Camellia (39 page)

“Good morning, sunshine.” Renée’s familiar greeting brought Camellia’s head up.

She planted a smile on her face for her friend’s benefit. “I’m happy to see you up and about.”

“Not as glad as I am to be out of my bedchamber.” The short, dark-haired woman was pale, but Camellia could see the determination in her eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done since you got here.”

Even though sadness lingered deep inside her heart, Camellia felt a sense of contentment in the knowledge her skills had helped the Thornton family recover their health. “It’s my pleasure.”

“Have you seen Brandon and Cameron?”

“They’ve gone to open the shop with Blake and Eli.” Camellia rose from her place at the table and went to the sideboard to help Renée get some breakfast.

Renée pointed to the toast. “I think that’s all I want to eat.”

Her nursing sense took over. “You need something more substantial than that.” Camellia spooned scrambled eggs onto the other woman’s plate and added a slice of cured ham.

“That’s enough.” Renée laughed. “I don’t want to be as large as a cow.”

Remington dashed into the room then, his normal high spirits in evidence since he’d thrown off the effects of his illness. “I’ve finished my lessons. May I walk to Pa’s shop?”

Renée kissed him on the forehead. “I’m glad you feel so much better, but I think you’d better stay inside today.”

“Aww, Mama.” He broke away from her, picked up a plate, and filled it with slices of crisp bacon.

Camellia put Renée’s plate on the table and returned to her seat. “Blake said Jasmine and Lily are planning to visit again this morning.”

“Really?” Remington was already chewing on bacon as he sat next to her. “I like Jasmine. She’s funny.”

Camellia and Renée exchanged a glance. Camellia doubted her sister would appreciate his description of the impromptu theatrics she’d performed for him during her visit the day before.

She sipped her coffee as she listened to Remington’s rapid-fire comments and his mother’s calm responses. Renée obviously knew how to respond to boyish enthusiasm.

“How much longer will you stay with us?” Renée’s question interrupted her musings.

“Lily is anxious to get to Natchez.”

“I can understand that. She’ll want her family around her when the baby comes.”

Camellia nodded. As long as she had the chance to visit with the Watkinses in Vicksburg. She had no doubt she could wrangle an invitation from Jane to stay with them. And Lily seemed amenable to allowing her to remain behind since she’d conceived the idea that Camellia was in love with Thad. And she was … or at least she would be as soon as she was near him again.

A flash of lightning, followed by the crash of thunder, made all three of them jump.

Remington’s voice rose an octave. “Is that cannon fire?”

Camellia glanced toward the window and shook her head. “It’s just another spring storm.”

Renée shook her head as rain peppered the window. “I feel sorry for the soldiers outside in this deluge.”

Where was Jonah? The question trembled on Camellia’s tongue, but she could not voice it. She had not seen the man since Tuesday. Not that she cared, but she did want to apologize for her angry remarks. He had a right to his opinion the same as she did.

Had he been sent somewhere to spy once more? Or was he on board one of the naval ships? She shuddered to think of his pointing a cannon at the bluffs of Vicksburg.

“It’s been a stormy spring.” Renée pushed back from the table. “Eli says the river is high now and likely to flood.”

“Lily will probably be more anxious than ever to depart.” Camellia put down her coffee cup. “I suppose I’d better get my things packed.”

Renée sighed. “I wish we had more time to visit now that I’m feeling better. I can never repay you for taking care of me and my household.”

“You would do the same for us.” Camellia folded her napkin and put it on the table. “In fact, Eli’s parents—his entire family—have done the same for us already.”

“They are a wonderful, giving, faith-filled family.” Renée stood and shook out her skirt. “I am worried about Jonah, however.”

Camellia’s heart thumped. Had he been hurt again? Was that why he had not returned to his brother’s home? Was he wounded? Her hands itched for her bag of medicines. If he was hurt, she wanted to treat him now that she actually knew what to do to speed up his healing. “Where is he?” Raindrops peppered the windows, and Camellia noticed how dark it had grown in the dining room.

Renée moved to light some of the candles in the room. “He’s gone south where the fighting is the worst.”

Which probably meant he’d once again donned his Confederate uniform and gone in search of information to pass along to the Union. She wondered if he would be caught this time.

“Eli and I pray for him every night, and for all of the soldiers fighting in this terrible war.” Renée hesitated a moment before continuing. “I hope you don’t mind that Lily told me about your Confederate beau. I know you have a good heart, dear, and you cannot be responsible for the person it chooses.”

Camellia’s cheeks felt as bright as the candles Renée had lit. She wanted to blurt out the truth. Of course she cared for Thad and worried about him. He was her best friend’s brother. And he was handsome … and rich … and a good man, besides. The type of man she’d always yearned to marry. The type of man she would marry. Her head could and would rule over the desires of her heart.

W
e have family in Natchez.” Lily felt like a parrot. How many times had she explained to the hard-faced Union soldier?

“Yes, ma’am, I appreciate that fact. But I need you to understand what’s going on here.”

Lily glanced past his right shoulder to the ships forming a floating city next to the bank. Soldiers, covered wagons, and horses made a raucous caravan of supplies from boat deck to the city of tents set some distance from the water’s edge. “It looks like a great deal of enterprise to me. Do you plan to have a permanent settlement here?”

“That’s not for me to say.”

“Of course not.” Lily tapped a foot as she waited for Blake and his Union escort to return from their inspection of the
Water Lily.
A movement in her stomach made her put a hand on her midsection.

The officer’s gaze followed her movement, and an expression of surprise and awe came over his face. “Why don’t you sit down, ma’am?”

“I believe I shall.” Lily tried to reassure her sisters and Anna with a look of confidence as she returned to the seat she’d vacated when the Union soldiers first boarded their boat.

Camellia’s gaze burned Lily’s shoulders as she sat.

Anna reached out a hand to her. “God will protect us.”

“Of course.” Lily squeezed her hand before releasing it. “We’ll be on our way in a few minutes.”

“I hope so.” Camellia picked at the lace on her sleeve.

Lily frowned at her sister as the soldier stepped out into the passageway. “Be careful what you say. I don’t want us delayed any more than necessary.”

Shouts from outside drew their attention to the single window. A string of logs had been laid to form a path for people on foot. One of them had apparently sunk under the weight of the foot traffic, leaving three hapless men standing thigh deep in thick, black mud. Their plight was causing great merriment from others as they tried to escape to drier ground.

After watching their lack of progress for a minute or two, Lily turned her attention back to the others. “Those poor men. I don’t understand why everyone is laughing instead of offering to help them.”

Blake strode into the parlor. “We’ll be under way in a minute. Next stop, Vicksburg.”

Jasmine clapped her hands, while Anna and Camellia looked relieved.

Lily stood and moved toward him. “Perhaps we should try to bypass the port there to avoid further delays.”

“We cannot.” Camellia tossed a desperate glance in her direction. “I must check on Jane and her family.”

“I know we planned to do that, but I’m not sure the Confederates will even allow us to land there.”

“But we have to try. I haven’t received a letter from Jane since Christmas, and I’m very worried about her. Please, you must let me go see about her.”

Lily glanced at her husband’s tight face. She could tell he was leery of making the attempt. “Why don’t we wait and see what the situation is in Vicksburg? Then we can decide our best course.”

Camellia’s eyes filled with tears, but she nodded, her heart obviously broken at the news that she might not get to see her beau.

Lily’s own heart ached for her. She left her husband’s side and sat down next to her sister. “We’ll do everything we can to check on them.”

“Thank you.” Camellia pulled a handkerchief from the sleeve of her gown and used it to dash away the tears trying to escape her eyes.

Jasmine moved toward them, too, her dark eyes troubled.

Lily put her arms around both of her sisters. The hug they shared warmed her. “I love y’all so much. I’d do anything to make you happy.”

As the
Water Lily
chugged away from the Yankee encampment, she thought about the families that had been torn apart by the war and sent a prayer of thanks to God for keeping the three of them together.

Camellia ran the last few steps to the picket fence that surrounded Jane’s family home. As she reached for the gate latch, the front door flew open, and a glad cry came from the young woman standing there.

“Jane!” Camellia picked up her skirts and dashed forward.

Jane met her in the middle of the front lawn, and the two friends embraced. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”

“I know. It’s been so long.” Camellia leaned back and frowned. “Why didn’t you answer any of my letters?”

A frown marred Jane’s pretty face. “I didn’t receive any correspondence from you at all. I thought you had forgotten all about me once you and your family went north.”

“I wrote to you every week, telling you all about Blake’s family and Cape Girardeau.”

“None of them got through.” Jane shrugged. “So I had no direction to put on a letter to you. But come inside, and you can tell me all about it.”

“I only have half an hour to visit. Then I must return to the docks or Lily and Blake will come looking for me.”

“Half an hour? That’s not nearly enough time. You cannot leave me again so soon. Why don’t you plan on staying for a while? I know my mother and Thad would love to see you.”

Camellia gave her a hug. “I was hoping you would invite me. Maybe together we can convince my family I should stay.”

“It will be perfect. Thad comes by to check on us every day, so your family can have no qualms about your safety.” Jane pulled her up the steps and into her home. “I’ll collect Mother and my cloak, and we’ll go to the boat together to convince them.”

Carried forward on the wave of her friend’s enthusiasm, Camellia watched as her plan came to fruition. Jane’s mother, an older version of her daughter, accompanied them to the
Water Lily
to convince Blake and Lily to let her remain. She didn’t feel any pangs of regret as she stood next to her trunks and waved good-bye to her family.

On the ride back to the Watkinses’ home, Camellia asked them what had been happening since she last saw them.

“We lost the steeple of the Baptist church to a Yankee shell.” Jane pointed out the window. “And some of our slaves have dug a cave area for the family. We’ve retreated to it twice this winter.”

Mrs. Watkins shuddered. “It’s a terrible inconvenience.”

“But better than braving death when the shelling begins.”

Camellia couldn’t imagine the fear these women had faced. “You are both very brave.”

“Thad tells us to pretend we are staying in a medieval castle.” Jane rolled her eyes. “I cannot quite manage that, but it is an adventure to make the place habitable.”

Would she have to go to the cave? A frisson of fear slid through Camellia. Perhaps she should not have been so hasty to insist on remaining. At the end, Lily and Blake had left the decision up to her. Camellia had not hesitated at all, but now she wondered if she’d been foolish. Deciding it was too late to question her choice, she sat back against the cushions and prayed for God’s protection.

Feeling better because of the peace that entered her heart, Camellia listened to Jane and her mother discussing the high prices and scarcity of even the most basic foods. Flour and sugar were almost impossible to find and certainly beyond the means of any but the richest of Vicksburg’s inhabitants.

“Miss Claiborne told me last week that her father has taken apart their smokehouse,” Jane reported.

Camellia asked, “Why ever would he do such a thing?”

Mrs. Watkins sniffed. “They boil the wood for water for broth.”

“Are things so desperate?”

The carriage slowed to a halt as Jane nodded. “We may have to consider doing the same thing.”

Camellia shook her head. She waited for Mrs. Watkins to disembark before turning to her friend. “I hope we can visit the hospital later.”

“Of course.” Jane climbed down and straightened her skirts. “I go over there nearly every afternoon. It’s my Christian duty to offer succor to our brave soldiers.”