Justin moved closer, his hand resting on her arm. “I’ve done a lot of thinking in the past week, Peyton.”
“You have?” she squeaked.
He nodded. “You know, I have been courting you for nearly a year.”
Peyton blinked. This was it! He was going to propose. Her hands felt sweaty and she thought she might faint from excitement.
He picked up one of her hands and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. She noticed his fingernails were dirty. His hand felt cold and clammy. His hand didn’t quite close around hers. Not the way that Mason’s hand did when he kissed her palm.
“What do you say, Peyton?”
“I’m sorry,” Peyton replied. “I can’t believe how much I missed you.”
“I asked if you would wait for me?”
“Wait?”
“Yes. Until the war is over.”
“But that could be months. Or years,” Peyton said.
“It should be over shortly. The union army has those confederates on the run.”
“Then why wait?”
Justin looked around the room, as if seeking a way to escape. “I just don’t think it is practical to be courting while this war is happening.”
“It isn’t happening here,” Peyton argued.
“There are men by the thousands coming into Harrisburg. What do you think it would do to the city if the confederates found out that this is where the troops are being trained? They’d pay a lot of money for that information.” He started pacing the room.
“Justin?” Peyton’s voice trembled. “I’ve never heard you talk like this.”
Justin stopped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m scared that these men might try some harm here. Promise you’ll wait for me, Peyton?” She didn’t respond. “There are going to be men coming in and out of town. I won’t be here much.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have business I’m conducting. Trying to gather information and supplies. I hear things, Peyton.”
“What kind of things?”
“Things I can’t speak of. Peyton, please,” he begged. “I want to just make sure you wait for me until I return, and we can continue courting.”
“Courting?” Justin nodded. “I thought you were asking me to marry you.”
“I can’t. I can’t worry about my woman while I’m off conducting business. I need to know that you will be safe.” He reached out to touch a curl in her hair. “Guarded. Promise me, Peyton.”
“Will you be at the Adams’ on Saturday?”
“I will do everything in my power to be there.”
“Are you in town all week?”
“At least for a few days, until I’m called out again.”
“Can you stay for dinner?”
Justin shook his head. “I must make a few other stops before I head home. I just don’t want anyone stealing you away.”
“They won’t,” she whispered.
Justin gave her a sharp bow and left. Peyton watched his retreating figure and realized he was smaller than she remembered. Or maybe it was just after seeing Mason that afternoon that all other men would pale to compare.
She took a deep breath. If Justin was going to be here for a week, then that meant she had a week to secure him as her husband.
There was only one way to do this. She needed a new gown for the event at the Adams’. It would have to turn every head and make Justin propose to her instantly.
Since there wasn’t an available seamstress to make her a new dress, she would have to do it herself. Kisse knew how to sew. She would ask the young woman to help her.
A plan in hand, she ran upstairs to look at her wardrobe.
She needed to convince Justin to marry her as soon as possible. She knew if she was a married woman those impure thoughts about Colonel Mason Stout would simply go away.
Chapter 7
It had been six days since the church picnic and Mason couldn’t get the lovely Miss Fuller from his mind.
He had seen her in the camp earlier that day escorted by several members of the church and a tall colored man.
The women scattered and visited each tent offering a kind word and a sandwich. Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Fuller came through on their promise that every man would have something homemade to eat.
A beautiful brunette walked with Peyton as she made her rounds. It took a moment, but Mason recognized her as his Supply Officer’s fiancée. She looked pale and dabbed her eyes as she followed behind Peyton.
Mason watched as the women moved from tent to tent, stopping to speak to each man and offering them a sandwich. He noticed she had a bouquet of small flowers attached to her wrist and he saw her inhale deeply from the flowers several times.
The dark man held a second basket, swapping it out for the empty one when she ran out of sandwiches. When she made her way closer to the stables, Pup came running out. She allowed him to hug her before handing him a sandwich with a pat on the head.
He knew that Mrs. Harris had talked to Pup about staying with a family in town. Pup declined but wouldn’t give a reason.
Mason made a note to speak to Pup that maybe staying with a family was better than going to war as a drummer. He wished he was able to take the young boy in. But Mason didn’t have a wife, or a home.
Thoughts of Peyton immediately entered his mind. She would make a lovely wife. It’s just, she wouldn’t be a wife for him. He vowed never to make his wife a widow. Especially not a war widow.
He had seen men die. His own uncle was killed in a raid out West. His uncle’s widow hadn’t recovered in the ten years since her husband’s death.
Peyton didn’t deserve that.
His eyes scanned the groups of men in front of him. In three days another two thousand men would ship out, and more would be sent to take their place.
He had a three-day break before the next wave of volunteers arrived. He had been reading the reports coming in from the field. The Union Army was marching south and hadn’t engaged in any major conflicts.
All he needed was a hot bath, some liniment for his leg and a good night’s rest. He was invited to play cards with one of the prominent families in town the following night. He didn’t even want to do that. He would be quite content not to leave his bed for seventy-two hours.
Perhaps he would send his regards and pay a visit on some other occasion.
As he limped back to the barracks, he saw a Sergeant walking up to him with a paper in his hand. The Sergeant stopped in front of Mason and saluted.
“Sir, this just came from Philadelphia.”
Mason took the letter from the man and opened it. Four thousand troops were expected to arrive over the next ten days. They didn’t have enough room for the men they were expecting. Now to receive double the expected men.
“I would like to see Lieutenant Miller as soon as he arrives.”
“Yes, sir.”
Mason folded the letter again and tapped it against his gloved palm. “Dismissed.”
The man saluted and disappeared into the crowd of soldiers. Mason walked slowly back to his barracks. He went inside and placed the paper on his desk. Opening his footlocker, he reached for his bottle of liniment, only to realize it was empty.
He took the lid off and shook the bottle several times. When nothing came out, he tossed the bottle on his bed with a grunt. He would need to go to the local store and see if he could find any more.
Grabbing his overcoat, he picked up the bottle and started walking across the street to the store. As he approached the corner, he noticed a young couple standing in the alleyway.
Giggles drifted into the road. Mason looked down the alley. The couple was engaged in a very passionate embrace. Mason looked away. The giggles returned and he turned to steal a quick glance.
The woman hid her head, but the man must have noticed them, as he stared at Mason. His lip curled up on one side and it gave Mason an uneasy feeling.
The man looked familiar, but Mason couldn’t pl
ace him. He couldn’t see the woman’s face as it was covered by her bonnet.
He continued to walk by the alley without giving the couple another look. He crossed the street and proceeded down several doors until he found the shop he was looking for.
The mercantile had a large placard outside. Jenkins Mercantile and Dry Goods. Mason walked by the window. The store was rather busy for a Saturday afternoon.
He entered the store and made his way towards the counter. Several people greeted him. Mason was as polite as he could be with his leg throbbing. He just wanted to get his liniment and go back to his barracks.
A ruckus in the corner commanded his attention. He turned to see Peyton surrounded by several men in blue uniforms calling to her.
They were moving closer and she held out her hands. One even grabbed her arm, trying to pull her outside. Mason saw red at the thought of her skin having bruises.
Taking a quick scan of the store he saw that no one had noticed the incident. Either that, or they didn't want to get involved.
Mason could see that Peyton was getting flustered by the attention. He weighed his options for merely a moment before moving over to the women's sundries section.
Taking off one glove, he slapped it against the other. The sound of the leather snapping brought the men to attention.
The men spied their commanding officer and immediately jumped to attention. Mason recognized them as part of a squad that was leaving in two days.
"Is there a problem here?" Mason asked.
"No problem, sir. We were just keeping the little lady company."
He looked at Peyton. She shook her head slightly. Looking around he saw several people in the store had stopped shopping and were now looking at them.
"I would say she doesn't want your company, isn't that so, Miss Fuller?"
Peyton nodded. "Yes," she whispered.
"Then I think you should leave her alone. Do you understand, Privates?"
The men nodded their understanding. "Now, I want your names and company numbers. I will be talking to your Captains when I return." The men provided their names and companies. “Dismissed,” Mason said. The men saluted and scurried from the store. Mason watched them leave before turning his attention back to Peyton.
“Are you alright, Miss Fuller?”
“I am now. Thank you, Colonel. I don’t know what I would have done.”
“There is no excuse for their behavior.”
“I don’t think they meant any harm.”
Mason looked at her for a moment, trying to decide if she was simple or innocent. She blinked at him, her green eyes flashing behind her lashes. Innocent. There was nothing simple about Peyton Fuller.
“Since it appears you are unharmed, I should go get my shopping done.” He touched his hat and turned towards the druggist.
He felt her touch on his arm. It was so light he would have thought he was dreaming. He turned to look at her again, his eyebrow lifting.
“The store is rather large. What are you looking for?”
“Liniment.”
“For your leg?” Mason nodded. She moved closer to him. “I’m sorry you were hurt.”
“It only hurts on days I have to use it,” he softly joked.
“They finally restocked the shelves. Everything was gone the first week your soldiers arrived. I’m surprised they even have thread in stock.” Mason watched her grab a spool of thread and a leather strip holding needles. “The liniment will be over here.” She held her skirt as she moved around a display of notions towards shelves that were lined with salves and lotions.
“Thank you,” he said taking the bottle from her hand.
Peyton smiled. “Is that all you need?”
Mason cocked his head. “Do I need something else?”
Peyton leaned over and whispered to him, “You might want to buy some soap.”
Mason laughed. “Is it that noticeable?”
Peyton nodded. “You can tell when a solider is coming, three minutes before he comes into view.”
Mason threw back his head and laughed. It felt good to do so. “Well then, what kind of soap should I get?”
“The soaps are over here,” she said, guiding him to a display. She took a bar of soap in a simple brown wrapper and handed it to him.
He sniffed it. It reminded him of laundry soap.
“Why this one?”
“It doesn’t have any perfume.”
“What about these?” he asked, leaning over Peyton to select a bar from a display right behind her. Peyton froze and he saw her swallow.
He leaned just a little bit closer. He was so close he could hear her breathe. She smelled like flowers and dusting powder. It was a scent he would never tire of.
“This one might do,” he whispered, pulling his arm back and holding a bar of soap in front of her.
“Those are women’s soaps.”
“Because they are scented.”
“I don’t think you want to smell like jasmine,” she said softly.
“It might make me smell better than sweat and manure,” he whispered back.
Peyton turned to the display and grabbed three bars of the jasmine soap. Turning back around she placed them in his hand. “You might need more.”
Mason looked at the soap and then back at her. The words were out before he could even stop them. “May I escort you to the Adam’s house tomorrow night?”
A flicker of delight appeared on her face and then it disappeared just as quickly. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m promised to another.”
“I see,” he said, stepping back. “Are you engaged?”
“Not yet. He wants to wait until the war is over.”
“That could be months.”
“Or years,” Peyton said. The sadness in her voice cut him to the quick.
“Is he a volunteer?”
“No. He … he… I’m honestly not sure what he does. I know he is conducting business outside of town. It is supposed to bring him quite a bit of money, too.”
Mason smiled and said softly. “I wish you much happiness, Miss Fuller.”
Peyton nodded and moved away to make her purchases. Mason watched her as she paid and then left the shop to make her way home. She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a half-smile before scurrying down the street.
Mason moved to the register and put his purchases on the counter. The shopkeeper looked at the soap and picked up one of the floral bars.
“You sure you want these?”
Mason nodded. “One moment, please.” He went back over to the display and picked up one with roses on the wrapping paper. He held the soap to his nose and inhaled slightly. It would at least remind him of her. He walked back to the register and put the bar next to all the others. “I’ll take this one as well.”
The shopkeeper didn’t say anything else; he simply rang up Mason’s purchases and wrapped them in brown paper tied with a string. Mason put the liniment bottle in his pocket before heading out the door and back to the barracks.
As he passed the alleyway, he noticed that the couple had moved on. To be young and in love, he thought; and find a way to secret some time away with your love. Peyton entered his thoughts once more.
He remembered that she was being courted but hadn’t seen anyone with her the few times he saw her around town. Why would a man ask a woman as desirable as Peyton to wait for marriage? It didn’t make sense.
As he approached the barracks, he noticed a man dash behind a bush. Mason wasn’t sure, but it almost looked like the man he caught in the alley.
Why would he be walking around the camp? Mason rubbed his leg as he walked. As much as he would like to ride a horse everywhere, his doctor told Mason that he needed to walk on his leg daily. He figured after the walk to the mercantile, he was good for at least the next three days.
When he got to his room, he noticed the door was slightly cracked. He thought he had shut it. Perhaps one of the Captains needed to drop off reports.
; He went into his room and dropped the soap in his footlocker. The liniment he placed on his desk. He looked at the desk trying to determine what was out of place. It took him a moment to realize that the strong box he kept papers in was moved from the corner of the desk. Not by much, but about six inches.
Mason pushed the box back, the steel scratching against the desk. He fingered the lock. It was still sealed. Pulling a key from around his neck, he opened the box and glanced inside. The contents all appeared to be there. He closed the box and sat down in the chair.
Nothing else appeared to be out of place. Perhaps he was just imagining it.
“Colonel.” A knock on the door called his attention. “Lieutenant Miller is here to see you.”
“Thank you, Sergeant. Please send him in.” Mason would revisit his thoughts, but now he needed to speak to his supply officer.
Chapter 8
The next day Peyton couldn’t wait for the evening at the Adams’. She loved visiting the Adams’ house. It was a step back in time with their furniture that had survived since the Revolutionary War.
Kisse curled her hair so tight that Peyton thought she wouldn’t see straight for a week.
Kisse helped Peyton dress in her corset, petticoats, crinolines and her mesh hoop skirt. Then she held the dress while Peyton slid her arms into it.
It was perfect.
She had taken apart three of her dresses to make this one. The base was a gold ball gown that was two seasons old. She used a bright red skirt to fashion an inlay in the front of the dress. Kisse helped her create ruffles and many layers from the rich fabric.
The lace and beads on the bodice were from a third gown in a silver silk. She used the fabric of the silvery gown to create a train in the back as well as sleeves.
She hoped that the Colonel would like it.
The Colonel!
She meant Justin. She hoped Justin wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off her.
The carriage arrived exactly on time and carried the Fullers to the Adams’ house. It was a grand house on the far side of Harrisburg. Colonial in nature, it had tall columns and a sweeping porch. Made from bricks, it had stood the test of time.
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