fought to contain the groan that slipped out anyway.
Thomas gazed at her with sympathy, but he wasn’t done yet. “There is a force of close to thirty thousand men who are coming up the James River under General Butler.”
“I leave to join them tomorrow,” Jeremy said quietly.
Carrie and Janie gasped as Thomas shot a look at him. “You’re not a soldier,” he protested.
“Neither is much of the army now being commanded by our General Beauregard,” Jeremy retorted. “He’s had to pull in every teenage boy and old man who can hold a rifle. I seriously doubt Grant thinks Butler can take the city, but it will certainly take some of the pressure off him at Spotsylvania.”
Carrie watched Jeremy closely. He didn’t say it, but the gray pallor of his skin indicated he was terrified. Her heart grew tender. He had wanted to spend the evening with them before he left. “Does your father know?” she asked gently.
Jeremy shook his head. “I’ll tell him tonight.” He looked at Carrie. “I’m worried about him.”
“Is he sick?” Carrie demanded. “I haven’t been able to go to the black hospital since the fighting started.”
“He’s not sick, exactly….” Jeremy paused. “It’s just something I can’t put my finger on. He doesn’t have the energy he used to have. The light seems to have gone out in his eyes.”
“You’re afraid he’s going to get sick,” Janie stated.
“Yes. If any disease starts to spread, I don’t think he’ll be able to fight it off. He spends so much time in the hospital.”
“We’ll send some food home with you tonight,” Thomas said. “Make sure he eats it. I know his congregation needs food, but they need your father more.”
“I’ll try,” Jeremy murmured gratefully.
Silence reigned around the table as they ate the food May placed before them. Thomas had bought May shortly after he bought the house in Richmond. Carrie hated she was still a slave, but she also knew it was just a matter of time before the South lost and all the slaves would be free.
As she looked at Jeremy heaping beans on his plate, she could freely admit to herself that she hoped the South would lose quickly so no one else had to die. Robert. Jeremy. Her father. She knew if the danger was close enough her father would be called into action as he had just weeks before. She was sick of losing people she loved.
She also allowed herself a small quiver of excitement of what it would mean when the war was over. Rose. Moses. Aunt Abby. Matthew. People who she loved dearly, who had been ripped away from her would once again be a part of her world – her country. If they lived…
Carrie looked up as May headed up the stairs with a pitcher of fresh water. “Has there been any change?”
“Not a sound outta that woman today,” May said soberly. “I been dripping water in her mouth like ya tole me to, but….”
“We’re doing all we can,” Janie said soothingly. “Sleep is probably the very best thing for her. The infection has disappeared from her arm, and she seems to be resting better. She’ll wake up when she’s ready.”
Carrie couldn’t help thinking of Robert. It had taken him two months to come out of his coma after he had been wounded. Georgia had been unconscious for only a week. She knew Georgia wasn’t that sick; Carrie just had to wonder whether the girl had the will to live - whether she had anything to wake up for.
“The other day she be mutterin’ in her sleep,” May said. “Kept sayin’ the name Jimmy ober and ober, tossing around like de James in a storm.”
Carrie and Janie exchanged looks. They were sure Georgia had a story to tell. Only time would reveal it.
May turned and trudged up the stairs.
“Miss Carrie!” May appeared at the top of the stairs just moments later, her eyes wide with excitement. “Dat Georgia
Thomas gazed at her with sympathy, but he wasn’t done yet. “There is a force of close to thirty thousand men who are coming up the James River under General Butler.”
“I leave to join them tomorrow,” Jeremy said quietly.
Carrie and Janie gasped as Thomas shot a look at him. “You’re not a soldier,” he protested.
“Neither is much of the army now being commanded by our General Beauregard,” Jeremy retorted. “He’s had to pull in every teenage boy and old man who can hold a rifle. I seriously doubt Grant thinks Butler can take the city, but it will certainly take some of the pressure off him at Spotsylvania.”
Carrie watched Jeremy closely. He didn’t say it, but the gray pallor of his skin indicated he was terrified. Her heart grew tender. He had wanted to spend the evening with them before he left. “Does your father know?” she asked gently.
Jeremy shook his head. “I’ll tell him tonight.” He looked at Carrie. “I’m worried about him.”
“Is he sick?” Carrie demanded. “I haven’t been able to go to the black hospital since the fighting started.”
“He’s not sick, exactly….” Jeremy paused. “It’s just something I can’t put my finger on. He doesn’t have the energy he used to have. The light seems to have gone out in his eyes.”
“You’re afraid he’s going to get sick,” Janie stated.
“Yes. If any disease starts to spread, I don’t think he’ll be able to fight it off. He spends so much time in the hospital.”
“We’ll send some food home with you tonight,” Thomas said. “Make sure he eats it. I know his congregation needs food, but they need your father more.”
“I’ll try,” Jeremy murmured gratefully.
Silence reigned around the table as they ate the food May placed before them. Thomas had bought May shortly after he bought the house in Richmond. Carrie hated she was still a slave, but she also knew it was just a matter of time before the South lost and all the slaves would be free.
As she looked at Jeremy heaping beans on his plate, she could freely admit to herself that she hoped the South would lose quickly so no one else had to die. Robert. Jeremy. Her father. She knew if the danger was close enough her father would be called into action as he had just weeks before. She was sick of losing people she loved.
She also allowed herself a small quiver of excitement of what it would mean when the war was over. Rose. Moses. Aunt Abby. Matthew. People who she loved dearly, who had been ripped away from her would once again be a part of her world – her country. If they lived…
Carrie looked up as May headed up the stairs with a pitcher of fresh water. “Has there been any change?”
“Not a sound outta that woman today,” May said soberly. “I been dripping water in her mouth like ya tole me to, but….”
“We’re doing all we can,” Janie said soothingly. “Sleep is probably the very best thing for her. The infection has disappeared from her arm, and she seems to be resting better. She’ll wake up when she’s ready.”
Carrie couldn’t help thinking of Robert. It had taken him two months to come out of his coma after he had been wounded. Georgia had been unconscious for only a week. She knew Georgia wasn’t that sick; Carrie just had to wonder whether the girl had the will to live - whether she had anything to wake up for.
“The other day she be mutterin’ in her sleep,” May said. “Kept sayin’ the name Jimmy ober and ober, tossing around like de James in a storm.”
Carrie and Janie exchanged looks. They were sure Georgia had a story to tell. Only time would reveal it.
May turned and trudged up the stairs.
“Miss Carrie!” May appeared at the top of the stairs just moments later, her eyes wide with excitement. “Dat Georgia
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