From This Day Forward (24 page)

Nathan’s grandfather’s eyelids fluttered open. He drew in a shallow breath and centered his attention on Nathan. “Where am I?”

“At Liberty Hall. You collapsed in the library. I had you brought upstairs to your bedchamber.”

“When?”

“Two days ago. You have been going back and forth between shivering and burning up with fever. But you are better today.” Nathan dipped a cloth into cool water and wiped his grandfather’s face, half-expecting him to push his hand away. He didn’t.

“Malaria?”

“Yes.”

“It will beat me one day.”

“No, you are too tough for that. You will be back on your feet soon and…” Nathan couldn’t keep the pretense up any longer. “Your fever was high.”

“I knew I should not have come to the celebration. I felt tired, more so than usual for this old body.”

“Why did you?”

His grandfather pinched his mouth together, his eyelids veiling the expression in his eyes. “I figured you would be here.”

“But that day you arrived here, you acted so upset.”

“I know. I saw you with
her
and couldn’t stop myself.”

“You mean Rachel Gordon?” Nathan again soaked the cloth in the water then squeezed the excess out and cooled his grandfather’s face with the linen.

“Yes. I have to tell you she will be no good for you. I know you are helping her at Dalton Farm. She will use her charms on you to get you to do what she needs then discard you.”

Nathan fisted his hand around the cloth and rose. “You don’t know her. You have no right to say that.”

“She is just like your mother. A user.”

Lord, how am I supposed to forgive this man who continues to do harm?
“How can you say that? Because she is English? You are petty.” Nathan backed away from the bed.

“On your father’s deathbed, he told me how much he loved your mother, and she never returned those feelings. He had given her everything, and she had given him nothing. He died a brokenhearted man.”

“She gave him three children. Two sons to carry on his name.”

“Get out. You will never understand. She fooled you too.” His grandfather shut his eyes and averted his head.

Fury rampaged through Nathan like a wild stallion escaping his corral. He strode out of the bedchamber and leaned against the closed door. He could not draw in enough air to fill his lungs. His chest felt as though it were squeezing his heart. He had always thought his parents had a loving marriage. Why did his grandfather want to destroy even his good memories?

“Moses, you are gifted with carpentry.” Rachel panned the bedchamber at her house that no one used because the children’s father had died in it. Now taking up a good part of the room was a bed that Moses had constructed. She and Maddy had made a mattress for it.

Being a man of few words, Moses beamed.

“When you go back to Liberty Hall, please thank Mr. McNeal for sending you to help while Nathan was tending his grandfather.”

Maddy paused in the doorway. “Emma agreed to try sharing this room with me. Ben wants to remain in the loft.”

“Good. It is about time we use all the space we have. Has Mr. Baker returned yet from his farm?”

“No, but he should be here shortly.” Maddy adjusted her mobcap and smoothed her apron.

Rachel left Moses to complete his work and headed into the main room. “I saw you two dancing the other evening at the party. On more than one occasion. Did you have a good time?”

Maddy’s face glowed, as though she were recalling a joyful memory. “Yes. Very much. I had never been to a fancy party before. I was surprised Mrs. McNeal wanted me there.”

“It is because we have become friends. You have been invaluable to me. Besides, we all needed time away from the farm. I know the children had fun. Where are they?”

“Ben is outside with Jasper and Liberty. Emma went to see if there are any eggs.”

“Those hens have become hers, the way she watches over them.”

Ben burst through the door with his sister right behind him. “The pig is having her babies. Now. What do we do?”

“Nothing. She will take care of it.” Rachel hoped she could sell several of the piglets to purchase a cow. “In the meantime, we need to see to the garden. It has been neglected long enough.” When they had returned home two days before, they had worked in the fields and hadn’t been able to do much of anything else.

Fifteen minutes later, with Faith strapped to her chest, Rachel, along with Maddy, Ben, and Emma, marched out to the plot of land where various vegetables from beans to carrots to onions were planted, only to find a whole row of newly sprouted leaves were gone.

Rachel’s mouth fell open and her shoulders sagged. “What happened?”

Ben dropped his head. “ ’Twas not us. Probably some kind of animal.”

Rachel put her hands on his shoulders. “I know that. You have no need to take food. I gladly share with you.”

Ben raised his gaze to hers. “Why are you being so nice?”

“Because that is what the Lord expects us to do. Love one another.”

“Love?”

Emma tugged on Rachel’s arm. “Will you read us another story about Jesus tonight?”

“I will. I want to start teaching you both how to read so you can read those stories any time you want. We can work an hour at night on learning to read and write. Also to cipher.”

Emma’s forehead wrinkled. “Cipher? What is that?”

“Working with numbers. Learning to add.”

“Why?” Ben asked, his eyes dark green.

“I don’t want anyone to cheat you. If you know how to add and subtract, you can make sure you are being charged the correct amount.”

“Pa teached me some of that.” Ben thrust out his chest. “I ain’t dumb.”

“I know.”

The sound of a single gunshot in the distance brought Rachel around in a half circle, facing the way to Mr. Baker’s farm. She frowned.

“George said something about going hunting since we are getting low on meat.” Maddy knelt at the edge of the garden to begin weeding.

“I bet a raccoon did this.” Ben waved his arm at the missing row of plants. “Maybe Mr. Baker will bring us a raccoon to eat.”

The thought of eating a raccoon rumbled Rachel’s stomach. But people did. Raccoons were plentiful and could cause quite a bit of mischief.

“Can I check on the pig? See if the babies are here?” Ben looked toward the barn.

“Yes.” Rachel knelt on the ground, patting Faith, who was nodding off. “Emma, you know where the seeds are in the house. Please get them for me. We will replant this row.”

“What if the animal comes back?”

“Perhaps I will have Jasper guard the garden. I don’t think many animals would come near the vegetables with him here.”

As Rachel and Maddy weeded the garden, Emma ran to the house. In the distance Jasper barked. Rachel peered toward the barn, but the house blocked most of the structure from her view. Jasper didn’t care for the pig. Perhaps the addition of piglets set him off.

Emma raced back, fear on her face. “A man has Ben.”

“Where?”

“I saw him git Ben when he came out of the barn.” Emma pointed toward the swamp on the other side of the building. “Went thataway. We have to go git him. He is a bad man.”

“Who?” Rachel motioned for Maddy to come over as she struggled to loosen the straps about Faith and her.

“Bad man. I seen him ’fore.”

“Maddy, have Moses go to Liberty Hall and bring Nathan back here. Then you and the children go to Mr. Baker’s. Jasper will go with you to protect you. I am going after Ben.”

“In the swamp?” Maddy’s eyes grew huge. “You cannot.”

“I have to. I am taking Tom’s gun. Get help.” Rachel kissed Faith on the cheek then passed her to Maddy. “Emma, stay with Maddy and help her with Faith.”

“Yes’m.”

Rachel rushed into the house, grabbed the flintlock pistol, and loaded it. Wearing her half boots, she made her way to the edge of the swamp. She inhaled a deep breath of the musky scented air and plunged into the bog.

The cold water lapped at the top of her boots. With her hand clasping the gun, she scoured her surroundings for any sign of Ben and the man. She had no idea what she was doing, but she wouldn’t let someone take Ben from her. If she waited for Nathan or Mr. Baker, he could be long gone. Her target practice had gone all right, especially the last time. She had actually hit the tree she shot at.

Then the thought of pulling the trigger and firing at a person—even a “bad man,” as Emma had called him—terrified Rachel. Tentacles of fear in her stomach snarled into a big ball.

Through the thick foliage, evidence of snapped branches confirmed she was going in the right direction—deeper into the swamp. A sound to the left, a deep bellow, caused her to jump then stumble, going down on to her hands and knees in the water. Mud oozed up between her fingers, and she lifted her head to look at a snake curled around a limb hanging down low. A scream welled up in her.

Nathan rode toward the farm with John and Patrick right behind him. His horse’s hooves pounded against the road as his heart did against his chest. What had gotten into the woman to go into the swamp after the person who had taken Ben? With the pistol on top of that? She had only hit her target once in all the times they had practiced. But worse, she did not realize how dangerous the swamp could be.

The house came into view. Nathan didn’t let up until he arrived at the barn. Jumping to the ground, he checked out the barn, noticed the pig had five piglets, and the hens and rooster were all accounted for. Liberty was in his place on Nathan’s cot, but Jasper was gone. Who with? Maddy or Rachel? Knowing Rachel, she had sent the dog with Maddy and the children.

When John and Patrick strode in, his brother said, “Maddy must still be getting Mr. Baker. No one is up at the house.”

“Moses said Rachel went into the swamp by the large live oak.” Nathan searched the area. “There, I think.”

“I am coming with you.” John stepped forward.

“Fine. Patrick, please stay here in case Rachel comes back and we missed her. When Mr. Baker arrives, let him know what is happening and where we went. He knows this area better than anyone.”

“Nathan. Nathan.” Emma sprinted toward them with Jasper at her heels. Tears coursed down her cheeks. She skidded to a stop. “Mr. Baker has been shot on the path to his house. Maddy wanted me to get you.”

Nathan glanced behind him toward the swamp and then at Emma, torn between going after Rachel and helping Mr. Baker.

Rachel choked back her scream, not daring to alert the man who had taken Ben. The green snake unfurled and dropped in the water. Rachel shot to her feet and pointed the pistol at the serpent. Her unsteady hand held the gun, wavering in the air. When the snake slithered into the brush away from Rachel, relief swooshed out between her lips. She brought her arm close to her body, her fingers still quavering, and pointed the weapon downward.

She stared at the way she had come. Or at least she thought that was the direction her house was. What if it wasn’t? Everywhere she looked myriad shades of green greeted her inspection with splashes of brown mixed in. The odor of rotting vegetation overpowered her the deeper she plodded into the bog—nothing like what she had seen in England. This was wild, full of plants, dense and raw in its primitiveness. Like the country she now lived in.