Summer Rose

by Caroline Hartman

  He examined her critically. “Dirty up your face and neck. Gives the allusion of whiskers. What name did you decide on?”

  She leaned back. “Samuel Ross. Sam. I sort of like it.”

  “Why not Kip?”

  “Daniel first met me as Kip.”

  Will nodded. “Don’t be surprised if you see him with a black eye. I may give him one.”

  She grinned, the first genuine expression popped onto her face since before Fanny had left. She gave the coin a high flip. “Don’t hurt him too much. I kind of like the way he looks. Do you think he’ll ever forgive me?”

  “Oh, Sweetpea, if he has an ounce of sense he will. You sure you want him back? I still don’t like how he hurt you.”

  Color rose high on her cheeks, and she let out a deep breath. “I love him, Will. I don’t ever want to be hurt like that again, but I keep reminding myself of what must have gone through his mind when he found me with Hal.” She sighed. “The worst thing is, I still don’t know if anything happened or not. Hal kept giving me whiskey, and I kept drinking it. I was out of my mind. Doesn’t Daniel realize that? Oh, I should never have allowed Hal near me.”

  Tears threatened and she shook her head, forbidding them. “I want to be the one that decides what I want. Do you know what I mean?”

  She awoke with a start. For a second a feeling, so true and strong, she could have sworn William sat right beside her. Then a coldness, the kind of chill brought by fear, fell over her. She remembered Will leaving Molly, how he’d bent from his horse and kissed her hard, tears running down both their faces. A knot tightened inside her chest as she remembered how he’d come back from Antietam—on a cart, under a blanket.

  PART FOUR

  SHENANDOAH

  CHAPTER 40

  THE GENERAL’S DOG

  After Daniel saw to Chester’s care, he closed himself in his command tent. He stripped, washed himself, and shaved. Once he was dressed in a clean uniform he headed for his troops. Pity the poor trooper with a dirty horse or, for that matter, dirty boots. Aware that his temper balanced precariously on a razor thin edge, he made a mental note to pause before reacting. God knows he regretted not pausing the other night. Still, he couldn’t erase the picture burned in his mind. That picture of Hal and Summer Rose in bed. He just hoped Hal had the sense to stay away from him.

  Once in a while, other pictures flashed through his mind: her body emerging from the water with the white cloth clinging to her, her shocked expression when he’d tossed her the coin. He shook his head and a smile came to his face as he remembered her defiantly whipping off his shirt and marching buck naked into the house. It all came back: the smell of her, the feel of her skin. He was still furious at her, but he also raged at himself. His dark side told him the little bitch deserved to hurt, but the softer side felt a deep, burning shame.

  The sun sank into a kaleidoscope of purple and gold, ribboned by streaks of red and pink. Summer Rose spotted Jack riding up the trail with two soldiers, and stood as they neared. She noticed right off that the general appeared to be shorter than she was. She also noticed that his uniform was meticulous. His posture was West Point to the core. Rather than a cap, he wore an odd little flat hat. His black eyes darted, surveying her, the trail, the view, all with lightning speed.

  He said, “At ease.”

  The sergeant led the horses to a wooded area and tied them to a tree. She asked them all if they wanted coffee. Everyone did, and she scrambled around for cups.

  While she passed coffee around, Jack spoke. “General Sheridan, Sergeant Landon, I’d like you to meet my sister.” He slid one arm around Summer. “Micah McAllister’s daughter and Colonel Charteris’ wife. She’s our Summer Rose.”

  She started to object, but Jack pinched the underside of her upper arm, and she bit back the words.

  General Sheridan squinted his black eyes and studied her, nose to toes. He took in her oversized uniform, her hacked off hair, and the dirt smeared on her face. He liked how she didn’t try to win him with an easy smile, but stood straight, her shoulders square, her unusual eyes unblinking.

  “At ease, Ma’am. Let’s sit down and discuss what you have in mind. I want you to know right up front that if I didn’t respect your father so much, and owe him my life, I wouldn’t even consider your proposal. I don’t want a goddamn—excuse me, Ma’am—I don’t want a woman killed or worse under my command. First, I want to know what the hell—excuse me—what you have in mind. What damn good is playing soldier going to do for you?”

  For a long moment they sat in silence while she looked up at the changing sky. Finally she spoke. “Daniel and I were married less than a year ago. I know I sound like a romantic fool, but General Sheridan, Sir, he and I are like bacon and eggs, bread and butter, salt and pepper, even Lewis and Clark. We belong together. He’s my life, my heart. I know I’m important to him, too.” Her voice cracked, but her eyes stayed dry. “We’re magic together, and we had a … misunderstanding. A serious one. I was at fault. I don’t have any chance of winning him back if I sit at home and cry, making myself sick. What if he were killed, and I never have another chance? I’m just hoping if I can be near him, I might win him back. I can do most anything a boy or a man can do, and I’ve had experience masquerading as a boy.”

  Jack’s eyes followed her and she could tell he hid a smile, trying to look gruff. “Sir, I can ride a horse and throw a knife as well as Daniel. Actually, I’m better than he is. I killed a bear with nothing but a knife. And I’m much better with a rifle than he ever was. I just want another chance. I promise I won’t be any trouble. I’ll make a fine soldier. General, I come from a family of soldiers. None of us play at soldiering, Sir. We take it very seriously.” Her brilliant eyes drilled into him. “And it’s not only that. I love this country too, Sir. My father and two brothers died for it. I heard what Mr. Lincoln said at the cemetery. I want to keep this country undivided as much as you do.”

  Phil Sheridan took off his strange hat and ran his fingers through his dark hair. “Do you have any ideas, Sergeant Landon?”

  The sergeant had a lot of stripes on his sleeves. He wasn’t particularly tall, a couple of inches taller than she was, but he was wide shouldered, with a thick neck, and hard muscled all over. Sergeant Landon coughed and cleared his throat.

  “We could have a little fun with this situation, General. Nothing like a little humor to build camaraderie and heighten morale, Sir. We really need some of that right now. I can fix her up so even her husband won’t recognize her. Who cut your hair?”

  Jack grunted.

  “Okay,” said the sergeant, giving a half smile. “We’ll fix the hair.” He asked her to stand and turn around. “I’ll put you in a brevet lieutenant’s uniform a couple of sizes too big for you, pad you in a few places to minimize your shape. I have some eyeglasses, those tinted ones. You say you can ride a horse. Can you really ride? Do you use one of those sidesaddles?”

  One corner of her mouth curled up. She liked this sergeant. “I’ve never ridden a sidesaddle.”

  “Rumor has it you’re a crack shot. Are you?”

  As if they’d practiced for a lifetime, Jack tossed her the rifle then threw three pieces of shale in quick succession into the vast expanse over the river. Her brothers had always teased her unmercifully, but she was well aware they were proud of her skill. She wheeled to one knee, pulled off three rounds, and three little puffs of gravel dotted the sky. The shots echoed across the valley.

  “Will that do?”

  The sergeant didn’t react. “Do you know the bugle calls?”

  Jack piped in. “My older brother taught her on the piano when the war was heating up.”

  “How would you like her as a dog, General? Give me a couple of days to train her. She could sleep in the storage room at Headquarters. She’d be safe there.”

  Summer Rose crinkled her nose. “A dog? What do you mean by a dog, Sir? My purpose is to be near Daniel, to see him, be close to him.”

 
General Sheridan grinned. His black eyes danced. “Oh, you’ll see plenty of him. A general’s dog is our slang for aide. A dog does all the unpleasant tasks no one else wants to do. I’ll make sure you spend lots of time near your husband. I’ll have you running messages back and forth between my command and his, day and night.” Sheridan shook his head. “He used to be one of my better officers. He hasn’t been back a week, and I’ve already had complaints from six of his junior officers. Since he returned he’s been a heartless son of bitch. Everyone’s blaming Mosby, but I suspect it’s you who has his dander up. If he isn’t careful, one of his own men will shoot him.” He saw her expression change, and corrected himself. “I’m exaggerating. He’s not that damn bad yet.”

  He blew out both sides of his mouth and tossed out his coffee grounds. “Hell, Ma’am, you’re just going to have to put up with my cussing. I swear like a cavalryman.” He glanced at Jack and nodded. “Between Sergeant Landon and me, we should be able to keep her safe.” He frowned. “How big was the bear?”

  “Three hundred pounds.”

  General Sheridan lifted one eyebrow and eyed her appreciatively. “I have a suspicion keeping you out of trouble may be a challenge.”

  Like a sudden shift in the wind, his face lost all humor. “I have two more questions. First, if I ask you to do something you absolutely do not want to do, will you do it without question? You can’t have a mind of your own if you’re to work for me. You must trust that Sergeant Landon and I know what we’re doing.”

  She thought for a long moment. Jack cleared his throat. “Yes, Sir. I think I can do that, as long as it doesn’t hurt Daniel.”

  He grinned at the expression on her face. “I won’t ask you to bayonet him. Maybe shoot him, but never will I ask you to bayonet him.”

  She nodded, her expression looking very much as if she’d swallowed a cricket.

  “The second question is: Does this trouble have to do with Colonel St. Clair?”

  Her eyes widened and she swallowed again. “Yes, Sir.”

  “I thought it might. They used to work together like a well-trained team of horses, now they’re about as cooperative as a pair of jackasses.”

  Summer Rose’s blue-green eyes sparkled. “Jackasses? That sounds about right.”

  CHAPTER 41

  COLONELS AND GENERALS AT

  PLAY

  Within two days Summer commiserated with every dog in the world. She’d been close to tears several times, but then she’d think of her goal, and her tears would dry up. Sergeant Landon was a tough taskmaster. And Jack had said he’d stick around to give moral support, but, thought Summer, his definition of moral support must be different than mine.

  Sergeant Landon had managed miracles with her appearance. General Sheridan had sent over his own barber, George, a tall skinny black man with wiry gray hair, who doubled as General Sheridan’s private cook. He just about scalped her. She doubted if any hair on her head was an inch long.

  While Sergeant Landon spent an afternoon teaching her to salute, how to stand, as well as the protocol of her duties for the general, he sent Jack to town with a shopping list. Jack returned with several packages, one of which held a full body corset. Sergeant Landon eyed it against her body then proceeded to cut off the bodice. He held out a stack of flannel towels.

  “Start with two, Sum—I mean Sam. Start with just two, and see how it works. Wrap these towels next to your skin around your body from above your bosoms to your hips.” He demonstrated on himself then handed her a card of safety pins. “Secure ‘em with these.” He held up the altered corset. “Strap this contraption upside down and over the padding—lace it up the front—then put your blouse over it. Our objective is to flatten you out. I don’t want any bumps, lumps or dents. We’re not looking for a wasp waist.” He pointed to Jack. “I want you straight up and down like your brother, or a little plumper. Understand? Go in the storage closet and put yourself together. Holler for Major McAllister if you need help.”

  She managed without any help and the two men agreed the result resembled a chubby boy—who still look liked Summer Rose. Sergeant Landon sat her down in his desk chair and plucked her eyebrows into nonexistence.

  “Your brother picked up some theatrical makeup in town along with this mirror.” He opened one of the small jars and dabbed a smidgen of black grease on his little finger. “We’ve a little theater company downtown. Smudge a little black cream below each eye and on your eyelids, and a little streak on each side of your mouth, then blend it in. Use your little finger.” He chuckled and dabbed his ring finger with white paint, using it to mark her forehead and chin. “Blend the white, too. It changes the contours of your face.” Last, he glued on a small moustache. “I have more of these.

  “My wife was on stage when I first met her.” He held Summer Rose’s face steady with his thumb and forefinger. When he was satisfied, he held up the mirror. “See how your face changed? It takes a little of the prettiness out of you.” From his shirt pocket he pulled glasses, wire-framed with lenses tinted a medium blue shade, and slipped them on her nose.

  He spun her around to face Jack. “Now Major McAllister, do you recognize your sister?”

  Jack grinned and ruffled what hair she had. “You look good, kid. That moustache is perfect.”

  Sergeant Landon had shoulder straps with brevet lieutenant bars sewn on her shirt. She fitted her forage cap and picked up her rifle, then saluted the sergeant sharply.

  “I’m sending Matilda with your brother, and I procured you a mare from our stables. Your husband would have spotted Matilda a mile away. This horse is gray with black stockings and a white blaze. Someone named her Rabbit. You can change her name if you want.”

  He stood. “General Sheridan is back. Let’s introduce you to Rabbit, and the general to his new dog.” His eyes twinkled. “Grab a couple of sugar cubes from my desk.”

  Rabbit looked as worn as Summer Rose felt, and she immediately loved the ragged mare. She fed her a sugar cube and nuzzled her neck. “I’ll clean you up tomorrow, and we’ll become great friends.”

  They met General Sheridan on the lawn in front of the post headquarters. He motioned for her to turn around; he beamed. “By damn, you’ve done it, Sergeant. Her father wouldn’t recognize her. You removed the girl and damned near wiped out the prettiness.”

  Summer Rose bit her tongue, not sure she’d wanted all of it taken away.

  Sheridan’s black eyes just about pierced her skin. “Have you ever bowled?”

  She shook her head.

  “Sergeant, show our new lieutenant the ten pin game I devised. Get that other wet-behind-the-ears lieutenant out here. We’ll need two dogs.”

  Sergeant Landon held the empty cannonball in his meaty paw. Even empty it appeared to have a nice weight to it.

  “General Sheridan devised this game. He named it ‘Dutch Ten Pins’.”

  The cannonball hung from a rope, suspended between two elms in the front yard of headquarters. On a board between the elms sat ten pins.

  “The object of the game is to wipe out the pins by swinging the cannonball in such a way that it misses the pins on the forward throw. Watch. As the cannonball swings back, it wipes out the pins.” He showed them how to set up the pins. “Your jobs, gentlemen,” for he included Lieutenant Timmons, “will be to set the pins up every time they are knocked down. One of you will set the pins, and the other will run the ball to the next player. Take turns. Think you can handle that, gentlemen?”

  The lieutenants snapped to attention, saluted. “Yes, Sir.”

  Sergeant Landon took her aside. “The general has invited all of his senior officers for games and dinner. We’ll see if Colonel Charteris recognizes you.”

  Her heart raced as she stood at attention near the front of the parade ground while the brass rode up. She and Bob Timmons took the reins as the generals and colonels dismounted, taking turns leading the horses to the stable, where grooms took them. She noted right off that only stars and eagles had
been invited. She recognized Generals Devin, Torbert, Wilson, Rosecrans, and Custer. Tom Devin stared at her a little funny, then handed her the reins to his horse. Last fall, he’d sat beside her at Amelia’s dinner party. He’d flirted with her, all the time winking at Daniel. General Devin was one of the few generals she liked. Several of the colonels were familiar, too. She knew Julian Bells, David Wood, and Charlie Wilder.

  Daniel arrived on Chester. Her heart thumped out of control, sending heat to flood her face. For a moment, Daniel paused to rub his hand over Chester’s neck, but she was sure he didn’t recognize her. In fact, he barely noticed her as he handed her the reins. The horse, however, knew her right away. He gave his signature snort, shook his big head, and pressed his velvet muzzle to her neck, almost bringing tears to her eyes. She whispered to him all the way to the grooms.

  Five minutes later, Hal rode up. Lieutenant Timmons took Dulcey. Hal didn’t even glance in her direction. Dulcey nickered as Lieutenant Timmons led her away, and Hal walked to the opposite side of the yard from where Daniel stood.

  Waiters took drink orders and offered selections of oysters, pâté, and cheeses. A few newspaper correspondents moved among the officers. Everyone visited for a short time then General Sheridan started his game. He gave them a demonstration and Summer noted how he flicked his wrist to make the cannonball spin, giving the ball the necessary lift to loop up and around then plow down the pins on the back swing. Her job was to either run the ball to the officers or set the pins. When she ran the ball, she stood out of the way, waiting beside the officer while he let fly the cannonball.

  All the general officers took a turn. As she started to run the ball to Colonel Bells, General Sheridan raised his hand, halting play. He clamped his cigar between his teeth, took a drag, then pointed to Daniel. “Start with Daniel. Pretend, Colonel Charteris, that Mosby’s head is swinging on that wire. We’re all anxious to see what you’ll do with the Ghost’s head.”