Fire Over Atlanta (15 page)

Drake’s eyes opened wide. “She
is
a pretty thing. What’s her name?”

“Uh … Suzie. Yes, Suzie.”

“Suzie what?”

“Uh … just Suzie. Go on, Drake. Look—fellas are already gettin’ ready to ask her to dance, but you go first. You know how to handle it.”

“All right. Here I go.”

Rosie watched as Drake walked across the floor. He admired the way his friend deftly sidestepped some of the soldiers who were edging toward Charlie,
and he thought,
Here’s your chance, Charlie. Make the most of it
.

Charlie had seen Drake at once and stood stockstill. When he came closer, she saw with some surprise that he was smiling at her.

And then he said, “Miss Suzie, may I have the honor of this dance?”

“Suzie?” She stared at him. “Why are you calling me Suzie?”

Drake blinked. “Isn’t your name …” And then recognition came. “It’s not—you’re not—” he shook his head “—no, it couldn’t be.”

“Why are you talkin’ so funny, Drake?”

“Charlie, it’s you!”

A young sergeant came up and said, “Drake, if you aren’t going to dance with this young lady, I’ll do it.”

“Never mind, sergeant,” Drake said. “You were just going to dance with me, weren’t you, Miss Satterfield?”

Before she could answer, he took her by the arm and led her away.

“Drake,” she whispered, “I can’t dance!”

“Of course you can,” he said with confidence. “I’ll help you, and we’ll just sort of walk around the room.” He took her free hand, held it out, and said, “Like this.” He moved to one side slowly, and Charlie moved in the same direction. “That’s the way. Now, again. We just sort of walk around.”

Charlie had seen dancing before and had a natural rhythm. She was a little awkward at first, but soon she found the way of it.

Drake grinned with delight. “You’re going to be a great dancer, Charlie.”

“I didn’t know I could do this.” She was half dizzy as they swung around the room, but she found she could keep pace with him. She had hated the idea of coming to the ball and hated even worse the idea of facing Drake. Now she looked up and studied his face.

When he saw her eyes on him, Drake flushed and said, “I didn’t think I’d ever be dancing with you, Charlie.”

“No, we never talked about things like that. All I ever talked about,” she said, “was farms, and mules, and things.”

“I’ve—I’ve already told you how sorry I am. For the way I treated you.”

“You don’t have to say that every time we meet, Drake.”

“I know, and I won’t say it again. God’s forgiven me, and I’ve asked you to, and I reckon you will.”

Charlie nodded and murmured, “I sure do.”

The music ended, and at once half a dozen young men came to claim Charlie. She clung to Drake’s arm, however, and looked up at him with alarm, whispering, “Don’t let them have me, Drake.”

“Of course not. I’m sorry, gentlemen,” he said louder, “but I have engaged Miss Satterfield for the next five dances.”

There was a protest, but Drake said, “Come on, Charlie. Let’s go get some refreshments.”

He led her across the room, where they drank punch and ate small tea cakes.

Drake said, “You look beautiful. I really didn’t know you when I first saw you tonight. I wish you’d throw those overalls away. A beautiful young woman like you should never wear anything but pretty dresses.”

“It would be hard to plow with a dress like this.”

“You won’t be plowing, will you?”

“I hope so.”

Drake looked at her quickly. “You still mean that about a farm, don’t you?”

“I sure do.”

“Well, I’m not a farmer. I already told you that.” He smiled kindly. “But I feel real honored that you wanted me to marry you, Charlie, even though it never would have worked.”

Charlie nodded slowly and put down her glass. “I know you’re right, Drake. I see that now.”

After two more dances with Drake, Charlie said suddenly, “Where’s Rosie?”

Drake looked to the wall where he had left the tall soldier and laughed. “That son of a gun. I forgot him. He tricked me to get me to come to the ball.” He told her how Rosie had schemed to throw the two of them together. “Rosie’s a good friend—and he meant well—but he failed this time, didn’t he?”

During the next two dances, Charlie thought hard about what Drake had said. She found that she was not enjoying dancing despite the attention of the young men. “I want to talk to Lori, Drake.”

“All right. There she is—over there with Royal.”

When they joined Lori and the sergeant, Drake said, “What do you think of our Charlie? Isn’t she a beauty?”

“She sure is,” Royal said. “One of the two prettiest girls at this ball.”

“Lori, can I talk with you?”

“Of course, Charlie.” Lori led her into a side room and said, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t feel right.”

“But Drake’s dancing with you. He thinks you’re beautiful.”

“I know, but it’s just not like I thought it would be.” She wrung her hands and smoothed the front of the peach dress. “It’s a beautiful dress, and I guess I’d like to wear dresses once in a while, but I made a mistake. I just don’t belong with Drake, and I just don’t feel good here at this ball. I want to go home.”

“But you can’t go home
now
, Charlie.”

“I’ll wait for you, but I don’t want to dance anymore. I’ll just wait here.”

“You can’t wait out here by yourself!”

“Yes, I can. You go on back and have a good time.”

Lori drew Royal aside. “Charlie’s very upset,” she told him. “She wants to go home.”

“What’s wrong with her? She’s got what she wanted.”

“No, she hasn’t. She sees now that Drake never was a good choice for her. Even though he’s changed his ways, he’s just not right for her. He’s not what she needs.”

“What
does
she need?”

“I think right now she needs Rosie. Have you seen him?”

“He was outside leaning against the building a few minutes ago.”

“Go get him. Tell him to go to that room right over there. No, wait! Let me get Charlie.”

Charlie was surprised to see Lori in the doorway and then to hear her say, “Come with me, Charlie.”

“I don’t want to dance.”

“You’re not going to dance. I found a better place for you to wait.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

She followed Lori around the edge of the ballroom until they came to the outside door.

“You can wait out here—it’s quiet and private.”

“Well … all right … if that’s what you want.”

As soon as the door closed, Charlie saw the tall figure of a man lounging in the shadows. She stiffened and started to go back inside, but then a familiar voice said, “Why, Charlie, what are you doin’ out here?”

“Rosie, is that you?”

“Sure is,” he said and emerged from the darkness. “What’s the matter? I saw you dancin’ with Drake. He thinks you’re pretty as a pair of red shoes with green strings. I can tell.”

“I don’t care. I don’t like it in there, Rosie.”

He appeared flabbergasted. “But it’s what you wanted!”

“I don’t know what I wanted, but I know one thing—I was wrong.” A new assurance came over Charlie. She looked up at Rosie and said firmly, “Drake and I won’t ever get hitched. He won’t ever be a farmer. And I want my man to be a farmer.”

“But … well … I don’t know if I can do anything about
that
. A man’s what he is.”

“And a girl’s what
she
is, and I’m just not the girl for him—and he’s not the man for me.”

Rosie stood motionless. “Are you sure about that, Charlie?”

“I sure am.”

He took a deep breath. “Well, then I’ll have to announce that I’m comin’ courtin’.”

Charlie smiled. “Are you really going to do that?”

“Sure am, now that I’m sure you don’t want Drake.”

“Do you like to farm, Rosie?”

“Nothin’ better! Give me a pair of good mules and look out!”

“Me too!” She suddenly laughed. “Wouldn’t it be funny if you and me got hitched some day, Rosie?”

“I reckon I’d laugh myself to death.” He looked into her face for a moment. “You know what I promised my ma one time?”

“What did you promise her, Rosie?”

“I promised her I’d never kiss a girl the first time I was alone with her at a dance.”

“Did you really?”

“Sure did.” He hesitated, then said, “I reckon I’m gonna have to break my promise to Ma.”

“Maybe it’s not good to break a promise to your ma,” she whispered.

“I’ll explain it all to her sometime.” He bent forward and kissed Charlie on the lips. “Now I’m an official suitor, I reckon. I think what I’ll do is, I come courtin’ for a while, and then I ask you to marry up with me, and then we wait a while, and then we get married.”

“Is that the way it works?”

“It sure is. So right now we’re in phase one. Come on inside. And any yahoo that tries to dance with you, I’ll have to chastise him. Nobody’s dancin’ with my girl!”

“If you say so, Rosie.”

“Look, Royal!” Lori said. “It’s Rosie and Charlie. And look at her. She looks like she’s just found a million dollars.”

“I think she’s found something better.” Watching them, Royal said, “Wouldn’t it be something if those two wound up getting married?”

“It
would
be something, and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised!”

M
rs. Grace Holcomb died quietly in her sleep on October 12. At the funeral both Charlie and Lori wept. They had learned to love the old lady who had gone so quietly to meet her Savior.

“In a way,” Lori said as they left the cemetery, “I think it’s best.”

“Why do you say that?” Charlie asked.

“Because things would never have been the same for her.” As they walked slowly back toward the house, Lori explained. “You see, she grew up in Atlanta when it was a gracious city, prosperous and happy. She had her husband and her family, but all that’s gone now.”

“I reckon that’s so,” Charlie said. She was wearing a black dress that had belonged years ago to one of Miss Grace’s daughters. Looking down at it, she thought hard. “And she was ready to go. She was in such bad pain sometimes, and now she’s out of all that.”

When they were back at the house, Charlie asked, “What’ll you do now?”

“I expect I’ll have to go back to Tennessee.”

Charlie bit her lip. “I don’t know what I’ll do. I guess I’ll just stay here.”

But Royal and Rosie came bursting in late that afternoon.

“You’ve got to get out of Atlanta at once!” Royal said.

“What’s wrong, Royal?” Lori cried.

“The order’s been given to burn Atlanta to keep the Rebels from occupying it again. Things are going to be pretty bad. Let’s go. Right now!”

“But I can’t leave Charlie here!”

“You’re going too, Charlie!” Rosie said.

“Going
where?”

“It’s all settled,” Rosie said. “Both of you are going back to Pineville. You know—that’s my hometown. Mine and Royal’s and Drake’s. And Lori’s aunt and uncle live there. You’re gonna wait there until the war’s over.”

“And that won’t be very long,” Royal said with some assurance. “You’ll take care of her, won’t you, Lori?”

“Of course, I will.” Lori put an arm around the girl and said, “We’ll wait for our men together, won’t we, Charlie?”

Charlie looked up at Rosie. “Is that what you want, Rosie? You want me to wait for you?”

“Sure do. And while you’re waitin’—” he grinned “—you can be lookin’ around for some blue-nosed mules. When we get that farm started, we’ll need at least six, I’d say. Two for me, and two for you, and two to spell the others.”

The exodus of the two girls from Atlanta was hurried. The men put them on the last train to leave before the city was put to the torch. As the train pulled out, they were both hanging out the window waving good-bye.

“I’ll be waitin’ for ya,” Charlie said. “I’ll have the mules all picked out.”

“And I’ll be waiting for you, Royal. No mules, but I’ll be there.”

The two soldiers watched the train leave the station, and Royal said with some relief, “I’m glad they got out. Things won’t be good here.”

“How long do you think this war will last? I’m kinda anxious to meander back to Pineville now to start my courtin’.”

“Petersburg can’t hold out much longer. As soon as it falls, Richmond falls, and then the war’s over.”

On the walk back to camp, Rosie was quiet for a while, then he said, “Imagine. I get Charlie, and a farm, and six blue-nose mules. Ain’t that somethin’, Royal?”

Royal slapped his friend on the back. “That’s something, all right. I wish we were going back to Pineville tonight—but first we’ve got to finish off the fighting.”

T
he steel net that Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had thrown around Petersburg constantly closed tighter. The Union lines extended farther and farther, encircling the city. Continually supplied by reinforcements, the Northern lines were thick and armed with the latest weapons. The Confederates had no new weapons, and their thinning ranks meant that every man had to cover more territory. Inside Petersburg, things could not have been much worse. In that city—and in Richmond as well—food supplies were practically gone.

Leah, however, found herself feeling so guilty over what she had done to Cecil Taylor that she scarcely noticed the end was drawing near. She had not heard from Royal since the news came that he was engaged. Nor had she been able to get letters from home or send any out. She helped care for Esther and spent much time with Eileen. Since Eileen had come back from her four-day honeymoon, the two had become very close. But even now, nothing Eileen said could make her feel better.

Sitting at the desk in her room one afternoon, she listened to Esther’s merry voice sound from downstairs.
At least we don’t have to worry about Esther not having a mother anymore. She’s got a fine one
, she thought.

She opened her journal. There was a somber look on her face as she read over entries going all the
way back to the first time that she had said, “I’m going to use Cecil to make Jeff jealous.” She continued to read, and her face flamed as she realized again how wrong she had been. At last she took up her pen and began to write a new entry: