With a jolt, Jana awakened gasping for air that was nearly depleted in her confinement. She tasted her panic in the sweat, running down the cleft over her upper lip and dropping onto her tongue. How long had she been asleep? She admonished herself for making this potentially fatal mistake. Praying that she had enough oxygen and hours before dawn, she remembered to listen for the caretaker’s presence before she set to work.
Only the night bugs were singing.
She began kicking at the lid of her coffin, but her cramped quarters prevented her from getting into a position of force. She pounded and pushed on the lid until her hands throbbed and her chest grew heavy as it deflated. “Think! Think!” she commanded her brain. If only she had a crowbar for leverage; she scoffed at herself for wasting valuable time dwelling on tools she didn’t have. Then it hit her to use her body as one. Quickly, she rolled onto her stomach, rising on her hands and knees as best as she could. Arching her back against the lid, she strained to push.
The nails squealed as they began to loosen their grip.
Jana’s exuberance was cut short when the dead house door creaked open. She stilled. With her pulse beating against her eardrums, she barely heard the dull thud beside her. How crazed with the Confederacy’s cause is someone to make sure I’m dead? Jana pinched her lips together to keep herself from screaming out, “I’ll hang for sure this time.”
Screech! Her coffin was being pried open.
Jana plugged her ears against the grating sound and squeezed her eyelids shut in case there were flying splinters.
The lid lifted, and the night’s crisp, pure air blew her dampened hair away from her face.
A familiar voice said, “Well, I’ll be. Miz Lizzie was right. You ain’t dead.”
Opening her eyes, Jana sprang up. She threw her arms around Uncle Henry’s neck and began crying tears of joy and relief.
Uncle Henry stroked her hair. “There, there, Miz Jana, you cry all you want. It’s good to get it out.”
Between sobs, Jana said, “I can’t believe I’m free.”
“I can’t either. But Miz Lizzie said she’d heard of some bizarre escapes over the years, and she was sure you’d have one up your sleeve.” Pulling away, Uncle Henry said, “Now, Miz Lizzie warned for us to move fast. Help me get this dummy in there.” He lifted its head and waited for Jana to climb out of her temporary confinement and lift its feet.
Jana stood up, her legs wobbly. She shook them until they felt stronger.
As they tossed the dummy into the box, Uncle Henry said, “Miz Lizzie doesn’t want anyone suspecting you ain’t dead because of a light coffin.”
“Miss Lizzie sure covers all of her tracks,” Jana said with a sniffle and a giggle.
With Jana’s replacement tucked away and the nails to the lid tapped back into place, Uncle Henry gave Jana some men’s clothes to slip on over her own.
She’d sworn off ever again wearing men’s clothes; to refuse them now would mean death if she were discovered. As she hurried to tuck her hair under a hat, stuff her dress’s skirt into the baggy trousers, and button the wool coat up to her chin, Uncle Henry crept to the door, opened it, and peeked out. “Follow me and mind your steps.”
Not a soul stopped them as they stole out of the cemetery under a dazzling moonlight and found Miss Lizzie’s horse and carriage hidden off-road.
Although Uncle Henry hurried Jana’s transfer only a few blocks away to the isolated garden behind Miss Lizzie’s mansion, it seemed an eternal distance to Jana.
Jana broke out in goose pimples all over when she spied Keeley waiting for her on the rear grand portico. Not wishing to greet him playing a man, she scowled at her clothes, then peered pleadingly at Uncle Henry, who was holding out his hand to help her out of the carriage.
Understanding her quandary, Uncle Henry said, “It’s all right, Miz Jana. Meet your man as a woman. Miz Lizzie has guards posted all around the house. Anybody who comes pokin’ around will get a good bump on the head.”
Jana hurried to strip off her disguise and leap from the carriage, holding her skirt high above her ankles as she ran up the steps.
When Keeley met her at the top, his adoring smile, with its dazzling dimples and sparkling emerald eyes, conquered her.
Jana stopped short, stunned by his transformation. Miss Lizzie had fattened him up, and he seemed fitter than when she’d first met him. She wanted to throw her arms around him, but she considered herself a lady now, and it wasn’t proper for her to make a romantic overture. Instead, she curtsied.
Keeley bowed. When he straightened, he pulled her to him in a tight squeeze. His tender lips brushed her cheek, and his breath was warm and welcoming in her ear when he whispered, “Y’are the most amazing woman. I love ye, Jana lass.”
Flushing all over and feeling giddy under his loving embrace and declaration, Jana put her lips to his ear and whispered back, “I prayed to live nigh long enough to get to know ye as a woman. And I love ye too, Keeley lad.”
Keeley tilted his head back, roaring with laughter at her mimicry of him.
Standing in the shadow of one of the great pillars, Miss Lizzie stepped forward. Her hands were clasped with delight. “I hate to rush your happy reunion, but we must take advantage of the night to get you two out of here.”
Jana hugged Miss Lizzie, smelling the familiar soapy fragrance that had comforted her in her hour of need. “You’re my angel of mercy. I’ll never be able to repay you for helping me with Keeley’s escape, giving me courage just when I needed it the most, and rescuing me from my coffin.”
“All I wish is for you two to land safely in General Butler’s hands,” Miss Lizzie said, stroking Jana’s hair.
“I didn’t survive a hanging for nothing. The time I spent in the coffin was only a dress rehearsal for a role I don’t wish to take on until I’m one hundred years old. I’m through with acting!” Jana exclaimed.
“Are you sure? Your performance was far greater than any John Wilkes Booth ever delivered,” Miss Lizzie said.
Jana eyes threw wide. “Oh no! I just thought of Mary—she doesn’t know I’m alive.”
“Not to worry, dear. I’ll get word to her as soon as I know you’re back in Union hands. Speaking of Mary, I’m hearing that she might be freed soon,” Miss Lizzie said.
“I’ll pray for that,” Jana said.
Miss Lizzie planted the farewell letter that Jana had written to Ma and Pa in Jana’s palm. “It’s so thoroughly and splendidly written, I think it would make a perfect substitute for having to explain everything to them when you arrive home.”
Gazing down at the envelope, Jana caressed its wax seal and said, “That’s a wonderful idea.” She lifted her head, and her eyes met Miss Lizzie’s smile. Tears welled up. “I’m having trouble saying goodbye to you, Miss Lizzie.”
“Then just say you’ll come visit me when the war is over.”
“What about this dress?”
“You look gorgeous in it. You must keep it.”
Jana was elated to share with Miss Lizzie the miracle in the dress’s stiff collar.
“Well, then, perhaps you’ll remember me whenever you wear it.”
“I need nothing to remember you by. I will never forget you, Miss Lizzie.”
Tears cascaded down Miss Lizzie’s cheeks. After Keeley thanked her with a hug, she nudged them both toward the steps and, with sniffles, said, “I’ll miss you both.” She pointed to the wagon, standing in place of her carriage and driven by a stranger. “Now, you must go.”
Jana glanced back to take in Miss Lizzie’s angelic face one last time. She blew her a kiss and turned away, hoping she’d become even half the woman Miss Lizzie was. That would be glorious enough for her.
Keeley offered her his arm.
As Jana circled hers around his, she caught sight of her hand. She was proud of how hard she’d worked these past months to make her hands soft and delicate. Daintily, she held her skirt up with her free hand as she walked down the steps. Yes, she contemplated aglow with pride, Ma and Pa will be proud of the woman I’ve become.