“General Meade needs to hear about this,” theleader muttered, his glasses glued to his eyes, as though unable tobelieve what he saw. He muttered under his breath. He returned hisglasses to his pouch. A dark look passed between them.
Behind him, one man started down the steps.Halfway down he reached up for Tillie’s hand and helped her down.The other two men waited at the top for her to get to the hallway.Tillie turned as the second man descended the ladder. Beforedescending himself, the third raised his glasses one more time andcast a last long stare toward the peach orchard. He swore.
Her cheeks burned, and she cast her gaze tothe floor. She never meant to get those men into trouble.
Once they reached the kitchen, the men leftwithout a word.
Mrs. Weikert handed Tillie a plate of breadand told her to take Sadie and Mollie outside and serve the breadto the wounded soldiers. Tillie wanted to remind Mrs. Weikert thatGeneral Meade told her to stay indoors, but she didn’t dare. Sheaccepted the plate with great reluctance and went outside.
Mollie walked over and held out a plateloaded with sliced bread and jam.
A soldier took a bite and drew in a deepbreath. “Sweetest tasting bread I ever ate.”
“Manna from Heaven.” His companion took abite and chewed, closing his eyes in mock ecstasy.
“It’s Northern bread.” Mollie’s serious blueeyes met his. “That’s why it tastes so good.”
The men laughed and thanked her for thetreat.
Tillie stared in the direction of the peachorchard, but a rise in the land blocked her view.
A sharp pop reverberated through thefarmyard. Men scattered. Tillie glanced around, confused. Anotherpop. The man, who moments before thanked Mollie for the bread, felldead, blood pouring from his temple, the half-eaten bread still inhis fingers. Another pop, and a man standing by the barn dropped tothe ground.
“Rebel sharpshooters!”
She heard a shout and spun first this way,then another, looking for the danger.
Someone seized her and almost threw her atthe house. “Get inside and stay away from the windows. They’resomewhere on that big mountain.”
Tillie needed no further urging. She droppedthe plate, grabbed Sadie and Mollie, and dragged them into thehouse.
The girls screamed and cried. Mrs. Schrivertook them into her arms, comforting them as she scooted them underthe worktable.
Tillie cowered in a corner of the kitchen,biting her knuckles as sobs racked her body.
As quick as the shooting started, the Rebsceased their fire.
After some time, she managed to gain controlof her terror. She swallowed her sobs, wiped her face, and crawledout of her corner.
Outside, everything fell quiet. She chanced apeek out the window. Her stomach clenched over the men felled bysharpshooters. Only the flies went near them.
As if tolling their doom, the afternoonbreeze carried three faint bongs from the courthouse clock.
“Well.” Mrs. Schriver settled the girls underthe worktable and got back to bread making. “If that’s the worst tohappen today, let us all count our blessings.” As soon as the wordsleft her mouth, their world exploded.
Chapter 16
Tillie cowered in a corner of the basement,squeezed into a tight ball, her head tucked into her knees, armsover her head. She wanted to marry, have children, but instead,someone would find her body among the broken bricks andplaster.
A shell exploded so close, the house gave aviolent shudder. She pressed the side of her body against the walland cringed. Upstairs, something crashed to the floor.
Mr. Weikert and his son flew into thebasement as another missile whistled through the air. “They meanbusiness now.” Dan both laughed and shouted, terror andexhilaration fighting for control of his voice as he slammed thedoor behind him.
The windows rattled from the percussion ofhundreds of cannon firing simultaneously.
Outside, artillery shells rained down withunrelenting ferocity. Another shell crashed so close, the wall ather back swayed from the impact. Pots, pans, and dishes smashed onthe floor. She didn’t want to die huddled in a corner of theWeikerts’ basement kitchen. I want to go home. I want to go home.Tillie rocked back and forth to the rhythm of the words, tooterrified to scream.
Mr. Weikert and Dan paced near the stairs.Another crash upstairs sent Dan’s father running upstairs. Hehalted halfway up, seemed to change his mind, turned around, andcame back down.
Mrs. Schriver crawled beneath the table withthe girls, holding them and using her body and the table as ashield from falling objects.
Beckie ran to her father and cowered in hisarms. She cried on his shoulder, her hands flat to her ears. Hecradled her, one hand over her head in a protective gesture.
Mrs. Weikert continued kneading bread as ifnothing happened. As she worked, tears coursed down her linedface.
After what felt like hours, the cannonadingstopped. Tillie lifted her head and listened, her face awash withtears.
“Is it over?” Sadie peeked out from hermother’s arms.
Everyone began to stir. “I think so.” Mrs.Schriver climbed out from underneath the table and pushed to herfeet.
Tillie rose and gazed about, dazed andconfused. She only thought of the bread she put in the oven secondsbefore the cannonading started. She lurched across the room onrubber legs. Her hand shook as she opened the door. The loafcontinued to bake and brown as though nothing happened. Sheestimated another ten minutes and shut the stove door. “The breadshould be ready—”
The kitchen door flew open and crashedagainst the wall. The women jumped and screamed. A lieutenant burstinto the house. “Get out, all of you!” He made frantic gestureswith his arms. “You must leave at once. Enemy artillery has movedinto the peach orchard. We expect the shelling to start over at anyminute. The shells will land on this house.”
Mr. Weikert pushed Beckie off to her brother,who put his arm around her shoulder.
“No.” He advanced a step toward thelieutenant. “We will not leave here.”
“Sir, you must.” The officer also steppedforward. “If only for the sake of those poor little girls.” Hegestured toward Mollie and Sadie still clinging to each otherunderneath the table.
Mr. Weikert turned to face hisgranddaughters. The hard lines on his face smoothed out. Hispiercing blue eyes softened, and he appeared to waver.
Tillie stared at the lieutenant, jaw
