Mockingbird's Call (9 page)

Nine

Jared checked his appearance in the mirror one last time.

Benjamin slapped him on one shoulder. “You look quite dapper.”

“How does my cravat look?” He patted the starched cloth and turned so his roommate could judge. He held his breath as Benjamin's gaze traveled upward from his feet, checking every detail.

“Not too shabby.” Benjamin nodded. “You'll do well.”

Jared let his breath escape in a
whoosh
. He was ready if Benjamin pronounced him satisfactory. He reached for his papers. “Are you ready?”

Silence answered his question. Jared returned his attention to Benjamin. His roommate had discovered a sudden interest in his bed pillow.

“Benjamin?”

“I can't come.” Benjamin looked up, an unreadable expression on his face.

Jared wanted to protest. His closest friend wouldn't be there? “I thought you wanted to open a newspaper with me.”

“I know, I know.” Benjamin jammed his hands into his pants pockets. “And I do. But I just don't feel like getting out. It's been a hard afternoon.”

“What do you mean?” Thoughts about the evening were whisked away as Jared considered Benjamin's words. Several things that he'd ignored while working on his magnum opus came to mind now. The amount of time his roommate had spent on the parade grounds. The studies he was ignoring.

As he'd wrestled with phrasing and grammar, a part of Jared had wondered how Benjamin ever expected to catch up with his classwork, but he'd been far too busy to ask many questions. Now guilt attacked him. What kind of friend was he?

“I've been down to Gay Street.”

Benjamin's words did not sink in at first, but then he knew. His friend had visited the enlistment office.

“Did you enlist?” The three words fell between them.

Benjamin pulled his hands from his pockets. He went to the window and stared out at the bleak winter evening. Jared walked over to him and gazed at the bare limbs of the trees scattered across the campus. The silence in the room was broken as a loud banging came from the steam pipes that brought heat into the room. Jared waited. However much time it took, he would wait to hear what Benjamin needed to tell him.

“No. I didn't enlist.” Benjamin's voice was so hushed that Jared had to lean toward him.

“You didn't enlist? Why did you go there then?”

“I wanted to enlist. But I kept hearing my ma's sobs and seeing the look of disappointment on Pa's face. So I just hung around for an hour.” He looked up, a deprecating grin turning up the corners of his mouth. “How's that for a lame story?”

Jared punched his upper arm. “Sounds more like a son who honors his parents' wishes.”

“Trust you to put a good face on it.” Benjamin glanced at him. “You don't think I'm a coward?”

“You? A coward?” Jared didn't have to fake the shock he felt. “I think your biggest problem is a tendency to leap before you look. You and I are only freshmen. We should stay in school as long as we can.”

“But what if the South wins the war before we graduate? What if we miss our one and only chance to fight for our country?”

Jared could have made several answers. The words burned his throat. Words about the evils of slavery and the overwhelming odds aligned against the Confederate states. But now was not the time to go into that. They could debate the reasons for secession at some other time. They had discussed the subject in the past and would undoubtedly do so again. “I don't think that's going to happen. President Lincoln seems determined to keep fighting for quite some time.”

“Well in that case, maybe I do have time to come to your poetry reading.” Benjamin pushed an elbow into Jared's side.

Instead of protesting Benjamin's characterization of his serious paper, Jared laughed. “That's good. But you'd better get dressed. There's not much time, and I want to—”

“Get there early.” Benjamin finished the phrase for him, and his laughter joined Jared's.

Optimism buoyed Jared. It was going to be a great eveni
ng.

❧

Amelia settled into the carriage and touched the fur collar of her pelisse with a gloved hand before burying her cheek into its softness. She smiled at Tabitha, her chaperone for the evening with Luke. “Are you warm enough?”

Tabitha nodded and helped Amelia arrange a blanket over both of their laps. Amelia was so excited she could barely contain herself. She'd never been to a literary society reading and wondered if she would make any new friends this evening. She hoped so. She loved literature and would appreciate having friends with similar tastes.

Luke clambered in and settled in the opposite seat, his back to the coachman. He looked especially handsome this evening, his dark hair curling onto his high forehead. She would be the envy of the other women in attendance.

“You look lovely, Amelia.” His deep voice filled the tiny space. He reached forward and took one of her hands in his. “I am so glad you were able to join me.”

“Me, too.” She pulled her hand free when Tabitha cleared her throat. The coach moved forward, and she settled back for the ride across town. “Please tell me what to expect tonight, Luke.”

She sensed rather than saw his smile in the dark carriage. “It should be interesting. Several of the freshmen have written essays. They were visited by one of our local newspaper editors, and I understand that he inspired the whole class.”

“Will my cousin be there?”

“His name is not on the program, but I believe he may attend since his roommate, the young man we met on the train, will be presenting a work. And I've already told you that I'll be reading a poem.”

Amelia heard the rustle of paper.

“Would you care for a preview?”

“I would be delighted, but how can you read in this gloom?”

A chuckle answered her. “I have been reading it again and again ever since you agreed to come with me. I wanted to impress you by reciting it from memory.”

“Then perhaps I should wait and be impressed with the rest of those in attendance.”

“As you wish.” The paper rustled once more as Luke apparently tucked it into his coat pocket.

“Are you going home for Christmas?” Amelia was excited about the upcoming holiday even though it was still two months away. She and Aunt Laura had already begun to consider the decorations. Of course, it was too early to bring in a Christmas tree, but they had already begun stringing berries and raisins for garlands and stitching bits of lace and ribbon to baskets that would be filled with fresh fruit for the holiday. They had pored over decorating ideas from previous issues of
Godey's Lady's Book
and discussed several intriguing projects.

“I don't know. There's talk of the school closing early because of the war.”

Amelia could feel her eyebrows rising. She had not heard of this. “I didn't know. But the atmosphere in Knoxville does seem to be getting more tense. Yesterday when Tabitha and I were shopping for holiday ribbon, we saw soldiers marching through the streets. They seemed so serious, all stepping in time and holding their weapons on their shoulders. I am planning on attending a rally tomorrow.”

“I don't know if that's wise, Amelia.” She could hear the hesitation in Luke's voice. “It might be a good idea for you to plan to return to your parents. I don't think things are nearly so unstable in Nashville. Knoxville is a target for both sides because of the two rail lines that intersect here.”

She didn't know how to answer him. She doubted her papa would welcome her return. He'd made it very clear that she was to stay in Knoxville for at least a year. She was saved from coming up with a reply by their arrival at the college.

Luke opened the door and disembarked before turning to help her as she followed him. She stepped aside, expecting him to offer the same assistance to Tabitha, but Luke slipped a hand under her arm and led her away from the carriage. “What about our chaperone?” Her voice gently chided him for his insensitivity.

“She'll be fine.”

Amelia halted, forcing Luke to do the same. “I insist.”

An exasperated sigh answered her, but he let go of her arm and turned back to help Tabitha alight. His grip was not as gentle when he returned to her, but Amelia didn't care. She would not stand for her friend to be treated with disdain, and if Luke didn't like it, he was not the man for her.

❧

Jared rose from the folding chair and bounded up the steps to the stage. He cleared his throat and looked at the sheet of paper in his hands. His palms were sweating, and his spectacles slipped. He settled them more firmly on the bridge of his nose and cleared his throat again. A quick prayer for courage resulted in a measure of confidence. It was time for his star to rise.

He began to read, his voice rising and falling as he described the injustices of slavery—the horror of being owned by another, the tragedy of losing children and spouses who were sold to other owners, and the indignity of having no control over the least aspects of one's daily life. The audience grew restless as he described life from a slave's point of view. He was not surprised. Most of the people in attendance tonight, if not all, owned slaves. But he would not apologize for his words. They were true. Harbingers of the future. He prayed some of those in the audience would be open to his message.

When he finished, the applause could only be described as sparse. He returned to his chair and relaxed, glad to have his public reading finished. Now he could look forward to some lively dialogue about the issues he'd raised.

The next student headed for the stage, but Jared was still energized from his experience on the stage so he barely heard a word. He considered the audience. He had not been surprised to see Luke Talbot in attendance. The man was a member of the society. But his companion had shocked Jared.

Amelia Montgomery. He'd spotted her as soon as he reached the stage. Who could not see her effervescent beauty even in a roomful of people? She would stand out in any crowd. Yet she seemed so kind and unassuming. He thought of their conversation during her birthday celebration. During that admittedly brief interlude, she had managed to make him feel as if he was the very center of her attention.

Did she and Luke have an understanding? It seemed likely since he was her escort once again.

As he was about to turn away, she glanced up and their gazes locked. Jared could hardly remember to breathe. Then Luke leaned over her and whispered something in her ear. The distraction made her look away, and Jared realized in that moment that he had better stay far away from Amelia or risk losing his heart.

The readings ended. An orchestra took over the stage, and the audience began to mill around, renewing acquaintances and discussing the presentations. The floor was cleared of the chairs for dancing.

Jared didn't plan it, but somehow he ended up shoulder to shoulder with Amelia. He knew it when her perfume tickled his senses. He tried to move away, but the press of the crowd prevented it.

“Good evening, Mr. Stuart.” Her voice was calm, self-assured. “I enjoyed your essay immensely.”

Jared could feel his ears heating up. They were probably as red as hot coals. He noticed Amelia's fuchsia-colored dress. Several satin ribbons scattered across it, along with rosettes that matched the color of her velvet gown. He noticed that the sleeves were wide and full at the elbows but wrapped snugly around her slender wrists. She was wearing a double strand of pearls, and a pearl comb was perched at the crown of her head.

“Hello.” It was the only word he could squeeze out of his tight throat. Again, he wondered what she was doing here. Benjamin hadn't mentioned anything about her attendance. Why hadn't he warned Jared about the possibility? Hadn't he visited with his family last weekend? Jared could distinctly remember turning down an invitation to join him for Sunday dinner. Perhaps he should have accepted as he would have at least been prepared to see her tonight.

“Yes, who would have thought of taking the viewpoint of the slaves?” Luke Talbot's words had a rough edge that bespoke his disdain.

Jared could feel his ears again. They were going to burst into flame at any moment.

“I thought it was inspired.” Amelia's eyes, as blue and clear as the summer sky, caught his attention and held it. “You are a talented writer.” He felt her hand on his arm.

He wished he was as good with the spoken word. “Thank you.” Jared knew he needed to get away from this corner of the room. Get away from her so he could think again. “Would you care to dance?” Had those words come from his mouth?

Apparently so, as Amelia nodded. “I'd love to.”

Jared led her to the center of the dance floor. “I didn't have any idea you would be in attendance this evening.” He winced. He sounded callow. Next he would be talking to her about the weather.

“I am so glad I was able to hear your piece especially, Mr. Stuart.” Her smile warmed his ears once more.

“I cannot imagine that you agree with anything I wrote.”

She bit her lip for a moment, looking adorable as she considered how to answer him. “Whether I agree is not the point. I doubt you intended your words to be heard only by abolitionists. Wasn't it your intention to make all your listeners think of slavery in a different light?”

She understood. Jared could no longer feel the floor beneath his feet or hear what anyone else said. The whole of reality shrank down to the two of them. They might have been standing in the middle of a busy street or on the moon. Her expression told him she was speaking from the heart. He would have been happy if the moment could have continued for an eternity. Just the two of them, so close in body, mind, and spirit.