Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (21 page)

Vivianna screamed as Johnny Tabor suddenly stepped into her path.
He startled her so severely
,
tears burst from her eyes to moisten her cheeks.
“
You frightened me!
”
she scolded as tears continued to stream down her face.

“
What
’
s the matter?
”
he growled
,
his bony hands taking hold of her shoulders.
“
What
’
s happened?
”

Vivianna shook her head, angrily brushing the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hands.
“
Justin needs you,
”
she said.
Lowering her voice
,
she told him,
“
Nate and Willy found a dead man in the woods beyond the cemetery…a Reb soldier.
Justin says you know him…a guard from the prison camp…a man named Powell.
”

Already pallid, Johnny Tabor
’
s face grew suddenly even pale
r,
his dark eyebrows puckering into a deep frown.

“
Powell?
”
he breathed.
He released her then and ordered,
“
Stay here.
Go into the house
,
and stay here until we get back.
”

“
Justin sent Nate for Caleb,
”
she added.

Johnny nodded.

“
I
’
ll take ya to Justin,
”
Vivianna said.
She wanted to make sure he reached Justin—wanted to make certain Justin could return to the house as quickly as possible.

“
No…no
,
you stay here,
”
he told her.
“
Go to the house and stay there.
I
’
m sure it
’
s an easy enough
place to find.
”

“
But it
’
s in the woods…beyond the meadow and the cemetery,
”
she explained.
“
There is a path, but…
”

His eyes narrowed as he glared at her.
“
I
’
ll find it.
”
He looked beyond her to the path leading to the cemetery.
“
Just stay in the house until we return.
”

“
But, Johnny…Justin
’
s waiting
. Y
a have to hurry
.
I
’
ll just take ya there and come back,
”
she argued with him.
She would not have him lost—would not have him leave Justin with the dead man alone.
What if someone happened upon him—found Justin there with the dead Confederate?
Her panic heightened.
She began to panic
,
for the true and full realization of what such a situation could mean for Justin and Johnny—even for Caleb—was clear in her mind.
“
I have to make certain ya reach him, quickly!
I
—”

She was rendered breathless as Johnny Tabor took her chin in one hand
,
glaring down at her.
His dark eyes burned with anger—dominance—a strength she did not think him capable of owning in his weakened condition.

“
I
’
ll find Justin,
”
he said.
“
You don
’
t need to see a dead man…and the others will need you.
Just go to the house and
—”

“
But gettin
’
there might not be so simple as ya might think,
”
she argued.
“
And Justin
’
s waitin
’
!
I can take ya there quick as a
—”

She was silenced as Johnny
’
s hand moved up from her chin to cover her mouth.

“
I know the way, Vivianna,
”
he growled.
“
Please…just go on into the house and wait for us to return.
”

Vivianna
’
s eyes widened.
She was astonished at the strength in his hand as he held it over her mouth.
He did not hurt her—not in the least.
Yet she could feel the power in him
,
even for his weakened state.

She nodded
,
and he moved his hand from her face.

“
Do you understand how important it is that ya don
’
t say a word to anyone about the man in the woods?
”
he asked in a lowered voice.

Vivianna nodded.
“
I do,
”
she whispered.

“
Good,
”
he mumbled.
“
Then run on in.
I
’
ll be back shortly…with Justin.
I promise.
”

Vivianna brushed the tears from her cheeks and nodded.
Somehow, she trusted his word—trusted that he would bring Justin back.
After all, hadn
’
t he brought him all the way from
Georgia
?

She turned and watched him hurry down the path toward the meadow.
Though she still worried that he would lose his way—worried that someone else might happen upon Justin and the dead man before Johnny reached him—she tried to be brave and resolute.

As she hurried toward the house
,
her stomach churned with anxiety.
It had hardly been one full day since Justin had returned—since he and Johnny had come walking up the road toward the house.
Hardly one full day, and already their peace had vanished
;
already the residual horror of war was haunting them by heaping some sort of peril upon them.

Willy was in the kitchen with his mother.
Savannah
was weeping
,
cradling a frightened Willy.

“
Oh, Viv!
”
the woman choked.
“
Are we never to have any reprieve from this war?
”

Vivianna shook her head
,
overcome with her own bewilderment.
She was frightened
and
felt helpless to offer any comfort to those she loved.

“
A
S
outhern boy?
”
Savannah
asked.
“
What if he
’
s an
Alabama
son?
What if he
’
s from
Florence
,
on his way home and…and…and what could possibly have befallen him?
”

“
We have to wait, Miss Savannah,
”
Vivianna said.
Oh, she was worried—frightened and sickened.
Yet she could not tell Justin
’
s mother what else she knew about the dead man—not in front of an already distressed Willy.
“
We just have to wait for Justin to return.
Caleb will be home soon…and Justin and Mr. Tabor.
We just…we just have to wait.
”

And wait is what they did.
They did not speak much—only waited.
Vivianna began to count the tick
-
tocks of the clock on the mante
l
, but there were so many that she feared it might drive her mad.
She forced a smile at Willy—embraced him when he left his mother for a moment to come to her.
She felt so sorry for the boy
,
knowing he was frightened—knowing he was trying to offer her comfort even for his own fear.

At long last, Caleb and Nate
arrived.
Though she was still
near a state of panic, she did draw an easier breath when Caleb stepped into the house.

“
Oh, Caleb!
”
Willy exclaimed, racing to his brother.
Caleb knelt on the floor
,
catching Willy in his arms and soothingly shushing him.
“
It was awful!
There
’
s a man out there,
”
Willy said in a whisper.
“
He ain
’
t been dead long I don
’
t think
. B
ut somethin
’
must
’
ve gnawed on him in the night…on his arm…and…
”

“
It
’
s all right now, Willy,
”
Caleb said.
“
Let
’
s have you and Nate just run on in the other room and rest for a while.
”

“
I don
’
t wanna rest!
”
Nate exclaimed.
Vivianna felt more tears in her eyes as she saw the worried expression on Nate
’
s face.
No doubt he
’
d figured out why Justin had ordered him not to speak to a soul about the dead man.

“
You go on in the bedroom with Willy
,
and you boys read a book or lay down a while on your beds.
”
Caleb said.
“
I promise you…we
’
ll come get ya both when we get this all worked out
. B
ut ya need to let us older boys take care of what to do first.
All right?
”

Nate scowled but nodded.
He put his arm around Willy
’
s shoulders and began leading him toward the back room.
He paused, however, turning back to Caleb and asking,
“
Is it all right if I tell Willy why it is we can
’
t tell nobody about this?
”

“
Yeah,
”
Caleb said, nodding.
“
You go on and tell him.
Make sure you explain it thorough though.
”

“
I will, Caleb,
”
Nate said.

The moment the boys
’
bedroom door closed behind them,
Savannah
burst into tears.

“
There
’
s somethin
’
else about this, Caleb!
”
she whispered, wiping tears from her cheeks.
“
I can sense it.
Somethin
’
I haven
’
t been told yet.
You
’
re worried about the sheriff finding a dead
S
outhern boy on our property when you and Justin fought with the Alabama
First
, aren
’
t you?
”

Caleb nodded.
“
Lee surrendered, Mama
,
but the war ain
’
t over yet…not everywhere,
”
he said.
“
Folks in
Florence
will want to put a noose around someone
’
s neck if there
’
s a dead Reb found out near our place.
And if he
’
s a local boy…
”

“
He
’
s not a local boy,
”
Vivianna said then.
She kept her voice low
and
tried not to break into fresh weeping as Caleb looked to her
,
frowning.

“
How do ya know, Viv?
Just because ya didn
’
t recognize him…
”
he began.