Ashes in the Wind (68 page)

GENERAL RICHARD TAYLOR, CSA
MAJOR C. R. LATIMER, USA SURGEON, RET.
DOCTOR THADDEUS BROOKS
GENERAL CLAY MITCHELL, USA SURGEON
REVEREND P. LYMAN

Alaina frowned. “But these letters from General Taylor—from Saul—they’re dated long ago!”

“Humhum.” Cole was smug in his pleasure. “Some of them were signed before I left New Orleans. I retained the best Southern lawyers Louisiana could offer in your behalf, and Horace Burr is the most influential attorney in the East. I told Horace exactly what happened, gave him permission to divulge your disguises to possible witnesses, and named those places you frequented.”

“You told him everthing?” Alaina queried hesitantly.

“I had to, madam, but I made Horace understand that it was my fault and that you were only trying to save me from a dire fate. Doctor Brooks avowed that he heard about the same story from Roberta’s own lips. But you needn’t worry about Horace Burr spreading rumors. He has been very discreet.

“So, madam! You may cease your worry that our child may be born in some dismal prison. You are—except for the matter of our marriage—virtually a free woman.”

Alaina leaned back and laughed, though tears continued to course down her cheeks.

“As to that bondage, my love,” she choked through laughing sobs, “I would that I be chained to you forever.”

She fell against his chest as racking sobs of relief completely dissolved her composure. Tenderly Cole held his wife in his arms and utterly enjoyed his role of husband all the way home.

T
HE
month of June was the eighth in Alaina MacGaren Latimer’s scheme of accounting time, and the measure of her accuracy was the ever-growing size of her belly. Long ago she had put away her beautiful gowns and adopted a high-waisted fashion better suited to her advancing condition.

As the days grew warmer, the countryside took on a lush green hue, and the scent of lilacs and apple blossoms filled the air with a fresh sweetness. The shaded spots of the forest were a lavender carpet of violets broken only by an occasional yellow patch or the fragile white bells of the trillium.

It was nearing a year since her migration to the north, and letters from the Craighughs were slow in coming. Thus, when a brief note arrived from Leala asking if the Latimers would receive some guests from New Orleans, Alaina was both surprised and elated. Immediately she sent off a dispatch informing her aunt that both she and Cole would be delighted to have company from the South.

They were awaiting further word from Leala, and on this particular day, the third Monday in the month, Alaina was engaged in sewing a small gown in the parlor when the warning bark of Soldier brought her to her feet and across the room to the
front window. She stared in some bemusement as a strange procession came up the drive and halted in front of the house. Martin Holvag’s wagon was in the lead, and behind it came a monstrous black carriage with maroon and gold trim that would have done grace to some head of state. The vehicle was complete with two guards at the rear and a footman beside the driver who guided a four-in-hand team of well-matched, highstepping horses.

Alaina made her way carefully to the front door and stood behind Miles as the footman knocked on the portal, while the deputy leaned back in the seat of his wagon and watched the proceedings with a strange quirk in his smile.

Miles peered down his nose as he opened the door for the footman.

“Is this the residence of Doctor and Mrs. Latimer?” the man inquired stiffly.

“Indeed it is,” Miles answered just as rigidly.

The other turned without comment and went to fold down the step of his carriage and open the door. He stood aside as a rather small, portly woman pulled aside her skirts and daintily stepped down.

“Aunt Leala!” Alaina’s shriek of recognition rang in the foyer, and Miles stood aside just in time to avoid being pushed as Alaina rushed out onto the front porch. Her progress was not as swift as she might have thought, and she met Leala at the top of the steps.

Alaina’s arms went around the older woman, and before she knew it, she was sniffing back tears of happiness. Then another hand was on her arm, and she looked up.

“Mrs. Hawthorne!” Alaina fairly gasped. “Great merciful heavens! I never dreamed you would be coming, too!”

“We just had to come.” Tally stepped back from the enthusiastic embrace and surveyed the young woman. “The suspense was too great, but”—she gazed pointedly at Alaina’s rotund belly—” well worth both the wait and the journey. I was beginning to wonder if I might have been wrong about the whole thing. But I’m glad to see that you and Cole have reconciled your differences. And from what I can see, you two didn’t waste any time.”

Leala seemed somewhat confused by it all. “I don’t suppose there’ll be an annulment now.”

Alaina laughed and hugged her aunt affectionately. “I don’t think so, Aunt Leala. We gave up that idea long ago.”

Leala smoothed the softly curling tresses of her niece. “I hope you’re not angry, Alaina. Your letters said everything was fine, but I just had to know for sure. Roberta complained so much about living up here, I was worried.”

Alaina gave the other another hug for good measure. “I’ve never been more content, Aunt Leala, and I’m just so happy that you’ve come that I could sit down right here and just giggle with the sheer pleasure of it.”

Suddenly realizing that Cole probably had not been informed of their guests’ arrival, Alaina turned to tell Miles to fetch him, but found her husband already close behind her.

“Cole!” Her eyes danced with excitement. “They’re here!”

“I had guessed as much,” Cole replied with humor. Alaina’s bubbling happiness was infectious. “What with all the screaming that’s been going on out here, how could I not?” He took the proffered hands of both ladies and gave them a warm squeeze of welcome. “Is Angus with you?”

“No!” Leala’s answer was quick and sharp, then she lowered her gaze as if embarrassed. “No, he—was busy with the store.” She drew a deep breath and, with obvious effort, struggled to be gay. “It’s all going quite well, really. We’re doing even better than before the war.”

“Ladies?” A tall, handsome, elderly gentleman had descended to the top step of the carriage, and managed at last to gain their attention. “I shall be on my way now. It’s been delightful meeting you, and if we should ever meet again, I shall deem it my good fortune.”

Alaina turned in wonder to the two women as the grand conveyance went off down the road. “Traveling with strange men, ladies? Tsk! Tsk!”

“It was Tally’s idea,” Leala insisted, blushing.

“Of course it was!” Tally proudly declared. “He offered to share his carriage with us since he was coming this way, and I saw no reason to decline. Besides, I have passed the age of impropriety. Anything I do now is legal, moral, and decidedly dull.”

“Wherever did you meet him?” Alaina laughingly queried.

“In a hotel in St. Anthony, after we arrived on the steamboat,” Leala rushed to answer.

“He’s a count, or lord, or some such thing.” Mrs. Hawthorne seemed unimpressed as she shrugged. “Whatever, a gentleman.”

Cole smiled as he watched Alaina escort the ladies inside the house, then descended the steps to stand beside Martin’s wagon. After clasping his hand in greeting, the deputy leaned an elbow on the back of the seat and chuckled.

“The ladies arrived in town this afternoon and came directly to the office to ask where you lived. I had to come out anyway, and the sheriff suggested I escort them. They seem like a pair of fine, genteel Southern ladies.”

“They are,” Cole agreed, then peered up at the man with a grin. “The feisty one—uh—rather arranged, or at least abetted our marriage.”

The deputy grew serious as he got down to the real reason for his visit. “We lost another boat on the river, Cole. The
Carey Downs
this time, and just about the same place.”

“Strange,” Cole mused. “I can’t understand how they can go to so much trouble hauling those boats up the falls, then run into something on the river.”

“We lost a couple last year, too,” Martin informed him. “If it wasn’t for the oxcarts and the fur trade, the shipping company would give up going above St. Anthony. We just haven’t found any sign of the boats. Not hide, nor hair, flotsam or anything.”

Cole delved into conjecture. “If they’re on the bottom, they’ll break up one of these days, and then you’ll find all the evidence you need. I only hope you do as well with Mindy’s uncle.”

“We found out where he lived. Didn’t discover anything though, only a few letters that seemed to indicate that he came up from somewhere in Missouri before he picked up Mindy, then he wandered
this way looking for work in the lumber camps. No kin, except for the girl, and no friends anywhere around. But I intend to get to the bottom of it.”

“I’ll stop in the next time I’m in town. Until then, I wish you the best of luck, Martin.”

The deputy tipped his hat, shook out the reins, and guided his team down the lane. Cole stood for a moment watching him go. Martin was intelligent and down-to-earth, much like Carolyn. He had paid little or no heed to the rumors floating about town, and now the gossip was like dead ash on a hearth, no longer of interest to anyone. Yet Martin would be relentless in his pursuit in finding the answers; he was that way. Solid, sturdy, never wavering or fickle. He would make Carolyn Darvey a fine husband.

After supper the two travelers retired to their rooms relatively early, leaving Cole and Alaina to wend a leisured way, arm in arm, to their own bedroom. The house was quiet, except for the usual squeaks, thumps, and groans, sounds that Alaina had come to grudgingly accept. After moving into Cole’s room and farther down the hall from Roberta’s, she had not been disturbed by the noises in the night, and for the summer, Soldier was often left out at night to range where he would. Thus, if there were any sounds emitting from the red room, she was not made aware of it.

As Cole was more fascinated in observing his wife’s disrobing and toilette, Alaina was in bed and waiting while he was still tugging his shirttail loose from his pants. Unbuttoning his shirt, he considered the soft, radiant beauty of his wife as she sat
propped against the pillows combing her long hair into a shining mane. The soft light of the oil lamp gave her a glowing halo, and Cole smiled as he admitted to himself that she was indeed quite angelic after all.

He dropped the shirt into a chair and began to free his pants when a soft knocking on the door made him cease and reach for his robe. When he opened the door, he found Leala standing in the dark hallway, twisting her hands in nervous embarrassment.

“Leala! Is something wrong? Can I help you?”

“I didn’t mean to disturb you and Alaina, Cole, but I wonder if I could come in and talk with you for just a few moments.” Her voice was unsure and hesitant.

“Of course!” He stood aside as Alaina donned her slippers and shrugged into her robe that she had left on the foot of the bed. She swung around her own favorite rocking chair for Leala and, once her aunt was comfortable, went to pour a small sherry from the crystal decanter that sat on a table in the room.

“I seem to remember your preference for a glass of wine, Aunt Leala.” She smiled softly as she offered the glass.

“Oh, Alaina child, you will never know how much of a start you gave me that evening you came to New Orleans. Those filthy clothes! Your beautiful hair all chopped off! And with a bold Yankee officer in my own parlor!” Leala smiled and laid a hand on Cole’s arm in gentle apology. “It was purely scandalous. But you seem to have tamed the Yankee, your hair is more beautiful than ever, and you have learned to garb yourself in a better manner. I would say you won your portion of the war.”

“You’re kind, Aunt Leala,” Alaina leaned against her husband’s chest. “But I’m afraid Cole has done most of it. Why, he got them to drop all the charges against Alaina MacGaren, and we even own Briar Hill now. We’ll be going down late this autumn to look over everything, and Cole has even suggested that we build a house where we can spend some of our winter months. He’s brought my life together again, Aunt Leala.”

Cole slipped an arm about his wife’s no-longer-slim waist. “I say it was your own spirit that refused to admit defeat, my love, and—”

“Enough!” Leala laughed and held up her hands in mock dismay. “I had trouble believing Tally when she said you were both madly in love with each other, but I can see she spoke aright. Heaven forbid that I should cause you to argue over your respective virtues. It is enough for me, Alaina child.” She reached out to take the young woman’s hand warmly. “If it is all right with both of you, Tally and I would like to stay, until after the baby is born. Perhaps you would even forgive a doting old woman if she looks upon your baby as her own grandchild.”

Tears came to Leala’s eyes as Alaina assured her that her suggestion would not be taken amiss and that they were, welcome to stay until the spirit moved them. She heaved a tremulous sigh.

“I fear that Angus might have had something to do with that awful arrangement. Am I correct?”

“Neither Alaina nor I wanted it,” Cole conceded slowly, wanting to spare Leala the distress she was apparently suffering.

“I’m sorry for what my family did to you, Cole,” she apologized disconcertedly. “And I beg you to forgive Angus and perhaps Roberta—if you can.”

“Alaina and I are together now, and that’s all that matters to me. Everything else is past and forgotten,” he replied kindly.

“Thank you, Cole.” She smiled uncertainly. “Had my daughter been less concerned about her own wants and desires, she might have been able to realize how fine a man she married.”

Leala became nervous again. “But this is not why I came to you tonight. I have a chore which has chafed me much.” Her hands trembled, and after trying to continue, she lifted the glass of sherry and drained it, coughing as if the mild wine seared her throat. “
Sacré bleu!
” she wheezed. “Oh, my!”

When she regained her breath, Leala clasped her hands tightly in her lap, sat up stiffly, drew a deep breath, and began resolutely.

“Several weeks ago I grew lonely in the house and decided to help at the store. Lord knows the place needed a good cleaning, and I was sorting out some old tin boxes that Angus had collected beneath his desk when I came across one that had something in it. I opened it and found this.”

She fumbled beneath the folds of her robe and produced a fat brown packet which she handed to Cole. He opened it and looked within, then went to shake the contents out on the bed. Fresh, new bank notes fluttered out, making a small heap of green on the sheet.

Cole’s voice was filled with amazement as he stated, “There must be better than ten, or maybe fifteen thousand dollars here.”

“Nearly twenty,” Leala corrected. “I found the bills in a bundle of letters Roberta had sent to Angus at the store. She bade her father hold the money for her and to secure it in some private place, not in a bank, against her return. She said that she had earned every cent of it, and that it was hers for when she came back to New Orleans. I confronted Angus, and we had a terrible argument. He kept raving and accusing you of being some kind of thief and saying that Roberta had every right to whatever she had taken from you. He swore he was going to use the money to avenge her death somehow. I never did understand just what he was talking about.” Leala stared down at her clasped hands in embarrassment. “Later I packed my bags, took some money from the store and this bundle, and went to Tally’s. I had to return this to you, Cole. I just couldn’t bear the thought of Roberta being a thief and stealing from her own husband. I know she wasn’t what you had hoped for, Cole,
but she was my baby, and I can’t help blaming myself for all the trouble she caused for both of you.”