“I have never given Amy any reason to expect an offer from me. We’re no longer living in the Middle Ages. Couples now choose their own mates.” He shot a look at his sister.
“Forgive me.” Janet plastered a smile on her face and stepped towards Diamond. “Welcome, sister.”
Diamond stiffened as Janet gave her a perfunctory hug.
“Janet, this is Diamond. Not only did she help me escape, she probably saved my life.”
The fake smile slipped away. “Then we owe you more than we can ever repay, don’t we, Father?”
“No need for drama. If the Yankees captured Jesse, I’m sure they would exchange him soon enough. Now pour the tea before it grows cold.”
Chastened, Janet bent her head to her task. She prepared cups for her father and brother before turning to Diamond. “Cream or sugar?”
“Sugar, no cream.”
Janet poured two more cups and handed one to Diamond.
“Tell Betty to make up the back room for the newlyweds,” Ian said.
“I can give up my room,” Janet said.
“Nonsense. Jesse won’t be here long enough to warrant you switching back and forth. As soon as we finish our tea, Jesse and I will pay a call on the governor and find out where he should report.”
“I’m sure I can count on you to take care of Diamond,” Jesse said.
Janet nodded.
“She’ll be fine. And with my influence we can erase any stigma caused by your desertion.”
Diamond had had enough. “Sir, Jesse did not desert. Even though he was injured and very ill, we avoided capture by crossing Reelfoot Lake. He wanted to return to duty as soon as possible, but I asked him to escort me to St. Louis. Being a gentleman, he could hardly refuse.”
Ian barked a laugh. “You crossed Reelfoot Lake? I’ve got to hand it to you—that was ingenious… and unexpected.”
Janet frowned. “You crossed the lake? How? You can’t swim.”
“We built a raft, but the details aren’t important. I need to know you will treat Diamond with the respect she deserves as my wife.”
Ian snorted. “We won’t toss her out on the street, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Must Jesse leave right away? Can’t he regain his strength and spend some time with his new wife?”
“This is war, girl. Jesse is a soldier first and a gentleman second. He’d do well to remember that.”
“I know my duty.”
“Do you?” Ian narrowed his eyes at his son. “Seems to me, you’ve lost sight of it. Your ultimate allegiance is to family.”
“And Diamond is now part of our family.”
“Just so.” Ian pushed away his teacup. “Go freshen up and meet me back here in half an hour.”
Janet showed them to the small room at the back of the house. Diamond took one look at it and guessed the builder had intended it to be the housekeeper’s room.
“Sorry, the house is small and Father didn’t really expect anyone to be living here except himself.”
“Don’t worry, Janet. This is far better accommodations than we’re used to,” Jesse said.
“It will be fine,” Diamond echoed, although the room felt claustrophobic to her.
Betty brought in fresh water and towels. Their trunks stood at the end of the bed. As soon as they were alone, Diamond sighed and sank onto the mattress. “Well, that went well.”
Jesse’s brow furrowed as he looked at her reflection in the mirror. “I was hoping…”
She glared at him.
“You’re being facetious.”
“No kidding. Your father doesn’t want me here and I find out you were engaged to someone named Amy.”
“We were never engaged. Our fathers thought it would be a good match. I disagreed.” Jesse wandered over to the basin and washed his hands and face. “She’s an only child, so she will inherit her father’s estate. Anything that increases our family wealth is a win in his opinion.”
“He threatened to disinherit you.”
“He’ll come around, but if not, we still have your dowry.”
Diamond didn’t see her new father-in-law budging from his position, but hoped her sister-in-law would be more welcoming. “At least Janet appears willing to accept me.”
Jesse stripped to the waist and ran the washcloth over his torso. “Hand me a shirt, please.”
Diamond didn’t enjoy following orders and might have refused, but the “please” and the glimpse of his slim physique, won her over. She dug into his trunk, choosing one of the new shirts he had received from the Pooles.
Jesse pulled it over his head, ruining her view. “Janet raised me after our mother died. She. She won’t let Dad bully you too much.”
“I won’t let him bully me at all.”
Humor warmed in his eyes. “I don’t expect you will, but no need to make things harder than they have to be.” He pulled on his vest and coat, and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”
This time. After the door closed behind him, Diamond dipped a fresh cloth into the basin and wiped the dust from her face. Soon, however, he would leave for war and might never return. She had the dowry, but somehow it didn’t seem like enough to shield her from the harsh realities of this new world.
Sixteen
Chapter 16
The house Jesse’s father had rented was within walking distance of the provisional government offices of Missouri. Jesse followed his father past the bustling shops, tipping his hat to the ladies they passed on the street. Most of the men they saw were older since so many young men had signed up to fight the Yankees.
The governor wasn’t in, but his secretary made a note of Jesse’s situation and promised to pass the information on.
Ian grumbled as they left the office. “If we don’t hear something soon, I’ll contact my friend in the War Department.”
“Why are you so eager to get rid of me? I’d like to see Diamond settled before I leave.”
“Just don’t want anyone to think my son is a deserter.”
“You don’t seem to believe me, but I have done nothing to bring dishonor on the family.”
“All I care is that your superiors buy your story. You’re not
