Desperate (Harris Trilogy Book One) (11 page)

She
snorted, “Every time you touch me I remember what you almost did to me at the creek. I will never trust you.”

His brown
eyes softened. “Kate, I promise not to ever harm you.”  

Abruptly, he
turned his attention toward his men. She blushed when she saw them watching her curiously. Of course Emerson’s strange behavior had them confused. Without a doubt they had never seen him rub another soldier’s legs. 

“Private Davis, go to the farmhouse and tell the family we will b
e staying in the barn tonight.” Davis had long brown hair that he kept tied back. He couldn’t have been much more than seventeen himself. She had not gotten to know him very well, but he seemed to be a good soldier, who did not ask too many questions and obeyed his orders.

“Corporal Jacobs, see if you can find
us some fresh meat for supper. By the looks of the tiny farm house, I doubt they have enough food for themselves, let alone for us.” 

She
did not care much for Jacobs because he had a sneaky air about him. Maybe it was just her, but for some reason he made her feel uneasy. He reminded her of a weasel.

N
ow that she was alone with Lieutenant Emerson, she became nervous. Her distress was obvious as she sat on the floor of the barn wringing her hands together.

He exclaimed in a brus
que tone, “You can relax, Kate. I have my orders from Captain Harris not to touch you in any inappropriate way, you are safe.” 

Still able to see the scratches
and bruises on his face, her blush deepened remembering how he got them. “I would feel better if you just keep your distance.” Tension lingered and she wished David would have sent someone else to escort her to Harris Plantation. But then he feared someone else would learn her gender and report her for deceiving them. She could understand the importance of secrecy, but her feelings for Emerson made her anxious.

“I can’t keep my distance when my orders are not to let you out of my sight until I deliver yo
u safely to Harris Plantation. So get used to me being close until I rid myself of you.” 

A
tinge of annoyance in his voice proved he didn’t want to be her escort anymore than she wanted him to be her protector. Well, they were here now so they both needed to make the best of the situation. She moved to her pack and made herself busy by removing her meager belongings.

Corporal Jacobs and Private Dav
is returned at the same moment. Jacobs had been lucky with his hunting and carried two rabbits by the back legs. Blood dripped onto the plank floor of the barn. 

Emerson took the rabbits from Jacobs and handed them to her. “I assume
you know what to do with these.”

Instead of answering, she
snatched the rabbits out of his hand and carried them outside. Did she know how to skin a rabbit? Of course she did. He knew she was a poor farm girl. No reason to rub it in.

When Private Davis stepped to her side, she bit her bottom lip to control her anger. There was no reason to take her frustration out on him.
He offered, “I’ll skin ‘em if you hold ‘em.”

Emerson
and Corporal Jacobs built a fire to cook their supper on the south side of the barn. She went through the Lieutenant’s saddlebags until she found some spices to flavor the rabbits. She skewered the rabbits with a stick and put them over the fire to cook. 

Staring into the fire, s
he wondered what David was doing. Was he missing her? She hoped he felt as miserable as she did. Why could she not stop thinking about him? She was failing miserably at keeping him out of her thoughts.  

When the rabbits were done, Kate
pulled off a leg, and sunk her teeth to the bone. She closed her eyes and savored the tasty meat. A loud moan of pleasure interrupted the silence.

Emerson peered across the fire at her
as he bit into another piece of rabbit. “You’re a pretty good cook, Private Monroe. This is the best rabbit I have ever tasted.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” She
kept her eyes on her plate, too afraid to make eye contact. She devoured her portion of the rabbit with haste. “I think I’ll turn in for the night. I’m exhausted.”

Kate hurried to the barn hoping the men would stay by the fire long enough for her to have a private moment. From the time she joined the infantry, she had been surrounded by men.
She carried her bedroll over into the hay and unrolled it hoping she would be asleep before they turned in for the night. She was just getting comfortable when Emerson put his bedroll next to hers. Shocked at the audacity of the man, she cringed. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He
whispered, “I’m protecting you. How better to do that than by sleeping right next to your hot, young body?”  His sensual smile ruffled her feathers.

“You can protect me just
as easy from across the room.” She pointed toward the other two soldiers trying to keep her voice low. “Go sleep over there. You make me nervous.” No way would she be able to sleep with him near. Worry bubbled in her stomach as she remembered his hands all over her body the night he found her bathing in the creek. 

His laugh was deep and masculine. “I admire your honesty. But I do have my orders.
Despite what you think of me, I take my responsibilities serious. 

She
scowled at him, and turned her back so she could get some sleep. Maybe if she ignored him, he would leave her alone. 

For half an hour she
tossed and turned trying to get comfortable. No matter what she did she couldn’t sleep. Even though she was extremely tired from the journey, her troubled mind would not let her relax. Would David’s parents accept her into their home? 

“Kate, I can’t sleep, t
alk to me a while.”

“Only if you promise not to make any indecent rem
arks.” Annoyed, she rolled over and stared into his eyes glowing in the dim light of the lantern.

“Fine, I pro
mise to be a gentleman.” Her unladylike snort at his being a gentleman caused him to chuckle. “Tell me what happened to your family.”

V
oice filled with sadness, she replied, “The last few years have been tragic. First my parents died in a barn fire. Then my twin brother, Jake died two months after returning home from injuries incurred fighting for the South. My beloved grandmother died of influenza leaving me alone. My hopes were shattered of staying on my small farm when my neighbor, Bob Lewis forced me to leave.”

“Surely, there was someone that could help you. You didn’t have a neighbor who could take you in?
”

“No, I have no one.
I don’t expect you to understand. You are a man. You can do as you please. Because I am female I am expected to marry, even if without love. Not me, I want more than a man like Bob Lewis, who repels me. If someone would have helped me, I’m sure Mr. Lewis would have caused them harm. I couldn’t risk anyone being hurt because of me. That is why I deceived everyone. I felt I had no other recourse.” Life had been unfair for her in the past few months, but because of the war there were probably hundreds of stories as tragic as hers.

“Maybe I was
a little hasty in judging you. I’m sorry you found yourself in such a terrible situation.” She heard the sympathy in his voice. 

Every time she mentioned Bob Lewi
s her thoughts were bleak. She decided to change the subject. “What is David, I mean Captain Harris going to tell people about my disappearance?” Her face blossomed with color. Already suspicious of her relationship with David, she did not want him to know she had been intimate with him.

“His plan is to tell everyon
e that you ran away from home. Your rich grandfather found out you joined the infantry and wants his beloved grandson back home. He will make a huge contribution to the Southern Cause if you are returned home without retribution.”

“What if they
ask my grandfather’s name?” She questioned.

“He wanted to remain anonymous.”

She sighed. “Sounds like a good plan, I hope it works. I don’t want anyone to get into trouble because of my facade.”

“Stop worrying.
Tomorrow you will be safe at Harris Plantation.” Rolling onto his side away from her, he whispered, “Get some sleep. We will be leaving early in the morning.”

Seconds passed before he heard her soft breathing. Thankfully, s
he had finally dozed off to sleep. He admired her spirit and courage. Maybe he needed to be a little more understanding about her plight. She was forced to leave the home she had always known. She must be scared knowing she would be staying with complete strangers. He had always been curt or surly with her. Perhaps he should make the effort to be nice to her.

He suspected David slept with Kate.
It would be hard to restrain from making love with someone so beautiful and curvy. What were David’s plans? He had thought it odd his orders were to escort her to Harris Plantation. He wondered if Captain Harris’ plans were honorable or if he planned to keep Kate for himself. It was doubtful his parents would allow anything scandalous under their roof.

Sleep eluded Mike as he lay on his bac
k, staring at the barn ceiling. Kate’s beautiful round breasts and curvy derriere were so vivid in his mind. A body as lush as hers was meant to be savored. She had almost been his the night at the creek. If David had not shown up, he would have bedded her. She had the most amazing body he had ever seen. His desire for her was almost uncontrollable. It was going to be a long night. With the back of his hand he wiped the sweat from his brow. 

I
f he touched her, he would have to face the wrath of Captain Harris. Besides, she could barely tolerate him. He ruined any chance he had of sparking her when he found her naked and alone at the creek.

Rubbing
his still sore jaw, he grimaced. After being at the receiving end of David’s wrath he never intended to be again.

Chapter Six

A noise woke Kate. She moaned in pain as she stretched her arms over her head. Muscles ached she didn’t even know she had
from the hours spent on horseback yesterday. At least the hay was more comfortable than sleeping on the hard, plank floor. It would feel wonderful to sleep in a featherbed.

She sat up an
d looked around the dark barn. Rubbing her hands over her face, she peered around trying to see in the dim light. She could just make out the tall form of Lieutenant Emerson lying next to her. The only light that filtered through the door came from the half moon. Across the room she could hear someone’s loud snoring. Maybe the snoring woke her. Then she heard the noise again. It sounded like a muffled sound. Instinct told her something was out of the ordinary. She slipped out of her bedroll, and tiptoed across the floor of the barn in her bare feet not wanting to wake Emerson. 

The moon was throwing a little light when she stepped outside
because it was partially covered by clouds. Shadows near the small farmhouse caught her attention. Sounds of a struggle penetrated the quiet of the still dark morning. It looked as if two people were fighting. She inched closer to get a better look.

S
hocked, Kate saw Corporal Jacobs holding a young girl against the farmhouse while she was trying to get out of his grasp. He had his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. The young girl’s whimpers sent chills down her spine. The girl couldn’t have been more than fourteen years old. The front of her dress had been ripped exposing her tiny breasts. His other hand was roughly grappling at her. He lifted her dress and was fumbling with the front of his pants to free himself. 

M
ortified Corporal Jacobs was trying to rape a child, she ran across the expanse of ground, jumped on Jacobs’ back, and pulled his hair as hard as she could. “Leave her alone, Corporal Jacobs! She is just a child!” He threw her to the ground as if she were a rag doll. When her bottom hit the ground, she yelped in pain.

T
eeth clenched in anger, Jacobs hissed, “Mind your own business, Private Monroe. Go back to the barn and leave me be.” He continued to fumble with his pants ignoring her. 

Undaunted, Kate looked around for
something to use as a weapon. She picked up a rock, ran at Jacobs, and hit him over the head with all the strength she could summon. Stunned, he fell to the ground on his hands and knees giving the distraught girl time to run back into the farmhouse screaming for her mama.

From the look on his face, he was in pain.
A trickle of blood oozed onto his temple. He stood up on shaky legs, and turned his wrath toward her. 

“Private, you are going to
pay for interrupting my plans. She’s nothing but poor white trash. No one cares. I have stayed up all night waiting for her to be away from her ma. You will learn to mind your own business when I am through with you.” 

He picked her
up by the shirtfront lifting her feet off the ground. When he raised his fist to hit her, she closed her eyes and waited for the impact. 

All of a su
dden, Kate fell to the ground. She looked up to see Emerson punch Jacobs in the jaw. The first blow knocked him off his feet. Emerson picked him up by the back of his neck and hit him in the stomach. Three more punches and he was rendered unconscious. He lay unmoving on the ground at Emerson’s feet, blood pouring from his nose.

Irritated, he
strolled over to Kate and peered down at her. “What have you gotten into this time? I can’t even get any sleep when you are around. Explain why you are out here causing trouble.”

Angry that he would believe her responsible for interrupting his sleep
, she shouted at him, “Jacobs tried to rape a young girl.  I had to stop him!” She glared at him. “He is the one you should be yelling at, not me.”

He stared at her
sitting on the ground looking frazzled, her uniform covered in dust, her toes peeping from under her pants. “You are either the craziest or bravest woman I have ever known. I just don’t know which description fits best.” He offered her his hand. She placed her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet, wrapped his hand around her arm, and all but dragged her back inside the barn. In a stern voice he ordered, “Wait here, while I take care of this.”

Without breaking stride, he
sauntered over to where Private Davis was still snoring loudly. With his booted foot, he poked him in the side waking the startled soldier. “Go outside and revive Jacobs. He just tried to rape the young farm girl and I beat the hell out of him.” 

It didn’
t take but a moment for Davis to realize Emerson was furious. He donned his boots and left the barn in a hurry.  

I
n a dark mood, Emerson left the barn and knocked on the door of the small farmhouse. Kate watched from the threshold of the barn as he was invited inside by the young girl’s mother. A half hour later he finally emerged.  

As soo
n as he returned, they packed up and left the farm even before the sun had risen. She wanted to ask him if the young girl was okay, but his hostility kept her from speaking to him. His expression alone could melt rock.

From the corner of her eye, she looked at Jacobs’ face.
It was badly bruised and bleeding. At least Emerson gave him a good thrashing. She wished she could have been the one to make him hurt like he was hurting now. For the past few weeks stress had her nerves on edge. A good fight would go a long way to relieve some of that stress. If she had her way, Jacobs would have been tarred, feathered, and run out of Virginia.

****

It was a somber group that later stopped by a creek to water their horses before continuing to their destination. The not knowing was killing Kate. She walked over to Emerson and asked, “Was the young girl hurt?”

“She was pretty shaken up.
She was going to the pump to get some water when Jacobs came up behind her and accosted her.” Emerson removed his hat and raked his fingers through his hair. “Her mother was upset. Her husband was killed six months ago, and it’s just the two of them. I promised her that Jacobs would be punished.”

“How i
s he going to be punished?” she snapped.

Angry eyes glared at her
. “I beg your pardon.”

H
ands plopped on her hips, she continued, “You heard me. How is he going to be punished?”

“Captain Harris will decide
his fate.”

“Cap
tain Harris did not punish you. How is what Jacobs tried to do to the young girl any different than what you tried to do to me? You are guilty of the same crime.” Voice filled with contempt, she waited for his explanation.

Arms crossed over his chest, he arched an eyebrow. “Kate, it is different.
You made the situation yourself by choosing to dress as a man and join the infantry. You were asking for trouble.”

She was so infuriated she had the urge to slap him.
“I asked for nothing you bastard!” She clinched her hands into fists to control her temper. Before she did something stupid, she mounted her horse ready to be on her way. The sooner she was rid of the insufferable Lieutenant Emerson the better.

Annoyance flicked in his eyes.
“That temper of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble. Like this morning for instance. Why didn’t you come get me instead of attacking Jacobs yourself? You are much too impulsive. You could’ve been hurt.”

Too angry to speak, she turned Betsy around giving him her back. She couldn’t win with him.
The man infuriated her too much.  

Two hours later, m
aking an effort at being cordial, Mike informed her, “We have entered land belonging to the Harris’ family.” As they rode he pointed out several landmarks and answered her questions in a friendly manner. 

After riding for a
bout another hour, two huge fields on both sides of the road came into view. Small, green shoots grew in straight, furrowed rows. “It’s beautiful.” 

Eyes on the left field, Emerson explained, “That’s tobacco, the chief crop grown by the Harris Family.
” 

She followed his gaze as he changed direction and looked at the field on the right. “And that is cotton. We call it white gold. It doesn’t look like much now, but in a few months it will look like a sea of white.”

The enormous fields were dotted with colored people; backs bent chopping the weeds from the earth. One of the slaves waved to Emerson as they rode by. He left the rest of the entourage to speak to the muscular, tall dark skinned slave. She was amazed at their camaraderie. Both men had huge smiles plastered on their faces. The slave even called him Mike. Horror stories of how plantation owners treated their slaves came to mind. This was not what she expected. The two seemed to be the best of friends.

As they continued
their journey to the house, they rode in silence. Beauty surrounded her as they neared the house. Ancient old oaks lined the entrance to the front of the house, which blocked her view until she was halfway up the drive. She had to hold her composure as the enormous two story house came into view. The front of the house was white with jade green shutters and large columns rising up to the second story. A winding porch wrapped all the way across the front of the house. It was breathtaking. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

Stop
ping in front of the house, Emerson dismounted and waited for her to do the same. “Davis, you and Jacobs take the horses and bed them down for the night. There’re a couple of cots in the back of the stables. You can sleep there. We’ll leave at first light in the morning.” He shot Jacobs a single hard look. “You are confined to the barn.” 

Surprised, Kate thought her escorts would be leaving as soon as she was safely at her destinatio
n. It was only about 5:00, and maybe Lieutenant Emerson thought it was too late to head back to camp. 

I
t hit Kate like a ton of bricks. This beautiful plantation home was where David grew up. His parents were probably inside at this very moment. She began to tremble. What would they think when Emerson knocked on the door and left her on their doorstep?  

He tucked his arm into hers and led her
up the stairs to the deeply carved, double front door. Her heart beat so fast she thought it would explode. Had she made the right decision choosing David’s plantation over her grandfather’s? What kind of reception would she receive?

He lifted the heavy knock
er rapping loudly on the door. They did not wait long before a short, plump, colored woman opened the door. She looked as if she was approximately fifty years old. She must have been cooking supper in the kitchen when they interrupted her duties because flour covered the apron tied around her ample middle. 

“Mike Emer
son, I can’t believe it’s you. I han’t seen you in ages. Ant’ you a sight for sore eyes?” The woman threw her chubby arms round Emerson’s waist and hugged him because she was much too short to hug his neck. “Mmmm, it’s good to see ya.” She stepped back and poked a finger into his stomach. “Looks like ya need some fattening up. Ya too skinny.”

He laughed out loud. “Annie, how are you?
I hope Myra isn’t working you too hard.” His big, wide smile revealed his pretty white teeth. She wondered why he was never that nice to her. It seemed she was the only person who riled him.

“I’m good, Mike.
I can’t complain and the work keeps me out of trouble. Come in. Come in. Who’s the youngun ya got there?”

With a strong grip, he
took her by the arm and guided her into the foyer. “I’ll let Myra explain, Annie.”

Annie led them to the Harris’ parlor.
“I’ll go fix you some ‘em to eat.”

“Don’t put yourself to any trouble.”

“No, bother. There’s always some pie.” Smile still on her lips, she disappeared through the door.

T
he opulence of the beautiful room had her staring in bright eyed wonder. The parquet floor was shining brightly as if just waxed. A gleaming crystal, candelabra hung from the ceiling. The cream colored sofa with Persian pillows looked inviting, but neither would sit because they were too filthy. Oil landscapes in gilded frames lined the walls all the way up to the high ceiling. Even though her hands were dirty, she moved toward the paintings and touched the edge of one of the frames with her fingers. The room was magnificent. Never in her life had she felt so out of place.     

“Mike!”

Kate turned toward the sound of the female voice.

“Myra, y
ou are as lovely as ever.” Emerson quickly crossed the room lifting the woman off her feet and giving her a bear hug. Luxurious, red hair piled high on her head, Kate thought her beautiful. Almost the same height as Emerson, she was tall for a woman. It was easy to see the two were close friends.   

Ka
te stood in the center of Mrs. Harris’ parlor gripping her hands together in distress. “Who is your friend, Mike?”

All e
yes turned toward her, and her unease grew. She blushed. 

“Kate, give Myra the letter David gave you.”

The surprise showed on her face. Embarrassed because she assumed she was a young man, Mrs. Harris quickly apologized. “I’m sorry I should have known you were a girl with that angelic face. Please forgive me, but I’ve never seen a female wearing a Confederate uniform before.”