The American Queen by Vanessa Miller

Author:Vanessa Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2024-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

The heat of summer had left them, and now the crisp, cool nights of fall were upon them. Louella and William were lying in bed; he had an arm around her as he slept. The nights had taken on a chill, so Louella snuggled closer to the heat of her husband. Lying in William’s arms warmed her like the heat coming off the hearth. Even as he slept, she still saw strain on her husband’s face. She wanted to trace the crow’s-feet around his eyes but didn’t want to wake him.

Turning over in bed, she felt her eyes droop. A mountain load of work would greet her in the morning. Not only was she teaching the children, but she also had her night class for adults learning to read and write. She would welcome a good night’s sleep. But as her eyes were closing, she heard a noise outside, like hooves beating on the ground.

It was too dark for the crew to be getting the wagons loaded. She sniffed the air. Was that fire? She turned back to William and shoved his shoulder. “Wake up. I hear something outside.”

“H-huh?” William wiped the corner of his mouth and sat up. He stretched. “What’s going on?”

She whispered, “Someone’s outside. I smell fire.”

He sniffed the air, then jumped out of bed. It was dark in the room. He fumbled around until he found his pants. Louella lit the lantern next to her bed. “Blow that out,” William whispered.

“I need to check on the boys.”

“Not right now. Stay here.” William put on his pants and slid into his slippers.

“Come on out, boy!”

Louella jumped. Her hands fisted the covers. “Oh, my Jesus!”

William headed for the door.

“No!” she screamed. “You can’t go out there.”

“Can’t let them come in here.”

Louella got out of bed. She rushed into the living room and peeked out the window. She blinked, refocused her eyes. A burning cross was in their yard. A ghostlike man sat on a horse. He held the burning ember that must’ve been used to light the cross.

A man directly behind the ghost wore the face of an animal with horns, another had a potato sack on his head, and another sat perched on his horse with his face painted black. She recognized the man wearing blackface. It was Mr. Morris from the general store. Louella didn’t understand why he was in front of their home with the man who’d burned a cross in their yard. What devilment had gotten into him?

“Boy, if you don’t get out here, I’m going to drag you out by your ears,” the man holding the ember hollered.

William cracked open the door. Louella’s eyes went wild. In the back of her mind, she was seeing William hanging from one of them oak trees on Mrs. Serepta’s property. “Close that door, William. Those men mean you no good.”

William’s lips tightened. “I can’t let them take you and the kids.”

“If you’re dead, you won’t know any different. At least take the rifle out there with you.

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