinched, then bolted upright, gasping for breath.
“What? Where am I?”
He backed off. “Easy now, Miss Anderson. It’s just me. Almost time for us to move out again.”
She stared back at him blankly, eyelids struggling to stay open. Her hair was plastered to her scalp in dark, wet curls, and her eyes had an especially lost look this morning. There was a faint red mark on one thin cheek, the cheek not already bruised. He felt a throb of guilt. Did I hit her that hard, or is it just where she lay all night?
He tried again. “It’s morning. You need to get your horse ready to go.” Wherever she’s wandered off to.
“Oh,” she said in a tiny voice. She pushed herself up, but almost fell down again. He put out a hand to steady her. “Thanks,” she whispered, and disappeared around the bush.
His stomach rumbled. Shut up, he told it fiercely. Other things first. By the time she returned leading Iris, he was standing, waiting. He was none too steady, and the wall was a necessary accomplice, but nevertheless, he was standing. He was proud of that. Starla said nothing. She just saddled the mare, helped him up into saddle and sling, and then stood there, swaying like a tree in the wind.
Travis gazed down at the top of her head as she leaned over to rest it on Iris’ side. There is no way she’s going to stay awake and balanced up here all day long. No way at all. He scooted back in the saddle as far as he could. Yes, there might be just enough room here … if she’ll listen to reason. He cleared his throat noisily. “Um, Miss Anderson?”
She didn’t look up.
“See here now, you’re in no condition to be perching back there. Will you please sit up front?”
“I won’t take a single step unless you do as he asks,” Iris added, turning about to stare at her mistress.
“Up front?” Starla repeated, finally glancing up at him. “Up front. Yes. I suppose that would be best.”
No argument. She’s in shock, he thought as he shifted out of the way to let her climb up. Across the way he spotted Major Lewis, deep in conversation with a colonel, probably the officer in charge of the cavalry they’d attached themselves to. They both watched as Iris picked her way steadily towards the back of the line. Travis raised a hand to acknowledge their attention; the major waved back, but did not approach.
Starla tried to hold her body away from his, but only lasted for a minute or two before collapsing onto his shoulder, asleep. Thoughts scattered across his mind as he watched her sleep against his stained shirt, her brown head bobbing like a little bird.
You are a peculiar girl indeed, Starla Anderson. So tough, and yet so fragile. Nothing like Kitty…. Kitty! Oh Lord, Mum and Da! They couldn’t have heard yet, but when they did…? What could Captain Logan tell them? Nobody from his side knew where he was. And if they had seen him fall, they might assume he were dead. As well he might be, if not for this girl.
You wouldn’t be here either, if not for her, said the bitter little voice in his head.
Maybe, maybe not. Skirmishes happen all the time, Travis argued back. Besides, she’s done a lot to try to remedy her mistake since then. I can’t blame her forever. Well, I could. But I won’t. I’m not entirely sure if I were caught in a similar situation, scared out of my wits, that I wouldn’t have acted much the same. He looked down at her again. You aren’t a shrew at all, are you, Miss Anderson? Just terrified. With good reason too, so it seems. Then he shook his head. And now the only place you can find safety is surrounded by those you fear. What a cruel twist of fate.
He felt a sudden urge to reassure her, to let her know that she was indeed safe now. Without thinking he lightly touched her cheek. In her sleep, she jerked away, letting out a faint cry. Her response hit him like a physical blow. Who was the son of a bitch that did this to you? Jake? Yes, that’s his name. Jake.
“There you are.”
Travis wrenched himself from his angry thoughts. Major Lewis was riding next to him.
“I haven’t been hiding, sir,” he replied, feeling the knot in his stomach start to twist tighter.
His face must have betrayed his apprehension, because the major smiled. “Relax, Lieutenant Black. I’m not here to take you away to Richmond.” He tilted his head towards Starla. “How is she? Any problems last night, other than the rain?”
Travis shook his head. “No, sir, nothing. But she’s not in good shape, what with working herself to death every night and riding all day. I doubt I could do that for long, and I’ve been in the army for a while now.”
“Really? How long?”
Travis was suddenly embarrassed, since Major Lewis was obviously a career soldier and had been doing this for years. “Not quite a year, sir.”
“Nothing to be ashamed of, lieutenant.” He paused, that odd, speculative gleam in his eye again. “And you can stop sirring me so much.” Travis opened his mouth; the major interrupted him immediately. “Call me Major Lewis if you must. I prefer just Lewis. That’s what everyone else calls me.”
Why are you being so friendly? Travis wondered. That look in the major’s eye disturbed him. Fine then, so long as you’re in a chatty mood, it’s my turn. “Sir, … Major Lewis…?” He broke off, unsure how to ask his question, and gestured at the sleeping girl.
“About yesterday?”
Travis nodded.
Lewis sighed heavily, his slim shoulders bowed. He reached over and touched Starla, just as Travis had. Again she flinched. His jaw tightened.
“Has she told you anything? Anything about herself?”
“Not much. Just that her father was a physician, and that he’s dead now.” Then he admitted, “But I overheard what she told you, back that first day, about that damned Jake fellow.” And I would gladly give my good leg to be the one to put a bullet through his skull. A flash of memory, “I swear upon my father’s sword….”
A muscle twitched in the major’s cheek, and he gripped his reins a little tighter. “You’ve stumbled into quite the family feud, Yank. I’ll have to go back a ways. Woodhaven is Star’s home. She and her sister Danica live there with the Bancrofts.”
“I caught that much.”
“It’s up Culpeper way, near a little town called Brandy. Brandy Station, that is. Good horse country up there. It’s a beautiful place, all red brick and white columns. Anyway, the estate should have gone to Joel Bancroft, Jake’s great grandfather. But Joel turned both his brothers and a sister over to the British, back during our first War of Independence. His father never forgave him for that. He settled the entire estate and his very successful business on his youngest, Jessamine. That’s Star’s great grandmother.”
The major hesitated a moment. “I’m not one to be washing dirty linen in public, mind you. There is a reason I’m telling you all this.”
“Star’s father Richard married my sister Anne. Isaac Bancroft married my other sister, Elizabeth.” His expression grew grim.
Travis remembered what Star had said. “He said that Bancroft men took what they wanted.” The major’s next words confirmed his guess.
“We didn’t know how Isaac had gotten Eliza to marry him. Not until later. But by then it was too late.”
“Starla lost most of her family six years ago. Train wreck. The Shakama
xon and Aramingo, up near Philadelphia. Did you hear about that one?”
Travis nodded slowly. Yes, they’d heard. The two trains had collided, derailed, and caught fire. Over sixty people had burned to death. He stared down at the girl’s thin face, understanding.
“Star somehow pulled herself and Dani to safety. But Richard and Anne, and Percy and Melly and Tib….” Lewis gathered himself; it had been his family too. But though he had answered Travis’ question, he continued. “Isaac moved his family into Woodhaven, allegedly to care for Starla and Danica, who can’t walk well because of the wreck. However, Isaac considers Woodhaven his now. Which is what he’s spent his whole life trying to accomplish. Only problem is, as of May, the estate legally belongs to Star. So, you tell me, Yankee: what is the best way for the Bancrofts to keep their hands on Woodhaven?”
It finally dawned on Travis what Major Lewis was driving at. “Have Miss Anderson marry Jake Bancroft,” he answered, disgusted. This was like something out of the fairy tales he’d devoured as a child, or the Waverley novels he wouldn’t admit to reading. Iris began to mutter what sounded like curses.
“There you have it. Jake’s been pursuing her for years. Richard would hear nothing of it, of course. But once the Bancrofts moved in, Jake got worse. He’s as fanatical over the estate as his father, perhaps more so. I suspect he’s not quite as sane as he appears—there’s a streak of madness in the Bancroft line. Now it seems that my dear nephew has decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and force the issue.”
“Son of a bitch,” Travis said. “The bastard should be shot.” The words were barely out of his mouth before he reddened again. I hope he doesn’t take that as a slur on his sister.
But Lewis merely said, “I couldn’t agree with you more.”
They were silent for a minute while Travis chewed over what he had just heard. Something didn’t make sense. “Sir, I appreciate the explanation, but I don’t understand the rest. Why the history lesson? What difference does it make to me, your prisoner, the enemy? Remember?”
“Your brother spoke very highly of you, did you know that?”
That non sequitur took Travis by surprise. He didn’t figure Rob spoke much about him at all. And what the hell did that have to do with Miss Anderson?
Major Lewis was looking at him steadily, brown eyes very serious. “And I’ve been watching you myself, Travis Black. I don’t care if you are a Yankee or no. One, you can be trusted. Two, you care what happens to my niece.”
Travis opened his mouth to protest. Lewis just ignored him.
“Now, I am quite certain your intentions are entirely honorable: you’ve not been anything less than a gentleman towards her, and I’m sure, knowing Starla and her too quick tongue, she’s given you plenty of times to repent that. Beyond that, I really don’t give a damn what your reasons are. I saw what happened to my sister after that beast Isaac got his paws on her, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let the same thing happen to Star. It tears at me to see her already so angry and fearful. She wasn’t always like that.”
“My point, lieutenant, is that I have other duties here. I can’t always be watching over Star. And only the Lord Himself knows when a bullet may come with my name on it, or the general’s, or the good doctor’s. I want to make sure that someone I can trust, someone who is not required out on the field, is guarding her.”
“I will make a deal with you, Lieutenant Black. I’ll not ask for your official parole. But if you give me your word of honor that you’ll not actively try to escape, and that you’ll look after my niece, I can make certain you don’t have to worry about prison for a while yet, at least until you’ve healed. What say you to that? I can assure you, you won’t receive such an offer in Richmond.” His voice wavered between command and pleading.
Travis’ jaw dropped several notches, and he stared at the Confederate in open disbelief. “You are joking.”
Lewis snorted. “I wish that were so. My folks are all dead too, excepting Eliza. Star and Dani are the last of my immediate family, and I would stop at nothing, short of murder, to keep those girls safe. Though there have been times when murder did seem the best option. There’s little I can do for Danica at this point. However, I’m not very worried about her; Jake’s never paid her much attention. But Starla…? No, I’m afraid I’m not joking. And yes, General Stuart knows I’m making this bargain. That’s where I was most of yesterday, riding all the way out to White House to talk to him. He finally agreed—he trusts my judgment of character. That’s part of what I do for him. Besides, this whole situation appeals to his love of a good drama. Oh, and your brother was his math tutor too.” There was a hint of laughter in that last remark.
Stunned, Travis looked away, thoughts refusing to stay pinned down long enough to sort them out. What have I gotten myself into? I can’t make that kind of promise. It’s absurd to even consider it!
Just then, the girl shifted slightly, mouth moving in some dream. He glanced down at her, skinny body still crumpled against his chest. Her face was turned up towards him, sun burnt nose starting to peel, the fading purple brown mark of the deserter’s hand still stretching from mouth to ear. He felt a lurch in his stomach. Blast it all! The major was right. For some crazy reason, he felt responsible for her. “I swear upon my father’s sword….” But to make this devil’s deal….
He opened his mouth to say, “I’m sorry, sir, but I’ll have to take my chances in Richmond.” What came out was, “You have my word.”
Major Lewis took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then clapped Travis lightly on the shoulder. “Thank you. You don’t know how relieved this makes me.”
“How relieved it makes you?” Travis returned, the throbbing of his leg making him very glad not to be heading off to prison yet. “Shouldn’t that be my line?”
Lewis’ moustache twitched as if he were trying not to smile. “Good. Then it is settled,” he said, and gathered up his reins.
“Major Lewis?” He halted, turned back to look at a still quite confused Travis. “Sir, I’m not saying you’re wrong, but why in Heaven’s name should you trust me? You haven’t even known me a week, yet you are setting me to watch over your beloved niece? All on the recommendation of your old math tutor? I might not be the man my brother is.”
The major winced. “When you put it that way, it does sound pretty weak, doesn’t it. Like I said, Yankee, I’ve been watching you. Very closely. You see, I’ve a Gift for judging character, and for hearing truth. I would have asked you even if I hadn’t known your brother.”
He looked over at Starla with a tender expression, taking in the mended blue dress, the commandeered trousers peeking over the tops of her riding boots. He smiled at that. She twitched in her sleep again, and Travis, without thinking, adjusted his arm to keep her in a comfortable position.
“Besides, Star trusts you as she trusts few men at this point. She would never admit it, but it is fairly obvious.”
“Trusts me?” Travis scoffed. “She has to force herself to come near me!”
“She’s awake then,” was the cryptic reply. “By the way, you needn’t mention all the particulars of our conversation to her. Just that you won’t be taken away any time soon. She likes to think that she can take care of herself. She might not appreciate the idea of having a bodyguard.”
“I’ll let you tell her. With my luck she’d hold me responsible and I’d wake up some morning missing my leg after all,” was the retort.
The major burst out laughing. Clucking to his big roan—he wasn’t riding the gray mare today, the horseman in Travis noticed—he rode back to the head of the line, still laughing as he went.
Starla stirred at the sudden noise, whimpered a little, and tried to shift her place, nearly pitching herself out of the saddle. The sensation of falling brought her awake with a start.
“Easy there, Miss Anderson,” Travis said, trying to keep her upright and keep his own balance at the same time. “This isn’t the place for dancing.”
&
nbsp; She shrank away from him almost immediately. “How long have I been asleep?” she asked.
He felt an odd pang of loss as the warm weight of her body disappeared. “That depends. Do you remember anything after this morning?”
She shook her head slowly.
“Then I’d say almost six hours. It’s approaching noon.”
“I … I don’t remember any of it,” she said, blue eyes lost and bewildered.
“I’m not surprised,” he said with some heat. “You wore yourself out again and—”
She interrupted him. “How is your leg?”
“Better. Much better. Only hurts most of the time now instead of all the time. You know, maybe somebody should break your leg. Then you’d have to relax and take it nice and easy for a while … like me.”
She twisted around to stare up at him. He pulled out a lopsided grin for her, and for a minute he was rewarded with a real smile, the first he had seen on her.
“You have the strangest sense of humor, Travis Black.”
“That’s because I’m an uncivilized Yankee, ma’am.”
She rolled her eyes, and turned to face the front again. He heard her say very quietly, “I think I rather like it.” Louder she said, “I still don’t feel too well. Would you mind if I went back to sleep?”
“By all means, sleep,” he said quickly, glad he wouldn’t have to suggest it.
She hesitated, and darted another glance back at him, biting her lip. Holding her breath, she carefully leaned up against him, nestled her head in the hollow of his shoulder and resolutely closed her eyes. Travis hardly dared breathe himself.
“Pleasant dreams, Miss Star,” he whispered.
5. Getting Down To Business
Early July, 1862
Near Hanover Court House, VA
Starla dropped her head and rolled it slowly from side to side, willing the knots in her neck and back to go away. Her body ached from spending nearly every day for the past two weeks in the saddle from dawn to dark, and then all of today hunched over her sewing.
An Uncivilized Yankee Page 7
