To cool his thoughts, he surveyed the fields, forests, and the lake, but his good intentions lasted less than two minutes. He watched her pull a salt shaker from a vest pocket.
“I love tomatoes,” she said. “Some say they’re poisonous, but they aren’t. Sprinkled with a little salt, they’re the best thing on earth.”
She layered her fresh buttered bread with tomato and paper thin slices of onion. The tip of her tongue peeked from her mouth as she salted the concoction. She handed a sandwich to each of them, then fixed one for herself and took a bite. Juice ran down her chin, and she giggled, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.
“Pretend you didn’t see that. My mother would have a conniption. She did try to make a lady out of me.”
His heart did a little stutter. Inside his mind he whispered, Don’t change a thing, darling girl. Stay just as you are.
Daniel missed nothing. He especially didn’t miss that Hal watched her, too.
She led them along a narrow trail, where they easily ducked under the spill from a narrow section of falls, and walked along the side of a mountain. She pointed toward an enormous nest. “That’s a bald eagle nest. It’s been here as long as I’ve lived here. I wouldn’t dare walk by here in early spring. They’re huge, and fiercely protective of their babies.”
Moving down a steep incline, under a cluster of circling hawks, Daniel stopped, giving himself a rest, and asked about a sled and snowshoes hanging in a tree. He was finding walking downhill more difficult than going uphill.
“I shoot a couple of deer over the winter and trade the Germans for ham, bacon, and lard.” She nodded toward the sled and snowshoes. “I only hunt when there’s snow. I gut the deer where it drops, then use the sled to take the carcass down the mountain. I use the shoes if the snow’s deep.”
Down in the valley she showed them a beaver colony. Long-legged cranes and a few blue herons stood on the dams. “Last winter I ran a trap line through here. I cured fox, beaver, otter, and mink, then traded my skins for most of my supplies. I couldn’t get coffee this year because of the war.”
When they arrived back at the house, Daniel rested on the swing again while Hal borrowed her shotgun and walked down to the meadow where it bordered a marsh. Within twenty minutes, he’d brought down two wild turkeys, then hung them by the shed.
“This land is a hunter’s paradise,” he said.
Once the birds were plucked and cleaned, the men stood beside her in the kitchen, learning her cooking methods. As she prepared the birds with bacon and spices, Hal asked, “What’s that?”
She crushed the fresh green leaves between her oily fingers and held out her palms for the soldiers to smell. “Sage and rosemary, I press it under the skin and put a whole onion inside each bird.”
Daniel and Hal roasted the birds over an open fire while new potatoes were dropped in a three legged pot, ready to boil over the coals. As they sat together, shelling peas, she asked more about them. “What did you do before the war?”
“We were students at PMC, the Pennsylvania Military College, in Chester,” Hal said. “It’s just south of Philadelphia. We and most of our class volunteered right after Ft. Sumter fell.”
She nodded. “Franklin and Marshall emptied out, too. I think the boys just wanted the excitement.”
Hal arched his thick eyebrows. “We heard those early drums and almost drowned in our arrogance. I find it difficult to believe I was so ignorant.”
“We all were. How many did we lose at Gettysburg?”
They both shrugged. “Thousands and thousands. I’d guess at least a third of each army wounded and killed.”
“Such a waste,” she muttered.
Daniel leaned forward and dumped a napkin full of peas into the main pot. “Maybe forty to fifty thousand, if you count both sides, lest we forget we’re all Americans. I can’t even imagine that many peas, let alone that many men.”
She studied the pot of peas. “I can’t imagine it, either. How long can it go on?”
From the springhouse she’d pulled a bottle of red wine. “This bottle has been here since the year before the war. We went to Philadelphia for Christmas and brought two cases home with us. Before the war we used to go a few places. We took the train to New York and went to the opera, even ate at a restaurant.
“Before that we went to Washington. I remember eating oysters, raw and cooked every which way. Oh, and the mud.” She wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t like the mud. But I loved the oysters.”
She set the table on the porch with blue and white china plates, and again they dined by candlelight. This time she put the candles inside glass chimneys. “It’s a treat for me to use the china,” she said, touching the dishes. “I haven’t used it since Mother died.”
Later they sat on the porch drinking coffee, devouring sour cherry pie, and watching fireflies. It was hard to believe great armies maneuvered somewhere on the other side of the mountains.
Daniel wanted very much to know how old she was, but a shyness held him back. Fortunately, not a timid bone existed in Hal. He came right out and asked. The dim light from the candles played on the well-defined bones of her cheeks, the clear line of her jaw, the long column of her throat. Both men’s eyes focused on her.
“I’ll be nineteen in September. If I were a man, I’d be one of your soldiers.” She didn’t smile. “Consider that, gentlemen, when you think I shouldn’t live here alone. How old are you?”
“We’re both twenty-three,” answered Daniel. “We’ll turn twenty-four in December, though I feel a hell of a lot older.”
“You weren’t much older than I am when you went to war.” She smiled sadly. “None of us are very young, are we?”
CHAPTER 9
BEGINNINGS
Dressed in their clean and mended uniforms, swords gleaming, tack smelling of saddle soap, and their boots glowing with polish, they exchanged addresses and gave her all their coffee supply, as well as Daniel’s Spencer repeating carbine and ammunition. He didn’t tell her the rifle had been a gift from his father or that the army didn’t fit out its cavalrymen with expensive guns. He insisted she take it.
“I can get another in Gettysburg. There must be hundreds available. I’ll sleep easier knowing you have a repeating rifle here.”
He’d enjoyed showing her how to load it, site it, and clean it. He also enjoyed her delight at its quick fire capabilities. How many girls would appreciate a rifle? Not many he knew could even hold a gun steady.
Hal irritated him when he jumped in and hammered pegs in the kitchen wall so she could hang the carbine where it would be handy. Daniel had been the one to suggest hanging it there, and he let Hal know by his scowl that he didn’t like his friend bumping in where he didn’t belong. Hal got the message, and Daniel walked her alone to the meadow for target practice. She caught on quickly, as he’d known she would. In fact, she was a crack shot. He discovered the top of her head came right to his ear and her hair smelled of lemon. The smooth hollow at the back of her neck made him long to plant a kiss there. He touched her waist to steady her aim, and guessed his hands would span it.
Now he sat in the kitchen, packing their saddlebags with the food she’d prepared: two dozen hardboiled eggs, a big chunk of sharp cheese, two loaves of bread, small jars of goat cheese and jam, a jar of peaches, oatmeal cookies, all the tomatoes and cucumbers in her garden, and a side of bacon.
When the time to leave arrived, she walked them to the stone bridge. Although the sun had just risen, the day promised blistering heat. Hal kissed her cheek and she hugged him, leaning her face against his shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Slim,” she said.
“You called me Slim last night.” Hal chuckled and brushed a tear from her cheek. “Only my mother sheds tears for me. Thank you.”
She laughed a little. “I don’t like goodbyes.”
He mounted and gave her a salute. “I’m sure we’ll meet again.”
Hal had no sooner turned his back and nudged Dulcey toward the bridge, whe
n Daniel’s hand touched her shoulder. His fingers found the hollow, the one that had been driving him frantic. Not wanting to frighten her, he paused, but she leaned into him, her thick eyelashes brushing the soft skin beneath her eyes. He kissed her forehead, then beneath each eye, then her lips. For a long time he held her with his cheek against hers.
His mind told him she’d be safe there. She’s more capable than most men I know, he reasoned. But the pain of riding away … Good Lord, I don’t want to leave her. His chest, his heart, ached, and he felt her breath catch.
The sound loosed the wild, longing which had been bubbling inside him, and he kissed her with a consuming passion. His hands covered her back, feathered the sides of her breasts, he pressed every willing inch of her tight against him then kissed the softness of her throat. When he backed away, he all but dove into those blue-green depths. His voice came out hoarse and awkward, but his hands were steady as they cupped the sides of her face.
“You know I don’t want to leave you. I think I’m in love.” He brushed his hands through her hair, its silkiness soothing him as he struggled to unearth all his svelte phrases, his sophisticated chatter. They’d all flown from his grasp and he felt as awkward as a colt. “God, I didn’t know I could feel this way. I’ve wanted to kiss you since we left the island.”
She nuzzled against his neck, kissing the skin at his collar, and he felt her smile against him. “I wish you had. I haven’t thought of much else.”
He chuckled. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop once I started.” He kissed the patch of skin by her temple, then her nose, and finally her lips again.
When he lifted his head, she said, “I don’t want you to stop.”
He gulped and cupped her chin in his hand. A laugh, dangerously close to a giggle, bubbled out of him and he shook his head. “You’re no help whatsoever. I think, if your parents were here, they would object. Trust me, darling. I know when I should stop.”
On the far side of the bridge, Dulcey stomped and snorted, a clear hint from Hal. Daniel ignored the message. His lips lingered on her forehead, drinking in the lemony scent of her.
“I’ll find a way to spend my life with you here in this valley,” he promised, discovering with relief that his confident smile had returned.
She reached up and brushed her fingers along his moustache, along his freshly shaved cheek. Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him with her lips open.
“I want you here.” She took a deep breath and blinked quickly. “Don’t worry about me, Daniel. I’m safe. And I’ll be waiting when you come back. There’s something … I feel something powerful when you kiss me. So please. You take care of yourself, Daniel. Come back to me.”
The way she said his name almost destroyed his honorable intentions. To save them both, he vaulted onto Chester’s back, leaned down, and kissed her again. Chester followed his urging and cantered toward Dulcey and Hal. Both men turned and waved. Even from a distance, Daniel saw tears glisten in her eyes. His own vision blurred.
Hal turned to him. “You’re lucky she left the dogs in the house. Did she tell you why her brothers named them Nip and Tuck?”
Daniel lifted his eyebrows. “She told me her mother named them.”
“No. Her brothers did.”
“I suppose you’re about to tell me.”
Hal nodded. “Given the proper signal, or if provoked, Nip nips off your balls while Tuck tucks into what’s left. She said they’re very well trained.”
“She didn’t say balls.”
Hal threw back his head and laughed. “All joking aside, Danny, she’s one in a million. If the courthouse in Gettysburg is open for business, I’ll check on the deed and write to our fathers. I think part of the land might be in Franklin County.”
“Why are you doing all this?”
Hal’s crystal blue eyes narrowed, his weathered face cracked into a grin. “Oh, Danny boy, you’ve been bitten badly. I told you. I fell in love with the valley and half in love with your girl. When Mary’s brothers kill you, I’ll step in and save sweet Summer Rose.”
“How reassuring.”
“I thought so.”
CHAPTER 10
PROMOTIONS
Upon entering General Buford’s camp, even before Daniel dismounted, he was inundated with questions and complaints from half a dozen soldiers. One sergeant didn’t like where he’d been directed to place the tents. Another had four soldiers sick with dysentery, which he blamed on the cook, while others blamed the location of Kilpatrick’s latrines. Another soldier said his mare had just foaled and he didn’t want to kill the colt. Several complained about the food.
Daniel wondered how one minute soldiers could fight to the death for their comrades and squabble like schoolboys in the next. As an officer, he found ninety percent of his time was spent managing disagreements and solving problems. Hal, also still mounted, appeared swamped with detail as well.
Daniel surveyed the swollen Potomac, Lee’s breastworks and trenches. His wounded army, safe behind their fortifications, waited for pontoons to arrive.
Captain Myles Keogh spotted Daniel and approached on his chestnut gelding. Daniel knew Keogh well, and despite his pomposity, he admired him. He and Hal had learned many subtleties of command from this Irish soldier of fortune. Keogh, professional and unflappable to the core, wasn’t the usual Irish immigrant. His family was landed gentry in Ireland. He’d gained military experience in Italy during the Papal Wars, fighting for the pope. He’d come to America, offering his services to the Federals, and ended up as General Buford’s aide. The man was fine-looking, ramrod straight, and always impeccably fitted out in his tailor made and skin tight uniforms. The gold medal presented to him by the pope shone from a chain at his neck. When he waved, Hal and Daniel rode over to him.
“Lee’s waiting for pontoon bridges to be brought up. Where in the hell have you two been?” Keogh grinned. “Knowing you, Goose, a woman must be involved.”
Daniel’s senses jumped to alert when he heard Keogh call Hal “Goose”. This meant the two must have gallivanted together more than he’d realized. He nudged Chester between the two men and butted into the conversation, not about to let Hal mention Summer Rose or her valley. Especially not to a rogue like Myles Keogh.
“Hal usually is checking out girls, but I’ve been wretched since the incident of the head. He’s been taking care of me.” He grimaced for effect. “Then we were sent on a merry chase of misinformation to find you. We should ask where the hell you were. Both our horses needed new shoes. I also picked up some supplies in Gettysburg.”
Keogh raised his eyebrows.
Daniel forced a laugh. “Clothes. My trousers were shredded.” He refrained from mentioning the time he’d spent hunting for another Spencer carbine.
Keogh shuddered. “Horrid business, that head. You’re lucky a bone fragment didn’t sever an artery.” He nodded to the hill overlooking the Potomac. “The general’s up there. No wonder you had trouble finding us. We’ve been all over Maryland and Pennsylvania.”
After he’d saluted and rode off, Daniel caught Dulcey’s bridle and pulled Hal around to face him. “I’m dead serious about Summer. Not a word out of you about her. Understand?”
Hal nodded, then glanced up to the hillside. Generals Buford and Kilpatrick sat on horseback on a bluff. When Buford tipped his hat, Daniel waved back. Kilpatrick’s eyes locked on them for a long moment, but he sat still as a stone.
“As much as I respect General Buford, I don’t think I’d like to spend much time with Kilpatrick. Have you ever met him?” asked Daniel.
Hal cleared his throat and muttered. “You can tell a lot by how a man wears his hat. It’s hard not to laugh at him. His men call him Kill-Cavalry behind his back. He’s West Point, graduated in Custer’s class. He’s tough on his troops and his horses. I hate what he does to horses. He’s not too kind to whores, either.”
Both men ducked as a minié ball whistled over Hal’s head. He pulled Dulcey into a cop
se of trees and Daniel followed with Chester as another ball hummed over his shoulder.
“What the hell? Damn the British and French for selling the rebs scopes.”
If sharpshooters were firing at them, they must be hiding something. Lee’s army didn’t have lead to waste. Daniel noticed Chester’s ears perk up, and the coat along his pale mane quivered. Using binoculars, Daniel scanned in the same direction as Chester, studying a small stream spilling into the Potomac on the far side of the bluff. The water turned around a bend and ran right below Buford and Kilpatrick’s perch.
Any cavalryman knew fresh water for horses was strategic. Daniel handed the glasses to Hal, who took a moment to study where Daniel indicated. He trusted that Hal understood. The soldiers were like that, not needing a lot of words, almost reading each other’s mind. In the past, General Buford had accused them of being married.
“Go around to the left,” Daniel murmured. “I’ll take my men around the far side. We’ll corral them as they get out of the water. They’re right under Buford’s nose, working along the shadows as the sun moves. They’ve muffled their tack, but Chester knows they’re there.”
Orders whispered down the chain of command and, in a matter of fifteen minutes, twenty of their men came up on the rearguard of a Confederate cavalry battalion. Before the rebels even knew what had hit them, Hal’s and Daniel’s men surrounded five hundred of the enemy without firing a shot. Buford and Kilpatrick rode down the hill when they heard the commotion, and Captain Keogh cantered over. They reined their horses together while Daniel ordered the prisoners’ arms collected.
Buford shook his head, stopping his mount beside Dulcey. He nodded toward the prisoners, looking impressed. “I’ve missed you two. Welcome back.”
Kilpatrick and Keogh rode to where the Confederate officers, now prisoners, stood beside their horses. General Buford lingered with his two captains. John Buford was a gentleman to the core and hailed from Kentucky and Illinois. Like many officers, he knew the opposing officer corps from when he’d been a student at West Point or served with them in the U.S. Army prior to this conflict. Buford’s grandfather had fought in the revolution with Robert E. Lee’s father. He was also a fourth cousin to General Jubal Early, one of Lee’s lieutenants, and his current opponent. To General Buford the war was personal.
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