plainly, trying to keep the telling fear from her tone. “Sumner saved me, but he doesn’t want you to go in the morning. He thinks someone will be watching.”
Warren’s face visibly tensed. Taking a deep breath in, he shook his head. “It has been my worry. I heard rumblings of a sighting of a woman at Laker’s Grove. Thought they would consider that Sumner had brought you with him. I had planned to tell Sumner in the morning. I should have sent word, but I never thought…if I had, I would have…”
Jane soothed him. “It is fine. Nothing happened, yet, but we can’t return. Sumner wants you to meet him in the morning. We will be down below Sanwee Creek up at the fork before it hits Broad River. Whistle. Sumner said you would know what to do.”
“Yes, of course. Tell him it might be closer to mid-day, but I will be there,” Warren quickly agreed. “Can’t say that I like it. How did you ever get away?”
“Sumner talked Bloody Benny into it after Sumner shot and killed Henley. But Sumner doesn’t trust him to hold to his word.”
Warren looked at Jane doubtfully, “Bloody Benny didn’t recognize Sumner?”
She shook her head. “It was dark. Should he have?”
“It has been a while, but Sumner served with Benny in the militia at the beginning of the war. Sumner was the reason Benny got flogged, rightly so. Benny fell asleep at his post. He was the lookout. Drank too much, I heard. The unit was ambushed. We lost a couple of men. Sumner turned him over to the commander. Benny never took responsibility. He deserted shortly after.”
Jane stared at Warren. Sumner had gone into the midst of the Williamsons’ gang knowing full well that if they recognized him… She shuddered to think, for she could never endure another loss, especially not Sumner.
“But then again,” Warren said, thinking out loud. “Benny wouldn’t have been expecting him. He’s not using his real name.”
“Real name?” Jane asked. Her heart sank. In all their talks he had never mentioned he was using a fake name, but why would he? He would leave, and she would never see him again.
“It doesn’t matter, does it?” Warren retracted himself. “Go. Tell him I will come. I have good news for him. Tell him Israel is set to meet up with him, I will tell him everything in the morning.”
She nodded and turned to leave. “Wait,” he called out. “Let me send something to hold you over until I see you.”
Warren took only a moment and brought out a small sack. “It’s not much, but should hold you until tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t look back as she mounted. Her only thought was returning to Sumner, knowing that tonight would be all she had left with him.
* * * *
A light rain fell upon the night. Darkness covered the road, but she had not far to go. She reined her horse to the left into the woods. She didn’t like being alone, unsure of her surroundings, but she was heading back to Sumner. She wouldn’t falter.
Jane thought back to the time she went after Bloody Benny. She felt no fear then, only a burning hatred.
The Mathersons had taken her in after the raid. They were nice enough, she supposed, but she felt she was an imposition. They were a large family, having eight children. Their eldest child was only eleven, but the Mathersons had been her closest neighbors.
Her grandfather helped them out numerous times in the past. Jane knew because she had kept her grandfather’s books.
Martha Matherson kept asking her if she had other family or if she had a beau. She knew of no other family nor did she have a beau, but she saw within Mrs. Matherson a fear that the Williamson gang would descend upon them. Shelia, God bless her, had, also, offered to take her in against her father’s wishes.
Pride overcame Jane. She didn’t want to be a burden upon anyone, let alone have anyone hurt because of her. Then she thought of Laker’s Grove. Many times she brought meals up to Mr. Beltcher and cleaned for him
Warren’s face visibly tensed. Taking a deep breath in, he shook his head. “It has been my worry. I heard rumblings of a sighting of a woman at Laker’s Grove. Thought they would consider that Sumner had brought you with him. I had planned to tell Sumner in the morning. I should have sent word, but I never thought…if I had, I would have…”
Jane soothed him. “It is fine. Nothing happened, yet, but we can’t return. Sumner wants you to meet him in the morning. We will be down below Sanwee Creek up at the fork before it hits Broad River. Whistle. Sumner said you would know what to do.”
“Yes, of course. Tell him it might be closer to mid-day, but I will be there,” Warren quickly agreed. “Can’t say that I like it. How did you ever get away?”
“Sumner talked Bloody Benny into it after Sumner shot and killed Henley. But Sumner doesn’t trust him to hold to his word.”
Warren looked at Jane doubtfully, “Bloody Benny didn’t recognize Sumner?”
She shook her head. “It was dark. Should he have?”
“It has been a while, but Sumner served with Benny in the militia at the beginning of the war. Sumner was the reason Benny got flogged, rightly so. Benny fell asleep at his post. He was the lookout. Drank too much, I heard. The unit was ambushed. We lost a couple of men. Sumner turned him over to the commander. Benny never took responsibility. He deserted shortly after.”
Jane stared at Warren. Sumner had gone into the midst of the Williamsons’ gang knowing full well that if they recognized him… She shuddered to think, for she could never endure another loss, especially not Sumner.
“But then again,” Warren said, thinking out loud. “Benny wouldn’t have been expecting him. He’s not using his real name.”
“Real name?” Jane asked. Her heart sank. In all their talks he had never mentioned he was using a fake name, but why would he? He would leave, and she would never see him again.
“It doesn’t matter, does it?” Warren retracted himself. “Go. Tell him I will come. I have good news for him. Tell him Israel is set to meet up with him, I will tell him everything in the morning.”
She nodded and turned to leave. “Wait,” he called out. “Let me send something to hold you over until I see you.”
Warren took only a moment and brought out a small sack. “It’s not much, but should hold you until tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t look back as she mounted. Her only thought was returning to Sumner, knowing that tonight would be all she had left with him.
* * * *
A light rain fell upon the night. Darkness covered the road, but she had not far to go. She reined her horse to the left into the woods. She didn’t like being alone, unsure of her surroundings, but she was heading back to Sumner. She wouldn’t falter.
Jane thought back to the time she went after Bloody Benny. She felt no fear then, only a burning hatred.
The Mathersons had taken her in after the raid. They were nice enough, she supposed, but she felt she was an imposition. They were a large family, having eight children. Their eldest child was only eleven, but the Mathersons had been her closest neighbors.
Her grandfather helped them out numerous times in the past. Jane knew because she had kept her grandfather’s books.
Martha Matherson kept asking her if she had other family or if she had a beau. She knew of no other family nor did she have a beau, but she saw within Mrs. Matherson a fear that the Williamson gang would descend upon them. Shelia, God bless her, had, also, offered to take her in against her father’s wishes.
Pride overcame Jane. She didn’t want to be a burden upon anyone, let alone have anyone hurt because of her. Then she thought of Laker’s Grove. Many times she brought meals up to Mr. Beltcher and cleaned for him
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