The door closed as the doctor left. Sam was dead. Shock and grief overwhelmed her, pushing her further down into the bed. The ever-present tendrils of darkness threatened to wrap her in their clutches once again. Dani shook her head, trying to push away the thoughts.

What had the doctor said? Distraught? Overwhelming shock? Possibly exacerbated by pregnancy? Pregnant?

Dani attempted to swing her legs over the side of the bed only to be thwarted by the entanglement of bedding. Frustrated, she fought the blankets, finally freeing herself from them.

She wrapped herself in her robe and padded down the hall to the parlor, following the male voices that echoed dully through the stillness in the house.

"Yes, sir. Derek is quite deceased as is the black man." The doctor's confirmation of Sam's death sent her buckling to the floor. She slid down the smooth wood surface, her knuckle clenched firmly between her teeth.

"It's been my experience the minute there's any type of revolt, all the slaves need to be cleared out and a new batch brought in to take their place."

Dani narrowed her eyes. Revolt? What revolt?

"Given the fact that your son died trying to save his brother's wife and the other slaves' familiarity with her from the cattle drive, who knows what will happen next."

Dani's eyes widened. What are they talking about? Sam saved me.

Her father-in-law started, "I don't know. They all belong to my son, Caleb. He's fighting the war."

"The other issue is that your son's wife is expecting. She has had quite the start and seems to be in shock. Her tender sensibilities have left her quite bedridden."

Bedridden. I'll show you bedridden.

"Mr. Kirkland, I'd recommend the immediate dispersal of the remaining slaves, up to and including their deaths."

Over my dead body. Dani shot to her feet and rushed down the hall, fumbling through the desk drawers for the freedom papers. She shuffled through them, making sure each slave's name was there before she ran back to the parlor, bursting into the room.

"You'll not lay a finger on those men."

Heber rose in alarm. "Dani, you're not in your right mind. You must go back to bed."

She shook her head vehemently. "I'll not stand by and watch you murder another innocent man."

He reeled in shock. "I saved you from him."

"No. He saved me from Derek." She ran a finger down her cheek. "Derek did this, not Sam."

Heber shook his head while the other two men in the room remained silent.

"Those men are not slaves. Caleb freed them before he left. He freed them thinking he'd never return from the fool's errand Derek sent him on, tricked him into."

"What are you talking about?"

"Caleb never signed up to fight. His signature didn't match the one on the paper. It was Derek's last ditch effort to trick Caleb out of his inheritance. Derek accused me of thwarting his bid for his inheritance. He said the only way he could still win was if Caleb's wife didn't produce Caleb's child."

Heber reeled as if he had been struck. "Derek wouldn't dare."

"Sam walked in just in time to stop it. You killed him." She dropped the papers on the table as she slumped into a chair.

"Dani, dearie! What are you doing out of bed? Here, let me help you."

Rosa's plump arms settled about her shoulders, guiding her from the room. "Don't let him sell the men."

"He wouldn't sell free men. My man and I'll see to that."

Shadows danced with the curtains as Dani awoke. The smell of pipe smoke wafted through the room. She glanced around the semi-darkness.

"Dani, tell me what happened." Heber's quiet voice echoed around them.

Dani bit back a shudder before relating the events.

Heber leaned forward, holding his head in his hands. "What have I done? I'm sorry. I killed an innocent man."

Dani turned and sobbed into her pillow.