Jack laughed. “Jesse’s not married.”
“He is now. We married a few weeks ago.”
“Jesse’s here?”
“No, he has returned to duty.”
“Well, I’ll be. Never thought Jesse would steal the thunder on me and Janet by getting married first when he’s the baby of the family. Curious things happen in time of war.”
He continued to look at her in a manner Diamond found inappropriate, considering she was his sister-in-law. “If you were planning to sleep here tonight, you must find somewhere else. Why don’t you bunk down on the couch in the parlor? I’m sure your father and sister will be glad to see you in the morning.”
“That remains to be seen, but I can manage the couch. Slept in far worse places the last several months.”
“Here, take my candle. You gave me quite a scare. I thought you were a bushwhacker.”
“As a good Rebel bride, why would you be afraid of a bushwhacker?”
“They don’t follow the rules of war. If they see something they want, they just take it.”
Jack laughed. “Think the Union or Confederate soldiers are any different? War’s brutal any way you slice it. Now, will you tell me your name or should I refer to you as Mrs. Weber?”
“Diamond.” She felt uneasy. Even knowing he belonged here, her nerves jangled.
“Good night, Diamond. See you in the morning.” Jack tipped his hat to her, took the candle, and lifted his pack from the floor. His setting it down must have awakened her.
She climbed back into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Her brother-in-law rubbed her the wrong way, just like her father-in-law, though for different reasons. But it was the middle of the night, she’d been badly frightened and Jack was tired after a long ride. Things would look better in the morning.
She hoped.
Twenty One
Chapter 21
Diamond awoke to shouting. Without bothering to call Sarah, she slipped from bed and crept down the hall in her nightdress.
Jack and his father faced off in the parlor. Ian stood in the center of the room, his hands on his hips, already dressed for the day, while Jack sat on the couch, bleary-eyed and still wearing his traveling clothes.
“What the hell are you doing here? Seems I can’t go a week without one of my children defying orders and showing up unannounced.”
“I got leave. Came to visit.”
Ian’s posture eased. “You haven’t deserted your post? Or brought home a useless bride?” He shot a look to where Diamond lurked in the hallway. Busted.
Since they had already spotted her, Diamond entered the room. The remains of a midnight snack littered the coffee table and the bottle of whiskey she and Janet had sampled the night before sat off to the side, now three-quarters empty.
“This is your new sister-in-law, Diamond.” Ian introduced her.
“Pleasure,” Jack said, nodding his head.
“Likewise,” she replied, following his lead and not mentioning their midnight meeting.
“I got in late last night and didn’t want to wake anyone,” Jack said.
“You made yourself at home,” Ian said, wrinkling his nose at the mess on the table.
“It was a hard ride. I was hungry.”
Diamond thought it best to leave the two men alone. “I’ll tell Cook to set an extra plate for breakfast.” She ambled towards the kitchen, which was in a separate building out back, and caught one last exchange.
“Were you with the group of Union troops who licked the guerrillas along the Missouri/Arkansas border? Damn shame, took out some good men.”
“No, but Quantrill will get his revenge. The Yankees won’t catch him unaware again.”
Diamond closed the door behind her, unable to hear more of the conversation. She relayed the news of Jack’s arrival to the cook.
“Yes, Miz Weber, Betty told me. Don’t you worry none. I made plenty of food.”
Diamond snatched a freshly baked biscuit and smeared it with homemade blackberry jam. “I should have known you’d be ready.” Nothing got past the servants’ grapevine. She savored the sweetness of the jam and the warm, buttery goodness of the biscuit. She had regained the weight she lost when first coming to the past and would have to watch what she ate if she didn’t want to pack on extra pounds, but Cook’s biscuits were the highlight of her morning.
“Betty saw the young master sleeping in the parlor.”
“Is Sarah around? I should get dressed.”
“She’s helping Miz Janet now.”
Diamond took the rest of her biscuit back to her room. Sarah would look for her there when she finished with Janet.
After dressing, she joined the family in the dining room. Janet asked Jack for news of the Yankees, specifically Finn.
“Sorry, Sis. We’re not in the same regiment.”
“You still might have heard something.”
“Well, I haven’t.”
“You know all you need to know about that fortune hunter,” Ian told Janet before turning his attention to Jack. “Lie low while you’re here. Most folks in town despise Union soldiers. You don’t want to do anything to give them a reason to accuse you of being a spy. Not sure even my influence could save you from the hangman’s noose.”
“I just need to rest up, eat some decent food for a change, and visit with my family.”
“I’m glad you came,” Janet said. “We got to see Jesse a couple weeks ago, so this is quite a treat.”
“I wish this damnable war was over,” Jack said. “Both sides thought it would end quickly.”
Ian shook his head and piled eggs on his plate. “I could have told them differently.”
“For all your loyalty to the South, do you still think the North will eventually prevail?”
“They have greater resources, but I’m encouraged by Confederate wins back East. The Confederacy only needs to defend itself, where the Federals must defeat us.”
“Exactly. I think the South will prevail. I should have joined the Rebels and Jesse could have signed with the Feds.”
“What’s done is done. It
