The Moon and the Stars (7 page)

Wade closed his eyes, trying to remember what else
Mr. Richmond had told him about his daughter. He had said that he had not heard from her in three years, not a letter, nothing. The man had been pitiful when he swore that if she would return, all would be forgiven. Wade had not had the cruelty to ask him the one question that nagged at him. Did the father suspect that his daughter had killed Michael Duncan?

He also wondered how a daughter could so blatantly neglect her sick father. Not one letter in the three years since she had left Charleston. That was cold-hearted.

Wade became fully alert when he heard a squawking sound outside his window. He rolled to his feet, keeping in the shadows and glancing down at a young private who stood on Mrs. Richmond's doorstep, dangling a chicken by the legs. His jaw clenched as he watched Caroline Richmond invite the soldier inside. Was the price of her favors no more than one scrawny chicken? Did she offer her bounty to every man in uniform who made a trail to her door?

Something about the whole thing was not right, but he could not find the flaw. Why would she live such a meager existence when she had all that Duncan money?

He dropped the tintype on the floor and crushed it beneath his boot. Somehow he did not want to believe that Caroline Duncan was a woman of such loose morals. He picked up the bent tintype, and a small ache throbbed inside him because he had crushed it in a moment of anger. He shoved it into his saddlebag. Why should he care if she went to bed with every soldier at the fort?

He did, though. He cared a lot.

Her face had haunted him from the time he had opened the package sent by her brother-in-law. And seeing her in person, even knowing what kind of woman she was, had not changed his longing for her.

His steely gaze pierced the darkness of his room. He had never lost his head over a woman before, and he wasn't about to lose it over this one. He would carefully set his trap for her, and she would eventually walk right into it.

Wade swore under his breath as the soldier emerged from her house. This one had not even lingered for half an hour. Disgust grew in his heart. His landlady, who seemed to be a decent woman, befriended Caroline Richmond. She could not know about her promiscuous habits.

He would feel no guilt for bringing Mrs. Richmond to justice. In fact, it would be a pleasure to see that she got what she deserved.

Caroline was having more trouble than usual falling asleep. Her thoughts were jumbled with the fear that pressed in on her like a swirling tide of darkness. Taking an exasperated breath, she opened her eyes and sat up, clasping her arms around her folded legs. Had those two meetings with Mr. Renault been accidental, or had he somehow contrived them? Was she being overly distrustful? Probably. But she had reason to be cautious.

Around midnight she was still thinking about the bounty hunter, and what she would do if he came after her. It was hot in her bedroom because it was on the side of the house that caught the setting sun. She pushed her damp hair out of her face.

How could she fall asleep in this heat?

A sudden gust of wind stirred in the leaves of the oak tree outside her bedroom window, and the branches scraped against the roof of the house. Cringing inside,
she remembered that night in Savannah when she had been forced to flee for her life.

Mr. Renault had come to town for someone—he certainly wasn't there for sightseeing. But if he was after her, she was sure he would come at her straight on and not sneak into her house in the middle of the night.

Realizing that she was not going to fall asleep at all, she decided to make herself a cup of tea; perhaps that would help settle her mind.

She slid out of bed, pulled on her tattered green robe, and went into the kitchen. Archimedes greeted her with a yawn, and then stretched and hopped out of his basket, rubbing against her leg. She picked him up and held him close, rubbing his fur. It consoled her somewhat to hear his soft purr while he snuggled against her.

Even though it was hot in the house, Caroline was too afraid to open a window at night. She pushed a tumbled curl away from her neck, wishing the weather would turn cool. She moved out of the kitchen and through the front room. Opening the door, she stepped out on the porch and sat down on the top step, hoping to find some relief from the heat.

Ordinarily she would not have come outside in her robe, but it was the middle of the night, and she imagined that everyone would be asleep. She glanced up at the full moon that had just emerged from behind a cloud bank, showering its brilliance into the darkened shadows.

Archimedes seemed willing to lie in her lap as long as she stroked his fur. It was so quiet at this time of
night. Somewhere near the Grays' house she heard a dog barking, and an angry rebuke by Mr. Gray.

She was overcome with feelings of moroseness. There was no one she could tell her deepest secrets to, as she had with Michael. There was Nelly, but Caroline would not burden her friend with her problems. There was no one to advise her on what she should do now. If only she could talk to her father, he would know what to tell her.

She had to keep so many emotions locked inside, and sometimes the weight of them was almost more than she could bear.

She didn't know what made her glance up at the boardinghouse, her gaze moving to the middle window. Her breath hung in her throat, and she was barely aware that the cat jumped from her arms and ran around the side of the house. Her attention was focused on the silhouette of a man. There was no doubt in her heart that it was Wade Renault, and no doubt in her mind that he wanted her to know he was there, because he stepped closer to the window.

Nelly had not told her that Mr. Renault's room overlooked her own house, giving him a good position to watch her every move. He would know every time she left the house, and everyone who came to visit her. Now that she thought about it, he had probably seen her leave the house that day she had gone to Liggett's store—he must have timed his departure just right so he could meet her there.

The encounter between them had not been an accident at all.

She rose quickly to her feet, clutching her robe together
where it had gapped open in front. Backing up the steps without taking her gaze off him, she felt for the door handle and fumbled with it until it opened. She stumbled inside, slammed the door, and locked it behind her.

She slid down to her knees because her trembling legs would no longer bear her weight. After her heart rate slowed, she dashed about the rooms, making sure all the curtains were pulled together so no one could see inside the house.

After dropping down in the rocking chair and resting her head in her hands, she finally became more rational. But there was no reason to go back to bed, she would never be able to sleep now.

She picked up the petticoat she had been working on earlier and threaded her needle. She might as well do her sewing—perhaps it would take her mind off what had happened. Whether her fear was real or imagined, it remained on the edge of her mind until the first streak of sunlight touched the sky.

After a sleepless night, Caroline wrestled with the notion of staying home and not attending the church picnic. She certainly did not want to take a chance on meeting Mr. Renault again, and he would probably be there.

She spent the morning making the chocolate cake. When she slid it into the oven, she fried the chicken for Private McCaffrey. The homesick young man was only seventeen years old and away from his family for the first time. He had mentioned to Caroline that he did not enjoy Texas-fried chicken—he liked it
cooked with spices the way his mother made it back in Alabama.

Caroline had taken Private McCaffrey under her wing, along with his friend, Private Foster. Both of them were so young, and neither one of them had been able to read or write until she started teaching them.

It was actually Mrs. Liggett who had suggested that the young men talk Caroline into teaching them, and she had enjoyed watching them learn. They insisted on paying her two dollars a month, so she used the money to buy books to give back to them. In the last two months several other young recruits had joined the reading group, and she now had twelve students. They were all polite and respectful to her and made her feel as if she had a dozen younger brothers.

It was almost eleven o'clock by the time she had iced the cake, and a very happy Private McCaffrey had arrived at her front door. After heaping praise on her and thanking her at least five times, he walked away, carrying his fried chicken with him. Caroline stood on the porch, smiling as she watched him reach inside the canvas bag, grab a chicken leg, and take a big bite.

Going back into the house, she removed her apron and hung it on a peg. She had decided that she would just take the cake to the picnic and then return home. Nelly wouldn't like it, but she was in no mood to visit with anyone today. Maybe she could come home and nap.

Tying her bonnet beneath her chin, she lifted the cake and went out the front door. Her gaze was drawn
to the boardinghouse window, and she was relieved that no one stared back at her.

As she made the short walk across town, she joined several other people headed for the fairgrounds, where the festivities were being held.

When she reached the spring-fed pool, Caroline stopped to watch one of the Grays' children dive into the water, gleefully splashing his siblings. She smiled at their laughter and the loud splash that came when they all jumped in the pool at once.

She was suddenly overcome by a feeling of melancholy. The last time she had gone on a picnic was with her father in Charleston. She missed him, and she knew he missed her, too. If only she could go home.

Nelly reluctantly approached Yance Grady's children as they stood near the pond watching the other children swim. Judy was the eldest, at ten, and she had made no secret of her dislike for Nelly. At the moment, the girl was glaring at her and defiantly gripped her five-year-old brother's hand.

“We don't want to see her or talk to her, do we, Seth?” Judy frowned and stuck out her chin, reminding Nelly of her father. “You're not our mama, and you never will be!”

Nelly bent down so she would be eye level with the girl, whose dark gaze flared with resentment. “I don't want to take your mama's place, Judy. No one ever could. But I'd like to be your friend.”

The child stubbornly shook her head. “I don't want you for a friend, either.”

Seth reached out and patted Nelly's cheek, then glanced at his sister, not certain what to do. “I like
you,” he said earnestly, rebelling against his sister. “And our papa does, too.” The boy was remembering the times his papa had taken him to the boardinghouse, when Mrs. Aldrich had served them food and given them dessert. He liked her cooking. It was better than the food his papa gave them, and he couldn't remember his mama's cooking.

Judy gripped her brother's hand and jerked him back. “No, you don't like her—tell her that you don't want her near us.” Her lower lip protruded at Nelly. “It was a good picnic before you came along.”

Seth looked uncertain, but the painful grip his sister had on his hand made him decide in her favor. “We don't want you near us, I guess.” He hung his head and kicked at a stone. “But Papa wants us to like you.”

Nelly stood up as Yance approached, and she tried to smile for his sake. “No matter how you feel about me, Judy, I will always be your friend. And I like you both very much.”

Yance lifted his son in his arms. “It looks like everyone here is having a good time, right, Seth?” He glanced at his daughter. “And how about you, Judy—are you having fun?”

The girl's glance fastened on Nelly's face, and she ducked her head, knowing her papa was going to be mad at her for sassing Mrs. Aldrich. He had warned them before they came to be nice to her.

“We were getting along just fine, weren't we, children?” Nelly asked, watching the girl's face redden.

“No, we weren't,” Seth said, pointing at his sister. “She was just telling Mrs. Aldrich that—”

Nelly took the boy from his father, not giving him
time to finish what he was saying. “Judy was just remarking on what a good day it is for a picnic.”

Judy looked startled. Seth was confused. And Yance looked pleased. “You two run along and play with the Gray kids. Mrs. Gray wants you to eat with them. There's gonna be fireworks tonight if it doesn't rain.”

Nelly set Seth on the ground, and Judy looked up at her in uncertainty. “Let's go.” She gave Nelly a guarded look before darting away with her brother in tow.

Nelly knew it was going to take a lot to win Yance's daughter over, but she would have no trouble with Seth. They both needed a mother—Yance tried hard to take care of them, but Judy's hair needed a good brushing, and Seth's shirt was wrinkled. She looked at the man she loved. He needed someone, too. It had to be hard for him to come home after working on his ranch all day and be both mother and father to the children.

There was one thing that was certain in Nelly's mind: She would never marry Yance until both his children welcomed her into the family. It just wouldn't work otherwise.

The day was sultry, and Caroline was glad she had worn the lightweight blue-and-white gingham gown. She placed her chocolate cake on a table with the rest of the desserts and looked around for Nelly. Apparently, she hadn't arrived yet.

“Caroline,” Julia Salazar said, uncovering a bowl of corn. “You're just the person I need. The food is ready, and we don't have enough servers. Will you help us? I think you were on the list to serve.”

Caroline glanced quickly around and did not see Mr. Renault, so she felt easier in her mind. “I'm your woman,” she said, picking up a spoon. She went down the row of food, helping uncover the bowls.

She was surrounded by the familiar faces of people she knew and liked. She got hugs from many of the children and smiling nods from their parents. Over time, she had become a part of this community. She had a life here, but she had a dreadful premonition that it was about to come to an end.