Southern Beauty - By Julie Lucia Page 0,6

halted Preston with his arm. “We’ll just have to take this Southern beauty with us instead.” Frustrated for blurting out such a thing he shoved her on the bed.

“Over my dead body!” Johanna exclaimed as she tightened her fists, to pull herself up off the bed.

“That’s okay with me,” David teased her with a half smile forming on his tanned face, pushing her back down. Slowly she pulled her long golden curls out of her face so she could see once more the vile men who stood above her. She tightly gripped the ends of her vivid yellow dress that matched her hair preventing it from lifting up.

David pulled out his revolver and pointed it at Johanna. Everyone in the room stood in shock by David’s harsh actions.

“Okay, Miss Johanna Lee, pack your things, you’re coming with us,” said David.

“What? This is mad! What will we gain by taking her?” Jacob questioned David’s sanity.

“If she wants to live she will show us how to get to this inn,” David looked at his men. “As soon as we get what we came for, we will release her, but for now she is detrimental to our mission.”

“Are you sure you know what you are doing?” asked Jacob in a whisper.

Preston laughed at David’s irrational behavior in making his brazen decision, “now he is thinking like a soldier.”

David eyed both men without answering Jacob. He was unsure if he had made the right decision but refused to acknowledge it. He had just set their course in motion and wasn’t about to turn back now.

David stared down Johanna who now looked frightened. “Miss, you are now a prisoner of the U.S. Army.”

Chapter 4

rivate Malcolm Graystone was eating breakfast in the common room of the inn he stayed the night before. Waking up he couldn’t remember when he last said goodbye to the beautiful woman from the night before. He looked around his room and was pleased he didn’t see any signs of her presence. Thankful he was smart enough to end the tête-à-tête with the captivating woman before it even began. He had no idea of her name and was glad he would not have to explain his intentions after their steamy kiss. Although it would not help him in winning Johanna over, her kiss seemed to be entrenched in his mind. He still was glad, he didn’t need any more complications than he had already encountered.

Malcolm walked out to his horse, petting him as he watched the morning sun rise. He was ready to take Johanna to Arlington, and if everything went according to plan, he would court her, and maybe eventually take her hand in marriage. This would make his life much easier, getting closer to his ultimate goal, personally and financially. He needed a break and making her happy and his commander ever so proud, would change things for him. Taking the reigns on the horse, he lifted himself up, and began to ride.

# # #

While Johanna grabbed her trunk and repacked the things that Preston had taken out Jacob took David aside.

“What about the map?” Jacob whispered.

“I know she has it. Before this trip is over, we will have everything we have come for,” David answered.

“What do you think is in these papers that are so important?” asked Jacob.

“I believe they are military strategies and maps planned out by Lee himself,” said David.

“I thought that was just a story, the plans I mean,” said Jacob.

“No, he made them. It’s just whoever gets to them first. If the Confederates get their hands on it, we will lose more than Fort Sumter,” said David.

Johanna silently went along with them, knowing there was no one around even if she did scream. She wasn’t worried about her uncle’s map that she strategically placed in her mother’s locket she wore hidden around her neck, but if they found it, they would capture him for his betrayal to the Union. She had to keep it hidden, but when the soldier pulled out his weapon on her she was frightened, and she decided to lead them to Otter’s Cottage even if it meant her uncle would be in danger.

She needed time to think. Maybe she would delay their trip and give her uncle time to flee and then wait for the opportunity to escape, or if she was sly enough, she could learn what they were planning and notify the Confederate Army as soon as they released her. Either way her life was now in danger and