Shocked, Abbie buried her face in the side of his neck as he moved her body on his. That feeling soon gave way to pleasure and she quickly caught on to what he wanted from her, moving on him without guidance. Her breasts rubbed against the hair on his chest even as he moved his fingers to a spot near where their bodies were joined. That puzzled her until she felt the pleasure inside her begin to rapidly build.
Increasingly desperate to ease or end the need he was stirring within her, she began to move faster as if she was racing toward a finish line to win some grand prize. A heartbeat later, she did. She buried her face in the curve where his neck met his shoulder and cried out as her body shuddered. Matthew sat up straight and moved her body on his until he tensed and groaned from the strength of his release.
They were both panting as if they had just run a hard race, thought Abigail. She then wondered how one delicately got out of this position. Just as she was beginning to think there was no way, he lifted her up and set her down at his side. She busied herself with smoothing out her skirts as he tidied himself up. She wondered idly how something done so quickly and stealthily could give such satisfaction but it did. Someday, she thought, they would have to try and perform the act with more leisure.
Staring at the river as she wondered what to say, Abigail spotted something floating by on the water. It got caught on a branch that had broken off one of the trees lining the bank. Curious, she got up and hurried to grab it before the flow of the water ripped it free. It was a cap, a gray cap, and her heart began to pound with alarm. It was something only a Reb or a marauder would wear, which meant trouble was near.
“What have ye got?” asked Matthew as he stood up and stretched.
“Trouble, I am thinking,” she said as she hurried to his side and showed him the cap.
“Damn.” He hurried to the bank and, hanging on tightly to a low branch, went out as far as he dared to look up the river.
When staring up the river revealed nothing for several moments, he began to think the cap had come from some dead man killed near the river. Just as he was about to go back onto the bank, he heard the faint sound of oars being used and looked again. The instant he caught sight of the boat he hurried back to Abigail.
“Rebs or marauders,” he said as he grabbed Abigail by the hand and started back to town as fast as he could.
“You think they are going to come ashore here?” she asked as she did her best to keep pace with him.
“Only good place for docking there is for quite a stretch. Also think we are the last of the Union soldiers in the area and would be a perfect target. Waiting for a couple of men to be healed enough to move.”
As they reached the road into town, he hesitated for a moment and listened. The men obviously did not expect anyone to be down at the riverside because they were talking to each other freely and above a whisper. Since supplies were no longer coming in that way and the dock had been destroyed, he supposed it was a reasonable assumption for them to make.
“Go warn the women,” he told Abigail.
“Do you want us to go to the jail again?” she asked.
“If ye can. It is the sturdiest place to shelter in. Go! I need to warn the men.”
She impulsively kissed him and then ran for the Beaton house. A couple of soldiers out walking stared at her as she hiked up her skirts so that she could run faster. When she reached the door of the Beaton house she glanced behind her and saw Matthew heading back toward the river with what looked to be a dozen armed men. That sight comforted her for it meant Matthew was not facing the danger alone.
Abigail opened the door and ran into the house only to nearly run down Mrs. Beaton. She stopped and fought to catch her breath as she said, “We have to go to the jail again. Now. They are coming in at the river.”
“I begin to think we should just move there,” said Mrs. Beaton even as she headed into the sitting room to order the women there to get moving.
As soon as she could breathe properly, Abigail hurried up the stairs, but when she rushed into her room she found Julia’s bed empty. She was relieved to find the baby sleeping peacefully and picked him up, wrapping a second small blanket around him. Grabbing the bag she had begun to keep packed in case they needed to run again, she headed back down the stairs.
“Rose,” she called, catching the woman just as she was headed out the door, “have you seen Julia?”
“Damn. No, I haven’t. You think she has wandered off again?”
“I do and I know where she has gone. Could you take the baby and my bag?”
Rose quickly took both and Abigail said, “Go on now. I will get her to the jail.”
“Be careful!” Rose called as she rushed out the door.
Abigail waved and headed for the back door. She paused a moment in the kitchen when she saw Mabel working on the evening meal. She supposed she ought not to be so shocked that no one had thought to tell the woman to flee or to where, or even that the enemy might be coming, but it did trouble her.
“Mabel, there is some trouble and the lieutenant has asked that we all shelter in the jail.”
“Is it a lot of trouble?” Mabel asked as she set her work aside and hastily washed her hands.
“No idea. The lieutenant got some men and is facing them down by the river. It may end there, but he still told me to get us all to the jail. Says it is the strongest building in town. So get your family and get over there as fast as you can.”
Mabel nodded and ran out. Abigail followed but headed straight for the graveyard. When she saw Julia at Robert’s grave she was more angry than concerned, until she got closer. The woman was ghostly pale and slumped against the wooden cross that marked the grave. She hurried over and touched Julia’s arm, finding it alarmingly chilled. Another quick check found the woman’s heart still beat.
“Julia,” she called and shook her gently. “We have to run to the jail.”
“Again?” Julia asked, her voice whisper soft and a bit slurred.
“Yes, I fear so.” Abigail helped Julia stand, not surprised at how much of the woman’s weight she had to shoulder. “You are out here in your nightclothes again.”
“No matter. No one to see.”
The woman spoke as if she was drunk, and it worried Abigail. “Are you feeling well, Julia?”
“Just feel as if all my innards are falling out.”
Since she had heard the complaint from other women after childbirth, Abigail was inclined to ignore it, but some instinct made her look Julia over as they staggered toward the jail. The back of her nightgown was soaked in blood and Abigail felt a stab of fear. She did her best to get Julia to the jail as quickly as possible. By the time she staggered through the door, she was almost carrying the woman.