Camellia (28 page)

“He’s awake.” Jane smiled at Thad. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Thad nodded and entered the room. “How do you feel?”

“Tolerably well, I suppose. Camellia said y’all fished me from the river.”

“Yes.” Thad sat on the end of his bed. “You were a pretty sad sight. I was all for leaving you behind, but the girls would not hear of it.”

“Thad!” Jane’s scandalized response made Thad smile and raise an eyebrow.

Realizing the man was trying to introduce a note of levity, Jonah managed to force his parched lips into a weak grin. “I don’t blame you. I probably would have done the same thing if you had been the one in the water.”

Thad laughed out loud and slapped the bed. “At least you’re strong enough to give as good as you get. The girls have been nursing you nonstop this past week. If you recover your health, you have them to thank for it.”

Jonah hid his surprise that so many more days had passed. “I’m thankful to both of them.”

Thad turned his attention to his sister. “Why don’t you go and get Camellia? I have a couple of things to say to your patient.”

Both of them watched her leave the room. Jonah tried to brace himself for the worst. Though his chest felt heavy with congestion, at least he was a little stronger than the last time he’d awakened. But was he strong enough to face what was coming? If he’d been unconscious for another three days, their boat would have had plenty of time to arrive in Jacksonport. Would Thad arrest him now and have him dragged away to a prison? He tried to choke down his cough, but it would not be denied. When the paroxysm ended, he lay back against his pillow and waited to hear the bad news.

“That’s a bad cough, Thornton. I hope it won’t delay your return to action.” Thad stood and moved to the chair his sister had vacated. “I have to admit I had my doubts about you when we met in New Orleans. But in light of the fact that you’ve decided to volunteer, I am willing to put our differences aside. The Confederacy can use every able-bodied man whose heart is in the right place.”

Shock held him still. Camellia had not spilled his secret after all. If he could keep his wits about him, he might yet escape hanging or prison. Jonah’s grin turned rueful. While he didn’t want to mislead Thad, it was necessary. “You’re right about that. I’m glad you’re willing to overlook my past, and I want you to know I’m determined to do my part to finish this war.”

“Good. I’m glad that’s settled.” Thad put a hand on the doorknob. “The girls seem to think your body is mending well. You’ve had plenty of time to catch up on your sleep, so I’ll hope to see you on deck in a day or two. I could use the careful eye of another soldier.”

Jonah’s head fell back on the pillow once more as Thad left him alone. He closed his eyes and began a prayer of thanksgiving. It was only through God’s grace that he’d not been found out. His grace and the unfathomable intentions of a Southern belle who had little reason to protect him.

J
ohn watched each bend in the river as they once again approached Cape Girardeau. It had been too long since he last saw Anna, but he’d thought of her every moment of those weeks. The sound of rain on the surface of the river became the tinkling noise of her laughter. He imagined building a home for the two of them. A home filled with faith, love, and laughter. It was a dream that he hoped would one day become a reality.

The walls of the southernmost fort came into view, the formidable black eyes of its cannons unblinking.

“Are you going to ask that girl to marry you?” Mrs. Naomi’s voice startled him.

He couldn’t keep the grin from his face. “Who told you such a thing?”

“I’m a woman.” Her eyes twinkled. “No one had to tell me.”

John sobered. “Do you think she’ll have me?”

“You and I’ve been working together for more than a year now. I know people well enough to tell the difference between a scoundrel and an honest, Christian man. If that young lady doesn’t snap you up, she’s not half as smart as she looks.” Mrs. Naomi laughed and patted his hand. “Don’t you worry. She’ll fall in your arms as soon as you open them for her.”

The captain signaled that it was time for the crew to begin making preparations for their landing, so John moved away from Mrs. Naomi. He picked up a coil of rope and twisted it into a loop, throwing it over his shoulder and measuring the distance to the pier. The large paddle wheel slowed and changed the direction of its rotation. Churning the water in reverse, it slowed the
Catfish
and brought her closer to land. John tossed his rope expertly, catching the upright piling on the first try. He heard two other crewmen toss separate ropes, and soon they had the boat securely tied.

He waited with barely leashed patience as their ship was inspected by the harbormaster and a couple of Union soldiers. As soon as they were cleared, he went onshore and strode up the hill to the central part of town. The sun was sinking toward the western horizon, but he calculated it was only about three in the afternoon. Anna should still be at work.

The moment John pushed open the door, he knew something was wrong. Devore’s looked like an unkempt child. Items were crowded every which way on the normally orderly shelves, and a film of dust dulled the shiny counter behind which she and Mr. Devore usually stood. The latter was helping a female customer, but John could not see Anna anywhere. Another lady stood in her place behind the counter. His heart thudded to a stop. Where was Anna? Had there been an accident? Was she sick?

Lord, please let her be safe and healthy.
The plea filled John’s head. He walked to the counter, his mind dwelling on the macabre possibilities. They lived in a dangerous time. Anything could have happened to her—a snakebite, the attack of a wild animal, yellow jack fever. His mind spun.

“Are you all right?” The lady in Anna’s place looked at John with concern. From Anna’s descriptions, he knew the attractive woman must be Norma Devore, Don’s wife.

More concern washed over him as he realized she must be assisting her husband due to Anna’s not being able to work. “I’m fine. I was hoping to see Anna. I’m John Champion.”

“Anna’s at home,” Mrs. Devore said. “Her father had an accident, and she’s been nursing him.”

At least she was not hurt—or worse, dead. John thanked the woman and hurried out of the store without asking any more details. He had to get to Anna. Make sure she had what she needed. His gaze remained fixed on the road in front of his feet, the prayer in his mind becoming wordless as he cast his cares before his Lord.

A knock on the door of the Matthewses’ place brought a middle-aged woman to the door, Anna’s aunt Tessie.

“Is Anna home?”

Before she could answer, John heard a sound in the hall behind her. Aunt Tessie stepped back, and there she was in front of him. His Anna. His gaze took in her appearance in an instant, cataloging the dark circles under her eyes, the droop of her shoulders, and the desperation in her gaze.

“John?” Her expression eased a little. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”

Aunt Tessie finally took care of the social amenities as he and Anna could only stare at each other. “Come in, young man.” He then noticed the same mixture of weariness and fear in her face, too. “Why don’t you take him to the parlor, and I’ll see if I can fix a tray for the two of you.”

John followed Anna down the hall, noticing the general air of disorder here, too. “How is your father?”

Anna shook her head and opened the door to the parlor. She sat down in a rocker that dwarfed her and leaned back. “He’s failing.” A catch in her voice made John want to gather her in his arms and comfort her. “I don’t know what to do. Aunt Tessie is doing everything she can, but she’s still recovering from her illness.”

“What happened?”

“Pa was cutting down a tree out back because it had begun to lean and he was worried it might fall and take down part of the house.” Anna parroted the words as though she’d told the story many times before. “I don’t know exactly how, but the tree fell the wrong way, and Pa was caught underneath it. Aunt Tessie was resting in her bedroom and couldn’t hear him calling for help. By the time I got home several hours later, he was b–barely hanging on.”

John closed his eyes for a moment, seeking words of comfort for her. Something that would let her know how much he regretted everything that had happened to her and her family. “I’m here now, and I’ll do anything I can to help you.”

She looked up at him, her eyes watery with unshed tears. “Thank you, John. Just seeing you is a blessing to me.”

“What can I do?”

“Pray. Pray that God won’t take my pa until he and my brother have made their peace with each other.”

John frowned. “You have a brother? You’ve never mentioned a brother before.”

“I haven’t seen him in nearly a decade. The last letter I had from him is more than five years old.”

“Where is he?”

She shrugged. “The last time Blake wrote to us, he was living in a town in Mississippi … Natchez or Vicksburg, I can’t remember exactly.”

“Blake Matthews is your brother?” John’s knees weakened, and he collapsed on the nearby sofa. In all of his dreams of what this day would bring, he’d never imagined such a calamity. He’d never thought a nightmare of gargantuan proportions would swallow his future whole. He’d never thought that the woman he’d fallen in love with would bring his doom on him.

Camellia watched as Jonah’s health returned slowly over the next days. His deep cough still worried her, but he shrugged it off with a quip. He even spent a few hours each day sitting in one of the two chairs in his room, his legs modestly covered with a blanket whenever she or Jane was with him.

Today, however, he had spent the morning sitting up, so now he rested in his bed as he finished the light lunch she had brought.

When Jane left them alone while he ate, Camellia decided to tackle the subject they had both avoided since he’d first awakened. “I don’t understand how you can betray everyone you care for.”

His sigh was long and led to another cough. As soon as it passed, he picked up his tray and handed it to her. “You do understand that a soldier must follow orders, right?”

“Yes.”

“Thad is following his orders, isn’t he? He might choose to get you and his sister to safety before completing his mission, but he cannot. His duty must come before family obligations or others will suffer.”

“Yes, but—” A sudden jerk of the boat threw Camellia forward. The tray hit the far wall, and she sprawled across his lap with an unladylike grunt.

“I know you find me attractive, Miss Anderson, but you really must control yourself.” Jonah’s laughter brought his cough back.

Camellia bounced off of him as though she had springs under her. “I’m sorry.”

As soon as he stopped coughing, he raised his head and stared at her. “I can’t say that I am.”

Her face flamed. Trust the man to make a joke at her expense. Shouts and the sound of feet running down the passageway provided her with a needed distraction. She moved to the door and peeked out. “I wonder what’s happened.”

“It’s time for me to get out of this bed and find out.”

A rustle behind her brought Camellia’s head back around. Jonah had thrown his sheet back and was putting his feet to the floor. She gasped at the sight of his bare legs sticking out from the tail of his nightshirt. “Jonah!”

“You may want to leave if you don’t want to be offended.” His voice was grim and determined. “I refuse to lie here and wait to find out what disaster has overtaken us now.”

Camellia picked up her skirts and fled. As she ran to the room she shared with Jane, she realized the paddle wheel was not churning. Had they hit another snag? A sandbar? She threw open the door and found her friend trying to lace up the back of her dress. “Let me help.”

“Do you know what’s going on?” Jane looked over her shoulder, a concerned look on her face. “Have we finally made it to Jacksonport?”

“I don’t know.” Camellia finished with the lacing. “Let’s go see.”

The main deck was empty. Camellia glanced at Jane, who reached for her hand. Had the men deserted them? That made no sense. Thad would not leave them voluntarily. Her heart thumped.

“We must get free. We may lose another day.” Thad’s voice came from the far side of the boat.

Jane and Camellia followed the sound to discover the men, even Jonah, standing in ankle-deep water just off the bow. That’s when she realized that the packet was sitting at an angle. They had run up onto a sandbar. She looked at the gangplank that had been swung to the bank to allow the men to see the extent of the damage done.

“I didn’t realize we were on a schedule.” Jonah’s voice was still weak, but he had managed to negotiate the gangplank, a definite improvement.

Jane squeezed her hand and pulled her forward. “What’s wrong?”

The captain scratched his head, dislodging the slouch hat he wore.

“I was trying to avoid a snag and ran us into more trouble.”

Another of the men sighed. “We’d better get busy.”

“Can we help?” Camellia hoped the answer would be no.

Jonah laughed and exchanged a glance with Thad. “Not unless you can handle a shovel.”