Words Heard In Silence / Xena Uber

Charlie looked at Lizzie with a stunned expression on his face. "Another client? Like me?" A strange, quizzical expression passed over his face. "Is he here in town? Do you think he would ever be interested in meeting? Just to chat, you know?" The idea of another like himself fascinated Charlie.

"Yes, Charlie, here in town. Just like you."

"I cannot help but wonder what circumstances drove him to the same place I am in."

"He simply is, Charlie. Nothing forced him to live this way. It is how he is comfortable."

A confused look passed over Charlie's face. The idea that anyone would choose to live the life of the other gender, without being forced into it by circumstances, was a new one for him. "You mean he just wants to live as a man?"

"That is what I mean, Charlie. It is how he is most comfortable. He feels like he was born in the wrong body."

Charlie thought about this for a few moments. He knew Lizzie would never reveal the identity of this individual. After a bit of silent consideration, he changed the subject.

"So tell me, how has your business been?"

"Remarkably robust, considering the circumstances. I think as things wind down, more and more men are seeking a brief respite from the stresses of this war. The politics here in town are getting more vicious, as so many wish to punish the South for all of the pain of the past years, while Mr. Lincoln and his associates want to try and reconstruct the Union as quickly as possible."

"Believe me, I have the same problems in the field."

"We did have a small problem with one of the girls. She got pregnant and was trying to coerce one of our customers into paying for her upkeep and the child’s. I let her go."

"A shame, truly. You always tell your girls to take care to avoid that, and I know you told me that you buy more sheep skins than any one else in town. But a desperate woman will do many things."

"I do not think Alison Hobart is desperate. I think she is avaricious and careless. I wish her good riddance."

"Alison, Alison. Did I meet her?"

"You may have at one of our parties last spring. I honestly do not remember."

"Ah, well. I trust you are happy with your staff now?"

"Yes, quite. The girls are all discreet and they all understand they will do better in the long run if they take my advice. Most of them have nice nest eggs put away for their later lives. I do try, you know."

"Yes, my dear, I do."

"I would like to have another one of my little parties. Will you be in town for a while?"

"I must return to Culpeper tomorrow. I leave at first dawn. Unless you can arrange it for this evening, perhaps we can join you on my next visit to town?"

"Whatever your pleasure, Charlie. Now, shall we go and shop for Rebecca and try to calm your bridegroom nerves just a bit?"

"Yes, please. And if you do not mind, we will also need to stop in at the jeweler’s this afternoon to collect a couple of things."

"I am at your disposal for the entire day."

"Then, my dear, as long as the list in your hand is fulfilled without emptying my entire bank account, you are free to do whatever is necessary to fill Rebecca’s order and get me back on the road tomorrow morning."

"I am sure we will do fine. The things on this list are fairly simple and straight forward."

"Oh, well, if you say so. Then, afterwards to the jeweler’s and then to the wine merchant, after which I will gladly buy you the most elegant tea the Willard has to offer."

"Lovely payment, my dear man. And when we return to the house, remind me that I have a little gift for you." She tried to hide her smile, but failed.

"Ahhhh. Should I be concerned? I know that little smirk of yours. You have something... one might consider either very private or personal?"

"Both."

Charlie groaned. "Lizzie, sometimes you do test my sense of propriety to its limits."

She laughed loudly as she walked with him to the store. "And that, my dear Charlie, is why you enjoy my company so."

"As ever, Ma'am. As ever."

"Trust me, I do believe you and your new bride will enjoy this."

A clerk hurried over to greet the always generous Mrs. Armstrong. She was a regular customer, and one of the few in these stressful times who paid her rather large tab consistently. In a flurry of commands, with clerks bringing samples of materials, laces, threads, buttons and other objects which Charlie did not recognize, Lizzie picked out a large number of items. They accumulated on the counter and still she ordered more. Charlie wisely found a chair in a quiet corner and waited until it was time to pay the bill.

Finally, she was done. Charlie looked at the pile of stuff on the counter, dominated by several bolts of rich green velvet and many bolts of blue and ivory silk, not to mention large quantities of a delicate ivory lace. He quickly gave orders for express shipping everything on the supply train that was scheduled for the next day and asked for the accounting. When the bill was presented a few moments later, he did manage not to stutter, and paled only slightly. Manfully, he wrote out the check and laid it on the counter, including a tidy little sum for packing and ensuring the goods were delivered to the military supply train on time.

"Well, oh mistress of the art of shopping, shall we stop by the jeweler’s?"

Lizzie patted his hand as she took his arm. "Marriage is not cheap Charlie. I assume we are going to pick up rings? Should I take smelling salts with us?"

"No, I have already paid the piper for these. That was yesterday's attack of vapors. I confess, I adjourned to the Willard for a good, tall beer afterwards."

"I am sure you did. Tell me, where are you planning on going for the honeymoon?"

"Honeymoon?"

She laughed again. "Yes, the honeymoon. You know, the trip most newly married couples take after the wedding."

"Ummm. I cannot leave my command. And we have so little time until the spring campaign begins. I thought we would just spend the time together at home. Then after the war, we can take a nice long trip together. Perhaps I will take her to Europe. I can afford that, I think."

"I will tell you what, Charlie. If you can convince Phil Sheridan to give you a few days leave after the wedding, you bring Rebecca to Washington and I will cover your bill at the Willard."

"I could not accept that from you, dear Lizzie. But I do believe it would be a good idea to have at least a small amount of time for just the two of us. And it would give me the opportunity to introduce Rebecca to a few people. I believe she will want to meet you, my friend."

"Charlie, I am sure Rebecca will have far more important things to do than meet with the likes of me. But you will accept this. It will be my wedding gift to you. You deserve it. So, you bring your new bride to Washington and romance her."

"I will bring her. And I know she will want to meet you, dear. Are you sure you will not join us for the ceremony?"

"I am quite sure. For two reasons. One, your wife would not want a common whore at her wedding. And two, I can deal with you not being mine anymore, but I do not think I could watch it happen."

Charlie stopped them both on the sidewalk in front of the jeweler’s. "First. You are not a common whore. You are one of the most gracious, generous women I know and I am proud to call you my friend. As to the second, I am sorry, Lizzie, that I am not for you. You will always have my friendship, my loyalty, and my trust. If you ever have need of anything –– anything - you have but to ask."

"Thank you, Charlie. You mean the world to me as well. You know my door is always open to you and yours." She took his arm. "Now, show me these lovely rings you have chosen."

The two of them entered the shop. The jeweler, like the haberdasher, knew the generous Mrs. Armstrong well. He was startled to see her arm in arm with the very formal and proper General Redmond. A slight flush rose to the man's cheeks. "General Redmond, Mrs. Armstrong, welcome. General, I have your order ready. I do hope Mrs. Armstrong approves."

"Oh, I only wish, my good man. But I am only the gallant General’s assistant today. His lovely bride awaits him in Culpeper."

The clerk looked at the General, who was smiling benignly, and reappraised the man. Clearly, his presentation was as formal and proper as one might wish. But to have the social grace and impudence to call upon the most notorious madam in town to assist in purchasing his wedding rings and his bride's engagement ring was downright stunning. Hastily, he presented the three bands, two plain and one bearing a beautiful square cut emerald surrounded by diamonds, to the obviously discerning audience.

"Oh, Charlie," she gasped. "They are beautiful. I am sure Rebecca will be very pleased."

"I do hope so. The emerald seemed so appropriate for her. It matches her eyes."

"Oh, you are smitten. Tell me, if she asked you for the moon, would you pull it down for her?"

"If it were in my power to do so, yes." His answer was stated simply and with total conviction.

"And I am sure she would do the same for you."

"I would not ask her to." All I want from her is whatever love she chooses to give me. No more, no less.

"From what you tell me, you would not need to ask. I think she would face the fires of Hell for you."

"I think she may be already. You see, there are these women in town she calls the ‘‘biddy brigade’. They are not exactly pleased with her for choosing to marry a Yankee. Excuse me. A damned Yankee."

"She is not marrying a Yankee, she is marrying a wonderful person who adores her, and years after this conflict is over, that is all that will matter."

"Actually, ma'am, she is not marrying a Yankee at all. I am from Charleston, remember?"

"Indeed you are, sir. Indeed you are." She watched as Charlie tucked the ring boxes in his pocket. "Now may I suggest that we have that tea?"

"I need to make a brief stop at the wine shop, which is on the way, and then tea, I promise."

"Wonderful."

They strolled up E Street toward 15th and the small vintner's shop that was located on the way to the Willard. A quick stop, where Charlie ordered several casks of brandy, some small casks of rum for his men and several cases of champagne and other wines for the wedding.

They entered the Willard arm in arm and Charlie commandeered the most sought after table in the lovely garden room for the two of them to partake of a formal tea.

"You know, you are taking a terrible risk?"

"How so, my dear?"

"A lot of these men know you. To be seen with me, on basically the eve of your wedding. What if Rebecca finds out?"

"I told her I would be seeing you on this trip. She felt it was a good thing for me to inform you of our plans personally and asked me if I would invite you to the wedding."

"You are going straight to hell for telling such lies, Charles Redmond."

"Why would I lie about such a thing, Lizzie?" Charlie was genuinely confused. He had been honest with Rebecca, who knew that Lizzie was a good friend. Why would Lizzie think otherwise?

"Propriety, my dear friend, does not allow for such things. You and I both know that."

"Propriety is not a particularly vital part of my relationship with Rebecca." Charlie's tone was wry.

Lizzie sat back in her chair and smiled at her friend. "So it would seem. You two are going to turn Culpeper on its head, I think."

The wry smile got a bit drier. "I think we already have."

"And you are enjoying every moment of it," she teased, giving his hand a squeeze. "Are you not? Tell me what have you done?"

Charlie launched into an animated discussion of the efforts to begin an orderly transition from wartime to peacetime relations with the citizens of Culpeper County. Of course, Mrs. Williams and her harridan ways were key elements of his narrative. He spoke of many things, none of them relevant to the military actions of his regiment. Finally, he told her of the refugees and the problems they faced. Little Emily played a prominent role in his story.

"So not only a wife, but a surrogate daughter as well?"

"Poor child lost her father. Evidently, I look somewhat like him, so she has attached herself to me. Her mother is just grateful she no longer cries for her Papa." He paused for a moment. "Her mother is not doing well. Elizabeth Walker believes she will not survive her current pregnancy, so I may indeed end up with a daughter."

"Hmm. I will wager when you return home you will find she has been crying for you. I am sure everyone will be relieved." She sipped her tea and gave Charlie a look he instantly knew was trouble. "So would you like some instruction for the item I intend to send home with you?"

"Ah, I suspect that I would need to know just what you were sending home with me, ma'am, before I could answer that question."

"Well, now, I think you and Rebecca will find a use for the item." She grinned. "In the privacy of your bedroom."

"Ah, Lizzie, could we have this discussion somewhere less... public?"

Now she was really laughing. "Oh Charlie, you are a sweet man. I love the way your ears turn red."

Charlie took a deep, calming breath. "Yes, well, I am told the color compliments my eyes rather nicely."

"Yes, it does." She reached out and stroked gently just around his eyes. "I shall miss them."

Abruptly, Charlie wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Are you ready to leave, my dear?"

"Of course."

Each time Charlie was confronted with Lizzie's real affection and the wistful regret that surfaced, he felt a bittersweet combination of regret and guilt coupled with fondness. No, she was not the love of his life. But she had been one of the few true friends he ever had. And she was the only lover he ever had, one who had gently and very tenderly taught him to be comfortable with his body and with the act of love.

He escorted her to the taxi stand, and gently handed her into the hackney, climbing in after her. For a long time, he was silent as they rode back toward her home. Yet he held her hand in the crook of his arm, with his own larger hand over it.

"Charlie, what is wrong?"

"I have just been thinking on all of the things you have meant to me in my life, all of the gifts you have given me. I want you to know, you will never lose my friendship. True friends are far too rare and precious to ever walk away from."

"I know that, dear friend. You have given to me just as much as I have given you. Charlie, I was with you because I wanted to be with you. Think about it. Did I ever take any money from you?"

"No, you never did. And I have always known it was because you and I were friends. No, we were more than that. We were lovers. I do not know if you have had other lovers, but I do know I will always cherish the memories of our times together and the gifts you gave me, the things you taught me." He raised her hand to his lips and caressed the backs of her fingers very gently.

"There were no others in my life I cared for as I care for you, Charlie. I am so happy you have found your happiness with Rebecca."

The cab stopped before Lizzie's house. Charlie helped her out and flipped the driver a coin, then escorted her into the house. By silent mutual consent, they went to the small parlor that was her private place. Just as silently, Charlie took her in his arms and just held her tenderly for a long time.

"I love you, Charlie. Be happy," she smiled and pulled back to look at him. "And now," she crossed the room to fetch a box which she handed him. "This should help," she winked as she placed the box in his hands.

Charlie carefully opened the box. There, lying on a bed of dark red satin was a blunt ended cylinder covered in the finest leather. It was approximately eight inches long and a little less than two inches in diameter. Fine leather straps were attached to the base and coiled in the box along side the object. Charlie tested the object with his finger. It was firm and slightly flexible. It was the object Charlie had offered to find for Rebecca when she had told him that all she needed was him.

Charlie's ears turned a fascinating shade of red.

"There they go again," she teased. "Think you can figure out how to use it? Or would you like a demonstration?"

"Ah, it is, ah, umm... Oh, Lord. How do you describe one of these things?"

"Interesting?" She did enjoy teasing him.

"It is a... handsome version. I know a number of my men who would love to be as well endowed."

She laughed as she closed the door to the parlor and then returned to his side, taking the object from the box. "Well, Charlie you know anything worth doing is worth doing well. Now, I think you should try to figure out the straps."

Charlie laid out the straps. The phallus itself had a triangular leather base with an adjustable strap that led to another triangle of leather. Two longer adjustable straps sprouted from the plain triangle and clearly attached to the buckles on either side of the upper edge of the phallus base. Charlie examined the arrangement, and then dryly commented, "I have tacked up enough horses to be able to figure this out." He indicated the lowest strap, which was wider and softer than the other two. "This looks like it has a particularly interesting side effect."

"Oh I assure you, it is designed for mutual pleasure."

"I would expect nothing less than the best and most effective of... toys from you, dear."

"Then you shall not be disappointed. Use it in good health, Charlie."

He laughed, a full, open laugh. "My dear, I am sure it is not just my health that will benefit. Although, if Rebecca likes it too much, it may be detrimental to my health."

"Yes, but think of the smile you will have when you go."

"And what a way to go. I hope to be using it for many years to come, my friend."

"I think your heart can take it," she grinned and handed him the box. "I am sure of it."

"You know, my dear, every soldier dreams of dying in the arms of a beautiful woman. It is such an improvement on how most soldiers go." He grinned and accepted the box from her. "I am sure both of us will appreciate this gift to the full measure of its value."

"It seems your nickname is holding very true, Lucky Charlie." She gave him one last hug. "Be safe on your way home."

"I will, my dear. And expect to see the two of us at the beginning of February."

"I will look forward to it."

--*--

Rebecca was mending a pair of Charlie's trousers, which he had ripped while helping a few of his men repair a fence that had been damaged by a high wind. She watched from the window, knowing full well Charlie was not due back for a few days, but wishing him home just the same.

Their time together was so limited; she hated the fact that he had to make this trip. And he had looked so befuddled when she had given him the list prepared by the ladies of the things they would need for the wedding.

She sipped her tea, carefully checking the stitching in her repair. The door to the parlor opened. Elizabeth stepped in looking tired and frazzled. Wordlessly she took the pot in hand, poured a cup and took a seat next to the fire.

"Difficult day, Doctor?"

"Very. Nothing seemed to go right. I believe I would have been more useful if I had remained in bed today. I do swear some days I am not sure if Charlie commands men or ten-year-old boys. I have treated so many sprains and scrapes caused by their acting like children I am ready to have Richard take them to the woodshed with a strap."

Rebecca chuckled as she nipped through the thread with her teeth, then held the trousers for Elizabeth to see. "Charlie is no better. I have sewn up a dozen tears in his trousers and tunics. There are times when he is nothing more than a large boy himself."

"I thought Jocko took care of his wardrobe."

"Yes, well, I have taken to dealing with the domestic issues of caring for Charlie. I do believe Jocko is glad to be rid of the more tiresome chores. It gives him some additional time to spend with the Widow White."

"Oh, so we have another local romance on our hands? Did Jocko take a page from his master’s book?"

Rebecca laughed as she folded the trousers and set aside. "I believe so. Seems to be a lot of it going around at the moment." She looked directly at her friend and raised her eyebrows. "Correct?"

"Are you suggesting Richard and I……" Elizabeth had the grace to blush as she looked away with a wistful smile on her face.

"Elizabeth." She poured another cup of tea. "Would I suggest such a thing?"

"You would, you crazed woman. I was afraid you and Charlie were going to declare a new profession for yourselves on Christmas Eve, with that sprig of mistletoe Charlie was so proud of."

"Oh, Charlie is the matchmaker in the family. Did it work?"

Elizabeth’s blush deepened. "I suppose that would depend on your definition of ‘‘work,’ my dear. If you are asking whether Richard and I are exploring a more meaningful relationship, the answer is yes. If you are asking whether I have altered my level of personal experience in terms of the more physical aspects of an intimate relationship, the answer is no. I suppose I will have to continue to depend on my textbooks and listening to you for a while yet." Elizabeth gave her a very wicked grin.

Rebecca laughed, nearly losing her tea. "And you call me crazed." She paused, wiping the edge of her mouth with a napkin. "My dear, Charlie and Richard would just die if they knew the things we talked about when they are not around."

Elizabeth’s tone was somewhat resigned. "Richard would probably love it. He is such a salacious old wretch."

"Good for Richard. Charlie on the other hand is very shy about these subjects, which is understandable, given the situation. If he had any idea I talked to even you about these things he would find the nearest rock to crawl under."

"Fortunately for you, he does not seem to suffer from the same hesitation or shyness with you." Elizabeth thought for a moment. "You know, I suspect it is not that he is shy about intimacy, but rather he is in the habit of privacy to keep his secret safe. Once he knows it is, I believe he is quite open and forthcoming. I do know he and Whitman talk about things regularly. A sort of odd masculine friendship, there."

"That is an understatement. I am glad there is someone he is comfortable talking with."

"Rebecca, Charlie has few friends, but those he does have he is very open with. I am proud to count myself one of them, actually. Oh, and he did tell me about your little…… problem that first night he went drinking with Whitman."

"Seems you are the Mother Confessor for the Redmond family." Rebecca smiled into her teacup. "How was I supposed to know everything was all right?"

"My dear, how was Charlie supposed to know you were not asleep?" Elizabeth grinned, and then added, "Well, with you two, I certainly have added to my own education. Some of the drawings in my medical books make far more sense after having talked with the two of you." Elizabeth could no longer stifle the giggles that had been threatening for a while.

"Thank you so very much, Doctor. It is nice to know we are a part of your continuing education." Rebecca poured Elizabeth more tea.

"My pleasure, I assure you. And I am very appreciative of the trust you have both given me."

"Of course, you are one of Charlie's dearest friends." She looked out the window as a blue uniform rode by. She simply could not help herself. "I will be very glad when he comes home."

"I am sure you will, dear. I rather suspect he will be very glad to get home. And Rebecca, I hope you know I am also your friend."

"I do know, dear Elizabeth." Rebecca sighed quietly then gave Elizabeth a very serious look. "He is going to see his friend, Mrs. Armstrong while he is there."

"Oh, did he say so? I would imagine he would want to tell her of his impending marriage to you personally. They were reputed to be rather... close... and Charlie is nothing if not a gentleman.

"Yes, he mentioned it before he left. And yes, they are very close."

"Rebecca, dear, I hope you are not worried about him seeing her. I know Charlie. He is devoted to you."

"Oh, I am sure of that, but well, they do have a relationship. He is very fond of her. We are not married yet so I really could not protest if he does pay her a social call."

"Rebecca, you are not suggesting...?"

"Well, I hope not, but I suppose anything is possible. I have heard the men talk of Mrs. Armstrong. I know she is an attractive woman and she is probably more, shall we say, adept at giving Charlie what he needs."

"Rebecca Gaines. You put that idea right out of your head. Charlie is committed to you. I would imagine the only thing that will go on between them is an honest conversation in which Charlie tells her he is no longer available." Elizabeth had a bemused look on her face. "Besides, he is so charming when he wants to be, he will probably enroll her in assisting him with the shopping; one cannot accuse General Redmond of being particularly skilled in selecting ribbon, lace, fabric, and threads."

"He did look like a startled rabbit when I gave him the list." Rebecca smiled at her friend. "Please believe me, Elizabeth, when I tell you that even if Charlie does spend time with Mrs. Armstrong, I love him and I will not hold it against him. Charlie for all purposes is a man and that is what men do."

"No, my dear, you are wrong there. In this matter, in the matters of the heart, of love and commitment, Charlie is still, and always will be, a woman. And for our Charlie, there is now only one person who has access to his body –– the one who holds his heart and soul."

"Thank you."

"You are still worried, are you not, my dear?"

"I am afraid I have many ghosts in my own past that make me uncomfortable at times."

"Well, dear, if I were you, I would simply ask Charlie when he comes back. I am sure he will tell you the truth."

Rebecca chuckled. "There are some things I would rather not know."

Elizabeth looked at her friend and then started laughing. "You really do not want to give the boy an inch of slack, do you? You will worry he may sleep with her and it will always nag at you. But you will not ask him, and I suspect, in your heart, even if he swore on a stack of Bibles that he had not dallied with her, you would always have doubts."

"And in the words of my mother, who was by the way, a very wise woman, when it comes to the ways of gentlemen, which you do not understand, ignorance is bliss."

"Perhaps, my dear, but for you to always doubt Charlie –– even a little, will put a burden on your relationship that is probably not a good thing."

"Elizabeth, I do not doubt Charlie; I know he loves me. I know he wants to come here and make a life together. I certainly will not let his relationship with Mrs. Armstrong come between us. Regardless of what that relationship may be."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. She clearly knew Charlie and his sense of honor, better than Rebecca did. "Rebecca, I think this is important. Given who Charlie is, there is no possibility Charlie will allow anything other than friendship to continue with Lizzie Armstrong. She will, no doubt, have the same status of close personal friend I am honored with. Unfortunately, trying to convince you of this truth about our mutual friend is beyond me today." With a frustrated laugh, Elizabeth went on. "Drat. Why should I expect to be able to alleviate your concerns? I have been unsuccessful at everything else toda."

"Elizabeth, you are a good friend my dear, but there are just some things beyond your help. My personal insecurities are among them."

The two women sat in silence, each drinking their tea and ruminating on the frustrations of the day. A somber quiet filled the room, broken only when young Em came galloping into the room crying "Mamma ‘‘Becca. Mamma ‘‘Becca. See Em’s new clothes. Look, Mamma ‘‘Becca." Lizbet had made the little girl’s doll a new outfit from scraps. The two women became occupied with praising the child and her doll. The afternoon’s worries slid into the background.

--*--

Charlie left Lizzie’s with a light heart and vision of a loving future in his head. It was late afternoon, that hazy time between day and night. He walked back toward the Willard, past the homes and boarding houses that had grown up around the Capitol building, across the Mall that would remain pristine and green in the center of this growing city, past the small shops that had sprung up along Constitution Avenue. As he strolled, he glanced in the windows of those shops, on the odd chance that the perfect gift for Rebecca would present itself.

Instead, he found something entirely unexpected. There in the window was a doll. A wonderful doll. A doll with green eyes and hair the color of red gold. The perfect doll for Em. He looked at the time and realized it was a bit late for most merchants. Trying the door, he was disappointed; it was locked. But that doll was perfect for little Em. And the child had so little to call her own. He tapped on the door.

A wizen, gray haired man wearing shirt, vest, and a leather apron shuffled to the door and opened it. "I am sorry, sir, I have closed for the evening. I was just cleaning up when you knocked. Could you come back tomorrow?"

"I do appreciate your answering my knock then, sir. I am afraid I am leaving on a train at first light tomorrow. I saw the doll in the window and it is perfect for a little girl I know. She has very little; the war has taken most of the comforts of home and family from her. Could I just purchase the doll? Please?"

The old merchant looked at the man standing before him. A General, obviously a man of means from the quality of the material in his cloak. A man who would take the time to try and obtain a doll for a war refugee. Well, if the General could take the time, so could he. "Yes, sir, I think I can do that. Come in, and I will wrap it for you. I must confess, it is a rather expensive doll."

"That does not matter. It is a perfect doll for little Em."

With his pocket lighter by a ten-dollar golden eagle and his arm full of a carefully wrapped package, Charlie returned to the Willard. There he took a simple meal, and went early to bed, where he tossed for most of the night, missing Rebecca’s tender touch.

Chapter 25

Friday, January 6, 1865

Early the next morning, after having booked the finest suite at the Willard for the end of January and the early part of February, Charlie took a hackney cab back to Union Station and headed home. Most of his purchases were being shipped in the express carriage of the train. The gift from Lizzie was carefully tucked in his personal bag, as was the doll for Em. The papers from the attorney and the bank, along with the three precious rings, were stowed in the inside breast pocket of his coat. At his urging, the engineer made record time returning to Culpeper.

--*--

Beulah entered the parlor with a smile. "Miss Rebecca?"

"Yes?"

"Reg just stopped by to say that General Redmond is on his way home. He should be coming down the road anytime now."

"Wonderful!" She practically jumped from her chair, grabbing her shawl as she made her way to the front door. Pulling it open, she took her place on the porch and waited for Charlie, like a good wife-to-be should. A huge smile broke across her face and she waved at him when he came into view.

Smiling, he threw himself off Jack's back, and tossed the reins to Reg, who had come running around the house as soon as he heard the hoof beats. "Reg, take my saddlebags up to the bedroom and make sure Jack gets special treatment. Duncan should be coming along shortly with a cart full of things for Miss Rebecca, so hurry back to help him unload." He turned to Rebecca and almost shyly said, "hello, dear one. I have missed you."

She put her arms around his neck, her heart hammering in her ears as she kissed him on the cheek. "And I have missed you," she whispered in his ear, "and if I do not get you inside, your stock with the men will triple its value."

"Darling, I am filthy. Every inch of my body is coated with half dust and soot from the rail bed between here and Washington."

"Then I shall take you upstairs and wash every inch of that body." She refused to let go of his arm as they walked inside.

Trying to contain the heat between them, at least until they could be alone, Charlie asked, "Do you know why Duncan rather than Jocko brought the cart and Jack to meet me

"Jocko brought a sick woman in to Elizabeth last night, and then Richard sent him on an errand. I have not seen any of the three of them since." She was stroking his arm through his coat, clinging closely to his body. Charlie's heart rate went up several notches at her possessiveness and all thought of Jocko disappeared. His time with Lizzie had certainly set his hormones to running free, and now this passionate reception from Rebecca was pushing his libido higher and higher. "Come into the back parlor, dearest."

"Of course." She smiled like the cat with the canary as they walked to the back parlor. Rebecca let Charlie go in first then she closed the doors, threw her arms around him and kissed him with all the passion she felt.

Charlie welcomed her kiss, holding her close and tight against his body, reveling in the feel of her solid, lithe frame against his own and the heat of her lips on his. Their tongues teased and caressed one another, exploring, tasting, savoring. He broke the kiss to ease her into her chair, kneeling beside her, and lavishing caresses on her neck and shoulders.

She moaned, allowing him to explore as she tugged on the buttons of his coat. "I missed you, Charlie." She began undoing the buttons as fast as she could.

"Love you so." Her hands on his body, the urgency of her touch was driving him insane. "Upstairs. Now. Please," he begged.

"Oh, yes," she managed to gasp out even as they continued to kiss, while she struggled out of the chair. It was as if they had been apart for months and not just for a few days. She had never missed someone so much in her entire life; she wanted nothing so much as to go upstairs and really make love with Charlie. Her mind considered for the briefest of moments that if it did not happen, she might die. "I want you, Charlie."

Her words went through Charlie like lightning. He could not talk. He grabbed her hand in his and pulled her through the door. The two of them rushed up the stairs, breathless and laughing at the same time. His coat, weskit, and tie came off as they passed through the sitting room. By the time they reached the bedroom, he was standing in boots, britches and shirt. His eyes were flashing silver with his need. The chances of Rebecca's dress surviving this evening were slim.

She reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. "I have no intention of stopping tonight, Charlie. I have missed you so much." She leaned in and kissed him again as she unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it from his britches.

"Wait. Wait a minute. Let me get out of these boots." He jammed his heel in the jack and yanked his foot out of the boot, then repeated the process wit the other foot. He turned back to her. "Turn around."

She smiled and turned her back to him. Her stomach was fluttering wildly and her hands were trembling from desire and arousal. "Hurry, Charlie."

His fingers refused to manage the small buttons that went up the back of her dress. With a muffled groan of frustration, he finally slid his hand under her dress and popped every button off the dress in a sweeping stroke.

She laughed as his unusual method of undoing her dress. She turned around to face him and their eyes locked as she pulled the dress off her arms and then pushed it to the floor. Clad only in her chemise, she turned her back again. "I think you can manage these buttons. They are a bit bigger."

With a little fumbling and an uncounted number of kisses on her shoulders and lovely neck, he managed to unbutton the chemise. By the time he was finished, he was panting and the need to feel her in his arms was overwhelming. Charlie spun her and lifted her, carrying her to the bed. He laid her down and immediately covered her with his own partially clad body.

"Oh Charlie," she moaned and arched into him. "I am yours. I will be anything you want or need me to be." She wrapped her arms around Charlie’s shoulders and pressed her body as hard against her as she could.

Charlie's heart was pounding. "I just need you to be you, darling. My love. My heart. My home. Mine." Each word was punctuated with lavish kisses to her throat, the hollow formed by her collarbone, and the valley between her breasts. Charlie concluded by suddenly drawing her right nipple deep into her mouth.

It was, no doubt, the long loud moan coming from Rebecca's throat and the sensation of her nails on Charlie’s shoulders that kept either of them from hearing the door to their bedroom creak open.

"Papa?" A little voice called.

A small voice saying "Papa" was not what Charlie expected to hear Rebecca saying. Slowly, it penetrated her befogged mind that Emily was there and was calling for her. Reluctantly, her lips released Rebecca's nipple. She did not shift her body, as it was currently the only thing covering Rebecca's nude form. She looked into Rebecca's eyes, confused, and clearly frustrated. "Emily is here," she announced, stating the obvious.

Rebecca managed to keep from cursing in frustration as she tried valiantly to reclaim her breath. "I heard. We need to send her on her way, Charles Redmond."

Charlie nodded agreement. Moving carefully, she pulled the covers over Rebecca's oh so tempting body as Rebecca helped re-button his shirt.

Charlie turned to the small child. Gently, he asked, "Emily, what are you doing here? It is past your bed time, little one."

She smiled as her little feet carried her across the room. She flung herself giggling at the bed. "Em miss Papa."

Charlie caught the small, squirming bundle of energy and held her close. "I am here now, little one. Here, you have your hug and bed time kiss." He matched his actions to his words. "Now, Em, it is past your bedtime, so I am going to take you back to your bed. Tomorrow we will play together."

"Papa. Em stay Papa."

"Not tonight, little one. Tonight, Em stays in her own bed with dolly Em." He carried the small girl towards the door, on his way to depositing her in her own room and hopefully quickly tucking her into bed. Rebecca, his beautiful Rebecca, waited.

As he stepped out of the room, he heard a long groan from the bedroom. "Hurry back, Charlie," was the whimper that followed.

"I will, darling 'Becca." Charlie strode down the hall to Constance's room and tapped on the door. Unfortunately, Em’s room opened off Constance’s; he needed to pass through to put the child back to bed. All the while, Em clung to him like a very determined little leech.

Constance had been dozing; the knock startled her. "Come in," she called, pulling the covers a little higher around her neck. As Charlie entered, carrying the small human remora, a look of shock registered on her face. "Em! How did you……" she stopped when she noticed the General's state of undress and the flushed look to his skin. "Oh, General, I am so sorry." She reached for the baby. "Emily, you come to Mama right now."

"It is all right, Constance. You need not get up. I can put her back to bed." Putting words to action, he strode across the room to the half open door into Em’s room and laid the small child in her bed. He gave Em a quick hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Good night, Em. You be a good girl. Tomorrow you and I will play together for a time before supper." Charlie pried Em’s death grip from around his neck. "Good night, little one." He headed back out through Constance’s room.

"Sorry to disturb you, Constance."

"Of course, General, I am really very sorry she got past me. Please have a good evening."

A small voice was heard from the other room. "Em miss Papa," she cried again, trying to get his sympathy.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, Constance. And I appreciate your understanding."

He called to the little girl again. "Bedtime, little one. You be good or tomorrow's play time might be tomorrow's lesson in manners time."

"Yes, Papa. Em love."

"Papa loves you, Em. Good night, little one. Good night, Constance."

The brief interlude with Emily had given Charlie a chance to get a grip on his emotions, at least enough to slow down and give Rebecca the experience she deserved. He re-entered their room, with every intention of going slowly and showing Rebecca just how good their loving one another could feel.

Rebecca had taken the time to turn down the bed properly and climb under the covers. That is where Charlie found her. Lying in bed facing the door with the sheet modestly pulled over her body. "I assume you got her to bed?"

"I did. And how would you like to get me to bed, darling girl?"

"I would like that." She sat up allowing the sheet to pool at her waist. "I would like that very much. Come to bed."

Charlie just stood for a moment, entranced by the vision that Rebecca had offered him. Then slowly, he removed his own clothing, offering his transformation from male to female as a gift to her.

Rebecca smiled and held out her hand. "Mine."

Charlie walked to her slowly, almost dancing, soft and sensuous. The tempo of their intimacy had changed, from feverish urgency to a slower, pulsing pace that seemed to Charlie to be as true as the beat of her heart.

Rebecca hummed in pure pleasure when Charlie settled into bed with her. This was their first total contact of skin on skin and Rebecca’s temperature skyrocketed when she felt the smoothness of Charlie's skin against her own. She wrapped her arms around the tall woman and whispered. "I love you."

The heat of Rebecca's body against her own sent shivers of want racing through Charlie's body. "Oh, dear God. I love you, Rebecca," she breathed as she submerged her face in Rebecca's soft hair. Their bodies fit together perfectly. Very softly, Charlie began caressing Rebecca with her fingertips, exploring every inch of her shoulders, breasts, ribs and slightly rounded belly.

Rebecca pushed closer to Charlie, taking her by the wrist, she guided her hand between their bodies and between her own legs. "Touch me, Charlie," she begged, all the while placing soft kisses to her lover's shoulder.

The heat, the wet, the feeling of silk, and the scratch of soft curls against her fingers, flesh engorged and made dense and distended, and the constant stream of moisture from Rebecca’s center all conspired to shatter Charlie's control. Every intention of slow, tender exploration melted away, dispelled by the obvious urgency of the small frame beneath hers. "I want it to be right." She caressed Rebecca firmly. "I want to take it slow and gentle." Long fingers traced the line of those most intimate inner lips that outlined Rebecca's core. "I need you."

"I need you, too. I want you," she husked. She took the initiative and spread her legs, allowing Charlie more room. "Love me. Please." She licked her lips before they sought out Charlie's in another smoldering kiss

Charlie may have wanted to take it slow, but urgent need took over. She shifted, straddling one of Rebecca's thighs. Long fingers explored Rebecca gently and then more insistently. Two fingers curled and slipped inside. Charlie was home. She used long strokes to caress her love.

Rebecca cried out in pleasure, her head went back and her body arched into Charlie. Her hands rubbed up and down her back, as her breath escaped in short bursts mixed with moans. "Oh yes." She brought her head forward and peppered Charlie's shoulder with kisses and tender nips. All the while, her hands slid over Charlie’s moist skin, gathering a light sheen of sweat. She could hear Charlie's ragged breathing and the sounds coming from her lover only increased her arousal..

"‘Becca." Charlie chanted her lover's name like a prayer. As Rebecca arched into her, Charlie's hips and hands joined in a rhythm that built slowly and inexorably. Charlie's lips sought out Rebecca's breast and sucked that tender nipple deep into her mouth.

Doing what felt so right and so natural, Rebecca let her hands travel to Charlie's backside where she massaged the flesh, encouraging the rhythm their bodies were finding together. "Yes." She felt a pressure building deep in her body, as her moans became almost constant, breaking only occasionally to reverently whisper, "Charlie."

The feel of Rebecca’s hands on her body, pulling her in tighter, encouraging a firmer, deeper rhythm, drove Charlie to the edge of the precipice. Her pace increased dramatically; deeper, faster. She sobbed Rebecca's name now, her face pressed into the soft flesh of Rebecca's shoulder, suckling on tender skin, just hanging on, waiting for Rebecca to join her.

Rebecca moaned in frustration as she felt the explosion building; she knew it would be like nothing she had ever felt before. When Charlie's touch increased and their bodies found the perfect rhythm together, she cried out as her body went taut and shuddered in release. She gasped over and over again as tremors ran through her body.

Rebecca's first spasm clamped firm muscles around Charlie's fingers, drawing her deeper and holding her in place. Charlie joined her, tensing and bucking into her body. A flood of Charlie's passion washed over Rebecca's thigh, burning and searing her. Charlie soared, and merged with her love, buried so deep within her it felt like she held Rebecca's heart in her hand. For what seemed like eternity, she hung, suspended in a cocoon of ecstasy.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Rebecca's body relaxed and fell back into the mattress. She did not let go of Charlie however, and brought her with her, so her lover was lying right on top of her. She sighed her pleasure and kissed Charlie's ear. "Love you." She drew a deep breath through clenched teeth when one final tremor ran through her body. "I am so glad you are home."

Charlie was holding most of her weight on one arm. One very shaky arm.

"My home. My love. My heart."

A tear trickled down and fell on Rebecca's shoulder.

"Charlie? Darling? Have I done something wrong?"

"Oh, no, beloved. You have done something very right. I am home. In your arms, I am home. In your touch, I am home. For the first time in my life, in your love, I am no longer alone. I love you so much."

"I love you so, Charlie." She squirmed under her. "Now put your arms around me and keep me safe and warm for the rest of the night."

Charlie shifted her body and wrapped herself around the smaller woman. They pulled the covers up over themselves. Entwined like a pair of kittens, Charlie laid her head beside her love’s. "I am not sure which one of us keeps the other safe and warm, love. I adore you." Long minutes were spent in quiet cuddling, and simple words of love and acceptance. For all of the strength that Charlie brought to the relationship, before Rebecca’s love and passion, she was reduced to a simple, childlike wonder.

"All that matters is that we are here, together." Rebecca rolled over to face her lover. "And now that I have said hello, how was your trip?" She giggled, curling into Charlie's body.

"My trip was very successful, darling. I brought all of the things that you ordered with me on today’s supply train. I called on Lizzie Armstrong and she assisted me with the adventure at the haberdasher’s."

"How is your friend, Charlie? Well I hope. I'm glad you had assistance. I wondered if you would feel somewhat befuddled by that."

"She also gave us a rather personal wedding gift. I hope you will like her when you meet her. She does not seem to expect you will be willing even to meet her."

Rebecca drew back and looked at Charlie. "A gift? What kind of gift? I would love to meet her. She is your friend and important to you. I will admit to a certain amount of jealously at first, but I am well over it."

"Thank you, love. I felt sure that you would, but she is rather notorious as a courtesan and I was concerned you would find her beneath you."

Charlie neatly avoided the issue of the gift.

"Never. She is your friend and I would like her to be my friend and know our home is always open to her."

Charlie pulled Rebecca closer and kissed the top of her head. "Can you imagine what a visit from my dear Lizzie would do to Mrs. Williams? The poor woman would faint dead away."

"Oh then, Charlie, we must have her down as soon as possible."

Charlie chuckled, hugging Rebecca tighter and getting comfortable for the irresistible call of sleep.

--*--

Rebecca awoke the moment that Charlie stirred in the morning. She hummed as she rolled over and opened her eyes to see him shrugging into his robe.

"I suppose it is back to work as normal?" she questioned even as she ran her hand over the covers silently inviting him back.

"Well, darling, I have been gone for most of a week. I rather think that Richard would appreciate me showing up and relieving him of the hard part, "he smiled, "the decisions."

Charlie walked around to Rebecca's side of the bed and stroked the soft skin of her shoulder peeking out from under the covers. "On the other hand, after a day of travel, I might be forgiven for sleeping in a little."

Rebecca drew a deep breath and closed her eyes in frustration as she remembered something very important. "Oh no, Charlie, we do need to get up and you need to find Richard, Elizabeth, and Jocko. We had an ‘‘incident’ while you were gone."

Charlie stopped. The tone of Rebecca's voice told him clearly he was not going to like what he was about to hear. "Would you care to tell me the basics? Prepare me for what I will have to face?"

She pulled herself up and gestured for Charlie to hand her the robe from the foot of the bed. Once she slipped into it, she sat up and took his hand. "While you were gone, Jocko went to see Mrs. White. When he arrived, he found her beaten and……" she paused, lowering her eyes then lifting them again. "Davison and his men. They raped her."

Charlie rolled his head back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. He drew a deep breath. "Damn. How is Mrs. White?"

"When she first got here she was bitter, hurt, angry, and scared. But under Elizabeth’s tender ministrations and Jocko’s constant attentions, she will be fine. I am going to let her stay here with us. I am taking in another stray my dear, but she shouldn’t be alone any longer and she will be a delightful addition to the house."

Charlie drew another deep breath and blew it out through puffed cheeks. "She is certainly welcome, and I am sure Jocko will be pleased to have her here. Do we have enough room for her?"

"This is a big house, Charlie. For now we will put her in the room we had been using for the Major. Then once you and Elizabeth leave, I will rearrange the bedrooms. But we are fine."

"Has Richard found Davison and his men?"

"I know he has patrols out looking for them, but you will have to ask him for the details."

I did not tell you last night for the most selfish of reasons. There was nothing you could do, and I needed you. But I know you need to

Charlie ran his hands through his hair. This was not the kind of thing one enjoyed coming back to. Upset civilians would blame the army, and there would be a very sensitive issue about jurisdiction to deal with when the men were captured. "Darling, why did you not tell me this last night?"

"I am sorry. I should have let you tend to this last night when you returned, but I was so happy to see you and there was nothing you could do past what Richard was already doing." She looked down at the rumpled sheets. "And I needed you. I truly am sorry if this has caused a problem."

"Darling, I would not trade last night for anything. If necessary, I will happily respond to any suggestion I was derelict in my duty by pointing out that my duty to my wife and family comes before my duty to country."

Rebecca’s brow rose as she considered him. This was certainly a change in priorities for the officer. He had always made it quite clear that his duty to the Army was the more important thing. She smiled and caressed his cheek. "I am delighted to hear that. Let us get on with our day Charlie. You have this issue to deal with and I have a feeling that in very short order, Little Em will be tearing down the walls to find her Papa."

Charlie kissed Rebecca's forehead. "Yes, dear. Why do I suspect that one of the things you are going to have to do when you rearrange the rooms is to set up a nursery?"

"It is all ready being seen to. Duncan and some of the other men have fashioned furniture, the ladies are making blankets, and a few have been making clothes. At a later time, when you are in need of a good laugh, I will show you my attempt at booties."

"You have been crocheting? My, how domestic of you. Please do not ask me to do the same." Charlie smiled at the homey exchange, but a part of his mind was already elsewhere: considering the implications of a band of ex-Union soldiers raping and stealing their way through Northern Virginia.

"I would not, Charlie, do not worry. I am afraid I shall give it up as well. Unless Jack needs socks for the spring campaign."

"Well, dear, as much as I would love to stay with you this morning, clearly duty calls."

Charlie went through his morning routine quickly, as he needed to get to Richard as soon as possible and find out the status of the situation with Mrs. White and Davison . He pulled on his simplest uniform and headed out to the Officer's Mess. There he found Richard savoring the first cup of coffee of the day.

"Good morning, Richard. I hear we have a major problem to deal with."

"You could say that, oh fearless leader."

"So, have we caught them yet?"

"If we had, we would not have the problem. Charlie, I have had details out around the clock since Jocko brought Mrs. White back. There are indications they are still in the area, but they are well trained soldiers; they know how not to be found."

"Have you wired the other commands to tell them to be on the lookout?"

Richard tried not to look annoyed. He failed, "yes, Father."

Charlie looked at Richard. "Doing it again, am I? I am sorry, my friend. Have you gone so far as to initiate a door-to-door sweep? And, no, I am not asking because I doubt you, I just want to know what has and has not been done. You, my friend, are not the one who has to go talk to Mayor Frazier."

"It is all right Charlie. This whole mess has us all on edge. The men are bound and determined to find these devils. Our troops have actually come to respect these citizens and they are hopping mad over this. I have had men out in all the communities providing sentry duty. They started house to house yesterday. And I have all ready had to deal with not only Mayor Frazier, but also the Reverend and Mrs. Williams. Charlie, are you sure you want to come back here after the war? Would it not be easier to move Rebecca and the children to say, Paris?"

"Oh, shall I assume the ever gracious and gentle Mrs. Williams presented a certain challenge for even your charm?"

"Charlie, I’d rather face Lee and his entire army while under the command of George Custer, than spend even one more day with that woman."

"Do I want to know, or are you going to let me walk into the lion's den unprepared?"

"It is Mrs. Williams, Charlie, at her most righteous. I am sure you can just imagine what you are in for."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. I have an already touchy situation, three rapists or worse, and Mrs. Williams. I will offer you a deal. You take Mrs. Williams and I will handle all the rest of the problems."

Richard actually threw his head back in hearty laughter before he slapped his friend on the back. "Oh no my friend. This is your community now. You should be the one to deal with it. I will be more than happy to wrap the nooses for when we find them; hell, I will even build the gallows, but I will not deal with that wicked woman again."

Charlie sighed a heartfelt, long suffering sigh. He placed one hand over his heart. "If I must, I must. The things a man will do for duty."

Richard grinned at this friend.

"So, Richard. What say you come up to the house and have breakfast with me? You can fill me in on the more mundane happenings this week. That is, if you can manage to drag your eyes away from Elizabeth."

Richard stood and tossed away the dregs of the coffee in his cup. "Like you will be listening to me. You do not notice anything when Rebecca is in the room."

Charlie laughed. "Well, I suppose we are equal, then." He smiled slyly. "Of course, there is another female who can distract both of us from our ladies. And she will probably be at breakfast."

"Oh yes, in your absence I became ‘‘Unc Wichawd’. Jocko was just as good about cleaning my coats as yours."

"Oh, so you have found creamed wheat to be as beneficial to your woolens as I have? I am particularly impressed with how it makes the brass shine."

"I am not sure if it is the wheat or the copious amounts of Emily drool."

The two men were strolling toward the house as they chatted. A small figure burst from the winter kitchen door, her leading strings trailing behind her and Beulah's younger sister running behind the little imp. "PAPA!"

A small human rocket launched itself at Charlie, fully relying on the man's ability to catch her and keep her safe.

"You have been practicing." Richard chuckled as he watched Charlie hoist the girl into his arms. "I dropped her three times last week."

"Hello, little one. Were you good while I was gone?"

"Yes Papa. Em good." She smiled, showing him the teeth becoming more prominent every day and then hugged him tight around his neck. "Em missed Papa."

"And Papa missed Em, too. Were you good for Uncle Richard?" Charlie gave his friend an evil grin over the black mop tucked into his shoulder.

"Yes. Mama Becca spank Em."

"Oh. Were you naughty? I think that Mama Becca only spanks when little girls have been very naughty indeed."

"I am afraid Emily gave Rebecca quite a scare. She decided it would be fun to play a game of hide and seek with Rebecca and would not come when we were all looking for her. Almost an hour after we started looking, we found her hidden behind the curtains in the parlor. Rebecca was beside herself with worry."

"Em, did you hide from Mama Becca?"

"Yes Papa." Her eyes dropped and her lip poked right out; it was obvious she was seeking his forgiveness.

"Little one, hiding from me or Mama Becca or your mother or Dr. Walker or Tess is particularly bad. We are the people who take care of you, and if you hide from us, we get very, very worried. So, do you want to tell me why you hid?"

She lay against his shoulder, "playing."

"Well, little one, there are lots of ways to play. That was not a good one. So you are not going to do it any more, are you?"

"No, Papa. Mama Becca spank Em."

"And if Em does it again, either Mama Becca or Papa will spank Em again." Charlie kissed the little girl's forehead. "Now, how about some breakfast?"

Tess looked at the General gratefully as he waved her off from the energetic child. She went back to the kitchen, where she would actually get a few minutes of sitting quietly, eating breakfast, and gossiping with Sarah before she had to chase the little imp around again.

They strolled up the back stairs and entered the breakfast room from the veranda. Elizabeth and Rebecca were already there waiting for them. More importantly, from Richard's point of view, the coffee pot was already there.

"So, Charlie, how was your experience of shopping in Washington?" Elizabeth had a wicked grin on her face, knowing full well how much Charlie enjoyed that chore.

Charlie raised an eyebrow at her. "Quite successful, thank you. I believe the supplies were unloaded yesterday evening and are in the storage rooms downstairs."

Rebecca turned to Elizabeth and gave her a slight grin. "Yes, Charlie got all the assistance he needed from Mrs. Armstrong."

Richard snorted into his coffee. "Mrs. Armstrong, Charlie? Well, I must say, if you needed to find a professional shopper to assist you, you could not have done better."

Charlie just smiled.

"As long as those were the only professional services she offered," Rebecca mumbled from behind her coffee cup.

Richard gulped the mouthful of coffee and burned his throat, which set off a coughing fit. Still, it was better than spraying coffee all over the table.

Charlie calmly responded to his fiancéée’s comment. "My dear, what services she may or may not have offered are moot. I am yours, and only yours. She did send us a wedding present."

"I know that, Charlie. I was just making an observation."

"I got a present for you, my dear, and one for young Em." Em, who was happily sitting on her Papa's knee eating her morning cereal, heard her name, the word ‘‘present’ and immediately perked up.

"Fow Em?" She grabbed his coat and met him nose to nose. "Em good, Papa."

"Yes, for Em. After you finish your breakfast. And you must eat all of it, little one."

"Mmmm……" Em made quite the show of going back to her cereal and shoveling it into her mouth.

Just then, there was a clattering in the front hall. Reg came into the room, followed immediately by Captain Maguire of Company G. The captain, the youngest of Charlie's company commanders, was covered in dried mud and road dust. His eyes were bloodshot and it was obvious he was suffering from lack of sleep.

He snapped to attention, realizing he had barged into the family's breakfast, blushing to the roots of his hair. "Captain Maguire reporting, sir."

"At ease, Captain. You look like you could use a cup of coffee. Pull up a chair and tell me what has you in such a rush." Rebecca signaled for Reg to get the Captain a cup.

"Thank you, Sir." The young man took a seat, turning earnest eyes on Charlie. "We caught them, Sir."

Charlie sighed. He was silent for a moment, and then asked, "Did you obtain any evidence of other crimes?"

"Well, Sir, we found in their possession several things a man would not normally have on his person. Ladies jewelry and things of that nature, not much, but a few things. Sir, we caught them just outside Culpeper. Seems they heard you had gone to the Capitol and they were comin’ back here."

"What kind of shape are they in?"

He sighed. "Well, Sir, you can imagine. They are dirty and hungry, but they were fightin’ with my men, Sir."

"I believe you have Davison's cousin in your company. How did he behave?"

"Well, Sir, he, well he beat the tar out of Davison before we could pull him off."

"Hummmm. Well, I suppose that is an indication that we have done our job in inspiring the men to want to work as a team, with a common sense of honor." Richard snorted in the background. "Have Samuelson look them over and patch them up. Where are you holding them?"

"We have them locked up nice and tight in the overseer’s cottage. And there are men posted all around the building, Sir, with orders to shoot them on sight if they get out."

"I take it that there is little sympathy for them in the ranks?"

"None at all, Sir. ‘‘Twas bad enough what they did to Mrs. Adams, but when they had the chance to leave and then stayed, and hurt that nice Mrs. White, well, Sir, that was about the end of the line for most of the men, Sir. A lot of us had done chores for Mrs. White and her townsfolk and they did not deserve this. I doubt you will find a man willing to stand up for them, sir."

Charlie nodded his appreciation to young Maguire. "Well, George, you look like a man who needs some sleep. Turn your responsibilities over to one of the other companies. Then you and your men turn in. We will be handing these three over to the civilian authorities. They are no longer soldiers and they will have to be charged by the local civilian government."

"Yes, Sir, right away." The young man stood and smiled at Rebecca. "Thank you for the hot coffee, Ma’am."

With a crisp salute he left the room, which remained quiet as everyone considered the new problems that had just arisen. Finally there was a small voice.

"Papa?"

"Yes, Em?"

She put her spoon down and looked at him very seriously. "Papa get da bad man?"

"No, honey. Captain Maguire got the bad men. Papa has to go and figure out what to do to punish them."

She climbed up into his lap and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Papa spank da bad man."

"No, honey. Papa will have to do something else. These men were too bad to just spank them."

Em settled herself back on his knee and picked up her spoon, her little brows coming together as she considered it. "Bewy bad man," she mumbled around another spoon of cereal.

--*--

Richard and Charlie, preoccupied with the fact that Davison and his men had been captured, hurriedly finished their breakfasts and departed to interview the criminals. This left Rebecca with a very distressed little girl.

"Mama Becca, Em good. Papa fowgot pwesents." Em’s face was a portrait of confused disappointment.

"Oh, sweetheart, Papa is very busy. He will give you your present later, I promise. How about this? Shall we go see what Papa brought back for the wedding?"

"Pwesents for wedding?"

Rebecca laughed and picked up the little girl. "Yes, in a sense. These are the things Mama Becca needs to have a proper wedding to Papa." Rebecca turned to Elizabeth. "Would you care to join us?"

The little girl settled happily in Rebecca’s arms. She was growing like a weed with the good food Sarah had been feeding her. Soon she would be too heavy for Rebecca to pick up easily and carry around. "Mama Becca? What is wedding?"

"Good question. I do wish I had an answer you would understand." She gave it further thought as she continued down the hall. "It is a party, Em."

"Good. Em likes pawties."

Elizabeth chuckled as the two women proceeded to the back parlor to examine Charlie’s acquisitions. Entering the room, they were confronted by a sizable pile of bundles, bags and boxes, all heaped rather haphazardly in the middle of the room. Rebecca immediately went to the bell pull and summoned Lizbet, Tess and Reg.

"It appears absolutely everything that Charlie brought back was just piled here. I do believe I will need at least one pot of tea to get through this Herculean effort." Elizabeth’s eyes were sparkling with laughter. Rebecca was a bit overwhelmed.

"It is not funny, Elizabeth," Rebecca chastised playfully as she placed Em on the floor and continued to stare at the pile. "You would think he could have labeled things a little better."

"My dear, this is Charlie –– the man who never shops. I think he has had Jocko do all of his shopping, except for the fittings of his clothes and boots, for years. We are fortunate he managed to get everything on your list, dear." Elizabeth was poking at the pile, shifting bags and examining boxes. "It will get much better once we get the cases of wine and kegs of brandy out of here."

Rebecca looked closer at the pile. "Good Lord, is Charlie planning on getting the entire county drunk?"

"Well, there is the gentlemen’s bachelor party the night before the wedding." Elizabeth smirked.

Rebecca stood up, giving Elizabeth a very serious look. "Oh, I had forgotten about that. Do you think Charlie will have such a thing?"

"I think Richard will probably insist. That man will take any opportunity to celebrate, and if he can do it at Charlie’s expense, well, so much the better, according to him."

"As long as Charlie is in proper condition for the wedding the next day, because if he is not I will take it off Richard's hide myself."

"My dear, please leave me some of that hide." Elizabeth continued to poke among the packages. "By the way, I believe Mrs. Carter said something about being a seamstress. Perhaps we should ask her to join us?" Just then, Lizbet, Tess, and Reg appeared at the door.

"You rang for us, Miss Rebecca?" Lizbet was in the lead. Tess immediately took charge of the youngster, who had disembarked from Rebecca’s arms and was using the pile of merchandise to play a small version of king of the mountain. Reg, fully aware of how much stuff was piled in the middle of the floor and fearing that he was about to be told to put most of the heavier stuff away, was trying to make himself invisible.

"Yes, we must sort through these things and determine what needs to be put away," Rebecca looked at the man standing quietly in the corner by the door. "Reg, I am sure you will see to that right away."

"Yes’m." Reg rolled his eyes as Rebecca turned away. He had hauled most of this stuff into the parlor from the wagon last night. Now he would have to haul it again. He already hurt.

"Tess, could you go find Mrs. Carter and ask her to join us? You can leave Em here with us." She turned to Elizabeth. "Thank you for reminding me. Mrs. Carter offered to assist in preparing for the wedding, as did several of the other women."

"And Lizbet, you know I will depend on you heavily in the coming weeks. So, please, consider yourself part of the wedding party. Dr. Walker needs some tea to get through this; perhaps you will bring enough for all of us –– and Lizbet, bring cups for you, Tess, and Reg."

Elizabeth looked at her friend. "Good thing Mrs. Williams is not part of this little wedding party. She would faint if she knew you let your servants drink tea with you."

"Remind me to tell her the next time I see her."

Elizabeth snorted as she picked up a package that was clearly a bolt of cloth.

"I think you may want to look at this." She handed Rebecca the package.

Rebecca opened the package and smiled at the contents. It was beautiful ivory semi-sheer voile that would be the outer shell of her wedding gown. "It is beautiful."

"Yes, dear, it is. What are you planning, if I may ask?"

"Mrs. Cooper had a lovely picture of a dress I thought would be appropriate. Mrs. Carter agreed, and said that she could make it for me fairly quickly. It has a simple underskirt of palest blue satin with a voile overskirt that is gathered to the waist over one hip. The bodice is more of the blue satin with ivory lace, with a scooped, off the shoulder neckline. There are lace rosettes around the skirt. Simple, elegant, and I love it."

Mrs. Carter entered as Elizabeth was describing the dress. "Ah, Mrs. Gaines. I see the supplies have come. Let us get them sorted out and we can begin cutting the pattern today."

Silently, Reg trudged in and out of the room, carrying cases of wine and kegs of brandy downstairs to the cellar.

--*--

Jocko knocked gently on the door of Esther White’s room. A soft voice bade him enter. "Good morning, Esther. Are you feeling any better, dear lady?"

"Good morning, John. Yes, I am. Thank you. Please come join me." She patted a place next to her on the small davenport.

"I, um, I wanted to check and see if Dr. Walker had taken care of you, if there were any problems." Jocko was nervous. What he really wanted to tell her was that Davison had been captured, but did not quite know how to do it.

"Yes. Dr. Walker and Mrs. Gaines have been very kind to me. I am feeling much better. I do believe I will make a full recovery." She paused, glancing down at her hands. "John, I am so sorry for the way I spoke to you when you first found me."

"Esther, dear lady, I am surprised you will talk to anyone wearing this uniform after what those monsters did to you. I am just grateful you let me help you and bring you here."

"John, I learned a very long time ago that there are good men and there are evil men. The clothes do not make the man. It is what is in your heart. You are a good man, they are evil."

"Thank you, Esther. I am honored to know you think me a good man. I fear there are more people in the world who think I am more of a rake than a saint."

"Yes, well, I would imagine that would be my rather vocal Southern cousins. Would you think me odd if I told you I never supported this war? I knew it would be a foolhardy venture. I am proud to be Southern, John, but I never believed we could win a war with the Federals. If our way of life has been destroyed, we destroyed it ourselves."

"Ah, Esther, I appreciate your perspective on this war, but I am afraid I was referring more to my own personal life. I have, um, been known to, ah, avail myself of, er, the company of ladies of less than sterling reputation in the past. I have also been told I have the Irish predilection for a bit of the jug."

"I have never known an Irishman that was not a scallywag, John Jackson. You are a perfectly charming gentleman and you know it."

"Well, ma’am, if you can stand having the support of a known scallywag, I would be honored to stand as your support. And when this whole thing is over, perhaps……"

Jocko stopped for a moment, then looked at the floor.

"You see, Esther, I think you are going to need someone to stand for you. Our troops captured Davison and two other men last night. The General said he plans to turn them over for civilian justice, but either way, you will be asked to testify."

"Will they be hanged?" she asked with very little emotion.

"If I have anything to say about it. I know that General Redmond does not have any compunction about hanging rapists. But it remains to be seen what Mayor Frazier chooses to do."

"Frazier does not have the backbone to make a decision like that. I can say that, as I have known him all my life. He and Mr. White used to go rabbit hunting together. Horace is a good hearted man, but he is not a leader."

"Well, I suspect that whatever happens, General Redmond will play a major role. And he does have the backbone."

"You are very fond of your General., very loyal to him. What has he done to deserve such fierce loyalty?"

"He saved my life and then he gave me a place in the world." The stark simplicity of Jocko’s statement spoke volumes about the relationship between the two men.

"I can tell you the people in the area are torn between calling him friend and hating him just because he is a Union officer. They realize he has done more than they ever expected but their damn foolish pride will not let them thank him." She sighed and looked to her friend. "I would be grateful for your support through this John. Thank you."

"You know, Esther, I have seen women after they had been violated, and most of them were far more emotional than you are. I am worried about you, sweet lady. Holding in the anger and the pain are not good for you."

"I am past all that, dear man. I am old enough to know it will not make anything different. What happened, happened. I did nothing to encourage it, but I most certainly cannot change it."

"Well, ma’am, I believe you can expect a visit from the General soon. If you would like, I will be here with you when he calls."

"Yes, I think I would like that very much. Thank you."

"Now, ma’am, to pass the time, would you like to play a little two handed whist, or perhaps some checkers or chess?"

"I would be careful if I were you, Sergeant. Before my husband died, when he could no longer get out of his sickbed, we played checkers all day. I am quite good." She smiled as Jocko brought the game table closer to her seat.

Jocko set the checkerboard down on the small table and pulled the box of markers out. They were setting them in place when they heard the crack of gunshots ring out. Jocko leapt up, knocking the table over, and raced through the door.

--*--

Charlie and Richard had gone to Charlie’s office to review the reports of the arresting officers. Charlie then prepared articles of arrest, defining the formal charges and remanding the three men to the civilian authorities. Finally, he prepared copies of the documents, along with a letter to Frazier, and sent them off with a trooper to be delivered to the Mayor post haste.

He then stopped upstairs to check on Rebecca and the ladies. As he entered the small back parlor, he was confronted with most of the women in the house all sorting through the material, lace, and notions he had brought, sketching details of design, or sipping tea. The din was overwhelming and he hastily kissed Rebecca, tousled Em’s hair and started backing out of what had become a totally feminine domain. The sound of gunfire penetrated even that cacophony. He bolted from the room.

--*--

Captain Peter Dewees, the new commander of Company C, had accepted responsibility for the prisoners from Captain Maguire with a certain level of pride. All three men had been members of his company, all three had been special cronies of the late, and to be truthful, unlamented, Major Montgomery, and all three were an embarrassment to his company. That Colonel Polk saw fit to allow his company to mount the guard was an honor; one that he believed they had earned by winning the gymkhana.

Dewees strode into the small stone building. The three men were standing in irons, looking decidedly the worse for wear. Maguire had said they had resisted arrest; from the looks of them, the men of Company G had not been gentle in their efforts to subdue them.

"Shamus Davison, Otis Dumpire, and Edward Osborn, you are charged with the crimes of rape, theft, and assault on a civilian. Because you have broken the terms of your dismissal, you are also charged with failure to obey a commanding officer and dereliction of duty. On the charges of rape, theft, and assault, you are to be remanded to civilian authorities, as is appropriate because of your discharge from the Army. Only after the civilian authorities have pursued their charges will you then be tried on the military charges. Consider well, men. Mr. Samuelson will be along shortly to tend to your injuries."

Young Lieutenant Swallow led the detail assigned to guard duty, supported by Raiford, the new color bearer. Raiford and the other guards unshackled the men, one at a time, and marched them into the empty storage room at the back of the overseer’s office. A few minutes later, Samuelson arrived. Raiford volunteered to go in with him.

As they opened the door, the three men exploded out of their makeshift prison. One stiff-armed Samuelson, who fell unconscious. Another grappled with Raiford for his carbine, while the third went for Swallow. Young Swallow reacted as he had been trained. He fired his pistol, one clean shot to the heart. Raiford’s carbine went off at almost the same time, blasting up through the jaw and brain of his assailant. The third man was running; Dewees dropped him with two shots in the back.

Dewees checked on Samuelson and the other men. Apart from the obvious fact that the medic had a glass jaw, all of the men were healthy, if somewhat shaken. All three miscreants were dead. Dewees was just ordering a detail to handle the bodies as Charlie, Richard, and Jocko roared around the corner, the two officers with side arms drawn. They drew up short as soon as they saw the three bodies on the ground.

"Captain Dewees reporting, sir. The prisoners attempted to escape, assaulting several of our men. As is standard procedure, we responded with force. I am sorry, sir, that we were unable to bring them to trial, but to be honest, I am just as glad it ended this way. Good riddance to bad trash."

Charlie looked at the bodies crumpled in the mud, then at the faces of the men around him. These were the same men who had marched, slept, eaten, and fought side by side with those lying in the mud. There was not a single face that showed any grief for the loss of a comrade. Perhaps justice had been done.

--*--

Charlie and Jocko walked back to the house, leaving Richard to oversee the burial detail, handle the paper work and dispatch a messenger to Mayor Frazier. It was time for Charlie to meet with Mrs. White and carry the news that she would not have to undergo the strain of a trial.

They mounted the back stairs and walked down the hall to her room. Just as they knocked on Mrs. White’s door, the door to Constance’s room burst open and a small tornado with black hair burst out. Having been extremely good during her morning visit with her mother, she was full of energy and ready to play.

"Papa!" Em ran over and threw herself at him, wrapping around his legs and trying to climb him like a tree.

Esther White had been up and pacing when the knock came on her door. Like everyone else in the house, she had heard the gunshots. She opened the door to the highly amusing vision of a tall, slender black-haired officer being climbed by a small, eager black-haired monkey child. It was a vision so far from what she expected that she could not help but burst out laughing.

While she laughed, Charlie settled Em in the crook of his left arm and admonished her, "Be good, now, Papa has to talk to the nice lady."

Em curled into Charlie's shoulder and watched the woman as her Papa walked into the room.

"You are this child's father, General? How is that possible?"

"No, Mrs. White, I am not. I simply resemble her father. Her mother is unwell and is advanced in another pregnancy, so Em has rather attached herself to Rebecca and me. Welcome to our home, although I would have wished it to be under much more pleasant circumstances." Charlie was obviously comfortable in the role of father to the little imp who was peeking at Mrs. White through her fingers, flirting and smiling.

"Thank you. It was very kind of Miss Rebecca to take me in." The older woman reached out and ran her fingers through Em's bangs. "Something has happened? I heard the shots. Was anyone hurt?"

"I must inform you that the prisoners attempted to escape and were killed in the ensuing ruckus. Perhaps the good news, ma’am, is that you will not have to undergo the strain of a trial."

She lowered her eyes and said a quiet prayer. Then she looked back to Charlie. "Thank you, General. I am grateful for your assistance and your honesty."

"Mrs. White, I do understand this may be a difficult time for you. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you wish. In fact, if you are up to it, I suspect that Mrs. Gaines would enjoy the additional company. It seems the house has been taken over by women in a wedding planning frenzy."

"Oh yes, John had mentioned that during one of his visits. Congratulations, General."

Charlie’s eyebrow rose. The last time anyone had called Jocko ‘‘John’ was when he took his induction oath. "Yes, thank you, ma’am."

"You mentioned the child’s mother is expecting and unwell? I am a midwife; perhaps I could be of some assistance."

"I suspect so. Mrs. Adams has been under Dr. Walker’s care, but unfortunately, she is not due until after I believe we will be ordered back to the field. Dr. Walker will be with our support staff then. Perhaps you can discuss it with Dr. Walker and Mrs. Adams after you have had a chance to recover yourself."

Mrs. White smiled and nodded agreement. "Perhaps I shall, General."

Just then, Em tugged on Charlie’s lapel. "Papa?"

"Yes, Em?"

"Em good. Papa give pwesent now?"

Charlie flushed. In the fracas surrounding the arrest of Davison and his henchmen, he had totally forgotten about the doll he had bought her in Washington. "Yes, little one. You have been very good." He turned to Mrs. White. "Madam, I believe our young lady has demanded some attention from her Papa. So if I may excuse myself?"

Esther White nodded, and Charlie excused himself with a small bow. She watched as the tall man carried the daughter of his heart off to his room and the promised gift.

--*--

The day had been a long one, stressful in different ways for all members of the household. Most significantly, it had been a day where Charlie had no time alone with Rebecca. Other than the period when all had wondered over the fate of Davison and his men, the women had been occupied with wedding plans. As a result, the small ring box in his breast pocket was burning a hole in his chest.

By dinner, everyone was tired, and by mutual agreement, all withdrew for some quiet time in their rooms and an early bedtime. Charlie slipped up to their sitting room ahead of Rebecca, with a bottle of champagne and two glasses in hand. He built up the fire and dimmed the lamps. He was ready.

He joined Rebecca in the hall, and they both went to tuck young Em into bed for the night. Then, with a gallant bow, he swept open the door to Rebecca’s personal bower.

Rebecca smiled at him as she looked into the room before entering. "What has gotten into you tonight, Charlie?"

"I not only bought Em a present, I also got a couple of things for you, dear, and I wanted to give them to you."

She looked at him very carefully. He was in a rare, playful mood and she found she rather enjoyed this side of her normally reserved General. "Is that so? And what may I ask, have you found?"

"Well, there is the mundane. I went to my bank, put my accounts in both of our names, and opened a fund for you. Here, my love. It is the paperwork. I think you will find you are a rather wealthy woman in your own right. Consider it my engagement present." With a flourish, he laid the paperwork on the small table beside her. The top page noted Rebecca’s personal account of fifty thousand dollars. She riffled through the other papers, seeing the total sum in their joint accounts that made her eyes widen. The last documents were Charlie’s will and his military pension.

She turned to him, not quite knowing what to say. "I...I...Charlie it is too much..."

He took her in his arms. "No, dear. It is just a fraction of what I wish I could give you. To me, you are worth more than all the money in the world. While I am gone, you will have a great many issues to deal with. This gives you the financial freedom to do so. In just a few weeks, I will stand up and pledge "And all my worldly goods I thee endow." I just got a head start on it."

She smiled and kissed him. "Thank you, Charlie," she sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. "Are you as nervous as I am?"

"About marrying you or about the wedding?"

"Both?"

He laughed and settled on the davenport in front of the fire with her in his lap. "I am always nervous about public events and ceremonies. I worry about falling over my sword; I worry my jacket will get tucked into my trousers; I worry I will say or do something stupid; I worry I will give myself away. But as to marrying you," he stopped and tenderly kissed her under the curve of her jaw, his lips whispering just below her ear. "As for marrying you, it is the best thing I have ever done and will ever do. I am joyous, excited, can barely wait, but no, I am not nervous about it." He slipped his hand inside his jacket. She had felt an odd little lump under her shoulder where it rested against his coat. They adjusted their position a little as he pulled the small box out. "I thought you needed something of your own, so I got you these. One is for now, the other two are for later."

Rebecca looked at the rings in Charlie's hand. "Charlie, they are beautiful."

Charlie extracted one ring. It was an emerald, cut in a fine square and surrounded by a rosette of diamonds, all mounted in white gold. In the firelight, the stones flashed and sparkled. "Give me your hand, my love."

Rebecca tried to stop her hand from shaking as she presented it, but was not as successful as she would have liked. All she could do was give Charlie an embarrassed little smile.

Charlie carefully slipped the small garnet ring she had been wearing off her left hand ring finger. He then just as carefully placed the emerald at the tip of her finger and asked again, "Rebecca Gaines, will you marry me? All of me. The man and the woman? Will you let me love you for the rest of our lives, and share with you all that I have and all that I am? Will you raise our children with me, and build a life filled with love and laughter together?"

Words were far beyond Rebecca's reach at this very moment in time and all she could do was nod and try to hold back the happy tears that threatened to escape. Finally she drew a deep breath and managed to whisper, "Yes."

Charlie slipped the ring on her finger. It settled firmly, as if it were a part of her hand. Then he gathered her close in his arms and they sat, holding one another, until the need for sleep overtook them.

Chapter 26

Friday, January 27, 1865

Mr. Cooper drove the big wagon behind the house and pulled the tarp back to show Charlie the lovely rosewood spinet piano in the back. Mrs. Cooper sat up on the box, waiting for the men to figure out how to move the heavy instrument.

It was unusual for Mr. Cooper to deliver anything personally; it was far more unusual for Mrs. Cooper to accompany him, but today she wanted to have a word with the General, and then assist Rebecca in the final preparations for the wedding.

Charlie, Jocko, and Duncan sweated in the cool air, carefully moving the piano and matching stool off the wagon and into the house. They stashed it in the musicians’ alcove in the ballroom, from which they could move it into the front parlor quickly and relatively painlessly on the morning of the wedding.

Charlie then invited the Coopers to join him in his office for a cup of tea. Mr. Cooper declined, citing the need to return to his store. Mrs. Cooper accepted, after Charlie assured her one of his men would be happy to drive her home later.

"Mrs. Cooper, I do appreciate what you and your husband have done to get Rebecca’s wedding present. I am sure that dealing with Mrs. Williams in my behalf was…… challenging."

"Well, Mrs. Williams would certainly have not accommodated you if she had known what Mr. Cooper’s plans were. I am sure she will be irritated when she finds out." She sipped her tea then said, "General, I am glad we have this few minutes together. There are a few things I wanted to discuss with you privately."

"Of course, Ma'am any thing I can do to be of assistance to you or Mr. Cooper."

"I was Rebecca’s mother’s very closest friend. We were almost like sisters, and I have always held Rebecca in a very special place in my heart. So, with her mother gone, there is no one but me to speak with you as a mother would. I hope you do not mind the presumption."

Charlie smiled. Then he sat up very straight in his chair. "No, of course not."

Mrs. Cooper paused for a moment and then began with a question. "What has Rebecca told you about her first marriage?"

"She has told me bits and pieces of her marriage to Mr. Gaines. Enough for me to surmise that she was treated very badly."

"She was treated very badly indeed. I personally believe he beat her, although she has never said anything directly."

Charlie nodded. "Yes, he did. She has confided that to me."

"I also believe he abused her…… conjugally."

Charlie swallowed hard. "I know from what she has said that he did. However, I am not sure Rebecca sees it for what it was."

Mrs. Cooper looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean, General?"

"I think Gaines had her convinced it was her duty and his right. She knew he was wrong and he was hurting her, but I do not believe she equates it with what happen to Mrs. Adams, because Gaines was her lawful husband."

Mrs. Cooper looked at the man before her with some surprise. She knew the General was a sensitive man, but this perceptiveness was more than she thought any man capable of. "Well, sir, you seem to have a good grasp of what she has been through. In addition to being violent and controlling, he was unfaithful, and unfaithful in ways that were very insulting. I know Rebecca tolerated it in silence, but I could see how much it pained her."

"I hope you know I would never insult her in that way."

"General, may I be perfectly blunt with you?"

"Of course you may."

"I have never known a gentleman who did not stray at some point in his marriage. I just ask that you be discreet about it. Furthermore, Sir, if you ever hurt her like Gaines did, I will personally see to it that you are called to task. She is a sweet woman; she does not deserve that kind of treatment."

Charlie nodded, "I would hope so. I can see how much you care for her and I am pleased she will have you to rely on when I am called back to service. But rest assured, when I return home I will be faithful to Rebecca as no man has ever been faithful to a woman before."

"I hope so, General, I truly hope so. I assume you have also heard the rumors that Rebecca is…… unable to bear children?"

"Yes, but that does not concern me. As you know, Rebecca has decided to take in every waif that passes through Culpeper, and..." Charlie shifted knowing now was the time to fix this particular problem before more rumors got started. "You see, Ma'am, I was injured. I am afraid I cannot father children."

"Oh, my, sir. That is most unfortunate. If it is not too personal, may I ask how extensive the injury was? I mean, I know Rebecca is a passionate woman and I……" She trailed off, embarrassed to ask the question that was floating just out of reach, past the boundary of her Southern propriety.

"I assure you. I am capable of satisfying Miss Rebecca, just not fathering children."

Mrs. Cooper blushed, rather becomingly for an older woman, and smiled. "I am sure you will extend yourself to the limits of your capabilities, sir. I just do not want to see Rebecca hurt again."

Charlie could not help but smile. He gave Mrs. Cooper a little wink. "I give you my word, ma’am. I will not hurt her."

--*--

Charlie escorted Mrs. Cooper upstairs. Entering the back parlor, he announced, "Darling, look who has come to help you through the day." Rebecca looked at Charlie and Mrs. Cooper with an odd lack of comprehension.

"What?"

"Honey, Mrs. Cooper has come to help you today." Rebecca was wandering around the room, aimlessly toying with the flowers, the carefully sorted dishes for the following day, the ribbons for the ballroom and various other items that were carefully staged in the parlor for deployment the following morning. She rather reminded Charlie of a lost lamb, milling around looking for its ewe. He looked at Mrs. Cooper. "Perhaps, ma’am, I should send a messenger to your husband asking him to join us here for the evening."

"Ah, yes, I suspect you are right. She looks a little…… disoriented. Mr. Cooper and I can take her to our home to dress for the wedding in the morning. Thank you, General."

Rebecca looked up from a flower arrangement. "Hello, Charlie."

"Hello, darling." He went to her and gave her a soft hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Mrs. Cooper is here to see you, dear."

Rebecca looked from Charlie to the woman across the room. "Hello, Grace." She looked back to Charlie. "We are getting married in the morning."

"Yes, dear. We are getting married in the morning. At least we are if you still want to." Charlie looked over at Mrs. Cooper, a silent plea in his eyes. He was starting to panic. Had the stress finally gotten to Rebecca? Had his beautiful, strong lady finally snapped? "Darling, are you all right? You seem so…… distracted."

She looked at him, not fully understanding what he was saying, but understanding the look of concern on his face. "I am fine…… really."

Charlie was at a loss. She seemed totally removed from him, from the events going on around her, from the bustle of the day. "Are you sure, darling? I do not want our wedding to put you back in bed, as you were before Christmas."

"General, I think you will find that your bride is merely suffering from a severe case of nerves." Mrs. Cooper joined them and placed her arm around Rebecca's shoulder. "She will be fine. I will take care of her and she will be at the church in the morning. You need not worry. Everything is fine."

"Perhaps I should take her up to her room? Maybe a nap and some quiet time together?"

Mrs. Cooper smiled. "General Redmond, I realize that over the last few months, you and Rebecca have had a rather unique situation as far as sleeping arrangements are concerned. But for today and tonight, I think it would be best if you made arrangements to sleep elsewhere."

Charlie looked at her with his mouth hanging open. It had never occurred to him that he would have to observe that particular tradition. He and Rebecca had slept together every night since he had come to Culpeper, except for the few days he had spent in Washington. Spending the night on the chesterfield in his office was not exactly what he had planned for the night before the wedding. He had had visions of cuddling and wooing his lady. They evaporated with a snap before Mrs. Cooper’s gentle but firm presence. To make matters worse, he had just invited her to spend the night, so she was there to enforce this token gesture to proprietary.

"So, I assure you that Rebecca will be fine, General. Perhaps you should go enjoy your last night as a bachelor with a few of your men. If you are of a mind, I am sure Mr. Cooper would like to celebrate with you."

Meekly, Charlie acceded to her instructions. "Yes, ma’am. I will see you at dinner, and will send a messenger now to inform your husband of your presence here tonight."

"Thank you, General."

--*--

Banished from the main part of the house, Charlie wandered down to his office. He summoned Duncan and asked him to send a messenger to Mr. Cooper. Then he walked through the stables to see Jack, who was far more interested in Shannon. Charlie made a note to have Tarent mate them, as it was clear Shannon was coming into season. He then wandered through the camp, which was eerily quiet and seemingly deserted. Finally, he went back to the house and up to Em’s room. Tess was keeping her in her room, playing with her quietly to keep her out of the way of the final day’s preparations. Charlie sat on the floor, playing blocks with her, until it was time for supper.

That was not much better. Samantha Carter was running the house for the day and had rustled up some cold ham and a pot of soup for supper. It was simple; it was easy for everyone to take what they wanted, and it meant Sarah could focus on the wedding banquet. Charlie fed Em and gave her to Tess for her bath then wandered back to pick up something for himself. He was really hoping to see Rebecca.

Mrs. Cooper flashed into the morning room, gathering two plates. "How is Rebecca, Mrs. Cooper? Is she coming down for dinner?"

"No, General, she is resting in her room. I told you to go out with the other gentlemen. Now git."

Richard strolled up, overhearing Mrs. Cooper’s side of the conversation. "Come on, Charlie. The boys and I will keep you occupied for the evening. You need to escape from this hive of feminine activity."

Charlie followed Richard. He had no other options available.

Richard nudged his friend. "Buck up, Charlie, it is only one night."

"That is fine for you to say, but……" Charlie could hear himself. "God, I am whining. Get me out of here, Richard."

"With pleasure."

--*--

Richard threw Charlie’s greatcoat at him. "Come with me to the Officers’ Mess. Surely we can find something to do down there."

As the two men strolled down to the encampment, they chatted about the order of tomorrow’s event. The wedding was scheduled for three in the afternoon; then the guests were coming back to Redmond Stables for a festive banquet. Charlie and Rebecca would spend their first night as a married couple in their own bed, leaving on Monday for a week in Washington.

They arrived at the Officers’ Mess to find the timbered tent alive with voices. Richard threw the door open and literally pushed Charlie through it.

There were more men in the tent than usual and some of them were civilians. All of Charlie’s senior officers were present, as well as Cooper and Frazier and a couple of other local men of Charlie’s acquaintance. But there were also several unexpected gentlemen present. Sheridan, McCauley, and Merritt were over by a large punch bowl where Duncan presided. In the corner with Mayor Frazier sat a stubby man with three stars on his shoulders and a cloud of cigar smoke above his head. Charlie was overwhelmed.

It may have been his bachelor’s party, but Charlie’s training took over spontaneously. He snapped to attention and saluted. "General Grant, sir."

"Take the stick out of your arse, Redmond. This is your party." Grant grinned and went back to his conversation with Frazier, who he had met and befriended when he had used Culpeper as his own base of operations the previous spring.

Whitman handed Charlie a mug. Charlie immediately took a large mouthful and nearly choked. He had expected coffee, perhaps laced with brandy. What he got was hot rum punch, and by the intensity, one made mostly of rum with only a nod to the other traditional ingredients.

The officers stood in response to Richard tapping on his mug. "Gentlemen, I give you our beloved friend and commander, General Charles H. Redmond. Charlie Redmond, the model soldier, ‘‘til green eyes smiled and made his blood smolder. Now Charlie’s a groom, Rebecca’s in charge and together, we pray, they shall grow older. To Charlie and Rebecca."

The men duly drank the toast then pummeled Richard for his atrocious poetry.

The officers brought out their gift to Charlie, with Swallow, as the senior officer of the company commanders presenting it. "General, as much as we regret it, we understand that you intend to return to civilian life when this war is concluded. Therefore, we have decided that you need to learn to ride in something other than a cavalry saddle. So we got this for you." He unveiled a beautifully tooled hunt saddle that had the distinctive mark of Crosby Leatherworks. Charlie ran his hand over the butter soft leather. Young Dewees spoke up. "We tried it on Jack, Sir. Fits him like a glove." Charlie was deeply touched; he went to each man in his command with a word of appreciation.

Richard’s toast had opened the door to a round of raucous toasts and jokes. The tale of Rebecca and Charlie in the stable, which had made the rounds of the camp very quickly, was resurrected and speculated upon. Charlie spent much of the evening blushing, but as his consumption of the rum punch continued the blushes turned to the flushed face of a man who had had a little too much to drink.

As the midnight guard changed, General Grant decided it was time for this little party to break up, or risk the groom being useless the following day. He stood and cleared his throat. Of course, General Grant had helped himself liberally to Charlie’s supply of brandy, and his words were none too clear; nor was he particularly steady on his feet. "Gen’lmen. ‘‘S been a fine evenin’, but ‘‘tis time to bid our grushing broom –– uh –– blushing groom good night." Grant stumbled over towards Charlie, where he promptly flopped on Charlie’s shoulder. "Bed time, boys." Laughing, Sheridan and Merritt relieved Charlie of the unexpected burden of their commander.

Charlie pulled on his greatcoat and headed out the door, escorted by Richard. They trudged through the cold up to the house, where Charlie let himself in the front door. Richard, unexpectedly, followed him in. "What are you doing, Richard? I am perf’ly fine. I can find my own bed, thank you."

"Oh, really, General ‘‘Totally In Control’? Then why are you headed upstairs?"

"Because that is where my bed is, of course."

"Not tonight, my friend. Tonight you sleep in your office."

"I have to go to Rebecca."

"Not tonight, laddio. Tonight you sleep alone. Jocko and I will collect you in the morning."

Richard steered Charlie down the back stairs to his office. Jocko had thoughtfully laid out blankets and a pillow on the old chesterfield sofa, pulled it in front of the fire, and banked a slow burning fire in the fireplace. Richard relieved Charlie of his overcoat and uniform coat, then pushed his friend into the sofa and pulled his boots off.

Charlie realized that Richard was planning to put him into bed. His innate sense of survival helped him to pull himself together. "Thanks, Richard, but I can handle the rest myself. I believe you also have a role to play tomorrow, old friend. So off to bed with you as well."

"If you are sure, Charlie." Richard grinned evilly. "Sleep well, because I am sure that you will need all your energies for tomorrow."

--*--

Charlie woke at dawn, as was his habit. A watery stream of sunlight was coming through the cracks in the curtains, hitting him right in the eyes. This was unfortunate, as he had more than a slight hangover. He struggled out of his covers, buttoned his rumpled, slept-in shirt, and half tucked it back into his trousers. In his stocking feet, he padded out into the hall and over to the winter kitchen, praying to all the gods there were that Sarah had a pot of coffee going.

Sarah and several other servants were bustling around the kitchen. Reg was setting up the clockwork spit that would rotate for several hours without being tended. Charlie stood in the door for several minutes watching them before anyone noticed his presence.

"La, General Charlie. What are you doing in the kitchen this early?" Sarah had turned and saw him standing there. She grabbed a mug and pulled a cup of coffee from the urn she had set on the warming stove. "Well, Sir, are you going to just stand there or come in and have your coffee?"

As she drew closer, she took in Charlie’s disheveled appearance and the bloodshot look of his eyes. "Ah, I see. Had a good time last night, did you, Sir?"

Charlie nodded dumbly and took the coffee mug from her. He cradled it to his chest, willing it to cool enough for him to drink.

"You got a bit of a head there, Sir?"

Charlie nodded carefully. Right now, any movement hurt.

"Well, Sir, come and sit at the table and I will fix you right up. You know, my old master had a taste for the grape and he swore by my cure. Or perhaps he swore at my cure. Whichever, it works."

Sarah continued to chat and bustle around as she prepared a concoction for Charlie’s head. She broke two eggs into a tall glass, added some Worcestershire sauce, a touch of bottled Hell, which was her own distillation of hot peppers, some sassafras root, some ground willow bark, some benne oil, and a shot of cooking brandy. She vigorously shook the miserable concoction, so that it was a viscous, brown mess and set it in front of Charlie. "Drink it down. I know it looks horrible, but it does the trick, General C."

Charlie looked at the mixture in the glass and almost lost whatever was in his stomach. However, he manfully closed his eyes, screwed up his face, and gulped down the contents of the glass. As soon as it was down, he grabbed for his coffee cup. He needed something, anything to wash that filthy taste out of his mouth.

Sarah set a glass of water in front of him. "Here. You need more fluid. Give it half an hour and you will be right as rain."

Charlie dutifully drank the water and thanked Sarah. He made a mental note to himself never to get drunk again if this was the only cure.

--*--

Charlie was feeling somewhat better an hour later when a small form, who had recently learned how to turn doorknobs, burst into his office, wearing her night dress and dragging her doll behind her.

"Papa. Morning, Papa. Tess say you have bweakfas’ here. So Em come here."

"Well, good morning, little one. I see that at least one of the women in this house remembered me." Charlie scooped the little girl up and set her on his lap. "So, how are you this morning?

"Em good. See Papa. Web say Em good." Em held up the doll that Charlie had brought her from Washington, who she had, after serious thought, named Reb, after Rebecca because she thought the doll looked like Mama Becca. Unfortunately, Em had not yet mastered the ‘‘r’ sound.

"Papa. Em hungy."

"Let me go get us some breakfast, little one."

Charlie set the child on the sofa, admonishing her to not touch anything on Papa’s desk and wandered over to the kitchen for a couple of bowls of hot cereal. Sarah ladled up two bowls of cornmeal mush and drizzled honey on them.

"Gen’l Charlie?" Reg came in lugging hot water buckets, having just finished filling Rebecca’s bath.

"Yes, Reg?"

"When do you want your bath drawn? And do you want a tub down in your office?"

"Well, I suppose it depends on when Miss Rebecca is leaving. I think I will bathe just after she leaves upstairs, if you can manage it?"

"Yes, sir. The washing room or your room?"

"My room, I think. That will leave the wash room open for other folks."

"Yes, sir."

Charlie returned to his office, where he and Em had a quiet breakfast together. Tess came looking for the little girl shortly after she finished. "General Charlie, I have been looking all over the house for this little imp. I went to her room to get her for breakfast and she was gone."

Em looked abashed. She had gotten herself up and went to her Papa. Tess would have fussed over her and made her put on clothes before she got her breakfast. Papa let her eat in her nightgown.

--*--

Jocko appeared shortly after Tess had swept Em away to bathe and dress the little scamp. Keeping the child clean until the wedding was going to be a challenge –– she was having one of her playful days when very little would stop her from doing what she wanted. Charlie had heard friends who had young children talk about the "terrible twos." Em was giving new meaning to that concept.

"Good morning, Charlie. I hear you needed Sarah’s cure this morning."

Charlie grunted and nodded. Sarah’s cure was not high on his list of popular conversation topics for the day.

"Miss Rebecca left for Mrs. Cooper’s house a few minutes ago."

Charlie perked up. "How did she look? Was she rested? I was worried about her yesterday, she looked so…… lost."

Jocko chuckled, "Yes, Charlie, she is fine. Very happy, almost giddy this morning as they packed up her dress and other things. She had a delightful blush on her cheeks this morning."

Charlie sighed, relieved past words. He had a secret fear that she would decide that marrying a woman who passed as a man was just not what she wanted to do with her life and would leave him at the altar.

"So, now that she has gone to get ready, I can tend to my toilet?"

"You can. And I would suggest to you, that you spend the day lounging around in your most comfortable clothing."

"Oh? Why is that, oh seer of wedding days?"

"Because at about one o’clock I will be coming over here to stuff you into your most formal dress uniform."

Charlie smiled. The formal dress uniform was one of those outfits that required him to wear his more unusual undergarments. "I see. Good thing I have been running lately?"

"Indeed. It is also a good thing that we have a large canister of talc to get you into those trousers."

--*--

Rebecca, Samantha and Grace sat in the small kitchen of the house sipping tea while Rebecca tried to eat a few pieces of sweet bread to settle her stomach. Elizabeth came into the kitchen with a huge smile on her face.

"And how is our blushing bride this morning?"

"Nervous. Elizabeth you are a doctor, can you not give me something for my stomach? I am afraid I shall be sick before the day is over."

"I have two prescriptions for you. The first is this little vial –– a simple tonic with raspberry and mint to settle your stomach without making you feel fuzzy. The second is for you to close your eyes and think of Charlie, of the look on his face as you walk down the aisle."

Rebecca could only smile like a schoolgirl. When she had done what Elizabeth suggested, she opened her eyes and looked to her friend. "Now is he not just the most handsome thing?"

Samantha and Grace started laughing, as Elizabeth commented wryly, "Well, dear, I suspect that depends on your taste in gentlemen. I do have to admit, Charlie is a handsome man."

"Yes, he is." She scratched her forehead as she tried to ease a headache coming on. "Why am I so blasted nervous? It is not like I have not done this before."

Grace leaned forward and patted her hand. "Perhaps, dear, that is exactly why you are so nervous. But you have to keep remembering the General is not Mr. Gaines, and that you chose the General."

"True. I suppose this is what a bride is supposed to feel on her wedding day."

Samantha looked askance. "I am not sure what a bride is supposed to feel. I was fortunate enough to have a husband I knew and loved before we married, so I remember feeling excited and joyous. But your first marriage was to a man you not only did not know well, but one you did not even like. I certainly understand why you may be feeling nervous. Just keep thinking about your Charlie. Put those old memories aside and know that you will look back on this day as one of the best in your life."

"I remember on the day I married the first time, I spent most of the morning in tears. I was frightened and I wished for a way out. But today I am just wishing for the day to go quickly so I can be with Charlie." She looked to Elizabeth. "Have you seen him the morning? How is he?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I have not seen either him or Richard. Perhaps Mrs. Cooper could enlighten us. I understand Mr. Cooper was in attendance last night."

Mrs. Cooper grinned evilly. "I do not know the details. All I know is, I came downstairs this morning to find Mr. Cooper sound asleep in the pantry where we store the dry goods. I am not sure how he got there, I am not even sure I want to know how he got there. From the mumbling he was doing on his way upstairs, there was some mention of hot rum punch, a new saddle, and General Redmond's men dancing with a horse. I am still not sure I understand that."

Rebecca could not help but chuckle. "Dancing with a horse?"

"Well," drawled Elizabeth, "you know how cavalry men are about their horses."

Samantha chimed in. "I heard the servants saying something about Grant and brooms."

Rebecca just looked to Samantha and then to Elizabeth. "Grant? Brooms? What in the name of God did they do last night?"

Lizbet walked in at that moment. "Miss Rebecca? Time to do your hair. And I believe the menfolk had some kind of party last night. Gen’l Charlie needed Sarah’s cure this morning."

"Oh Lord," Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I will be lucky if Charlie makes it to the church."

"Oh, I think that Charlie would make it to the church if he were on his deathbed, dear. I have never seen that man so determined." Elizabeth smiled. The changes Charlie had undergone in the past months were astounding. They were all for the better and all because of this diminutive blonde.

"I suppose it was Richard's idea to get my husband-to-be drunk? Richard is a bad influence on Charlie." Rebecca teased, realizing she was starting to feel much better.

"Well, as I heard it, it was everybody’s idea to get your husband-to-be drunk." Grace Cooper grinned. "I sent him off to play yesterday, and I understand that both General Sheridan and General Grant came down on the supply train last night to assist in the festivities."

The ladies watched as all the blood drained from Rebecca's face. "General Grant?" That was all she managed to get out before she promptly fainted.

A few burnt feathers, a sniff of salts and Rebecca rejoined the ladies. Lizbet took charge in her quiet way. "Miss Rebecca, I really need to start on your hair now."

--*--

Charlie finished dressing. His uniform was immaculate; the buckskin britches were spotless, his boots gleamed, the cutaway tails of his dress coat were so thoroughly brushed that they looked more like beaver than wool. The brass on his jacket sparkled. He walked out of the house to mount Jack, who had also been brushed until he glowed. Somehow, the big horse knew this was an important event, a time to be sedate and showy. He flicked his feet out with every step, prancing as if he were one of the dancing Lipizzaner horses from Europe.

Richard was waiting with the rest of Charlie’s staff, dressed in their best uniforms, all spit and polish, to escort their commander to the church. Duncan, Raiford, and Jocko rode attendance, as well as Tarent and MacFarlane, who would tend the horses.

They stuck to the grass, to keep their immaculate clothing dust free, and proceeded to the church in good order.

They arrived at the church about forty-five minutes before three; plenty of time for Jocko to brush any last minute specks of dust from the uniforms and make sure each man’s appearance was perfect. As the guests began arriving, the officers adjourned to serve as ushers. Charlie paced…… non-stop…… back and forth. Richard watched him with a bemused smile. Every five minutes, Charlie stopped to ask Richard if he had the rings. Richard fished in his vest pocket, pulled them out, showed Charlie, and put them back. Charlie went back to pacing.

They heard a small commotion and Sheridan came in to tell Charlie it was time to get ready, since Rebecca had arrived.

Charlie turned to Richard. "Am I ready for……"

Richard grinned. "Breathe, Charlie. You have been sleeping with her for months. She is not going to turn into a gorgon just because you say ‘‘I do’. You love her; she loves you; the rest is just not important."

Sheridan looked at his very nervous officer. "Charlie?" Charlie looked wide-eyed and ready to either faint or bolt. "Remember, never lock your knees." Sheridan’s practical advice brought a grin. Locked knees were an invitation to keeling over when you had to stand for too long.

Charlie nodded, squared his shoulders, and walked to the back of the church. He strode confidently to the altar and took his position, with Richard at his shoulder. Both turned to look back toward the door. Mrs. Williams, her face drawn in a perfectly neutral mask after spending the morning helping to decorate the church, started the first chords of the bride’s processional.

Rebecca tried not to look as nervous as she felt. She looked to Elizabeth. "Tell me again how everything is going to be fine."

Elizabeth stood so that only Rebecca could hear her, whispering in her ear. "You love her. She completes you. She will stand by you through anything. What could be bad about this?"

Rebecca nearly choked as she tried not to laugh. She looked to her friend with wide, amused eyes. "That was not nice."

"No, but it did get you out of your panic. Now, are you ready to go and marry your dashing General Redmond?"

Rebecca took a deep, calming breath and nodded as Mr. Cooper moved next to her and offered his arm. "You are beautiful, my dear."

Grace and Samantha slipped out and took their seats in the bride’s family pew. Their entry was Mrs. William’s cue. The first strains of the processional rang out as Rebecca and Mr. Cooper walked to the door, with Elizabeth following behind. They stepped slowly up the aisle, the very image of dignity.

Richard whispered to Charlie, "close your mouth. You are gaping."

Rebecca could feel the tears welling in her eyes as she saw Charlie for the first time in his dress uniform. He had never looked more dignified and perfect than he did at that moment.

As she approached the altar, his eyes locked with hers. For Charlie, in that moment, there was no one else in the world but Rebecca.

Reverend Williams cleared his throat to get Rebecca and Charlie’s attention. They may have been besotted with one another, but this was a wedding, and he needed them to say the vows.

When they finally realized they were supposed to look at the minister and not at one another, the Reverend began. After a brief welcome, Williams pointed out that Rebecca and Charlie represented the possibilities for peace, for resolution of the conflict that had taken so much from them, and the triumph of the power of love, even in times of great conflict. Then the simple, beautiful words of the wedding service flowed from him.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony, which is an honorable estate, instituted of God, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church: which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of Saint Paul to be honorable among all men: and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God. Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If any man can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace."

Reverend Williams waited the long pause that traditionally was allowed for anyone who wished to object to speak up. Charlie felt a bead of sweat slide down his temple; his ingrained fear of disclosure once more raised its head and the little voice taunted him. What if someone comes forward and tells them what you really are. It would serve you right.

Rebecca looked into his eyes, trying to put all of her love and faith in him and in them into her expression. All is well my love. We are going to be together forever. She took a deep breath and focused on the silence around them. If Mrs. Williams opens her mouth, I will slap her silly.

But no one objected, and Reverend Williams continued.

"I require and charge you both, as ye will answer at the dreadful Day of Judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment, why ye may not be lawfully joined together in Matrimony, ye do now confess it. For be ye well assured, that if any persons are joined together other than as God's Word doth allow, their marriage is not lawful."

If he knew, he would end this. If any of them knew, they would end it. You are no man, Charlie, and the church does not sanction marriage between two women. Charlie stood silent. In all ways, for most of his life, Charlie had been a man. He loved Rebecca as a man loves a woman.

Rebecca smiled at him, trying to reassure him with the devotion in her eyes.

"Charles, wilt thou have this Woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"

Charlie swallowed hard, then answered clearly, "I will."

"Rebecca, wilt thou have this Man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honor, obey and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

Rebecca only nodded. The slight giggles from the front row made her realize she needed to speak her answer. "I will." She managed to get out quietly.

"Who giveth this Woman to be married to this Man?"

Mr. Cooper stepped up and declared clearly, "In the name of her dear, departed father, I do." With that, Mr. Cooper took Rebecca’s right hand and lifted it.

Reverend Williams took her hand from Mr. Cooper and laid it in Charlie’s right hand, laying his own hand over their joined fingers in blessing. He turned to Charlie and said, "repeat after me."

"I, Charles, take thee Rebecca, to be my wedded Wife and with all my worldly goods do thee endow, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth." One phrase at a time, Charlie declared his oath in firm, ringing tones.

Charlie loosened his grip on Rebecca’s hand; she then cradled his large hand in her own for her vows.

"I, Rebecca, take thee Charles, to be my wedded Husband and with all my worldly goods do thee endow, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth." With each phrase, Rebecca’s voice grew stronger and clearer, until her last line rang through the church.

Reverend Williams then asked, "Where are the rings?" as he looked expectantly at Richard. Richard fumbled slightly as he drew the two rings from his vest pocket and laid Rebecca’s gently in the center of the prayer book that the Reverend was holding. The Reverend blessed the ring, saying, "Bless, O Lord, this Ring, that he who gives it and she who wears it may abide in thy peace, and continue in thy favor, unto their life's end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." He turned to Charlie and said, "Take this ring and place it on Rebecca’s finger, saying the following words: ‘‘With this Ring I thee wed: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.’"

Charlie took the ring and very gently placed it on Rebecca’s hand. His voice was husky with emotion as he declared his vow to her. With this action, he was claiming Rebecca as his very own.

Richard then offered the second ring, an action that was not common but accepted. Reverend Williams blessed the ring for Charlie.

Rebecca took the ring, with a very shaky hand, afraid for a brief second she would drop it. She licked her lips as she slid the ring on Charlie's finger and repeated the words she barely heard, because she was far too busy smiling at Charlie.

Reverend Williams’ voice broke into the moment, "let us pray."

The entire congregation stood and repeated the Lord’s Prayer; all except Charlie and Rebecca, who were too busy looking at one another to really be aware of what anyone else was doing.

Reverend Williams added the benediction for married couples. "O Eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind, Giver of all spiritual grace, the Author of everlasting life; Send thy blessings upon these thy servants, Charles and Rebecca, whom we bless in thy Name; that they, living faithfully together, may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, whereof these rings given and received are a token and pledge, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

He joined their right hands together again and said, "those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder."

Charlie felt a great weight lift from his soul. The wedding was over; no matter what, Rebecca was his wife.

Rebecca could not help herself as she let the tears slip down her cheeks, she was so happy finally to be Charlie's wife.

The Reverend continued: "Forasmuch as Charles and Rebecca have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth, each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving Rings, and by joining hands; I pronounce that they are Man and Wife, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

The two of them knelt for the final blessing.

"God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace; that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. Amen."

"By the powers vested in me by the Commonwealth of Virginia, I declare you man and wife. Charles, you may kiss the bride."

Charlie took her in his arms and slowly, reverently lowered his lips to hers. It was a kiss like a symphony; it began slowly and tenderly and ended with all of the reverence and love Charlie knew how to express.

Before Rebecca could think clearly enough to breathe, a tiny familiar voice rang through the church, "Papa!"

Elizabeth lunged to try and stop the little imp who had managed to escape from Tess’ grip and was making a very determined beeline for her Papa’s legs. She failed.

Charlie had no choice but to tear his attention from Rebecca in order to catch the little girl who was flinging herself at him with abandon. Rebecca could only smile as Charlie scooped her up; she took his arm as the three of them turned to face the assembled guests.

Reverend Williams could not resist the impulse, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present General and Mrs. Redmond –– and Emily." The applause was mixed with laughter as the congregation greeted the new couple and the child whom all knew would soon be legally theirs.

--*--

The kitchen was a scene of organized chaos. Sarah had recruited several of her family members to assist in the cooking. Reg had taken charge of the wine room. Duncan had organized a group of volunteers to act as servers. The wedding party was due any minute and Duncan and Reg were organizing glasses and bottles of champagne to greet them.

The guests started arriving. They pulled their carriages, wagons, traps, and mounts into the front yard, where men under Tarent’s supervision took charge of them. They then assembled on the front portico, waiting for Charlie and Rebecca to arrive before they entered the house. Finally, Shannon came prancing into the yard, drawing Rebecca’s small trap, which was decked in blue and ivory ribbons. Charlie was driving; Rebecca was holding young Em. All three were smiling and laughing, evidently at something Em had said.

Charlie drew the small carriage to the front door. He took young Em and handed her down to a waiting Tess, then got down himself. He walked around and gently lifted Rebecca from the carriage. Instead of putting her down, he simply walked to the front door and carried her over the stoop, to everyone’s applause. The guests crowded into the house behind them.

When Charlie finally settled Rebecca back on her own feet, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Welcome home, General Redmond."

"Welcome home to you, Mrs. Redmond. Shall we stand here and cuddle or shall we greet our guests?"

She sighed, "I would rather cuddle, but I suppose we should be civilized and greet our guests."

"I could just sweep you off your feet and carry you upstairs. We could leave Richard and Elizabeth to cope with the rest of it."

She laughed and whispered in his ear, "I dare you."

Charlie made as if to lift her back into his arms. "You know better than to dare me, darling. And I missed you so much last night."

"Well are you going to stand here and talk about it all day?"

Charlie, in quite a mood himself, decided that this teasing was too tempting, and, sweeping her up in his arms and, he started moving determinedly toward the stairs. As he passed Richard, he whispered, "Handle the guests for me for a while, will you?"

"And, oh, what should I……" He stopped and shook his head. "Never mind, I will think of something."

As Charlie carried Rebecca up the stairs, the assembled guests broke out into gales of laughter. Richard stepped to the foot of the stairs. "It seems our hosts have urgent affairs to tend to, so until their return, please enjoy yourselves."

Duncan and his group of volunteers had been standing at the door, handing out glasses of champagne as the guests filed in. When Charlie reached the top of the stairs and stopped for a moment to put Rebecca down on her feet, Richard raised a glass, "to the Redmonds." The entire company joined him, still laughing.

Charlie, a little breathless, just grinned and tossed a casual salute.

Rebecca gave an embarrassed little wave and took Charlie's arm. "You are a bad man, Charlie Redmond," she teased as they walked down the hall.

He opened the door to their rooms and ushered her in. "I am being no worse than usual, dear. And I do have experience as your lady’s maid. I thought you might like to change into something more comfortable. I seem to remember some lovely green velvet that I suspect is no longer a bolt of fabric. I also thought you might like this." He stepped up and took her in his arms, laying her back a bit and kissing her thoroughly.

She took a deep breath when Charlie let her up. A rather silly smile was etched on her face. "Yes, yes, I suppose I could change." She took a deep breath trying to calm her racing pulse.

"Of course, we could take a little rest before we go down to our guests. Just a few minutes together, on that nice, soft bed?" Meanwhile, he began undoing the many little buttons on the back of her bodice.

"Charlie, if we lay down on that bed, we will not get back up before tomorrow. Now, do you want to have to explain this to all our guests, who I might remind you include Generals Sheridan and Grant?"

Charlie sighed a large, dejected sigh. "No, I suppose you are right." As he continued to undo the various buttons and ties of her dress, he peppered her shoulders with little kisses. "I just…… I just want ––"

Rebecca shivered and moaned quietly as her knees went weak and her stomach dropped. "Charlie...be good."

"Oh, all right my dear, as long as you promise that I do not have to be good tonight."

"I do not expect that either one of us will be good tonight."

Charlie grinned at that comment, then set to work helping Rebecca finish removing her wedding dress and don a more comfortable party dress. The sooner they got back to the guests, the sooner they could bid them good night.

--*--

The guests were cheerfully drinking Charlie’s champagne and munching on little delicacies that were being handed around by the troopers turned waiters. Most were happy and amused by the antics of their hosts, willing to wait until Charlie and Rebecca returned before they began serious celebrating. A small cluster of ladies, centered on Mrs. Williams, were busy noting every flaw, every event that strayed from Southern tradition, every ineptitude of the troopers as waiters. The lovely Misses Reynolds and Simms were part of the crowd. It rankled that Rebecca Gaines had captured such an eligible bachelor, particularly since she had already proven she could not give the distinguished General any heirs.

Elizabeth stood quietly listening to them carry on until she simply could not take it any longer. She finally stepped into the middle of the group, turning slowly and managing to give each one of them a dirty look. "All right. I have had quite enough. From the moment I met all of you, all you have done is continually harp on Rebecca and Charlie. You do not like the fact that they have found each other in this disturbing time and you are miffed that Charlie would rather have an educated and talented lady on his arm than whiney young girls who have no clue what it means to be a woman. And you," she turned to Mrs. Williams, "you hateful, spiteful woman. If you are so taken aback by all of this, then why do you not ride your high horse right out of here? These two people are my dear friends. They are kind, loving, charitable, good Christians. I will not have anymore of your sniping on what should be the happiest day of their lives."

Richard watched as Elizabeth took the hen fest to task with raised eyebrows and lips pursed to keep from grinning outright. My, my, she is a feisty one. If only she could see her way…… Richard shook his head slightly. He had not found the same courage that Charlie had. Perhaps before they left for the spring, he would ask her. Smoothly, he inserted himself at Elizabeth’s elbow. "Excuse me, my dear, but General Sheridan is asking for you."

Elizabeth looked at Richard and started to argue, but she could see by the look in his eyes; she should just be quiet now and leave gracefully. "Yes, Richard, of course."

She looked back at the women she had just taken to task. Mrs. Williams was an interesting shade of red, while some of the younger women had the grace to look abashed. "Excuse me, ladies, but duty calls." The acid behind the words was unmistakable.

Richard, in the interest of veracity, escorted Elizabeth over to the corner where Sheridan and Grant were chatting; the Generals had watched the little contretemps with interested amusement. Grant spoke up first. "Ah, Doctor Walker, lovely day, lovely wedding. By the way, in the future, may I call on you to admonish my troops when they get out of hand?"

At that point Elizabeth had the good grace to blush.

"Oh, no, General. You cannot have her. She is my secret weapon in keeping my troops motivated in the field –– and not just because of her lovely appearance or her skill as a physician." Phil Sheridan was grinning ear to ear. "By the way, Polk. When are you going to step up to the line with the good Doctor?"

Richard choked on the champagne Sheridan had allowed him to take into his mouth before asking that question. Elizabeth managed to give him a gentle pat on the back. "Actually Philip, I am not sure Richard is the marrying type. I think he is married to the Army."

Richard blushed, a rare sight on his usually relaxed and self-confident visage. "I am not sure of that, sir, but I suspect that Dr. Walker is married to her profession." In that moment, Richard found a certain courage, as he turned to Elizabeth. "Nevertheless, I would be joyous to join you in supporting that commitment, if you will have me."

Elizabeth did not have an opportunity to answer before several things happened as once. Richard realized exactly what he said, and looked as if he wanted to bolt. General Grant, completely amused by the junior officer's unfortunate timing, allowed himself a loud laugh. Rebecca and Charlie entered the room, drawing all the attention to them and Em piped up for her Papa.

Sheridan leaned forward and whispered in Richard’s ear, "You know I will hold you to that, even if she does not." Richard gulped and nodded.

Rebecca and Charlie stopped halfway down the stairs, as the guests turned and again applauded the newlyweds. Rebecca, in her blue and ivory wedding dress, had been radiant. In the green velvet and lace ball gown, she was absolutely alluring. The look on Charlie’s face, a mixture of pride and joy, was a portrait that burned itself into everyone’s memory. The moment was broken by a small voice piping "Papa. Mama Becca. Em hungwy."

Charlie caught Duncan’s eye and nodded. As the doors to the dining room were thrown open, he announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, dinner is ready. Please, join us." He scooped Em up in his arms and escorted Rebecca into the room, followed by Richard and Elizabeth as their best man and maid of honor. The other guests filed in as well. Between tables in the dining room and the large reception hall, there was seating for all sixty odd guests.

The flurry of formal actions gave Elizabeth a moment to regain her composure, as well as a bit of privacy with Richard in the midst of the crowd. "Did you mean what you said?"

"Umm...well...." He straightened up, took her hands in his and bestowed his best and brightest smile on her. "Absolutely, my dear. Absolutely. Whenever you are ready and are willing to have me."

Elizabeth bit her lip. Richard was always charming and courtly. She had come to rely on his steady presence and support more than she liked to admit. But intensely personal emotions were something Richard had trouble expressing. Do I love him? Yes, I think I do. Will I marry him? I think we will need to talk about that. She smiled tenderly, knowing full well what that proposal had cost her friend. "Thank you, Richard. Can we discuss this in a more private setting?"

"Of course, my dear. Whenever you are ready."

With that, they were seated and the meal that Sarah and her aides had labored over for so long was served. It was a jovial meal, laced with laughter, good food, good wine, and not a little bit of teasing. In the midst of so many people, Em glued herself to Charlie and would not let go, so he found himself with his hands full indeed. Two women to attend to, two women who loved him, each in their own way. Much of the teasing he got that day was about starting his family early.

With stomachs replete, Charlie invited the guests to join them in the ballroom, where the musicians of the regiment had formed their band, this time with a piano player to round out their melodies. Charlie had planned to let the strains of the piano playing the first dance, a waltz, announce his wedding gift to Rebecca. The two took their place at the center of the ballroom, waiting for the first notes.

Rebecca looked at Charlie as the music started, then turned her head to make sure of what she was hearing. Then she saw it. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked back to her husband. "How did you find it?"

"Mr. Cooper had kept track of it, and we managed to get it back."

At the same time, Mrs. Williams heard the notes from the spinet. Again, her face reddened. Under her breath she muttered, "Why, Edward Cooper, you will pay for this."

Rebecca caressed Charlie's cheek, not caring that everyone they knew surrounded them, and she bestowed him with a very sincere kiss. "Thank you," she whispered as she looked at him again. "I love you, Charlie."

"I love you, Rebecca. Now dance with me, wife, or I will have to embarrass you in front of all of these people." Charlie was already eager for Rebecca’s touch. Her kisses just made waiting that much worse. He was feeling rather like a cat in heat.

"As you wish, husband," and with that, she let him lead her around the dance floor.

The second dance began with Mr. Cooper, representing Rebecca’s father, and Mrs. Cooper, in place of her mother, dancing with Rebecca and Charlie, respectively. As their dance progressed, the officers and gentlemen of the community solicited the hands of various ladies of the community. Richard found himself holding Elizabeth in his arms, a pleasure he always anticipated. Mrs. Williams was stiffly dancing with her husband, who proceeded to use the intimacy of the dance to scold his wife.

"Now you listen to me, Margaret Williams, it is time for you to stop being cruel to General and Mrs. Redmond. They are good people, they have done much for this community and people are talking about how you are acting with them. It is shameful. And from this moment on it will stop."

"James, it is impossible. How can you expect me to welcome this Yankee carpetbagger into our community? He represents everything our glorious boys have fought against. He and those like him have destroyed our Virginian culture, our lands, our youth, and our future. How dare you ask me to accept him and his like?"

"I am not asking you, Mrs. Williams, I am telling you. As your minister and your husband, I expect you to listen to me and stop this nonsense."

It was unheard of for the Reverend James Williams to command his wife like this. How dare he do this to her, embarrass her like this publicly and demand she accept this interloper? She was so angry with both Rebecca for accepting this –– enemy –– into their community, and with her husband for ordering her around as he had never done before that she was sputtering. "James ––"

"Margaret, there is no room for argument here. You will cease in your public condemnation of Charlie and Rebecca. You may feel how you will in private, because I cannot change that, but I am demanding that you stop speaking out against them in the community."

It finally penetrated Mrs. Williams’ stubborn skull. She had crossed the line one too many times and her husband had more backbone than she thought. "Yes, husband."

The dancing continued until it was time for the cake and the toasts. Charlie had been anticipating this moment eagerly, as it signaled the time when he could take Rebecca off to their room. Richard had been dreading it, for it was up to him to deliver the first toast.

Duncan and Raiford carried in the wedding cake, while other troopers passed more champagne. Charlie and Elizabeth stepped behind the cake, while Richard stood before them with a raised glass.

Richard grinned. Charlie looked concerned, having a vague memory of the toast at his party the previous night. "Today," Richard began slowly, looking at Charlie, "I lost my position as the first person best friend turns to when things are difficult. He has found a lovely lady to spend his life with and I am exceptionally happy for him. I hope that Miss Rebecca finds him to be not only a wonderful husband, but also the best friend she has ever had. To Charlie and Rebecca Redmond, may they only know happiness for a very long time to come."

"Charlie and Rebecca!" rang through the room as the guests joined Richard in his good wishes.

General Grant stepped forward. A normally retiring, soft-spoken man, those at the farthest corners of the ballroom had to strain to hear him.

"Just about eighteen years ago, when I was a second lieutenant serving in Mexico under Zachary Taylor, I had the honor of serving with a young Captain from Virginia, Robert Lee. After the horrors of the Battle of Buena Vista, Captain Lee and I had observed the valor and skill of a young recruit who rose to command with a field promotion to second lieutenant. Both of us endorsed this young man to our commanders as true officer material. Over the years, we watched Charlie Redmond rise through the ranks, always the model of a soldier and a gentleman. I, for one, never thought he would find a place in the world outside of the Army. It gives me great joy to be here at his wedding. I am just sorry my wife could not join us in wishing you, Charlie and Rebecca, all of the best. We will be sorry to lose you from the Army when this war is over, but I can tell you folks of Culpeper, and I think our old friend General Lee would agree, you are getting one of the Army’s best."

To hear Grant, who, to Mrs. Williams, was the devil incarnate, speak of his friendship with the hallowed General Lee was incredible. The woman was overwhelmed; first her husband had chastised her publicly, and now she discovered that the abominable Redmond was a friend of Lee’s. It was too much. She fainted dead away, creating quite a stir in the room.

Charlie looked over at the woman with a raised eyebrow. "Looks like she finally exceeded her limit."

Chapter 27

Saturday, January 28, 1865

Finally, Charlie and Rebecca had escaped the wedding party. Tess had taken Em up to bed before the dancing began, much to Charlie’s relief. The local guests left in varying degrees of sobriety. Mrs. Williams had spent the last part of the evening reclining in one of the small sitting rooms, supported by an elderly cousin. Richard had been hard pressed to relieve Elizabeth of her vial of pepper oil and replace it with smelling salts when reviving the offensive woman. Reverend Williams remained downstairs for the rest of the toasts and the cake.

Charlie stood regarding his bride, who was still flushed with the excitement of the last few minutes of the evening. Following tradition, she had tossed her bouquet from the top of the stairs. Her aim had been good; Elizabeth was hit squarely in the chest.

"You know, darling, marriage seems to be bringing out the imp in you. You certainly managed to embarrass our dear friend the doctor this evening. Did you know that Richard asked her to marry him tonight?"

"Elizabeth made a comment about it. She is very nervous."

"You think she is nervous? Richard may have left bruises on my arm from hammering on it as he told me. It was actually funny. He kept saying, ‘‘My God, Charlie, do you know what I have done? I really did it –– right in front of Sheridan and Grant. If I back out, Sheridan will have my ass for breakfast, I think.’ The babble level was amazing."

"Oh yes, Elizabeth certainly did not expect him to propose tonight, Charlie." Rebecca made small talk as she prepared for bed. She turned to him offering him the buttons of her dress. "Would you please?"

Charlie’s hands were shaking. They had slept together every night for several months. They had made love frequently after his return from Washington and that first fantastic night. But tonight was different. Tonight he was going to claim her as his own, his wife, his love, his future. Carefully, he began unbuttoning her bodice. The soft skin at the back of her neck was too tempting; he leaned down and tenderly kissed her shoulder.

"Charlie, if you finish the buttons, I can get out of this dress," she reminded him even as her hand went back and caressed his cheek.

Charlie tore himself from the tender skin and turned more of his attention to her dress. This night of all nights, he was enjoying being her lady’s maid. He had more than enough of waiting, of being with other people. He just wanted to be with Rebecca. The bodice came off, and Charlie untied the laces of her full skirts, letting them pool at her feet. She stood before him, wearing her pantaloons, chemise and jewelry. He turned her to face him. "You are beautiful, my wife."

She reached out for the buttons of his vest. "And you are overdressed."

"That can be remedied. Which side of me do you want tonight, darling? The man or the woman?"

"I just want you, Charlie, all of you. Tonight is our night to explore and learn."

Charlie shed his sword belt and sash, then his coat and the unbuttoned vest. Slowly, teasingly, as if he were performing a dance, he eased his cravat off and began unbuttoning his shirt. Soon he was standing before her in boots, britches and open shirt, with the bindings showing through the placket. It was a halfway point in his mind, presenting Rebecca with both the male and female aspects of who he was.

Rebecca approached slowly. She pulled Charlie's shirt from his trousers and slipped it from his shoulders. As the shirt dropped to the floor, Rebecca wrapped her arms around Charlie and started working the bindings free. "I love you, my handsome gentleman." When the bindings fell the way of the shirt, she continued, "and I adore you, my beautiful woman." She then began working the clasp on the trousers, all the time leaving soft kisses on Charlie’s shoulders and collarbone.

Charlie ran her hands under Rebecca’s chemise and slowly slid it up her body. Rebecca briefly broke off her attentions to Charlie to let him lift it over her head.

Rebecca smiled at her. "I think we should go to bed." She slowly stepped out of her shoes as her hands went to her hair, removing a few pins and letting it drop around her shoulders. She turned her back on Charlie, removed her necklace and then, very slowly, she pushed her pantaloons to the floor, making sure to bend over slowly as she did so.

Charlie stopped breathing. This beautiful woman wanted her, desired her, and was clearly seducing her, offering Charlie everything she had ever dreamed of. Softly, Charlie caressed Rebecca’s back, running her fingertips down the strong muscles on either side of her spine, over the firm globes and down the backs of her thighs, as if reading her own future with the touch.

Rebecca turned around, smiling shyly, holding her hands in a position of false modesty. After all, they had already made love several times and she was not sure there was anything left undone between them. But she wanted to give Charlie the image of the nervous bride.

Charlie tipped her face up to look into her eyes and tenderly kissed her. Slowly, thoroughly, she made it clear to Rebecca that this night was going to be devoted to sensual love. As the kiss continued, Charlie’s hands slid back and tangled in Rebecca’s long, blonde locks. They were both breathing hard when the kiss ended. Charlie swept Rebecca up in her arms and carried her to the bed, laying her down on the soft cotton sheets then stepping away to finish undressing herself. As she pulled her boots and britches off, she wondered how Rebecca would respond to what she had planned for the evening.

Rebecca was presenting the image of a nervous bride, but Charlie really was one. Rebecca had asked for both the man and the woman. Earlier in the day, Charlie had gotten Lizzie’s gift and cleaned and oiled the leather. It was in the drawer of the bedside table, ready for use.

"Charlie, come to bed. Come to me. Please."

Charlie turned, and walked toward the bed. Her movements were feline; her eyes were hooded with desire. As she slid into bed beside Rebecca, she whispered, "I love you, my darling wife."

"And I love you," she paused and grinned, "wife."

"Wife?" Charlie pulled back to look into Rebecca’s laughing eyes. "You really do like it that under all the trappings, I am a woman."

"Yes," she traced her fingers slowly, gently over Charlie's arm. "I love it. With you, here, like this, there is only love and tenderness. It is wonderful and something I have never experienced before. You gave me this gift, Charlie. There is no way I could love or trust another man. Not after what he did to me. You, my love, are perfect, everything I need and desire."

Charlie propped herself over Rebecca, looking deep into her eyes to gauge the truth of what she had just heard. There in Rebecca’s eyes, she found nothing but honesty and love. It was a blessing. Then Rebecca twined her hands behind Charlie’s neck and pulled her down into another heated kiss.

Charlie nuzzled into Rebecca’s neck and whispered, "I have a bit of a plan for tonight, if you agree. You remember I told you that Lizzie had sent us a wedding present? I thought, if you liked, we would use it."

"Use it?" Rebecca pulled back and gave Charlie a quizzical look. "What could she possibly have given us that we would use now?"

"Well, remember me asking you if you would like me to get a…… prosthesis? Let me show you." Charlie pulled the velvet-lined box from the drawer in the bedside table.

"Oh my Lord!" She blushed bright red before snapping the lid shut. "Charlie that's a……a……"

"Yes, dear?"

"I know this is probably a silly question, but do you know how?"

"Yes, dear. I do understand the basics."

"Charlie, I was married. I know the basics. But you have to admit that this is 'different'. I understand how I might get pleasure from this, but how could you? Because that is very important to me, that we both enjoy our time together, especially this time on this night."

"Ah, look. There is a wide soft strap that passes right over the most sensitive parts of my body - and the base sits just above it. So every time I move, I am caressed just as you are."

Rebecca opened the box, feeling very curious and slightly intrigued. "And you think you would enjoy this?"

"Yes. If you enjoy it, I know I will."

She looked to Charlie and grinned. "Well, I suppose we could……" she blushed and chewed her lip. "We could."

"My desire, darling, is to make love to you however you want me to. I want to make you experience all of the passion and love and desire I feel for you. To make you feel, if only for a while, as if you are not alone inside your skin."

"I would like to try everything with you, Charlie. You have already shown me love. Now I think we can explore passion." She caressed her cheek. "I love you so much, oh my husband and wife."

"You keep a part of me always, love."

Rebecca’s curiosity took over. She removed the present from its box and placed it in Charlie's hand before dropping the box on the floor. Turning back to her partner, she ran a nail over Charlie's very erect nipple.

Charlie's body arched up, offering herself to Rebecca. She inhaled sharply.

"So?" Rebecca gestured. "I am eager for another lesson, my darling."

Charlie smiled and set the phallus aside for the moment. "Then first we must prepare ourselves. Do you agree?"

Rebecca smiled cautiously. "Yes?"

"Then let me kiss you, beloved. All of you."

She smiled, still a little unsure of what Charlie was suggesting. "All right."

Charlie rolled up over her and began loving Rebecca with her lips, teeth and tongue, covering her shoulders, throat and neck with kisses and gentle nips before she moved on to the woman's breasts.

Rebecca drew her nails through Charlie's hair and she squirmed a bit. "Oh, I like this."

Charlie spent a long time kissing and loving Rebecca's breasts. She wanted to make sure that the smaller woman was as relaxed and excited as possible.

Rebecca was slightly shocked and just a tad embarrassed by the way her body was responding. Her hips seemed to have a life of their own and her hands were holding Charlie's head firmly in place. Stars swam behind her eyelids as her body caught fire.

Charlie waited for that ancient rhythm to take hold of Rebecca's body before she moved lower, tracing fanciful paths over her ribs and stomach with her tongue and lips. She teased Rebecca's navel, then her tongue traced the fine line of almost transparent hairs down to the lush forest of blonde curls.

"Oh Charlie!" Rebecca’s head lifted from the bed as she opened her eyes to find her lover moving slowly and steadily down her body, until her head was resting between her legs. "What? How?" She could not figure out how to ask and she was not even really sure she wanted to. Everything Charlie did felt so good, she had no reason to believe this would be different.

Charlie blew a fine stream of warm air over Rebecca's center before her head descended and lips made contact with lips, and tongue with tender skin and sensitive nerves. Rebecca was certain that Charlie had managed to grow fingers on the tip of her tongue, the sensations were so varied.

"Oh God!" Rebecca’s hips lifted off the bed as her hands shot immediately to Charlie's hair. "Yes!" It was a combination of hiss and groan. "Oh Charlie!" Her body quivered in ways she had not believed possible before this wonderful woman had come into her life.

Charlie lavished careful attention on every part of Rebecca's most intimate area. Each fold, each curve was caressed and licked. As quickly as Rebecca's essence flowed down, Charlie was right there to capture it with her mouth. Finally, that talented tongue curled around Rebecca's node. She scraped her teeth along the hood lightly then sucked hard on the key to Rebecca's satisfaction.

A strangled scream was wrenched from Rebecca's chest as her body convulsed and her hips moved in a constant rhythm. One hand left Charlie's hair and gripped the covers of the bed as she trembled from the very top of her head to the bottoms of her feet. Frantic to feel more of this wonderful sensation, her heels dug into the mattress pushing her body up.

Charlie reached out blindly for the phallus, never breaking the contact she had with that most sensitive point between Rebecca's legs. She carefully slid the toy into Rebecca's very open and ready body.

When she felt herself filled so completely, the sound that escaped from the blonde was nothing less than bestial . "Charlie!" She grasped blindly for her lover trying to figure out in her passion-clouded mind what would be next.

Charlie lifted her head from Rebecca's body for a moment. "Let go, love. Let it go for me."

"Ohhhh, yes!" She hissed, her hands grabbing for Charlie's shoulders, nails digging into warm flesh. "More. Please."

Charlie moved the phallus in and out of Rebecca in long, even strokes, while continuing to roll that now very hard flesh with her tongue and lips.

Mere whimpers were all Rebecca was capable of, as Charlie loved her. Her body was tight and she felt the rush of heat overtake her as she once again exploded. She was literally brought upright from the intensity of it, before she fell back to the bed, her head moving from side to side as the pleasure washed over her. Finally her body began to still and she was breathing hard, feeling the sweat trickle down the side of her face.

Charlie rose and took the smaller woman in her arms, tenderly kissing her. As Rebecca lay there, dazed and trying to catch her breath, Charlie strapped the phallus onto her own body.

Rebecca opened her eyes and looked to her mate. "That was amazing, Charlie." She smiled and tentatively placed her hand on the soaked implement projecting from Charlie’s hips. "Now how can we make it work for you?"

Charlie rolled over onto her back and spread her arms. "Here I am, beloved. Anything you want, any touch you give me will please me."

She smiled. "I know that. But how can I make this pleasurable for you? Surely there must be a way."

Charlie smiled. She pulled Rebecca into her arms and urged her to straddle her body. "Take it into yourself. Move in whatever way is pleasurable to you. I assure you, it will pleasure me."

Rebecca smiled, when she realized what Charlie wanted. This was new and just a bit scary, but at the very same time exciting and exhilarating. Carefully and very slowly she lowered her body down onto the phallus, hissing with pleasure as she did. She looked at Charlie and let her hands travel up the woman's stomach to her breasts as she started a slow rocking motion with her hips.

Charlie's eyelids drooped to half closed and she drew in a sharp breath. As Rebecca's hands closed on her breasts, Charlie arched up into them, offering herself to the woman above her. With each slow, considered movement of Rebecca's hips, the muscles in Charlie's stomach rippled.

Rebecca watched Charlie's face for any signs that she was not enjoying what was happening. Seeing nothing but pleasure, she moved on. Mimicking the things Charlie had done to her in the past, she rolled tight nipples between her thumb and finger as the pace of her hips increased. "I love you Charlie. So very, very, much."

Charlie threw her head back and her body arched shamelessly up into Rebecca's. Her hips started rising to meet Rebecca's movements and Charlie settled her hands around Rebecca's waist, as much to ground herself as to steady Rebecca.

"Yes, Charlie, oh yes." Rebecca felt no shame in this pleasure and the look on Charlie's face made it more wonderful. She felt, for the first time, like a success as she loved Charlie. She loved the feel of Charlie's hands on her body and the rhythm they were once again creating. Her head fell back as her rocking grew faster and Charlie's thrusts grew harder.

Charlie was going insane. This was more intense and incredible than she had imagined. It was almost as if she was inside of Rebecca's body, as if the two were melding and merging into one entity. Charlie's hips rose to drive into Rebecca, and she bucked harder and harder, reaching to bring the two of them together into one. In an instant, Charlie's whole body thrust high up into Rebecca. Charlie’s body formed a rigid arch, balanced shoulders and heels. A deep, guttural cry broke from Charlie's lips. "Becca!"

Rebecca could only fall forward into Charlie as yet again she was overcome. She pushed down one last time as her hands grasped Charlie's shoulders and her teeth bit gently into her shoulder. She could not stop the tiny thrusts of her hips that happened automatically as Charlie pushed into her.

When they finally came down from the heights they had climbed to, Rebecca simply could not move. She listened with a great deal of satisfaction to the sound of Charlie's heart thundering in her chest.

Charlie cradled Rebecca in her arms, gently stroking her back and sides. As the smaller woman's breathing returned to normal, Charlie quietly pledged herself. "I am yours, Rebecca. Yours for the rest of my life. Whatever you want, whatever you need, I will do my best to provide. I love you, my dear heart, my love, my wife, my home."

"And I am yours, heart, body, and soul." A moment later when her muscles started working again, Rebecca moved to Charlie's side and stroked the still rippling muscles of her stomach. "Remind me to send Lizzie a thank you note."

"Ummmm. I will, love. Tomorrow. Sleep now, beloved."

"Oh yes, until late tomorrow morning if I have my way." She got as close to Charlie as she could. "Forever, my love. Forever," she whispered as she fell into a very happy slumber.

Charlie gathered her close and joined her in sleep.

--*--

Sunday, January 29, 1865

Rebecca rolled over and curled into Charlie's body. She hummed, still delightfully sated from the previous evening. She smiled as her hand rubbed over Charlie's stomach and up her chest. "Good morning, my love."

Charlie literally purred before she found her voice. "Good morning, darling wife." She stretched like a big, happy cat.

"So, would we be horrible people if we did not attend services today?" She continued to run her hand over Charlie's warm skin.

"Probably. Likely Mrs. Williams would say things like ‘‘Oh, Lord, he has taken her away to have his evil Yankee way with her. Poor Rebecca. I always said she should stay away from that damned Yankee.’"

Rebecca burst out laughing so hard the bed actually shook. "Oh, if she only knew the truth, she would explode on the spot." Then she rolled over and covered Charlie's body with her own. "I am very fond of your evil Yankee ways."

Charlie stroked her hands down Rebecca’s bare back. "And I love your sultry Southern ways, my love." She raised her head and nipped at Rebecca’s shoulder.

"Hmmm," Rebecca's body was responding to Charlie in the most carnal of ways and she knew if she did not get up soon, they would indeed miss services. "All right, Charlie, I am going to be good and get up now."

Charlie drew in a deep breath and sighed. "Yes, I suppose. We should be good. We should be appropriate. We should take Em to church." As she spoke, she continued to stroke Rebecca’s back, and then reached farther down to cup her bottom in both hands and pulled her close.

"Oooo, bad, Charlie!" Rebecca giggled like a schoolgirl and got up from the bed. "Now be good, Charlie!"

"Oh, all right. I will be. Shortly." She captured Rebecca by the back of the head and pulled her down for a resounding kiss.

Rebecca let herself get lost in that wonderful kiss and was almost ready to get back into bed and say to the devil with the services, when her conscience got the better of her. "Oh, Charlie, please be good and get up. Please?"

An insistent tapping at the door, accompanied by an obvious effort to turn the latch, over which Charlie had looped the stop, interrupted their conversation. "Well, it seems that the outside world wants in, so I suppose we must rejoin civilization.

"Papa. Want in!"

"Yes, I suppose we must."

Rebecca tossed her sleeping gown and her robe on and went to the door, waiting with her hand on the knob until Charlie was properly presentable in full 'Papa' mode. When she opened the door, Em stood there, looking at her for a moment.

"Mowin' Mamma 'Becca." The child stretched her arms out for a hug, which Rebecca was more than happy to give her.

"Good morning, Miss Emily."

"Papa, pwease."

Rebecca pointed at Charlie who was now sitting on the bed putting on his slippers. "Your Papa is there."

Em smiled and ran into the room, straight to Charlie.

"Good morning, imp." He picked the child up and gave her a bear hug, a kiss and a tickle. "So what are you doing here in your nightgown? Have you gotten away from Tess again?"

The question was answered not by Em, but by Tess, who stopped in front of the door and placed her hands on her hips. "There you are, Miss Emily. Now come to Tess and let us get you dressed."

"Go on, little one. It is church day, and you must look your best. You know, when you look pretty and are a good girl, people think that Mama, Mamma Becca and I are being good parents to you."

"Yes, Papa." Little Emily was learning very quickly that when Papa and Mamma 'Becca told her something was to be done; it was best to be a good girl and do it. She slid off his lap and went to Tess. "Em sowy, Tess. Em be good."

With Tess off to tend to Emily’s morning toilet, Charlie and Rebecca turned to their own morning rituals. Somehow, they managed to get in one another’s way under the guise of ‘‘helping’ so they were both very late in getting down for breakfast. Elizabeth, Richard, Samantha, Jeremiah, and Em were waiting for them. "So," Elizabeth drawled, "did you sleep well?"

Rebecca blushed and said the first thing that came to mind. "Eventually."

The adults at the table burst into laughter, while Jeremiah tried to figure out what they were laughing about and joined in a moment later. He did not know why, but it was a grown-up thing to do, so he did.

--*--

Rebecca and Charlie ate a hasty breakfast, and then joined the others for the short trip to church. They arrived just as Reverend Williams was preparing to enter and begin the service, so they hurriedly made their way to their pew and settled in.

The service went by in a haze for Charlie and Rebecca. They were too busy trying not to grin like idiots. Their restless desire to return home conveyed itself to Em, who spent most of the service trying to decipher the hymnbook, page by page.

As usual, when the Reverend was finished with the service, he moved to the door to greet each member of the congregation as they filed out. This day, he chose to escort his wife to the door with him, having Miss Simms take over the small organ to play the recessional.

Rebecca held Em close to her as she and Charlie made their way to the door. She watched with some amount of bemused satisfaction as Reverend Williams gave his wife a gentle nudge in the ribs to speak with Charlie.

"Good morning, General," she tried not to hiss.

"Good morning to you, Mrs. Williams. Is it not a lovely morning, dear lady?"

Rebecca had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as Charlie did everything he could to make the woman miserable.

"Yes, a beautiful morning. Spring will be here soon." Unspoken, Mrs. Williams obviously added and you will be gone, at least for a while.

"Yes, indeed. I am so looking forward to returning and making Redmond Stables a fine horse farm. General Grant does not believe the spring campaign will last very long, so I should be home before you even know I am gone."

Rebecca looked to the Reverend, who himself was hiding a grin behind his hand.

--*--

After services, Sarah fixed a simple lunch which Rebecca, Charlie, and Em intended sharing with Constance. Elizabeth assured them that Constance was feeling well enough for visitors and would no doubt enjoy the company.

Charlie, knocked on the door softly, just in case the woman was resting, but pushed it open the moment she called for them to come in.

Em was being very good; she walked to her Momma's bed and waited. Charlie entered after Rebecca, who placed the tray on the table near the window.

"Congratulations, General. I understand from Dr. Walker the wedding was a complete success."

Charlie smiled. "I certainly thought it was a success, and I think Rebecca did. It remains to be seen how others feel about it. I understand Richard asked for Elizabeth’s hand, although in a rather…… untraditional way. So it remains to be seen what Elizabeth does about it."

"Mmm, it seems that love in the air. I am very happy for all of you." She looked down to her daughter. "Did you attend services today, Emily?"

"Yes, Mama. Why do we go church?"

"We go to church because we are good Christians and we want to hear the message of the Lord."

"Who is the Lord?"

Constance smiled and ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. "The Lord is our King and Savior, Emily."

Emily thought about that. She thought she knew what a King was, but Savior was a bit beyond her.

Charlie looked at Rebecca and Constance. "Our little one is growing like a weed –– and so is her vocabulary. I swear, I believe that in the last few weeks, she has used the word ‘‘why’ more than all of the words she has ever spoken before."

Constance gratefully took a cup of tea from Rebecca when it was offered. "General Redmond, I have a very serious request to make of you, sir."

"Whatever I can do, I will certainly try." He looked to Rebecca. "I think I speak for both of us in that."

"I wish to draft a formal document, giving you and Rebecca guardianship of Emily." She placed her hand on her very swollen midsection. "And this child, if it survives. I would also like for you to give them both your last name. Make them truly a part of your family."

Charlie looked helplessly at Rebecca. He had been hoping that, with Elizabeth’s and now Mrs. White’s help, Constance would survive her pregnancy.

"Unless, Sir, you would prefer not to." Constance had taken his silence as a possible refusal. "I am sure there is someplace that would shelter them. I have no living relatives and……"

Charlie panicked. "No, no. Not at all. We love Em, and would be honored to raise both her and her brother or sister as our own. Would we not, Rebecca?" He looked at her desperately. "It is just that I had hoped you would survive this confinement to stay with us and raise your children. You must know both you and your children are welcome here for as long as you wish. I think of you as part of my family already, so, please do not imagine you are imposing on us. Little Em is truly the daughter of my heart."

Constance reached out and took Charlie's hand. "Thank you. And know that I have come to terms with what will happen when this child arrives. I will rejoin my Henry, and I will leave two beautiful children for two parents who will love them as if they were their own. I am quite content to go to my Lord's side and reside in peace and grace, General."

Charlie bowed his head over Constance’s hand for a moment. When he looked up again, there was a look of gentle compassion on his face. "I will need to get some information about you and Emily so that I can have my attorney draw up the papers while Rebecca and I are in Washington."

"Anything you require, General. I will give you all the information I can. What I can not remember you will find recorded in the family Bible on the table." She gestured weakly to the book across the room.

"Perhaps I can start with the Bible and then ask you anything else I need to know, dear lady. You look tired."

"I am a bit little , Sir." She gave his hand as much of a squeeze as she could manage. "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

Charlie gathered the Bible and Em, while Rebecca helped the failing woman settle more comfortably. "Come along, imp. Tess is waiting with your blocks."

Constance watched Charlie go with her daughter, then she turned tired eyes on Rebecca. "That is a person with a truly good soul."

"I think so, too. You must know, Charlie loves Em as if she were his own. And he and I will raise her to be a good woman."

"I am sure of that Rebecca. I am very sure of that."

--*--

Charlie walked into the back parlor later that afternoon, holding Constance’s Bible. "Rebecca, do you know what?"

Rebecca looked up from another nearly failed attempt at making something for the baby. "I know a great many things, General Redmond. What would you like to know?" she teased as he sat down next to her.

"Actually, I will wager you do not know this. We have a birthday coming up in this family."

Rebecca laughed and set the sewing aside. "You know, it does occur to me I do not know when your birthday is."

"My birthday? It is in September. The thirtieth. But I was referring to another birthday. Em will be two in a couple of weeks. By the way, when is yours?"

She chuckled as she sipped her tea. "I suppose if I do not tell you, I will not get any older and I will remain the young woman you married."

Charlie knelt beside her. "Rebecca, darling wife, you will always be the most beautiful woman I know, young, fresh, and at the peak of your womanhood. So age does not matter. Our love is what matters. Now, when is your birthday? You may as well tell me, as you know I will find out one way or another."

"All right, you demanding thing, you." She winked and took his hand. "My birthday is in April, the 22nd. So when is Em's birthday?"

"February 17. She will be two. Shall we have a little party for her when we return from Washington?"

"I think that would be lovely. Oh by the way, when are you going to break our leaving to her?"

"I thought we would break it to her after supper."

"For such a brave and well decorated soldier in President Lincoln's Army, you are a coward when it comes to your daughter."

"I most certainly am not. I just want to make sure that she knows that both of us are willing to be her parents. Rebecca, really, the child loves and depends on you as much as she does me."

"I know, but I am trying hard not to interfere with what time she has left with her mother. There will be plenty of time for me to be Momma 'Becca, later."

"I understand, but you should not deny how important you have become to her, dear. She adores you. And since we are both leaving, I think we both need to tell her. Anyway, you know what she will say."

"No, what will she say?"

"Why?" Charlie rolled his eyes. That had become Em’s favorite word in the past few weeks.

--*--

It was that quiet period after dinner, when Em had grown accustomed to spending time with Charlie and Rebecca. They would read her stories, draw pictures, play cat in the cradle or blocks and prepare her for bed. Tonight they were going to talk, something they often did. Charlie took her on his lap, with Rebecca sitting beside them.

"Well, my imp, how was your day?"

"Good." She settled down in the crook of his arm, getting quite comfortable.

"What did you learn today?"

She looked at him with large blue eyes and simply stuck her thumb in her mouth, while curling tighter into his arms.

"Oh, is my little ‘‘why’ bird tired?"

"Yes, Papa."

"Well, little one, you will have plenty of time to rest up. Mamma Becca and I have to go to Washington tomorrow, so Uncle Richard and Aunt Elizabeth will be looking after you, as well as your momma and Tess. We will be gone for seven days. Can you be a big girl while we are gone?"

She looked to Rebecca and then back to her Papa. "No."

"Will you at least be a good girl while we are gone?"

"Papa not go." Her brows came together as she sat up in his lap and tears started forming in her eyes. "Pwease."

Charlie looked at Rebecca. He definitely needed her assistance.

"Emily," Rebecca's voice was firm, yet soft as only a mother could be. "Your Papa and I are going to take a trip, but we will be back. You know that when Papa takes a trip, he comes home soon. Remember the last time he took a trip."

"Yes." She thought for a minute. "Brought Web home."

"Yes, Papa brought you Reb. Now you know it is all right for Papa to take a trip because he will come home. So we are going to take a trip together so Mama 'Becca can meet some of Papa's friends. But we will be back and you must be good for Uncle Richard and Aunt Elizabeth."

"Em miss Papa and Mama Becca." She sat and pouted. "Pwease no go."

"And we will miss Em, but we are going. And you will be a big, good girl and make us proud of you."

"Yes, Mama Becca."

Charlie carried a very dejected, quiet little girl up to bed that night. When he kissed her good night, she held tight. "Pwomise come back?"

"I promise Em. We will be back in a few days."

Chapter 28

Monday, January 30, 1865

It was a gray, foggy morning as Rebecca and Charlie boarded the train for Washington but to Rebecca, it was the most glorious spring day, with the sun shining and the azaleas in bloom. She was on her honeymoon with Charlie. They would have an entire week together, with no demands of duty. General Grant had extended a favor, and had sent his personal railcar down with the Saturday supply train to serve as the first site of their honeymoon.

Charlie ruefully regarded the luggage rack at the back of the car. One week and we have a trunk, two cases and three hatboxes. Oh –– and my satchel. I suppose that traveling light is not in her plans for our future. He heaved a big sigh and decided that a simple hack would not be sufficient to convey them from the train station; he would need to hire a carriage.

Rebecca was so excited she could hardly contain herself. "Oh, Charlie, look. There are little holders for the teacups so they will not spill, and a spirit lamp to heat water. Oh, these chairs are so comfortable. General Grant is so sweet to lend us his car. He must think very highly of you to give us such a lovely gift."

Charlie knew there was no stopping her. He used a phrase he somehow suspected was going to be a major part of his vocabulary from now on. "Yes, dear."

Rebecca found the passing landscape to be fascinating. The train passed through towns and fields that had seen thousands of soldiers move through them. But it also traveled through towns and past plantations that had played key roles in previous conflicts. It mirrored part of the path that Dolly Madison had taken when she escaped from the British in the War of 1812, saving some of the greatest treasures of the new country. Charlie found he enjoyed pointing out these sites to Rebecca, and they shared an interest in history. When they arrived in Washington late in the afternoon, they were both relaxed and very happy.

Charlie hailed a carriage at the station, and with the porter’s help, loaded their luggage for the short trip to the Willard. Simpkins again met them, having anticipated their arrival. Charlie had been coming to the Willard since he was first promoted to Captain; Simpkins viewed him as one of the Willard’s best customers; always quiet, generous and undemanding. He had set aside his best suite for the General and his new wife.

He escorted the couple upstairs to the lovely suite in the corner. There was a sitting room that looked out toward 15th street and the gardens at the foot of the newly constructed Treasury building. The adjoining bedroom was spacious with a huge four-posted bed, a fine fireplace with a marble mantle and lovely green and ivory furnishings. Rebecca was charmed.

"Oh Charlie, it is beautiful. I feel very out of place."

"Rebecca, it is exactly what you deserve. A beautiful setting for a beautiful woman."

"You are going to spoil me, Charlie."

"That is exactly what I would like to do, darling."

A knock on the door disturbed them. Charlie opened it, and a smiling servant wheeled in a cart set with a lovely teapot, fresh flowers, little cakes, and an assortment of cookies. "Compliments of the house, sir. Congratulations to both of you. Your dinner will be ready and served in the garden room downstairs at eight. There is hot water in the reservoir in the bathing room, if you want to get cleaned up." The maid bobbed a curtsey and backed out of the room. Just as she was about to leave, she added, "Oh, and ma’am, if you need help dressing or with your hair, just ring and I will be happy to assist you."

Rebecca could only smile as Charlie closed the door. "Oh yes, I am going to get spoiled, General Redmond."

"Yes, ma’am. If I have anything to say about it, you certainly are."

They had just managed to wash their faces and hands, and settle down for a nice late afternoon tea when there was another knock on the door.

"Come." Charlie’s response was muffled by the piece of lemon pie he had just stuffed in his mouth.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir, but there are a number of notes for you and Mrs. Redmond." The maid set a small silver tray heaped with small envelopes on the table between Charlie and Rebecca and excused herself with, "If you have any responses, there is paper in the writing table and you have only to ring for a messenger."

Rebecca looked at the pile of envelopes. "What is this, dear?"

"I would assume they are invitations from various folks in town. Shall we?"

"That much is obvious, but I did not realize that we would attract so much attention. I thought it was just going to be a quiet week with the two of us."

"It is your choice, my love. I do have tickets for a play at Ford’s for us on Thursday. Mr. Junius Booth is doing ‘‘King Lear’. And I suspect that Mrs. Grant will want you to join her for tea. As for the rest, I am as surprised as you."

She looked at the pile in total amazement. "What about Mrs. Armstrong? Will we be calling on her?"

"I made no arrangements, as, to be honest, I was not sure how you felt about meeting her."

"You know I want to meet her, Charlie. Very much so. Do you not want us to meet for some reason?"

Charlie had the grace to look abashed. "Well, there is the issue of you meeting with a well known courtesan. I was not sure if you really wanted to or were just being polite."

Rebecca chuckled and took Charlie's hand. "Think about it, my love. What exactly about our relationship is normal? There is no reason on the face of the Earth that I should not want to meet Mrs. Armstrong. Considering our situation, I would think that we should disregard what most people consider the social norm."

Charlie laughed. "I knew there was a reason why I love you so much, darling." He kissed her hands, and then continued, "Shall I invite her to join us for a private luncheon? Or would you prefer to do the inviting? I think she might appreciate the invitation coming from you."

"I would be very happy to invite her."

"Then let us go through the rest of these invitations and plan our week." He smiled and started opening envelopes. A number of them were rather normal invitations from various social butterflies, an unavoidable part of the atmosphere of Washington. But a few were certainly worth responding to, and a smaller number were politically mandatory.

The invitations from General Meigs and General and Mrs. Grant were graciously accepted, as was Rebecca’s invitation to tea from Mrs. Lincoln. They considered and agreed that politically, they could not refuse the invitations from Mr. and Mrs. Seward, nor could they turn down General McClellan. Perhaps the most fascinating invitation was from Mr. Jay Cooke, the Philadelphia financier. This still left them time to attend the play and a concert by the Marine Corps band, and to do some touring and shopping. Charlie and Rebecca quickly wrote their acceptances and politely declined the other invitations.

"With that piece of business out of the way, would you like a bath before we have dinner? Even though the General’s car was very nice, I, for one, am lightly coated with ash from the train."

"I think that would be wonderful and I would very much like a nap as well."

"Well, darling, there is a huge bathtub and hot water waiting for you."

"So there is. Now should I call for the maid or would you prefer to help me out of my traveling clothes?"

Charlie slid his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder. "You should know by now that I adore serving as your lady’s maid. Would you like me to wash your back as well?"

She lifted a brow at him. "Hmmm... maybe, darling. Would you consider washing my front, too?" She looked past Charlie into the bathing room. "Do you think the tub can hold us both?"

Charlie looked at the tub, then at Rebecca, then back at the tub and down at himself, as if considering a serious engineering problem. "I do believe it will hold both of us, if we are willing to be extremely friendly."

"I do not believe that is an issue with us." She grabbed Charlie's cravat. "Come, husband."

Grinning, Charlie joined her in the bedroom, where he disrobed his wife with all of the finesse of a skilled maid, ran the bath, and much more hastily shed his uniform. Charlie slid into the huge, claw-footed tub behind Rebecca and drew her back to rest comfortably in her arms. The hot water, the smell of Rebecca’s hair –– all of it was more than Charlie had ever thought she would have.

"Do you know, Mrs. Redmond, that I love you? I love everything about you. And I love it that you love me? All of me?"

Rebecca ran her hands up and down Charlie's outer thighs. "All of you, every inch of you."

The Willard staff extended themselves to provide Charlie and Rebecca with a lovely dinner. The Garden room was quiet and discreet. Each table was in its own quiet alcove, screened by plants and trellises from the other guests. A fine meal, with a good brandy afterwards, and the two retired to their room to explore the advantages of the bed.

--*--

Tuesday, January 31, 1865

They slept in, a luxury Charlie rarely indulged in, then rose and strolled about the gardens and streets of the neighborhood. Rebecca was particularly enthralled with the construction that had begun on the planned monument to President Washington. The great obelisk was not yet completed, and the war effort had suspended work indefinitely, but it was still clear it would tower over all other buildings in the capital city.

Charlie had reserved a small carriage for them from the Willard’s livery stable, so they were able to tour about comfortably, looking at the various sites in the city. As they rode down the dirt track toward Georgetown to General Meigs’ home, Rebecca marveled over how much progress had been made in just seventy years at turning Washington into a real city.

"I am surprised that you do not want to return here, Charlie. It seems to me that someone with your record and standing in the service would have many opportunities here in Washington after the war."

"I am sure I would have many opportunities. Do you think you would prefer to live here, dear? I had not thought of it, but if you wish?"

"Charlie, I want what is best for you. I love the farm, and I think we would have the best horse-breeding program in the state. But we must do what is best for you."

"My dear, we must do what is best for us –– and for our children. If living here in Washington appeals to you, I am willing to discuss it. But I am tired of the politics and the infighting. I would be perfectly happy on the farm."

"Then let us agree to this. We will keep the farm and remain there, but if opportunities should arise for you here, then we will discuss it again."

"That seems perfectly reasonable to me, dear. And there is always the opportunity to bring the advantages to Culpeper. There are so many things that we need to rebuild the infrastructure of the town –– a bank, more rail traffic."

"This is true. We will take things as they come. One day at a time."

"For now, love, we have arrived." Charlie pulled the buggy to in front of a rather standard townhouse. Georgetown was the last port on the Potomac River before it became too rocky for large boats to navigate it, a vital and bustling town for the past hundred and fifty years. Charlie helped Rebecca to the street, handing the reins to a post boy who had been waiting for them.

They walked to the front door, where once again, the young captain who served as Meigs’ aide met them and escorted them to a lovely formal parlor overlooking the garden at the back of the house. Mrs. Meigs apologized for not rising to greet them, as her rheumatism was plaguing her in the chill, damp weather. The General abducted Charlie to discuss a business matter for a few minutes.

"I declare, it is always damp here. In the winter, chill and damp; in the summer, hot and humid, but always damp. Be thankful, Mrs. Redmond, that you live in the foothills, where you are not plagued as we are in the city."

Rebecca smiled politely. "Of course Mrs. Meigs. Perhaps after the war you and General Meigs would be our guest at Redmond Stables."

"That would be lovely. I have heard that the country around Culpeper is beautiful. Tell me, can you see the mountains from your home?"

"Oh yes, very clearly. Our land is actually backed up against the mountains."

"That must be lovely. We have had to move about so often, being in the military, that I have had no real hope of establishing a family home like that. Why, I believe this house in Georgetown is the closest to a home we have ever had."

"I can only imagine. As a matter of fact, General Redmond and I were just discussing if we should consider moving to Washington. But since he is leaving the Army after the war, we have decided to remain in Culpeper for the time being."

"I do envy you, my dear. So, General Redmond is leaving the Army. I do indeed envy you. I believe that General Meigs will be in the service until the day he dies."