Brimstone and Lily (Legacy Stone Adventures) (26 page)

Tuesday turned out to be a repeat of the first day, for the most part. At first light we were packed up and heading toward Fredericksburg with me giving thanks for my new feet. I made sure to take care of Romulus as much as I could, bringing him water and anything else I imagined he needed. It was the least I could do for the favor he’d done me. Though he never said so, and would’ve rather have died first, I got the feeling that the pains of mine that he’d accepted wore on him. You’d have thought that him being so big and strong would mean that my little aches could hardly make an impression. Maybe the spell increased the misery to match the strength of the receiver, so that it’d be a meaningful sacrifice. When I asked Jasper about that he told me that he didn’t arrange it that way, but that you couldn’t always tell how magick would work on a particular person. After all, Romulus had already been witched into human form, so maybe the new spell ended up being that much of an extra burden because of it.

Tyrell alternated between cheerful and edgy. One minute he’d be tipping his hat to folks we passed on the road, grinning in that devilish way of his. The next he’d be quiet and alert, dark brows furrowed as he peered at each bush or tree as if an ambush lay in wait behind it. Why he got more antsy the further we traveled into Confederate territory I couldn’t figure. Seemed to me that he ought to be singing his Rebel head off. After all, if we kept going the way we planned we’d pass right by his home town of Williamsburg. But then, McClellan’s army had run rough-shod all over it on the advance and now troops were quartered in it. Maybe that knowledge had the captain concerned.

Whatever it was, Romulus bore the brunt of his bad mood. More than once Tyrell snapped at him to hurry up, grumbling about ‘lazy darkies dragging their feet’. He seemed to think that Tom was sabotaging us somehow. Poor Romulus, back in slave mode, just took it quiet-like and kept on walking. Since I had to maintain my pose as his owner there wasn’t much I could do to help. I had to try and tread middle ground. Whenever Tyrell launched one of his tirades at Romulus I’d bat my eyes, act all sweet, and tell the cavalryman that he imagined things. I insisted that Tom had always proved as loyal as the day is long. Making up a long tale about Tom having trekked through floodwaters once to get medicine for my late lamented daddy, I managed to distract him for a bit. Soon he’d returned to humming happy tunes and complimenting ladies on their bonnets as if there weren’t a war for a thousand miles.

A little past noon we got to Fredericksburg, crossing the Rappahannock on a guarded bridge. Challenged by a sentry, Tyrell showed him some sort of paper and he waved us all through. A thriving river town of a few thousand citizens, Fredericksburg held more than its normal number at the moment. Southern soldiers and Richmond refugees, crossing paths as they moved in opposite directions, bumped shoulders with local inhabitants and slaves. Considering that a huge hostile army lay just fifty miles away, things looked more normal than I’d expected. Stores did business, checker-playing geezers sat on benches giving unwanted advice, noisy kids ran about causing trouble. The last group made me think of all the good times with Eddie. Wiping my eyes a little, I promised myself that Eddie would be able to play in the streets again, no matter what it cost me or how long it might take.

Jasper had been quiet most of the morning, but now that we were in town he started chattering away, thrilled by all of the new sights and smells. Good thing nobody could hear him but me. He hollered insults at people who got in our way, made fun of odd-looking folks, and drooled over every cigar and whiskey flask in sight. Ladies’ perfume really seemed to set him off.
Please, oh please, don’t let us pass any fancy girls like Silky Sadie.
I didn’t want to think how an adolescent sword might behave around a floozie.

“Hoo-eee!” he whistled, almost deafening me even though no real sound hit my ears. “You mortals sure know how to live! Looky, looky! And you say this is a small backwater town?”

“Yep,” I told him, eyeing the muddy river. “Literally.”

“Can’t imagine what Richmond’s like, then. Or Washington City when we ain’t bein’ chased by Bullies.” There was a breathless pause. “Oh, we are gonna have such a good time in London!”

Yeah, if we find a way through the big battle that’s brewin’…and find Roberta’s ship while being chased by the scum of the South, since there’s a bounty on our heads…and get across the ocean without a Merchantry squadron sinkin’ us…and make it in and out of the Proprietor’s headquarters with the same skins we started with.

I stopped to scrape off a horse flop from my boot. “Don’t count your debauches before they’re hatched, mister. After that wretched cigar I plan to do a lot more on my own from now on.”

“Hey, you never know when you’re gonna need a little magickal help from your buddy Morphageus. Wouldn’t hurt to bank some of that witchy energy for a rainy day.”

Screwing up my face, I gave in a smidgeon. “OK, I’ll sniff some perfumes while we walk.”

“And maybe run your hand over some velvety fabric, like that lassie’s wearin’ over there.”
“Where?” All I saw was some tired-looking soldiers and supply wagon teamsters watering their mules at a trough.

“To the right, outside the druggist’s.”

I spotted the girl in question, who looked even younger than me. She sat on a bench, yawning, playing with a cat’s-cradle. It looked like she was waiting for her ma to come out. Her velvet dress, a rich green, must’ve cost more than every bit of clothing I’d ever owned.

“I see her. You want me to start pettin’ perfect strangers in enemy territory? What if she takes offense? Or even worse, her folks?”

Jasper snorted. “Didn’t you just say you were gonna shift for yourself? Here’s your first chance. Use your imagination.”

“All right, but if I get my arm busted by some outraged mama I’m gonna rent you for a spittoon.”

Zigzagging through the crowd, I took advantage of Tyrell’s distracted maneuvering around the army wagons to skip up onto the pinewood walk. In two seconds I stood in front of the little girl. “Hey,” I said with a little wave.

“H’lo,” she answered with a smile. Glad to have somebody close to her age to talk to. Only child, I figured.

“I can never do that,” I went on, nodding at her cat’s-cradle. “Too clumsy. I got farmer fingers.”

She giggled. Her voice tinkled like a tiny silver bell.
I bet you get your way a lot with all of that cutesy stuff, don’t you?
“It’s not so hard. Takes a lot of practice is all.”

“Ain’t you hot in that dress?” I asked, getting all clever. “Petticoats and velvet and all?”

“Lordy, yes,” she whispered, looking around to see that she wasn’t being overheard by her mama. “I declare, this is the itchiest thing anyone ever made with a needle and thread. But we’re supposed to set an example for the lower orders, Aunt Polly says.”

Aha…no mama. Being reared by a snooty aunt.
I took on her own sneaky tone.
“Well, I’m one of the lower orders and the only example you’re aunt’s settin’ for me is that my betters is all gonna collapse of heat stroke, wearin’ a dress like that in the summer. Can I feel?”

“Go ahead. I’ll watch for her. Just don’t wrinkle it.” A real Southern rebel, this one.

I stroked the sleeve of her dress like she was my favorite hound dog. In my head Jasper made the cooing sound of a flock of satisfied pigeons. “Ooh, it is thick, ain’t it?”

“Sure is. Fabric came from New Orleans. Makes you wonder who’d wear it all the way down there.”

Out of the corner of my eye I caught Tyrell, hollering at Romulus.
Mad at him for losin’ me, I expect.
“Sure is nice. You’ll be glad to have it come winter, anyhow.”

She shrugged. “I suppose. What’s your name?”

“Verity,” I told her without thinking, wincing inside as I did.

“Oh, real smart,” Jasper snickered. “Hope the Merchantry ain’t usin’ ten year-old spies down here.”

“Jeanie,” my new friend said with that same ‘I-just-love-everybody-even-the-poor’ grin. “Jean Louise, actually. Jean Louise Fairfax.”

Romulus headed my way, Tyrell keeping a stern eye on him from atop Alcibiades. He kept the horse smack in the middle of the crowded street, not caring who he blocked. I eased backward off the walk. “Pleased to meetcha, Jeanie. But Daddy’s sent our hand after me, so I hafta go. See ya.”

When I’d gone a full thirty feet away from her and had almost met up with Romulus, Jeanie stood up, waved, and hollered in her high but surprisingly loud voice, “Bye-bye, Verity!” Half the street stopped what they were doing to look our way.

“Bye-bye, Verity,” Jasper mimicked. “Have fun outrunnin’ the Bullies!” He returned to his usual voice. “Gee, you think there’s anybody in Fredericksburg now who doesn’t know you’re here…including Johnny Reb over there?”

Tyrell glared at me, frowning. I sighed in disgust.
Oh, boy.The free world might be countin’ on the wrong girl.

“Miss Mary, what was that all about?” the captain demanded, clutching the life out of his gloves.

“Nothin’, sir,” I said, all sweetie-pie. ”Just admirin’ her cat’s-cradle.” A thought jumped at me. “My poor brother Eddie taught me how to make them, just before he left us for the last time.” I added a tiny sniffle for effect.

Softening some, Tyrell growled, “Did he also teach you to give folks a false name when holding a civilized conversation?”

“False name?” I remained the picture of innocence. “I gave her no name at all, sir.”

“I clearly heard her call you Verity.”

Uh…now what? Think, girlie.
“Oh, that. I complimented her on her lovely dress so much that she got it into her head that I was joshing her. So I swore to her, just playing around, that Verity was my middle name.”
Weak, but better than nothin’.

“Well, take care,” Tyrell warned me. “This is no place to get separated. I’m responsible for getting you to your brother, after all.”

“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.” I acted so meek and contrite that Jasper laughed his metaphysical backside off. “Where to now?”

“There’s a general store yonder. We’ll stock up on a few necessities and make our way out of this mess.” He turned on Romulus. “And you listen to me good, boy. Lose her again and you’ll feel my boot. Understand?”

Romulus seemed to shrink to half his size, and this time I didn’t think it was an act. I felt for him, so lately a dog, then a slave, then free, and now being put back into bondage. Even if temporary, it had to hurt. I know it hurt me. He could only have felt it worse.

Hauling me up onto the horse to ride in front of him, whether I wanted to or not, Tyrell eased Al around a buggy and moved us toward the end of town. Jasper chattered about wanting to find some rabbits to pet next. I told him if we managed to save the world from all the evil sorcerers he could have a whole farm full of bunnies. An hour later, after buying some apples for his horse, sugar and flour for all, and stick candy for me, Tyrell had us back on the road again. Our travel day only half over, I settled in for the trip. Though I wanted to talk to Romulus about Roberta and Ernie, to see if they’d checked in the night before, the captain seemed determined to hang onto me. So I gave up and tried to relax on the hard saddle. I succeeded better than I’d have hoped, for soon I dozed off.

I jerked awake, having been in so sound a sleep that at first I thought morning had come already. Didn’t know where I was, either. After thrashing around for a minute, I got my bearings. It turned out that I lay in the dog tent again, pitched next to somebody’s big red barn. The comfortable smells of hay and manure pinched my nose. I made out the buzz of people talking, but they were too far away to understand actual words, even with my witched hearing. Alcibiades snorted right next to me someplace.

“It’s all right, miss,” said Romulus in a near-whisper. He crouched down at the tent’s opening. “We’s stopped fo’ the night. Cap’n sweet-talked the owner o’ this farm to let us stay here. A might better than roughin’ it like last night.”

Rubbing my eyes, I blinked and looked at him. Judging by the light it’d be dark in about two hours. “Holy cow…I’ve been asleep ever since Fredericksburg? That must be at least six hours.”

“Yes’m. Guess you needed it.”

He started to stand up, but I grabbed his shirt collar to keep him still. “Seen Roberta and Ernie? Did they show last night?”

“Just fo’ a second. Said they’d be back when you was awake. ’Round about three o’clock today I mirrored ‘em to meet us in the hayloft here just after sundown.”

“Mirrored ‘em? You know Morse code, too? Is there anything you Marshals can’t do?”

A corner of his mouth went up for a second. “We’s powerful bad dancers, mostly.”

I stretched and yawned. “Is that so?”

“Ernie’s of the opinion that he be the exception, of course.”

“Of course.” I crawled out of the tent and got to my feet for a look around. The house and buildings were in good shape, fresh-painted and well-maintained, but that was as far as it went. At one time the farm might’ve been a prosperous one, but it looked like the Rebel army had requisitioned—the military term for ‘stolen’—all of the livestock and a good part of the crops. The owner must not have been holding a grudge against the Confederate government if he’d offered hospitality to Tyrell. I noticed that his welcome didn’t go so far as letting us sleep in the house, though. “So where exactly are we?”

Romulus patted Alcibiades, who munched on one of the new apples. “Just north of Hanover Courthouse. Be in Richmond late tomorrow, I reckons.”

“That’ll be when things get serious.” We watched a column of gray-coated infantry march past the house as fast as their feet could carry them. They must’ve been in a heck of a hurry to get at McClellan, for not a one of them broke ranks to forage on the farm property. In a second they’d rounded a bend in the road and were gone. “We’ll need all of Roberta and Ernie’s help to find a way around those armies.”

“Should be easy once we gets past the Rebs,” chuckled Romulus. “They say Stuart’s cavalry rode all the way ‘round the whole blessed Federal army only ‘bout a week ago.”