“Daniel, no!”
He stopped and looked at her with a puzzled expression. “What are you afraid of, Andrea? I am the one who will be reprimanded for our little arrangement and your little excursion. You have nothing to fear.”
Daniel sighed as he spoke, as if this entire ordeal was going to be about as pleasant as hand-to-hand combat.
“So he…does not know?”
“No, not exactly. But you said you have important information, and timing now is critical. I will have to accept whatever fate is handed me for sending you there.”
“But there are things I need to tell you first,” Andrea pleaded.
“They will have to wait. The general does not like delay.”
Chapter 36
Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment.
– Early Accounts Anonymous
Andrea did not speak as Daniel led her through a back entrance and down a hall. But she knew he must have felt her trembling when they stopped in front of a closed door. “Daniel, wait—”
“Relax, he won’t bite,” he whispered, knocking once and opening the door at the sound of a rough voice telling him to enter.
An officer who was seated behind a desk quickly rose to his feet when he saw Andrea.
“General, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to…ah…Maryann Marlow.”
Andrea strode across the room with her hand extended, a shy smile masking her true emotions. “It’s such a wonderful privilege and honor to meet you, General.”
“Miss Marlow.” The officer bowed and took her hand, looking curiously at Daniel for an explanation.
“I understand you are interested in news of Richmond,” Daniel said, “and since she has just come from there, I took the liberty of inviting her.
“From Richmond?” the general croaked. “Today?”
“Yes.” Andrea’s confidence began to increase as she removed her traveling gloves. “Might you have a map that shows what you know of Richmond’s fortifications? I don’t want to waste your time telling you what is already common knowledge.”
“Everything we know is marked there,” the general said, pointing to map on a table while looking at Daniel again curiously. “But really Miss Marlow, I hardly think this business is anything that…”
“But since I’m here I may as well tell you what I’ve learned. I’ll not take up too much of your time.”
“Very well, Miss Marlow,” the general responded, “but first, might I interest you in a cup of coffee to help take off this damnable cold?” Andrea’s gaze fell on the blazing fireplace right behind him and then shifted to Daniel who merely shrugged.
“No. I’ll only be a minute.” Andrea picked up a pencil and pointed to the map. “There is a line of embankments and heavy artillery in a circle of about two miles from the city, as you are probably already aware. They are numbered from Battery No. 1 on the north side of the James to No. 17 on the south side, with one sentinel guarding each.” She placed small x’s on the map. “This one, No. 15, has only one company of light artillery of eighty-five men, commanded by a Captain Hanns—”
“Tell me, Miss Marlow.” The General stood with crossed arms, regarding her doubtfully. “Just how did you happen to come across this information? No one has been able to get close enough to provide such detailed observations.”
“Sir, she is our replacement for Winslow in Richmond.” Daniel stepped forward. “I vouch for her character and the reliability of her information.”
The general shifted his gaze back and forth between them. “I never authorized a woman to go to Richmond.”
“No, you did not, exactly,” Daniel answered. “But you asked me to find the most capable person I could.”
Andrea stared at the map, pretending to have no interest in the conversation.
The general walked over and leaned down to examine the location more closely. “And you were able to see this fortification firsthand?”
Andrea looked up shyly. “Yes sir. The enemy’s proclivity for gallantry makes them most accommodating in that fashion.”
“How so?”
“I asked to see the sunrise from the highest point surrounding Richmond.”
She glanced over at Daniel and watched his face darken with obvious concern, while the General’s lips curled up into a smile.
“And someone granted your wish?” He cocked his head as his smile grew. “This Captain Hanns, perhaps?”
Andrea nodded, but kept her attention focused on a clock on the mantle. She didn’t want to meet Daniel’s gaze again.
“That’s very enterprising of you,” the general said, walking to a serving table for coffee. “But that doesn’t explain how you got out of the city and how you propose to get back in? We hear it is well-nigh impossible now.”
Andrea took a deep breath, knowing that the moment she had dreaded had arrived. “Must we discuss the details?” She made one last effort to stall for time. “I intended to discuss this with Colonel Delaney first, so that he can present it to you.”
“It is probably better if you tell him yourself.” Daniel studied her warily as he spoke.
“Very well.” Andrea stared down at the map a moment and bit her lip. “I have been asked…” She paused, cleared her throat, and started again. “I have been asked by Confederate authorities to…secure some information.” She glanced up at the general and then back down. “And they have graciously given me a pass that I may move through their lines freely.”
The general, who had been leisurely pouring a second cup of coffee, spilled most of its contents upon the table, then unconsciously cursed under his breath as he set the cup down. From the corner of her eye, Andrea saw Daniel take a step back, as if a hand that she could not see, had struck him.
“You mean they sent you here as a spy?” the general sputtered, turning to her. “You are acting as a double agent?”
Daniel took a quick step forward. “I never authorized this!” His voice was louder than Andrea had ever heard him speak. “She cannot be allowed to return!”
“I did not request the assignment from them, I assure you,” Andrea said hastily.
“And I forbid you to comply, I assure you!” Daniel returned.
“Now wait. Now wait.” The general pulled on his whiskers as he paced back and forth across the room.
“May I see your pass?”
Andrea looked at Daniel nervously, then pulled one of the ribbons from her hair and removed the carefully folded piece of paper.
The general scanned it, his bushy eyebrows rising in surprise.
He looked at Daniel. “It is furnished by the Confederate War Department.”
“You carried that through our lines?” Daniel croaked, while the general chuckled merrily.
“Obviously she has done a better job than you had anticipated at fulfilling her role. This could work quite well for us…very well, indeed.”
Daniel stepped between Andrea and the general as if shielding her from a bullet.
“I cannot and will not allow it.” His voice was low and determined, almost threatening. “She cannot be permitted to return.”
“I believe Miss Marlow can make that decision,” the general answered.
He stepped around Daniel.
“You know this is dangerous business, do you not?”
“Of course.” Andrea glanced at Daniel and then down.
“But they would not send you here without first testing you,” Daniel said. “This could be a trap.”
“They have done that already,” Andrea answered softly.
Both men looked at her inquisitively.
“They have sent me to two Union outposts to gather numbers.” She paused and looked down at her feet. “I have reported accurate numbers to them thus far…knowing it was information they already had. They are satisfied now I am a true secessionist. That is why I have been permitted to come this far north…I am sure of it.”
“But then…you could have been caught…sp
ying on Union troops,” Daniel said. “We knew nothing about it. You could have been hanged by our own people without benefit of trial or clergy before anyone could have helped you.”
“I believe that is the nature of the beast,” Andrea said coolly. “I could scarcely send you a telegram on the subject.”
“Indeed,” the general said, “I believe she used good judgment in not telling us. And I am convinced she understands fully the risk of the double agent.”
“She cannot possibly!” Daniel argued. “Or she would not be doing it!”
The general turned away from Daniel and focused his attention on Andrea. “So now, you need from us some information that is new to the Confederate leadership, that can be deemed reliable…but that will not harm our cause.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir.” Daniel stepped forward again. “Please be rational. This is too dangerous.”
The general waved him off.
“What are your orders?”
Andrea glanced at Daniel then faced the general.
“I was told to come here…to Fredericksburg…as a young lady looking for her brother in the Union army. And while I am here, I’m to ascertain the number and position of divisions, the strength in one or all of them, and their probable, possible, or reported intentions.” She shrugged unconcernedly, as if she were rattling off a grocery list of milk, butter and eggs. “The usual information.”
“Splendid!” The General clapped his hands enthusiastically, his face beaming with approval. Daniel’s expression, on the other hand, was one of melancholy and defeat.
“I must commend you on a job well done, Miss Marlow. I would never have permitted it had I been aware. But I am glad Colonel Delaney had the sense to see the benefits of using a woman’s grace and charm to our benefit.”
He turned to Daniel. “Well done, Colonel.”
“Yes, I must concur,” Andrea said. “I believe his name deserves special mention in any reports on this venture. Don’t you agree, General?”
“Yes, I agree.” The general walked to his desk and scribbled a note. “I hardly suspect that a regular spy would have been willingly escorted through the enemy’s fortifications for a sunrise view, nor given free rein to travel through the South.” He pulled a watch out of his pocket, and clicked it open. “My dear, it is almost midnight. You must be exhausted.”
He did not give her time to answer, but looked at her attentively. “Colonel Delaney will show you where you can get some sleep. We will meet again first thing in the morning and go over the details of what you can report to the authorities.”
“And then, by golly,” he said clasping his hands together excitedly, “with your help, the next issue of rations for our troops will be in Richmond.”
“Miss Marlow is probably exhausted, General,” Daniel said. “Are you finished?”
The General nodded and turned to Andrea. “I would give you my card, but I fear it is not something you would wish to be found on you in your precarious position.”
Andrea smiled graciously. “Oh, come now, General. I do not need your card to remember you. It was a perfect pleasure to be honored with an interview.”
“Oh, no, Miss Marlow…” He held her fingers in his large beefy hand as he spoke. “The pleasure was all mine.”
Andrea saw Daniel roll his eyes at the exchange, apparently irritated at the mutual professions of regard. He began to lead her toward the door.
“I will, of course, need this written up into a formal report,” the general said, seeming to be offended by Daniel’s disrespect.
Daniel’s smile disappeared as he whirled around. “But sir, she’s only here a short while.”
“There should be plenty of time to write a report. That will be all.”
Chapter 37
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying.
– Robert Herrick
Colonel Delaney did not speak another word until they reached the bank of the river, but it was obvious his mind was busy turning over events during the short walk.
“You seem to have made quite an impression on the General.”
Andrea shrugged and looked up at the night sky, pulling the hood of her cloak more closely around her. “I simply told him what he wanted to hear. It’s usually the easiest way to deal with men.”
“All men?” Daniel asked accusingly. “It seemed to come rather naturally to you.”
Andrea looked over at him, surprised at the allegation and shaken at the accusing tone of his voice. “No. What do you mean?”
“You told me earlier you traveled all this way because you wished to see me. Was that because you thought it was what I wished to hear?”
Andrea blinked at the insinuation and felt hot blood coarse through her veins. “Of course not, Colonel. How could you think such a thing?”
Daniel took a deep breath of exasperation. “I told you before, my friends call me Daniel.”
“I’m sorry, Daniel.” Andrea put her hands to her temples. “To answer your question, I came because I missed you. And the more I thought about coming, the happier I felt. And the happier I felt the more I wanted to come.” She turned around and sighed with frustration when she knew she wasn’t making any sense. “Oh, never mind. I don’t know why.”
“Then stay.”
Andrea looked over her shoulder at him and frowned confusedly. “You know I can’t stay. They’re expecting me—”
“I mean stay. Don’t go back.” He turned her around. “It’s too dangerous.”
Andrea shook her head. “Daniel, we’ve been through this, haven’t we? No one is promised tomorrow. Not me. Not you. No one.”
“But you don’t have to tempt fate by constantly pushing it to the limit. What you are doing is too dangerous.”
“I face no more danger than you do, or any of our troops in the field.” She swept her hand toward the campfires burning in the fields around them.
“But you should not be risking your life like a—”
“Like a man?” She finished for him.
“Dash it all, you are but a child.”
“Is that what you think of me?” Andrea’s voice revealed her dismay. “I came to prove to you that I am capable of doing my duty. What do I have to do to win your esteem?”
“Dear Andrea, you must know you already have my esteem.” He pulled her closer. “You cannot blame me for worrying about you.”
“I worry about you too,” Andrea said. “But I do not ask you to stop what you’re doing.”
“You do think of me then?” Daniel held her at arm’s length, probing her eyes for the truth.
“Of course I worry about you. You are in a far more dangerous position than I, yet you are too noble to worry about yourself. Instead, you are always thinking of what could happen to me.”
“Andrea, it’s not nobility that makes me worry about you.” Daniel held her by her arms, but stared into the darkness over her head. “From the first moment I met you I felt a connection…an attraction.” He laughed nervously. “And now I…And now seeing you like this I—”
Daniel stopped in mid-sentence and sighed. “You must think I’m foolish, rambling like a schoolboy.”
Andrea wrapped her arms around his stalwart soldierly form, glad that the Daniel she remembered had returned. “No, not a schoolboy,” she said, resting her cheek on his chest. “I will always think of you as my knight in shining armor, the gallant soldier who rescued me from Hunter on that hillside.”
Daniel remained silent, but Andrea felt his body stiffen at the name. “Well, that’s behind us,” he finally said. “And, thankfully, you won’t need rescuing from Hunter in Richmond. For that, at least, I can be grateful.”
Now it was Andrea who stiffened and held her breath, hoping he would say no more…hoping she would not be forced to lie—or worse, tell the truth.
But Daniel seemed to sense trouble in her sudden silence and pulled away to look
at her. “Please tell me you have not seen Hunter in Richmond.”
Andrea looked down and bit her cheek, contemplating her options.
“You have not seen Hunter in Richmond,” he repeated louder.
“He did not recognize me,” Andrea mumbled to the ground.
He did not recognize you?” Daniel shook her. “You talked to him?”
“Not intentionally,” Andrea defended herself. “I mean, it would have seemed strange not to converse during a waltz.”
“During a waltz?” He stepped away from her and began pacing, running his hand through his hair in agitation. “I cannot allow you to return. Colonel Jordan would never forgive me, and I could never forgive myself. No duty of war could be so trying as knowing I sent you into danger—to death!”
“He did not recognize me.” Andrea grabbed his coat sleeve to stop him and force him to listen to her. “The worst is over.”
“How do you know that?” He stood so close she felt him trembling. “How would you know if he recognized you and is only waiting for you to fall into his trap? Hunter would never do anything rashly. He would wait until the time is right. Why must you trifle with him?”
“He did not recognize me. I am sure of it. And I am going back.” Andrea crossed her arms and turned away from him.
She heard Daniel take a deep breath of exasperation from behind her. “What are you running from, Andrea?”
“I’m not running from anything.” Andrea stared at a thousand tiny reflections in the river, refusing to face him.
“You must be. Why else would you not be able to see reason? Be reasonable?”
She felt his hand on her shoulder.
“Is it your past?” Daniel continued prodding her when she did not respond. “What happened? Perhaps I can help you.”
Andrea shrugged and sighed. “My past? It’s another world.”
“Then let it go.” Daniel turned her to face him. “Whatever it is, whatever it was, let it go.”
Andrea felt a sudden surge of emotion that was as unwelcome as it was unexpected. “It’s…not…that…easy.” Although she tried to erase the images of the things she’d witnessed as a child, Andrea’s words came out in short, choking sobs. “Things happened…And now—I must sacrifice—to make it right.”
Duty Bound (Shades of Gray Civil War Serial Trilogy Book 1) Page 17