Southern Beauty (5 page)

Jacob followed her back to the cabin holding the stack of wood he collected.  He tried to hold back his laugh at Johanna’s observation
and her prideful manner.

Turning to Jacob once again, she asked in almost a whisper, “Does he love her?”

“McPherson? Ah, he loves every woman and they love him too,” said Jacob.  He noticed her emerald eyes had now turned glossy as if she were about to cry, even though she tried desperately to hide it. Jacob sighed and then rested his hand on her shoulder.  “Is he getting to you?  Are you actually beginning to care for David?”

“Oh n
o, absolutely not, I don’t care in the least.  I have much higher standards, Mr. Evans.  Besides he is so, so, difficult,” She stated as she gained control of her emotions once again.

“And you are not?”  Jacob laughed.

Rain began to sprinkle down on them and Jacob and Johanna continued their trip back to the cabin.

“And where the hell have you two been?”  David asked angrily in a way that made them both feel like they were kids being scolded by a parent.

“We went to gather wood for the fire.” Jacob answered quickly before Johanna could speak.

“Do you have a problem with that?” Johanna glared.

“As a matter of fact I do,” he scowled, “there are footprints outside that do not belong to any of us.  Someone knows we’re here we need to leave immediately.”

David grabbed her arm forcing her towards him and stared down at her.  “Listen little girl, you could be in danger, you need to stop acting like a child, and listen to me for once.”    

“No, you could be in danger.  Let go of my arm.” Johanna said gritting her teeth and pulling away.  “I’m tired of you treating me terribly.  Don’t touch me, don’t talk to me, and don’t even look at me.”  Johanna reached for the doorknob.

“Where do you think you
’re going?”  David yelled after her as if she were a child being scolded. 

“Out!” she screamed back, slamming the door behind her, thunder cracked adding to the drama, and she stepped into the pouring rain which now fell like autumn leaves in a gusty breeze.

“It’s raining; you’re going to catch the death of yourself.”  David bit his lip.  “I guess I better go get her, you’ll never know what kind of trouble she’ll get herself into.”  He left without looking at Preston and Jacob’s blank expressions as they watched the scene before them unfold.  

Johanna’s silken body was now drenched, the dampness had cooled her hot head and she raised her hands above her head to feel the freedom she felt out in the open.  The heavy beats of the rain pounding the ground drowned out David’s voice calling for her.  When she finally did hear him, she ducked behind a tree so he’d pass. 

“Johanna?” he yelled again this time in a concerned and frantic tone.  The rain now poured harder, but beyond the splashing rain he heard a faint giggle.  Turning he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.  Her golden hair clinging to her face, dress and petticoat beneath stuck to her so tightly it showed her full figure, and that smile, that teasing smile, seductively invited him to her.   

David grinned taking a closer step.  He lifted his hand to her cheek and pulled away her wet hair that hid her emerald eyes.  What was it about her that made him feel so alive?  He felt anger and passion at once.  She was a child but everything about her was a woman. 

“Do you really hate me?”  David asked her with a slight grin. 

“No
, I do not,” she admitted and then held her breath. Her gaze locked on his.  She wanted desperately to remove herself from his powerful presence. He had an undeniable power over her that made her want more of him.  She hated him for it. It was hard for her to swallow. His handsome face gazing upon hers made Johanna tremble. The look on his face made it even harder for her to turn away.  He looked at her with wonder as if he had never seen her before.     

“Do you treat all your prisoners like this, Lieutenant?” asked Johanna, trying desperately to break their intense moment.

“Only the ones who are defiant,” said David. “Of course, until they are broken.”

Johanna stared him down. 
“Are you saying that I am a horse or child?” she asked.

“Does it matter?” he asked.

Johanna was so furious with David she could actually feel her blood pressure boil, and her face burn with anger, but she could not make any words form.  She stared at him.  Watching him laugh at her was painful. She had let down her guard for some odd reason. Why she did continued to perplex her. 

Johanna
turned in anger and tried to step away from him to head back to the cottage.   Before she took another step, David grabbed her arm and turned her toward him with a jerk. 

They were now face to face again, staring in each other’s eyes, inches from each other.  Another crack of thunder and a flash of lightening outlined their circumstance.  A small stream
began to form nearby that had been created by the downpour of rain. 

Johanna tried to push him away although he was too strong for her.  His fists wrapped around her wrists, she tried to struggle, but her heart wanted to give in.  David whispered
her name calming her.  “Johanna,” he whispered. 

Her face felt hot again but it wasn’t because of anger.  She froze and looked up
into his handsome face.

He whisp
ered her name again, “Johanna.”

S
he was entranced, it was as if the whole world had stopped, became motionless, as if there was no rain, no war, and no cares.  Time had held on and wouldn’t tick to the next second.  

David’s mind couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing.  Even wet with the rain pouring over her, Johanna was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.   He whispered her name as if it was a heavenly secret he unveiled. 

“Johanna,” he said once again. She wanted him even though she struggled, he knew.  He could see it in her eyes.  He felt it he was consumed by it, by her.  She was intoxicating.  He had lost.  He could not pretend anymore.  He had to have her.  He would never be the same again.  It was then, in that moment, that space in time that the revelation came.  Lieutenant David McPherson knew that he loved her.   

David’s
eyes traced Johanna’s lips, he wanted to taste them, feel their warmth, their tenderness.  His hands shook as they began to touch her silken face.  He feared if he touched her, she’d disappear into the night as if in a dream.  He could not wait any longer he had to kiss her, and with a powerful embrace, his lips collided with hers.

A

fter that day Johanna couldn’t remember much
about the incident with David.  The moment they had shared together was a blur.  It seemed more like a dream.  She could hardly remember when Private Graystone whisked her away from David.  They were interrupted by unexpected arrival of Malcolm.  He had knocked David out with his revolver with one swift blow.  David had no idea what hit him until it was too late.

David and Johanna didn’t hear Malcolm
approach them from behind with the downpour of rain and the crashing thunder.  As David fell to the ground it was there in that instant, Malcolm took her.  He grabbed her, covered her mouth, and before she could scream, he whispered in her ear.

“Colonel Lee has sent me
,” said Malcolm.  “I am here to save you.  Please don’t scream or there will be blood spilled this night.”  

That was enough for
Johanna.  She never said a word.  And they rode back toward Charleston and she never looked back, not once.  A blur, her time with David was something that changed her.  But it was just a blur. 

Private Graystone and Johanna didn’t speak until
arriving at her home where her uncle had sent soldiers to keep watch.  She entered, bathed, changed clothes, and went down into the dining room where Malcolm and dinner sat waiting for her.  There were also at least a dozen servants she didn’t recognize milling around. 

It was hard for Johanna to smile, but she knew that the soldier was doing his job.  She couldn’t be angry with him. 

“Thank you,” she forced a smile, “you saved my life.” 

“Miss Lee, I was sent to take you to
Arlington.  I don’t really know what happened when you were abducted,” Malcolm looked at her with concern, “I know that Union soldier tried to force himself on you out there, and I am sorry that I wasn’t here sooner.  I will never forgive myself for staying at the inn and not coming straight here.” 

Johanna looked up at him with confusion and then frowned.  “I just want to forget all about it,” she lied. 

“On Sunday, I will take you to Arlington as planned.  In the mean time, your uncle left word that he would like us to stay and meet him at the Beauregard’s party in two evenings from now.”  Malcolm smiled.  “I would love to take you.” He asked in a charming plea even Johanna couldn’t turn down. 

“I thought he couldn’t meet us?” questioned Johanna.

“A change of plans,” answered Malcolm.

Johanna couldn’t think of anything she would rather not do, but she half smiled back and said, “That would be nice, thank you Mr. Graystone.” 

“Please call me Malcolm,” he noticed her somber tone and put his hand on hers.  “Cheer up Miss Johanna, it will be fun, I promise.” 

The next day she spent in her room with thoughts of David and how she began to notice his kindness more during their time together.  She was confused by her feelings.  He was her captor, he was arrogant, yet, he made her feel an unbelievable shock to her heart every time he would lay his eyes on her or touch her.  She was torn between hate and love.  One second she despised him and the other she didn’t know how she would go on without him.  It was ridiculous.  She was being ridiculous she thought.  How could this infatuation be good?  It was not like her to feel such emotions.  She must be coming down with something.  She felt her face.  Oh yes, it was flushed, she must be ill.  Maybe she would lie down some more she thought. 

“Stop thinking about him,” she angrily whispered to herself.  She tried to read and then realized she left her magazine with the Union soldiers.  She was heartbroken.  How could she get it back? 

She could not live with knowing that they had something that was so precious to her, unfortunately, they were long gone.  They had what they needed.  She knew they must have found her uncle’s cigar box with the plans inside. 

Then she smiled to herself and put her hand on the locket that caressed her neck.  She was able to save one page of her uncle’s plans, the map.  They might have some of it, but they didn’t have all of it. 

“Now go back to your regiment and see if your big heroes!”  She actually had a twinge of sadness for them.  They would look like idiots with
half of a plan.  She could hear someone at the front door.  She hid her locket back in her dress and looked once again in the mirror and dashed down the stairs to see who had visited her. 

#   #   #

“Damn!” said David punching the ground. 
He was angry and humiliated by his surprised blow to the head.  It took him awhile to awaken when Jacob called his name and helped him off the ground. 

“Are you okay?”  Jacob said helping David with a hand up. “That bump on your head looks painful.”

“She’s gone,” David said as he felt his goose egg.  His gaze directed past Jacob, looking in the direction Johanna had disappeared. There were footprints in the mud that lay before them.  It had proven she had not escaped on her own. 

“I know.  I think we need to reevaluate what we are going to do.  We have to get out of here before recruits come,” said Jacob. “You know she has the map with her, don’t you? 
Preston was admiring her locket earlier and she refused to let him look in it.  It must be in there.  The good news is we still have the cigar box we found in the liquor cabinet.  I think it’s more important than just a bunch of exquisite cigars.”

Preston
finally joining them with one of the cigars in his mouth, “Yeah, these cigars are going to determine who wins the war,” he laughed.

David still looking around as if Johanna was going to appear out of the woods ignored the men, “I blew it.  I stopped thinking about the mission for one second.  I know better.  I have to get her back,” said David.

“What do you mean? Have you gone mad?” asked Preston. 

“Yes...” David hesitated and then caught himself, “no, I just mean, we need to get that map from her.”

“Right, how do you suppose we do that?” Jacob asked.

“
I don’t know yet,” said David still rubbing his head. 

“Well, I am in, whatever you decide,” said
Preston.

“Thanks, I appreciate your support,” said David.

Preston laughed, “No, it’s not that, I am just amused by the effect Miss Lee has on you.”

#   #   #

When Malcolm met Johanna at her door to escort her to the Beauregard’s ball, she was surprised to notice how very handsome he was.  He had a boyish charm about him that made a girl’s heart skip a beat in his presence.