Moving Forward to a New Life

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A few short days before September, the lady of the house was marching back and forth on her floor making a mark on the hardwood floor while trying to fit everything she could into two bags hidden under her bed. She was always checking what she had in the bags to see if there was anything missing in there.

Freya then opened the floor board and got all the letters from her husband, stuffing them in one of the pockets of the smaller of the two bags. She then stuck her hand into her pillowcase to get the photos she was using for sweet dreams and put them with the letters.

As each day passed counting down to when she was to leave, her heart beat louder and louder as if it was the clock on the wall. She kept trying to think of a way to tell her father about the union soldier but each time she did Freya only saw visions of his heartbroken face.

One thing Mr. Myers had right was that she was going against her own blood. This was going to hurt her father in ways she had yet to know.

“You've got to tell him Freya Elizabeth Rosemen. Sooner than later. Or the demon in the house will,” Someone sighed in the door frame and gave her a sly smile. “You know, if you keep talking to yourself then you won’t need a best friend much longer. And this poor vagabond won’t have anywhere to go.” Ceillia said, pulling a frown and pretending to cry.

The lady of the house rolled her ice blue eyes at her friend and kept on packing. “Hasn’t your mother ever told you your face will stay that way if you keep doing it enough?” Ceillia sat on the desk and gave a sigh. “Since when have I ever listened to anyone but myself? Speaking of which, your well not your guy but Mr. too tight in the breaches tried to shoo me off like a common street rat. He is lucky I am a lady because I might have returned the favor. I got the information you wanted on your hubby wubby. God that made me sick just saying that.”

Freya pushed the bags back under the bed and stood up. “What made you sick to say Miss. Swan? It’s not like you were swearing or anything. Because we both know you have said worse things in church of all places.”

Ceillia took a cigar and box of matches from her bag. “The word husband is a swear word to me. It’s the second H word not to be spoken out loud. You will never see me with one of those ever. Lucky you are my best friend, well my only friend otherwise I wouldn’t have come to your wedding.” She lit the match and set the cigar aflame and started smoking it.

Freya took the cigar from her friend, took a huge drag from it and blew four little smoke rings from her mouth. Ceilla took the cigar back and took a drag from it. “All we need now is some 20 year old scotch to go with this. I should have grabbed some before I came here. You think your father would be mad if I took some of his? I would replace it.”

Freya started reading the file her best friend had brought to her. She reread it over and over again. But even with everything written out for her, the file still didn’t answer all the questions her heart kept asking her.

The lady of the house thought about everything he told her about himself and his family and it was all in the file. Then she started pacing the floor again, tuning out Ceillia singing songs of the sea. “You know you can’t take everything you read at face value. I mean my file says I’m still missing somewhere up north, possibly eaten by polar bears by now. That file says nothing about how he feels. So do yourself a favor, get off your skinny ass and go ask him. And don’t pull a face at me Freya. Don’t think I didn’t see that.”

Freya stopped making a face at her, straightened up, and stopped pacing. “Should we go over the plan? We only have a couple days to get it right or it would be all for not a damn thing.” Miss. Swan got off the desk, pulled out a paper, and leaned over the plan looking at it. “Well first thing we need to do is….” She stopped when she heard footsteps outside of the door.

Seconds later, Mr.Myers was in the door frame looking smug while cleaning his fingernails on his shirt. “Well don’t let me stop you two from what it is you are doing. I mean we all know it won’t work. So you might want to just save that paper for something more useful, maybe a new way to make that dry chicken I’m still chewing.” Freya stepped around her friend, gave him a good look over then slammed the door in his face. “Chew on that you good for nothing snake.”

As the day went on, Freya tried to act as normal as she could but the feeling of nervousness kept her on edge. The lady of the house kept going towards her father’s study then running away like the scared child in trouble told to get a switch from the tree. “It’s not like you are telling him anything bad. Not like when the boys tried to sell the prize horse for a poor chess set. I’m just telling him.. I’m just going to tell my father that I’m….” She stepped back with her hand ready to knock at the door.

“In a few days I’ll be giving away my only daughter to that well that low down piece of horse dung. I made that agreement to Walter but now I get this file and letter from a Miss. Connors. What am I going to do about all these bills Kendall? I can't pay what Mr. Myers racked up. And what am I to tell my sweet daughter? Please tell me brother.” Mr. James said on the other side of the study door before it opened up.

The men stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Freya standing there. “Hello father and uncle, I was just coming to see when father wants his tea. It’s almost two p.m. sooner is better then later,” Mr. James blinked a few times and scratched his head some, thinking. “Two o’clock will be fine for tea Freya. Did.. Did you hear what your uncle and I were talking about just now? About Mr. Myers I mean. Because there is some stuff I wish to talk to you about. But right now I need to get to the express post office to get a letter off to Walter Myers.” The two Mr. Jameses left the house to go into town.

The lady of the house went about her day trying to act as normal as possible, but with each time the clock struck another hour every cell in her body screamed at her, telling her to say what has been stuck in her heart. Two o’clock came and went, so did three o’clock and four o’clock. It wasn’t until twenty minutes before dinner was done when Mr. Myers came into the kitchen with the file and letter in his hands.

“You know what this is? Why does your father have this and may I ask where did he get it?” He said, shaking it in his hands and screaming in her face at full volume. The lady of the house put down the knife in her hand and stopped chopping up the onions. “I do believe that is a file, oh look papers are coming out of it. That is a very big file there Mr. Myers. The last thing I saw that big was a pile of, well let’s just say I won’t be cleaning out the stables anymore. The more important question is why hadn’t he gotten it sooner? I mean the file looks really important as for what's in it, well I don’t know what that might be. It might be house papers or maybe your file from the hall of records. I’m guessing it’s the latter. I don’t think you will be upset over house papers.”

Mr.Myers was almost foaming at the mouth trying to keep a straight face about all of it. He walked over and threw the file and letter into the fireplace Freya used to make that night’s dinner. “There my past is gone, all of it. Now I can be someone else. That file was filled with nothing but lies about me anyhow. That teacher at the college, well she kept coming on to me. I told her and told her that I was just there for my education and nothing more. As for this Miss. Conners she was just a little touched in the head. She practically stalked me all over the city and even tried to… Well, I’m too much of a gentleman to say what she tried to do to me. That is why she is in a mental hospital. She is sick in the head. She’ll be right as rain soon. That’s the truth, not what that file said about me. Now in a few days time, you are going to marry me or well you might be joining Lavender Rose in the hospital.” He said, running his fingers through his hair then messing it up by pulling his hair up by the roots making him look as if he had been shocked by electricity.

Freya went back to cutting up the onions for the salad she was making to go with the dinner. “I don’t think I’m the one who needs to go to the hospital for mental stability Mr. Myers. As for the marriage in a few days time, I don’t think it’s going to happen. My father just went into town to send a message to your father. If I were you, I would start packing my belongings as quickly as possible. Now if you don’t mind, I want to finish making this salad before my father gets back.”

Mitchell took the knife from Freya and threw it across the room to have it land in the wall next to the pantry. “You are going to marry me in a few days then if you are lucky I’ll make sure you have my son. If you don’t agree to do as you are told that knife can be easily used for another purpose. So far I have been kind and good to you. But you are starting to blister my patience to where there is nothing left. You best learn your place little girl or you will find yourself in not such a great place.” Mr. Myers said, pointing to the knife in the wall.

He left the kitchen and stomped his way back to his room leaving the lady of the house almost shaking. She hoped her father got a good look at the file before Mr. Myers tossed it into the fire. She saw something on the floor next to the fire place. Freya went over and picked it up and gave it a once over. It was the letter from Lavender Rose telling her story.

A few minutes later the lady of the house was putting the salad on the table and heard the front door slam shut. Three men came into the front hallway chatting away, never even looking into the dining room to see that the table was set. “I am not about to let my only daughter throw away her life on him Walter! Did you even know what he did to that poor girl in West Virginia or anything?! Or did you just turn a blind eye and just paid them off?! I will tell you this, you might be my oldest friend on this earth but it feels as if I just sold my child to the devil himself for a few scraps of useless paper! Now kindly come into my office and we’ll talk more about everything.” Freya went back into the kitchen to make a large cup of tea for her father knowing what might come next. Afraid for his weak heart and what this stress would do to him. And to think she still has to tell him about the union soldier and how she was going to leave him behind. (If I tell him one thing there is no guarantee I will be able to tell him the next.)

A few seconds later, William came out of his office looking for something and almost ran into Freya with his tea. “Have you seen a file my dear? It was on my desk and now it’s gone.” She gave him his tea. “Mr. Mitchell Myers had it last and he tossed it into the fire in the kitchen. One thing escaped the fire though. This letter, here you go father.” Walter Myers took it and gave it a good read over. “This has to be fake. How do we know that your daughter didn’t write this and tossed out the file in question? Where is the proof that there was a file in the first place? Young lady, I suggest you start answering my questions right this minute. Or… or..” Freya crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “What are you planning to say Sir? Threaten me like your son has? If you don’t believe me or my father about the file ask my uncle or my cousin Ayden. Or maybe if you can catch her go ask Miss. Ceillia Swan if you please, but it might cost you a card game.”

Before anyone said anything else Mr. James put his tea down and went to the stairs. “MITCHELL RANDLE MYERS! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU RIGHT NOW!” Kendall grabbed the tea and gave it back to his brother. “Drink this William before you talk to him, remember your heart dear brother of mine. Whether you give your daughter away or not, she’ll still need you as her father. Trust your little brother in this. Remember what happened to our father when he lost his temper.” Kendall tapped his brother on the shoulder and gave him a side look.

William chugged the tea in three gulps while Mitchell came down the stairs. “Hello father, soon to be in law. You are looking a little pale there. You ok? What did that little fire we call Freya do this time around? If you ask me, she needs to learn some lessons in how to obey the men in her life. Perhaps the punishment for not doing so should be selling her horse chestnut or whatever stupid name it has.”

William tried to remain steady standing there while trying not to raise his temper. “I think all of us need to go into my office right now and talk. Then both Walter and Mitchell should leave the house.”

Freya put the water pitcher on the table then sat down and had dinner by herself while listening to the screaming coming from her father’s study. She kept hearing what kind of a brat she was. A spoiled one, a rotten one, a disobedient one and the list went on. Many times she heard her uncle telling her father not to raise his temper, reminding him of his weakened heart. Then she heard the rude comments about Ceillia saying she was nothing but the devil’s advocate for things not fit for a young woman. That is when her father stood up for the young traveler. “She might be rough around the edges but her heart is in the right place.” The fighting kept going until well after bedtime and after Freya had turned in for the night she heard doors slamming throughout the house.

When she woke the next morning, her father was at the dining room table eating eggs and bacon with some coffee. “Hello my dear, I hope we didn’t keep you up last night. There is some stuff we need to talk about. But after breakfast. I tried to make you breakfast but it’s a little burned.” As the lady of the house sat down and started to pour herself coffee her father went to reading the paper as if nothing was wrong at all. They stayed like that for a few minutes until the lack of sound got to Freya to where it hurt her ears. “Just tell me what is going to happen father. I need to know. It’s my life you men are planning. It’s not a game of cards you are playing with, it's my heart. And it can’t handle the game you are playing with it. It’s not the ball you used to play catch with when the boys were still around. Am I going to have to marry that bottom feeding low life or am I free to do as I wish?”

William drunk the rest of his coffee and looked at his pocket watch trying not to look at his child. “Well will you look at that, it’s business hours. I must get to the office in town my dear. Don’t worry I’ll keep my temper about me today. By the way, do you know why Mr. Rosemen is still in town? I saw him when I ran into Walter at the watering hole. Looked as if he was waiting for someone. Maybe his bride. The town says he married a woman a month ago. I wonder who the lovely lady is. Any man would be proud to have him as a son in law. Now I must go my sweet tomato.”

Freya started clearing the dishes from the table and gave her father an eye roll with such non belief that he called her a name he hadn’t used in many years. (At least he likes Johnothan even though he doesn’t know what side he fights for.) Freya thought to herself, gathering the coffee cups.

As the day wore on, Freya cleaned up here and there and even went to her father’s study to straighten it up after the going ons from the night before. As she bent down to clean up some of the soot from the fireplace, someone knocked on the front door. The lady of the house wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and went to answer the door. But before she got there, they started knocking again thinking no one had heard them. “Who is it? If you are looking for Kendall James or Ayden they live a mile down the road.”

“Pony express for one Mrs. Freya Rosemen.” She opened the door expecting someone more weathered maybe more seasoned. But standing there in the same Confederate outfit as he did months before was Johnothan Rosemen, her husband. Just as handsome as the day they met by the river. As she stood there looking at him, he smiled at her and gave a laugh. “Are you going to let me in Southern Fire? If not I could just grab my horse and head back to the cit…..” Freya grabbed him, pulled him into the house, and kissed him as she closed the door. As they broke apart, she pushed him away as fast as she pulled him into the house.

“Ok, now that is out of the way I have a million, maybe a billion questions to ask you. And if I don’t my heart will go haywire and my head might actually catch on fire due to my temper.” Johnothan walked over to the dining room table and sat in a chair.

“Go ahead, ask away. I'll answer the questions. Just try make sure we don’t miss the train tomorrow. Because it would be awful to miss out on our honeymoon because of your billion questions.” Freya started pacing back and forth trying to think of the first question she wanted to ask. She blew her hair out of her face. “Who do you really fight for? One day you are a Union boy, the second you are Confederate, maybe on the third you might be the king of England. And who are you really? Because I really don’t know. My heart tells me one thing and my mind tells me well something different. Why were you in the woods that day we met? Did you try to leave the army or something? Most importantly, I want the truth from you. Because if you lie to me so help you well you don’t want to know what will happen to you but I can tell you this; what I will do to you will make boot camp look like a vacation on the beach. Do you really love me or is it just some long con just to try to, well hurt me.” She said, trying to catch her breath.

The man in question stood up, laughing a little bit at his southern fire. “I will start by saying I’m the furthest thing from being the king of England. I am a Union Soldier but I have friends on the Confederate side. That is how I got this uniform. I am Johnothan Andrew Rosemen, age 20. As for why I was in the woods that day, I was on leave for a day or two. Camping just me and Thunder, well until a certain redhead came crashing into my campsite.” He said, giving a wink at her and a wolfish grin.

“As for how I feel about you, Southern Fire, well …” He stepped towards her and took her hand, placing it on his chest. She felt his heart race against it as if he had run a marathon down the street. “When I close my eyes and take a deep breath, I smell wildflowers, sage, roses, and strawberries. I can hear your voice in my head laughing or just being well, sweet. If that doesn’t tell you how I feel then maybe this will Mrs. Rosemen.” The Union Soldier lifted her face up to his and kissed her with every ounce of passion he could give her. He stopped kissing her after what seemed like a lifetime. “May I ask, do you know you have dirt all over your face and your dress? Or are you trying to look like a little housewife to throw me off thinking you aren't a wildfire?” Freya took some of the soot from her dress and put it on his cheeks and nose. “There, you look just as wild as I am now. As for how I feel about you, well I can’t wait until we have our real honeymoon. To start building our family and home.” The lady of the house wrapped her arms around him and settled her head onto his chest as the Union Soldier put his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

They stood there just breathing in each other's scents just thinking of what their future will be once they are on their own. “There is something I want to do before we take off. I want to ask your father for your hand. I know we are already married but I wouldn’t feel right for just taking you. He might be your father, my loving Southern Fire, but he is still a southern man who probably knows how to shoot something for the fun of it. And I'd rather not be shot at by my own father in law.” Johnothan said, pulling a face at her.

Just then the front door knob started to turn to open it and the couple jumped apart, thinking it was her father or someone else coming into the house. “Hello dear cousin and cousin in law. Don’t let me stop you two from doing well whatever you are doing. Just thought you should know that both Myers men will be here shortly. Probably to try to force you to go along with the marriage. May I suggest you just tell them you are married. And then Johnothan can take them to the other side and show them how the north deals with people like them.”

The Union Soldier cleared his voice then wrapped his arm around Freya. “I think if I try to take both Myers men over to my side of the war, they will be returned very quickly for them being them. And I am planning to ask your uncle if I can steal his daughter. But maybe you can tell me how bad her temper is. I mean what am I in for when she gets fired up?” Ayden gave a small laugh and looked at Freya. “Well let’s just say keep heavy and sharp things away from her when she gets in a mood. If you don’t believe me, just look at the younger Myers man. Ask him why he is limping around.”

The union soldier looked at his wife and she tried to look innocent, giving him a sly smile. “Can I trade her in for another southern woman? She might be a little too feisty for me. Maybe someone with blond hair or dark hair. I saw there is a farm down the road called McDonald. They have any daughters?” Freya stepped on the Union Soldier’s foot as hard as she could. “Not that I know of or can tell, to tell the truth. Besides, I don’t think you can get rid of Freya even if you wanted to. Good luck with that one. Come on Freya, you know we are kidding with you. I’m here to get your bags for tomorrow. Yeah, I’m part of the plan to get you out of here.”

The lady of the house stopped glaring at both of them and cleared her throat. “Before I show you where I put my bags just promise me one thing Ayden, please will you do one thing for me?” Ayden straightened up some. “I already know what you want me to do and consider it done. I’ll watch out for your father. And if worse comes to worse, I’ll use Mitchell Myers as a cadaver in medical school. You know how short supplies are during the war. No offense, cousin in law.”

“No offense taken my man. Don’t worry about it. Maybe once Freya and I are settled down in our new home you can come visit us.” Mr. Rosemen said, putting out his hand to shake Ayden’s. As the men kept talking, Freya started up the stairs to get her bags. “Are you two going to keep clucking like hens or help a lady with her belongings? Or should I put out fresh corn feed for the pair of you?” The two men ran after the fiery redhead to give her a helping hand.

The three of them got the bags down the stairs with minor cussing and fussing from the men. “What do you have in these bags, Southern Fire? If I didn’t know better, I'd say that you are trying to take this house away brick by brick.” The lady of the house blew the hair out of her face and sat her bag down. “What? You can handle being in the army but one bag of your wife’s shoes is too much for you soldier boy?” Mr. Rosemen put the bag down with a crash. “Well darling, we didn’t cover carrying bags of shoes in our training in the north. I might have my Commanding officer put that in for the new guys. Never know when it might come handy dealing with you southern bells.”

Ayden opened the front door to get the bags out faster when one of the bags tipped over and opened up, spilling some stuff out. “Come on you two. Save the banter for the honey moon and let’s get these to the carriage before both Myers men get here. We still have to make sure this plan works. Freya, clean this up and we will get the other bags out to the carriage.” Freya looked at him like he was a visitor from another earth. “When did you get so bossy Ayden? Did you sun dry your under clothes too long and it’s riding up or something? What happened to my favorite cousin?” He grabbed the bag he had before and started to the door.

“I’m still here, firestorm. I just want to make sure you get out of here before that walking cadaver and his father show up. Remember I’m still older than you are even if you are married. So you have to do as I say. Now hurry it up.”

As she started gathering the stuff on the floor, an idea came to her and she rushed up to the attic for two things that remind her of each of her brothers. As the lady of the house came down with the items, she heard something on the front porch. “Well it’s about time my father in law gets some new help. I guess you are here to make sure that wild thing he calls a daughter behaves herself. Step aside I’m going to help you with her.” Mr. Myers said, taking his belt off to use on her. “Because come tomorrow she’ll be mine and then well then she’ll be put in the best asylum her father can afford. I’ll make sure there are only the tiny bugs in it.”

The Union Soldier stood at his full height and put his hand out to shake Mr. Myers's pretending to be friendly. “I don’t think we have met, Mr.Myers. I'm Private Johnothan Rosemen, also known as Freya’s husband. And boy have I heard a great deal about you. Like how you love to hurt, threaten, and won’t take no for an answer from a lady. See, where I’m from, a real man would treat a lady as a lady not a toy you can just break and toss to the side. I think it’s time for you to finally take that no and leave, never darken this doorstep again and never go near Mr. James again. By the way, the first payment to pay him back for all the stuff you bought in his name is due in twenty four hours. And believe me, I’ll know if you don’t. I have friends on both sides of the war. They’ll be protecting this house. One more thing, if you ever go near Freya ever again you best run like your life depends on it because I’ll hunt you down myself and I’m a damn good shot.” Mr. Rosemen leaned towards the boy in men’s clothes and he whispered in a tone that would've sent a chill down the spine of the Grim Reaper himself “Are we clear, Mr. Myers?”

Mitchell stood there stunned, dropping the belt to the porch floor then quickly came back to his full self. “There is no reason we can’t settle this without the idle threats. That little girl needs to be taught lessons. Lessons in how to treat her superiors and not to talk back better yet not talk at all unless it’s no or yes sir. And I’ll be the one teaching her that. So you best take her bags and put them back where you got them. I’ll even pay you some of the money I’m going to get for marrying that wild creature. What do you say about that, Mr. Rosemen?”

Johnothan stretched out one of his arms as if he was about to make the deal but turned his hand shake into a fist and punched Mr. Myers in the nose. Knocking him back to where he fell off the porch. “I say you are the one who needs the lessons to be taught. Maybe you should take yourself and your money to the hospital because you are bleeding all over the flowers. Bye Mr. Myers, it has been great meeting you.” Johnothan picked up the belt on the porch and tossed it off.

“Don’t let her fool you, she is a monster. She is the one who did the threatening and hurt me! She caused blood clots in my leg when she slammed that tea kettle on my foot! She stabbed me with a knitting needle! She needs to be locked away. All I have ever done was defend myself against well that WOMAN!! IF YOU CAN CALL HER THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE!” Mr. Myers said, breathing very heavy from screaming with blood running down from his nose onto his white shirt. His eyes and hair were looking the wildest that Freya had ever seen before. (Maybe it’s he that should be locked away for everyone’s safety including his own.) She thought to herself, looking past the front door.

Johnothan went to the front door, turned around, and said “I think I’ll take my chances with Freya and you best get out of here before my cousin in law uses you for his first home work for medical school. You know how crazy these James family members are he might just do it.” He gave a wink and went into the house.

The three of them looked out the window and saw him stumble to his carriage to leave. As the carriage rode off, they could hear Myers scream something out the little window but couldn’t make out what it was. “Well the snake finally shed his skin to only show he was a weasel. What do you think he yelled while he was leaving?”

Freya finished repacking and looked up at the smoke from the carriage. “He could be saying that he was going to cry to his mommy and daddy for all I care. So soldier boy, you ready for a life with what did that piece of trash call me? A monster?” Johnothan picked up the heaviest of the bags. “Well I did make a vow for better or worse so I guess I’m stuck with you.” He gave her a wolfish grin and then a kiss on top of her head.

As the day wore on, the three of them waited for Mr. James to come home for dinner. When the grandfather clock struck five p.m. William entered the house and went straight into his study not even looking at the company in the dining room. “Freya please come in here. We have to talk about plans for tomorrow.” Her father said through the door. The lady of the house took a deep breath and grabbed the tea tray she had made for her father. “Well here goes….”

“Everything.” The Union Soldier said, taking the tray from her shaky hands. Before going into the study, Freya put on the ring that Johnothan gave her on their wedding day. She opened the door for them and saw her father at his desk reading the paper. “Here is your tea father with an extra teaspoon of sugar cane in it. We ran out of honey.”

Mr. James closed the paper about to speak and then saw the friendly face of his son in law. “Hello Johnothan, right? What brings you back here? I have heard you took a southern bell as a wife. I bet she is a fine looking beauty and a real charmer. Just you wait, those bells from your wedding will turn into screams of children running about.” He said, getting up and walking over to his cart full of whiskeys and scotches. He looked through them all and turned back around with a seventeen year old whiskey. “Here, so you can drown those wailing sounds with some of the best whiskey this side of Alabama.”

Johnothan took the whiskey from him and gave it a good look over. “Thank you Mr. James and yes my new wife is a beauty and a charmer. Also has a fiery temper that the devil himself would be jealous of.” The two men laughed at the little joke for a minute or two.

“Now Freya Elizabeth James you have explaining to do. And we have to find someone else for you to marry now. It seems Mr. Myers had to be sent home due to the fact his nose is broken and something about blood clots in his leg. No one is going to want to marry you if you keep chasing them away. Why can’t you have been more well, docile and not put up a fight? Both Walter and Mitchell want nothing to do with you, or I for that matter. Any suggestions on a husband for you or do you wish to be unwed and untamed by a man? Mr. Mitchell Myers said you should be locked away. Do you have anything to say about what he has said about you young lady?” As her father spoke, Freya tried to keep a cool head about her.

She took a deep breath and looked right at her father. “You want me to tell you what I have to say? Well for starters, I could care less what that cockroach has to say about me whatsoever. I hope he falls off one of those mountains in West Virginia. As for me getting married by the man you picked for me. You didn’t see what Mr. Myers did to me at all. You were fooled by the charmer and didn’t watch the snake as it poisoned you against your own daughter! I understand why you wanted me to marry in the first place. Grandfather Brandon told me. But you don’t need to worry about me, father. It’s I who worries about you and your health. Now to who I am going to marry now. Well…” Freya pulled out the wedding photo of herself and Johnothan with the news clipping and handed it to her father.

Mr.James read and reread the clipping many times as he could in a short time. “Is this real? You got this made up as a joke right? Those Weslters or Weatherbee's, their joke shop opening was around this time. How you did you go off and get married to a stranger? You are only seventeen years old Freya Elizabeth. Now first thing in the morning, we are going to go to the courthouse and get this dissolved and then I will decide what you will do next. And I’m thinking nunnery or better yet, your grandparents in New Orleans. Your grandmother will watch you like a hawk. Mr. Rosemen, I suggest you get back to your side of the war and never come back If you know what is good for you.” William said, pouring himself a large scotch and grabbing a cigar in hopes it will clear his head.

“You can’t make me marry someone for one minute then tell me that I can’t be married the other minute. That isn’t how it works! Here I was for weeks trying to figure out what to tell you. Thinking you would be happy for me because I found a great man who loves me, fiery temper and all. Just not a full five minutes ago you were congratulating Johnothan on his marriage. What, you don’t think your only daughter is good enough for him?! The fact that you picked that thing for me why? That is how you really see me father then fine. Then I’m no longer your daughter.” Freya said, crying and ripping off the necklace he gave her a few months before, tossing it to the floor. The lady of the house ran out of the room and out of the house.

Mr. Rosemen stood there looking at his father in law confused in what to do or say. He looked at him once more then went after Freya. “Ayden please practice your upcoming bedside manner on your uncle. I have to go after my wife before she rides off somewhere.” The Union Soldier ran out the front door, looking around he saw the light going into the woods at a fast pace. The Union Soldier jumped on his horse and took a quick short cut to their spot getting there before she even saw the clearing. “This is your answer for everything Southern Fire, you run off? Because it will be hard to run off in a foot of snow especially in those girly little shoes of yours. And Wisconsin is a lot bigger than this little town sweetheart. Let’s go back and try to talk to your father again. Plus you have to get to bed early since we will be leaving at six a.m. You will need your beauty sleep before you meet my family.”

Freya got off her horse and cleaned the dirt off herself. “It’s the fact that he thought I couldn’t pick someone on my own and not believing me when I told him about Mr. Myers in the first place. Everytime I went against Mr. Myers my father was on his side not mine! We should go right now and not wait until morning Johnothan.” She sat down on a rock trying to calm her breathing. The Union Soldier looked at her and walked over to her horse Cinnamon.

“Hi girl, you remember Thunder right? You are pretty close to having your baby soon. Soon as we are settled I’ll have you and your little one shipped to where we are. Besides, Freya is going to need her best friend in her new home. You pack everything you need Miss. Cinnamon? All your apples and shoes? if you haven’t yet, I’m sure that you can use some of Freya’s. You look about the same size.” Freya rolled her eyes at him trying not to laugh. “Fine, I’ll go back and work it out with my father then I’ll meet you at the train station at dawn. I love you my very odd Soldier boy.” She stood up and kissed the man trying to keep that moment going on. Then the couple kissed one more time before going off on their own way.

The lady of the house went back to her father’s home and put away Cinnamon for the night. “Johnothan was just kidding about you borrowing my shoes just so you know my sweet girl.” The horse tried to nibble on her owner’s hair. Before going into the house, she saw her cousin leaving to head home. Freya ran to him to see if he could talk sense into her father. “There you are cousin. I was about to go find you. Your father went to his room and said he’ll talk to you in the morning. I will be here at 4 a.m. to take you to the train station. See you then. Good night.” Freya gave Ayden a hug and said good night then headed into the house.

As she climbed the stairs, she thought about the morning to come before she could enjoy a good night’s sleep Freya had one thing left to do, to settle things with her father. The lady of the house went to her room, sat at her desk, and started to write telling her story. As the early morning approached she finished the letter and sealed it, addressing it to her father. The lady of the house then quickly got dressed in new clothes and left her room one final time giving it one final look over. She closed the door softly then headed down stairs to leave the letter in her father’s study. Freya put the letter on the desk then wrapped the shawl around her tightly.

Before she opened the front door, she turned around to hear the snores of her father coming from upstairs. She closed her eyes and remembered that last day the five of them were a family. Her father, mother, the twins and herself. Hearing the laughter and moments of the past all at once were almost deafening. She opened her eyes and wiped away a tear then left, closing that part of her life to move on to the next chapter.

Within an hour’s time, Freya was at the train station to take her leave with the Union Soldier. “He is late cousin. Where is he at? If this is how the north fights then we might have a chance at winning the war.” Ayden said, looking around for Johnothan.

“Oh ye of little faith cousin in law. If a Rosemen gives you a promise we live up to it or so help us Zeus strike us with lightning. And last time I checked, the North was winning the war.” The Union Soldier said, ducking around his new family member.

“Well, I don’t know about Zeus, but if you fire me up enough you won’t live much longer because I’ll strike you down myself.” Freya said, giving him a sly smile.

“Hello to you too Southern Fire. Everything squared away with your father? Because I'd rather not be charged with kidnapping my own wife.” Freya took a deep breath and shivered some. “Yes, everything is all fine with the two of us.”

Ayden flagged down a station worker and asked if they would put the bags on the train. “Well, I have a few things to say before you go. One, I’ll be there for the first holiday I can get away. Two, I’ll watch out for your father Freya. And Third, if you see that Swan woman tell her I said hello and she is officially kicked out of Jasper Alabama. And last and for all I’ll miss you and love you.” The two cousins gave each other hugs. The men shook hands then Ayden went home to clean up the mess Freya had left behind.

“You ready for this new chapter Mrs. Rosemen? Last chance to back out. Tick, tick tock.” Freya put her hands on his shoulders and reached up to kiss him. “You think you can scare me off that easily Mr. Rosemen? Nice try, it’s not going to work. It takes a lot more than that to scare me off. Let’s go home please, maybe we can try to start our family on the way.” Johnothan lifted her head up and kissed her once again and gave her a smile. “I love the sound of that.”

The couple broke apart and walked arm in arm onto the train heading to their home to their future.

Later on in the day, Mr. James saw the letter on the desk and opened it up to read it.

Dear father,

I've spent most of my summer trying to write this letter to you to explain why I’m leaving Jasper. First I have to clarify that I’m leaving Jasper Alabama not you. Yes we fought most of the summer due to the fact you tried to marry me off to Mitchell Myers. I understand you wanted to make sure I would be taken care of as well as you took care of me as a small child like when I had whooping cough for a week. You were an amazing father to me and the boys.

I thought writing this letter would be easier on both of us. I never wanted to see the look on your face when I broke your heart with my news. But it didn’t work out that way. I know that you are going to have to deal with the fact that your rebellious daughter ran away with an Union Soldier. I found what you and mother had. I found real love, not just on the surface but real love. If you had given me the time I would have explained it and the courtship between Johnothan and I would have been a proper one but that is a what if and you don’t like those. What is now is that I’m married and going to be with him.

Once we are settled we will send for Cinnamon and her foal and Ayden is planning to come visit us at some point. Don’t worry about the money that Mr. Myers took from you for all the things he bought in town. Johnothan made to where he will pay you all it back with payments. I would like for you to come visit maybe move here to keep you safe because I don’t think the Myers men will leave you alone now that it’s just you. And as much as Uncle Kendall thinks he is a fighter even he can’t win against Mitchell Myers.

I must end this letter now because I’m going to leave soon. But before I say my good bye I just hope one day you’ll forgive me for abandoning you like I did. Maybe one day we will be on speaking terms again. I will always love you and I hope you will always love me.

Bye for now. I’ll try to write to you once I’m there.

Love from your daughter,

Freya

Mr. James folded the letter back to where he found it and went to his cart full of spirits. He poured a large glass of whiskey and closed the bottle before he put the glass in the air with a toast. "Here is for Mitchell Myers, may he rot in hell. And for my loving ever so carrying daughter Freya, may she have a long happy loving marriage. And to Johnothan Rosemen, my new son in law, I wish him the best of luck with Freya because he is going to need it."

He drank it in one gulp, poured himself another drink and sat in his chair, closing his eyes and smiling. Remembering all the memories in his mind. When he opened his eyes, he looked at the photo of Freya. “Until we see each other again. My ever so quick witted loving daughter. My Freya.”

The man of the house smiled at it one more time and went back to dreamland with great hope for a better tomorrow.

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