Rules of Decorum

by Leigh Lee

  Doubt continued to tumble in his mind, and despite all his concerns, it made perfect sense to involve none other than Sergeant Eugene Adams. Using the help of the one who was fast becoming a thorn in his side was an ordeal he did not relish. While Sergeant Adams had proven that he could be difficult, Jeff would never question his honesty and dedication to his country. In his mind, the biggest hindrance to using the lad’s assistance was his impertinence.

  Jeff rubbed his face with his hands. Could he trust Sergeant Adams? Victoria already knew the sergeant and his presence would raise less suspicion if she did have something to hide. However, he must remain prudent and keep Adams unaware of the details of this mission and the part he was to play. That way, if the boy did lapse into a moment of sheer stupidity and let his mouth run amuck, there would be no secret for him to give away to Miss Victoria.

  It was just past lunchtime, but the only thing that would satisfy Jeff’s appetite was a draught or two from the Old Crow bottle hidden in his desk. Unlocking the drawer, he took out the bottle, poured a glass of whiskey, and tossed it down without hesitation. Before the fiery liquid reached his stomach, a second and third followed. Yes, this was a delicate situation and needed careful planning.

  Chapter 6

  Standing at the mouth of his tent, Jeff puffed on a cheroot still debating his earlier decision to use Sergeant Adams’ help. He watched the sergeant walk across the hospital compound to the edge of the field. Adams carried a basin full of a questionable liquid. The captain cringed as his sergeant maneuvered around deep holes in the ground. More than once, the basin tipped and whatever murky liquid it contained slouched over the sides narrowly missing the front of the sergeant’s uniform. Looking heavenward, Jeff prayed that using the sergeant’s aid in his venture would not be a mistake.

  When the lad reached the edge of the compound and bent to empty the contents of the basin, the rump he presented appeared surprisingly round and feminine. Envisioning the soft, curving derriere of a temptress, Jeff sucked in his breath. Shocked at the lewd imagery flitting across his mind, he struggled to control his thoughts. Good Lord, what was he thinking?

  Besides the more cruel and obvious aspects of war, being denied the pleasure of women was another form of torture. Surely, that lack lay at the root of his inappropriate imaginings. Tossing his smoke down, he ground it into the dirt with the heel of his boot, and with deliberation, he hailed the sergeant over.

  “I wish to discuss a matter of importance with you, Adams,” he said as Eugene arrived still holding the rancid basin.

  “Yes, sir.” Eugene followed him into the tent.

  With his arms crossed over his chest, Jeff leaned back against the edge of his desk facing Sergeant Adams. He cocked a brow when he saw his subordinate still holding the basin, trying to salute, and stand at attention all at the same time. “Might you leave that outside?” he asked with annoyance, pointing to the stinking container.

  Eugene cringed visibly. For some reason, Jeff’s presence seemed to bring out the boy’s nerves and clumsiness. Reddening, Eugene grinned. “Of course, sir. Sorry.” He gave another cumbersome salute and rushed out. Plunking the basin on the ground, he hurried back in, and after wiping his hands on his trousers, he offered a third salute.

  Dear God. Why does the sergeant always have a way of wearing me out at first sight? Jeff swiped his palms over his face. When he again looked at him, wide, emerald green eyes stared back with so much apprehension that he almost pitied the poor soul.

  As Jeff delved into the depth of those big eyes, within a face so smooth and perfect, he found himself in wonderment. Why, those features would be quite comely if on a woman.

  “Sir?” The timid voice jerked Jeff’s mind back from its insane musings.

  A woman? That thought had come from a place more wicked than Hell. Running his hand through his hair, Jeff cleared his throat and made a mental note not to indulge in any liquid lunches.

  He circled his desk and sat down with his hands clasped on the wooden surface. The letter sat on the desk, reminding him why he was putting himself through this. “I have need of your help in a matter which is most delicate.”

  Eugene’s face brightened. He beamed and gave a proud salute. “Yes, sir!”

  Jeff grinned at the exuberance. This was going far better than he thought it might. “Yes, well, what I am asking of you must remain a secret between us.”

  Bright, round eyes met his appeal for secrecy. “You have my word, sir.”

  “Good. I will be spending more time with Miss Winfred, and I need your help with these meetings,” Jeff finished.

  The grin froze on his face and Eugene stared back at him as if he was speaking a foreign language. Then his expression morphed into one of horror, and the shaggy head shook from side to side. “Please, sir, do not ask this of me.”

  The sudden shift from excitement to dread confounded Jeff. Seconds ago, the lad had been more than eager, but now he looked about as excited as a turkey with its neck on the chopping block. This odd, unexplainable behavior was the very reason Jeff wished he could avoid using the lad’s aid. As usual, nothing ever seemed to add up when it came to Adams.

  Jeff stood and leaned forward, his palms resting on the desk. “That was an order, not a request, Sergeant.”

  The boy opened his mouth but clamped it shut again. He stared at Jeff a moment before responding. “Sir, I would rather not. Perhaps you could pick someone else?”

  Jeff slumped back into his chair. The imp is chafing me raw! If Adams only knew how much he wished he could choose another. “Unfortunately, son, I do not have that luxury.”

  Anguish became apparent in the green eyes and the little jaw clenched. “Corporal Rigby would be a better choice.”

  The raw emotions on the sergeant’s face confused Jeff. “No. You are the only one I can trust. What I am requiring of you is to aid me in a very important mission.”

  It was as if he had asked the lad to commit murder, so adamant was his stance—so determined the tilt of his head. Yet the resultant rage astounded Jeff the most. “A very important mission? If you wish to dally with Miss Winfred, I see no way in which I can aid in your amorous pursuit. Can you not achieve this on your own—sir?”

  He would be damned if he would let a stripling speak to him in such a fashion. An excellent grasp of what it meant to “see red” spurred Jeff into action. He rounded the desk in a flash and advanced on the sergeant, with one aspiration—to wring his neck.

  In the next instant, Jeff snatched Eugene up by the collar and the back of his trousers and shook him thoroughly, before plunking his backside down hard on a crate.

  Utterly stupefied over what had just occurred, Jeff froze and stared at his sergeant, who stared back equally aghast. Neither one seemed to know how to act, nor what to say next. Nevertheless, one thing was clear. He now had the lad’s full attention.

  Jeff stood trying to contend with the inevitable truth that for the first time in his life, he had lost his temper and allowed blind rage to rule his actions. Never had that happened before. Indeed, he prided himself on his ability to manage stressful situations with the utmost calm. This floppy-haired whelp had just pushed him past the limits of his self-control.

  Trying to calm himself, he paced back and forth in front of Adams. Several times, he started to speak and then paused, searching for words. Why the lad jumped to such ridiculous conclusions was something he could not begin to fathom. Nevertheless, no matter how bad he felt about his fit of temper, he could not back down.

  The freckled face stared at him with wide-eyed awareness of his every move. Squatting down in front of the young man still perched on the crate, Jeff took a deep cleansing breath. The lad had been in the army long enough to know that questioning a direct order was forbidden. However, flinging such an accusation at a superior officer was even worse and grounds for court martial.

  Grinding his teeth, he struggled to keep his voice calm. He leaned in, his face close to the sergeant’s. “I co
uld have you shot for such insubordination. I do not think you understand the gravity of the situation, Sergeant. What I propose is an order, not a request. At this moment in time, I am not at liberty to divulge my reasoning, nor is it your job to question me. Just follow my command. Do you understand?”

  What Jeff wanted to hear was a simple, crisp, “Yes, sir,” and he would let the lad depart. But what came out shocked him as much as it appeared to shock the boy. “I cannot do this, sir.”

  That had Jeff rocking back on his haunches—stunned to his core. He was a physician, a man driven by dedication and desire to save lives, not to take them. Yet as he viewed the refusal on the sergeant’s face, that particular ambition became a mite foggy.

  Having been in the service since the onset of the war, Jeff was proficient in the protocols of regimented life. Indeed, this was the first time a soldier had ever questioned his direct order and would definitely qualify as open disrespect and disobedience. Yet the look of certainty in the boy’s eyes confirmed the sergeant would not back down.

  Jeff stood and began pacing again, stopping to regard the sergeant after each pass. There was no acceptable excuse for the lad’s behavior, but whatever led him to this end, Jeff was determined to know it.

  With that conviction, he stood with legs apart and fists on his hips glaring down at Eugene. “Son, I find you to be a fine lad, quite dedicated to your duty. I might even have grown somewhat sympathetic over the short time of being acquainted with you. However, there is a misguided tendency in you. Precisely when good judgment is required, you behave stupidly. I gave you a direct order, not a choice. Any other man in this ward would obey without question. I do not wish to have you tossed in prison—God knows I do not—but son if you continue this folly, I will have no other choice but to relieve you of your duties and send you off. Is that what you want?”

  Adams paled and shook his head from side to side, and Jeff thought he might have won a minor victory, until the boy hung his head and murmured, “I cannot do this, sir.”

  Growling, Jeff whirled away from the exasperating young man. “Hells bells, lad! What is the matter with you? Whatever it is, tell me and tell me now.”

  Eugene cringed. His lower lip quivered, turning away, he hid his face. “What you are demanding of me is indecent, sir.”

  Jeff’s brows shot up. “Indecent!” He mouthed the word in disbelief. “Exactly what is it you think is going on here?” he asked in wonderment.

  Eugene peeked at him through his fingers. “What else could it be? You want her, and you expect me to help you get her.”

  As the sergeant’s accusation sunk in, Jeff looked around wildly, trying to process the idea. How the sergeant had come to this conclusion was beyond him. He stared at Eugene. “So, if I am to understand this correctly—you think my motive is to bed the virtuous Miss Winfred?”

  An apprehensive sideways glance from the lad told him that was exactly what the sergeant thought.

  Appalled, Jeff whispered, “What in tarnation? Could you please enlighten me as to why you feel this is the way of it?”

  “You kissed her. I saw you.” As soon as the words were out, the boy slapped his hands over his mouth as if trying to stuff them back from whence they came.

  Hot with embarrassment, Jeff blinked at the abruptness of this newest attack. He had not been proud of his reaction to Miss Winfred’s kiss. Even still, it had been her to initiate it, and he certainly had felt no inclination to bed the woman. Perhaps a more unsavory man would take advantage of such an advance, but he considered himself a gentleman. Though he was now no longer sure of Miss Winfred’s true intentions, at the time he had told himself that news of her brother’s death had led the poor dear to seek comfort in his arms. As a physician, he had seen grief display itself in stranger ways before.

  He dragged his eyes back to the boy’s face. There was no way to explain this away, and as the one in charge, he did not have to. But bed the woman? He almost choked at his thoughts. “You mean to tell me you think that because she kissed me, the next step is off to bed with her?”

  His frankness caused Eugene to blush a deeper hue. “Uh—I am not sure, but I have heard the other men talking. Is that not how it begins, the ‘horizontal dance’?”

  “The what? No! Hell no, son. If a gentleman were lucky enough to kiss a woman, he would never assume it would lead to a horizontal dance as you so eloquently put it. Unless you are speaking of time spent at a brothel, there must be a respectable period of courtship with a lady. Then most gentlemen would never entertain such thoughts until after marriage vows had been spoken, in a church, and officiated by a man of the cloth. Why do I have to explain this to you?” Jeff flung his arms up and then let them slap at his sides. Then squinting, he stroked his chin studying the lad. “I am guessing you have never been with a woman, Sergeant.”

  In embarrassment, the lad sputtered and coughed. Words seemed to fail him. He shook his head, his already-flushed face turning crimson.

  The deepening of color on the small face was evidence enough for Jeff. “Obviously not,” he surmised. “Surely, your father at least mentioned these things?”

  Eugene hung his head. “No. I lost my father three years ago.”

  Jeff nodded with new understanding. “I am sorry to hear of your loss. Three years ago, you say?

  “Yes, sir,” Adams nodded. If eyes could stare holes in boots, the boy’s footwear would be sorely pitted.

  At the lad’s discomfiture, Jeff felt confident that he had landed on an explanation that at last made some sense. “Now I understand.”

  “Understand, sir?”

  “If all you know about the more delicate relations between a man and woman is what you have gleaned from the offhand comments of war weary soldiers, no wonder you have a distorted view of what I am commanding of you.” He stopped in front of Eugene. “Son, I am bending over backward, trying to be lenient. I need you to tell me the truth. How old are you?”

  Eugene shuffled his feet and fidgeted with his cap. “I’ve told you, sir. Almost twenty.”

  “I know what you told me,” Jeff snapped. “You may have managed to hoodwink everyone else in the Army of the Potomac, but I have suspected from the start that there was something odd about you. Judging by the softness of your face, I guess your age to be, at best, sixteen.” He gave a leveling look. “Are you still going to deny it?”

  Wringing his hands, Eugene shook his head and squeaked, “No, sir. I suppose you found me out.”

  Jeff slammed his fist into his palm with a triumphant laugh and paced around the boy. He should turn the lad in for being underage, but Adams looked so frightened he could not bring himself to do it. “Do you have relatives close by?” he asked, still weighing his options.

  The slender shoulders slumped, and color drained from the little face. “No. Please, Captain. Do not send me away. I have nowhere to go. The medical corps is my home now.”

  “Your naiveté is the very thing that gave you away.” Jeff stroked his chin, torn. Sergeant Adams was one of the most dedicated of those under his command, and he had come to rely heavily on him. Losing Eugene would severely hamper his work at the field hospital. Would it be a breach of leadership to allow him to stay?

  Further, was it his responsibility to enlighten the lad? He studied the forlorn face, sporting trails of tears on soft downy cheeks. If the lad was going to stay, he had better learn a few things.

  He waved the boy back over to the crate. “Sit down. Men and women are meant to be together. These natural appetites, uh—desires must be curbed. There are certain rules of decorum that every man must live by, a strict code of conduct to which he must adhere. How a man treats a woman is one of the most important. Learning these facts might improve your manners and you might not be so inclined to insult the decent-minded with your ignorance.”

  “Uh—” Eugene shook his head, “—no, sir! It is unnecessary, sir. I have a clear understanding of such matters, and I can assure you that my manners will improve.”
He picked up his cap and began backing out of the tent.

  Jeff jabbed a finger toward the crate. “Sergeant! Unless you want my assistance in seating you once again, sit.”

  The lad visibly quaked and returned to the crate, his cap gripped in anguish. His foot tapped the ground with nervous energy. “Yes, sir.”

  Jeff sat back at his desk. Pursing his lips, he considered Eugene for a time. Regulations dictated that he turn the boy in as underage, but then the sergeant would be stripped of his rank and discharged. It would be a shame to lose such talent, which was nothing short of brilliance considering the lad’s age, when it was so desperately needed within the medical corps. Furthermore, he could not bring himself to send the boy away if he had nowhere to go. Being homeless in a time of war might put his young life in danger. At least here, Jeff could look after him.

  Jeff ran his hands through his hair watching the boy fidget on the crate. He was no more excited about teaching the lesson than the lad seemed about the learning of it. Still, someone had to educate the boy.

  Jeff rose jerking down the tails of his uniform jacket with purpose, and began the lecture. He withheld none of the carnal details, and as the blood drained from the lad’s face, he could not help but feel compassion for him. Still, he did not spare the specifics, for he was certain that someday the sergeant would be thankful for this lesson when faced with his first encounter with a woman.

  Chapter 7

  Eugenia knew the basic facts of human copulation. Her education on that topic had consisted of reading one of her father’s medical books. Yet during her time in the army, whenever the men began sharing such experiences, she would make herself scarce, not wanting to be a part of the carnal discussions. However, this time she could not escape. It was excruciating to have the aspects of sexual union explained in terms only ever spoken of among men.