A/N: For those of you who haven't read the cast list that's on my profile, the Yankee in this chapter is Chris. I just didn't see a fit place to add his name in the chapter.
...
Part Two, Chapter Two
Yankee Visitor
...
Once she sent Zoey upstairs, she looked out the window. She saw a man in a Yankee uniform ride up to the house and dismount a horse as he pulled out a gun. She ran up the steps and was already upstairs by the time he entered the house.
Courtney grabbed the gun Duncan gave her and she began walking downstairs. She took off her shoes so she would be more quiet, though the Yankee must have heard her. He exited Geoff's study and he was carrying a red velvet jewelry box with the initials "B. O. H." written on the top.
"Who's there?" the Yankee called. "Halt or I'll shoot."
But then he caught sight of Courtney.
"You all alone, little lady?" the deserter asked.
Courtney didn't say anything.
"You ain't very friendly, are you?" the Yankee continued. He took out some earrings. "You got anything else besides these earbobs?"
"You Yankees have been here before," Courtney finally spoke up.
"Regular little spitfire, ain't you?" he said before discarding the jewelry box. He noticed Courtney had her hand behind her back. "What have you got hiding behind your back?"
He started walking up the stairs, but Courtney pulled out the gun and pulled the trigger. The Yankee stumbled back down the stairs, his face covered in blood. Courtney heard a noise and looked up. She saw Zoey run out of the room carrying Alejandro's sword. She was wearing a shocked face as she began walking down the stairs and stopped at the landing. She tore her eyes away from the body and looked at Courtney.
"Courtney, you killed him!" said Zoey, her face braking out into a smile. "I'm glad you killed him."
"Courtney! Courtney, what happened? What is it, Courtney? What is it?" they heard Anne Maria and Beth call from outside.
Zoey went to the window by the landing and opened it.
"Don't be scared, chickens," Zoey called. "Your big sister was cleaning a revolver and it went off and nearly scared her to death."
"Oh, thank goodnes," said Anne Maria. "Haven't we got enough to frighten us."
"Tell Eliza Courtney she must be more careful," Geoff said.
Zoey nodded and closed the window.
"What a cool liar you are, Zoey," said Courteny.
"We've got to get him out of here and bury him," said Zoey. "If the Yankees find him here, they'll..."
"I didn't see anyone else," said Courtney. "I think he must be a deserter."
"But, even so, we must hide him," said Zoey. "They might head about it, and then they'd come and get you."
"I could bury him in the arbor where the ground is soft," said Courtney as she walked down the stairs, but how will I get him out of here?"
"We'll both take a leg and drag him," said Zoey.
"You couldn't drag a cat," said Courtney, though she didn't mean it as an insult.
"Courtney," said May, "do you think it would be dishonest if we went through his haversack?"
"I'm ashamed I didn't think of it myself," said Courtney. "You take the haversack, I'll search his pockets."
Courtney sat on the bottom step and Zoey slowly and weakly followed. Zoey grabbed the haversack and tried to pick it up, but leaned on the banister of the stairs.
"I'm feeling a little weak," said Zoey.
Courtney found a wallet in the Yankee's pocket.
"Zoey, I think it's full of money!" said Courtney quietly but excitedly. Courtney opened it up and scooted closer to Zoey. "Oh, Zoey, look! Look! Ten, twenty, thirty, fourty..."
"Don't stop to count it now," Zoey whispered fiercly. "We haven't got time."
"Do you realize this means we''l have something to eat?" Courtney said.
"Look in his other pockets," said Zoey. "Hurry, hurry!"
Courtney did so but found nothing.
"We've got to get him out of here," said Courtney.
She got up, grabbed his legs, and started to drag him. That didn't work because there was a trail of blood left on the floor.
"If he bleeds across the yard, we can't hide it," Courtney pointed out. "Give me your nightgown, Zoey, I'll wad it around his head." When she saw how nervous Zoey looked, she added, "Don't be silly. I won't look at you. If I had a petticoat or pantalettes, I'd use them."
Zoey went to a corner, stripped herself of her nightgown and tossed it to Courtney.
"Thank heavens I'm not that modest," said Courtney to herself as she wrapped the nightgown around the Yankee's head. "Now go back to bed. You'll be dead if you don't. I'll clean up my mess when I've burried him."
"No," said Zoey, "no, I'll clean it up."
Courtney stood up and looked at the body.
"Well," said Courtney, "I guess I've done murder. I won't think about that now. I'll think about that tomorrow."