Mac sat in Mr. Whitfield's living room playing with baby AJ while Harriet
sat quietly reading. Baby AJ was happy to play in front of a warm fire
after the long cold hours of travelling. Truthfully, Mac was almost
contented herself. It must have shown on her face because when she looked
up Harriet was smiling at her.
"What?" Mac asked innocently.
Harriet continued to smile at her. "I can tell, you know."
Mac tried to give her a quizzing look, but knew from Harriet's tone that she couldn't fool her. "Is it really that obvious?"
"Only to anyone around you," Harriet said back, and Mac blushed.
Harriet had been about to say something else when they heard a loud knock from the front door. Mac scooped AJ into her arms, Harriet quickly closed her book, and they quickly went into the kitchen. Mac handed AJ to Bud who was sitting at the table reading the newspaper, and then went to press her ear against the door.
She'd only just rested her head against it when it was pushed open. Mac was ready to question Mr. Whitfield about the situation, but it wasn't Mr. Whitfield. It was a group of Union soldiers, lead by a young lieutenant. He was stocky, with broad shoulders and muscular arms, but his face was oddly boyish and topped by sandy hair.
"We're searching for a wounded soldier," he said in a commanding voice as Mr. Whitfield came into the room from behind him. "We received word that someone in the area was holding him."
"I've already told you," Mr. Whitfield said, "We ain't got no Yankees in this house."
"I wasn't asking you, old man," the lieutenant said dangerously.
"This is my home," Mr. Whitfield refused to back to down, "I won't let you bully my guests."
"Sit down, Mr. Whitfield," Mac said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt the old man shake with anger, but he did sit down. "Now, lieutenant-ah, I didn't catch your name."
"I didn't give it, ma'am," he said, "Thank you for subduing the old man. Our search of the house will be much quicker now."
"You can't just go searching a person's property," Mac countered, but even as she spoke the lieutenant pushed passed her and was climbing the stairs. "Wait, you can't go up there," she called.
The soldier rounded on her. He stood several feet taller than she did and was quite intimidating, but Mac didn't back down. "Why not, ma'am? Is there something you are hiding there?" he questioned.
Mac was so angry with him that she didn't notice his eyes shift and his slight nod, but just as she was about to answer him, a pair of strong hands had gripped her arms to her side. "What do you think you are doing?" she shrieked.
Around her chaos seemed to be breaking loose. Bud tried to get to Mac, but another of the soldiers hit him hard across the face. Harriet screamed as Bud fell, and baby AJ began to cry. The soldier holding Mac continued to restrain her as she struggled against him. Mr. Whitfield couldn't help them because he was held in his chair by the last remaining soldier.
Over the noise of the struggle none of them could hear the thundering steps of the lieutenant coming back downstairs. When he reappeared Mac struggled even harder again the man restraining her. The lieutenant was supporting the still fevered form of Harm.
"You can't do this," Mac screamed at the soldier. "Please, that man needs care. You can't take him out of here."
"If you continue to fight us, we'll take you along," he yelled back at her.
Mac shot a quick look to where Harriet sat on the floor holding Bud's head, with baby AJ crying beside her, and, in desperation, she stopped struggling. The lieutenant gave a sharp nod and the soldier holding her let go. She dropped to the floor and began helping Harriet with Bud, silent tears running down her face.
"What?" Mac asked innocently.
Harriet continued to smile at her. "I can tell, you know."
Mac tried to give her a quizzing look, but knew from Harriet's tone that she couldn't fool her. "Is it really that obvious?"
"Only to anyone around you," Harriet said back, and Mac blushed.
Harriet had been about to say something else when they heard a loud knock from the front door. Mac scooped AJ into her arms, Harriet quickly closed her book, and they quickly went into the kitchen. Mac handed AJ to Bud who was sitting at the table reading the newspaper, and then went to press her ear against the door.
She'd only just rested her head against it when it was pushed open. Mac was ready to question Mr. Whitfield about the situation, but it wasn't Mr. Whitfield. It was a group of Union soldiers, lead by a young lieutenant. He was stocky, with broad shoulders and muscular arms, but his face was oddly boyish and topped by sandy hair.
"We're searching for a wounded soldier," he said in a commanding voice as Mr. Whitfield came into the room from behind him. "We received word that someone in the area was holding him."
"I've already told you," Mr. Whitfield said, "We ain't got no Yankees in this house."
"I wasn't asking you, old man," the lieutenant said dangerously.
"This is my home," Mr. Whitfield refused to back to down, "I won't let you bully my guests."
"Sit down, Mr. Whitfield," Mac said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt the old man shake with anger, but he did sit down. "Now, lieutenant-ah, I didn't catch your name."
"I didn't give it, ma'am," he said, "Thank you for subduing the old man. Our search of the house will be much quicker now."
"You can't just go searching a person's property," Mac countered, but even as she spoke the lieutenant pushed passed her and was climbing the stairs. "Wait, you can't go up there," she called.
The soldier rounded on her. He stood several feet taller than she did and was quite intimidating, but Mac didn't back down. "Why not, ma'am? Is there something you are hiding there?" he questioned.
Mac was so angry with him that she didn't notice his eyes shift and his slight nod, but just as she was about to answer him, a pair of strong hands had gripped her arms to her side. "What do you think you are doing?" she shrieked.
Around her chaos seemed to be breaking loose. Bud tried to get to Mac, but another of the soldiers hit him hard across the face. Harriet screamed as Bud fell, and baby AJ began to cry. The soldier holding Mac continued to restrain her as she struggled against him. Mr. Whitfield couldn't help them because he was held in his chair by the last remaining soldier.
Over the noise of the struggle none of them could hear the thundering steps of the lieutenant coming back downstairs. When he reappeared Mac struggled even harder again the man restraining her. The lieutenant was supporting the still fevered form of Harm.
"You can't do this," Mac screamed at the soldier. "Please, that man needs care. You can't take him out of here."
"If you continue to fight us, we'll take you along," he yelled back at her.
Mac shot a quick look to where Harriet sat on the floor holding Bud's head, with baby AJ crying beside her, and, in desperation, she stopped struggling. The lieutenant gave a sharp nod and the soldier holding her let go. She dropped to the floor and began helping Harriet with Bud, silent tears running down her face.
