Candle In The Darkness Part 15

The subject still made me blush, but the thought made my heart race. "I . . . I hope so," I said shyly.

Tessie clapped her hands together and laughed out loud. "That prove it, then! My baby girl in love love! And here come Prince Charming's carriage now."

I heard it, too. I waited for the ring of the door chimes, the sound of Charles' footsteps in the foyer, his languid voice as he greeted my father. They never came. "What's taking him so long?" I asked.

Tessie peered out the window again. "He standing out in back . . . talking to Eli."

"Let me see." I went to the window and saw them there, deep in conversation-Charles dressed in formal attire, Eli in ragged stable clothes. They were the same height, and they faced each other, eye to eye. The discussion seemed to last a long time. Then, to my amazement, Charles extended his hand to Eli. Tears filled my eyes as they shook hands with each other. Never before had I seen a well-bred Southern gentleman shaking hands as equals with a Negro.

"Hey, now! Stop that crying!" Tessie scolded. "Your eyes gonna be all puffy and red."

"I can't help it. I love him, Tessie."

"Well, didn't I just say that, honey?"

When I came down the stairs and saw Charles waiting for me, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. He took my hand and kissed it, his lips lingering for a moment. He tenderly rested his bearded cheek against the back of my hand, then kissed it again.

"You look beautiful," he said.

I had no sensation of my feet touching the ground as I floated out to his carriage. We settled in the back, side by side, for the drive downhill to his home in Court End.

When he said, "I want to give you your Christmas present a few days early," my heart began to pound with joy and antic.i.p.ation. Charles pulled a small, wrapped box from his pocket. My fingers trembled so badly I couldn't unwrap it.

"Need help?" He smiled and took it from me again. Inside was a magnificent ruby ring in what looked to be a very old platinum-and-gold setting. "It was my grandmother's ring," Charles said. He paused for the s.p.a.ce of a heartbeat, then said, "Will you marry me, Caroline?"

I wanted to shout my answer from the top of the capitol building, but I couldn't seem to raise my voice above a whisper. "Yes, please." I sounded like a small child accepting a cookie. Charles laughed and pulled me into his arms as I battled to control my tears.

"Listen now. I believe I've finally found a way to render you speechless," he said. "I should have tried this months ago. Here, try it on and see if it fits." He slid the ring onto my left hand. It was a perfect fit. "I asked your father for permission to marry you a few days ago," Charles said. "He gave us his blessing. Would it be all right if we announced our engagement at the party tonight?"

I wanted the whole world to know, but all I managed to say was, "Yes. It would be wonderful." Then another thought occurred to me. "Is . . . is this what you were talking to Eli about tonight?"

"You saw us?" For a moment, Charles seemed embarra.s.sed. "Actually . . . yes. I know what a good friend Eli is to you, and I thought . . . well, I thought I'd like to have him as my ally. He gave us his blessing, too."

I could no longer control my tears. I hugged Charles tightly, unable to express in words how much his gesture had moved me. He understood me well enough to know that Eli's blessing meant as much to me as my father's.

Charles' parents stood next to Daddy at the party later that night to announce our engagement. We would be married next July. The guests applauded the news. All of Richmond's leading citizens stood in line to congratulate Charles and me and wish us well. Many remembered my mother and spoke fondly of her. But I couldn't help wondering if a few were worried, for Charles' sake, that I would turn out to be like her.

Sally had tears in her eyes as she hugged me. "I'm so pleased that you'll be my sister," she said. We had become friends now that she no longer viewed me as her rival. She was fond of my cousin Jonathan but was reluctant to limit herself to only one beau.

Jonathan offered his congratulations, too, along with a hug and kiss. "I must say," he grinned, "this is one match I never would have bet money on, judging by your first date."

In the midst of this dizzying joy, Mr. Jennings Wise, editor of the Richmond Enquirer, Richmond Enquirer, arrived at the party two hours late. It quickly became apparent that he brought startling news. "We received a late bulletin over the wire this evening," he said. "It came in just as I was leaving the office. South Carolina has officially seceded from the Union." arrived at the party two hours late. It quickly became apparent that he brought startling news. "We received a late bulletin over the wire this evening," he said. "It came in just as I was leaving the office. South Carolina has officially seceded from the Union."

The news wasn't entirely unexpected, but it rocked the gathering nevertheless, bringing the merriment to a temporary standstill. Even after Mr. St. John told the orchestra to continue playing, and urged us all to enjoy the evening's celebration, everyone gathered in small, worried groups, discussing the secession in hushed whispers. I couldn't help feeling afraid. I had seen firsthand the deep rift between North and South after the events at Harper's Ferry. Now that the first state had broken away, I wondered if anything could stop an avalanche of splintering states.

"Something terrible has begun tonight, hasn't it?" I asked Charles.

"We don't know that," he replied, but I read the concern in his eyes.

"Do you think there will be a war?"

"That depends on how Was.h.i.+ngton reacts. Every state joined the Union voluntarily; they should have the right to leave it again if the Federal government no longer represents their best interests."

"Will Virginia leave the Union, too?"

He sighed. "There's not a lot of support for secession at the moment. But listen now. We can only live our lives one day at a time-and this is our special day. Come with me, Caroline."

He took my hand in his and led me outside to the terrace. The night was warm for December, but still cold enough to make me s.h.i.+ver in my ball gown. Charles took off his coat and wrapped it around me before pulling me into his arms. He held me tightly. Suddenly all that mattered was this moment.

When I stopped s.h.i.+vering, he pulled back to gaze at me with his beautiful eyes. "I love you," he said. Then he bent his head toward me and kissed me for the first time. I felt the brush of his beard on my face, the pressure of his hands on my back, the warm touch of his lips on mine, and I knew that Tessie's words were true-I wanted Charles' arms around me more than I wanted air to breathe.

Chapter Eleven.

Richmond 1861.

At the beginning of the new year, 1861, I began to include the Richmond Enquirer Richmond Enquirer as part of Tessie's daily reading material. Each morning after Daddy finished with the paper and left for work, Tessie and I would huddle near the fireplace in my bedroom and read aloud the latest news to each other. Then we would spend the rest of the day preparing my wedding trousseau and filling my hope chest. But throughout the month of January, the news we read grew more ominous, my future as a bride less certain. One by one, five more states followed South Carolina's lead and seceded from the Union. Texas joined them on the first of February. as part of Tessie's daily reading material. Each morning after Daddy finished with the paper and left for work, Tessie and I would huddle near the fireplace in my bedroom and read aloud the latest news to each other. Then we would spend the rest of the day preparing my wedding trousseau and filling my hope chest. But throughout the month of January, the news we read grew more ominous, my future as a bride less certain. One by one, five more states followed South Carolina's lead and seceded from the Union. Texas joined them on the first of February.

"Where're all these places I reading about?" Tessie asked one morning. "They near Richmond?"

We went downstairs to the globe in Daddy's library, and I showed her where to find the Confederate states: South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas. Then I showed her Virginia-sandwiched uncomfortably between the North and the South. Richmond was less than one hundred miles from Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C.

"What you think gonna happen here?" she asked.

"I don't know. Everything is changing so rapidly-and you know how I've always hated change."

"Oh yes, I do know that for sure."

I gave the globe a spin, setting it in motion. "I used to believe that the United States was strong and that nothing could ever shake our great country. But this flood of hatred between North and South is spreading faster than I ever imagined it would."

Tessie nodded. "It look like we all gonna drown in it pretty soon."

By the time Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as president in March, the renegade states had created a new government in Montgomery, Alabama, with a written const.i.tution guaranteeing the autonomy of each state. They'd selected Jefferson Davis, the former Secretary of War, as president of this new Confederacy. So far, Virginia still hadn't joined them.

I helped Tessie read President Lincoln's inauguration speech in March as we sewed yards of lace on my bridal gown, and his words sent a chill through me. Lincoln promised not to interfere with the states that already had slavery, but he clearly believed that no state had a legal right to leave the Union. He said he hoped the crisis could be resolved without resorting to warfare, but he vowed to preserve the Union no matter what.

The idea of war was unthinkable to me, yet events seemed to be drifting dangerously close to one. At my engagement party two months previous, the rising tide of unrest seemed far away from Richmond. Now my familiar world felt threatened, the future precarious and uncertain as the floodwaters rose higher, inching closer to Virginia.

I turned to Charles for rea.s.surance. He was now taking part in a state convention that was meeting to decide whether or not Virginia would secede. So far, the delegates had proceeded very slowly, leaving everyone waiting anxiously for news.

"There are three factions within the Virginia convention," Charles explained to me one day on our carriage ride home from church. "Those who favor immediate secession, those who want to stay in the Union, and those who want to work out a compromise."

"Which faction do you represent?"

"I'm not an official delegate," he said. "I'm only a.s.sisting Mr. Randolph, but he favors compromise."

I felt slightly rea.s.sured when Charles told me in early April that the convention had voted nearly two-to-one against a motion to secede. For now, it looked as though Virginia would remain in the Union. But that was soon to change-so swiftly, in fact, that we were all unprepared.

Late one Sat.u.r.day afternoon in mid-April, I had been entertaining Charles' relatives-Sally, his mother, and two of his aunts-for afternoon tea, planning the guest list for my wedding, which had been set for July 20. My visitors had just departed a few minutes earlier, and I was helping Tessie gather the dessert plates and teacups when my cousin Jonathan burst into my parlor in his usual whirlwind fas.h.i.+on.

"Is Sally here?" he asked breathlessly.

"No, you just missed her. In fact, it's a wonder you didn't bowl her over on the front walk."

"Have you heard the news?" Jonathan's face was serious, not smiling. I was almost afraid to ask.

"What news?"

"Big news, Caroline. The South Carolina militia has fired on Union troops at Fort Sumter. The war has begun."

I groped behind me for the nearest chair and slowly sank down onto it. "No . . . that can't be true. No one would be stupid enough to start a war against his own countrymen."

"But it is true. All of Richmond is in an uproar. Come downtown with me. This is something you won't want to miss. We'll pick up Sally and then head over to the newspaper office to find out the latest."

As Josiah drove us downtown, I silently prayed that the news would prove to be a false rumor. But when I saw the streets near Capitol Square jammed with carriages, my fears deepened.

"Where is this fort where it all started?" I asked.

"Fort Sumter? It guards Charleston Harbor."

Even though Charleston was far away from us, I gripped Jonathan's hand for rea.s.surance. "How bad is this?" I asked. "Do you think the fighting will spread?"

"All I know is that South Carolina's heavy artillery began bombarding the Union fort, demanding surrender."

Our carriage slowed to a near halt in all the traffic. Impatient, Jonathan ordered Josiah to drive down back alleyways and side streets to reach the St. Johns' mansion. When we finally arrived, Jonathan and I went inside to fetch Sally. She was thrilled with the idea of witnessing something new and exciting and readily joined us.

As we were leaving, Charles arrived. His quiet self-a.s.surance had a calming effect on me. I felt ready to face anything with him beside me. He bent to kiss my cheek, and his clothes and hair carried the fragrant aroma of cigars from his endless meetings.

"Have you heard about Fort Sumter?" Jonathan asked him.

Charles nodded. "A messenger interrupted our meeting with the news, so we decided to adjourn. I was just coming home for our carriage to drive over to the Enquirer Enquirer."

"Come with us," Jonathan said. "That's where we're going." We all climbed into the carriage, and Josiah drove back toward the business district.

"Do you know any details about Fort Sumter?" Jonathan asked Charles when we were on our way.

"I heard that the Mexican war hero, General Beauregard, is in charge of the rebellion. He refused to allow a U.S. s.h.i.+p to deliver supplies to the Federal garrison, then demanded their surrender. When they refused, South Carolina's artillery opened fire."

I felt a heavy weight sink to the bottom of my stomach at the thought of men firing at each other. But across from me, Sally could barely sit still.

"This is so exciting!" she said, clinging to Jonathan's arm. "How long do you think the battle will last?"

He covered her hand with his own. "Probably until the fort runs out of ammunition." I could tell by the satisfied smile on his face that he would be glad if the battle lasted forever as long as it meant having Sally snuggled beside him.

By now, the area around the capitol was so packed with carriages that none of them could move-including our own. Many downtown businesses had closed, and people flowed into the streets as the sidewalks grew overcrowded, making the congestion worse. Josiah couldn't make any headway at all with Jonathan's carriage.

"Listen now. Maybe we'd better get out and walk," Charles finally said. "I don't think we're going to be able to get any closer."

We left Josiah and the carriage stalled on Ninth Street and threaded our way through the mob. Charles held my hand so we wouldn't become separated. A huge crowd had gathered around the Enquirer Enquirer's offices, waiting for the latest dispatches to come over the wire. As fast as the editors received news by telegraph, someone shouted it from the windows.

". . . Confederate forces have forty-three batteries stationed around Charleston Harbor . . . They have poured more than three thousand sh.e.l.ls into the fort . . . The bombardment began more than thirty hours ago. . . ."

Finally, not quite an hour after we arrived, the stunning news came: "Union troops at Fort Sumter have surrendered! Fort Sumter has surrendered!"

The cheer that went up from the crowd was deafening. Jonathan shouted along with them while Sally hopped up and down, clapping her hands. Charles didn't cheer, but he looked pleased. I couldn't understand why Jonathan or anyone else in Richmond would cheer. Virginia wasn't part of the rebel government, we were part of the United States-and the United States had just been bombarded into surrender. I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted up at Charles, "Why are they cheering?" He led me around the street corner away from the mob so we could hear each other. "Why are they cheering?" I repeated.

"Because the South has won the first battle. The Federal forces have backed down. It's a great victory for the Confederacy."

"I know, but what does that have to do with us here, in Richmond?"

His expression sobered as if he realized the import of his words as he spoke them. "I guess it shows that Richmond's sympathies are with the South. It may not take much to push the convention toward secession now."

"Jonathan said that a war has begun."

"He's right. It certainly has begun in South Carolina. They've declared their independence and forced Union troops out of their state. How far Lincoln is willing to pursue this remains to be seen."

Jonathan and Sally suddenly rounded the corner, hand in hand. "What are you two doing back here?" he asked. "Come on, we're missing all the fun."

We could already hear strains of bra.s.s music and the rattle of drums in the distance. A carnival atmosphere had gripped the city, so I pushed my fears aside for the moment, gripped Charles' arm, and joined in. The crowd pulled us along as it surged down the street toward the river, following the music.

A few minutes later we caught up with the armory band. They had donned their militia uniforms and were marching down Cary Street to the popular tune "Dixie's Land." The effect of the martial music, the sound of bugles and drums, was instantly intoxicating. A surge of pride and patriotism flowed through us until it became impossible not to tap our feet or march in step. Even my pulse seemed to match the cadence of the snare drums.

Someone held a handsewn Confederate flag aloft, and the crowd, which had grown to more than three thousand people, turned down Fifth Street and headed toward the Tredegar Iron Works near the ca.n.a.l.

The sprawling complex of brick buildings billowed steam and smoke, symbolizing Virginia's industrial power and might. Not only did the foundry produce cannon, naval guns, sh.e.l.ls, and railroad iron, but the buildings themselves seemed to represent impregnable strength. Someone ran the Confederate flag up the pole on top of the building, and the crowd cheered wildly. The band played "The Ma.r.s.eillaise," anthem of the French rebellion. Liberty for the South seemed within reach.

Tredegar's proprietor, Joseph Anderson, delivered a speech, followed by more cheers. Then Virginia's attorney general stood up to speak, reminding the crowd that the cannons that had brought victory at Fort Sumter had been made at Tredegar's, right here in Richmond. I had to cover my ears at the mob's deafening roar of pride and approval. Meanwhile, some Virginia militiamen had hurried to the armory and hauled out the weapons for a one-hundred-gun salute. Cannon boomed for more than an hour, rattling store windows and shaking the ground beneath my feet. Across the city, church bells rang endlessly from every spire and steeple. All around us, people embraced each other and danced with jubilation. Jonathan hugged Sally tightly, then lifted her in the air and whirled her around.

"Isn't this wonderful?" Jonathan shouted, his voice hoa.r.s.e from cheering.

"Yes! Yes!" Sally laughed, gripping him for dear life. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, rosier than any rouge could have made them.

I didn't understand what Jonathan meant. The atmosphere was certainly more thrilling than any Fourth of July celebration I'd ever seen, but I could see nothing wonderful about the inauguration of a war. Charles had added his own shouts of "Yes!" and "Hear, hear!" to some of the speeches, but he and I were much more subdued than the others. Still, we couldn't help feeling the electric charge of exuberance that filled the air, nor could we help being swept away by it all.

We followed the mult.i.tudes back up the hill to the Enquirer Enquirer's offices for more speeches, including a stirring one by editor Jennings Wise. The crowd-and the traffic jams-swelled to even greater proportions as people arrived from the surrounding countryside, drawn by the clamor and noise.

I scarcely noticed that darkness had fallen. Bonfires and torches lit the city, lamps blazed in the windows of every house. We walked through the teeming streets like people in a dream, following meandering torchlight parades bearing Confederate flags; stopping to join groups singing on street corners or giving speeches; watching rockets blaze and flare above the glittering river.

Later, we followed a bra.s.s band and a wagon draped with banners to Governor Letcher's mansion on Capitol Square. The ma.s.ses chanted for the governor, shouting "Letcher! Letcher!" until he finally appeared. Everyone hushed to hear his words.

"Thank you for the compliment," he said sternly, "but I must be permitted to say that I see no occasion for this demonstration."

Waves of surprise, then anger, rippled through the crowd as he spoke. Letcher said that he did not recognize the flags they were flying, that they had no right to take the artillery from the armory, and that they should put it back immediately. Virginia was still a state of the Union, he insisted. Then, after telling us all to go home, he bowed slightly and returned inside.