Love Inspired Historical October 2013 Bundle: A Family for Christmas\The Secret Princess\Taming the Texas Rancher\An Unlikely Union (96 page)

He sighed. If she had come into his life for the sole purpose of drawing him back to his Creator, he would be forever grateful. But he truly hoped she was to be more than that.

Lord, You alone have the answers. Please reveal them to me.

* * *

Despite her distracted heart, Emily had to smile. The attendance that Sunday morning was overwhelming. Every pew was filled to capacity. The outpouring of generosity in donations of canned food items and winter clothing alone were simply incredible. Beyond that, several hundred dollars had also been raised.

The contributions were the result of wealthy Baltimore families and Federal soldiers who had attended the prayer meetings or worked at the hospital. Dr. Turner was among them, so was Jeremiah Wainwright. After the service they quickly found Emily and her friends.

“Well done, ladies,” Dr. Turner said. “Well done, indeed.”

“It is you we should thank,” Emily insisted.

The old gentleman smiled and shook his head. “Evan told us what a fine cause this was. It was he who encouraged the attendance.”

The emotion she felt at the mention of his name was bittersweet. The thought that the once hard-hearted Federal doctor would encourage his fellow physicians and staff to contribute to a cause that would chiefly benefit
Confederate
prisoners of war was simply amazing.

“When does your commission delegate depart?” Dr. Turner asked.

“Tomorrow morning, the ten o’clock train.”

He nodded. “Have you an army to deliver all these supplies to the depot?”

She chuckled. It would take just that. “Yes. The gentlemen of the congregation have all volunteered, and Mr. Griffith and several other delegates are coming, as well.”

“After what you have organized, young lady, if that man is smart, he’ll make
you
a delegate.”

Emily appreciated Dr. Turner’s words. Though at one time she would have wished for exactly that, she no longer found such credentials important. She could make a difference right where she was.

The following morning she stood on the platform at Camden Station. The last of the crates were loaded on the southbound train. She had hoped Evan would come, but he had not. Although disappointed, a measure of satisfaction still pulsed through her.

“This will be a great help to Edward,” Sally whispered.

“Indeed,” Julia said. “I only wish we could have finished more socks.”

“We’ll send more next time,” Emily insisted.

When the crates were secure and all passengers on board, the whistle blew. Reverend Henry uttered the unspoken thoughts of all those looking on.

“Go in peace,” he said. “And may God’s will be done.”

The wheels began to chug. The group watched until the last car disappeared around the bend.

“Well, ladies,” Sam said. “I have classes waiting and I suspect all of you would prefer the comfort of a fireside to this cold.”

Rachael squealed as if to say she concurred. Laughing, Emily, Julia and Sally could not disagree. Frost clung to the lampposts and the wind was ripping at their cloaks.

Leaving the station, the carriage ride home was just as cold. Sam dropped Emily at her front gate. She longed for a cup of tea and the opportunity to tell her parents about all that had taken place. Emily wondered why they had not come. They had promised to arrive before the train’s departure.

She pushed open the door. Her mother met her at once.

“Hurry now!” she said, tugging off Emily’s winter cap, then her cloak.

“Whatever is the matter?”

“He’s with your father. You don’t want to keep him waiting any longer.”

There was only one reason a waiting gentleman caller would please her mother so. Emily’s heart slammed into her ribs. “Keep
who
waiting?”

Mrs. Davis grinned. “Dr. Mackay!”

Emily gasped. “Truly?”

“Yes, my dear. Oh!” her mother then complained. “Your hands are like ice. For goodness’ sake, try to warm them!” She urged her toward the library.

Emily feared that any moment she was going to wake, for this had to be a dream. Sure enough, however, Evan was standing in front of the fireplace, staring at her portrait. The moment he turned around, a smile filled his face. Emily no longer had any doubt.

Breathe! Breathe!

“My dear,” she heard her father say. “Dr. Mackay wishes to speak with you.”

He then exited the room.

Smile fading, Evan took a step forward. His jaw twitched. This time she recognized the action for what it was.

He is just as nervous as I.

After several seconds of silence, he cleared his throat.

“I have never been very good with words,” he said. “I suppose that is why Mary wished me to read poetry.”

He visibly cringed. Emily’s heart went out to him. Her own anxiety eased somewhat.

“Did you wish for us to recite ‘Bruce’s March to Bannockburn’? I believe I know most of that.”

The corner of his mouth lifted with a smile. He chuckled. “No. Hardly.” He moved toward her. Emily’s heart fluttered.

“You know I have orders for Washington.”

“Yes.”

“It won’t be an easy place. Conditions will not be comfortable.”

“I dare say that isn’t the purpose for you being there.”

“Aye. I mean, no, ’tis not.” He swallowed. “I am to report next week. There...is not much time.”

Her heart was now pounding as she waited most eagerly. Evan drew in a quick breath, took her hand and knelt before her. Emily stared at his strong jaw, which at the moment was having such trouble working.

“Emily Davis, I love you. Will you come with me and be my love? Will you marry me?”

The words could not have been delivered more beautifully, but now it was she who was at a loss for them. Tears would have to do.

He squeezed her hand. That smile emerged. “Is that a yes, lass?”

She could not contain her happiness. Throwing her arms around his neck, she cried, “I love you, Evan. Oh, how I love you!”

“And I you, Emily.”

Slowly he stood and brushed her cheek with his fingers. Emily felt a shiver as he lifted her chin. Then she lost herself in the strength of his arms and the gentleness of his kisses.

Epilogue

Washington, D.C.
March 4, 1865

E
van steered his wife and infant son around a large puddle, inching as close as they could to the East Portico. Weeks of rainy weather had left the Capitol grounds wet and muddy, yet thousands still had gathered.

“Can you see him?” he asked.

“I can now.”

A hush fell over the crowd as President Lincoln began to speak.

“Fellow countrymen, at this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office there is less occasion for an extended address then there was at the first....”

The late winter wind ruffled cloaks and tugged at the hats of those around them. Evan drew Emily a little closer. She looked up at him and smiled. One glance from those wide blue eyes still tied his tongue.

She had left the luxury of Baltimore for the dark, near-destitute conditions of the military hospitals. Never once had she complained. Side by side they had worked, he mending wounds and she the broken hearts of countless men in blue and gray.

“Let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes...”

Aye,
Evan couldn’t help but think as Lincoln continued.
And God’s greatest purpose is to draw all men unto Him. May we now seek His guidance, chart a new course for this nation.

The wind gusted again and little Andrew twisted his face in protest. Emily snuggled him close. Four years ago, if someone had told Evan that he would fall for a Southern woman, that he would make peace with the rebels, he wouldn’t have believed it possible. But she had taught him the healing power of forgiveness and the strength to be found in grace.

Emily had managed to soften the hardest of hearts, even here in Washington. She had collected numerous funds and items for the Christian Commission, supplies that would be distributed to wounded soldiers and prisoners of war.

Evan did not know when the battles would cease, but he knew eventually they would. The process of healing had already begun.

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds....”

Emily looked up at him and smiled. Evan knew that together, they would seek to do just that.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from A FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS by Winnie Griggs.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for choosing,
An Unlikely Union,
the second book in my civil war series. Although spared the destruction other Southern cities faced, Baltimore still witnessed the high cost of battle. Throughout the war it served as a distribution point for thousands of wounded soldiers and Confederate prisoners. Despite Federal occupation, Southern sympathy remained strong, particularly among the upper class. Supplies and information secretly flowed even as the U.S. Army tried desperately to maintain control. Martial law was instituted. Searches, seizures and arrests (often of innocent civilians) were common. Sadly, slavery remained legal throughout Maryland until a new state constitution took effect in 1864.

Yet amid the abuse and desire for retribution on both sides, there were those committed to charity and reconciliation. The U.S. Christian Commission was one such example. Born out of the YMCA’s commitment to mentoring America’s young and the noontide prayer meetings of the late 1850s, the Commission provided relief for soldiers, sailors and prisoners of war by attending to both physical and spiritual needs. Hundreds of delegates sacrificed their own finances, health and, in some cases, their very lives to share God’s message of love and forgiveness on the battlefields, in the hospitals and camps. The volunteers treated their fellow countrymen with dignity and respect, regardless of which uniform they wore. Little by little, hearts were softened and the war-torn nation inched its way toward healing.

The work however, is not yet complete. May we continue what they started.

Let your light shine,

Shannon Farrington

Questions for Discussion

 

1. How does Evan’s prejudice toward the people of Baltimore affect the way he treats Emily? How do her preconceived notions concerning “Yankees” influence her opinion of him? Have you ever made assumptions about people who were different than you?
   
 

2. Why does Evan become so angry when Emily plays the role of the dying sergeant’s wife? Should she have done so? Why or why not?
   
 

3. Although Emily respects many of the Federal physicians in the hospital, she perceives Evan as an enemy. How does her realization of such change her attitude toward him? What influence do you think Abigail may have had?
   
 

4. Why does Evan recommend Emily for the position of night nurse?
   
 

5. Why is Evan so secretive about his past? How does this affect his relationships with his fellow physicians in the hospital?
   
 

6. Emily slowly realizes she is attracted to Evan. In what ways is he the man she dreams of marrying? In what ways is he different?
   
 

7. Evan is hesitant to pray, because he fears God’s rejection. Have you ever felt this way? What did you do about it?
   
 

8. When Emily learns her interaction with Ben Reed provides an opportunity for another prisoner’s escape, she regrets her involvement. Have you ever regretted an act of compassion? If so, what lesson did you learn?
   
 

9. How does Evan’s attitude toward Confederate prisoners change once he realizes God has forgiven him for his past mistakes?
   
 

10. When Emily learns that prisoner exchanges have stopped she is devastated. How does she cope with this reality?
    
 

11. Which character can you identify with most in this story? Which scene is your favorite?
    
 

12. Can forgiveness bring about healing? Is love truly more powerful than hate?
    

We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical title.

You find illumination in days gone by.
Love Inspired Historical
stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.

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