“How did you manage it?” I burst out. He knew exactly what I was referring to.
“I have my ways,” he replied mysteriously.
“Not good enough. You must tell me!”
“Olcott. He told us to take some wagons around to commandeer furniture for his cabin. I just picked up a few things here and there while I was on his errand.”
“Sam! It is all just so lovely! I am very pleased with it!” I squealed. “It was just so wonderful of you.”
“I’m glad you liked it. Merry Christmas.”
“It isn’t Christmas yet,” I pointed out.
“Everyone else has begun celebrating early. We may as well too.”
“Now we will have a good meal together, you and me. Just as if we were properly courting.”
“We are properly courting,” he said.
I was delighted when he said that. It was like a soothing pat on the back. I don’t know if other women are as insecure as myself, but I loved to be reassured I was his heart’s desire. “Then tell me how your day went,” I replied. “Like you would if you were at work and just come home to me.”
“Oh, I was at work all right. We have finished Colonel Olcott’s cabin. And it is fine. You will have to come and see it. Best of all I think he took a particular liking to me.”
“Really? Well, it doesn’t surprise me. But what did he say?”
“He said I done good work. Told me if I should ever need anything, I ought to come to him.”
“You must feel very good about that,” I said.
“I do. It was an honor.”
“You may have gotten the furniture from round about here, but not the bed. You made the bed didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Just for me?” I said, attempting to flirt with him. I wouldn’t go so far as to bat my eyelashes, for that would be downright silly with me in my soldier getup looking like a boy, but I enjoyed playing with him.
“For the time being anyway,” he acknowledged, taking a bite. I thought it was a curious thing to say, but I ignored it and continued on, because it was borderline indecent to discuss such things.
“It will be such a treat to sleep in a real bed again. I think I may have forgotten what it’s like.”
“I hoped you would like it.”
“Oh, I do. I feel so lucky.”
“You ought to. Reed and me are still sleeping on our bedrolls.” He chuckled.
“I’ll feel bad when I’m comfortable and cozy in my bed, knowing you are on the cold, hard floor.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyhow, with Reed’s snoring. You were a much better bedfellow than he.”
“You aren’t sleeping well?”
He shrugged. “I’ve had a lot on my mind,” he admitted.
“Yes, you’ve been very busy, I know.”
“Listen, Serena, I have something I want to talk to you about.”
Immediately the playful mood we had going on between us seemed to evaporate. I couldn’t say why but it was instantly uncomfortable. I felt a nervous roiling ball spinning in my stomach. I set my spoon down, thinking I shouldn’t eat any more, or I would get sick, and gave him my full attention.
“What is it?” I asked apprehensively.
“What would you say if I was to tell you I procured passes for the both of us?”
“What? Impossible. They’re not giving out passes,” I said skeptically.
“Not generally, no. Not to lowly soldiers like us anyway. But when Olcott wanted to know if there was anything he could do for me, I asked for furlough passes for you and me,” he said.
“And?”
“Well, I tried for a ten-day furlough but could only just get five. Still, he got permission for it, and we can leave the start of next week if you choose. What do you say to that?” He looked triumphant.
“I don’t understand. We are free to go for five days?”
“That is right.”
“To do what?”
“Well, now, It’s up to you, I expect,” he answered. He fidgeted with the raw edge of the calico cloth, straightened his plate and spoon, anything to keep his hands busy. He was nervous. I’d rarely seen him so. It made me nervous too.
“Would we go home to visit Richfield?” I asked.
“I don’t know if we would have time,” he said. “By the time we got there, we’d have to turn around and come back. We could try to contact our families and see if they can meet us halfway maybe. I don’t know if your father could travel with your mother? We would only have this week to get word to them and make arrangements. And with the mail as it is, they may get it in time, they may not…” I nodded to let him know I understood.
“It would be difficult, maybe impossible,” I agreed.
“Or I have another idea.” He reached into his coat and pulled a letter from his inner pocket. Sam studied me closely as he handed me the envelope with a folded bit of paper in it. I’m sure he could see I was confused. I turned the envelope over in my hands and began to draw the paper out. It was well read, I could see from the worn creases.
“What’s this?” I wondered.
“I have written to your father,” he told me.
“My father?” I became concerned.
“That letter is from him. And if you are willing, he has given his blessing so I might ask for your hand.”
I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I stared hard at him, across the table from me, to discover if he was being truthful or if this was some elaborate joke. I wasn’t sure if I should burst out laughing so I didn’t look like a complete fool, or if I should take him seriously and keep my expression sober. But he was staring right back, as earnest as could be, his dark eyes intense and waiting.
“In marriage?” I asked him, completely taken aback. It wasn’t so long ago Sam didn’t even want to speak to me. He made no indication he was even considering such a thing. The thought of marrying him was too fantastic to believe. I thought I must be jumping to conclusions, reading into his words because that’s what I wanted to hear but not really what he was saying at all. I didn’t see it coming. To say I was his girl was one thing. He went with lots of girls back home. But to say he wanted me as his wife was something very different.
He laughed at me. “Well, yes in marriage.”
“You are serious?” I gasped.
“Read it for yourself,” he suggested.
I was in shock. For all of these years this was all I wanted, all I could dream of. Sam was the only man I’d ever loved. And now he wanted me in return. I felt the energy drain from me as I clutched the letter in my hand. I tried to skim through it as my hand trembled and the words tossed about before my eyes. It was addressed to Sam.
After having received your letter, and given it some thought, I can only say I am not only relieved but happy about this turn of events. Serena is my only living child, my heart and soul. She is all I’ve got left. Having her so far away has put a great strain on me, as I worry about her welfare on a daily basis. It pleases me to know she has someone close who will look out for her and take care of her in my absence.
I know you well enough to know you are a good boy, with a fine character, and you come from good stock. I believe a union between the two of you would be an excellent match. As her father, I most certainly give my permission for you to ask for her hand. I could never deny you that. However, I cannot speak for my daughter on her preferences. While I think it would be of great benefit to her, she must answer for herself. If Serena is of a like mind and wishes to have you, then I will gladly give my blessing.
Best of Luck, Matthew Stark
I looked from the letter to him in disbelief.
“You want me for your wife?” I whispered. He leaned back in his chair with his eyes wide, as if he were exasperated.
“If you will have me, that is very much what I want,” he replied, his lips curling into a mischievous grin.
“I don’t want you to do this out of
pity,” I said, remembering back to the boy who rescued my bonnet for me. “You are a good man, this I know. But I don’t need you to save me.”
“No,” he said thoughtfully, “I am proposing marriage, not salvation.”
This brought tears to my eyes.
“Serena,” he said, getting up from his chair and coming to kneel before me. He took me into his arms. “Don’t cry. Why are you crying?”
“Do you mean it?” I wept. “Is this real?” I asked, holding the letter up as though it were the letter which was in question and not his intentions.
“You certainly know how to keep a man waiting,” he pointed out.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Well, will you be my wife?” he questioned.
“Yes, Sam. I would be ever so glad to,” I admitted. I clutched him to me and kissed his beautiful face over and over again. I never wanted to let him go. I didn’t want the moment to end.
Chapter 29
THE WEEK WORE ON TEDIOUSLY. It seemed as though days became years. And while I waited I did my best to prepare. I was set upon having a proper dress to wear for my wedding day. The best I could come up with was a bonnet embellished with trim and a fat, pale blue ribbon, a skirt, a plain white blouse, and a jacket trimmed in lace that I got trading with a local woman in town. I was lucky they parted with any of it. Things were scarce now, and many of the people there had worn out clothing and no cloth to replenish what needed to be replaced. One of the women looked as though she might cry when she gave up the jacket in return for a slab of bacon. It was not overly formal. Just everyday wear, but still nicer than a work dress. I was pleased to have it and I felt a little sorry I was taking it from her, even though the trade was fair.
I couldn’t sleep nights for thinking of what was to come. I went over and over our plans in my head. I took the opportunity to write a letter, wanting my father to know I accepted Sam’s proposal and we would be married soon. I didn’t want him to wonder or worry. He likely wouldn’t get the letter until after we were married, but it was news at least. Sam said he did the same. He wrote to his family telling them of his intentions.
Christmas day was a rowdy and boisterous event. Sam and I were assigned police duty in town that evening, along with Darby and Felix. Some of the officers had begun drinking days before and were now in a very sorry and drunken state. They went about looking for trouble to get into, which made for a difficult shift.
“’Tis strange to me the officers may indulge in drink, when us enlisted should suffer court martial if we was to do the same,” Darby observed.
“Shameful, regardless of who it was that done it,” Sam said.
This didn’t appease Darby, who appeared put out by Sam saying anything against his complaint. I broke away from the group and went by the stables to see they were secure. As I walked around to the gate to let myself in, Felix came up behind. “I see less and less of you these days,” he said.
For some reason, being alone with him made me nervous, although I had been alone with him before. I couldn’t say exactly why, only I knew Sam did not much approve of Felix Newburn. I shrugged with a half-smile. “Been busy,” I replied. “I’ve been working on my cabin.”
“Your cabin, huh?”
“Yes. It’s a right nice one.”
“If you say so.”
“I do,” I said. “There’s a lot to be done with winter upon us. I’m sure you’ve been up to the same, haven’t you?”
“You aren’t any fun anymore,” Felix accused.
“How’s that?”
“You used to be up for some sport every now and then. Not anymore. Seems you’ll talk only to Sam now. You follow him around like a pup.”
“Sam and I have been together from the beginning,” I said. “He is like a brother to me.”
“You don’t get tired of him bossing you around and telling you what to do?”
“He doesn’t boss me around,” I told him. I found it comical he thought so. Sam was not the type to tell others what to do. In general he minded his own business and didn’t stray too far from his own affairs unless he needed to. I wondered what would make Felix think such a thing. Perhaps it was Sam’s promotion that irked Felix. I wasn’t sure.
“Has he told you not to speak to me?”
“No. He’s never said a thing about you.”
“If it’s on account of what happened with Jack, well, now you know I didn’t have anything to do with that,” he told me. I felt the familiar twinge whenever Jack Monroe’s name was mentioned, a moment of panic and paranoia wondering if someone found out what really happened to him. Had Felix Newburn found out?
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The farm that day. I’ll have you know, I’m not like him. You were there, and you saw I had no part in it.”
I wondered what his point was in telling me this. It was water under the bridge. Jack was good and gone, and what happened on the farm was many months ago. I continued to check each stall in the barn and then moved for the door.
“I never said you did,” I pointed out.
“No, but I figure that’s why you aren’t as friendly anymore. And I just want you to know, I don’t condone what he did. If you hadn’t stopped him, I would have.”
I thought it was easy to say what you would have done, much easier than actually having to do it. I didn’t think Felix was a bad sort, but he was the sort swayed by the popular voice. Who knows how he would’ve reacted if I hadn’t been there that day. It dawned on me he was saying all of this because he couldn’t stand the thought of me not liking him, or anyone else for that matter. He was the kind who needed to be liked. And, for whatever reason, he was worried about what I thought of him.
“We remain friends. I have no hard feelings toward you.”
“Good. And I hope you won’t go around telling tales.”
“Since when was I ever the sort to do that?” I asked, truly perplexed by the direction the conversation was taking.
“Well, good. Just so we are clear on it.”
“We are clear on it,” I assured him.
We walked back to the street where there was a commotion going on. Sam and Darby, and a group of soldiers surrounded Colonel Olcott, who was drunk as a skunk and shouting. He was staggering about with a bottle in his hand and waving it in the air as he yelled.
“I asked you to have a drink with me. As your superior you insult me by refusing!”
To his credit, the fellow in question stood his ground and remained calm. “As much of an honor as it is, I must decline, Colonel.”
“Do you think you are too good for it?” Olcott railed. “Is that what you think?”
“No, sir. I simply don’t wish to drink.”
At this point Olcott launched himself at the other man, knocking him to the ground. He pinned the man’s arms to the ground with his knees, and then he took his bottle of liquor and pressed it to the man’s lips. The drink spilling out all over his face as Olcott screamed at him, “Drink it! Drink it!”
The crowd formed a circle, and the soldiers pressed in and began cheering Olcott on. The poor fellow who was being assaulted began to cough and splutter as the liquid from the bottle poured out onto his face, in his nose and mouth. He fought desperately to get up, but Olcott had pinned him good. In all of the commotion I watched transfixed, wondering what I should do. Finally, Sam managed to push past the crowed, stepped up and pulled Colonel Olcott up and away from his hapless victim.
The poor man crawled away from the crowd, and once he was clear he sprang up from the ground and took off at a run. When Olcott saw this he became indignant. He staggered slightly, doing his best to steady himself, and then turned on Sam. “I command you to go arrest that man!” he yelled, pointing his finger into the air emphatically.
“Yes, absolutely! We’ll see to it, sir,” Sam replied calmly. “In the meantime, let’s get you back to your cabin.” He took Olcott by the arm and gently steered him toward his dwelling. I trailed along behi
nd, careful not to get too close for fear of what he might do.
“You may have ten men to round him up,” he hollered, “and if it isn’t enough you have my permission to get a company of men to round him up!”
“Yes, sir,” Sam agreed, as he continued to lead him along.
“And if it’s still not enough, I will call out the whole regiment to round him up!” he blustered.
As they approached his cabin Sam told him, “Yes, sir. Of course, sir.”
“You’re a good man Second-Lieutenant Barlow,” he babbled on. “You bring him back to me and I will promote you. You hear?”
“Thank you, Colonel.”
“Orderly Sergeant. That’s what I shall promote you to. And you know I am a man of my word.”
Sam now opened the door and showed him into the cabin. Darby and Felix stayed behind to try to get the rest of the crowd under control and I waited alone for Sam to come out. He was gone for a few minutes before he reappeared looking somewhat relieved.
“Did you get him to bed?”
Sam nodded his head yes. “Thankfully he didn’t fight me on it. I took his boots off and tucked him in, just like a child.”
“I don’t care for him,” I admitted. I was very unimpressed by his behavior.
“I can understand why. But don’t forget he managed to pull the strings that got us our passes,” Sam pointed out.
“I don’t have to like someone to be grateful.”
“Smart girl.” He smiled approvingly. “And what was Felix following you around for?”
“Not sure what to make of it. He was worried I didn’t like him anymore.”
“Mark my words, he will be a politician. Someday we will read about him in the papers.”
“Perhaps.” I was done talking about Felix. “But we have better things to talk about, you and I.”
“What would that be?”
I dropped my voice. “I’ve gotten a dress put together.”
“Excellent,” he said. But I could tell he wasn’t as excited about it as I was.
The Discovered Page 17