Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (25 page)

Vivianna held perfectly still as Justin and Johnny stopped to argue just where she
’
d been picking berries that day.
She fancied, in that moment, she didn
’
t know what it was that caused her to keep still and silent—out of sight.
But something did
,
and she
’
d listened.

“
Don
’
t you push me, Johnny!
”
Justin had snapped.
“
You
’
re the one who did this…so you have no right to tell me how to deal it out now.
”

“
Me?
I did it?
”
Johnny growled.
“
It was you who
—”

“
None but you, Johnny Tabor…and ya know it!
”
Justin had interrupted.
“
If it weren
’
t for you, Johnny
—”

“
If it weren
’
t for me…you
’
d be dead, Justin,
”
Johnny growled even more angrily.
“
Stone dead, Justin!
Ya never woulda made it home
. Y
a woulda died
,
just like Zachary Powell died
,
only in more misery and discomfort…and they woulda drug ya out to a hole and shoveled the
Georgia
dirt over you at
Andersonville
.
Ya never woulda made it home without me
,
and ya sure enough wouldn
’
t be here all wrapped up in the arms of your pretty girl, now would ya?
”

There was silence, and then Johnny spoke again.
“
That
’
s right.
You were the one who done this, Justin
. I
n the very least you caused me to do it
. O
ne way or the other
,
it was you as much as it was me.
So just do what ya have to do to make it right for your family…for everybody.
”

Vivianna had been terrified by what she
’
d heard!
What could Justin and Johnny possibly have been arguing about—accusing each other of doing?
She did not know, but her imagination began to concoct terrible possibilities—the worst being that it had been Johnny who had killed Zachary Powell!
She thought once more of his lone trip to retrieve his pack the night before the young Turner boys found the dead Confederate in the woods.
Still, she could not make sense of Justin
’
s allowing a murderer to live with his family.
Therefore, her mind devised a far less yet still terrifying concept.
Perhaps it had been Johnny and Justin who had taken Zachary Powell
’
s body!
Perhaps, to avoid any danger to themselves or the family
,
they
’
d moved the body
while Willy and Vivianna had lingered with
Savannah
while Nate had been fetching Caleb to the house.
Perhaps it had been Johnny and Justin who had caused the disappearance of the corpse in the woods.
Perhaps the entire hour that the adults in the Turner home had sat at the kitchen table discussing whether to tell the sheriff about the dead man
,
it had all been a ruse.
Perhaps they
’
d known all along that the body had been moved.

Shaking her head—determined not to think on it any longer—Vivianna again started toward the house.
Justin was not a liar
,
she was sure of it.
She was not so sure about Johnny Tabor
,
but she knew Justin
,
and he would not lie over the whereabouts of a dead man.
Thus, again resolved to a conclusion that all was not as it seemed—that the war was over and everything warlike had died (or disappeared) with it—Vivianna hurried into the house.
Justin would be up by now
and perhaps finished with his breakfast.
The thought brought a renewed smile to her face and dashed away all other dismal thoughts.
Though Caleb had left for work in town and Nate and Willy had had their morning meal with Johnny long ago, Justin did indeed now sit at the table enjoying a hearty breakfast.

Vivianna smiled at him
,
and he winked at her in response.

“
He
’
s got the appetite of a starved hog this mornin
’
, Viv,
”
Savannah
chimed as Vivianna entered the kitchen.
“
He
’
s had four eggs and two pieces of bread and butter!
”

“
Oh, wonderful!
”
Vivianna giggled.

Her smile broadened.
Justin was nearly whole once more
;
she could sense it.

Sitting down at the table across from him, she smiled as he winked at her.
Oh, he was handsome!
His dark, wavy hair was mussed, his blue eyes bright as the sky
,
giving him a rather boyish appearance.
Vivianna thought she
’
d never seen such a perfectly straight nose on a man—or such a dazzling smile!
Part of her knew it was her love for Justin that caused her eyes to look upon him as flawless.
The fact was, were he standing side by side with Caleb
,
it was indeed Caleb who might be chosen as the more handsome brother—by a woman who was not in love with Justin.
Caleb was taller
,
his eyes a deep sapphire.
Yet Vivianna saw only Justin
’
s uncommonly attractive features within and without—saw the beauty in his heart as well as the comeliness of his face.
She thought of his letters
,
of the beautiful words he
’
d written to her—words of love
,
of hope
,
of promise.
Caleb had never written her many letters at all
,
let alone any filled with the deepest feelings of his soul.
A piece of Vivianna
’
s heart would always belong to Caleb
,
for she had loved him once.
Yet Justin owned the whole of it now—and
,
oh, how she loved him!

“
The wash is hangin
’
out, Miss Savannah,
”
Vivianna told
Savannah
,
though she still gazed at Justin
,
her smile broadening as he winked at her again.
“
Though I think it might take most of the day for it to dry.
”

“
Well, thank you for risin
’
up so early and gettin
’
all that done, Viv,
”
Savannah
said.
“
I do not know what I
’
d do without you.
”

Savannah
paused in clearing Justin
’
s plate from the table.
With a mother
’
s loving expression full on her pretty face, she smiled at Vivianna
,
caressed her cheek
,
bent
,
and placed an affectionate kiss on her forehead.
“
I do swear, Viv…I couldn
’
t do without you at all!
I just couldn
’
t,
”
she said.

“
Thank you, Miss Savannah,
”
Vivianna said.
She realized—as she often did—that she loved Savannah Turner as closely as was possible to the manner in which she
’
d loved her own mother.

“
Do ya feel up to takin
’
me out for a walk this mornin
’
, Viv?
”
Justin asked.

Vivianna looked back to him
,
and he winked.
Flirtatiously, he reached across the table, took her hand in his
,
and leaned over, placing a lingering kiss on the back of it.

“
Why, of course,
”
Vivianna answered.
“
And where would ya like to amble today, Mr. Turner?
”

Justin chuckled.
“
Oh, I
’
m thinkin
’
that ol
’
honeysuckle vine might need some tendin
’
,
”
he said.
“
What do ya say?
”

Vivianna blushed.
She well recognized the expression on Justin
’
s face—mischief.
Vivianna slipped her hand into the pocket of her skirt.
Justin
’
s letter was there.
She thought of his promise to kiss her beneath the honeysuckle—the promise he
’
d made so long ago
,
before the misery of
Andersonville
had weathered him.
Oh, it was true he
’
d kissed her since his return—on numerous occasions.
Yet she sensed he was restrained
,
as if he w
ere
afraid to kiss her as he truly wan
ted to—as she wanted him to.

Yet the twinkling mischief in his eyes as Justin sat across the table from her spoke of his being finally mended.
She sensed his body was mended
,
his mind
,
and his heart.
There was a light
,
a brightness in his eyes she hadn
’
t seen since before the war
,
and the pure existence of it caused her arms to ripple with goose pimples born
e
of blissful anticipation.

“
I say that suits me just fine,
”
Vivianna answered at last.

Justin nodded
,
his smile broadening.
“
Well, Miss Vivianna Bartholomew…let
’
s get to it then!
”

He rose and offered a hand to her as she stood as well.
His grasp was strong and warm
,
and simply the knowledge that he was touching her caused her to feel slightly breathless.

“
We
’
ll be back soon enough, Mama,
”
Justin said.

“
Oh, take your time, darlin
’
!
”
Savannah
said
,
her eyes glistening with understanding delight.
“
You two just take your time.
I
’
ll holler for Johnny if I need anythin
’
.
”

“
All right then, Mama,
”
Justin said, leading Vivianna from the house by way of the front door.
“
We will!
”

The sun seemed brighter
,
the sky more blue
.
Vivianna could
’
ve sworn the air itself was as delighted as she was
,
exhaling the fragrance of a thousand flower blossoms in sharing its joy.

“
Remember when we were little?
”
Justin began as they meandered toward the arbor.
He still held her hand
,
and Vivianna was enchanted
.
“
Remember how we used to play pirates…and me and Caleb would be pirate captains and kidnap you back and forth?
”

Vivianna giggled and nodded.
She did remember
. A
fter all, it had been one of her favorite games to play.
“
You
’
d have big battles
.
I was the princess
,
and each of you wanted to hold me for ransom…to force my father, the king
—
most likely Sam or Augie
,
dependin
’
on the day
—
to pay you in imaginary gold for my release,
”
she said.
“
What fun we had then!
”