And One Wore Gray (49 page)

She didn’t need to. Daniel spoke dryly from the porch. “Callie is my wife.”

“Wife!” the brunet gasped. But she quickly regained her composure. “How wonderful! And that means that this is your baby, Daniel. But you were just home before Christmas and you didn’t mention—”

“Christa!” Kiernan interrupted quickly. She hadn’t lost a bit of her composure or poise. Callie was sure that her cheeks were growing pink despite her very best efforts. “Let’s get Callie and the baby in, shall we?” She smiled brilliantly. “Daniel has always been full of surprises.”

Daniel left the porch, and now strode up to the horse, reaching up to lift Callie down.

“The baby!” Kiernan cried.

“We’re quite accustomed to him,” Daniel told her.

But when Callie’s feet touched the ground, Kiernan was reaching out for Jared. “May I?”

She didn’t really expect an answer; she swept the baby up and pulled the cotton bunting from his face. “Oh, you’re beautiful!” she murmured to the baby. She glanced up, smiling at Callie and Daniel. “My Lord, Daniel, you would recognize this child anywhere as a Cameron. And he’s so young! Callie, how old is he now? Two months old?”

“Yes, just about,” Daniel replied before Callie could speak.

“Oh, is he precious!” Kiernan said.

“But Daniel, you were here last fall and you never mentioned a wife. Oh—” Christa began. She cut off
her own words, flushing. Of course, it had to be painfully evident to them both, Callie thought, that if she and Daniel were actually married at all, the ceremony had to have taken place long after the baby’s conception.

“Oh!” she repeated quickly. “Where are my manners? You’ve had a long trip. You must be tired.”

“And famished,” Kiernan added, “and very thirsty. Daniel, bring your wife in.” To Callie she added, “We’ve done our best to aid the war effort, but we’ve also been very lucky. We’ve had friends burned out, but the Yanks haven’t tred this way yet. Of course, my husband is a Yankee—maybe that’s kept some of the companies from our doorstep—but that’s another story, and a very confused one. Come in. Just leave the horse, Daniel. Jigger will have him seen to.”

Kiernan had the baby bundled in the crook of one elbow. She linked her free arm through Callie’s and started leading her up the steps. “I don’t imagine that my brother-in-law will be home very long?”

The affection in her voice was warm and genuine and Callie found herself answering softly. “I don’t think so. He has to return as soon as possible to his command.”

“Well, then, we shall have to make the best of this time for both of you. Christa and I will not intrude. Still, first things first!” She had pushed open the doors to the house. Callie was met by a massive wide hallway with doorways leading to rooms on either side of the house. There was a wonderful grand stairway leading to a landing where, even from here, Callie could see a gallery filled with pictures. Embroidered love seats lined the great hallway, and the matching rear doors, the ones that faced the river, had been thrown open. Far beyond the house Callie could see the beginnings of a rose garden.

“Janey, Jigger!” Kiernan cried out. A doorway to
the left burst open. A tiny whirlwind of energy in very small breeches came bursting through first, racing toward Kiernan. “Mama!” he cried.

“Oh, dear!” Kiernan laughed, scooping down to pick up the little boy. Callie was startled at the boy’s appearance, for surely she was looking at her own son, one year from now.

“John Daniel,” Kiernan said, “this is your aunt Callie. And your cousin. What is his name?”

“Jared,” Callie said.

“This is your cousin, Jared.”

“Kiernan, he isn’t in the least interested in a cousin, yet!” Daniel said. He came around to sweep his wriggling nephew from Kiernan, holding the little boy up in the air so that he shrieked with laughter. “My goodness, John Daniel, you’re getting big!” He glanced at Kiernan. “Has Jesse seen him lately?”

She shook her head. “Not since Christmas. We discussed the idea of my moving up to Washington, but he knew that I would hate it there, and it probably wouldn’t help much, he never seems to get any time away.” She breathed quietly for a moment, looking at Daniel. “He’s back in Virginia, I’ve heard. In the valley somewhere, with Meade’s army.”

“Perhaps I’ll see him,” Daniel said lightly.

“Oh, Daniel, I pray not! When you see him, it is so frequently because you’re injured or in some place like that horrible prison!”

“Yes,” Daniel muttered, and despite herself, Callie felt herself flushing again. Well, it seemed evident enough that he’d never mentioned her to his sister and sister-in-law before. But she couldn’t tell by his manner just what he intended to tell them now that they were here.

He wasn’t going to say anything now, for there was
suddenly a cackle of glee. “Master Daniel, you’ve done come home!”

“Jigger!” Daniel said happily, striding across the hall to hug the tall, lean black man who had just come in, running after little John Daniel Cameron. The boy, caught between the two men, squealed with delight.

“You look wonderful, Jigger. The rheumatism’s not too bad, eh?”

“No, sir. The summer weather is kind to my bones! But you, sir, you are looking by far the worse for wear!”

“Well, that’s because I do feel so well worn,” Daniel said.

Jigger was frowning, looking at Jared, still held in Kiernan’s arms, then glancing at Callie, and glancing at the baby again. “Oh, Lawdy! Why, you done brought home a missus, sir. And another little one.” He rolled his eyes. “This is going to be one busy household, sir, that it is!” He suddenly stood very straight, and offered Callie an extremely dignified bow. “Miz Cameron, welcome to Cameron Hall!”

“Thank you, Jigger,” she said quietly.

His gaze moved quickly over her travel-worn dress. “First things, first, I think. The new Miz Cameron must surely be wanting a bath.”

“Of course!” Christa said suddenly. “And you couldn’t possibly have carried any of your things. I think we’re of about the same size. I hope you won’t mind taking a few dresses and things from me?”

“I wouldn’t mind at all,” Callie said. “But you needn’t—”

“Here’s Janey!” Kiernan interrupted. A very tall, extremely attractive black woman came walking in from the rear porch.

“Well, I’ll be …” she began. “Master Daniel!”

A grin broke out on her face, and she ran down the hall to greet him. Callie suddenly felt warm. He was
loved here. Dearly loved by his family. He could not be a cold or a cruel man and have earned this love.

She had loved him herself. He was hard, he was a blade honed razor-sharp by the years of war. But she had known that he was admirable, and that was why she had loved him.

Loved him still.

No! Only a fool would love a man who felt such a contempt for her as Daniel did for Callie.

“What!” Janey gasped, listening to something that Daniel had said. She, too, swung around to stare at Callie. “A wife! And a baby! Another boy? Miss Kiernan, when is someone in this house going to produce us a little girl to dress up and pamper.”

Kiernan laughed. “Don’t look at me, Janey. I haven’t seen Jesse since Christmas. Perhaps we can look to Daniel and his bride,”

Callie gritted her teeth. If she flushed just one more time here, she was going to scream. Don’t look at us! She almost cried. We hate one another.

But, as she had discovered, that very often had little to do with the production of a child. No promises, Daniel had told her. She had agreed to become his wife.

He stared at her now, watching her reaction. Gauging it?

Or mocking her all the while? She didn’t know.

“Let’s give the poor woman a chance to breathe,” Christa said, laughing. “A bath first! Janey, can you see to it, please?”

“Surely,” Jane said. “I’ll just take that child for you—”

“No, you will not!” Kiernan protested, holding tight to Jared. “John Daniel has gotten far too big to hold and love like this. I’m going to become acquainted with my new nephew. Daniel, perhaps you should take a
walk with yours! Christa can see to whatever you may need, Callie, and then supper should be ready soon enough. How does that sound for everyone?”

“Fine,” Daniel said. “Young John Daniel, you and I are going for a walk.”

John Daniel wasn’t old enough to have much of a vocabulary, but he seemed to like his uncle well enough. “Walk!” he agreed, chubby little fingers winding around Daniel’s neck. Without a backward glance, Daniel started out through the back. Kiernan offered Callie a radiant smile. “I’ll just take him into the study.”

“He might need new—pants,” Callie said.

Kiernan laughed. “Why, Mrs. D. Cameron, I’m certainly experienced with changing a baby’s pants. Get away with you now!”

Then she was gone, and Christa had taken Callie’s arm. They walked up the long winding stairway, with Christa talking all the while, softly, warmly, as sweetly as if she had asked Callie to her home herself.

Callie paused in the portrait gallery at the top landing, intrigued by the portraits. Some of them were very old. All of them were oil paintings, except for one at the end of the gallery.

It was a photograph, a picture of a family. A handsome man and woman sat on a sofa, with Christa, perhaps at fifteen or sixteen, between them. Behind the sofa stood both Jesse and Daniel. Both were dressed in the dark blue of the Union cavalry.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Christa said softly. “It was taken several years before the war. I’ve heard that it was one of Mr. Brady’s finest. Ma and Pa were still alive then. And Jesse and Daniel were both in the U.S. Army. I love this portrait. It means so much to me. Especially when day after day after day goes by and I don’t know exactly where either of them might be …” Her voice trailed away. “A bath! I know that it is the first thing
that I would desire, and I’d desire it with all of my heart!”

Christa led her to a room. Wonderful full-length windows looked out on the garden and the river beyond. Against the inner wall was a cherry-wood sleigh bed, and to the left was a huge fireplace. A desk was situated before the windows to catch the light, and two plush chairs were drawn close by so that someone sitting in them might look out on the beauty of the view. There were also two huge armoires in the room, and a large trunk at the foot of the bed, and a washstand to the left of it.

It was an attractive room, a welcoming one. It was also a definitely masculine one. Daniel’s.

The tub had already been brought, and a golden-colored little servant boy was dumping in a huge bucket of water.

“Just let me get you some things, and then I’ll leave you in peace,” Christa told her.

She was as good as her word, bringing in a supply of soap and towels, and then being joined by Janey, who helped her carry in all manner of petticoats and pantalets and stockings and gowns. There was such an array of things that Callie began to protest, but Christa ignored her. “There’s nowhere for me to wear all of these things anymore! I’m afraid I was terribly frivolous before the war, so I’m grateful now that I can think perhaps it was destiny I was so sadly greedy!” She laughed, and then she was gone, and Callie was alone.

The first thing she thought when she sank into the water was that it was not going to be nearly so terrible as she had imagined.

She leaned back, then bolted up again. This was Daniel’s room. She didn’t know when he would come
back to it. She bit her lip,- looking around, noticing the little things she hadn’t seen at first.

There was a set of crossed swords on the wall, old swords it seemed, from the Revolutionary War. There was a tintype of Daniel. He was in a Union uniform, and he appeared very young. She wondered if it had been his graduation from West Point.

In the stand beside the bed were several books. Books by Shakespeare, by Defoe. She strained her eyes. A copy of Chaucer’s
Canterbury Tales.
There were a few other books. A small handbook on military maneuvers, and one on animal husbandry. On the desk was another photograph. It was one of Daniel and Jesse, arm in arm, in front of the house.

She closed her eyes. The water was growing cold.

How would they bear it here if either brother died?

Don’t go back, Daniel, she thought.

But it was wishful thinking. Even if he loved her, even if he adored her, he would not shrink from returning to the war.

I love him, she thought.

No! He would not believe you; he would hurt you worse. Maintain your distance, keep your heart safe and hold on to your pride. And then he will be gone.

But what if he doesn’t come back?

With that question continuing to plague her, she rose from the tub. She dried herself quickly, then looked through the array of Christa’s gifts. There was a silver-gray day dress, with cream and black lace edgings. She ran her fingers over it, then began to dress. Christa had supplied simply everything. She found stockings and garters and pantalets, and everything fit. She awkwardly tied herself into a corset, then slipped the dress over her head and shoulders, and let it fall. It was beautiful.

She still wished she had the white dress back. It had meant so much to her. She didn’t know if it was because
it was the first thing that Daniel had given her, or because she had been married in it, or because of the little red slippers Varina had given her to go with it.

No matter. It was gone. And she was surrounded by more luxury than she had ever known.

Christa had supplied her with shoes as well. And with a silver-handled brush.

She finished dressing, aware of the silence in the house. She tentatively stepped into the hallway and walked down the stairs. A door toward the back of the house was open. She could hear voices coming from it and walked toward it.

She paused, for she could hear Kiernan and Daniel.

They were talking about her.

“Daniel, truly, I’ve no wish to intrude in your life, but … ?”

“What is it, Kiernan?” he asked dryly, but a warmth and humor remained in his voice. “Please go ahead and intrude now, because eventually you’re going to do so anyway.”

“All right, where is she from?”

“Maryland.”