Southern Beauty - By Julie Lucia Page 0,50

than he realized.

Jacob then entered the room startling everyone. David didn’t hesitate and tackled Malcolm to the floor pushing Johanna away from him. The revolver tumbled out of Malcolm’s hands. David’s adrenaline skyrocketed as he grabbed Malcolm and kept punching him thinking about how he could have hurt Johanna. He didn’t stop until he heard Johanna pleading for him to stop from behind.

Jacob ushered Johanna out the door when she began to cry for David to stop hurting Malcolm, taking the revolver that Malcolm had with him.

“Are you okay?” Jacob asked her as they descended the stairs and headed toward the drawing room.

“I am fine thank you, Mr. Evans,” said Johanna still a little shook up by the unpleasant incident.

David grabbed Malcolm and headed for the first floor where Johanna was catching her breath. He looked at her with concern and then stared down Malcolm who was sitting on the floor with a gun now pointed toward him battered from the confrontation.

“Johanna, it seems your fiancée hasn’t been quite honest with you,” David said, “Malcolm why don’t you tell her. Let her know what filth you really are,” David accused Malcolm.

Malcolm wiping the blood from his lip, looked at Johanna and then to David, “I don’t’ know what your talking about.”

“Let’s see, you are actually a Union spy, not a loyal Southerner. You have been not only deceiving Johanna but also her uncle.” David continued. “You knew all along about the papers she had in her possession which you failed several times to get from her.”

“I will tell her no such thing,” Malcolm still refused to admit his wrong doing.

“Yes, it is true. I am sorry to say he has deceived you Johanna. The pirate at the St. Charles Hotel, that was all him. He set it all up, paid handsomely for your capture. It backfired on him though; Rene saved you before he got the map. And at the steamship, he was supposed to come in like some hero and save you, but I got to you first. You were never really in danger,” David explained to her.

Malcolm staring David down gritted his teeth, “I am not the only one who has betrayed you. McPherson here will do anything to get his hands on the map, including kissing Clarice on the balcony and making her believe he loved her while the whole time he has been betrothed to a girl from his hometown. Kathleen is it?” Malcolm asked. “Aren’t you getting married in a week?”

David stared him down, but did not deny it.

“Did he make you believe he loved you too, Johanna?” Malcolm smiled knowing the damage he was doing. “He is a master of deception.”

Johanna swallowed hard. Jacob held her arm and squeezed it for support. She couldn't hide the disappointment in her face or the tears that welled up in her eyes. She didn't know which was worse of the betrayals.

“That is enough,” Jacob said interrupting their confessions.

David watched tears slowly creep down Johanna’s soft cheeks. It broke his heart to see her in pain in which he caused. He started toward her, “you have to let me explain.”

Malcolm used this moment to his advantage and he grabbed the revolver from David’s hand. He pointed it toward them still sweating and shaking.

“It appears I am now in control of this situation. Miss Johanna, give me Lee’s papers and I will not kill your precious David.”

“Don’t listen to him. He is not giving it to your uncle. He is going to sell it to the highest bidder,” David tried to persuade her.

“I don’t care anymore,” she pulled out the cigar box hidden in a pocket she made in her dress and handed it to Malcolm.

David and Jacob looked at each other realizing they were conned by her. It was in her possession the whole time. The sad part about it, David did have the cigar box, but thought they were just cigars and gave it back to her at the Beauregard House, trying to gain her trust.

“What is this?” Malcolm asked.

“The plans are hidden inside. Please just go,” whispered Johanna sad that it had come to this.

Malcolm looked at her and then looked at David. “The map, I believe it is in your possession.”

David stared him down not moving.

Malcolm pointed the gun at Johanna. “I said I want the map,” he asked David once again.

“Don’t hurt her,” David pulled out the map. “It’s here, just don’t hurt her.” He slowly gave Malcolm the map.

Malcolm watched how David looked