A few more steps and his leg gave way. He dropped to his knees in the grass, trying to catch his breath, but kept an arm about her. She clung to him, body shaking as she wept into his jacket. His free hand stroked the short brown curls.
“Shh, a chroi, a cailín crogá. Shh. You’re safe now. I’ve got you.” And I won’t let you go, not now that I have you back from the grave.
She looked up. Her face had the sickly, hollow look of so many Virginians he had seen lately; the Confederacy was being starved into submission. It made her big eyes seem even bigger as she stared at him as if not quite believing what she saw.
“If I’m dreaming, Travis, please don’t let me wake up.”
He swallowed hard. “Do I feel like a dream?”
She shook her head, reaching out to run cold fingers over the stubble on his jaw, tracing the scar on his brow as she had in the stable, as she had on their wedding night. The memory was too much. He cupped her face in both hands—how fragile she felt!—and kissed her with all the pent up anguish he’d been carrying.
“You’re alive,” he whispered in between kisses.
She pulled away slightly, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
“I thought you were dead. She said that … that the child had come too early, and that you were gone….” He couldn’t finish, voice too choked by smoke and emotion.
“I nearly was,” she said. Then her skin suddenly flushed hot beneath his hand. She began babbling in a voice that sounded on the verge of tears. “I’m so sorry, Travis. I didn’t realize ... that day you were shot ... I had to do something!” She paused, forehead wrinkled as if in confusion. “How did you know? I barely knew!”
“How did I know wha—?”
“I told him. Tho’ I signed Leah’s name to it.”
Jake Bancroft had come up behind them, an unconscious Danica caught in one arm, held as if a shield, his gun steady in the other.
Starla gasped out, “Dani?”
“Hello again, Estella, Yankee. Oh no, please remain seated. In fact, if either one of you so much as twitches, your little sister here is going to get seriously injured.”
Travis’ weapon was out of its holster and trained on Jake before he’d finished speaking, but at this threat the gun wavered.
“Gun down, Yank. Toss it right over here in front of me, where you can’t reach it.”
Unwillingly, Travis obeyed, but managed to warp the air in front of himself and Star without attracting Bancroft’s attention. I can at least protect us.
“Much better. Now, where were we? Oh yes, my beloved cousin’s demise. I included a little note on your only letter that made its way out of the house, Estella, informing your so called husband here that both you and your child were dead. I wasn’t sure he would ever get it, but obviously he did.”
He smiled at Travis. “I was hoping you’d save me some effort and get yourself killed in an excess of grief. Or if you had followed my suggestion and dropped by for a visit unannounced, I could have taken care of you then. Once you were gone, my poor widowed cousin would be available once more. Alas, you were not so accommodating.”
“You really are a bastard, Jacob Bancroft,” Star said quietly, “and even crazier than I thought.”
Bancroft smiled even wider, a shark’s smile. “Now, that’s not exactly true. Pa did eventually marry her. However, I am crazy. Runs in the family, you know.” He laughed as if he’d made some great joke.
“But enough about me. We were talking about you two, and what I was going to do with you. Though not my original plan, this situation is turning out to be even better.”
“How so?” Travis asked, sounding much calmer than he felt inside. Just keep him talking, he told himself. Then, Where the hell is Rob?
“How so? Well, you see, I’ve finally decided my darling Estella is far too much trouble, and as much as I want you, my dear, Danica will make a much more biddable mistress of Woodhaven.” He emphasized his statement with a jab of the gun in Dani’s ribs.
Starla stiffened, hands flexing as if she too could strangle him with Air alone. “Over my dead body.”
The gun swung about, aimed directly at her. “That, my dear, is exactly my intention. I’ll admit it was a clever move, marrying just to keep Danica from inheriting, but when you’re both gone, I’m sure I can convince the law that Woodhaven should go to your dearly beloved sister, the last of the Virginia Andersons. I can even blame your death on your Yankee lover here, since he won’t be around to dispute me. Game over. I win.”
“I don’t think so, you son of a bitch,” someone said in a tight, angry voice.
Robert Black stepped out of the evening shadows, blood trickling down his face, and his Colt pointed at Bancroft.
Jake wheeled about with a curse.
“Let the girl go, and I may let you live.”
Jake’s response was to clutch Danica closer still. “Care to test who has the faster finger, Yankee?”
It was all the distraction Travis needed. He surreptitiously dropped his own shield and carefully wove one about the red-haired girl instead. Though his heart was racing, his tone was cool. “Shoot him, Rob.”
“Travis!” Star’s cry was one of horrified betrayal.
Rob glanced at Danica, hesitated, and everything happened at once.
Jake jerked his gun up, firing wildly at Rob, then flung aside his human shield to follow his shot with a wall of flame.
Star suddenly found herself sprawled in the grass beside her sister as Travis became a blur of motion, diving for his weapon and firing it with one hand while the other hand bent strands of Air towards Bancroft, blowing the flames back at him.
Rob threw himself out of the line of fire, but his aim was still as perfect as everything else he did; his shot hit Jake square in the chest.
Caught between the brothers, Jacob Bancroft collapsed with a cry of frustration. Travis saw fear and fury in those wild brown eyes for a moment before they turned glassy with death.
“Welcome to hell,” Rob told the burning body coldly, watching with grim pleasure as Bancroft’s own flames consumed him.
Travis lowered his gun slowly and released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Took you long enough. What happened?”
Rob scowled as he stood up and holstered his gun. “Wasn’t watching that closely once we saw you get out safe. Bastard snuck up behind us, cracked my head with something quite hard. Good thing I’ve a thick skull. Hullo there, Starla.”
She twisted around from where she sat on the ground cradling her sister, and attempted to smile at him. “Hullo yourself, Rob. Are you badly hurt?”
Rob’s cool demeanor vanished as he looked down at the two sisters. “It’s nothing. But I am dreadfully sorry,” he apologized, kneeling back down in the dead grass and reaching out to finger the dark knot forming on Danica’s temple. “Should have been more on my guard. Will she be all right?”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Star said in a little voice. She tore her eyes from the nightmarish sight of Jake’s blackened body and focused once more on Danica’s pale face. “She’s a lot stronger than she looks. We’re just both rather overwrought at this point, as it’s been a very … um … emotional day.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Travis muttered, picking himself up wearily and testing his leg.
“If we’re quite through with all the drama here, can we be on our way?” Rob asked, voice almost plaintive. “The rest of the company is probably wondering what the hell happened to their captain and lieutenant.”
Starla struggled to her feet and wobbled for a minute before Travis put his arms around her again. “Yes, please. I don’t feel too well my own self.”
Rob could see her clearly now, saw her face turn even more ashen in the flickering light of the still burning house, and warned, “Watch it, she’s going—”
Travis caught her as the day’s events overwhelmed her will to stay upright. Over her dark head he gave his brother a lopsided grin. “By
the way, thanks.”
Rob just whacked him on the shoulder, then scooped up Danica’s tiny form. “Come along, Trav. Time we stopped playing white knights and wizards and got back to business.”
Starla awoke in the dark. She whimpered in her half conscious state, suddenly trapped again, the flames laughing at her, licking at her skirt.
“Star? Shh, sweetheart. Wake up now.” A gentle hand on her face, and that well known, beloved voice drawing her once again from her worst nightmare. She opened her eyes to see him looking down at her. There were lines etched hard around his eyes and mouth and silver scattered in his hair. “I thought you were dead,” he had said.
Travis smiled at her, helped her sit upright. They were in the saddle. That’s what she couldn’t place. His heavy coat slid down from her shoulders as he asked, “Hungry?”
“Ravenous,” she answered, yanking the coat back up against the night’s damp and chill, then reaching for the sandwich he held out to her. Her mouth was already salivating. Fresh bread? Beef? How…? Then, When was the last time I had anything worth calling meat?
She stopped mid bite and glanced around.
“Where’s Dani? Is she awake yet?”
Travis took her hand and popped the food in her mouth. “Eat. She’s just fine. Right over there.”
Chewing determinedly, she glanced over where he had indicated. Her sister sat in front of Rob, huddled under a wool greatcoat that could have fit three of her, and talking to him with more animation than Star had seen from her in some time. Eliza and Leah must be somewhere nearby. Star didn’t think they’d been left behind. She felt a faint pang of pity for them. To lose their home in such a manner must be a great shock. And Jake? Perhaps Leah felt sorrow at his demise, but somehow Starla thought her aunt might be more relieved than distraught—even a mother’s love could only stretch so far.
Travis’ voice brought her out of her reflections. “See, Rob’s looking out for her.”
She nodded, still looking around. “Where are we, anyway?”
“We’ve joined up with the rest of the Fourth. Somewhere between your place and Dinwiddie Courthouse. There’s a little creek over there; you’d probably know where we are better than I do.”
“Oh.” She was only half listening. The question that had been percolating through her mind since she’d first seen his face there on the stairs finally bubbled to the surface. “Travis,” she whispered, “how did you find me?”
He grew very still behind her. “We’ve been patrolling this area off and on for the past six months. I must have passed that house a hundred times, not knowing. Rob found you—don’t ask him how. He doesn’t like to admit he’s got a Talent for finding things. We were coming by to visit your—” He broke off, shuddered, and tightened his arms about her.
She took his hand, kissed it. What would have happened if he hadn’t found me? She didn’t want to think about that.
“So, what do we do now?”
He was silent for a moment. “I don’t know yet. I don’t want to let you out of my sight again, but you’re in no condition to be doing any heavy riding, even if I could convince the colonel that your skills would be an asset to the regiment. Which I doubt I could. He has some strong opinions on having females around. Especially not females with … shall we call them special abilities?”
“But….”
He placed a finger over her lips. “Notwithstanding that, say you were strong enough and he did agree. What then of Danica? There’s definitely no way for her to ride with us.”
That effectively silenced her protest. No, she wouldn’t leave Dani alone, not again. And he was right; she was in no way capable of handling the rigors of cavalry life.
“Lieutenant?”
Star looked over into a sergeant’s vaguely familiar face. Where? Oh yes, the one who lent me his coat the day I fell in the Rappahannock.
“Yes, Rees?”
She ignored them, snuggled deeper into Travis’ broad chest: warm, mostly full for the first time in months, and more than a little tired. And she was safe, finally safe again. Sleep came quickly.
21. Homecoming
March 30 - July 3, 1865
Dinwiddie CH, VA; Washington City; Black Forest
The familiar call of “Reveille” brought Star up out of a deep, dreamless sleep. She was sitting upright, looking about for Iris, before she remembered where she was. Travis was nowhere to be seen, but she could hear his familiar voice issuing commands in the foggy gray dawn. Stretching sleepily, she looked about for her sister, finally spotting Danica’s bright hair peeking out from under what she’d thought was a discarded overcoat lying nearby.
She’d just finished the last of the biscuits someone had left beside her when Travis came hurrying towards her. His welcoming smile and warm arms drove the last wisps of cold from her.
“How did you sleep, a mhuirnín?”
“Better than I have in months.”
“Me too,” he said, hugging her tightly. He started to say something more, but then his face grew serious. “Actually, can we go for a bit of a walk? We need to have a little talk.”
They walked a short distance from the camp in silence, hands intertwined. Star felt her gut start to twist. She knew what he was going to ask, and she didn’t want to discuss it. I don’t want to remember, let alone bring it out into the open….
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Silence.
“Now see here, Star. I know this isn’t a subject polite people discuss, but we need to get this talked through before we’re separated again by this blasted war.” His voice became determined. “I lost you once, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you go again knowing that there is a wall this big between us.”
She stared at the ground to where a brave clump of daffodils was forcing its way up through the leaf litter, took a deep breath.
“I didn’t really know myself until the beginning of July. I knew you would worry and I wasn’t certain, so I wrote nothing. I figured I would be back in Pennsylvania before it became an issue.”
“What happened? And how could it possibly be connected to my being shot? How did you even know I’d been injured again?” He stopped suddenly, gray eyes wide with understanding. “It was you. You were actually there. And that wasn’t the first time, was it? That day with the picket, and that fight Rob and I were in…? But how?!”
She threw up her hands in a gesture of bewilderment. “You know as much as I do. Somehow, when you’re in danger, my dreams touch your reality. And that’s all I know.”
“This time you Healed me by using yourself, didn’t you? Like you used to do?”
“Aye.” She hung her head, wouldn’t look at him. “There wasn’t time for any other way. I had to act, to do something! I just didn’t know, I didn’t realize where the extra energy came from.” At his dumbstruck look, she said bluntly. “I saved your life at the expense of our child’s.”
“And almost your own life? Your sister told Rob you’ve been terribly ill. Starla, look at me.”
She shook her head. If I do, I’ll start to cry again.
An unexpected bark of harsh laughter. “Oh, I see. You blame yourself, think it was all your fault.”
She glared at him, angry to cover the threatening tears. “Yes! I should have known better. I should have been stronger. I should have—”
A vehement interruption. “And now I understand why Rob was so frustrated with me. Starla, a chroi, hasn’t anyone ever told you that ‘should haves’ will kill you?”
“You sound like Will.”
“I sound like someone who loves you very much. Perhaps too much,” he added softly, pausing to brush a short brown curl back from her face. “Your cousin came nearer to succeeding than he knew. I nearly got myself killed, thinking I was somehow to blame for your death. After all, it was my fault you were with child. I could’ve, should’ve done more to protect you.”
“But that’s ridiculous! What could you have done? You weren’t here! Y
ou didn’t know … oh.”
“That’s right. I didn’t know. You didn’t know. No blame, no guilt. It just happened.”
She noticed again the streaks of gray in his hair, the grim lines around his mouth. Oh, cariad....
She collapsed against him, buried her face in his chest, and began to weep, the grief and remorse she’d carried for months at last breaking loose. He just held her and let her cry.
Finally, she stopped, sniffling a little.
“Better now?” he asked quietly, wiping the tears from her cheeks with a gentle finger.
She managed a watery smile. “Yes. I needed that. Thank you.”
He reached out, tipped her chin up, and kissed her tenderly but thoroughly. “Any time, my dear.”
She let out a deep sigh, and relaxed in his embrace. “You know, for an uncivilized Yankee, you’re rather adept at handling my emotional nonsense.”
“Self-preservation, ma’am,” Travis said with a straight face.
She stuck her tongue out at him, which merely made him laugh. It felt so good to be there in his arms, listening to the laughter rumbling through his chest.
He sobered reluctantly. “Sweetheart, I wish we could talk longer on happier subjects. Unfortunately, we need to be heading back—we’re almost out of time. We—well, actually, Rob—went to our colonel who talked to one of General Sheridan’s aides, who remembered you from last year. Seems you’re rather hard to forget. Anyway, there’s a convoy of wounded heading out this morning. You and Danica have been given permission to ride with them to City Point, and from there on a transport ship to Washington City. Here are your passes. Rob hinted that you had medical training, so you’ll probably be expected to help out.”
“Of course,” Star agreed. She would have offered anyway. Not that she had the strength for Healing, but from what Travis had said about the Federal army, they wouldn’t have appreciated her Gift anyway.
They reversed their path as he continued hurriedly. “Once you’re in Washington, find your way to that hotel in Georgetown where we stayed last year. Send a telegram to my folks, and Da will come down to get you. That shouldn’t take but a few days. Rob and I scraped together enough money to last you until he gets there.” He paused, took her by the shoulders and made her look up at him. His eyes were shadowed with concern. “Starla, do not attempt to go to Gettysburg on your own, understood? The roads are far too dangerous, and you are in no condition to be riding that far by yourself, let alone with Danica. Please, this time, do as I say?”
An Uncivilized Yankee Page 37
