Chapter Two
Tamsyn tucked the letter into the pocket of her apron along with the coins, and carried Elizabeth inside.
“Is Father going to nap outside on the steps?” Elizabeth yawned.
“Oh, Elizabeth.” Tamsyn sobbed and hugged her.
“Is he dead, Mama?”
“Yes.”
“Are we going to leave now? To go and visit Gram?”
“Yes.” Tamsyn’s gaze fell on the weak flames of the fire and her hand slid inside her apron pocket.
Just burn it.
She balled the letter in her fist.
Ben’s dead. He’ll never know.
Tamsyn grabbed her black wool hooded cape from the peg and shrugged the thought away. She’d made a promise to her husband.
“Here, Elizabeth, eat this.” Tamsyn handed her a slice of the bread they’d baked earlier in the day. She hurried around the cabin while her daughter ate. A leather satchel would hold the letter and a few more slices of the bread.
She pushed the bag of coins under the quilts on their bed. She would dig up the deed and her jewelry in the morning and they would be on their way to the train station in Lynchburg before noon.
“Are you finished?” She turned with Elizabeth’s overcoat in hand. Elizabeth nodded, her mouth still full.
“Put this on.”
“Where are we going?”
“Just a short walk. An errand before we leave in the morning.” Tamsyn tucked loose hair behind her ear and reached for Elizabeth’s hand.
****
Tamsyn adjusted Elizabeth to the other shoulder. Her back ached; she wasn’t sure how much further she could walk. Elizabeth tired and fell asleep within minutes of being picked up.
She struggled through trees. Ben seemed sure no one would stop her on the road, but Tamsyn wasn’t so confident. Twilight plunged them into a chilled, black night, and she was forced back onto the main road.
She twisted her neck to peer into the dark road behind her. A sharp breeze tugged her hood away from her head. Tamsyn cursed under her breath and yanked it back over her light-colored hair.
By way of the main road, the Moody farm lay ten miles from Appomattox. Alone, Tamsyn could have made the journey in just a few hours.
If only Ben hadn’t taken the horse.
She hoped they’d make it before midnight. Elizabeth mumbled in her sleep against Tamsyn’s neck.
The body of her husband lay on the front steps of their cabin. Burying him would have taken time and he’d insisted she leave soon.
I should have burned the damn letter.
Tamsyn ground her teeth and quickened her steps. Thoughts of turning around crept into the corners of her mind. They hadn’t walked far. She could burn the letter and put Elizabeth to bed. Digging a grave for her husband didn’t appeal to her, but she could do it.
A boom of masculine laughter jerked her to a stop in the middle of the road. Fear slid down her spine and her breaths quickened.
Someone is coming.
Her arms tightened around Elizabeth. She hurried off the road toward the safety of the trees. Twigs cracked under her and she bit back a sob. Someone would hear her. Not knowing who travelled the road this late at night and her task at hand made her wary of interception. She held Elizabeth close and sent up a silent prayer.
Please don’t talk in your sleep.
A dim lantern bounced into view. More male laughter filled the night air. She held her breath and pressed against a tall pine tree. In the lantern light, their uniforms appeared black.
Damn Yankees.
Exhausted, Tamsyn sank to her knees. The laughter of the soldiers echoed around her. She laid Elizabeth onto the ground and pulled her cape off. A chill swept over her. She wrapped the cape around her daughter.
She edged toward the road. If the soldiers moved on they could continue along the road.
What if there’re more?
Biting her bottom lip, her gaze lingered on the empty road. Common sense told her to go home. Burn the letter.
Forget it ever happened.
In the dark, she could almost convince herself it was all a nightmare. Ben wasn’t dead and she would wake up soon, wrapped in a quilt in her bed.
Rough hands seized her elbows.
“What have we got here? A fancy girl out for a stroll?” A voice growled next to her.
Her captor spun her to face him. Tamsyn kicked. The sharp-toed boot landed against his shin. She balled up her fist, jerked her arm free and swung. “Son of a bitch!”
“Grab her arms, you damn fool!” Another man’s voice came out of the darkness around them.
She swung again.
Another pair of hands encircled her waist from behind and instinct caused her to slam her head backwards. The rancid odor of an unwashed body wrapped around her.
He squeezed. When he managed to pin her arms against her side, she opened her mouth.
A sharp backhand to the face cut short her screams.
Stars exploded around her. Pain radiated into her jaw. Her arms tingled and she renewed her struggle to escape. She kicked again, hoping to land her boot against the knee of the man who held her.
When her kick missed, she slammed the heel of her shoe down on his foot. Her captor shoved her forward and pushed her face first onto the ground. The bag ripped away from her shoulder.
“Here, see what’s in the bread bag.” The man who held her ordered and tossed the bag to his accomplice.
“Bread,” the other man mumbled. He stuffed a piece in his mouth. “And a letter…”
She heard the crinkle of the paper and froze under the weight of her captor.
“Looks like we have caught ourselves a rebel spy.”
****
General James Steele shifted in the saddle. It shouldn’t take his soldiers this long to sweep the area. The entire regiment should have been back at their campsite hours ago. If they hadn’t happened upon the Confederate headed fast for the river, they would all be in their tents by now.
A short scream pierced the silent night and he tensed. His mare flared her nostrils, but remained calm. He slid out of the saddle and tossed the reins to the nearest soldier.
“A panther, sir?” The soldier adjusted his rifle, his gaze on the trees. “I’ve heard they can scream like a woman.”
He glanced again at his mare.
“No.” He nodded toward a slender soldier on his right. “Knowles, you’re with me. The rest of you hold formation on the road.” He hurried in the direction of the scream. “I suspect the men are up to no good,” he whispered. Near the commotion he signaled for Knowles to slip around behind them.
“What the hell is going on here?” He broke through the sharp winter undergrowth. Light from the moon filtered through the trees and he assessed the scene with one glance. His soldiers had a woman pinned to the ground.
“Sir, we’ve found a rebel.” Waxman sneered at the light haired woman beneath him.
General Steele arched a brow. Blood stained the front of Waxman’s shirt.
“It’s a spy, sir.” Waxman’s accomplice added. Tompkins didn’t look any better. His left eye swollen closed.
“Looks more like a hell-cat.” General Steele chuckled and ran his hands through his hair.
“We found this on her.” Tompkins held out the letter.
The sudden sobs of a child floated out of the trees and Knowles appeared. A redheaded girl squirmed in his arms.
“What the hell?”
“I heard her crying, sir,” Knowles reported.
The young woman on the ground renewed her struggles with the appearance of the little girl. Her feet pounded against the man atop her.
“Be still, bitch,” Waxman hissed. He shifted and pressed his knee deeper into her back.
“Let her up, Waxman.”
“But, sir,” Waxman protested.
“Let her up, now!” He glared at the angry soldier. It wasn’t the first time Waxman was slow to obey an order. He nodded for Knowles to let the little girl go. The child dashed to where her mother pushed up from the ground.
“Mama,” she sobbed against her mother’s skirt.
General Steele motioned for Tompkins to hand him the letter. The seal was broken. He unfolded it and read.
“Bring them back to camp.” General Steele ordered. He tucked the letter into his jacket pocket.
“Start walking!” Waxman shoved the woman. She stumbled with the child. Knowles moved forward, catching her before she fell.
“Waxman,” General Steele barked.
“Would you like me to carry her?” Knowles offered to carry the child.
With Knowles guarding over the woman, Waxman would keep his distance.
Back on the road his soldiers waited.
“Continue on. And someone bring me my damn horse,” he called to the front of the line. He turned back to the group emerging from the trees. The girl, wrapped around her mother’s neck, watched him with wide blue eyes.
General Steele smiled at her.
“Little Bit, would you like to ride a horse?” Lines of exhaustion pinched her mother’s face. The little girl perked up at the mention of the horse.
“No. She stays with me. I’ll carry her.” The woman shifted the girl higher on her hip.
“Suit yourself. It’s a long walk.” He moved to where a soldier stood with his horse.
Chapter Three
Tamsyn stumbled again.
A hand gripped her elbow. “Would you like for me to carry her?”
“No, thank you.” Her gaze slide over the beardless soldier called Knowles.
Maybe he’s sickly? But how would he have gotten into the army if he wasn’t healthy?
She shook her head and looked away. Her gaze caught the dark glare of another soldier. He’d pinned her to the ground.
“He shouldn’t have been so rough, miss.”
Nodding, her thoughts turned to the letter Ben gave her.
What the hell was written in the letter?
The soldiers called her a spy after they’d found the letter. The consequences for a spy were severe. She bit the inside of her cheek and blinked back tears.
Oh, God, what about Elizabeth?
The general approached on foot, but she kept her eyes forward.
Damn Yankee.
She stiffened when he fell into step next to her.
“Let me take her. It’s not much further and you’re exhausted.” He pulled Elizabeth away before she could protest and rested her against his shoulder. The glow of campfires came into view.
“Take the captive to the white tent.” He nodded to Knowles.
“Come along, miss.” Knowles grasped her by the elbow and directed her away from the men.
“Wait. No!” She gasped for breath and tried to pull away.
“Come along, miss.” Knowles’ grip tightened.
The Yankee general walked away with her daughter.
Knowles led her to a large tent. He pushed the flap aside and waited for her to enter. Inside a large table covered with papers dominated the space.
“Where is he taking Elizabeth? She needs to be here, with me.”
Knowles nodded and dropped the flap.
“Wait!” Tamsyn pushed open the flap.
“Ma’am, you must wait inside. General Steele will be with you shortly.” A gruff gray-haired soldier stood in her path. She backed into the tent and wrapped her arms around herself.
God help us.
“Water, miss, to wash.”
Knowles stepped back inside the tent. He carried a large porcelain basin of water and placed it onto a small table in the corner.
“Where is my daughter?”
“She’s safe.” Knowles hurried from the tent.
****
General Steele ran his hand through his hair. He could hear the woman pace inside the tent.
She’s nervous. Good.
He waited. The more nervous, the more willing to talk she would be. He stepped inside just as the woman reached into the cold water in the basin. His gaze swept over her.
“Knowles, bring a chair.” He forced a tired smile. “General James T. Steele, and who might you be?”
The soft candlelight shadowed her face. Something about the tilt of her jaw…
“Have we met before, miss?”
“I do not consort with Yankee vermin.”
He watched her in silence. Knowles appeared with the chair and he motioned for her to take it. He walked around the desk and sat in his own. Her honey blonde hair had begun to droop out of the tight bun. Something about the way she called him a
Yankee
tugged at his memory.
“Where’s my daughter?” She remained by the basin.
“Little Bit is sleeping. Sit.”
She moved to comply. Her dark blue dress, faded and worn, something he’d become accustomed to on the farm wives in the area. It hung limp around her shoulders.
Her daughter is healthy. Well fed.
“Who are you?”
He admired the rebel woman across from him. Green eyes glittered back at him. He sighed. He and his men marched hard all day to get close to Appomattox Courthouse. Tomorrow promised to be even longer. He wanted to sleep for a few hours.
“Do you know what the penalty is for treason? You have a beautiful daughter. I would hate for her grow up without a mother.”
Her eyes widened and she stiffened. He heard her sharp breath.
“Work with me.” He leaned forward. “So that I am not forced to watch you hang.”
She shivered.
“Who are you?”
“Tamsyn.” She choked back a sob. “Tamsyn Moody.”
It can’t be.
He shuffled through the letters on his desk until he found the right one.
I’ll be damned.
General Steele held the letter in his hand. His gaze flickered between it and the woman before him several times.
“Knowles.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Take Mrs. Moody to her daughter.”
“But, sir…”
“Take her, Knowles.” His jaw tightened. Private Knowles was the only soldier who ever escaped severe repercussions for second guessing his commander. “Set a guard outside the tent.”
“Yes, sir.”
****
Tamsyn followed Knowles through the dark camp. Most of the men were already settled in for the night, but a few guards remained scattered about.
“In here, miss.”
Knowles held back a flap on a tent set apart from the rest. Once she stepped inside, she understood. The general had given them his own tent for the night. Elizabeth slept on a cot in the corner. A thick quilt pulled around her. She walked to where her daughter lay and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.