Northern Star (15 page)

As the days grew warmer and life slowed to a crawl, Perry spent more time in the garden dreaming of Hunter and what might have been. She couldn’t explain why, but even when talking with Noma she held back all information of Hunter and Abram.

Every evening Perry dressed for dinner in one of her mother’s gowns and dined with her grandfather. The huge dining room had long windows facing the front of the house. She would watch the oak trees swaying gently in the summer breeze as her grandfather called her by her mother’s name. He always called her Allison when he had been drinking heavily. On the evening they received news of Lincoln’s murder, he drank almost all night. He was a man haunted by grief, looking for reasons to destroy what remained of his sanity. Perry, not knowing how to help, followed the example of all the others in the house—she ignored his drinking.

Slowly, as the days turned into weeks, a restlessness grew inside her. She’d stand each evening on her tiny balcony watching the sun splash light along the horizon. The warm breeze would twist invisible fingers through her hair, reminding her of the way Hunter had touched her. The longing to see him, to hear his name said aloud, became a physical yearning inside Perry. She knew her feelings toward him were hopeless, but she couldn’t stop them from seeping into her thoughts and dreams.

She decided impulsively to pay the Williamses a call. After studying a map in the library she discovered she could travel on horseback and reach their home in half the time a wagon could travel. The trail was overgrown, according to James, but shady. By leaving before noon she’d reach the Williamses by three, if she traveled fast. Perry loved riding and had often spent all day on horseback, so she accepted the ride as a challenge instead of an ordeal.

“I’ll be back by seven and have plenty of time to dress
for dinner,” she told Noma. Though Noma was not happy with the idea of Perry riding so far alone, she could not ride well enough to go with her.

Like most Southerners, Perry and her grandfather dined late in warm weather. In this way they could enjoy an evening breeze. Perry knew he wouldn’t expect her down for dinner until eight or after.

Perry needed the exercise. Her body was well and strong, but for the last several nights she’d been unable to sleep. No matter how hard she pushed Hunter from her mind in the day, he returned at night. The memory of her lips touching his caused her many sleepless hours. Sometimes in the darkness she could feel his arms around her, his hand sliding up her leg, his deep voice whispering his pleasure as he touched her. Even when she finally fell asleep, sometimes she’d awaken with a start, ready to swear that she’d heard him calling for her. But the only sounds would be Noma’s snoring from the room beside hers.

She felt a touch of guilt in realizing that the only reason she wanted to visit the Williamses was in the hope of learning something of Hunter.

Perry rode along the overgrown path, loving the wind in her hair and the feeling of being free. The dark green of summer cooled her mind. Her problems were pushed aside by the thunder of hooves beneath her. If Hunter were married, then he must forever remain only a part of her dreams. She must give him up. But if for some reason he was still unmarried, an island of hope remained in the sea of problems that separated them.

Just before three, Perry rode up to the house of John and Mary Williams. It wasn’t a plantation house, as she’d expected, but a small two-story home set among a cluster of trees. Perry guessed the home had three, maybe four, bedrooms. She could see a small stream running to the left with a garden in midsummer growth beside it. The
house looked warm and inviting, the kind of place Hunter, as a boy, must have loved visiting.

Mary and John greeted her as old friends. They were delighted to have Perry for company. Mary brought lemonade out on the porch and the three sat talking for almost an hour before they were interrupted.

A lone man on a huge black stallion approached from the road. He wore a dark blue uniform and his boots were shiny and oil-bright in the sun. As he moved along, the metal on his jacket twinkled, blocking his face from sight. Perry felt her body stiffen as she watched the lean horseman. It may have been dark when she had first met him, but she could never forget his wiry manner or the evil that no amount of sunlight could burn away from Wade Williams. Today his blue uniform was crisp, and he smiled broadly as he stepped down from his horse.

“Good afternoon, Uncle John, Aunt Mary. May I join your party?” Wade’s smile never touched his eyes.

His step was light and casual, but Perry could feel him watching her, studying her with the same idle curiosity a boy shows an ant before he tramples it.

“Certainly, Wade,” Mary said, standing to pour him some lemonade. “May I introduce our friend, Perry McLain. Oh, I forgot, Perry told us she met you once before.”

Wade’s eyebrow raised with an evil curve. “I’m sure I would have remembered such a great beauty as Miss McLain,” he said questioningly, the professed innocence of his lie a slap to Perry.

Wade lifted her hand to his lips as Perry fought the urge to reach for his gun. “It w-was at a party in Philadelphia some time ago,” she said stammering.

“Ah, I’ve attended many parties in Philadelphia,” Wade replied, nodding his head at his uncle, as if bragging. “Do you live near my aunt and uncle, Miss McLain?”

“Yes,” Perry whispered. “I’m staying with my grandfather on his plantation.”

Perry said little the remainder of the hour. She was aware of Wade’s eyes watching her constantly. He asked her direct questions about her grandfather and his plantation. Since Perry knew little, her responses were brief.

John and Wade talked of the many problems of Reconstruction. Both believed North Carolina would be a key state to watch, but they agreed on little else. Though John never raised his voice, his belief that his fellow countrymen had suffered enough was strong. Wade Williams took the side of many Northerners, even though his roots were Southern. He believed each state must pay and pay dearly. Perry knew men like Wade were hated even more than the carpetbaggers. He’d turned against his own kind in his quest for power. Now that the North had won, he wanted more for his Union loyalty.

Perry sat, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, trying not to allow Wade’s conversation to disturb her. He was like a leech sucking blood from a wounded animal. Finally she could endure no more of the talk. She pulled on her riding gloves with a sudden urgency to be gone.

As Perry stood to say good-bye, Wade rose beside her. “I’ll see you on your horse,” he said in a voice that sounded a little too much of an order.

“That will not be necessary, Captain Williams,” Perry replied, hoping to discourage him. His presence had already destroyed her sunny mood.

“Oh, I insist, Miss McLain. It will be my pleasure.” Wade held her elbow and began guiding her off the porch.

Mary stood on the first step. “Perry, would you be able to come to lunch next Saturday?” Her musical voice drew Perry’s attention. Mary’s eyes smiled hopefully as John’s arm moved around her shoulders lovingly.

“I’d be happy to, Mrs. Williams,” Perry replied as she moved toward her horse. Perry disliked knowing Wade was only a step behind her. The thought crossed her mind to pull her knife from her skirt pocket and order him to
stay back. She almost laughed aloud as she thought of the shock such an action would cause John and Mary.

Without any encouragement Wade followed her to her horse. He gallantly helped her into the’ saddle. “I look forward to seeing you again.” As he spoke, he applied painful pressure to her hand, which was resting on the saddle horn. Perry jerked the horse into motion. She wanted to scream that he would never see her again, but she was afraid the Williamses might still be watching.

Perry rode home at breakneck speed, desperate to get away from his evil presence. Later she tried to convince herself that he was not as evil as she thought, yet her impressions were strong, as was the feeling that she would see him again.

Saturday inevitably arrived, to Perry’s distress. She hated the thought of running into Wade at the Williamses’. Yet she knew she must go. She liked John and Mary far too much to hurt their feelings by not keeping a luncheon date. Perry dressed with care for her visit, but the fear of Wade hung like a dark cloud over her morning. She told herself again and again that John would never allow Wade to harm her, yet the memory of their carriage ride together kept flashing into her mind.

She hardly noticed the beauty of the warm day as she rode over the fields. Most of the land had gone wild with neglect. Tall grass and bindweed covered the fields. Summer’s heat had choked away most of the wild blooms, leaving the landscape painted in different hues of green and brown. But nature’s gentle coloring couldn’t relieve the feeling of dread mounting in her.

To Perry’s surprise, however, there were no other luncheon guests. She dined alone with John and Mary and had a delightful time. They’d received a letter from Hunter, stating that he planned to visit them soon. Mary showed the letter to Perry as if it were of great value.

“Just imagine, Perry, he’ll come in a balloon. Won’t it be a sight?” Mary said no less than three times during the meal.

Perry didn’t mind Mary’s repetitive chatter, for her thoughts were the same. Hunter had never left her mind these past weeks. Late at night she could almost feel him beside her. She remembered the warmth of his lips, the way his gray eyes looked into her very soul. He was as solid in her mind as he had been the day she left Philadelphia.

After lunch Perry enjoyed the ride home. There had been no mention in the letter of wedding plans. If Hunter was married, or planned to be in the near future, surely he would have written about it to his grandparents.

In high spirits, she turned up the front drive and saw the familiar old oaks waving gently in the afternoon breeze. The day had been a relaxing change from her usual routine. Knowing that there was a chance she would see Hunter again made her smile. She longed to see him healthy and strong. She wanted to see his face when they finally met in the light. Would he recognize her? Would he remember what they’d shared in the dreamworld after midnight?

As she grew closer to Three Oaks a movement caught her attention. Perry suddenly pulled her horse up short. There, tied in the shade, was Wade’s black stallion.

Anger flared within her. Wade had known she would be away most of the day. Why had he paid a visit to her grandfather? As she debated whether to turn and ride away or go in and see what he wanted, he appeared on the porch.

Perry watched as her grandfather and Wade walked out onto the drive. It was obvious they had both been drinking. Wade’s uniform coat hung unbuttoned on his slender frame as he leaned against the porch railing. His usually spotless dress was sloppy today, as was his stride. The two men seemed to be visiting like old friends. Their loud, drunken voices shattered the quiet countryside.

“Oh, my fair young lady is home.” Wade moved toward her as she reluctantly dismounted.

Perry refused to look at him. She could smell the liquor on his breath.

He moved close behind her and whispered sarcastically, “Do not be angry, my love. I had business with your grandfather today.” He let his finger run idly across her shoulder and down her arm. The trail of his touch left an imprint in her velvet jacket. “I’ll call when you’re home next time.”

Perry whispered back in a catlike hiss. “Mr. Williams, you needn’t call on me
ever.
” She jerked her arm away from his reach, brushing her sleeve to erase his sinister touch.

Wade laughed. “Ah, the woman finally shows some spirit.”

Perry pushed past Wade Williams and ran toward the house. She collided with her unobservant grandfather. He stumbled across the porch and landed harmlessly in an old wicker chair. Glancing over her shoulder to ensure her safety, she then disappeared up the stairs without giving Wade time to say anything else.

Perry didn’t have long to wonder what business Wade wanted with her grandfather. At dinner her grandfather seemed in high spirits. Though he’d been drinking all day, he made a great effort to carry his half of the conversation. He even asked about John and Mary, as if they were old and dear friends.

About halfway through dinner her grandfather turned to the topic of his afternoon guest. Had he not been drinking, he might have trod more lightly into the subject.

“Captain Williams is a fine man, don’t you think, dear?” Ignoring her lack of response, he continued. “He’d make a fine husband.”

Now Perry did respond. First with a gasp of surprise, then, leaning forward, announcing, “
No!
I don’t think he would. I know
I
wouldn’t marry him.” She couldn’t believe her grandfather, even drunk, could be so blind.

To her surprise her grandfather reacted violently. He
slammed his fist on the table, rattling the crystal as he yelled, “You’ll marry who I say this time. I know best.”

Though Perry was shocked, she felt a deep sadness, for she knew he was lost somewhere between the past and the present. Her words were softer than they might have been. “Grandfather, you can’t mean you would make me marry a man I don’t love. I don’t even
like
Wade Williams.”

The old man sobered somewhat, and a degree of reality touched his watery eyes. “Love! What has love got to do with anything? Your mother loved, and what did it get her? What did it get me?” His voice softened. “I will not hurry you, but in the end you will marry Wade.”

“But, why, Grandfather?” Perry asked, horrified and astounded by his determination. She didn’t believe for one minute that anyone could make her marry someone she detested so.

Her grandfather emptied his glass of wine, and his reply was slurred. “It would be advantageous to all. Wade has great plans to run this area and someday plans to be governor. He’ll have the power. If he had a Southern wife, he’d gain the support of the people. You’d be the governor’s wife someday. Also, I owe a great deal of taxes. Wade promised to take care of that for me, and in exchange the two of you would inherit this place when I die.”