The Last Heiress (25 page)

“What say you, my dear? Shall we take you home or back to the Henthornes'?” Rosalyn's gaze rotated between them.

“If you don't mind, I would also like to be dropped off at Cooper's Greengrocery. I won't be able to sleep until I hear every detail about his arrest.”

Rosalyn hid her smile even as her husband laughed heartily. “A woman unafraid to speak her mind? I hope that affliction doesn't spread across America. I already have a hard enough time winning arguments at home.” Squeezing his wife's hand, the judge barked orders out the window to the footman.

All too soon the brougham rolled to a stop on Water Street. Amanda stepped down to the sidewalk in front of Nate's beloved shop.

He shook hands with his protector. “I will never forget your kindness, sir. Thank you again.”

“Nonsense. It's my sworn duty to rectify injustice wherever I find it. In your case, it was also my pleasure. Keep that signed affidavit on your person. There might be other zealous recruiters to contend with in the future. My signature will not be questioned in Wilmington.”

Nate bowed low to the couple as their carriage clattered away.

Suddenly alone with him, Amanda was utterly flummoxed as to how to act. “Shall we check the store?” she asked.

“Might as well get it over with.” Nate turned his key in the lock. She followed him into the familiar interior, which seemed forlorn without recent attention. Dust motes swirled as they walked up the center aisle. Nate sniffed the stale air. “Thank goodness Odom removed the bucket of fresh fish I had out back. I sent word that the Simses should take home any produce that might spoil. All in all, I see nothing amiss. With food riots in other parts of the Carolinas, I'm a very lucky man.” When he turned around, they were face-to-face a foot apart. “And I'm not talking solely about
my livelihood.” His hand reached for her but then hesitated. “I couldn't think of anything but you when they arrested me. Now I feel ashamed for burdening you in such a way, perhaps even placing you in danger. Forgive me, Amanda.”

“Nonsense. You are my friend if you still cannot accept what my kiss implied. And how was I in danger? Sipping tea in the Stewarts' parlor or perhaps riding downtown in their luxurious carriage?” She clucked her tongue.

“How did it look to Judge Stewart that I relied on a woman to rescue me? Literature, at the very least, mandates the male of the species be the chivalrous one.” Nate lifted a towel from the hook to dust the counter, a not very subtle avoidance maneuver.

Amanda yanked on his arm like a spoiled child seeking attention. “Do you value Judge Stewart's opinion over personal liberty? What do we care what others in town think about us? Our opinions of each other should take precedence.”

Nate filled a cloth sack with food to take to the Simses. “Did Judge Stewart improve your debate skills during the ride to the jail?”

“He did not. This is a gift inherited from my papa, and a natural reaction when someone you care about behaves like a mule.”

A ghost of smile flitted across his face. “Please don't think me ungrateful, Miss Dunn, but now I feel even more unworthy of you.” He backed away from her. “I will secure the door and then walk you home. Your sister must be worried about you.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he disappeared into the stockroom. Why was he acting this way? She had assumed his request for help and her immediate reaction would cement their bond, not drive them apart.

Five minutes later they were hurrying down Water Street toward Orange Street as though the waterfront were ablaze. “Have we entered a foot race, Mr. Cooper?”

“Excuse me.” He stopped short next to a garishly painted bakery. “But we shouldn't rile your brother-in-law more than we already have.”

Amanda pulled her arm from his grip. “Nate, I'm not taking another step until you tell me what's gotten into you!” She fixed him with a glare that would have turned a lesser man to stone.

He considered for several moments. “Very well. I feel you acted on my behalf without full knowledge of the circumstances or the truth regarding my political convictions.”

“What do you mean?” She moved under an awning to avoid a sudden light drizzle.

“Judge Stewart read a flowery affidavit attesting to my loyalty to the Confederacy and my usefulness in Wilmington as a civilian. They released me based on his word. Yet there was some truth to the militia's charges. I
have
avoided conscription on several occasions, and not because of religious convictions, so draft-dodging is correct. And I won't fight to preserve slavery. I hope to see our nation restored without the abominable institution. I even went so far as to attend a pro-Union rally not long ago. So I have played you and Judge Stewart falsely. Your actions were based on incorrect assumptions.” He grimaced as though in pain.

“That's what troubles you?
We
may have played Judge Stewart falsely, and I also abhor slavery. My behavior was based on loyalty to you, not the South. If you recall, I'm British.” She linked her arm through his. “Can we proceed at a respectable pace that won't cause me to faint?”

He bobbed his head to hide a blush. “I'm certain you have never fainted in your life.”

“And I don't plan to start today. Now tell me about that pro-Union rally. Was it here in Wilmington?”

“It was terrifying, if you must know. It was held in an abandoned barn outside of town. Crazed zealots were bent on
destruction. They were no different from Quantrill's raiders in Missouri. I'll have no part of waging war on innocent citizens. There you have it, Amanda. You are a foreigner stranded in an alien country, whereas I am a native son without affiliation to either side.”

“Then we shall be a land of two and take comfort in each other.”

They crossed the street, dodging puddles that had quickly formed from the sudden shower. Nate remained silent so long she thought he hadn't heard her. Then he circled her waist with his arm and squeezed until she thought her heart, if not her ribs, would break.

If ever he could have used something memorable to say, it was during the twenty-minute walk back to the Henthorne mansion. Yet for some reason Nate wasn't embarrassed by the silence. With Amanda's small hand in his, he neither minded the gentle rain on his cheeks nor the steep hill separating the waterfront from Third Street. It felt good to have her next to his side. All the unpleasantness from the last two days, along with his dragging her into trouble, fell away. An exquisite possibility that their relationship could thrive took root and began to grow.

When they reached the home of her sister, Amanda turned her perfect, oval-shaped face up to his. “Thank you for walking me back, sir. I know I should go inside, but I fear life will be dreadfully dull compared to my last twenty-four hours.”

Nate laughed and brought her hand up to his lips. “I would hope so, dear heart. No well-born lady should be expected to save the day more than once or twice during a lifetime.” He kissed the back of her fingers.

Amanda withdrew her hand. “If I did save the day, I feel my reward should be greater than that kind of kiss.”

Glancing in both directions on the shadowy sidewalk, Nate leaned down and kissed her with all the passion he could muster.
“An insufficient token of my gratitude and esteem to be sure, but it's a start.”

Grinning, Amanda opened her eyes. “Ah, much better. Good night, Mr. Cooper, until the next time our paths cross.”

“Good night, Miss Dunn. Sleep well with pleasant dreams.” He bowed as he'd seen Jackson do on several occasions.

Amanda hurried up the steps and slipped into the house without waiting for the butler to open the door. Nate remained under the canopy of a crepe myrtle tree, hoping to catch one last glimpse of her in the parlor window. But the visage peering into the night behind leaded glass belonged to haughty, aristocratic Jackson Henthorne. If contempt had a scent, Nate would have caught a whiff wafting on the night breeze. This was a man who placed strict boundaries around himself and those he cared about. How far would he go to keep a man like Nate from marrying into his family? Would he speak to Judge Stewart about rescinding the affidavit? Or perhaps truss up Amanda, stuff her in a gunny sack, and lock her in a cabin until the ship was away from the American coast? After a final look at the residence of his beloved, Nate walked back home with a heart already aching without her.

Nate found his landlord at the table when he entered the Simses' kitchen. Despite his overwhelming fatigue, the sight lifted Nate's spirits. “Odom, why are you still up? Did bad dreams get the better of you tonight?”

“Nate.” Speaking in an exaggerated whisper, Odom jumped to his feet. “What a relief to see you.” He wrapped his arms around his friend and thumped his back as though he were choking on a fish bone. “I couldn't sleep until I heard the news, but I didn't want to keep my missus awake. This is better than any message, even from a nice lady like Miss Dunn.”

Nate tried to wriggle away as Odom fired off a rapid succession of questions. “Did Miss Dunn come to the jail? How did
she get you released? Will your arrest cause trouble for her with her family?”

Nate slumped into a chair. “I can explain if you let me sit down.”

“Yes, sit, sit. I'll pour you a glass of milk.”

Nate let the cool liquid run down his parched throat. Then he filled in the details of his saga, beginning at this store and ending with a memorable kiss at the Henthorne hitching post.

“I'm glad Rufus was there during your arrest or we might not have known what happened,” Odom said, lowering the guttering lamp wick.

“A fortuitous turn of events.” Nate finished the glass of milk, which Odom promptly refilled.

“My son has a knack for locating Miss Dunn when she's not in the company of her sister.”

“I'm grateful to Rufus and to you.”

“Glad to help, especially since this turned out so well.” Odom gave his suspenders a satisfied snap.

Nate stared at him in confusion. “I don't follow you. Are you certain you heard me right? I was arrested by the Rebel militia, accused of treason, thrown into jail, and fed moldy food. I endangered your son and Miss Dunn just to gain freedom that could be brief in duration. Who knows what Judge Stewart will do if he finds out the charges were true? Besides, I don't work for Henthorne and Sons in a
crucial
capacity as the judge's affidavit states.”

Odom leaned back in his chair. “I listened to you just fine, but I heard plenty more than that.” Holding up a hand, he extended his index finger. “One, I know that Miss Dunn practically levitated from her chair to help you.” He extended a second finger. “She wasted no time in getting you released and then insisted on going with you to check your store.” Another finger joined the other two. “And three, she demanded a proper kiss for her
payment. That means one thing to me—the gal is in love with you. I would say you should be the happiest man on earth, Nate Cooper.” Odom folded his hands like an attorney resting his court case.

“That was my conclusion too, for what it's worth. But what future does such an ill-matched couple have? If rumors of my pro-Union sentiments get around, customers will abandon me for Baxter's Market. And a man without a livelihood has poor prospects for marriage.” Nate studied his reflection in the windowpane. “Miss Dunn was raised in a big house with a staff of servants. Now I have less to offer her than before.”

“I had worse prospects than you, but Ruth still agreed to marry me, making me the happiest man on earth.”

Nate smiled at his friend. “I'm open to suggestions if any come to mind. Seeing your and Ruth's contentment is proof enough for me.”

Odom refilled his own mug. “You fixate on Miss Dunn's wealth, assuming her life was rosy at home because of it. Maybe it was, true enough, but rich folks can be unhappy, hard as that is for us to believe. Yet she sees something in
you
she likes, so stop trying to fit into the Henthornes' world. Ask her to spend more time in yours.”

“Do you mean invite her to dinner again? I know she enjoyed the evening with your family.” Nate felt a surge of hope.

Odom leaned back to study the plaster ceiling. “This weekend Ruth wants to visit her aunt in Wrightsville. Why not invite Miss Dunn for supper? The two of you won't have a fancy cook if you get hitched, so why not show her you know how to put supper on the table?”

Nate burst out laughing. “What on earth could I cook for her? All I know are simple recipes from home.”

“Ruth and I sampled some of those when you weren't looking.
They weren't half bad. Decide on your favorites and put your best foot forward. Owning a store certainly comes in handy, and if you need it, Ruth can give you cooking advice.”

Nate's mind whirled with ideas as Odom pushed up from the table. “Now that our favorite draft dodger is home safe, I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late. You have a store to open in the morning and only a couple of days to plan this supper.” Shuffling from the room, he paused in the doorway, the hard day of labor evident in his stride. “But if you permit me one final piece of advice, don't question life so much. Sometimes God offers gifts we don't deserve, and in the case of His Son, we never will. The best thing to do is say thank you and try to be as worthy as you can. Miss Dunn may be one of those gifts.”