A Promise for Tomorrow (24 page)
Carolina came to take hold of her, fearful that Victoria would try to join her father. “We should hear something soon,” she told her. “Come back inside and keep warm.”
Victoria did as she was told, but she wasn’t at all happy about it. With her dark hair streaming down her back, she suddenly looked much younger and very vulnerable.
“Just pray for him,” Carolina whispered. “God is watching over him as surely as He’s watching over us.”
“It’s hard to just sit here and do nothing but wait,” Victoria whined.
“Then you can help us roll more bandages.” Carolina handed her a wad of material. “There will no doubt be plenty of wounds to mend after this ruckus.”
Victoria paled and Carolina wondered if her daughter was not only fretting for her father but also for the young Irishman who seemed to have so completely captivated her interest. Kiernan O’Connor had done nothing inappropriate in his behavior, but his interest in Victoria was nevertheless obvious. Carolina tried not to take offense at Kiernan’s attention. She tried to remember what it was to be young and how fanciful youth could be in regard to love. Still, she didn’t like to see Victoria turn her attention to infatuation at such an immature age. There was a great deal the girl had yet to learn, and Carolina feared she would throw it all away.
It wasn’t until that moment that, with some surprise, Carolina realized she’d already planned out Victoria’s future. Here she was already envisioning Victoria in a university or college but had given very little thought as to whether or not Victoria wanted such a thing.
Carolina had just opened her mouth to question her daughter on that very subject when the door burst open and James entered, disheveled and smoke smudged.
“Papa!” Victoria cried out. Dropping the bandage roll, she hurried into his arms. “Are you all right?”
“I am fine.” He gave her a brief hug, then turned to his wife. “Carolina, the sheriff is putting together a posse of townsfolk. We’re going after the ringleaders in order to capture them and put them in the jail up north in Kingwood.” He went to the fireplace mantel and took down his musket. “The sheriff has also asked for women to help tend the wounded.”
“Are there many?” Carolina asked, her heart pounding hard at the sight of James with gun in hand.
“Quite a few. The Connaughtmen burned the shanties and tents of the Corkians and Fardowns. Seems nearly three hundred Connaughtmen chased off their rivals from the tunnel work earlier this evening, and the matter continued to build until a full-fledged war broke out.” He looked at her anxiously, then turned.
“Wait!” Carolina called, dropping her own bandages and crossing the room to her husband. “How long will you be?”
“There’s no telling.”
“Victoria, quickly! Go get your father the extra blankets. Miriam, pack him some food.” Both hurried to do Carolina’s bidding. “You can’t go without provisions,” she told James. The snows were fierce and the mountains nearly impossible to navigate. And what if the men were hiding out in places of ambush? “Please be careful,” she said, her gaze locking with his.
James pulled her close. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. There are quite a few of us going in search of those men.”
“Do you suppose Red is one of them?” Carolina dared the question only because Victoria hadn’t yet returned.
“I’m afraid so. At least, that’s what it sounds like.”
“Do you suppose Kiernan is also involved?” Just then they heard Victoria’s feet on the stairs.
“I honestly don’t know,” James told her.
Miriam and Victoria returned. James kissed Carolina soundly, then released her and took up the blankets and cloth-wrapped provisions. “Pray for us,” he called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the night.
“I already have been,” she whispered from the open doorway. “I’ll never stop.”
Victoria hugged her tightly and laid her head against Carolina. “Will Papa be all right, Mama?”
Carolina realized that once again she had to be the strong one. “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” she told her daughter. “We must keep him in our prayers.”
“We bes’ get the bandages down to those hurt folk,” Miriam suggested.
“Yes,” Carolina agreed. “Victoria, gather up the ones we’ve already made. You can watch the children and work on making more while Miriam and I go tend the wounded.”
Victoria nodded and went about her task, while Carolina hurried upstairs to put on warmer clothes. Within minutes she was standing at the door as James had only moments earlier. “I’ll check in when I can,” she said. “Be sure to keep a close eye on Jordana. There’s no telling who might still be out there looking to stir up trouble. Keep the bar across the door, and keep the door locked.”
“I will, Mama,” Victoria promised.
An hour later, Victoria, weary from making bandages and lack of sleep, heard a scratching noise on the backside of the house. She felt her heart leap to her throat. Quietly she put the bandage down and got to her feet. Maybe it was just the wind. She paused, straining to hear. The noise came again, this time causing Victoria to jump. Someone or something was nosing around the back of the house.
Bears and mountain lions were plentiful, but it was the dead of winter, and her father had told her that both were most likely hibernating. Could it be one of the Irish her mother had warned her about?
She heard the noise again; this time it sounded more like a knock. She went to the archway between the front room and kitchen—afraid to look through the window but afraid not to look, too. Finally she gathered her courage and, taking a deep breath, forced herself to step through the arch.
Her hand flew to her mouth just in time to stifle a scream. A face peered back at her through the frosted glass of the kitchen window. She started to dash from the room, but the sound of her name being called instantly froze her in place. She turned again and listened.
“Victoria!” the muffled cry came.
It was Kiernan. Of that she was now certain. Against her mother’s instructions she hurried to lift the bar and unlock the door.
“Kiernan!” she gasped as his battered face peered back at her in the dim light.
“Can ya help me?”
“Of course, come in.” She shivered, then realized she’d dropped her blanket wrap somewhere along the way.
“No, they’d be a-findin’ me here. Do ya know of a place to hide me?” He was limping as he stepped toward her and swayed so far to the right that he had to catch himself against the cabinet.
Victoria tried to think of the best course of action. She could put him upstairs in the spare room. It was seldom that anyone went in there. But seeing the footprints in the snow, she knew that others might track him here. Then a thought came to her. “There’s a cave just a short way from our yard. Papa had it cleared out and boarded it off. We store food there.”
“That would work,” Kiernan agreed.
“Let me get a lantern and some blankets,” Victoria said, turning to go.
“Turn the light completely down,” he advised. “We can’t have anyone seein’ us.”
Victoria nodded. She gathered up the blanket she’d earlier warmed herself in, then went quickly to pull another from the trunk in her room. Frantically she searched the house for anything she might use to help Kiernan. She took up a few of the bandages she’d rolled, then grabbed a pail with half-frozen water. The last thing she did was wrap her cloak around her and take up the lantern. Remembering Kiernan’s warning, she turned the wick down until only a hint of fire burned on the wick.
“Can you take these?” she asked, handing him the blankets.
“I can manage,” he responded in a whisper.
“Good,” she said, motioning him to follow. “It’s just over here.”
Victoria scarcely heard the exchange of conversation between her mother and father. Nearly a week had passed since the riot and still Red O’Connor and many of his men were at large. From what she had managed to glean from the adult talk, her father’s friend Ben Latrobe had arranged to hire armed guards to patrol the work site, and that was stirring up unfriendly feelings among the workers and their supervisors.
Daily she had performed her chores, grateful they included helping Miriam in the kitchen. Whenever Miriam needed something from the cave, Victoria happily volunteered to fetch it, giving her the perfect opportunity to see to Kiernan, who was still hiding there, nursing a badly sprained ankle and unable to move. Those were her happiest moments, for it was here that she enjoyed the friendly banter that passed between them. Kiernan didn’t treat her like a child. He asked after her, actually seeming anxious to know more about her life in Greigsville and in Baltimore. In turn, she listened to his stories of Ireland and longed deep within her soul to one day see the country for herself.
“Latrobe convinced the contractors that twenty-five men armed with muskets and bayonets would be enough to put things right,” James was telling Carolina. “The contractors are willing to give the men another chance, but of course Red will have to account for what he’s done when he’s found.”
“What of the others?” Carolina asked, casting a quick glance at Victoria.
Victoria was certain that her mother truly meant to ask after Kiernan but refrained from speaking his name so as not to upset her. In order to give them no indication that she had the slightest idea of his whereabouts, Victoria joined in. “Yes, what about his brother?”
James shrugged. “That I do not know. I suppose he might have gone off with Red.”
“Surely not!” Victoria exclaimed. Her only thought was that Kiernan might face the same blame as Red. She found her parents staring at her in open surprise at her outburst. “I can’t believe Kiernan would want to see men hurt like you described,” she quickly offered as explanation for her disruption.
“I don’t like to believe he would, either,” James finally said, reaching out to pat Victoria’s small hand. “I wouldn’t worry overmuch. I’m sure they know how to take care of themselves, whether together or apart.”
Victoria nodded and hurried to finish her breakfast.
“Miriam, I think it would be nice to have some of that venison Kiernan brought us. Why don’t we have stew for supper this evening?”
Miriam nodded and Victoria seized the moment. “I’ll go get it for you after breakfast.”
“That would be very nice of you,” Carolina said, beaming her daughter a smile. “When you finish with that, we’ll get right to your studies. I’m afraid if you don’t concentrate, Brenton is going to pass you by in arithmetic.”
“I don’t like it very much,” Victoria admitted.
“But you’ll need it if you’re to go on to college,” Carolina said matter-of-factly.
Victoria could hardly count her mother’s many references to sending her off to college. It was very important to her mother, and up until recently Victoria assumed she could grant her this wish and not rebel or protest, in spite of her dislike for bookwork and learning. Now with her mind constantly thinking of Kiernan and Ireland, Victoria didn’t like to imagine going off to some northern university where progressive minds allowed men and women to learn together. Not unless Kiernan could go, too, and that wasn’t very likely given the fact that he couldn’t read.
But he was learning, she thought and smiled to herself. As soon as he’d begun to knit back to health, Victoria had offered to loan him a book with which to pass the time. It was then that he had confessed his inability to read.
A loud knock sounded on the front door. Victoria’s father and mother exchanged looks.
“Who could that be?” James wondered out loud, getting to his feet.
Victoria peered through the open archway as her father opened the door to reveal one of the young townswomen who’d befriended her mother.
“Hello, won’t you come in?” James asked.
“Thank you kindly, but there isn’t time,” the woman said anxiously, then glanced through the doorway. “I need your missus. Mrs. Smith is havin’ her baby and it’s a-comin’ hard.”
Victoria saw her mother’s eyes widen at this announcement. Carolina got to her feet and Victoria followed, leaving Jordana and Brenton to play with their food. “I’m sorry, but I’ve hardly any experience in such matters,” Carolina said, coming to stand beside her husband.
“You’ve a sight more experience than me, what with me being newly married and the youngest in my family. Weren’t no brothers and sisters to help birth, and leastwise you have three of your own,” the young woman protested.
“I see,” Carolina said, nodding. “Well, then, I will come, and I will bring Miriam with me.”
“Your slave?” the girl asked in wide-eyed wonder.
“Miriam is a free woman,” Carolina told her. “I gave her papers and now she works for us willingly. But Miriam knows birthings, and I’m sure she can offer up more help than I.” She turned to Victoria. “You keep your brother and sister out of trouble while I’m gone.”
“I will,” Victoria assured her. With her father, mother, and Miriam gone, Victoria knew she would have a perfect opportunity to visit with Kiernan. Her only problem would be keeping Brenton and Jordana busy.
After the house emptied, Victoria decided on a plan. In order to keep a constant watch over Jordana, she would have to take the child outdoors with her. Brenton wouldn’t be a problem. He loved to cipher, and she knew that she could simply leave him with a slate of addition problems and he would be content. Still, if she took Jordana with her, her sister might well later mention Kiernan’s whereabouts. She just couldn’t risk that.
“Brenton, I need your help,” she told her brother. “I’m going to have you practice your reading, but I want you to read that nice storybook Mama has for Jordana.”
At this Jordana began to clap her hands. She loved to be read to, and Victoria realized if only Brenton would cooperate she could count on at least ten or more minutes to visit with Kiernan. She wiped Jordana’s face off and helped her down from the table while trying to arrange everything in her mind.
“I need to go outside to the cave and get the venison for our stew. Then I’ll probably need to bring in some wood,” she told Brenton, careful to notice that the woodpile beside the stove was running low. “I’m going to be a few minutes because I don’t know exactly where Miriam and Mama put the venison.” It was a lie, but she knew it would buy time with her brother.
