Elusive Hope (41 page)

She leaned into his hand and closed her eyes. A soft sigh spilled from her lips. Before they drew tight and she tore away from him. “So, God helps you forgive him, but you cannot forgive me!”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Princess.”

“You have no right to call me that. Not anymore.” She took up a pace, bunching her skirts with her fists.

Hayden sighed. “I’m truly sorry.” More sorry than she knew. For if he didn’t leave soon, he was sure he’d toss aside his resolve and take her in his arms. But now he’d sparked her temper. Good. Her ire would aid him greatly.

“Sorry?” She shot him a feral look. “You are no better than my father—punishing me for succumbing to Patrick’s charms!” A tiny vein pulsed in her neck. “And just like Patrick, you ask to court me one minute and the next you trample my affections beneath your traitorous hooves. You think you are different from your father. You are not!” She halted, spearing him with her contempt. “You are a man who lures women to fall in love with you only to break their hearts.” The anger faded and the tears began. Grabbing her skirts, she took the lantern and darted from the clearing. Leaves swallowed her up like darkness swallowing light.

C
HAPTER
34

J
ames plopped the open book down on Blake’s desk and pointed to the lines of Hebrew he’d finally managed to translate. “You need to know this.”

“What? More ancient prophecies? More riddles we can’t solve?” Blake laid down his pen and rose, stretching the kinks out of his back. “It’s far too beautiful a morning for such dismal tidings.” He glanced out the window where the rising sun flung spires of emerald through the jungle, stirring its creatures to life. “Besides, we need to weed the fields before it gets too hot. Then we can work on more irrigation troughs and start on the cane mill.” Blake studied him. “You haven’t slept, have you?”

“No.” James rubbed his eyes and stared at the elegant Hebrew letters. Letters that couldn’t have been penned by anyone other than a Hebrew scholar or a learned man. Certainly not the cannibals who had built the temple. “I had to figure this out.”

Circling his desk, Blake shoved the book aside and leaned back on its surface. His eyes filled with concern. “You’ve become far too obsessed with these ancient fables.”

James cocked a brow. “That’s what they say about the Bible too.”

Blake frowned. “Indeed.” He glanced at the page and released a heavy sigh. “But this is not God’s Word.”

“No. But it means something. I know it. I feel it in my Spirit. Something important.”

“Very well.” Blake rose and walked to the window where a breeze brought the scent of mandioca cakes and boiled banana. James’s stomach stirred. He’d been so caught up in the translation, he had skipped supper last night.

“What have you discovered?” Blake turned and gripped the back of his chair with both hands.

“From what I can gather, the judgment of the Four refers to four beings of enormous power. The first half of the book describes a battle that took place. The Four lost the battle, were judged, and then locked beneath the earth in chains.” He glanced up at Blake. “The same story told by the pictures painted along the tunnel walls.”

“But you don’t know that for sure. Thiago could have guessed or even fabricated the story to match the book.”

“He didn’t know what was in the book.”

“Hmm.”Blake stared at the ancient manuscript.“So, I assume these beings were locked in the alcoves we found in the bottom chamber?”

“Yes. But, as you saw, their chains are broken. Do you remember their names?”

“Deception and Delusion.”

James nodded.

“So, you’re saying these beings were freed somehow?” Blake asked.

“That’s what I’m thinking.” James ran a hand through his hair, trying to curb his excitement. “Haven’t we all been seeing visions lately? Delusions? Deceptions?”

Blake huffed. “Oh, come now, you don’t think…”

“I do.” James took up a pace, something He’d been doing all night long. “Something or someone has been reading our minds, conjuring up visions from our past, visions that are meant to torment.”

“I don’t know.” Blake released the chair and rubbed his sore leg. “It sounds a bit farfetched. So, why can’t we see these beings?”

“They live in the spirit realm…like angels and demons.”

Blake snorted. “And the other two?”

“Hopefully still locked up.” James halted as a breeze stirred the papers on Blake’s desk. “You
do
remember that Graves was digging farther below.”

“Humph.” Blake eyed him with understanding. “All right, let’s say I believe this nonsense. How were these powerful beings freed in the first place?”

“I’m not sure. But I believe this next section”—James planted a finger on the open page—“will tell me. I just can’t quite decipher it.” He scratched his head.

“And you think Graves is trying to release the other two?”

“I wouldn’t put it past the man.”

Blake rubbed his chin, lines furrowing on his forehead. “Continue your translation and keep me informed if you discover anything else. A year ago I would have laughed at all this, but now after what I’ve seen, after my encounter with God, I do believe there is another realm we cannot see.”

“Indeed, the Bible speaks of it often.”

“As I have discovered in my readings.” Blake’s smile soon faded beneath a sigh weighted with responsibility. “Speak about this to no one but me.”

James nodded, happy his friend didn’t think him a fool. He was about to thank him when one of the night watchmen stormed into the hut, his face aglow with excitement. “There are three men heading toward our town, Colonel. And one of them looks like Captain Barclay!”

James and Blake exchanged a puzzled look. The man who had captained the ship that brought them from Charleston to Rio? But as soon as they saw the old sea dog’s ruddy, bearded face emerge from the greenery, hearty greetings were exchanged. In fact, everyone in town soon gathered around to welcome the captain and his mates, anxious for news from home.

“I didn’t expect you back so soon, Captain,” Blake said as everyone clustered near the meeting shelter to partake of breakfast and drill the seaman with questions.

“Nor did I!” Barclay laughed and drew off his neckerchief to dab his forehead. “I feel like a pig roasting on a spit! Is it always so hot here?”

James laughed as did many of the colonists. “You get used to it.”

“I won’t be here long enough, I hope,” he said. “Ah, but yes, I picked up my cargo in New Orleans, delivered it to Norfolk and then passed by Charleston for another group of colonists headed toward Brazil. I just dropped them off in Rio and thought I’d gather your mail from the immigration office and bring it to you.” He plopped a piece of mango into his mouth and groaned his pleasure as juice dribbled into his beard. “So here I am!” He reached into his pouch, withdrew a packet of letters, and began reading off names.

James hung back, sipping his coffee. There’d be nothing for him, of course. He had no one back home who would be writing to him.

His gaze landed on Angeline. She sat beneath the bamboo roof of the meeting house, her apron still on from helping prepare breakfast, a forlorn look on her comely face. He longed to know her story, for it appeared she had no one at home either. Nor did Blake or Eliza, though they seemed to be enjoying the colonists’ excitement. Hayden was leaning on a tree at the edge of the clearing. James had heard the man intended to leave again, and he was sad for it. But he could understand in light of his father’s presence. Would that Patrick Gale would leave instead, but they couldn’t force the issue. They’d left the South to find freedom and it wouldn’t be right to dictate who could stay and who couldn’t.

“Miss Magnolia Scott. Magnolia Scott!” Captain Barclay shouted, and the lady emerged from the crowd to retrieve her letter, a look of confusion on her face.

Magnolia gripped the letter, still not believing the return address: Samuel Wimberly, 235 Washington Street, Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Her fingers began to shake as she left the others to find a quiet place to read.

My dearest Magnolia
,

When I heard you had immigrated to Brazil, I could hardly believe it. What possessed your parents to drag you to such an uncivilized post? I sincerely hope it was not because of the way
things ended between us, for I have been wallowing in misery ever since. The despicable war stole away the years we should have been together. But now that hostilities are at an end, at least the formal kind, I have found myself in a position of great influence in aiding the North as they rebuild our precious South. Great influence and great wealth, my dear. Enough to provide for you and your family in the manner in which you were accustomed before the unfortunate incident with that incorrigible confidence man. Do write back to tell me you’ll return and marry me. Better yet, send no post but hop on the ship that delivered this letter and come back to me post haste. I wait with great anticipation to see your lovely face again
.

You are ever in my fondest dreams
,

Samuel Wimberly III Esquire
.

“Oh my.” Magnolia’s mother flung a hand to her mouth as she perused the letter Magnolia had reluctantly handed her. Curiosity had driven her to Magnolia’s side within minutes of receiving the post, had opened her mouth to finally speak to her. Something she hadn’t done in days under the watchful eye of her husband.

“This is wonderful news! Just wonderful!” Her mother squealed. “I knew he wouldn’t forget you.”

“Why are you speaking to her?” Magnolia’s father burst around the corner of the hut. “I told you—”

Giddy with delight, her mother shoved the letter toward him, stopping him in his tracks. “What’s this?” he puffed out, his chin doubling as he perused it.

Magnolia waited while he read, her mind still whirling in shock and confusion. She’d never thought she’d hear from Samuel again. Mercy me, she hadn’t even been sure he’d take her back if she
had
managed to return home. But this. That he missed her and still wanted her! It was wonderful news.

Wasn’t it? It wouldn’t be wonderful if Hayden loved her and still wanted her. The news would bear no effect on her whatsoever, except the pain at writing Samuel a letter of rejection. But that was only a dream.

“That settles it.” Magnolia’s father slapped the paper. His smile appeared at odds with his normally flat lips “We head home immediately!”

“This is my decision.” Magnolia straightened her shoulders. “And besides, you disowned me.”

“For accepting the courtship of that nincompoop!” He waved the letter toward the center of town. “This changes everything.”

“If I accept, it does, yes.” For once Magnolia returned her father’s pointed stare. Yet no fear crawled up her spine at the fury blazing in his eyes.

“Surely you aren’t still considering receiving the attentions of that ghastly man! Why, he’s the son of the beast who ruined us.”

“I’m well aware of that, Father.” Despite that sordid fact, Magnolia would have Hayden if he wanted her. She hugged herself as the sound of laughter and gaiety drifted from the meeting area of town.

Her mother laid a hand on her arm. Was it Magnolia’s imagination or were there more streaks of gray in her mother’s brown hair since last she saw her? “We hear he’s leaving town anyway, dear. Abandoning you just like his father did.”

She tugged from her mother and backed away. “He’s not abandoning me. He’s hurt and confused.” Then why did it feel like a boulder just dropped in her stomach?

“This is what you want!” Her father clenched his jaw to keep from shouting. “You’ve been complaining about coming to Brazil from the moment we set foot on the ship. You tried to sabotage the voyage, for Pete’s sake. And all your poor mother and I have heard since we arrived here is how miserable you are.”

“Then, why did you take me away from Samuel in the first place?”

“You know very well we couldn’t locate him after the war.”

“And he didn’t have enough money or power to suit you. Odd how you’ve changed your mind now that he does.” Magnolia cocked her head. She’d never spoken to her father with such an imperious tone. She’d always been so afraid of him. So fearful of his disapproval. But something had changed within her. And she found it exhilarating!

His dark eyes narrowed but not before she caught a hint of pain within them. “You’ve acquired a sharp tongue these past few days.”

“I’ve acquired far more than that, Father. Confidence, for one. Freedom, for another. And along with both the realization that I can take care of myself.”

“Bah!” He folded the letter and handed it back to her.

Magnolia took it as her mother’s pleading eyes shifted between them. “Please don’t quarrel. Not when we’ve received such good news.”

“Your mother is right.” Her father expelled his fury on a long sigh. “Let us put things behind us, dumpling. Finally, we can leave this jungle and live the life we were destined to live.”