“I'll dress the twins and go with you.” Karlee brightened.
But her good mood soon faded as she walked through the market. Something was wrong. She wasn't sure what, but she could feel it in the air, in the way men greeted one another, in the absence of children and women outside and in the stores. Trouble was blowing in like a summer storm.
While Gerilyn checked on passage, Karlee stopped to talk with Valerie's mother. “What is it? What is happening?”
Valerie shook her head. “My madre will not speak of it. She says talk brings trouble walking in.”
Ida passed with her arms loaded down with fresh bread. “That could be true, child. Listen to your mother.”
Karlee busied herself with other conversation, knowing she would get nothing out of the two women. As she left the store, Valerie followed.
“I must know,” Karlee whispered, hoping Valerie would confide in her.
“I'm not supposed to say. But you're not from around here and don't know what's going on.” Excitement danced in the girl's eyes the way it does in only the young when danger is near.
They sat on a bench outside the bakery. “There is a man named Cullen Baker. He's plenty mean. Folks say he killed his first man when he was nineteen and liked it so much he keeps killing. He was a raider during the war, not caring which side he robbed and murdered. But since the war ended, he picks on mostly Yankees. So, some folks hide him out and think he's somehow good. But my madre says there is no good in him.”
“But how is this Cullen upsetting the whole town?”
“Baker and his men robbed an army shipment a year back. They killed the guards and took everything, wagons and all. The rumor is one of his men betrayed him and kept part of the goods. Baker has bragged that he'll ride into town tonight and take back what's his. He says he'll kill anyone who helped the traitor.”
“But he can't just ride into town. The sheriff, the troops.”
“The federal troops don't have a cavalry big enough to chase him. Tempers have been boiling for months. They say there will be a riot tonight over the way the courts have been handing out justice.” Valerie looked truly frightened. “Some even say bodies will hang from the trees come morning.”
Karlee stood. “When you close tonight, you and your mother come home with Ida. I'll make room for you both at our place.”
Valerie shook her head. “I don't know if Madre will do that.”
“Tell her I'm afraid for the children because Daniel will be away.” Karlee thought that wasn't far from the truth.
Valerie nodded. “I will tell her. Madre loves the little ones.”
Karlee hugged Valerie good-bye and walked calmly back down the street to where Gerilyn stood waiting to know if she had passage. She'd wanted the twins to keep her company, but now crossed her eyes with exasperation.
“I thought you'd never come back, Cousin. You really should be more aware of the time you waste. If you were better organized, you could accomplish twice as much each day.”
“I'll remember that.” Karlee motioned toward the papers in Gerilyn's hand and quickly changed the subject. “Are you going?”
“Tomorrow, late morning. On a steamer I would call adequate and nothing more.”
“Since it's your last night, I've invited company for dinner.”
Gerilyn plastered on a smile that was almost believable. “I love dinner parties. But nothing too fancy, Cousin. I have to pack and really have little time to prepare.”
“Nothing fancy,” Karlee promised.
The afternoon was spent with Karlee trying to cook and Gerilyn packing. She asked Karlee to bring her three matching trunks up one at a time. As Karlee delivered each, she knew it was only a matter of time before Gerilyn realized one trunk was missing. She couldn't empty out the guns from her trunk inside the house with the children about. If she emptied them on the porch all the town would probably notice.
Karlee had to think of something. A idea popped full-blown into her mind as she dragged a loaded trunk from Gerilyn's room, down the stairs and across the foyer. It was a great plan.
She slid the hidden panel open quickly. Lifted the trap door carved in the floor remembering how Daniel had asked her to climb into the hole that first night.
This was perfect. Gerilyn would never miss the clothes, and if she did, she'd think one of her trunks was lost in transport.
Karlee opened the trunk, grabbed armfuls of carefully folded clothes and shoved them into the coffin-sized hole. In less than a minute, the trunk was empty.
Out of breath, Karlee closed the trap door, slid the panel shut and began pulling the now-empty trunk back up the stairs.
She'd only made it halfway up when Gerilyn appeared on the landing. “Oh, there you are, Cousin. I was just about to tell you I needed my last trunk.”
“I have it right here.” Karlee smiled at the brilliancy of her plan. What could possibly go wrong?
TWENTY-SIX
DANIEL WALKED THE STREETS OF JEFFERSON, LISTENING to the sounds of hate around him. It was bad enough that the Southerners resented the Yankees' presence while the Northerners thought the Rebs should pay for the war. But the hatred was deeper. Far deeper. A kind of wound that has festered so long no one remembered how it started.
Sometimes he felt like the world had gone mad with resentment and prejudice. It reminded him of a story he'd read once about a tribe long extinct. The culture considered itself to be a civilized lot. So when two chiefs had a quarrel, they would stand on either side of the river with their people behind them. To show his belief in his cause and anger with the other chief, the leader on one side would kill one of his own tribe. The other chief would do the same. Back and forth it went, until one leader was sick of how many of his people lay dead at his feet. That chief was declared the loser for he would kill no more of his own. Sometimes, according to legend, only the chief would remain. He'd killed his entire tribe to prove how strongly he believed in his cause… he'd won.
Somehow being right and getting revenge were more important than saving those he loved. Like the ancient tribe, everyone in Jefferson seemed to have lost sight of what mattered.
Added to an already boiling pot were men of Cullen Baker's type, who preyed on the festering wound like maggots. Daniel was not happy to hear that Baker was coming to town to even the score between one of his former men and himself.
A nagging thought brewed in the back of Daniel's mind. Rumor was, Baker's former partner withheld part of a loot stolen from a federal troop shipment. The guns that had been in Daniel's hidden closet were all new Union-issue rifles. Maybe it was just coincidence, for nothing else matched the former preacher and owner of Daniel's home to Baker… nothing except a mother who'd disappeared and the stash of rifles.
He planned to ask Karlee what she'd done with the guns. The sooner he could get rid of them, the better. But when he opened the door of his home, a dozen people greeted him.
Valerie and her mother were cooking. Ida fussed over the children. Several of the young German men talked by the fire. Gerilyn sat at the table looking very much like she'd been committed to the state ward for the insane. His sister-in-law was dressed for a dinner party that obviously hadn't turned out to be what she'd expected.
Before he could close the door, Gerilyn jumped at him as if drowning. “Oh, Daniel!” She didn't seem able to say more.
Daniel nodded at everyone. “Welcome,” he said, and caught Karlee's glance.
She smiled back a little shyly. “We've company for dinner, Dear.”
Daniel almost laughed out loud. He must be getting used to her unpredictability. “So I see.” He took time to greet everyone individually, moving about the room with Gerilyn following in his wake asking questions.
Finally, he turned and took her hands. “Gerilyn, don't worry. We'll have a great time even if all the china on the table doesn't match.”