I Shall Be Near to You: A Novel by Erin Lindsay McCabe

Author:Erin Lindsay McCabe
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, War, Historical, Adult
ISBN: 0804137722
Publisher: Crown
Published: 2014-01-28T08:00:00+00:00

JEREMIAH’S VOICE IN my ear wakes me.

‘Rosetta,’ he whispers.

It is late. I don’t say anything, so he’ll leave me sleeping. There is a rustling as he moves under his blanket and his arm comes around me.

‘Rosetta, wake up.’

‘What?’

‘We’ve got to get up,’ he says.

‘Why?’

‘Just get up.’ He moves, getting to his feet and taking my hands to help me.

‘That ain’t nice,’ I say, and there is the glimmer of his smile in the dark.

‘You’ll like it.’ He drags me after him through the opening. ‘Look at that moon.’

It is almost straight over our heads, shining on the tent peaks like they are snow-covered roofs, almost as light as the moment before dawn breaks, but it is still deepest night.

The fort around us is quiet, only the sound of men snoring and grinding teeth and coughing as we pad down the tent row. I don’t know what Jeremiah is about, but he keeps hold of my hand.

‘Where we going?’ I ask.

‘I ain’t telling if you don’t know.’

We are almost to the trees when there is a scuffling noise behind us, coming from the latrines. There ain’t time to pull away from Jeremiah.

‘Act sick,’ he whispers. ‘Like I’m helping you.’

I lean against him, dragging my feet, coughing and groaning as we scurry into the woods.

‘Who was that?’ I ask.

‘Ain’t sure. Thought I saw that white hair of Will’s,’ Jeremiah whispers. ‘I don’t think he saw us.’

We don’t talk after that. He takes us down to the river. Any pickets are out guarding far off to the South.

When we come out of the trees, there is a swath of chalky moonlight cutting across that dark slate current. Jeremiah sinks down to the ground, pulling me with him.

‘What are we doing here?’ I ask.

‘Nothing,’ he says. ‘Sitting.’

‘You woke me up for sitting?’

‘Maybe,’ he says, that smile back on his face. ‘Maybe not. I thought you might want a chance at swimming.’

I stare at him, and then I rest my head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his arm coming around me and the night air chill everywhere we ain’t touching.

‘It’s cold,’ I say.

‘Not if you keep moving.’

‘What if someone comes? What if Will saw—’

‘I’ll keep watch,’ he says. ‘Besides, it’s the middle of the night, no one’s going to see a thing.’

‘Okay,’ I say, kicking off my brogans while Jeremiah’s fingers draw loops across my back and raise gooseflesh on my arms. I slide out from under his hand and stand up to undo the fly of my trousers, stepping out of them and walking for the river in my drawers, my binding still tight under my shirt, thinking only of washing the sweat and dust and stink out of my underthings.

The dark water is cold on my toes. Whatever is under the surface is hidden, even my own feet in the shallows. The river rocks are slippery beneath my toes, the spaces between soft with silt. When the water is lapping at my shins, I turn back to where Jeremiah sits.

‘Go on,’ he says.

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