Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (20 page)

Vivianna wrinkled her
nose at the comparison
,
and Justin laughed.

“
I guess I need to learn how to talk to a lady again,
”
he said.
“
Seems the war has rusted me over a bit.
”
Then, to Vivianna
’
s delight, he reached out and took hold of her hand
,
pulling her into his arms.
“
I hope you can be patient with me, Viv,
”
he whispered into her hair.
“
I ain
’
t quite myself yet.
”

Vivianna snuggled against him—sighed at the warm, safe bliss of being in his arms.

“
You
’
re fine, Justin,
”
she told him.
“
You
’
re fine…and everything will only get better and better now.
You
’
re home
,
home here with me…and that
’
s all I need to know.
”

Justin sighed
,
closed his eyes
,
and inhaled the sweet scent of Vivianna
’
s soft, dark hair.
Through the horrors of war and
Andersonville
, he
’
d nearly forgotten how pretty she was—how sweet.
Andersonville
seemed an age ago in that moment.
As he sat comfortable and at peace beneath the tree
,
a beautiful woman in his arms
,
he thought he could almost forget the past—the war.

The breeze was soft
,
fragrant with the mellow perfume of
Alabama
grass.
Justin could sense honeysuckle, wisteria, and violets—ambrosia to his nostrils.
He listened.
Gone were the sounds of battle—of misery—of men moaning in the grip of death.
Now lingered the happy trilling of birds
,
the distant sound of Nate and Willy laughing as they worked on their fort nearby.
He smiled at the thought of the two young boys
,
so busily collecting their gruesome bones.
He remembered those days—days when he and Caleb had often gone adventuring.
The memory was both sweet and painful.

It was suddenly strange to Justin Turner
that he was not hungry.
Yet he remembered with contentment that his mother
’
s biscuits were in his belly—and eggs
,
eggs that had been flavored with the tiniest, delicious grains of salt.
He could still see the salt tumbling from his mother
’
s fingers as she
’
d sifted it over his plate.
His mouth watered at the thought of more salt to come.
A full belly—it was a wonderful awareness!

Justin squeezed Vivianna
’
s soft form—embraced her more tightly.
What a blissful sensation it was
,
holding her.
For a moment, he briefly wondered if perhaps he had
not truly returned home
but
rather died and these were the visions granted him of heaven.
The thought frightened him
,
and he opened his eyes to see the green of the leafy willow wands hanging all about him.
He was not dead
,
nor was he dreaming.
He was home
,
and he had God to thank for it—and Johnny Tabor.

“
I thought Johnny might be dead when I woke up this mornin
’
,
”
Justin mumbled.

Vivianna sighed.
“
I was afraid too,
”
she said.
“
And I didn
’
t want you to lose your friend.
”

“
I owe him my life
.
I wouldn
’
t want to bury him…especially so soon,
”
he said.

“
But Johnny said he owed you
his
life,
”
she said.
“
Will ya tell me one day…will ya tell me how you saved his life?
”

Justin felt his own smile fade.
Knowledge—the pure knowledge of all Johnny Tabor really was
,
of all he had done—that knowledge caused a chill to travel through Justin.
Yet there was no need for Vivianna to bear that weight—no need for her to know who the man she
’
d enjoyed such a hearty laugh with out by the chicken pen that morning truly was.

Therefore, he simply answered,
“
Maybe one day.
”

“
Justin!
Justin Turner!
”
Nate exclaimed as he and Willy dashed beneath the willow tree.
Breathless with agitation, Nate scolded,
“
Quit slobberin
’
all over Viv and come see!
Come see what me and Willy found off in the woods!
You won
’
t believe what we found!
”

Vivianna sat up
,
her cheeks pink with blushing at being caught so willingly in Justin
’
s arms.

“
What is it?
”
Justin asked as he struggled to his feet.
“
You two look like ya seen a ghost.
”

“
Not a ghost, Justin,
”
Nate panted.
“
Though I think I might rather have seen a ghost than what we found.
”

Justin frowned
,
and Vivianna felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle.

“
What is it?
”
Justin repeated.
Vivianna knew Justin
’
s mind was sensing unpleasantries as well.

“
A man, Justin!
A dead man!
”
Nate whispered.
“
Or…or at least what
’
s left of him.
”

CHAPTER SIX

Awash with horrified trepidation, Vivianna followed Justin as Nate and Willy led them to a place in the woods beyond the meadow and the Turner family cemetery.
Surely the young Turner boys had been mistaken in what they
’
d seen
.
Surely they had!
Yet as they neared the woods—as Willy
’
s face remained void of color—she knew they had not been mistaken.
She wondered what she was doing accompanying them.
She
’
d seen enough dead men to give her nightmares for the rest of her life!
Yet Justin had taken her hand—led her along with them—and she didn
’
t know what else to do but follow him.

“
See there, Justin?
”
Nate asked as they passed the boys
’
fort and made their way through the woods.
“
Just yonder…near that big oak.
”

“
I
’
ll stay just here,
”
Vivianna said, stopping short in her tracks.
She couldn
’
t—she couldn
’
t look on another dead man.
The war was ending!
There shouldn
’
t be any
more death!

“
Come on, Viv,
”
Justin said, looking back to her and tugging on her hand he still held.

But Vivianna shook her head and pulled her hand from his grasp.
“
I don
’
t need to see another dead man,
”
she told him.
“
And neither do the boys.
”
Vivianna reached out, placing a hand on Willy
’
s shoulder.
Instantly, Willy wrapped his arms around her waist
,
clinging to her for comfort.
Vivianna smoothed his hair and pulled him tight against her.
“
You stay here too, Nate,
”
she said.
“
Your mama wouldn
’
t want ya over there if ya don
’
t need to be…and ya don
’
t.
You
’
ve pointed Justin in the right direction
. N
ow come over here with me.
”

“
Aw
, Viv!
”
Nate argued.

But even as Justin
’
s eyes narrowed
,
even as he frowned
,
he seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation—seemed to realize it was not in his little brothers
’
best interest to let them continue to linger so near to death.

“
Nate…Viv
’
s right,
”
he said.
“
You stay here with her and Willy.
”
He nodded
,
still frowning.
“
You
’
re right, Viv.
You
’
re right.
”

He
’
d encouraged her—let her know he knew she and the boys shouldn
’
t continue with him.
Yet she sensed an overwhelming dread in him—and why not?
Justin had returned home
only a day before—returned home thinking the war was behind him
,
that he was finished with fighting and death
,
suffering and misery.
And yet here was death
,
fresh upon his doorstep.

Justin nodded to Vivianna as Nate joined her and Willy.
Inhaling a deep breath of courage and resolve,
Justin
turned and headed toward the big oak Nate had indicated.
Vivianna waited—silent
,
horrified
,
and breathless with anxiety.
She watched as Justin reached the big oak
and
hunkered down.
After several long moments, he stood and quickly strode back to where she and the boys were waiting.

“
Nate,
”
he said—and she could see him trembling.
“
You and Willy run on
. S
top at the house
,
and have Willy stay with Mama
’
til we get there
. T
hen run on into town and fetch Caleb.
Tell him to meet us at the house.
Viv…you run back and get Johnny.
Fetch him here as fast as you can.
”

“
All right, Justin,
”
Nate said, taking his younger brother
’
s hand.
Willy rather unwillingly let go of Vivianna.
“
We
’
ll hurry.
”

As Nate and Willy turned to go, Justin called,
“
Boys!
”
Nate and Willy stopped, turned, and looked at him.
“
Don
’
t say a word about this to anybody you see on the way.
Don
’
t even tell Caleb why we need him home until you
’
re well away from anybody in town.
Do ya hear me?
”

Nate frowned, confused.
“
Well, yeah…but
—”

“
I mean it, Nate,
”
Justin growled.
He looked to Willy.
“
Willy?
I mean it now.
Don
’
t you boys say one word to anybody!
I don
’
t care if someone tries to beat it out of ya
. D
on
’
t say a word!
Do ya understand?
”

“
All right, Justin,
”
Nate said
,
still frowning with bewilderment.
“
If you say so.
”

“
I do say so,
”
Justin said.
“
Now go on and fetch Caleb home.
”

Nate nodded
,
and the boys ran off.

Justin turned to Vivianna.
A quiet gasp escaped her as she saw the fear in his eyes.
“
Viv
,
you
’
ve gotta fetch Johnny quick.
”

Vivianna glanced behind her.
Nate and Willy were well on their way—well out of hearing range.
“
What
’
s the matter, Justin?
”
she asked.
“
Shouldn
’
t we just fetch the sheriff…or Doctor Kindersley?
”

But Justin shook his head emphatically.
“
No!
No.
We can
’
t…not yet.
”

“
But why not?
”
she asked.

The fear in Justin
’
s eyes increased
,
and Vivianna saw something else in them too
:
fury!

“
Because it
’
s a Reb soldier lyin
’
over there dead…not more than a day dead
. A
nd me and Johnny know him.
”

“
What?
”
Vivianna gasped.

Justin nodded.
“
He was a guard…a guard at
Andersonville
.
”
Justin shook his head
,
his hands still trembling as he ran them over his bristly hair.
“
His name is Powell
,
Zachary Powell
,
and he hated me and Johnny somethin
’
fierce—especially Johnny.
I can
’
t figure for the life of me what he
’
s doin
’
here…not unless he came lookin
’
for a fight with the two of us.
”

“
But
,
Justin
,
we can
’
t just leave him out here.
We can
’
t just
—”

Vivianna gasped as Justin reached out, taking hold of her shoulders.

“
I need you to fetch Johnny for me, Viv!
Don
’
t ya see?
Me and Johnny…Caleb too…we
’
re Yankees!
A dead Confederate in the woods?
Folks in town…
they
’
ll blame us quick as anythin
’
!
They
’
ll string us up without another word.
I need you to bring Johnny to me
,
and then we
’
ll talk with Caleb…figure out what to do.
All right?
”

“
B-but, Justin
—”
Vivianna stammered.

“
Please, Viv,
”
he interrupted.
“
Just fetch Johnny.
Fetch Johnny
,
and then stay with Mama and wait for the others.
Please.
”

Justin was frightened.
H
is
eyes told her
;
his trembling hands told her.
Suddenly, Vivianna was far more frightened of what Justin had implied—that he might be blamed for a dead Confederate in the woods—than she was for the fact that a dead man lay just beyond where they stood.

“
All right,
”
she said.
“
I
’
ll go…but will you be all right?
”

Justin nodded.
“
I
’
m fine.
I
’
m fine.
I just need Johnny.
”

“
All right.
”
Vivianna quickly kissed Justin on one cheek
and
then turned and ran.

Panic nipped at her heels as she ran through the cemetery
;
fear breathed down her neck!
A dead soldier was bad enough
,
but she did understand the true danger for Justin, Caleb
,
and Johnny Tabor
.
The people of
Florence
were fairly kind to Savannah Turner.
Mr. Turner had fought for the Confederacy
,
so even though it was now known that Caleb fought for the
Union
,
the townsfolk were tolerant.
Yet if a dead Confederate soldier w
ere
found on Turner property
,
Vivianna knew how quickly the tide of tolerance could change.
The war was over—or nearly over.
Yet the Confederacy—the South—had been whipped
,
and
Alabama
was the South.
Vivianna knew that even to those in town who had been in silent support of the
Union
,
a dead
S
outherner
in the woods would spur anger—and perhaps violent vigilantism.

She did not smell the sweet scents of spring as she ran—oblivious to the lazy feeling of the day.
Rather, panic and fear drove Vivianna onward
,
and soon she could see the honeysuckled arbor a short distance away.
Frantically she tried to think where she might search for Justin
’
s friend.
Perhaps Willy had already found him
,
when Nate had left him with
Savannah
.
Perhaps Johnny was already on his way to Justin.
Yet he would need to be led there
,
wouldn
’
t he?
Justin had said to send him
,
yet Johnny had never been to the meadow or the cemetery or Nate and Willy
’
s fort.
Yes
,
she would have to lead him back.
She would have to…