Jackson shook the rain off his hat and stomped his boots hard as he approached the door, hoping to shake the water and mud from them. Once inside, he opened his trench coat and breathed a sigh of relief. His clothing had managed to stay dry underneath.

The wind was blowing hard gusts of rain, making it difficult to tell if that had been the case. It blew sideways half the time, and with such force that he barely managed to see. It wasn’t supposed to be night yet, but it was already so dark, it was as if dusk had fallen over this area early.

Marshall should be right behind him with the cook wagon, but he wondered if they would make it. Now he wasn’t sure that it was the best idea to have the cook wagon come in this tempest.

This storm was worse than anyone thought it would be, and it had rained for a day and a half, with little break. The wind was picking up. He noticed the huge limb that had fallen right by Miss Whitford’s front porch. That could have been dangerous.

Almost fifty tents had assembled out there already. He needed to do something with the men that were here now. The storm was getting worse. He wasn’t quite sure what he would do at the moment, but he couldn’t leave them out in this mess.

It was just the luck of timing that the rest of the troops hadn’t mustered here yet. He expected them here by the end of the week since they were moving in groups. Thunder and lightning joined in with the storm, the combination spurring on the wind and rain.

He raised his arm to knock, but the door opened up before he could. Now, that seemed a little strange—were they expecting him? Lizzy stood before him, her right hand holding open the door and her left hand nervously opening and closing by her side. Her hair was damp and glistened from the rain.

“Hello, Colonel Ross, suh. If you are looking for Miss Ella, she will be down directly. You can wait for her in the parlor.”

“Lieutenant Colonel Jameson is coming up behind me with a contingent of men and a cook wagon, but this storm is bad and is getting worse.” His smile helped hide his surveillance of her wet appearance.

The housekeeper turned to leave, but Jackson stopped her.

“Lizzy, I don’t want to put you ladies out, but I must do something for the men that are already here. Could there be any place besides the barn that you can think of that could shelter about seventy-five men?”

Lizzy looked at him for a long moment before answering. “Well, Colonel, we have some homesteads from the folk that left. They are just simple cabins, but they are built good and betta than the tents, I expect. There are right many that are empty now. And the barn, well, it’s full of what little livestock we got. Miss Ella, she had Mista Jason, de overseer, bring the cattle and horses in there. We hoping they be all right. It’s sturdy.”

“Thank you for that information. I’ll wait in the parlor for her. I’d like to speak to her before I move the men.”

“Yassuh, Colonel.” Lizzy left him in the entry hall at the door to the parlor. As he entered the room, he heard a sudden energetic rustle.

“Colonel Ross!” The boy bounded off the sofa dragging a pillow, with his puppy coming up behind him.

“Well, young man. What you doing down here? I thought you would be… well, I’m not sure where you would be.” He laughed. “It’s been a while since I was a boy and had to suffer through a bad summer storm such as this.” He roughed Aiden’s hair affectionately.

“Your dog is one handsome fellow. I just noticed he has two different colored eyes! That’s very unusual.”

“Yes suh, he does. The blue one shines when he’s happy. The brown one shines when he is upset. I just figured that out.” Pleased, he petted Bo.

“That’s quite an observation, young man. I noticed your sister’s shine when she’s angry!” They both chuckled. “So, what are you and Bo doing down here?”

“My sista told me to stay put while she changed clothes. She was mighty wet.” As if he had been told to, he quieted very quickly.

“Oh? Wet?”

Soft footsteps sounded behind him as Ella walked into the room. “Yes, Colonel. I was quite…wet.” She smiled sweetly at them then gave a level look to Aiden. “I had to go out in this…weather…and find this little rapscallion.”

“You were outside in this storm, Aiden?” He regarded the little boy, whose expression changed from excitement to embarrassment and something more. He wasn’t quite able to discern what it was. A look passed between the brother and sister that he couldn’t help but notice. Something was up here, but Jackson couldn’t fathom what it was. He glanced from one to the other. Nothing.

“Yes,” Ella continued, seemingly unaware of Jackson’s scrutiny. “Aiden and Bo were soaked clear to the skin. They were playing, um, pirates, I think, but they didn’t notice the storm until it was upon them. It frightens me to think how they could have been hurt or worse in those high weeds out there.”

Ella walked over to Aiden and kneeled. “Come here. Let me check your head. You too, Bo.” She moved her hands carefully through his hair.

“Are you checking him for lice?” Jackson was curious. The child seemed clean.

“Ha! Well, you see, we live in an area that is known for these bugs that latch onto the head. I don’t like to have them on my brother. I usually check him after he comes inside.”

“Bugs that latch on your head? I’ve not really heard of that too much. Are they dangerous?”

“I don’t know, really, but you surely have seen them with your men out in the fields so much. They attach themselves with a bite. Their poison gets into the blood. Yes, it’s quite disgusting.” She shuddered. “I don’t even want to think about lice.” She shook her head and then erupted in laughter.

“What’s funny?”

“I’m sorry. Here we are, suh, discussing the unseemly topic of bugs in the hair.” She turned away, grinning.

“Yes, well, it seemed that the conversation just took us there.” Jackson couldn’t help it. Her smile was contagious. He almost forgot what he needed, something that seemed to happen a lot lately when she was around him. “Oh. There is something I want to discuss. How could I forget? The men. They need shelter. Miss Lizzy mentioned that there might be empty cabins that we could take up—the ones that the Negro folks have abandoned. I have to get these men out of the wind.”

“Yes, that is a great idea. You need to help your men. Don’t let me hold you up. Please. I’m just sorry I had not thought to offer that. I noticed their situation earlier and was concerned.”

“Marshall should be here about now. I’ll get him and the sergeant to help me move the men.” He started to leave but turned. “Aiden, you must listen to your sister. These tall weeds are not the best place for you to play. We will cut them down shortly but stay close to your house.”

“Yes, suh. I will!” Cheerful once more, Aiden bounced up from where he was sitting on the sofa. He offered to walk Jackson to the door, and the colonel readily agreed.

Once outside, Jackson looked around. The storm had calmed down. The wind was barely noticeable, but the clouds were getting even blacker if that was possible.

There was a feeling of eeriness in the atmosphere. He needed to get the men in the shelters as quickly as possible. Grabbing the reins to Mason, he pulled himself up on his horse and cantered into the camp area. Marshall and the cook were already there. They were just standing, waiting. Irritation at the veiled jab rushed through him.

Marshall flashed a wide grin as he rode towards them,

“Hello, Marshall.”

* * *

How is the lovely Miss Whitford?” Marshall couldn’t help stirring Jackson up, but just seeing him smitten did something to him.

“She is fine. Stop the innuendos.”

Jackson could deny it, but Marshall sensed the attraction. His game was to always protect his heart, but this time, well, this time it looked like his friend’s effort to keep his heart out of the way wasn’t going to work. He saw the sparks passing between them, even if the two of them didn’t see it yet. He wanted his friend to find someone—especially after what had happened with Maria. No man should suffer that humiliation. She lost out in that exchange. Nate would never be the man Jackson was.

Jackson jumped down from Mason. “Look, Marshall, this storm has just given us a breather. Let’s get these bedrolls and tents pulled up and moved to better shelters. Miss Whitford says there are a number of cabins on the backside of the house. They are empty except for a few of the Negroes that decided to stay. We can use the rest of them. The men will have to double up, but let’s do it. Move them out. This break won’t last, I fear.”

“Yes, sir.” Marshall turned and passed the orders to the sergeants that were there. The command went out to roll up the camp and move to the cabins.

Tents started coming down en masse as men ran back and forth, depositing their tents into stalled wagons, and running to the cabins with their bedrolls in hand. The ominous look of the storm overhead was all the prompting they needed.

“Jackson, what about the horses?”

“I didn’t ask, but we need to move them, too. Let’s pull the wagons closer to the barn and give them more security. We’ll un-harness the horses and move them to the corral near the structure. Several horses and cows are already in the barn. The barn is small, but twenty or so horses should not take up too much more room.”

Within an hour, the men had moved their bedrolls, tents, and all the rest of the camp equipment. Soon the area that had been covered with tents and wagons was had become a vacant field, once again. There were paths worn into the ground and any grass left had been worn down, but other than that, there wasn’t a sign of the camp.

The back of the house was abuzz with activity as the cabin community became alive once more. Doors from the cabins where a few of the field help still resided opened up and heads popped out to see what was going on.

Seeing what was needed, the cabin occupants all came out to help the soldiers get sheltered. They passed out candles and lanterns from the supply house. Some women brought pieces of wood to help cover broken window glass. The last few horses were led to the barn.

As the barn door was latched shut, the wind began to kick up, and the rain started once more. This time, rain came down with a fury. Lightning crashed, and thunder boomed. Jackson and Marshall lost no time as both took off for the front door of the house.

* * *

Ella looked out the library window and watched the men picking up the camp. She didn’t have long to get Ol’ Indie to Nolan. How was this going to work? If Nolan were discovered, he would be arrested.

But then, there was the matter of the deep blue uniform he was wearing. That was confusing. She had not had a chance to ask him about that. It was barely noticeable, but Union issue, all the same. What in the world had her brother been doing wearing that?

She was sure that Aiden had not noticed that or there would have been questions. Had he killed somebody? Well, silly, she thought to herself morosely, of course, he has. This is war. Nolan is an officer.

Yet here he was, at home, sick.

She wondered about that. She was afraid it might be yellow fever, but Lizzy called it ague. What if Aiden caught it? How long had he been exposed to Nolan?

Her hands fisted in her skirts. Ol’ Indie would know what to do. She was the closest thing to a mamma that Ella had. The dear woman always took care of Aiden, just as she had when she and Nolan were children. She nursed them. When her mamma had died, Ol’ Indie kept Aiden alive. She found a nursemaid. She had wanted to be free, so they gave her papers. But after she had them, she had stayed. Her family, she said, was here.

Well, you cannot get too much done staring out the window, now can you?

There was a lot to do. Ol’ Indie needed blankets and water for Nolan. Grabbing up the stack of quilts by her side, she walked to the closet in the entrance hall. She opened the door and quietly pulled it closed behind her.

Stepping to the back of the cloaks, she pressed on the back panel in its secret spot, allowing it to silently slide open revealing the tunnel opening.

Ella turned up the oil on the sconce on the wall and the light brightened the path. The door shut behind her, its sound soft on its hinges. Satisfied she could see well enough, she slowly descended the steep stairs to bring the quilts down to Nolan.

He was still resting there, but now he was shivering violently. “Ol’ Indie should be here soon,” Ella spoke softly, assuring her brother that she was here.

“No, don’t get close to me,” Nolan muttered, his teeth chattering loudly.

“You are awake. Here, I’ve got blankets.” Her nose wrinkled a little from the smell even though she tried not to let that happen. “You don’t smell as bad as before.”

He opened his mouth to talk and then shut it. He tried again. “C... Carter cleaned me up. S... s... said I s… s... stunk. He l… left a l... little while a… g… go” Frowning, he pulled up the covers, trying to get what little warmth he could.

“Shhh. Don’t talk. We will catch up soon. But right now, save your strength. We have problems. I need to tell you that the Yankees have decided to camp here.”

She felt a little guilty when she said it that way. But why? Ignoring that niggling feeling of remorse, she went on. “They intend to set up what they are calling a per-i-meter. They say that they need to be here to defend me, humph! And they are looking for renegades and others, determined to keep them from harming the citizens.”

She huffed and continued her rant. “And of course, that isn’t all of it. They intend to set up stuff. A hospital. Oh, and schools for the Negroes. But not on our property. At least, I don’t think so. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, though, if they did.” She hesitated. “And Nolan, they are planning, no insisting, on staying in the house—our house. The library has become their office.”

She was out of breath when she finally got it all out of her system. Curiously, she wasn’t as angry as she had been before. Maybe she was slowly getting used to the idea.

Maybe she was attracted to the colonel.

Shaking her head, she persisted, “The colonel and lieutenant colonel seem nice enough, but I cannot let them know about you.” She looked around the room. “You cannot stay here, Nolan. Not now. It just isn’t safe.”

A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. She was turning away her own brother, but it was for his own good. He would be captured if he stayed. Maybe killed. Another tear followed the first. This was his home, too. Damn those Yankees. They caused this.

“I s… saw.” Nolan rasped.

“You saw the colonel? Then you know how dangerous…”

A door opened on the other side of the room and Carter and Ol’ Indie entered. The tension was so strong that Elle leaped up from where she was and hugged Ol’ Indie.

“Now, girl.” Ol’ Indie gently wiped the tears from Ella’s face. “Carter says our boy’s sick again.”

“Again?” Ella sniffed and looked over at Nolan.

“Yes’m. He was bit purty fierce by a cott’nmouth on the battlefield. I was looking over deem men that wuz hurt, seein’ if I could help. But I seen him lying there. I know’d Massa Nole soon as I seen him lying yonder on dat field. He was wet and ‘peered to be 'bout dead. Mo than cott’nmouth got him down. He had da fever.”

“Nolan, you had the fever?” Her voice strained. “Could he have it again?”

“It be like that with some people. When Massa Nole’s fever broke, he left. I figured he be okay, but then, in my bones, I started feeling that sump’um was wrong. Next thing, Carter came and brunt me here.” She looked down at the young man she had always nursed back to health.

“Oh heavens! Aiden was with him. Ol’ Indie, my little brother… will he get sick from Nolan?”

“Calm yourself, Miss Ella. We best get Massa Nole okay again. I’ll see to Massa Aiden, directly. Does he show signs of being sick?”

“Not yet… but he was with him…” Her face turned red. “I’m sorry, Ol’ Indie. I’m not going to borrow trouble.”

“It’s natural for you to worry. But let’s get Massa Nole well. You is a good little mamma, Miss Ella.” She smiled at her former charge, then, cleared her throat and placed her hand on Nolan’s face. Ol’ Indie looked up at Ella, concern etched on her face. “He got a bad fever. Has he been throwing up the black?”

Ella shook her head. “Not that we know. He smelled really bad. Carter cleaned him up. He had been hidden in the root cellar. It stinks, and we still have to clean it, but there was no black stuff that I saw.” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I’m worried about Aiden. I can’t help it.”

Ol’ Indie looked down at Nolan. “De fevers kin come back right smart. If young Massa gets sick, you send for me. It’s hard to say if he will catch it. I think Massa Nole here might be with the ague. He has de fever and the waters. I may have sump’um for it.” She dug into her pockets, bringing out a small vial. “Tonic from the cinchona bark. Let me tend to Massa Nole. And now you should get upstairs and leave me to my bidness.” She gave a quick, pointed nod towards the door.

Ella left through the hidden access in the pantry. She stayed as quiet as she could to make sure the coast was clear in the kitchen. Silently, she left out of the kitchen into the yard and walked back in through the front door. She briefly opened the front closet to make sure it looked the way it should look. Satisfied, she pushed the cloaks back in place and secured the closet, before heading into the parlor.

Her little brother and his puppy were both curled up on the floor in front of the fireplace. It was unusual to have the fire going on a day like today. As wet as it was, it seemed to help cut a chill out of the air. Aiden snored softly, with Bo curled up next to him. Picking up a small shawl from the back of a nearby chair, Ella used it to cover the two sleeping adventurers.

What a long night this was going to be. She listened as the storm raged on outside. Branches banged against the library windows. The loud noise reminded her that they still needed securing.

She couldn’t sleep with that going on. She would have to see to them. Carter tried hard, but with so much to do, he couldn’t get everything done.

Lizzy came down the stairs just as she was heading to the front door. “Miss Ella, I seen that the colonel is finished getting his men in the shelters.”

“Good, I think. But that means he will be back here to do whatever they plan to do with the library.” Ella smirked. The colonel could secure all the remaining windows. If he was going to live here, then he could make himself useful.

Returning to the parlor, Ella picked up her book and sat in the large wingback chair next to the fireplace and Aiden and Bo. She realized she had not relaxed all day.

Ella tried to focus but found it nearly impossible. Her mind kept drifting back to the safe room. How was this to work out? Her brother lay sick, likely to be arrested if he is found, and she was hiding him under the nose of the enemy. And she felt confused over the way she was reacting to the colonel. If he accidentally touched her, her body tingled in places that had never had such a feeling. And her thoughts… her thoughts continually drifted to him. She constantly wondered where he was… what he was doing… was he smiling? She loved his grin. He was so strong and a natural at taking charge. Yet he was kind. Even Aiden and Bo were becoming attached to him. She found herself becoming more and more attracted to the enemy.

That varmint was taking over her property, commandeering her privacy—all this and a horrible storm, too. She felt frustrated and powerless to do anything. There seemed to be nothing for it. At that moment, Ella decided to do that, exactly—nothing. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

* * *

The loud knocking on the front door should have roused the whole household, except it competed with the furious storm raging outside. Lizzy opened the door, showing the colonel and the lieutenant colonel to the parlor. Soft snoring drew their attention to the sleeping boy and his dog.

Bo raised his head, looked, then lay back down. He seemed satisfied that these men were okay.

“Miss Whitford, we have secured the men and the horses. I wonder if you would mind if we bunked in the library. That has never been my intent, but the dry space was limited, and we ran out of room out there.”

Ella shushed him with her finger to her lips. “Gentlemen, they just went to sleep. We anticipated your need. Lizzy created pallets hours ago. You both can sleep here.” Ella stood and walked towards the library. It was worth it to see the looks of surprise on their faces. Ella bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling. “We are staying in the parlor tonight together. I think it’s best for us all to stay on the ground floor. You’ll be much more comfortable down here with the rest of us. This will not be a habit, I trust?”

“We will be fine in the library. We appreciate your hospitality. I will make better arrangements tomorrow. I don’t want to head back to town in this.”

Ella put on her biggest smile, hoping it conveyed she was accommodating. “Should you need anything, just holla. Oh, the windows. Colonel, if you don’t mind, I would ask a favor of you. Could you secure the hurricane shutters for the parlor and the library? With so much to do, we didn’t get a chance to do latch them, and Carter is helping to ready other areas of the house. He will be finished any minute, but I’ve got another item or two I need him to take care of for me.” She locked her eyes on Colonel Ross’s. “Would you mind, terribly?”

“No, no we wouldn’t. Marshall, come with me.” The two men left to secure the windows.

Lizzy glanced at Ella and both exhaled slowly. This was not what she had imagined, but for now, she would stay in charge of her home, and her wits—at least until things were resolved with Nolan, whatever that meant.