“He had a daughter,” The voice of second man continued. “Would ye know where we might find her?”
“We’d like to pay our respects,” the first piped up again.
“She removed to Alexandria. She had family up there,” Doc replied smooth as butter. Beti couldn’t help but remember his admonition about using the devil’s tactics as she prayed they’d believe him.
“Billy didn’t have no family ’ceptin his kid.”
“He had a wife,” Doc reminded them steel in his voice.
“Them townsfolk musta been wrong then, cause they said they seen her here with ye and yer missus.”
“Alexandria.” Doc moved to close the door.
“Did she leave ye with a direction? We’d like to make a visit—”
“Afraid not. She was rather distraught. When the family came, they left without any direction at all.”
Doc closed the door. Beti flew up the stairs. Hiding just behind the curtain she watched the men who’d raided her father’s grave head back toward the woods.
Doc came to stand at her elbow.
“I need to leave,” she said.
“At least wait until they’re gone from the area.”
Beti nodded. It would take a couple of days for her to ready the wagon and animals for her trek to Kemp’s Landing. Surely she could find a wagon train heading to Kentucky from there.
Three
March 1782
Kemp’s Landing
Zeke felt Isaac’s presence in the doorway of his uncle’s workshop. Sweat tickled its way down his back as he hefted the last wheel onto the wagon.
“There is no shame in coming later. It will give the rest of us time to scout—“
Zeke spun on his good good leg. He’d gotten used to balancing on his left leg. “With all due respect Cap’n” He wiped the sweat from his brow so he could look his former commander in the eye. “I want to scout my own place.”
Isaac waited for Zeke to continue as he always did. It was the one reason Zeke allowed the man to have an opinion about his future. Isaac Taylor was the man God sent to lead their regiment. A quiet man, he always moved with deliberation, much like Zeke. This was why Zeke had allowed Isaac to appoint him his second.
“I’m not staying in an area so hard to defend from attack. I was fortunate enough to save my livelihood. Most did not when Norfolk was burned. I am done with this town. I am done with wars. I am going to find—no—to make a new home. I may go slow, but I can take care of myself.”
“It’s not the speed. Ye know that. It’s the stamina. Ye are weakened. Ye know what that means on a march.”
Zeke grinned. “We’re not going on a march.”
“Don’t be obtuse.”
“Don’t be dramatic. My sister and mother will accompany me. If they don’t smother me, I will be just fine.”
Isaac stood still. He was thinking. Zeke could wait. He’d done it plenty of times before.
Isaac pushed himself from the door and headed to Zeke’s workbench. “Let’s look at the maps.”
“The most direct route will take us to Jamestown.”
“And the remnants of Cornwallis’s Army.”
“Right, so I thought…”
Isaac outlined a path that hugged the North Carolina border toward Abingdon from there they would take the Great Wagon Road to the blockhouse then, if all went well through the Cumberland Gap.
“Agreed.”
“All we have left to do is hold a meeting. Invite more people to join the wagon train.”
“More people. More ways to fail.” Zeke challenged.
“More hands to succeed.”
“Ye’ve decided then.”
“I spoke to the others—” Isaac countered.
“And they agree.”
