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Authors: RITA GERLACH
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shape of a half-moon. Remember when we were children, you chased me up a hill and I threw a stone at you to stop your teasing? Remember how I cried, for the wound bled badly and I thought you would die?” Her body shuddered, and her voice quivered with the force of tears.
“Yes, I remember,” he said. “I deserved it.”
“Is it you! Oh, Seth!” She threw her arms around his neck and embraced the brother she had longed to see again.
Juleah slipped out. While she closed the door behind her, her heart ached. For the Braxtons, one tragedy led to another. What salt to the wounds would this new turn of events add or remove?
5
L ate into the night, Seth and Caroline sat upstairs together. The glow of the low fire colored Caroline's face, and the joy of her brother's arrival moved her to get out of bed and gather her strength. Claire helped her dress, and now Caroline sat with her legs pulled up beside her in the chair. Her face was lined deeply with grief, and Seth wondered what he could possibly say to comfort her.
“I’m sorry, Seth,” she moaned. “You’ve come at such a sad time, and I’m not well.”
“There's nothing to forgive.”
“Oh, there is more than you know.”
Disturbed by what she meant, he looked at her a long while. “I wish I had come sooner. Perhaps I could have done something.”
“You must not feel that way.” She looked over at him with a struggle. “I’m glad you are here.”
He went on to change the subject. “I cannot believe how you’ve changed. You are not the little girl I once knew.”
“Indeed not. And you … you are not the lad I romped with. I remember how strong you were as a boy. You’d lift meup into the oak tree near the house so I could climb with you. Father would get angry and command us down.”
“He was afraid you’d fall. The tree is still there.”
“Is it? Has the house changed?”
“War aged it, but it still stands.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Did you suffer in the war?”
“Hardship was unavoidable.”
“I cried when Grandfather told me Father died at Yorktown.” Caroline drew her hands up against her breast. “Where is he now I wonder? In heaven, you think?”
“Yes, in heaven with our mother.”
Caroline closed her eyes. “I hope it is true, for I imagine heaven is a beautiful place where there is no sorrow or pain. Perhaps when we go there we are children again, like my son.”
From his breast pocket, Seth pulled out the locket and gold chain. “Father carried this with him through the war. It is now yours.”
Caroline took it from his hand and opened the front. “It is Mother. She was gentle and kind. Why are those we have loved taken from us too soon?”
He looked away. “I cannot say.”
Caroline closed the locket and put it around her neck. “You and I must tell each other everything. And if you decide to send me away, I will go.”
Seth leaned forward and picked up her hand. He could tell by the expression in her face that the gesture comforted her. “Send you away? I’d never do that.”
“People will be cruel, and they’ll say terrible things about me that will embarrass you.”
“I’ll not let a harsh word toward you pass any man's lips. I don’t care how they treat me. Wagging tongues will never cease,no matter where you go. Besides, I’ll be the one to embarrass you, being a Yankee.”
Claire set a tray on the table. She lifted the cover off a platter of food. “I suppose it's been a while since you had good home-cooked meals, sir.”
“It has, at least by womanly hands.”
“Perhaps you can persuade Miss Caroline to eat something.”
He looked over at his sister. “I cannot eat alone, Caroline.”
Claire spoke up desperately. “Please try, Miss Caroline. It’ll strengthen you.”
“What about Juleah?” Caroline said.
“She had a bite to eat in the kitchen with Will and me. Don’t you worry.”
Claire bent and lifted the blanket that had slipped off Caroline's lap, set it
“Yes, I remember,” he said. “I deserved it.”
“Is it you! Oh, Seth!” She threw her arms around his neck and embraced the brother she had longed to see again.
Juleah slipped out. While she closed the door behind her, her heart ached. For the Braxtons, one tragedy led to another. What salt to the wounds would this new turn of events add or remove?
5
L ate into the night, Seth and Caroline sat upstairs together. The glow of the low fire colored Caroline's face, and the joy of her brother's arrival moved her to get out of bed and gather her strength. Claire helped her dress, and now Caroline sat with her legs pulled up beside her in the chair. Her face was lined deeply with grief, and Seth wondered what he could possibly say to comfort her.
“I’m sorry, Seth,” she moaned. “You’ve come at such a sad time, and I’m not well.”
“There's nothing to forgive.”
“Oh, there is more than you know.”
Disturbed by what she meant, he looked at her a long while. “I wish I had come sooner. Perhaps I could have done something.”
“You must not feel that way.” She looked over at him with a struggle. “I’m glad you are here.”
He went on to change the subject. “I cannot believe how you’ve changed. You are not the little girl I once knew.”
“Indeed not. And you … you are not the lad I romped with. I remember how strong you were as a boy. You’d lift meup into the oak tree near the house so I could climb with you. Father would get angry and command us down.”
“He was afraid you’d fall. The tree is still there.”
“Is it? Has the house changed?”
“War aged it, but it still stands.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Did you suffer in the war?”
“Hardship was unavoidable.”
“I cried when Grandfather told me Father died at Yorktown.” Caroline drew her hands up against her breast. “Where is he now I wonder? In heaven, you think?”
“Yes, in heaven with our mother.”
Caroline closed her eyes. “I hope it is true, for I imagine heaven is a beautiful place where there is no sorrow or pain. Perhaps when we go there we are children again, like my son.”
From his breast pocket, Seth pulled out the locket and gold chain. “Father carried this with him through the war. It is now yours.”
Caroline took it from his hand and opened the front. “It is Mother. She was gentle and kind. Why are those we have loved taken from us too soon?”
He looked away. “I cannot say.”
Caroline closed the locket and put it around her neck. “You and I must tell each other everything. And if you decide to send me away, I will go.”
Seth leaned forward and picked up her hand. He could tell by the expression in her face that the gesture comforted her. “Send you away? I’d never do that.”
“People will be cruel, and they’ll say terrible things about me that will embarrass you.”
“I’ll not let a harsh word toward you pass any man's lips. I don’t care how they treat me. Wagging tongues will never cease,no matter where you go. Besides, I’ll be the one to embarrass you, being a Yankee.”
Claire set a tray on the table. She lifted the cover off a platter of food. “I suppose it's been a while since you had good home-cooked meals, sir.”
“It has, at least by womanly hands.”
“Perhaps you can persuade Miss Caroline to eat something.”
He looked over at his sister. “I cannot eat alone, Caroline.”
Claire spoke up desperately. “Please try, Miss Caroline. It’ll strengthen you.”
“What about Juleah?” Caroline said.
“She had a bite to eat in the kitchen with Will and me. Don’t you worry.”
Claire bent and lifted the blanket that had slipped off Caroline's lap, set it
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