Free Cheryl Reavis by An Unexpected Wife Page A

Justice’s pleasure—but ever since he’d awakened from his laudanum-induced stupor, he’d found himself in the middle of a crossroad. Not a spiritual or an emotional one, but one that literally involved all manner of comings and goings in the house. People arrived in a steady stream at the front door, or they made their entry into the house at the back via the kitchen. However they managed to get inside, they all apparently had the same goal—ostensibly to deliver food and drink as a “welcome home” for him, but actually to satisfy their curiosity about his return. There was no surprise in that, of course; he had essentially come back from the dead. What surprised him was that the parade of would-be visitors continued despite the fact that none of them were ever allowed to visit. He had his brother-in-law’s sergeant major to thank for that, and he was grateful. It was a great relief not to have to talk to anyone. Unfortunately the one person he actually wanted to talk to was prone to hiding.
    Kate.
    He had learned her given name by overhearing snippets of conversation in the house. “Miss Kate,” the sergeant major called her. It would seem, too, that she actually did have a certain responsibility for keeping Mrs. Kinnard pacified, and he didn’t envy her that.
    He was also learning more about the soldiers assigned to the house—Bruno, who had cared for his father during his final illness and who clearly had a fondness for the old man. Private Castine, who was suffering the torture of being a young man surrounded by attractive Southern young ladies nearly everywhere he went, most of whom never deigned to speak to him and the ones who did weren’t nearly so prized. Admiring someone from afar was a decidedly lonely pastime.
    It came as a surprise to Robert that he rather liked Sergeant Major Perkins. The very first question the man had put to him had seemed offhand and innocent—even humorous—but it had been straight to the point: “Did you get the chaplain straightened out or not?”
    It was a question for which there was likely no answer, but by asking it, Perkins had made it known that he—if not the entire household—had heard the heated exchange during what everyone had assumed was an occasion for giving and getting spiritual comfort. But he hadn’t asked Robert for any details, as Robert had expected. Instead he had established that, at some point, he might, and at that time he would expect an answer.
    Robert had managed to endure a short one-sided conversation with Mrs. Kinnard—she’d talked about the suffering she had endured at the hands of the occupiers; ostensibly, he listened. He’d also had a visit with Mrs. Justice, but she had cried so when she had seen him awake, sitting up and mostly himself again, that he couldn’t find a way to ask her about Eleanor. Mrs. Russell didn’t come to talk to him at all, and he supposed it was because he was too much of a reminder of Jimmy.
    What with the influx of food into the house and the weeping, it was as if he’d died rather than come home again. He was certain of one thing, however. It had to be significant that Mrs. Justice did not once mention Eleanor. He was not so certain that Kate Woodard was going to be able to grant him his second favor and bring him the information he wanted.
    He looked up at a sound out in the hallway. The sergeant major stood in the doorway.
    “You sent for me, sir?” he asked.
    “I... Yes. I was wondering if Miss Woodard was available. I’d like to speak to her.”
    “She’s about to leave the house, sir, if she hasn’t already,” he said.
    “Do you know when she’ll return?”
    “Couldn’t say, sir. She had some letters she wanted to mail, and then Miss Valentina—Mrs. Kinnard’s daughter, that would be—she kind of swooped in and pounced on her about wearing the same dress all the time. Anybody would have thought the fur would fly after a remark like that, but off together they went. Miss Woodard’s