Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (57 page)

“
But…but why didn
’
t he tell you sooner?
”

“
He thought you loved Justin,
”
Lowell
said.

Savannah
and Vivianna whirled around to see
Lowell
standing in the doorway.

“
Lowell
?
”
Savannah
asked.

“
He thought…Mr. Johnny knew that since you thought Justin wrote the letters…he thought you could only love Justin,
”
Lowell
said.
“
I heard
’
em talkin
’
…arguin
’
the day they disappeared from camp.
”
Lowell
paused
and
inhaled a deep breath.
“
I didn
’
t understand it
’
til now
.
I was too upset to see Mr. Johnny and Mr. Justin arguin
’
that day.
And then…and then they never came back to camp
,
and I was taken to the orphanage.
”
The small boy looked to Vivianna.
“
But I heard
’
em.
I heard Mr. Justin tellin
’
Mr. Johnny he was a fool.
I heard him say no man could love a wom
a
n he
’
d never seen…never touched.
But Mr. Johnny said a man could.
Then he told Mr. Justin that Mr. Justin best do what was right.
‘
She loves you,
’
Mr. Johnny told him.
‘
And I won
’
t see her heart broken.
’
That
’
s what Mr. Johnny said.
It was you they was arguin
’
over, wasn
’
t it, Miss Vivianna?
”

Vivianna was trembling so violently that the sound of Johnny
’
s letter rattling in her
hand
echoed through the room.
“
I have to go to him,
”
she breathed.
“
I have to go town and find him.
He has to know I don
’
t hate him for this.
”
She turned to
Savannah
,
desperation gripping her.
“
This is what
’
s been eatin
’
him up all this time!
”

Savannah
nodded
,
brushing tears fr
om
her cheeks.

“
I…I have to get the letters from the attic at Daddy and Mama
’
s house,
Savannah
!
I have
to
read them again now that I know the truth!
”
Vivianna laughed with joy and overwhelming emotion.
“
I
’
ve got to get to town and find Johnny!
”

“
I
’
m goin
’
too!
”
Lowell
exclaimed.

“
Me too!
”
Nate hollered from the hallway.

“
And me!
”
Willy said, pushing
Lowell
aside as he entered the room.

“
We
’
ll all go!
’’
Savannah
exclaimed.
She took Vivianna by the shoulders.
“
We
’
ll go with ya and start takin
’
the covers off all your mama
’
s fine furniture
.
There
’
s no way I
’
m lettin
’
you and Johnny linger together in the same house one more night…not with the passion this revelation will bring!
”

“
Let
’
s go now, Vivianna!
”
Lowell
exclaimed.
“
Mr. Johnny needs to know you ain
’
t gonna hate him for bein
’
a liar.
”

Vivianna laughed through her tears.
Picking up the carved honeysuckle blossom—Johnny
’
s precious gift to her—she folded the note and pressed it into her pocket.
She
’
d put the carving in a safer place
,
for it was far too delicate to leave unattended
, and
then she
’
d hurry to town.
She didn
’
t care if Johnny was working
;
she didn
’
t care who would be looking on when she told him.
But she had to tell him
. S
he had to tell him that, though a moment before she would
’
ve thought it impossible to love him any more desperately
,
she did!



“
Why didn
’
t he say somethin
’
when he first arrived?
Why didn
’
t he just tell ya then?
”
Savannah
asked as she and Vivianna rushed toward town.
Vivianna wished Caleb hadn
’
t ridden Captain to town that morning.
She could
’
ve reached Johnny so much quicker if she
’
d been able to ride.

Vivianna shook her head and stammered,
“
I…I guess…I guess it was that he knew I thought Justin wrote the letters.
He knew I wouldn
’
t accept any other truth right off.
I hadn
’
t faced my own pain
.
I couldn
’
t see that Justin was nothin
’
like the letters…not at first.
I loved Justin because I thought he loved me.
Johnny couldn
’
t tell me the truth…not until now.
”

“
We
’
re almost there!
”
Nate called.
The boys had run ahead of
Savannah
and Vivianna
,
unable to keep themselves to simply a steady walk.
“
Someone in town will know where the railroad is workin
’
, Viv!
Come on!
”

“
I hear somethin
’
,
”
Lowell
said.
Vivianna paused as
Lowell
stopped dead in his tracks.

“
Come on,
Lowell
!
”
Willy said, stopping as well.
“
Don
’
t quit now!
We
’
re almost to town.
”

“
But I hear somethin
’
…and it
’
s makin
’
my stomach churn awful bad,
”
Lowell
said.

Vivianna and
Savannah
stopped
;
Nate stopped.

“
Here comes Mr. Winder,
”
Nate said.
“
He
’
s Tilly Winder
’
s daddy.
”

“
Tilly Winder?
The loose woman that
’
s been keepin
’
Justin in town so late?
”
Lowell
asked.

“
What?
”
Savannah
gasped, frowning at
Lowell
.

“
Yep…and he looks a might upset,
”
Willy said.

“
Maybe he caught Justin sparkin
’
his daughter out in back of the ol
’
Libby place,
”
Nate offered.

Mr. Winder did look angry.
As he approached,
Savannah
called,
“
Mr. Winder!
Do you know where the railroad is workin
’
?
”

Mr. Winder stopped
and
snorted as he glared at
Savannah
.
“
I know where the railroad is workin
’
,
Savannah
Turner…you Yankee lover!
”
he growled.

“
Mr. Winder!
”
Savannah
gasped.

“
They
’
re workin
’
about a mile east…right out where they found that dead boy this mornin
’
!
”

“
A dead boy?
”
Nate asked.

Mr. Winder nodded.
“
Yep.
One of ours…rather
,
one belongin
’
to those of us who didn
’
t betray the Confederacy!
Looks to have been there awhile too.
”

Vivianna
’
s heart was hammering
,
for her heart knew—she knew who the dead
C
onfederate was that had been found at the railroad site.

She hugged Lowell and Willy tight to her as they nestled in
,
frightened by Mr. Winder.

“
How…how did he…
”
Savannah
began.
Vivianna saw the color drain fr
om
Savannah
’
s face.
She knew
Savannah
was awash with the same fear as she.

“
When the railroad men got out there this mornin
’
to start work
,
the buzzards were circlin
’
. T
he
y
found him stickin
’
out of a shallow grave.
He was half chewed up
,
but his uniform showed he was one of our boys,
”
Mr. Winder growled.

“
Well, where you goin
’
, Mr. Winder?
”
Nate asked.

“
I
’
m goin
’
to get my gun, boy!
”
the man growled.
“
We
’
re lynchin
’
the man who killed that poor soldier
. A
nd if the rope don
’
t hang him proper…I
’
m gonna shoot him right between the eyes myself!
”

“
Lynchin
’
?
”
Savannah
gasped.
“
Who?
How do you know anybody even killed the boy?
It could be he was just some poor soul on his way home when
—”

“
Oh, we know who killed him, Savannah Turner,
”
Mr. Winder growled.
“
It was that damn Yankee you been havin
’
at your house ever since your
Justin brought him here.
”

Vivia
nna gasped
,
and Mr. Winder
’
s eyes narrowed
as he looked her up and down.