Blockade Runner (2 page)

“Sometimes they do.”

Leah’s answer was so short that Cecil stared at her. Then he seemed to suddenly remember that Leah and Jeff had grown up together just as he and Lucy had. “You know, I think you’re stuck on Jeff.”

Leah blushed and bit her lip. “Don’t be silly,” she said.

Just at that moment the band reached the end of the piece, and Leah was claimed by a short, fat young lieutenant with a moon face and a thick Southern accent. He could not dance very well, but he was amusing. Leah found herself laughing at some of his outlandish remarks.

The dance had been going on for thirty minutes when a woman came into the room in the company of Mr. and Mrs. Pollard. Lucy and Leah were at the table with Cecil and Jeff, sampling the punch.

“Look! There’s Belle Boyd,” Lucy said. “Come on, let’s go meet her.” They crossed the room, and when they reached the threesome, Lucy smiled and said, “Miss Boyd, I’ve just
got
to meet you. My name is Lucy Driscoll.” She introduced her friends quickly and added, “Oh, Miss Belle, we’ve heard so much about you!”

Belle Boyd, a young woman of about twenty, was not really beautiful. Her nose was a little too
prominent, and she had a very determined chin. But she had a trim figure, and her dark hair was worn in curls. Her best feature was her fine, dark blue eyes, which she now put on the young people in front of her. “I’m happy to meet all of you,” she said.

“Oh, tell us about some of your adventures saving the Stonewall Brigade,” Lucy said quickly.

She turned to Jeff. “Jeff is in the Stonewall Brigade, and so are his father and his brother.”

“Now here!” Mr. Pollard exclaimed. “We don’t have time for Miss Boyd to tell stories.”

He was right, for the young officers in their ash gray uniforms began crowding around, all clamoring for a dance with Miss Belle Boyd. She was sometimes called the Siren of the Shenandoah, sometimes the Rebel Spy. Already she had been arrested four times by Union authorities but each time had managed to obtain her freedom. She again turned her wonderful eyes on Leah, Lucy, and Jeff, saying quickly, “I’ll be staying for a visit with your parents, Lucy. We’ll have plenty of time to talk.”

As Belle Boyd whirled off in the arms of a tall captain, Lucy said, “Isn’t that exciting! She’s so pretty!”

“She’s not as pretty as you,” Jeff observed. “Come on, this is my dance, Lucy.” They moved away, Lucy’s dress sweeping in wide circles to the waltz tune that the band played.

“Well, that’s exciting—to get to meet Belle Boyd and actually talk to her. She’s really something!” Jeff said.

“Yes, she is. I read stories about her in some of the magazines, but I never thought I’d get to meet her.”

Leah’s head was swimming from all the dances she’d had. She could not remember the names of all the young men she’d met.

Finally Cecil whispered, “Let’s go get some more refreshments.”

He got some cake and punch, handed a plate and cup to Leah, and said, “Come on, let’s get out of this noise. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you for all these blasted soldiers!”

“Don’t call them that!” Leah protested.

She followed him out into a small garden area paved with flagstone. When he closed the French doors, the music became soft and muted. “Hey, this is nice, isn’t it? Here, let’s sit on this bench!”

Leah sat down and took a bite of cake. “This is good,” she said. She looked around and noted the huge trees surrounding the Driscoll mansion. “I love magnolias,” she said. “Their blossoms smell sweeter than anything.”

Cecil took a swallow of punch and turned to her. “No better than you. They don’t smell any better than you. You’ve been using perfume.”

Leah flushed, for she had used some of the scent that Lucy had appropriated from her sister. “That’s not nice to talk about what a girl smells like.”

Cecil grinned. He was a happy-go-lucky boy. “Well, it is if they smell good,” he argued.

Leah liked Cecil a great deal. He was an alert young man, full of fun and oftentimes practical jokes, and she enjoyed his teasing. He began talking about how in another two years he would be able to join the army.

Leah said quickly, “Oh, I hope the war’s over by that time.”

“Well, if the Yankees give up, it will be,” Cecil said confidently.

“I don’t know—the South is losing so many men.”

“So are the blue bellies.”

“I know, but they have so many more. Their armies just keep filling up.”

“Sometimes numbers don’t count so much.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, in the story about Gideon in the Bible, the Israelites only had about three hundred men—and they defeated their enemies.”

“That’s not the same thing!”

“Why not?”

“Because that happened a long time ago!”

“Well then, look at the American Revolution. The British had more soldiers than the colonists—but they didn’t win.” Cecil suddenly asked, “Which side are you really for, Leah? I’ve never really understood that. I mean, your brother’s in the Union army, and Jeff’s in the Confederate army. You’ve got an uncle here that’s for the South. But your family—I guess they have to be for the North. What about you?”

It was a question that Leah had never been able to answer. She hated the idea of slavery with all of her heart. She also hated the war. But it had been obvious for some time that the North and the South would never be reconciled by peaceful means.

“I don’t know,” she finally said and dropped her head. “I just wish it were over.”

Cecil was a sensitive young man. He obviously saw that he had disturbed her with his talk of the war and was sorry for it. Then his eyes gleamed with humor, and he said, “Leah!” He put down his
cup. “I made my mother a promise one time. Do you think you ought to keep your promises? Especially to your mother?”

“Why, of course I do.” Leah grew curious. “What did you promise her?”

“I promised her I would never kiss a girl until I was seventeen.”

“Well, I think that’s good.” Leah nodded firmly.

Cecil reached over and took her arms. He was laughing as he said, “But I’ve decided to make an exception in your case.” Then, before she could move, he kissed her on the lips.

Just as he did, the door opened behind them.

Leah pulled away from Cecil and leaped to her feet.

There stood Jeff with Lucy, staring at them. Lucy hid a smile behind her hand, but Jeff’s dark eyes were angry. He said, “I think it’s about time for you two to come inside.”

“Oh, don’t be such an old stick, Jeff.” Lucy said.

But Jeff turned and walked away, and she followed him.

“I sure made old Jeff mad that time, didn’t I?” Cecil whistled softly. He stared at Leah, saying, “I’m sorry. I was just teasing.”

“Oh, he’ll be all right. Jeff’s just got kind of a hot temper.”

Later on, Leah found it was not all right. She had one more dance with Jeff, and he did not say a word to her. He kept his head high and his eyes fixed over her head at the other dancers.

“Don’t be mad, Jeff. Cecil was just teasing.”

“None of my business what you do!” he said shortly. “If you want to go around kissing everybody that comes along—well, that’s fine with me! ’Course,
I expect your family would be pretty disappointed in you if they found out.”

Instantly Leah grew angry. “I suppose you’re going to run and write a letter telling them—or perhaps tell Uncle Silas!”

“Well, somebody needs to tell them.”

“You’re just an old tattletale! Besides, I bet you kissed Lucy, didn’t you?”

Jeff’s face suddenly flushed. “That’s none of your business,” he said. “I’m older than you are.”

“One year older! That makes you grown up, does it?”

“It means I’m older than you are!”

“That doesn’t mean anything!”

Jeff grew more angry. “You have a stubborn streak in you. Everybody knows that.”

“I have a stubborn streak?” Leah glared at him, her eyes flashing. “You’re the one who’s stubborn—and unreasonable too!”

“You think it’s reasonable to kiss a boy out in the garden?”

Actually Leah was not proud of her scene with Cecil, but as many people do when they’re feeling guilty, she tried to cover up her feelings by attacking others. “You’re a fine one to talk! You made a fool of yourself over Lucy the first time you ever saw her.”

“I never kissed her in the garden!”

“You would if you got the chance!”

“I would not!”

The argument flared up further, and finally Jeff turned and walked off.

That night, in the room the two girls shared, Lucy said cautiously, “Don’t worry about Jeff. He’ll be all right.”

“I don’t care if he is or not!” Leah said. She turned over and said no more. She was so angry and upset that tears came to her eyes, but she kept very still, not allowing Lucy to dream that she was crying.

For a long time she lay there, going over the terrible argument with Jeff, and finally admitted to herself that she’d been in the wrong—at least partially.

But we’ll make it—we always do
.

Yet somehow she felt worse than she had over the arguments she’d had with Jeff in the past. Finally she drifted off to sleep—and had bad dreams all night.

T
he day after the party, Leah remained alone and was very quiet for most of the day.

Lucy knew, of course, that she was disturbed about the scene with Jeff and tried to encourage her. She must have quickly realized, however, that Leah did not want to talk about the matter.

“I’m going for a ride,” Lucy said. “Do you want to go with me?”

“No, I think I’ll just stay and read.”

“It might do you good, Leah.”

“I don’t think so. Maybe later.”

After Lucy left, Leah went to the extensive family library, a huge room filled with books and magazines and papers of all kinds. She found a novel by James Fenimore Cooper and sat down in a horse-hide chair beside a window. Soon she was immersed in the story and had managed to forget the dreadful scene with Jeff.

The door suddenly opened, and Belle Boyd walked in. “Oh!” she said. “I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

“It’s just me—Leah.” Getting up, she said, “I expect you’ll be wanting to look for something to read.”

Belle Boyd said, “Oh, I can do that anytime. Sit down and tell me about yourself.”

“About myself? Why, there’s nothing much to tell.”

“I’ll bet there is.” Belle settled herself gracefully on the couch and smiled encouragingly. “Now, tell me about your home.”

Leah sat down again and quickly sketched her background.

Belle seemed to find her story a little sad. She frowned and shook her head. “There are so many families divided by the war—but as soon as we win, that’ll be over, and things’ll be like they were.”

Leah doubted it would be quite that simple, but she said, “Please, Miss Belle, tell me about some of your adventures. You’ve had so many of them!”

Belle Boyd acted as though she was accustomed to this. She laughed and said, “Are you planning on becoming a spy for the Confederacy, Leah?” It was clear that she loved to talk about her exploits and at once told about an exciting adventure.

“I’m not sure you’d like to hear
all
my adventures, Leah. I suppose you’ve heard about the time I had to shoot a Yankee soldier?” Her eyes gleamed.

“Why … no … I haven’t.”

“Well, a Federal search party began pillaging our home. We all took it as well as possible, but one of the soldiers began addressing me in a most offensive manner. He became so abusive I could stand it no longer!” Belle’s eyes flashed with anger at the memory. “Finally my blood was boiling. I just drew my pistol and shot him!”

“Did he die?”

“Yes, he did. But he brought it on himself.”

Leah was rather taken aback but asked for another story.

“Once Stonewall and his brigade were outside of Front Royal, but they had no idea of the strength of the Yankee force. I mounted my horse and rode
until I encountered Major Henry Douglas, who was on a scouting mission. I was almost falling off my horse with weariness and had to press my hand against my heart, but I managed to say, ‘Go back and tell General Jackson that the Yankee force is very small—one regiment of Maryland infantry, several pieces of artillery, and several companies of cavalry. Tell him I know, for I went through the Union camp and got it out of an officer. Tell him to charge right down, and he will catch them all. I must hurry back. Good-bye—my love to all the dear boys!’ I remember I kissed my hand to Major Douglas as I rode away.”

“And what happened, Miss Belle?”

“Why, General Jackson took Front Royal that afternoon. They routed the Yankees and took $300,000 in commissary stores!”

“And what happened then?”

“I was arrested as a spy and sent to the Old Capitol Prison in Washington.”

Leah had sat enthralled while listening to Belle, who told her adventures well. She sighed and said, “You have a great deal of courage, Miss Belle. Not many women would have been able to do what you’ve done.”

Belle glanced at her. She rather quietly changed the subject. “You look a little depressed, Leah. Is anything wrong?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing.”

“Come on, now! Tell me about it. A pretty young girl like you—I expect I know what the problem is.”

“Oh, it’s nothing, really.”

“I bet you’ve had a disagreement with some young man. Is that the way of it?”

Trapped, Leah dropped her eyes and began to
pick at the pattern on her dress. She was wearing a simple tan cotton dress with a locket around her neck. “Oh, you wouldn’t be interested.”

When Belle saw Leah fingering the locket, she asked innocently, “Is there a picture inside that pretty locket?”

Leah felt herself flush, and Belle Boyd smiled even more broadly.

“Let me see it, will you?”

Leah reluctantly opened the locket and held it out. It contained the picture of Jeff Majors he had given her for a birthday present. That gold locket was her prized possession, but she felt uncomfortable showing the picture to Belle Boyd.

“Why, this is the young man that was at the party last night. What’s his name?”