Savannah

The party had been over at this point, for a long time. Julianna had somehow been able to let Scott give her a little farewell kiss on the cheek, before he left. On this late spring evening, Julianna kept looking at the new, full moon. It was just beyond the swaying trees, behind slate blue shaded clouds. The slight, night breeze was the same as she remembered. It was just like old times, before the war, the time when she lived on the plantation affectionately remembered as Vale Haven. She would sit on the porch and fan herself, welcoming the comforting breeze of nighttime. The wind ruffled through her thin, white, cotton nightgown as she stood bare foot, on the outdoor terrace and toyed with her new rose quartz pendent as it dangled from the gold chain around her neck. She thought about him. He sure had changed, but then again, so had she.

“Why didn’t I go back down and kiss him.” She said, talking to no one in particular.

“Julianna Carrigan is a big chicken!” She shouted into the quiet darkness. “Oh Rob, why do you have to belong to them? Why do you have to belong to them, that I am supposed to hate? Things would be better if only you were Scott and Scott was you! I’m tired of being a chicken!”

She got on up to the railing, looked up into the stars and shouted. “Upon my life I’ll make a pledge! If I should fall down and die, upon my life I swear, that I shall forever love you, Rob Malone, if only you would belong to me!”

Out of the quiet darkness came her answer. “Yes, I will be yours!” From behind the gazebo, Rob stepped into the moonlight, with a smile on his face. He looked up at Julianna.

Julianna, caught by surprise, nearly lost her balance. She quickly regained her composure. Rob saw that she was about to fall and rushed over to the trellis and climbed up. He grasped her tightly in his arms. “Don’t you ever do that again. I couldn’t have taken it, if you had fallen.” said Rob, catching his breath.

“I’m sorry Rob. I was pledging my love to you. Won’t you swear your love to me?” cried Julianna.

“What should I swear upon?”

“The stars or the moon.”

“Okay, I’ll swear by the shining moon that I’ll forever love you Julianna Carrigan.”

“No, that is not good enough.”

“What?”

“I’ve changed my mind about the moon. It changes too much.”

“Women! They are forever changing their minds. Well all right, I’ll swear on something closer and more personal.”

“What could that be?”

“I’ll swear by my heart, that I’ll love you forever Julie. Shouldn’t you be getting back to your room? Won’t they be looking for you?”

“Everyone is asleep. They think I’m a sleep, too. Tell me about yourself.”

“Well meeting you has made my life worth living again, with the war and all. Julianna I don’t want to be a deserter, I have to go back.”

“You can’t, they’ll shoot you. I heard what they do to soldiers who desert.”

“Everyone was dead, Julie. Syl and I were lucky to get away with our lives. No one knows we deserted.”

“Why can’t you stay here with me? You’ll be missing in action. My cousin Gregory was missing in action. You could marry me and fight for the Confederacy.”

“I have to go back home, Julie. I have family in New York. My parents live there. They used to run a supper house. I used to be a shipmate under my grandfather Jamie Malone, who is the captain of a whaling ship in Connecticut.”

Julianna shrugs him away. “I thought you were going to love me forever Rob Malone.” She said, almost in a whisper.

“I will. The war can’t last forever Julie. I’ll come back and bring you home with me. I could never live in a small town like this. What could I do? Pick cotton like the slaves down here. Besides, I can’t fight for a government and a way of life I don’t believe in.”

“Not all the slaves pick cotton,” said Julianna. Besides we don’t have slaves anymore. Since last year all the slaves were set free. Most of them wanted to run off after hearing about Mr. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. So papa just set all our slaves free. The servants we have now are under papa’s care. He gives them room and board in exchange for services. Marilyn and her husband, Ralph, are more like family to me and I would hate to part with them. That same year Papa sold whatever assets he had hidden away from the Yankees and we moved to South Town, Mississippi. Papa owns the general store in town. I have something to tell you Rob.”

“What might that be Julie?” asked Rob, looking at her with a questioning gaze.

“I won’t be able to wait for you. I’