As if to remind them they weren’t far from the war, artillery fire echoed in the distance. Again, Francois took off his battered hat and ran his fingers through the dirty strands of hair on his head.
“Ada, what do you want me to do? If I can’t get you back to your home, where do you want me to take you? I will not leave you out here, with two armies that plan to defeat the other. I can’t return you to your side, because you won’t go.” Now he started to pace.
Ada’s blood was boiling. Had been burning since earlier, when they’d clashed with Richard. Even the thought of him made her anger inch higher. And now this one, who knew, who kept it from her and then exposed him without her having a place to run. Add onto that the slave who killed a soldier and a Rebel who shot and wounded another Federal officer. Just what was she to do?
“You haven’t left me very many options,” she quipped back. “I’ve witnessed too much. Helped, apparently, too much. To return to my side will bring not only imprisonment and perhaps death to you. Edward, here, had a chance as a freedman in the North, but his shooting that Union soldier ended that. I suppose,” her mind churning at the thought, “you could point me in the direction of Pennsylvania and I could try to get there on my own.”
“What?!” Francois roared. “Not for all the saints would I allow that!” He stormed up to her, grabbing her shoulders, staring into her face with fire in his blue eyes. “There’s a war going on out there. You’ve seen the bloody side, but let me tell you about what happens before that. Commanders ordering men forward, cannons loaded, guns primed. When we aim, nothing in our path can cross it without hellfire on it. All horses are taken by both sides, as well as guns, ammunition, food, saddles and anything else. For a lady, alone, to try to pass, even a doctor, you are inviting hell!”
“Well you can’t go!” she snapped back. “You’re not healed enough, even with his concoction on it! And they’d probably shoot you for taking me as well! And as to him,” she pointed to Edward. “I saw his belt buckle. Even I can determine that was stolen from a Yankee, probably a dead one at that. He’s killed a Union soldier while standing by your side, news that will flood the camps as half the men don’t give a hoot about freeing the slaves as a reason for fighting. But you’ve opened up a new conversation and they’d like to be the deciding vote, meaning Edward would be shot. Defending me loses all rights with him by your side.” Now her blood was racing. “So then what? If we can’t go north, where?”
He didn’t answer, which only irritated her more.
“And furthermore,” she spat, spinning on her heel to face him. “Why in the world do you even care about my safety!?”
“Because I love you,” he answered softly.
She glared at him. Despite the somewhat desperate look in his eye, she decided he was just throwing more roadblocks at her, though without telling the truth.
“Harrumph!” She walked away then spun around, a madness breaking through her walled nerves. “You must be mad to think that!”
Was he mad? He must be. Where the hell did those words come from? I love you. Most assuredly, the war was taking a toll on him mentally…
He saw Edward bending to select another piece of grass to chew on, smiling subtly as he did it. Damn slave! Though the man’s infectious grin made Francois snort. This was mayhem at its finest. He’d gone to war to forget Emma and was successful, only to find his heart now beat erratically for another lady. One who could chew him up and spit him out like he was milkweed. The irony made him want to laugh.
Yet, despite all the musings in his head, his heart still beat madly for Ada. While he might be the type of man she saw worth destroying, he couldn’t help that he’d seen her bright side, how she helped everyone with a natural strength and beauty that attracted him, soothed him and filled his heart with joy. He still remembered how she felt, the warmth of her skin, the response to his lovemaking and those heart-stopping kisses… It’d taken till now for him to truly understand just how deep his feelings for her ran. But, did she love him? Could she love a scoundrel who was a Southerner, who owned slaves and fought for the Confederacy?
“Yes, perhaps I am mad,” he answered but as he took a step closer, the need for her bloomed in his heart. He took her hands and pulled her to him hard and fast. “Could you love me? I am what you see. I am not married, but I am a Confederate, I do own slaves, my family is Southern but I do have the money to support us.” He scanned her eyes. “Come with me. And you’ll never regret it.”
She stared hard at him, chewing the inside of her bottom lip, her body rigid and cold, refusing to grasp his hands.
“And what if I don’t return the affection? Then what? You’d leave me in the middle of hell?”
“Ouch, that smarts.” He jerked back to emphasize. “I said I love you. I did not require you to return it just for me to protect you. You won’t let me take you home. I can’t imagine you want to return to that jackanapes, especially when he could easily turn the tables on you again, but this
