Antebellum BK 1 (57 page)

“
Clementine’s ruined Jack’s career – his whole life.”

“
Could be. I didn’t know that you cared that much for Jack.”

“
I do care for him but that’s not what I mean.”

“
What do you mean, then?”

“
I’m afraid that I may have done the same thing to Robert.”

“
You’re talking about Phil Key’s comment, I gather?”

“
Yeah, that, and some other things that’ve happened recently to make me think that a lot of people know about my infidelity.”

“
I don’t have any advice.”

“
No, I didn’t think you would, but it was worth a try.” She sighed. “Maybe I should just confess and get it over with.”

“
That’ll make you feel better and it’ll crush Robert.”

“
But he may already know. I mean – maybe he’s forgiven me and I’m suffering for nothing.”

“
If your only concern is for yourself, by all means, tell him,” Anna said. “But if you really love him, and you don’t want to hurt him any more than you already have, stay silent and suffer for your sins.”

Nancy nodded slowly. “I wish I could live my life over again, knowing what I know now.”

“
Don’t we all?”

They both stood up and walked toward the gate at the sound of a horse coming up the long driveway.

“
It’s Robert,” Anna said.

“
He doesn’t look happy,” Nancy replied. “I hope it’s not my fault.”

“
Stop that,” Anna whispered. She took Nancy’s elbow and steered her back to the bench where they had been sitting.

Robert came through the gate a short time later, reading a letter. “Brigham Young’s called in all his missionaries and he’s told the Saints in Salt Lake to be prepared to burn their homes and repel the invasion.”

“
Then I don’t suppose he’s changed his mind about visitors,” Anna said.

Robert looked back at the letter. “He says that ‘no person shall be allowed to pass or repass into, through or from this territory without a permit from the proper officer.’ That pretty clearly means no visitors.”

Anna nodded. “It doesn’t look like I can get there, does it.”

“
It doesn’t look like you have any reason to get there.” He handed her a telegram. “Sorry. I thought it might have been from somebody in the family so I opened it and read it.”

Anna read the telegram and handed it to Nancy. “My freelance contract’s been cancelled.”

Nancy read through the wire. “Well, at least they’re paying your expenses.”

“
They’ll pay for second-class and you were critical of the first-class accommodations coming out here.”

“
I’ll pay the difference for first-class,” Nancy said.

“
Don’t be silly,” Anna replied. “I don’t care about the money; I was just commenting that they weren’t really being very generous by paying for second-class accommodations.” She sighed. “I would have liked to have interviewed Brigham Young and seen Salt Lake City after hearing Jack’s description of it.”

“
Some of the eastern papers are calling this affair Buchanan’s Blunder,” Robert said. “I anticipate a negotiated end to it by next year. You can come back then. Brigham Young and Salt Lake City will still be here.”

Anna looked at Nancy. “So? How do we go home? By land or sea?”

“
Sea,” Robert said before Nancy could answer. “The mountain passes are sometimes snowed in before the end of September.”

“
Are you coming with us?” Nancy asked.

He shook his head. “I have to wait for Stewart Van Vliet’s report or further word from Washington.”

“
Why?” Anna asked.

“
I had some dealing with the Mormons in Iowa. The State Department has asked me to stand by.”

“
When do you expect to hear from someone?” Nancy asked.

He shrugged. “Maybe tomorrow, maybe next month, maybe next year.”

“
You won’t stay a year, will you?” Nancy asked in alarm.

He shook his head. “I’ll give it until fall and if things are the same, I’ll come home.”

August 15
, 1857

San Francisco, California

A
nna, Nancy and Robert were waiting on the dock for the boarding call. Anna pointed toward a steam-powered crane that was lifting cargo nets from the dock and lowering them into the ship’s aft hold. “Do you know what’s in those crates that they’re loading now, Nancy?”

“
I do,” Robert said.

“
I didn’t ask you,” Anna growled.

“
No, Anna,” Nancy giggled. “I don’t know what’s in those crates.”

“
Gold,” Anna said. She stuck her tongue out at her brother.

“
Freshly minted twenty-dollar gold pieces,” Robert added. “From the San Francisco mint.”

“
How much does all that gold weigh?” Nancy asked nervously.

Robert shrugged. “A lot. Ten tons, maybe.”

“
Was the ship built to hold that much weight?”

“
I’m sure that the captain wouldn’t permit his vessel to be overloaded,” Robert said. He took his watch from his pocket, looked at the time and closed it.

Anna turned toward him. “There’s no need for you to wait. Kiss me goodbye.”

He gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek, then turned to Nancy. “I’ll be home soon. I promise.”

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. “I’ll be waiting for you every day.”

September
12, 1857

Off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

T
he bow of
SS Central America
, which had been turned into the ferocious wind that had been battering her for two full days, was now drifting freely. Wearing only a soaking-wet shift, Anna staggered into the stateroom that she’d been sharing with Nancy since they left the Panamanian port of Colón on the third. “It’s no good,” Anna shouted over the creaks and groans of the tortured ship. “The water’s put out the fires in the boilers. The steam will be gone soon. Without the pumps, the bucket brigade can’t hope to keep up, and without propulsion we’re at the fate of the hurricane.”

Nancy hurried toward her with a towel. “I know.” Nancy too was dressed only in wet undergarments. “The water’s pouring in through the breached seal of the paddle wheel. It can’t be stopped. That was going to drown us anyway, pumps or no pumps.”

Anna took the towel and started drying her hair. “Well, I suppose I should apologize for getting you drowned.”

“
Don’t be silly.” Nancy staggered as the ship rolled suddenly. “I came with you for my own reasons.”

“
Did you ever have that talk with Robert?” Anna asked.

“
No. And now I’m glad that I didn’t.” Nancy flinched at the sound of an explosion. “What was that? The boiler?”

“
No. It must be Captain Herndon firing the cannon to signal for help. As I was coming back he was sending some crewmen to turn the flag upside down.”

“
It may be too late.”

Anna shrugged and made her way across the pitching deck to sit down on a velvet chair. Almost instantly, her wet clothing turned the fabric from bright red to dark purple. “I don’t suppose changing into dry clothes makes any sense.”

Nancy shook her head. “I think we should strip down to near naked and go on deck.”

“
What for? The deck’s awash. We could be swamped at any moment.”

“
When we feel that the ship’s going down we’ll jump over the side and swim for anything that floats.”

“
We’ll be sucked down with the ship.”

“
Not if we can swim away far enough.”

“
It’s no good, Nancy.”

“
Come on, Anna. We might have a chance. Let’s take it.”

“
A chance of what?”

“
Surviving long enough to be rescued. This storm can’t last forever.”

“
It’s managed to take this ship along with it for days. Do you really think we can swim against its pull?”

“
Maybe not. But I’m not giving up until I’m dead.”

Anna stood up again. “Okay. Let’s go.”

“
Wait.” Nancy put her arms around Anna and kissed her. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you that I love you.”

Anna gave her a hug. “I think you have. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve never doubted it and I love you too.”

September 20, 1857

New York, New York

A
nna and Nancy walked side by side down the gangway of the
SS Empire City
. “Should we kiss the ground?” Anna asked.

“
You can,” Nancy replied. “But I’m going to kiss my husband.” She pointed.

Anna shaded her eyes. “How did he get here so soon?”

“
Who cares?”

“
Is that Quincy with him?”

“
Yes.” Nancy laughed, then wiped away a tear. “Isn’t it wonderful to see them again?”

~

“
A little brig from Boston, called
The Marine
, heard our signal cannons and came to our rescue,” Anna said.

Nancy was sitting close to Robert and holding his hand possessively. “The brig was damaged by the storm too.”

Anna nodded. “Considering its size, I don’t know how it could have survived at all. But it did and somehow managed to stay on station long enough to save us.”

“
There weren’t enough lifeboats,” Nancy said. “After the women and children were aboard
The Marine
, the lifeboats made several more trips, but only about forty men were brought aboard before it became too dark to continue.”