Quaker and the Rebel

Mary Ellis

Description

Bestselling author Mary Ellis presents The Quaker and the Rebel, Book 1 of her brand-new Civil War historical romance series, which tells the stories of brave women in times of testing and the men who love them.Emily Harrison's life has been turned upside down. At the beginning of the Civil War, she bravely attempted to continue her parents' work as conductors in the Underground Railroad until their Ohio farm was sold in foreclosure. Now alone, she accepts a position as a governess with a doctor's family in slave-holding Virginia. Perhaps she can continue her rescue efforts from there.Alexander Hunt is the doctor's handsome nephew. While he does not deny a growing attraction to his uncle's newest employee, he cannot take time to pursue Emily. Alex is not at all what he seems-rich, spoiled, and indolent. He is the elusive Gray Wraith, a Quaker leader of Rebel partisans. A man of the shadows, he carries no firearm and wholeheartedly believes in Emily's antislavery convictions.The path before Alex and Emily is complicated and sometimes life threatening. The war brings betrayal, entrapment, and danger to both of them. Amid their growing feelings for each other, can they find faith in God amid the challenges they face and trust in the possibility for a bright future together?

Sujets

• Historical romance

Informations

• Publié par: Harvest House Publishers
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780736950510
• Langue: English

Extrait

Books by Mary Ellis
T HE N EW B EGINNINGS S ERIES
Living in Harmony
http://bit.ly/LivinginHarmony
Love Comes to Paradise
http://bit.ly/LoveComestoParadise
A Little Bit of Charm
http://bit.ly/LittleBitofCharm
T HE W AYNE C OUNTY S ERIES
Abigail s New Hope
A Marriage for Meghan
T HE M ILLER F AMILY S ERIES
A Widow s Hope
Never Far from Home
The Way to a Man s Heart
S TANDALONES
Sarah s Christmas Miracle
An Amish Family Reunion
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover by Garborg Design Works, Savage, Minnesota
Cover photos Chris Garborg; Bigstock / jpegisclair
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THE QUAKER AND THE REBEL
Copyright 2014 by Mary Ellis
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ellis, Mary,
The quaker and the rebel / Mary Ellis.
pages cm-(Civil War heroines series ; Book one)
ISBN 978-0-7369-5050-3 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-5051-0 (eBook)
1. Governesses-Fiction. 2. Underground Railroad-Fiction. 3. Quakers-Fiction. 4. Virginia-Fiction. 5. United States-History-Civil War, 1861-1865-Fiction. I. Title.
PS3626.E36Q35 2014
813 .6-dc23
2013026762
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to
James A. Ramage, Regents Professor of History at Northern Kentucky University. His biographies Rebel Raider: The Life of General John Hunt Morgan and Gray Ghost: The Life of Colonel John Singleton Mosby were the inspirations for Alexander Hunt in this story.
Henry Robert Burke and Charles Hart Fogle and their book, Washington County Underground Railroad. Their book, along with other valuable Underground Railroad sources for the Ohio River Valley, were invaluable for this book. Henry R. Burke is a direct descendent of John C. Curtis, who was born in the Shenandoah Valley and escaped slavery to become a conductor on the Underground Railroad in Stafford, Ohio.
The countless authors of history I have pored over for years, including Shelby Foote, Bruce Catton, Ed Bearss, James M. McPherson, and Mary Elizabeth Massey.
Philip LeRoy, who loaned me his copy of Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel opened the eyes of this history lover to the wonders of historical fiction.
Donna Taylor and Peggy Svoboda, who read the rough draft of this novel years ago and encouraged me to keep at it.
The Western Reserve Historical Society, Cuyahoga Valley Civil War Roundtable, and the Peninsula Valley Foundation of Ohio and GAR Hall, whose appreciation for Civil War history has kept my passion alive locally.
My agent, Mary Sue Seymour; my lovely proofreader, Joycelyn Sullivan; my publicist, Jeane Wynn; my editor, Kim Moore; and the wonderful staff at Harvest House Publishers. Where would I be without your hard work?
My husband, who stomped around an inordinate number of battlefields, museums, monuments, cemeteries, and historical inns and bed-and-breakfasts for years in the name of research.
C ONTENTS
Books by Mary Ellis
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Discussion Questions
(free sample) The Lady and the Officer
About the Author
About the Publisher
O NE

S UMMER 1861
Bennington Island, in the Ohio River
M iss Harrison? a soft voice queried. Please come in and take a seat.
Emily, startled from her open-mouth perusal of the painted ceiling, stared in the direction of the voice. She thought she d been shown to an empty room to wait, but a wren-sized woman sat near the windows in a wicker chair with wheels. She hurried to the woman s side, bobbed her head, and then bent her knee in a small curtsey. Mrs. Bennington, she said. Never in her life had Emily done such a thing. She d only seen a curtsey in theater presentations, but the astounding elegance of the house seemed to warrant one.
Oh, my. What lovely manners you have, the woman said, patting a chair beside her.
Thank you, ma am, Emily said, perching on the edge. She judged Mrs. Bennington to be around thirty-five, younger than her mother had been, with an unlined forehead, green eyes, and dusky blond hair. Delicate, that s what Mama would have called her.
Your letters of reference from Mrs. Ames and Miss Turner glowed with praise for your accomplishments. My husband and I are glad you ve come to our backwater island to polish the rough edges off our girls. They both attended grammar school in Parkersburg for six months of the year, and we ve had tutors here, but now they require refinement. They still run wild through the garden like savages. Annie, especially, needs to learn deportment. Mrs. Bennington inhaled a deep breath and sighed. I am aware of your loss, Miss Harrison. And in time I hope you will come to regard us as your family.
Surprised by the statement, Emily drew back from the lavender-scented aristocrat. I m afraid the situation will be temporary, Mrs. Bennington, as I m engaged to be married. When my fianc returns from Washington, I shall go back home to Marietta.
She knew her voice sounded haughty, but she couldn t help herself. From the moment the flatboat rounded the turn and she viewed Bennington Plantation, she d been on unfamiliar ground. A carriage had been waiting at the dock to drive her to the mansion. Then an elderly black gentleman in finer clothes than any owned by her father opened the door, bowed, and ushered her into a foyer larger than her entire house. Pink and cream marble lay beneath her feet, and a crystal chandelier overhead cast harlequin patterns on the polished steps to the second floor. The butler had to wrestle her portmanteau away as she stood gaping at her surroundings. The butler spoke perfect Queen s English without a trace of the slang she d expected from a slave. He was a slave, wasn t he? She d followed him to this salon, and here she was-behaving rudely to her new employer without other options for her future.
Of course, Miss Harrison. We ll be happy to have you for as long as possible. I only meant I hope you ll relax and find comfort with us. Mrs. Bennington s smile filled her face and didn t fade when she addressed a servant carrying in tea. Thank you, Lila. This is Miss Harrison. She will be our new governess.
The reed-slim black woman bobbed her head and murmured, Pleased to meet you, miss. Lila retreated before Emily could reply, so she addressed Mrs. Bennington instead.
That is another matter, Mrs. Bennington. My family does not condone slavery. Although I respect your authority here, I won t be waited on by anyone. I shall do my own laundry and prepare my own meals. Her defiant tone clashed with the rarefied atmosphere in the room. My family is Quaker. Emily lifted her chin.
If her well-bred employer was shocked by the outburst, her face revealed nothing. Of course, as you wish. We re willing to accommodate you in any way. Her voice sounded like a trilling flute, musical and soothing. Let s discuss your curriculum. I thought perhaps literature, poetry, penmanship, and French in the morning. My favorites are Lord Byron and Tennyson. Mathematics and whatever science lessons you think necessary for young ladies after luncheon. The girls rest in the late afternoon, and their dinner is served in the kitchen at six. You may eat with them or you re welcome to join my husband and me at seven in the dining room. With that, Mrs. Bennington settled back against the chair with a dismissive air.
The curriculum sounds fine, ma am. I believe it is well within my knowledge and abilities. Feeling foolish, Emily searched her mind for something reconciliatory to say. Drawing a blank, she began a sheep-like retreat from the room.
Oh, Miss Harrison, we have something in common.
Emily halted in the doorway and turned.
I also come from Quaker stock. From Massachusetts, originally. Since my marriage, I worship in my husband s Presbyterian church when in town, but my sister in Front Royal is still Quaker. That is how she raised her son, Alexander, although she hasn t had much luck converting my brother-in-law. Alexander takes the Quaker precepts very seriously, and for that reason he hasn t joined the Confederate Army. She studied Emily as though waiting for a reaction.
Emily shuffled her feet, unsure of the expected response. Yes, ma am.
You would like Alexander, I think. He s about your age, quiet and studious. He always has his nose in a book and loves classical literature that leaves me weary. You ll meet him tonight if you choose to dine with us. He s visiting for a few days. Mrs. Bennington smiled warmly.
He sounds like a crushing bore . It would be my pleasure, ma am, she replied, hot and uncomfortable in her traveling dress. She was eager for the interview to conclude.
I m