Always Forward (#9 in the Bregdan Chronicles Historical Fiction Romance Series) Read online

  Always

  Forward

  January – October 1867

  Book # 9 in The Bregdan Chronicles

  Sequel to Shifted By The Winds

  Ginny Dye

  Always Forward

  Copyright 2016 by Ginny Dye

  Published by

  A Voice In The World Publishing

  Bellingham, WA 98229

  www.BregdanChronicles.net

  www.GinnyDye.com

  www.AVoiceInTheWorld.com

  ISBN # 978-1530760596

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

  Printed in the United States of America

  For Suess – who told me this is my best work to date  - But mostly because she is the most awesome friend in the entire world, and I am so grateful for all she means to my life!

  A Note from the Author

  My great hope is that Always Forward will both entertain, challenge you, and give you courage to face all the seasons of your life. I hope you will learn as much as I did during the months of research it took to write this book. I have about decided it is just not possible to cover an entire year in one book anymore. As I move forward in the series, it seems there is so much going on in so many arenas, and I simply don’t want to gloss over them.

  When I ended the Civil War in The Last, Long Night, I knew virtually nothing about Reconstruction. I have been shocked and mesmerized by all I have learned. When I got to October of 1867, and I already had close to 500 pages, I knew I needed to close the door on this book and start fresh in October with the next volume of The Bregdan Chronicles!

  I grew up in the South and lived for eleven years in Richmond, VA. I spent countless hours exploring the plantations that still line the banks of the James River and became fascinated by the history.

  But you know, it’s not the events that fascinate me so much – it’s the people. That’s all history is, you know. History is the story of people’s lives. History reflects the consequences of their choices and actions – both good and bad. History is what has given you the world you live in today – both good and bad.

  This truth is why I named this series The Bregdan Chronicles. Bregdan is a Gaelic term for weaving: Braiding. Every life that has been lived until today is a part of the woven braid of life. It takes every person’s story to create history. Your life will help determine the course of history. You may think you don’t have much of an impact. You do. Every action you take will reflect in someone else’s life. Someone else’s decisions. Someone else’s future. Both good and bad. That is the Bregdan Principle…

  Every life that has been lived until today is a

  part of the woven braid of life.

  It takes every person’s story to

  create history.

  Your life will help determine the

  course of history.

  You may think you don’t have

  much of an impact.

  You do.

  Every action you take will reflect in

  someone else’s life.

  Someone else’s decisions.

  Someone else’s future.

  Both good and bad.

  My great hope as you read this book, and all that will follow, is that you will acknowledge the power you have, every day, to change the world around you by your decisions and actions. Then I will know the research and writing were all worthwhile.

  Oh, and I hope you enjoy every moment of it and learn to love the characters as much as I do!

  I’m constantly asked how many books will be in this series. I guess that depends on how long I live! My intention is to release two books a year – continuing to weave the lives of my characters into the times they lived. I hate to end a good book as much as anyone – always feeling so sad that I have to leave the characters. You shouldn’t have to be sad for a long time!

  You are now reading the 9th book - # (Walking Into The Unknown) will be released in November/December 2016.. If you like what you read, you’ll want to make sure you’re on my mailing list at www.BregdanChronicles.net. I’ll let you know each time a new one comes out so that you can take advantage of all my fun launch events, and you can enjoy my BLOG in between books!

  Many more are coming!

  Sincerely,

  Ginny Dye

  Chapter One

  January 1, 1867

  Carrie heard the sound of crackling flames, but she refused to open her eyes. She snuggled deeper beneath the heavy quilts, knowing the fire would have done nothing to diminish the frigid cold. She lowered the covers just enough to blow breath into the room, and then cracked her eyes open to confirm her suspicions. The plume of foggy air made her pull the covers over her head again. She had seen enough of the rosy sky through the window to know dawn was kissing the Virginia countryside awake, but she had no intention of watching it happen. Carrie sighed, and then moved over closer to Robert’s warmth. Her eyes sprang open when she realized his side of the bed was empty, but she still refused to lower the covers.

  “Old age is a terrible thing.”

  Carrie heard Robert’s voice as he poked at the fire, creating a loud snapping as the flames shot higher, but she didn’t move.

  “I can hardly believe my wife is still in bed,” Robert continued sadly. “The same woman who used to greet every New Year’s Day on the banks of the James River is still in bed. I’d say this is the first sign of old age,” he teased.

  “I am not old!” Carrie protested from beneath the covers. She was, however, stunned to realize it truly was New Year’s Day. With the exception of the war years, she hadn’t missed a sunrise with Rose down by the James River since she was seven years old. Her efforts to produce the energy to join Rose for their annual tradition just wasn’t there, though.

  “Are you still feeling sick?” Robert’s voice had changed from teasing, to concerned.

  Carrie thought about the question. She laid her hand on her stomach, relieved there was no pain. Then she took a deep breath, even more relieved when there was no feeling of nausea. The last three days had been a blur of queasiness and sickness. “I think I’m feeling better,” she responded, hoping she was right.

  “Well enough to start a new tradition?” Robert asked.

  Carrie considered the question for a moment, and then pulled the covers down just enough to peer at her handsome husband outlined by the blaze from the fireplace. She couldn’t see his thick, dark hair, and she had to just imagine his bright blue eyes, but there was no mistaking the broad, muscular shoulders. “A new tradition?” In spite of still being fatigued, she was intrigued.

  Robert strode over to gaze out the window. “There are two horses that seem tired of being tied to the hitching rail.”

  “Two horses?” Carrie was enjoying the game, but she still wasn’t about to leave her cocoon of warmth.

  “Granite and Eclipse,” Robert continued. “Of course, they don’t look quite the same through a curtain of snow.”

  Carrie gasped. “Snow? It’s snowing?”

  “Well, if thick, white flakes falling from the sky is snow, then I suppose the answer is yes.” Robert edged closer to the bed.

  Carrie gripped the quilt to her more tightly. “Don’t even think about it,” she warned.

  “Think about what?” Robert asked innocently. “I do believe you were the one who was hoping for snow on New Year’s Day. Are you really just going to lie in bed?” His voice was a mixture of playfulness and concern.

  Carrie
thought about her answer. She had not felt sick in the few minutes she had been awake, and her mind certainly seemed to be clearer. She was not at all sure she would encourage any of her own patients to go riding in the snow so soon after being sick, but the urge to do just that was growing. “How much snow?” she asked.

  “Six inches, so far,” Robert said with a grin. “It is still coming down hard.”

  Carrie sighed. “It sounds wonderful.” She felt a twinge of concern when she realized even the prospect of riding through fresh snow wasn’t enough to make her spring out of bed. Maybe she was getting older. She shook her head hard, black wavy hair spilling over the pillow. “I will not act old!” she said vehemently.

  “My feelings exactly,” Robert agreed. “Obviously, you need some help this morning.”

  Carrie heard the warning in his voice, but before she could react, Robert had pulled the covers off her, laughing as he evaded her groping hands. “Robert!” she gasped as the cold air from the room washed over her. “You’ll pay for this!”

  “Not unless my old woman wife gets up.” Robert laughed harder, dodged her kick, and then thrust a bundle of clothes at her.

  Carrie grasped them to her closely when she realized they had been warmed by the fire. Since there was no chance of burying herself beneath the quilts again, she jumped up with a groan, and then dashed over to stand by the flames.

  Robert grinned. “I’ll meet you downstairs, Mrs. Borden. Annie has hot coffee and ham biscuits waiting for you. She knew you would need something before the brunch later this morning.”

  Carrie nodded, pulling on clothes as fast as she could while Robert strode from the room. The coffee sounded wonderful, but she wasn’t sure her stomach was ready for ham biscuits.

  ********

  Carrie started laughing as soon as she stepped out onto the porch. Granite, her towering, gray thoroughbred, and Eclipse, the bay plantation stallion that matched Granite in size, were both tossing their heads and pawing at the snow that surrounded them. Granite snorted as soon as he saw her. “I’m coming,” she called, starting down the steps as soon as she heard Robert open the door.

  “Young lady!”

  Carrie stopped short. The command was not coming from Robert. She turned around sheepishly. “Hi, Annie.”

  “You ain’t going out on any long ride without some food in that there stomach!” Annie glared at her. “I been watching you the last few days. You ain’t eaten enough for one of them cardinals flittin’ around in the woods. You ain’t got no business bein’ out in this cold without some breakfast.”

  Carrie knew she was right, but she also knew the warning signs her stomach was giving her. “I can’t, Annie. I already know it’s not going to stay down.”

  “But you figure you ought to go gallivantin’ around in the snow? Why you figure the Good Lord gave you sense if you ain’t got no plans to use it?”

  Carrie sighed, and met Annie’s eyes, woman-to-woman. “Because my husband and I are starting a new tradition, and I refuse to mess it up.”

  Annie’s glare softened. “I reckon that be a right good reason,” she admitted gruffly. “The two of you done been through enough hard times for a lifetime.”

  Carrie nodded. “I know I’ll go back to homeopathic school eventually. I want to make as many memories as I can before I do.” She tried to control the grimace that wanted to twist her face when another spasm gripped her stomach. She took a deep breath, praying Annie wouldn’t notice.

  Annie’s sharp eyes told Carrie she hadn’t missed a thing, but her voice was soft this time. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with takin’ care of yourself, too.”

  Carrie pushed aside the niggling thought that told her she should stay home, and waved her arm at the snow as she managed a bright smile. “And miss this?” She breathed a sigh of relief as Robert stepped from the house bundled in a warm jacket, with a hat pressed down firmly on his head to protect him from the snow.

  “You ready?” Robert asked with a grin.

  Carrie’s answer was to run down the steps, brush the accumulating snow from her saddle, untie Granite, and quickly mount. “What are you waiting for?” she called. “Getting old?”

  Robert laughed, released Eclipse, and vaulted into the saddle. “We’ll be back in time for brunch, Annie!” His words were still floating on the breeze as he urged Eclipse into a gentle canter.

  Carrie gave a whoop of delight as Granite surged forward to catch up. Both horses were eager to gallop, but deep snow could strain tendons. Cantering side-by-side down the road, snowflakes swirling in flurries around them, she caught a deep breath of joy. She had dreamed about having these times with Robert while she had been trapped in Philadelphia for school. She wasn’t going to let a little stomach flu keep her from having them. In truth, the cold, crisp air seemed to have settled everything. She felt fine.

  They were content to ride in silence. Carrie admired the barren fields, glistening beneath the blanket of snow. They stretched for miles before blending into the deep woods that bordered them. She looked up when honking Canada geese caught her attention, barely able to see their outline through the cascading flakes. Only the black on their necks and heads stood out against the gun-metal gray sky. Vivid splashes of red revealed the cardinals were not letting a little snow stop them. Granite moved smoothly beneath her as he and Eclipse cantered along head to head.

  Robert finally pulled the stallion down to a walk, but he said nothing to break the silence. Carrie was happy for the cocoon of quiet that wrapped around them. In spite of how much she loved having a houseful of people, she had also been yearning for peace and solitude. She knew Robert wasn’t just starting a new tradition – he was giving his wife what her heart craved.

  “Thank you,” she finally said. Robert nodded. She knew that he knew what she was referring to. In just the two months she had been home – taking a sabbatical from school – they had grown closer than she thought possible. Their love had been strong almost from the day they met, but so much had conspired to keep them apart during the war, and during his long recovery after the conflict ended. These two months together had been the longest stretch of time they had been together without trauma and worry.

  “Any regrets?” Robert asked after another long silence.

  “Not a single one,” Carrie assured him.

  “You’re certain?” he pressed.

  Carrie looked into his eyes, touched by the vulnerability she saw lurking there. She knew Robert still questioned her decision to not go back to school. “I didn’t stay home for you, you know.”

  “No?”

  “No,” she said firmly. “As much as I loved being in medical school, my heart ached every day to be here on the plantation with you.” She tipped her head back to let the snow cascade onto her face. “I dreamed of moments like this, and was afraid we would never have them.” She straightened, and gazed into his eyes. “I love you with all my heart, Robert Borden. The future may be a little murky, but I wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else in the world right now.”

  Robert smiled, reached out to take her hand, and then pulled Eclipse to a stop. Carrie eased Granite closer, and then bent forward to meet his lips, her heart melting with love. When she finally pulled back, she tried to hide the gasp that came with the spasm of pain rippling inside her. She took a deep breath as she fought back the nausea.

  “Carrie?” Robert’s voice was deep with concern.

  Carrie tried to reassure him with her eyes, but she was afraid to speak.

  “We’re going back,” Robert said firmly.

  Carrie made no protest as they walked home. She was grateful for the slow pace. By the time they returned to the house, the fresh air had done its magic again.

  “Better?” Robert asked.

  “Better,” Carrie responded, but she knew it could hit her again at any moment. She had never had a stomach flu quite like this. She would check her books when she got upstairs to determine what homeopathic remedy would make her feel better. She had
tried several over the last few days, but she was still struggling. What was wrong with her?

  The house was bustling with activity when they entered. Warm air swirled around them, as blazing fires in every room chased back the chill. Carrie welcomed the heat, but quickly realized it was making her feel ill again. She took several deep breaths before she turned to climb the stairs. She caught Robert’s questioning look. “I’m fine,” she said firmly. “I just want to change for the brunch.” She didn’t mention that if she was going to be sick she wanted to be upstairs in the privacy of their room. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.” Carrie could feel her husband’s eyes on her as she climbed the stairs slowly. She couldn’t blame him; he had never seen her sick a single day.

  *******

  Everyone was in the parlor when Carrie, dressed in an emerald green dress that reflected her eyes, came down to join them. Abby appeared at her side. “Are you sure you feel like being down here?”

  “I’m fine,” Carrie said quickly, looking toward Robert who was deep in conversation with her father.

  Abby interpreted her look. “Your husband said nothing, dear daughter. Do you think I can’t tell for myself when someone is feeling badly?” she asked blandly.

  Carrie flushed. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want to spoil the New Year’s Day brunch.”

  Abby gazed at her, opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Something lurking in her eyes prompted Carrie to question her further, but Annie’s call from the dining room stopped her.

  “Time to eat!” Amber yelled.

  “Girl, don’t you know better than to yell inside this house?” Polly said sternly.

  Amber grinned up at her mother. “I don’t know why adults have to pretend they aren’t excited to go in and eat all that food we’ve been smelling all morning,” she announced. Her black eyes snapped with excitement beneath the ebony braids Polly had coiled around her head for the holiday.