Confrontations-Part Two

Logan Home...

"What's going on?" Lexy asked as she rubbed her eyes and made her way down the stairs.

Sean looked up the stairs at her. "Lexy, try to go back to sleep." Sean didn't want her to deal with this situation, especially when he didn't know what was going on. "Everything's alright."

Lexy watched her brother's face as he lied. He wasn't very good at it she thought to herself, but Lexy knew if she protested he would make sure she got back in her bed. She made herself yawn. "Alright, Sean," she said as she turned to go back up the stairs.

Sean had an idea that she was up to something, but he got distracted when he heard a horse coming near the house. Alice and Jeremy ran out the house to see if they could help. Sean felt helpless. He wanted to be outside; he wanted to make sure Marita and Isaac were alright, but he was bound by a promise. Sean started pacing the front hall instead.

Outside, Jeremy helped Marita off of Ned's horse while Alice held Marita's bag. Alice, Jeremy, and Marita rushed to the house while Ned took the horse to the stable.

"Marita, what's going on?" Alice asked as they rushed up the steps to the house.

"A group of men are coming for us," Marita answered as Jeremy opened the door to the house.

Sean turned from his pacing and ran towards Marita. He didn't care who was there he need to hold her and know she was there and alright. "Marita," Sean said as he pulled her out of the doorway. "Are you alright? No one's done anything to you? Where's Isaac?" Sean rushed his sentences together.

"Hold on," Marita said as she patted his chest to calm him down. Sean's arms were around her waist, and Marita knew he wasn't ready to let go. She continued, "I'm alright. Pa's on his way. Clay got him. I rode with your Pa. We'll be alright now that we're here."

"Are you sure? Maybe we should..." Sean was ready to leave. He knew that he and Marita was the cause of this.

"Sean, if we leave this house together tonight, we're just asking for more problems. It'll be alright," Marita said. She wrapped her arms around Sean's neck.

He brought his face close to Marita's and they gently leaned their foreheads on each other. "I'm just glad your safe. I was so scared. I wanted to get you myself and leave tonight," Sean's voice was barely audible. He wanted to make sure that only Marita heard him.

"I know, Sean. I wanted you to come, but I knew what would happen if we tried to run tonight. We'd have been caught and..."

"Shh, Marita." Sean pulled her into a tight embrace. He didn't want to ever let her go again.

"Ahem," Alice coughed. "Marita, I'll take your bag upstairs. You'll be safe up there if you don't go near any open windows."

"They're coming! We saw them!" Clay called as he, Isaac, and Ned rushed into the house.

"Alright, everyone. Girls, get upstairs. Men you know what to do," Ned ordered.

Alice and Marita started to make their way toward the stairs, but Sean grabbed Marita again. He quickly but passionately kissed her. "I love you, remember that."

"I know you do," Marita said and then feigned attitude as she continued, "and you remember that I want to have your son, so don't go doing anything stupid, alright."

"Yes, ma'am," Sean smiled before he ran off to get his gun.

Alice and Marita got to the top of the stairs to find Lexy waiting there for them. "Lexy, what are you..." Alice started to shout.

"It's alright, Alice. Come on, girls, we'll go to Alice's room for now." Marita grabbed Lexy's hand as they rushed into Alice's room. Alice put Marita's bag down on the chest at the foot of the bed. Then she blew out the lamp so that shadows would not be seen from outside the house.

Downstairs, the men positioned themselves at several windows around the house. Jeremy blew out the lamps in the rooms where someone was placed. Clay and Sean watched the back, while Ned and Isaac watched the front. Though Ned had finally taught Jeremy how to shoot, he knew that Jeremy wasn't ready to shoot a shotgun or rifle yet and they need the best shooters at the windows. Jeremy's job was to keep checking the windows at sides of the house for any activity.

Marita sat in the center of Alice's bed with the girls on either side of her. Alice laid her head on Marita's shoulder while Lexy curled up on Marita's other side. Marita began to sing slowly and softly a song that Auntie Nana used to sing to her when she was young,

Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel,
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel,
An' why not every man
He delivered Daniel from de lion's den,
Jonah from de belly of de whale,
An' de Hebrew chillun from de fiery furnace,
An' why not every man.
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel,
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel,
An' why not every man.

The men downstairs could faintly here the song as Alice and Lexy began to hum along with Marita. The men found a new strength in the heavenly sound and a peace began to fill the house. Now all they could do was wait.



Sometimes we need to imagine...

Marita tried not to let her mind wander to the hatred that was coming towards her. She had experienced hatred at this magnitude and face to face once before in her life. She would never forget that day. It was probably the only thing that had a large impact on her and was never shared with Sean, and she wasn't sure when or if she ever would. Marita shook herself from that thought. "I have to concentrate on the words I'm singing. God can help us, just like Daniel. We can get through this."

Fifteen minutes passed like an hour. The men downstairs were growing restless, all but Sean. He focused on Marita's voice. It seemed as if she were next to him singing in his ear. He could feel her new found strength as her mind began to concentrate on the words. "What just gave her that extra strength?" Sean wondered. The his mind drifted to her last statement to him. "My son," Sean grinned to himself, "I like the sound of that." He wanted to marry Marita and have a family, but Marita was always the rational one. They could love each other, but Marita made it clear to Sean that racism would be an issue and that they couldn't legally be together. "My son, she really wants to have my son." He began to picture himself holding a light brown boy with dark hair and blue eyes.

Sean's thought was shattered by the yelling voice of Jeremy. "Fire! Fire!" Jeremy ran to the study. "Why am I always the one to spot a fire first," he thought as he ran.

Ned met him part way, "Where?"

"It looks like it's coming from Isaac's house," Jeremy informed.

Alice came down the stairs, "Go, Pa, quickly."

"Alright, let's go then," Sean said as he and Clay turned the corner to join everyone.

"No, Sean, not you. They're probably looking for you to come," Isaac said.

"That goes for you, too, Isaac," Ned interrupted. "You both stay here, guard the house."

Sean and Isaac nodded. Jeremy, Clay, Ned and Alice left the house. Ned had protested about Alice coming but Alice made her point clear, "You need all the help you can get right now."

Ned smiled at his daughter. Sometimes she really surprised him. They decided to run instead of taking the horses because they didn't want to risk losing any of the horse and it would give them the opportunity to sneak up on anyone if they were still around. Ned and Clay carried their rifles and Jeremy had a pistol. Alice was unarmed but ready to help if possible.

"Need an extra shooter down here," a soft voice came from the stairwell.

"Marita, when did you learn to shoot?" Isaac asked as he turned to face her.

"I taught her when I came home from college one summer," Sean answered. "She's probably better than me."

"Probably," Marita teased as she came down the stairs.

"Alright, she'd do you and Pa proud. I've never seen anyone shoot as good as her," Sean boasted.

"I wouldn't go that far," Marita said as she walked over to the gun closet and picked out a shotgun.

"Baby, that's got a lot of firepower. You sure you can handle it?"

"I'll be alright, Pa," Marita came over to Isaac and kissed his cheek. She lowered her voice to a quiet whisper, "I need to do this, Pa. I'm not letting anyone do what was done to me. I can't let it happen again. So if my shooting can stop that from happening then I'm going to shoot. That's why I learned."

Isaac kissed the top of his daughter's head. By the sound of Marita's lowered voice, Isaac realized that she must not have told Sean about what happened to her while he was at school. "Alright, baby girl, you can take Clay's spot. I'll keep my eye on the front."

"What about me?" came Lexy's voice.

"I thought you were asleep?" Marita looked at Lexy.

"I was, but you moved," Lexy said with a smile. "So what can I do?"

Sean and Isaac looked at each other. "You can be our lookout," Marita answered.

"That's what Jeremy was doing," Sean said as he watched his sister's face light up. "Watch from the windows where we won't be and let us know if you see anything."

"Alright," Lexy said and took off to check the windows.



The Stranger...

A Virginian man with sandy hair had watched a group of men leave the town with torches. He pushed the hotel curtain in front of the window, but the sight burned in his mind. He knew what the hoods meant. He saw the leader with the white robe. He had thought that stuff like that was just a game, but these people looked like they were out to cause a problem. Someone was going to cry out tonight.

He decided to leave his room and follow this group. Their hollering and torches made it easy for him to follow from a distance. The man figured that after the Klan did their deed, he would help the victim the best he could. He brought his gun just in case they looked past his light skin and actually noticed that his nose and lips were slightly larger and rounder than any other white man was and that his hair was kinkier than it should be. Most people didn't notice the Virginian man's features, but a group like this when angry could strike at anyone. He couldn't help the fact that even after generations had past he still looked very much like his grandfather.




At the Winters' Home...

"Mother, William's not home yet," Vivian said as she came into her mother's room.

"Your brother is a grown man, Vivian, and you should be asleep. Men don't marry women with bags under their eyes," Georgina retorted from her bed. She laid her book on her nightstand.

"Mother, must you..."

"Yes, I must. I want you to get married, but you seem to not be able to please a man. Which reminds me, how was your trip into town or should I first ask about you stop at the Logan home."

Vivian's mouth momentarily dropped at her mother's comment.

"Oh, you didn't expect me to know that, did you?" Georgina glared from her bed.

"I needed to talk to Sean about a business proposition," Vivian reestablished herself by sounding confident.

"Why not as his office?" Georgina countered.

"It's closed on Saturdays," Vivian answered without a pause. She was glad she had paid attention to his office hours. "Are you through with the questions?" Vivian asked with a raised eyebrow.

"For now," Georgina answered and blew out her lamp before Vivian could leave the room.



At the Site of the Peters' Home...


Ned was the first to see it. There were about fifteen men gathered around the burning building. One was constructing a cross out of two pieces of wood and some rope. "Stay here, Alice. Jeremy, stay with her. You both don't need to see this." Ned said before he and Clay moved to get a better view of the participants.

"Where's the nigger whore?" a man spit out with a drunken slur.

"Come on we should get out of here before someone comes," said another man on a horse.

"Who's gonna come? I wish that pretty nigger would so I can show her how she should be taken care of," the drunken man continued.

"Shut up, David! You're drunk and you're missing the present point we're making," said a familiar deep voice from the man who was now putting the cross into the ground.

"You're just saying that cause you already had her. Well, whatever happened to 'you hold her for me, I'll hold her for you.' You forget about that, Mr. Big Shot?"

"That was at least three years ago," the man continued as he lit the cross. "Our point today, is for purity in our governmental positions. Our country was built and founded by whites; we shouldn't lower ourselves to being nigger-lovers. They're good to screw and cook but that's about all a nigger woman is good for." The man laughed to himself before adding, "but she was a good piece. Maybe next time, David." He got onto his horse.

Ned and Clay had heard everything from where they were hiding. Ned's anger was getting to him. These were the men who attacked Marita a few years ago. She had never told him who they were or what exactly happened, but Ned was quickly putting it all together and his fatherly instinct was getting the best of him. These men had caused Marita to give up the idea of teaching at the colored school. Ned took aim and was about to fire when he heard a shot. The horse rose its front legs and threw the drunken man named David. He fell and snapped his leg at the knee.

The other men began to ride away. Clay took aim and fired. He grazed on man who, if Clay wasn't mistaken, whimpered and whined in pain. "If I didn't know better I'd say that was William Winters," Clay thought to himself.

Ned wondered where the shot came from as he walked out to the opening and watched the group ride off. Some other workers who lived close by began to creep out to the Peters' burning house. Ned turned to see those who had gathered; a little ashamed at the lack of help due to fear but he understood. If he were colored, he probably wouldn't be around either. "Alright, check that man for a gun. Then get him back to the house and send for the doc. The rest of you, let's try to put out the fire." Ned barked out orders, "You heard me move."

Clay picked up David and put him over his shoulder. He could care less if the man was hurting. As Clay began to struggle back to the house the red-haired man from Virginia stepped out from behind a tree. Clay could smell the gunsmoke coming from the man's gun. "Need some help gettin' him to the house?" the man asked.

Clay nodded. David was unconscious for now so he seemed heavier than Clay expected. The Virginian man walked over to Clay and took David from him. The man carried David like a sack of potatoes. It looked almost like this man had known how to carry this kind of burden before and his long, slim body had more strength then one would expect. Clay and the Virginian man walked back to the Logan home without another word between them.



Hatred...


Jeremy and Alice ran out when they heard the shots go off. They began to help Ned and the others try to put out the fire, but the house had been burning too long. No one could enter to save anything, so people brought water to try to confine the blaze to that one area.

Alice stared at the burning cross. She had never seen or heard of anything like this. Jeremy walked up behind her. "The symbol of the Ku Klux Klan," he explained. Alice turned to look at him. "Through their hatred they try to promote white supremacy. This symbolizes the purification of darkness. Light repels dark, or white gets rid of black."

"Why?" Alice shook her head and turned to face the cross again. The bucket of water she held began to way heavy in her hands. "How did you..."

"In New York, you hear a lot of things. One of my jobs was to deliver papers. I got involved with delivering one paper that informed people of what was going on in the south. The Klan was something that I found interest in, but it was hard to find information on them because they were just starting. I never could understand how people could hate other people so much." Jeremy took the bucket from Alice and doused the cross. They watched as the smoke rose from the wet wood. "I wonder if it will ever end." Jeremy turned to walk away.

Alice stayed a moment as her mind went on her brother and friend. She had missed most of the meeting earlier and Marita never really told her what was going on. How much danger were they really in?

Jeremy looked back to see Alice still standing near the cross. He went back and placed a hand on Alice's shoulder. "They'll be alright, Alice. Sean and Marita have loved each other for a long time and they know the complications they have to face to make it work. They'll do alright." Jeremy pulled Alice into an embrace and tried to keep it from being romantic; he knew Ned was around.

Alice held on to Jeremy for awhile before looking up with tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Jeremy."

"No problem," he smiled. "Now let's get some more water."



Down In Georgia...

Anna walked into her aunt's room. The men would be home soon, but she needed to talk to her aunt. The dim light of her lamp helped her to see Kathy's frail body. "How could they do this to her?"

Kathy's eyes opened at the sound of her approaching niece. She strained her eyes to see the expression on Anna's face.

"Aunt Kathy," Anna sat on the bed. "It's time for me to turn you." Anna looked into her aunt's eyes. "They took everything you loved from you, didn't they?" Knowing it would be hard for her aunt to respond, Anna continued, "Well, I'm going to see how much of it I can get back for you. So hold on, alright?"

Anna smiled at her aunt before turning her on her side. As she did so, she noticed the chain around her aunt's neck. Anna wondered why she never noticed it before. "What's this, Aunt Kathy?"

Kathy tried to look down but she couldn't see or feel what her niece was talking about.

"Mind if I take it off?" Anna asked as she unlatched the necklace. She slowly removed the chain and found that it was caught on something in her aunt's clothing. She gently tugged to get the chain and a locket came from the bosom her aunt's dress. "Well, the nurse has kept this a secret."

Kathy's eyes widened as the locket came into her sight. Her eyes welled up as the memory of the gift came to her mind.

Anna watched her aunt's eyes. "Does this have anything to do with your daughter?"

Kathy's eyes pleaded with Anna. If only she would open the locket? But would Anna be able to put it together, understand, and still want to help her. "I...Isa..."

"What are you trying to say, auntie? Do you want me to open it?" Anna held the golden locket in her hand. She carefully opened it. Inside was an faded inscription and a aged photograph or a child. The inscription said, "To my loving wife and mother of my child, Isaac." "So you were married? Where is he? Why hasn't he come for you?"

Kathy began to cry. She remembered the last time she saw Isaac. All the blood; he couldn't have survived.

"Oh," Anna cried out in exasperation. "We need to find someone to help you learn how to talk again. It has bee too long and I want to know why."

Kathy looked at her niece and at the locket in Anna's hand. Maybe she could get Anna to look more closely at the photograph. She tried again and again, looking from Anna to the locket and back to Anna then the locket.

Anna finally noticed. "What is it, auntie? Is there something more to this? Is it the picture of the little baby?" Anna held the locket closer to the lamp. The photograph was small and well tattered by age, but the baby looked darker than a normal white child did. She looked almost...Aunt Kathy, your baby looks...well, she looks almost like a Negro."

Kathy slowly blinked her eyes.

"Are you telling me that you married a Negro. That's not possible. Whites and Negroes don't intermarry. It's illegal." Anna was confused. She loved her aunt, but she was scared of Negroes. She grew up hearing the horrible stories about Nat Turner and other blacks who harmed the "innocent" whites. But there must have been something about the Isaac to make her aunt, who she knew and heard used to be extremely intelligent, fall for him. Maybe it was all some crazy story, and he really kidnapped her instead. Anna looked into her aunt's eyes again. She saw all the pain and love that had been trapped for so long behind those dark brown eyes. "You loved him, didn't you?" Anna was slightly sickened by her own question and surprisingly by the tone of her own voice.

Kathy slowly blinked again and more tears fell down her already wet cheek.

Anna softened as she looked at the baby girl in the locket. She thought about her own feelings if she was alive but never saw her little Sarah. "Your daughter must be in her twenties now." Anna gazed into her aunt's sad eyes one more time. "Even if she's half colored, she's half you, and I'm going to find her for you."

Kathy smiled at her niece.

"Does Lexington, Kentucky sound familiar? Auntie, please try to remember."

Kathy's mind was swirling with so many memories. She wished she could just tell her niece what to do so she could be with her daughter again. She remembered spending a lot of time with an old black woman and then there was also...Libby. What was their last name? That family. If she could just say it maybe her niece could find them. "L...L..."

"What...Lexington?" Anna guessed.

Kathy was getting frustrated. She tried again, "L..Lo...Logan."

"What does that mean, Aunt Kathy? Logan, is that the name of someone in Lexington?"

Kathy blinked once. She was thankful she had a smart niece. Kathy wished Anna would have come to stay with them before this month. Maybe she would be able to talk and be herself again.

"Auntie," Anna got Kathy's attention. They heard a carriage pull up outside. "Auntie, quickly can you give me a first name for this Logan?"

Kathy could only think of two names. Libby could probably tell Anna, but Kathy knew that if anyone would know what happened to Marita it would be Libby's son. "Sh...Sh...Sh..."

"Sean," Anna finished.

Kathy smiled.

"Sean Logan. Thank you, Auntie." She kissed her aunt and began to leave.

"Anna, darling, where are you?" Her husband called obviously a little more than tipsy.

Anna looked at the locket in her hand. "Auntie, I need to keep this. I'm going to send it to the Sean. Hopefully, he can help," Anna whispered and ran out the room. Anna walked down the stairs with composure. "Shh, honey, you men are going to wake Sarah and Aunt Kathy. Please wash up and go to bed." Anna slid the necklace into her pocket. She was going to make sure that locket got sent before her male relatives found it.



Upstairs in the Logan Home...

David Engleman woke up as he was being placed in a large bed. He had not be unconscious long enough to sober up so his mind was dazed and still filled with poison. "What am I doing here?" he said as he saw a sandy-haired man back away from him.

Clay was still angry and he wanted to see who this "David" was. Without answering the question, Clay reached for the white hood.

"Get away from me, Logan," David said as he swung at Clay's hand.

"What, you can set fire to a home and now want the credit?" Clay tried again.

"I said get away," David tried to get up. The numbness caused by the alcohol did not alert his body to the fact that one of his legs was not moving with him. The Virginian man caught him as he was about to fall out of the bed.

"That's why you're here," the man said. "Your leg is busted. The doctor will be here soon."

"Damn!" David began to realize that he was caught, but he wouldn't let that stop him from anything. "So where is that nigger whore? Where are you hiding her?"

Both of the men in the room were shocked by this man's arrogance. Sean and Marita had just reached the top of the stairs and heard David's comment. Marita knew what Sean was about to do and tried to stop him. "Sean," Marita said as she reached for his arm, but it was too late. Sean was in the room. He snatched the hood off of the man's face, "David Engleman?"

"That's me," David defiantly answered and spat at Sean. "And how's your nigger? Is she as good as she was four years ago?"

Sean looked ready to strike, but the Virginian man held him. "This isn't going to help you," he whispered in Sean's ear.

That calmed Sean down enough to get him to start to leave the room. Marita was in the doorway, frozen in place by the sight of David. She had avoided seeing him just like she tried to avoid seeing the others since that day.

David looked up and saw Marita. He glared into her eyes. "I never got my turn," he coldly professed.

Clay punched David in the mouth, and David fell silently into unconsciousness again. "Sean, get Marita out of here," Clay ordered as if Sean wasn't going to do that anyway. "We'll keep an eye on this one."

"Thanks, Clay, and thank you," Sean said to the stranger before reaching Marita. "Come on, Marita. Let's go back downstairs."



Downstairs in the Logan Home...


Lexy was trying to stay awake. She wanted to know what was going on. She had seen Clay and a man she didn't know bring in another man in the house. The man that was being carried had on a hood like she had seen kids dress up like a ghost for Halloween. Lexy started drifting off before Sean and Marita went upstairs. Isaac stayed to watch her.

Sean and Marita came down the stairs. Isaac had heard the man shouting and figured it would be best to leave those two be for awhile. It was time Sean knew the one secret that Marita had kept from him.

Marita walked into the study first and Sean followed. So much was happening so fast that they weren't sure where to begin. Sean's anger made him start pacing. "I can't believe David would say something like that. Who does he think he is?"

"Sean, it's true," Marita softly interrupted. Sean looked up at Marita. "But not like you think," Marita continued.

"So what are you saying, Marita? Did or didn't you have sex with someone 4 years ago?" Sean's eyes began to well up. Though he had experiences like that, he never thought Marita would. When they were young, she used to consistently talk about remaining pure for the right man. It was one of the things he respected most about her.

"Sean," Marita said gently and looked at her hands. "I have not willingly been with a man." Marita made sure to emphasize "willingly". "David and another man held me while Dennis Elwood..."

"Marita," Sean saw past his own despair and really saw Marita. She stroked her arm and kept her head down. She looked like a wounded deer.

Marita felt dirty. She had thought she was over it, but right now she felt as if it had just happened instead of house burning down. Marita knew that she would probably have to tell Sean sooner or later, but she was really hoping she never would. She felt like she had let him down. Tears fell onto her dress and arms. "I...I...couldn't tell you."

Sean walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She collapsed into them and tried to control her shaking. "Shh," Sean whispered as he rubbed her back. "It'll be alright."

When Sean felt Marita get calm, he brought her over to one of the big chairs near the fireplace. The room was still dark as he sat down and pulled Marita onto his lap. "Who else knows?" he said in a soft voice.

"My Pa, Auntie Nana, those men, and your Pa. I don't think Lexy remembers," Marita said as she wiped her nose with a handkerchief that Sean handed her.

"Who was the other man?"

"Sean, I really don't want to..." Marita started to protest.

"Marita, please. I want to know. Please," Sean begged as he took Marita's chin and lifted it so she could look him in the eyes. It was hard for him to believe that she kept this from him for so long. "Who was he?"

"Sean, please don't do anything."

"I won't for now. I need to know everything and see how our present situation," Sean looked up to indicate their loud mouth 'friend' upstairs, "turns out. Alright, Marita?" Sean gave her a reassuring smile.

"Sean," Marita began to fiddle with her hands again, but even in the darkness Sean's eyes seemed to look into her soul. "It was William Winters."

Sean wanted to jump up and get William now, but he knew Marita need him. He controlled himself and asked, "How did it happen?"

Marita took hold of Sean's hand. She wished he had been home back then. He would have come or maybe even been with her so nothing would have happened. She had screamed that day hoping that even up north somehow Sean would have know and would have come. Sean squeezed her hand.

Marita stared at the dark fireplace as she began to relive the fear and pain of that day. "I had taken Lexy into town because she was fussing in the house. It was your second year of college, and your school finals fell later than other colleges. Dennis, William, and David had all came home early. I saw them in town, but I paid no attention to them. I go the things I need and headed home. The three of them rode up next to us. I was so scared. Lexy started to cry. David stopped the buckboard. Dennis told me to get out of it. I did. I didn't want Lexy to get hurt, so I told her to stay there and hid under the front seat. She did. They took me behind some trees. I screamed. They gagged me. All I could think was I wanted you to come, but you were so far away. Dennis was the only one. David was suppose to be next but something scared them off." Little rivers of tears fell from Marita's eyes. "I'm sorry, Sean, I..."

"Hey, it's alright, Marita." Sean tried to quiet Marita.

"No, Sean, even then I had hoped that you would love me as much as I loved you. I wanted to stay pure just in case, I mean, I knew it wasn't going to be possible, but..."

Sean stopped Marita with a delicate kiss on her lips. "Just knowing that you loved me even then is enough. You will always be pure in my eyes."

"But I feel so dirty even now."

Sean lifted Marita's hand with his and interlaced their fingers. Marita watched the colors of their skin mingled and dance through the tears that clouded and stung her eyes. Sean adjusted Marita with his other hand and began to kiss her. First, he kissed the tears that were leaving a trail on her cheeks. The he kissed her lips, pausing so they could both taste the salt of her tears. Sean wanted to make it clear to her that he wanted to share every part of her life, even the most painful. Marita let go of Sean's hand and began to wrap herself around him.

A knock on the front door didn't distract them. Isaac went to open it. As he passed the study he saw the outline of Sean and Marita in the chair farthest from the study's door. It was hard to see them, but Isaac closed the door anyway. He let the doctor in and sent him upstairs, then he went back to watch Lexy.

Marita soaked up strength from Sean's kisses and the warmth of his body. They loved, needed, and wanted each other so much. Sean gently tightened his hold on Marita one last time before releasing her.

"You sure know how to make a girl feel better," Marita smiled and said as she removed her mouth from Sean.

"Thanks," Sean moved in to whisper in her ear, "but I think you do a whole lot more than make me feel better."

Marita felt her whole body shiver as his moist breath caressed her ear. "Sean," she giggled. She stood up and held onto his hands as he stood. "I think we should see what's going on." She looked playfully into his eyes. "I mean, this is about us after all."

"Alright, but one more question?"

"Yes," Marita said as she came in closer to see him better in the darkness.

"Why didn't you tell me when I came home?"

Marita paused before telling him. "I didn't really want to tell anyone, Sean. I was so torn inside. Our pa's were away that day and didn't come home until that evening. By then, Auntie Nana had cleaned me up and taken care of Lexy. Auntie Nana told Pa. The next day, I went to your father and asked to work full-time for him. I wanted to stay as close as possible to the house until I was independently strong enough to leave. I explained in as little detail as I could what happened. Actually, I think I told your pa that I was attacked but otherwise alright. I just couldn't take the teaching job at the colored school at that time."

"Marita, isn't that the summer you had me teach you how to shoot?"

"Yes, and that's two questions," Marita teased.

Sean smiled. Even when Marita was trying to be serious she could make things light. "I figured I could ask another one since you didn't really answer my first one."

"Alright. Honestly, Sean, you didn't seem to care. At that moment all I could think about was you. When you came you wanted to spend most of your time with Vivian. You'd come back to the house and tell me all about her."

"Marita, part of that reason was because I felt like something had come between us. I didn't know what it was but it was as if you wouldn't talk to me. You asked me to teach you to shoot, but you stopped riding with me. I figured you didn't really want to spend time with me."

Marita giggled at their misunderstanding. They were starting to sound like a married couple. "Sean, that's because I couldn't ride for at least six months. It hurt every time I tried."

Sean softened with Marita's laugh. "Alright, I understand that, but Marita" Sean pulled her even closer and quietly added, "it tore me up inside. I even wrote about it. That summer I started a journal." Sean thought for a moment. "Actually, I started it a little bit before I came home. April 28th. I had this intense feeling of loss. That was my first entry. I wanted to come home and tell you. I didn't write again until I came home and realized that there was something between us and I didn't know how to tell you."

Marita hugged Sean and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. Then she whispered in his ear. "April 28th. That was the day."



After the Uproar...

Ned, Jeremy, and Alice Walked back to the Logan home. The doctor's carriage was still there. They entered the house just as Sean and Marita came from the study. Marita looked at Ned's tired eyes, "It's gone, isn't it?" she said with a calmness that surprised Sean. She really knew how to handle her feelings around others he thought to himself.

"Yes," Ned answered Marita. "And I take it that the doctor is looking at that man," Ned tried to sound civil.

"Yes, Pa, the doc's upstairs," Sean answered. "Clay and the man who helped Clay are there, too."

"What man?" Ned asked.

"I don't know, we were hoping you could tell us." Sean looked at Marita. Neither of them had been concerned about him earlier, but would he be a friend or another problem.

"Alright, well, I'm going to talk to the doctor. I suggest the rest of you get some sleep." Ned tiredly climbed the stairs. Jeremy and Alice followed him, fatigue rang from them all.

Isaac walked to the front hall. "Was that Ned?" he asked Sean.

"Yeah, he headed upstairs. Hey, things have calmed down a bit, Isaac, why don't you try to get some rest. You can sleep in my room. Pa, Clay, or I'll keep watch for awhile."

Isaac was too tired to argue. He nodded and began to go upstairs. He stopped partway up. "Lexy's asleep in the other room," he said and then continued up the stairs.

"Alright, Isaac," Sean said as he and Marita began to walk to the room Isaac had indicated.

Marita bent down to pick up Lexy. Lexy automatically wrapped her arms around Marita's neck and her legs around Marita's middle.

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry her?" Sean offered as he watched Marita's body adapt to the extra weight.

"It's alright. She might be getting heavier, but I want to do this one last time before she gets too big. Can you come with me?"

Together, Sean and Marita walked upstairs. Sean opened Lexy's bedroom door for them. Marita gently laid Lexy in bed and pull the cover over her. Then Marita leaned over, kissed Lexy's forehead, and gently brushed the hair out of Lexy's face with one light touch from her hand.

As Marita and Sean turned to leave, Lexy slowly said, "Is everything alright?"

Sean moved back to the foot of Lexy's bed. "Yes, Lexy, now go to sleep," he answered softly.

"Tell me a story," Lexy pressed as she began to sit up in bed.

"Lexy, it's too late for a story," Sean replied.

"Just something to give me nice dreams. Please."

Marita nudged Sean. "Alright," Sean said as he sat on one side of Lexy. He looked up at Marita and then at the other side of the bed. She knew what he was saying and she took a set on the other side.

"What do you want to hear, Lexy?" Marita inquired.

"How did you know you loved Sean?"

"Now, Lexy, that's not a bedtime story," Sean said before Marita could answer.

"I think it is. Aren't you going to tell your children?" Sean and Marita looked up at each other. "You might as well practice on me," Lexy replied with wit beyond her weary state.

"Alright, Lex. I knew when I was about fifteen. Your brother helped me get off a horse, and I looked up into his eyes and just knew." Marita stroked Lexy's head. "But I think it started before then. I just didn't realize it until that day."

"And Sean, how about you? When did you know you loved Marita?"

"I guess I always knew that I loved her more than anything else. I never imagined what my life would be like without her until Vivian started making plans to go away for a year. I couldn't get it out of my mind about being away from Marita for that long. I hated the thought of it. After the picnic, you know, when she invited you to come with us to New York first, I couldn't bare it any longer. That meant well over a year without talking to Marita at all. I knew Vivian would want me to write Marita while we were away. And as Vivian left that day, I realized I had a best friend who stood beside me through all of my phases."

Marita laughed, "and boy did he have some phases."

"Alright, I had my moments, but Marita was and still is the only one I can share all of my life with. The more I thought about it the sooner I had to get to her to tell her. I ran all the way to the garden to find her."

"And..." Lexy added as a smile played across her lips and her eyes began to close.

"And she rejected me."

"That's because you took too long," Lexy said as she began to drift to sleep.

Marita giggled again and softened her voice, "Besides that I could hardly believe that he actually said it. Plus, I knew that if it was true that it would be impossible for us to be together."

"But I loved her so much that I broke up with Vivian anyway and decided to leave Lexington."

"I'm glad you changed your mind about leaving."

"Well, it's a little hard to leave after kissing you," Sean said.

"Sean," Marita quietly scolded.

"It's alright, she's asleep, and you need to get some, too."

"Alright, but stay for awhile," Marita cooed as she stretched her legs onto the bed.

"Okay, but only a little while," Sean said as he put his feet up too. He reached over Lexy to hold Marita's hand. All three were soon fast asleep and dreaming beautifully pleasant dreams.