Anika smiles.
“Now let's just hope the church members are so forgiving.”
“We will face them together, next Sunday.”
Chapter 20
“How quick a week goes,” Anika murmurs as they walk into the church. It doesn’t escape their notice how quiet the inside of the sanctuary is, though it’s packed with parishioners.
Whispers, nudges, judgmental glances and no one moves to greet the family.
Daisy clutches onto Allen’s arm as they take their seat in the back of the church. Anika and Glenn carry the boys, while Delaney runs off to Sunday school.
“Welcome.” Pastor Donegal smiles and glances around the church. “The first order of business this morning is to discuss the incident at the Wards home last week.
Glenn starts to rise, only to stop when the Pastor lifts his hand.
“Mr. Darlington is here and has a few words to say.”
Clearly flustered the banker hurries to stand in front of the pulpit. Only Rhemi is sitting next to him this morning. As he kept his promise and sent the women away.
“I’d like to first offer my sincere apologies for the accident that occurred. My wife and daughter are away helping take care of an ailing family member, but let me assure you, they are sorry for the misunderstanding.
Grumbles ripple through the church, and Anika stops Glenn from speaking with a hand to his arm. Anger rips through his body when he thinks of how sick she was.
“I can assure you that nothing like this will ever happen again. My wife felt terrible that this hurt the children, and as a token of our goodwill, we have ordered blankets for the Orphanage for every child, along with winter coats for each one.”
Excitement rushes through, and everyone begins smiling and talking. “That's wonderful. Now let's put this incident behind us and move forward as a church family,” the pastor implores.
After a lesson on forgiveness, Anika hands the baby to Savannah and walks outside to find Delaney.
“Mama!” she waves excitedly and starts to make her way towards her Mother.
Anika gasps when a man steps in front of her. Her stomach drops, “Good morning, I am trying to get to my daughter,” she says softly and tries to step around him only to be blocked.
“No problem, Ms. Coltrane. I just want to make it clear that when the Ward family is through with you, I would be glad to hire you for your… services.” He glances down at her dress and tips his hat before stepping around her, hurrying to his wife.
Tremors shake her body as she lets it sink in. “Mama! Come watch me skip,” Delaney shouts, knocking her from her shock.
“Coming, Delaney,” she plants a fake smile on her face as reality strikes home. Some dreams are meant to stay dreams.
Rhemi straightens his tie as he climbs into his carriage and watches Anika with growing anger and resentment. It’s time to pay her a visit and claim his ride.
Chapter 21
Savannah is working inside the cabin when she hears a horse outside. Stepping out into the cool air she watches her brother nervously. “You’re off early.”
“I am.” Glenn slides down and ropes the horse to the front porch. “I meant to come with you on Sunday night, but it was a crazy day. So, here I am.” He dusts his jeans and stomps his way up to the porch. He glances around and then back at his sister who has gone oddly silent. She is wringing her hands with apprehension.
“What’s got you in such a state.” The house looks well cared for. It is a small one-bedroom cabin, built by his grandparents.
“Glenn, I’m not sure I’m ready for you to see this.” She holds up a hand to block him, but he laughs.
“Your starting to worry me, Savannah. What on earth have you two been up to? Brewing anything illegal?”
“Wait!” She tries to say, but he jumps around her and throws open the door.
Kerosene lanterns glow along the walls, casting a golden light around the room. Memories flood in and he smiles. “It looks good. You guys have been busy. It’s so clean.” He frowns when he realizes there is no furniture save a tall table.
Savannah follows wondering how he is going to react. “Anika helped me get it clean. She hasn’t been back since I… decorated,” she laughs nervously.
Glenn walks forward to the table and looks down. Six by eight-inch images of soldiers, both Confederate and Union line the table, and all of them surround a larger tintype. It is a thirteen by ten-inch tintype of a battlefield. The images hanging on the walls at varying heights are all framed in gilded frames, but this image needed no dressing. It revealed the horror of what was left behind. Bodies littering battlefields. Hands reaching up from a silent graveyard, begging for release.
Glenn stumbles backward as the smells and sounds of war batter his mind. Savannah watches in horror as he turns and runs outside, slamming the door back as he goes. He falls into the grass and vomits his lunch. “What have you done?” he gasps when he catches his breath.
“I gave a face to the ghosts which haunt you and so many others, Glenn. I gave a voice to the dead who deserve to be mourned.”
Glenn staggers to his feet. “No, you just made the nightmare real.”
“I didn’t think you were ready, you should have listened to me.” Angrily she wipes her tears away.
“Ready? No one needs to see the face of death more than once, Savannah.”
Savannah laughs a bitter laugh, but she doesn’t back away this time. “Someone has to. When you are ready come back and see what is really here, it is the legacy of the lost, and they deserve to go home too.”
Glenn
