The Last, Long Night (#5 in the Bregdan Chronicles Historical Fiction Romance Series) (63 page)

It was going to be a long day…

Matthew and Peter fought side-by-side to control the flames threatening to devour the city.  The fierce updraft of the blaze blew flaming brands across the city to drop on roofs many blocks away.  Both men stood at the front of a water bucket brigade, heaving the buckets up to men standing on porches and roofs, dousing flames with both water and wet blankets.

“It’s coming down!” Matthew heard someone yell, then saw a cluster of men break apart as they ran from the collapsing building a half block away.  The fire continued unchecked as it raced to the next building. 

“Help!  Help!” 

Matthew heard the screams for help over the roar of the flames.  He searched the houses a few doors down with blurry eyes until he saw a servant standing on the porch frantically calling for help.  He watched as a soldier moved up to talk to her, then beckoned to General Weitzel who conferred with a young lady who appeared on the porch for a few minutes.

“That’s General Lee’s house!”

“What?” Matthew asked sharply.

The young boy handing him the bucket nodded earnestly.  “That’s where General Lee’s wife lives.”

“Why is she still there?”

“She’s too sick to leave,” he explained.  “She’s in a wheelchair.  I heard General Lee tried to get her to leave but she insisted on staying.”

General Weitzel stood on the top of the porch and called to everyone who was close enough to hear.  “Keep this house from burning!” he hollered, and then stomped down the stairs to confer with Major Ripley.  Minutes later an ambulance appeared and took position at the bottom of the steps.  If Mrs. Lee had to evacuate, she was going to have a way to do it.

Matthew nodded with satisfaction.  The war had wrecked their country, but there was still compassion, and still respect for the man who had evaded the Union forces for so long.  He paused long enough to appreciate the swell of hope that sprang into his chest, and then turned back to swinging buckets of water. 

He understood when the firefighting efforts became purely defensive.  The only way to stem the flames was to tear down threatened buildings; creating a firebreak before the flames devoured more buildings.  Slowly, slowly, the battle was being won as they fought to contain the fire.

“She’s under control!” someone finally yelled. “Everyone take a break.”

It was almost two o’clock before Matthew and Peter were able to step back and use the next bucket of water to pour over their heads and wash their hands. 

Peter looked at him through gritty, raw eyes.  “Well, this is certainly one way to get a story,” he said ruefully.

Matthew nodded, grateful for the cool water pouring over his face and soaking his shirt.  “Let’s get the rest of this story,” he said grimly as he moved toward the wreckage blocking the streets.  He glanced up the road in the direction of Carrie’s house, but knew he had to do his job first.  At least he was certain Carrie’s house was safe.

Carrie was exhausted to the bone when the last of the black soldiers was treated about six o’clock that evening.  They had lost two of them, but the outcome looked good for the rest.  The word had spread rapidly through the ward that she was Moses’ friend.  The men treated her like she was an angel.  Carrie was both flattered and embarrassed, but mostly thankful for the trust they gave her because of Moses.

“Miss Carrie,” a young man murmured.

“Yes, Charlie?” Carrie asked gently, relieved when a hand on his forehead said his fever was broken.

“I reckon Simon gonna come up here real soon.”

“Who is Simon?”

He looked at her closely.  “You ain’t be knowing Simon?”  His look changed to one of suspicion.  “I thought you said you be good friends with Moses.”

Carrie smiled.  “We haven’t seen each other in almost three years,” she said sadly.  “I’m sure there are a lot of things we don’t know about each other now.”

“Simon be Moses’ brother-in-law,” Charlie revealed.

Carrie stared at him as her mind absorbed the implications and then a smile exploded on her face.  “Moses found one of his sisters?” she cried.

“Yes’sum, I reckon he did,” Charlie said.  “Simon be June’s husband.  She be over at the Contraband Camp with Miss Rose.”

Carrie gasped and sank down in the chair next to the bed.  It hadn’t dawned on her that Moses’ men might know Rose.  “Rose…” she whispered, tears filling her eyes and clogging her throat.  “She’s okay?”

“Oh yes’sum,” Charlie replied.  “Miss Rose be a teacher at the Contraband Camp.  She’s a real fine teacher.”  He peered at her closer.  “You be knowin’ Miss Rose, too.”  This time it wasn’t a question.

Carrie nodded, full of questions until she saw Charlie wince and grit his teeth against the pain.  She stood and tucked the blanket in around him more firmly.  “We’ll talk later, Charlie.  Right now you need to get some rest.”

Charlie nodded, closed his eyes and seconds later was asleep.  Carrie smiled and went in search of Dr. Wild.  She didn’t find him in the ward so she stepped outside to continue her search, slightly startled when a large black man, almost as big as Moses, stepped toward her.

“Miss Carrie?” he asked tentatively.

Carrie moved forward immediately and took one of his hands.  “You must be Simon.”

Simon didn’t bother to ask how she knew.  There would be time for all that later. “How is Moses?” he asked earnestly, his eyes shining with worry.

“He’s not good,” Carrie said honestly, “but he’s a fighter.  We’ve done everything we can.”  She explained about the shell fragment they had extracted.  “I need your help with something – you and some of the men in your unit.”

“We’ll do anything you want,” Simon said instantly.

Carrie nodded gratefully.  “I don’t want Moses to stay here in the hospital.  I want him in my home where I can be sure he will receive around the clock care.”  She frowned in the direction of the city.  “That is if our house doesn’t burn,” she said crisply.

“We got the fires under control, Miss Carrie,” Simon assured her.  “It did a heap of damage, but the fires are all out.”

Carrie breathed a sigh of relief and then signaled for a wagon.  “How long will it take you to get enough of your men to carry Moses?  I’d rather we not broadcast where we’re taking him.”  Occupied or not, she knew there were many Richmonders that would resent her having a black soldier in her home.  She didn’t care what they thought, but she also didn’t want to do anything that would put Moses in danger.

Simon grinned, lifted his arm, and beckoned to a group of men waiting quietly in the patch of trees along the drive.  “Captain Jones said it would be okay if some of us came to check on Moses.”

Carrie smiled at him, seeing the deep love shining in Simon’s eyes.  “Moses is lucky to have you,” she said softly. 

“I’m the lucky one,” Simon said fervently.  “Me and June.”

Carrie smiled again, the weight of the day lifting from her.  “I can hardly wait to hear that story, but first we have to get Moses where I can care for him.”

Carrie had just settled Moses into the room next to hers when she heard a light knock on the door.  May was in the kitchen getting water, and she had sent Miles out to dig some fresh onions from the garden, so she stifled a yawn and went to answer the door herself.  When she opened the door she could only stand and stare.

“Don’t I even get an invitation inside?  I’m not an escaping prisoner this time.”

Carrie found her voice.  “Matthew!”  She laughed happily and moved forward to give him a warm embrace.  Then she stepped back to look into his face.  “How…?”

“I’m in Richmond as a journalist,” he explained.  “I came in with the army this morning, but I’ve been busy putting out fires in the city.”

“I see,” Carrie murmured, thinking about the horrible smoke, flames and explosions.  “How bad is it?” she asked.

Matthew frowned.  “It’s bad,” he admitted, and then hesitated.  “We can talk about this when you’re not so tired.”

Carrie shook her head and pulled him into the house.  “I’m sorry I’m being such a terrible hostess.  Please come in.”  She motioned to May when she moved through the parlor.  “May, when you’re done upstairs will you please get us some tea?”  Then she turned back to Matthew.  “Please tell me the truth about the city so we can move on to more pleasant things,” she said firmly.

Matthew nodded. “Nine hundred homes and businesses were destroyed.”

Carrie stiffened and turned white, but she remained silent and let him continue.

“All the banks are burned.  So are two of your hotels; all of the newspaper offices; the General Court of Virginia and the Henrico County courthouse; the arsenal and the laboratory; almost all the warehouses along the river; the Danville and Petersburg railroad bridges and depots; Mayo’s Bridge; a dozen drugstores, two dozen groceries…”  Matthew frowned deeply.  “All, or at least part, of fifty-four blocks are gone.”

Carrie couldn’t find her voice as she stared at him with shock.  Her beloved city…
burned
.  She began to tremble.

Matthew reached forward to grab her hand.  “The fires are out, Carrie.  General Weitzel has already started the cleanup.  I know it seems impossible now, but Richmond will rebuild.”

“Yes,” Carrie murmured, struggling to remind herself she had wanted the city to fall.  She had just never imagined it would mean such destruction.  The fact they had inflicted the destruction on it themselves made it all the more difficult to bear.  She took a deep breath and managed a smile.  “Thank you for helping to put it out,” she said quietly.

She stood suddenly and went to stand beside the window to look out at the magnolia tree.  Suddenly she very much needed to see something alive and growing.  She stared out at the tight buds holding the promise of glorious white blooms and thought of Robert.  “Please tell me this war is almost over,” she whispered.

Matthew rose to stand beside her.  “Grant is in pursuit of Lee now.  Your army can’t survive much longer.”

Carrie smiled up at him through tears.  “That makes me very happy, you know.  All of this madness has to stop.”

Matthew nodded and then gazed at her more closely.  “You’re exhausted,” he stated, taking her arm and leading her back to a chair.  “I can come back tomorrow. You need to get some sleep.”

Carrie smiled wearily and shook her head.  “I won’t be going to bed right away,” she said.  “I have a very important patient upstairs.  Someone I know you’ll want to meet,” she said with a smile.  “There are so many things I want to talk to you about I hardly know where to start.”

May appeared in the doorway, her eyes wide and a brilliant smile on her face.  “He be awake now, Miss Carrie.  He still be right out of it, but least ways his eyes are open.”

“Thank God!” Carrie breathed as she leaped to her feet, her exhaustion forgotten.  She reached the bottom of the stairs, and then remembering she had a guest, turned back to Matthew.  “Come with me,” she urged.  “You’re going to want to meet this patient,” she added, enjoying the confused look on Matthew’s face.

Carrie entered the room quietly, smiling softly when Moses turned exhausted, confused eyes to her.

“Where am…?”  Moses’ eyes widened with disbelief, pain etching lines on his face.  “Carrie?” he asked hoarsely, staring at her as if she were a ghost.  “Carrie… Am I dreaming?  Am I dead…?”