Wild, Beautiful, and Free(95)

Anything you want, ma chérie. Anything you want, Jeannette.

“Thank God, you’re all right,” I finally said. “I was so afraid! I saw Colonel Eshton at Shiloh, and I thought . . .”

“No, no, I’m fine. Shiloh? God, Jeannette!”

We heard a horse galloping, and the soldiers who had been watching us with some bemusement straightened at their posts.

“It’s all right!” I told them. “It’s all right. He’s Union; he’s with me.” I wiped my eyes—I hadn’t realized I had been weeping. When Walter approached, I was able to say, “This is Lieutenant Walter Stone. He escorted me here from Vicksburg. We arrived three days ago.”

Christian held my hand and wouldn’t let go of it as he moved toward Walter. He extended his other hand up to Walter, who was still mounted. “Captain Colchester at your service.”

Walter shook his hand. “Lieutenant Stone, sir. General Grant said to extend his appreciation to whoever from this region has been sending us supplies. I understand now it’s you and your men.”

“Thank you, sir. But you are the one who has brought a treasure to me. I am in your debt.”

Walter looked at me and Christian and tipped his hat. “I had no idea, sir. I was just bringing her home.”

I laughed and burrowed my face into Christian’s neck. He smelled the same—of warmth and musk and tobacco.

“You did, sir,” he said to Walter. “You did.”

Christian took hold of my horse and gave instructions to his men. We mounted the horse together and let it walk us back slow so we could talk. My hands were wet with sweat, so I was glad he held the reins. A late-summer haze draped the road in front of us, and the air was still.

I leaned against him. “I was going to start writing letters to find out what had become of you,” I said. “I had to find out one way or another whether you were dead or injured. Maybe you’d even come through one of my field hospitals.” I gripped his arm in front of me. “There were times when I thought you had.”

“You’ve been a nurse, then?”

“Yes. Been at Vicksburg for nearly a year.”

“A year! I’ve seen the reports. I hate thinking you’ve been through such hell.”

My heart swelled as I saw the cane fields, the plants gold tipped and green, stretch out from both sides of the road. The last time I’d seen this parcel of Catalpa Valley, I’d been with Papa. The last time I’d felt this safe and loved had been at Fortitude.

“When did you leave Lower Knoll?” I asked.

“Only a day or two after you did. I was so afraid for you I didn’t want to go. I even had Templeton do some riding around to see if anyone had seen you. Where did you go?”

“I left with Poney on the supply run and made him promise not to tell anyone.”

“I couldn’t wait—had to report to Colonel Eshton’s regiment. I was gone from Lower Knoll before Poney returned.”

“He got hurt, Christian. It probably took him a while to get back.”

“Hurt?”

“Yes.” I wondered if I should tell him how, but there was no reason to keep it from him. “We drove into the middle of a battle. He was shot. I managed to dress his wound and get us behind the lines to a field hospital. That’s how I ended up becoming a nurse.”

His arms tightened around me. “I’m sorry you have been in danger. If something had happened to you, I would have blamed myself. You left because of me.”

“Please don’t,” I said. “I made the decision to go on my own.”

“I wanted to look for you, but then I realized I didn’t have to. I knew you would be here, at least in spirit until you came in person. I just had to find a way to get here.”

“It was a risk,” I said. “Coming south, this deep into the Confederacy.”

I felt him kiss the back of my head. “Someone taught me that a person takes risks for what and whom one loves.”

I smiled. “Yes.”

Christian stopped the horse before we reached the house.

“Jeannette, please. I don’t want to be in a room with other people just yet. Let me look at you and talk to you. All right? Only you.”

I knew where to go. We tied up the horse at the post near the gallery, and I took Christian by the hand. We walked behind the house and down the lawn to Papa’s gazebo, among the old trees where I’d sat with Calista. The small structure was in need of paint and care, but it was still there and sturdy. We sat, and Christian looked and looked at me like he couldn’t get enough of the sight of me. He removed his cap. I wondered how it had ever fit, because his hair had grown long and bushy. His thick brown beard was also unkempt. If he hadn’t been in uniform, I would have thought him as wild as his eyes. For some moments we said nothing. I reached out and touched his beard and stroked the side of his face. I didn’t need for either of us to say anything. My mind was at peace and whole. I felt calm and clear. I was home. He was alive. It was enough for me to sit there acknowledging these gifts and to be content.

“You said you saw Colonel Eshton in Tennessee?”

“Yes. He said you had gone to New Orleans.”

“I’d heard a group of infantry were headed there to attack the city. Eshton gave me a letter of recommendation, and I managed to find a troop that allowed me to travel south with them. Once down there we used shallow-draft transports to get us through the bayous. There was a fleet of ships ahead of us.”