the devil’d have to wrestle it out of Hugh Byrd’s cold dead hands, I’m afraid.” He sat up and stared again into the darkness.
Nackie stood and began to clear the table, blowing out the candles and leaving Rafe alone in the dark.
Chapter Nine
April 20, 1861
L IVVIE WAS PACING UNDER THE huge oak tree, twisting the strings of her bonnet. Rafe watched her from a quilt on the ground, half listening as he thought how beautiful she looked. Her blue dress accentuated her small waist, and the wide skirt swung high enough to show her delicate ankles when she turned angrily. He smiled to himself.
“Why are you smiling?” she demanded. “I don’t see where this it at all amusing, Rafe Colton!”
He laughed. “You look beautiful’s all. I can’t help looking, especially if you keep swingin’ your skirts up around your knees with your pacin’ back and forth.”
She blushed, which only made her more beautiful, and he grinned at her. “Why don’t you come sit down here with me?”
She put her hands on her hips, standing above him. He knew that he would dwarf her by a foot if he stood, but he liked this view. He reached out and took her hand, trying to pull her down to his side.
“Liv, listen. It’s the only thing I can do! The trees are almost gone, and I ain’t got a single other prospect. Mr. Greene allowed as how he’d apprentice me, but I’d have to live in Charleston with him, and I wouldn’t be makin’ any money for a good while. Mama and Nackie gotta have food. Nackie can’t even chop wood anymore. If I do this, I’ll get paid, real money. Enough to send home to them, anyway. What’ll I need money for anyway? I’ll be clothed and fed…”
She wrenched her hand away. “And you’ll be gone! What if there really is a war?”
He stood up, and took her in his arms. She resisted, then softened into him. “I’d be gone if I went to Mr. Greene’s, too. President Davis has called for volunteers. So has Mr. Lincoln. Lincoln said the Confederate States are in rebellion… You can be sure there’s gonna be war, some day, if not soon. But if I volunteer for the militia, I can go right on up to Charleston, join the 1st South Carolina Volunteers. It’s only for six months, Liv. If I don’t like it, I’ll come home. I promise.”
Looking up into his eyes, Livvie tried to keep the tears from her own. “But what if the Federals attack? What if they try to get Fort Sumter back? You’ll be right there in Charleston!”
He pulled her in, resting her head on his chest. “I don’t know what else to do. And it’s my duty, same as the other fellows who been signin’ up. I don’t want to leave you, Liv, no more’n I want to leave home, and Mama, and old Nackie. I want to marry you, and have my farm back, and go on with the way things have always been. But they ain’t that way no more, and I figure we can whoop the Yankees a time or two and they’ll give up, go on home, and leave us be. That’s worth somethin’, for Byrd’s Creek and all y’all still here. And in the meantime, I can support my family. And maybe, if I can do some good in the fightin’, your daddy’ll see I am worth somethin’ after all.”
They stood that way for a long while, the spring breeze lifting wisps of Livvie’s hair, her scent filling his head with thoughts of marriage and the future. Finally she pulled away from him, and looked searchingly in his eyes.
“Your worth somethin’ because you were made by God, Rafe. That’s enough for me, no matter what else you ever do in this life. I’ll not be marrying Mr. Wyman Phelps or anybody else Daddy brings home. I belong with you. I know it, in my heart and my soul. So you just come back to me, you hear?” She smiled as tears finally trailed down her face.
Rafe swallowed back the hard lump that had gathered in his throat and got down on one knee. He hadn’t planned to do this today, but the world, and the threat of war, was pressing down on him. “Olivia Byrd, will
Nackie stood and began to clear the table, blowing out the candles and leaving Rafe alone in the dark.
Chapter Nine
April 20, 1861
L IVVIE WAS PACING UNDER THE huge oak tree, twisting the strings of her bonnet. Rafe watched her from a quilt on the ground, half listening as he thought how beautiful she looked. Her blue dress accentuated her small waist, and the wide skirt swung high enough to show her delicate ankles when she turned angrily. He smiled to himself.
“Why are you smiling?” she demanded. “I don’t see where this it at all amusing, Rafe Colton!”
He laughed. “You look beautiful’s all. I can’t help looking, especially if you keep swingin’ your skirts up around your knees with your pacin’ back and forth.”
She blushed, which only made her more beautiful, and he grinned at her. “Why don’t you come sit down here with me?”
She put her hands on her hips, standing above him. He knew that he would dwarf her by a foot if he stood, but he liked this view. He reached out and took her hand, trying to pull her down to his side.
“Liv, listen. It’s the only thing I can do! The trees are almost gone, and I ain’t got a single other prospect. Mr. Greene allowed as how he’d apprentice me, but I’d have to live in Charleston with him, and I wouldn’t be makin’ any money for a good while. Mama and Nackie gotta have food. Nackie can’t even chop wood anymore. If I do this, I’ll get paid, real money. Enough to send home to them, anyway. What’ll I need money for anyway? I’ll be clothed and fed…”
She wrenched her hand away. “And you’ll be gone! What if there really is a war?”
He stood up, and took her in his arms. She resisted, then softened into him. “I’d be gone if I went to Mr. Greene’s, too. President Davis has called for volunteers. So has Mr. Lincoln. Lincoln said the Confederate States are in rebellion… You can be sure there’s gonna be war, some day, if not soon. But if I volunteer for the militia, I can go right on up to Charleston, join the 1st South Carolina Volunteers. It’s only for six months, Liv. If I don’t like it, I’ll come home. I promise.”
Looking up into his eyes, Livvie tried to keep the tears from her own. “But what if the Federals attack? What if they try to get Fort Sumter back? You’ll be right there in Charleston!”
He pulled her in, resting her head on his chest. “I don’t know what else to do. And it’s my duty, same as the other fellows who been signin’ up. I don’t want to leave you, Liv, no more’n I want to leave home, and Mama, and old Nackie. I want to marry you, and have my farm back, and go on with the way things have always been. But they ain’t that way no more, and I figure we can whoop the Yankees a time or two and they’ll give up, go on home, and leave us be. That’s worth somethin’, for Byrd’s Creek and all y’all still here. And in the meantime, I can support my family. And maybe, if I can do some good in the fightin’, your daddy’ll see I am worth somethin’ after all.”
They stood that way for a long while, the spring breeze lifting wisps of Livvie’s hair, her scent filling his head with thoughts of marriage and the future. Finally she pulled away from him, and looked searchingly in his eyes.
“Your worth somethin’ because you were made by God, Rafe. That’s enough for me, no matter what else you ever do in this life. I’ll not be marrying Mr. Wyman Phelps or anybody else Daddy brings home. I belong with you. I know it, in my heart and my soul. So you just come back to me, you hear?” She smiled as tears finally trailed down her face.
Rafe swallowed back the hard lump that had gathered in his throat and got down on one knee. He hadn’t planned to do this today, but the world, and the threat of war, was pressing down on him. “Olivia Byrd, will
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