Spring Will Come (72 page)

             
“It’s beautiful,” Janie said, a touch of awe in her voice.  “How could you ever stand to leave it?”

             
“You haven’t seen anything yet!”  Carrie leaned forward expectantly.  “We should see the house in a minute.”  Her heart caught with a sudden fear.  “I hope it’s okay.  What if it’s gone?  What if they’ve burned it?  There may be none of my father’s people here.”  Her voice stuck in her throat.  “I’m so looking forward to seeing Sam, Opal, and the kids.  What if they’re all gone?”  Carrie had known she should prepare for the worst, but her excitement the last two weeks had made it impossible.

             
“I’m just glad the weather finally cleared so you can get all your questions answered.”  Janie reached for Carrie’s hand. 

             
Carrie took it gratefully, squeezing it tightly.  Her eyes were glued on the final curve.  She would know in just a few minutes.  Suddenly she was afraid to know.  Turning her head away, she closed her eyes.  Janie just squeezed her hand tighter.    Carrie still had her head turned away when her friend spoke.

             
“I wonder who owns that beautiful three-story white home?” Janie asked in a teasing voice.

             
Carrie eyes flew open.  “It’s here.  It’s still here,” she said softly.  She was stunned by the surge of emotion that swept through her as she saw her home rise before her eyes.  It stood tall and elegant, banked by huge mounds of snow, the towering oaks surrounding it like frosted sentinels.  “I’m home,” she whispered.  She made no attempt to wipe away the tears running down her face. 

             
“Sure is a right nice place,” Spencer said admiringly.  “You reckon your daddy will need some help out here when we’re all free and this war be over?  I always thought working on a farm would be a mighty fine thing.”

             
“I’m sure Father would find something for you, Spencer.  He thinks very highly of you.”  Carrie had a hard time thinking past each day.  Thinking ahead to when the war would be over was simply too much of a stretch for her.  Right now all she wanted was enjoy being home again. 

             
They were almost to the house when the big front door swung open and a tall figure stepped out onto the porch and shaded his eyes against the bright sunshine.

             
Carrie leapt up, hanging onto the front seat of the carriage.  “Sam!” she cried joyfully.  “You’re still here!”

             
Sam bent low to peer out at the carriage then straightened with a shout.  “Miss Carrie?  That be you, Carrie girl?”  He gave a yell of delight and turned to holler back into the house.  “Miss Carrie be home!”

             
Carrie was out of the carriage before it had rolled to a complete stop.  Seconds later she was wrapped in the old butler’s arms.  “Sam!  It’s so good to see you.  I was afraid you were going to be gone.”

             
“Don’t figure I got nowhere to go better than here,” Sam said, smiling.  He held her out and looked her over.  “I been wondering every day if you was able to get away from them Yankee soldiers.  I reckon you did, sure nuff.”

             
Carrie laughed and pulled away.  “I have so much to tell you. But first...”  Carrie beckoned to Janie and Spencer.  “This is my dear friend, Janie Winthrop.  And this is Spencer.  Please make sure he has a nice room.”

             
“I reckon there be plenty of rooms, Miss Carrie.  We don’t seem to have a whole lot of company now-a-days,” Sam grinned   “You here to stay for good?”

             
Carrie shook her head.  “Just for a few days.  I have to get back to the hospital.”  She saw the question in Sam’s eyes.  “I’ll tell you everything.  Just give me time.”

             
Laughing and talking, all of them moved into the house.  Carrie had just reached to unbutton her coat when a shriek of delight sounded from the back of the house.  “Miss Carrie!  I
did
hear Sam right.  I thought I’s imagining things.  You’re home.  You’re all right.  Those soldiers didn’t get you!”   Opal dashed into the hallway and gave her a fierce hug.

             
Carrie hugged her hard then stepped back.  “I’m so glad to see you, Opal.  I was afraid you would have taken the children and gone to the contraband camps.”

             
Opal shook her head firmly.   “The children and I are staying right here.  We aren’t leaving until this war ends and Eddie gets out of that prison.  Besides, we’re doing fine here.  We’re keeping the house nice, and we got plenty to eat.  From what I hear, we got a lot more than those folks in the camps.  I know we can go free anytime we want.  Living here like this is like being free.  It’s fine for now.  I’ve got the children to think about.”

             
“The children are all right?”

             
“They’re doing real fine.  They still miss their mama and daddy, but they’re growing like weeds with all this good food, and we’re putting all your daddy’s books to good use.  Those are some mighty smart kids.”

             
Carrie looked around.  “Where are they?”

             
“I sent them out to tend to the pigs.  Ain’t too many, but the herd is growing again.”

             
Carrie finally held up her hand.  “I have a thousand questions, but I think we’d better bring our things in first.”  

             
“Spencer done went out to get them.  You and Miss Winthrop just get yourselves warm,” Sam said easily.  “I know that had to be a mighty cold ride.”

             
“Carrie, your home is so beautiful!” Janie exclaimed, walking over to caress the baby grand piano in the parlor.  “Everything has been kept so nice.”

             
Carrie turned to Sam.  “Y’all have done a wonderful job taking care of the place.  Thank you.”  Her words were inadequate, but Sam would know how full her heart was.  She gazed around.  They had indeed done a splendid job.  The house was just like she remembered it.  Even the crystal chandelier was gleaming.

             
“Ain’t nothing much to do around here,” Sam said with a shrug.  “Opal and the kids do a fine job keeping the place up.”

             
“I was so afraid the Union soldiers would destroy it.”

             
“They talked about it,” Sam admitted.  “They knows all about your daddy working with the gov’ment.  That didn’t sit too good with them.  I heard ‘em talking about what they planning on doing to that Ruffin fella’s place.”

             
“They completely destroyed it.  Even salted the fields,” Carrie said sadly. 

             
Sam grimaced.  “Some of them soldiers mighty mad when you got away from them.  They come back in here snortin’ and stompin’.  Couldn’t believe a girl outwitted them!”  He laughed.  “A few of them be all for torching the place.  I was plenty scared, I’s can tell you that.”

             
“What stopped them?”

             
“Not what - it was who.  That captain fellow.  They called him Captain Jones.  He said he ain’t never see nothing like you flying over that fence on Granite.  That he was sure he saw blood on your shoulder, but still you just flew over that fence like a bird.”  He stopped for a moment.  “They didn’t shoot you did they, Miss Carrie?”

             
“It was nothing,” Carrie said casually.  “Just a surface wound.”  She ignored Janie’s look of disbelief.  It was over.  There was no reason to dwell on it. 

             
“That’s good.  Anyway,” he continued, “that fella was so impressed he tell his soldiers they couldn’t touch one thing in the house. Say it a tribute to your bravery.  Them soldiers snorted and stomped some more, but all they done was take food.  They didn’t hurt one building on the place.”

             
Carrie sagged in relief, suddenly realizing how tired she was from the long, cold ride.

             
Sam noticed it immediately.  “You go upstairs.  I’ll send one of the kids up with some hot water.  I bet you and Miss Winthrop could use a hot bath.”

             
“That would be wonderful,” Janie sighed.  “I think even my blood is almost frozen.” 

             
Carrie led the way up the stairs and collapsed onto the bed as soon as she reached her room.  “It feels so good to be home.” 

             
Janie was gazing around the room curiously.  “How
did
you get away from the Union soldiers?  I’ve heard you tell the story a million times, but you never explain how you did it.  There’s no way out of this room.”  She walked to the window and looked out.  “Surely you didn’t climb out the window.” 

             
Carrie merely smiled mysteriously.  “It’s a Cromwell secret,” she said in a hushed whisper.  

             
“You won’t even tell
me
?”  Janie asked pleadingly.  Then she laughed.  “That’s okay.  Far be it from me to pry into family secrets.  I’m simply glad you escaped unharmed.”

             
Carrie knew she meant it.  “I want to show you a special mirror,” she said, jumping up from the bed.  “My great-great-grandfather brought it over on the boat when he and my great-great-grandmother came to America.  It stayed in its box until he had carved a home out of the wilderness.  It’s been in this exact spot ever since.”

             
“How beautiful,” Janie murmured.  “It seems odd, though.”

             
“What?”

             
“That a mirror like this should be in a bedroom.  You would think something this beautiful and elaborate would be in a prominent place downstairs.”

             
“That’s what my mother thought, too,” Carrie chuckled.  “She tried to get my father to move it for years.  He refused.”

             
“Because of tradition?”

             
“Well, it was a little more than that,” Carrie teased. 

             
Janie looked confused.  “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

             
“I didn’t either.  Not for a long time.  The mirror was simply a beautiful thing I confided my secrets to.  I didn’t realize it held a secret all of its own.”  She leaned over and ran her fingers along the edge of the frame lightly.  Finally she found what she was looking for - a slender handle completely concealed by the frame - and tugged.  Slowly the mirror swung out to reveal a gaping hole.

             
“Oh, my!” Janie gasped, her eyes wide as the moon just rising to cast its silvery light over the snowy landscape.  She moved forward slowly to peer into the dark hole.  “
This
is how you got away from the soldiers.”

             
Carrie grinned and told her the actual, detailed version of her escape.  “Moses saved my life,” she finished.  “Or at least my honor,” she added in a grim voice. 

             
Janie was still staring at the hole and shaking her head in disbelief.  “What an incredible place!  It’s like something you’d read about in a book - only it’s real.”

             
Carrie heard approaching footsteps and quickly closed the mirror door. 

             
“Thank you for sharing your secret,” Janie said quietly.  “You can trust me to keep it.”

             
“I know,” Carrie said calmly as she moved toward the door.  She flung it open before whoever it was could knock.  “Susie,” she said warmly.  “It’s so good to see you again.”  Fannie’s oldest daughter had become a beautiful young woman. 

             
“Thank you, Miss Cromwell.  It’s nice to see you, too.”  Susie spoke with quiet confidence.  She nodded to Janie.  “It’s good to have you, Miss Winthrop.” She turned back to Carrie.   “I’ve brought you some hot water.  There’s more on the way.”  She paused.  “It’s good to have you back.  This has been a wonderful home for us until our daddy gets out of prison.”

             
“The war has to end sometime,” Carrie said encouragingly.

             
“Yes, ma’am.  I just hope the North wins this war.  If the South wins my daddy could spend the rest of his life in prison.”  Nodding slightly, she turned away and retreated down the hall. 

             
Carrie watched her go, knowing she carried burdens much too heavy for her young shoulders.  Of course, most of the country was carrying heavy burdens.

             
“She’s a very beautiful girl,” Janie said admiringly.

             
“Yes.  She has been through so much.  I’m glad to see no bitterness in her eyes.   She just seems to have matured.”

             
“Hard times can either make you or break you,” Janie said thoughtfully.  “I’ve seen some people come through hard times so much stronger and wiser - and more compassionate.  I’ve seen other people become hardened and bitter.”