Adam watched the scene with great interest, marveling at the change in the onetime avowed misogynist. Dominic might have protested loudly about the vices of marriage, but it appeared that he had radically changed his mind since they had last spoken. Deciding that he had called at the wrong time, Adam coughed delicately and said, "It seems that I have arrived at an inopportune time. Shall I leave?"
Recalled to their duties as host and hostess, Melissa and Dominic instantly uttered protests, and the conversation took a less personal turn as they began to question Adam about the usual things—when had he arrived in the area? Where was he staying? Would he be here long?
Laughing, Adam held up a hand. "One question at a time, please! But those you've asked are easily answered. I arrived last night and went immediately to Oak Hollow, since I knew Royce would have word of your whereabouts." Adam smiled ruefully. "I had already taken a room at the tavern in town, but Royce insisted that I stay the night." He shot Dominic a teasing glance. "Since your abdication of the bachelor state, he is feeling rather bereft, and I believe he needed reassurance that he is not a vanishing species."
"And did you calm his fears on that point?" Dominic asked. He had expected a glib answer from Adam and was startled when an odd expression crossed Adam's face.
Almost frowning, as if he were confused about his own feelings, Adam said, "Yes... yes, I did." His mood changing in a flash, he grinned and added, "He was relieved, I can tell you!"
The conversation continued in a lighthearted vein for several more minutes, and thinking that Dominic might like some time alone with his friend, Melissa rose and took her leave of them. Since there were no pressing tasks that required her attention, she contented herself with wandering about the grounds, her gaze misty and a soft smile on her lips.
Nothing had been settled between her and Dominic, and last night had proved nothing that she hadn't already known—Dominic wanted her body and he could arouse her to the heights of passion. But there was something different between them, and this difference wasn't just on her part. Dominic felt it too; it had been obvious in the way he looked at her, the way he spoke to her. Dared she hope that he had fallen in love with her? That even if all the lies she had heard about him proved to be true, miraculously he felt something deeper for her than he had for any other woman?
Even though he was listening interestedly to what Adam had to say, there was a part of Dominic's brain that was very busy mulling over the current, pleasant state of affairs that existed between him and Melissa; and while he was delighted with Adam's unexpected arrival, he was conscious of a strong desire for Adam to leave... soon. Right now the most important thing on his mind was making certain that nothing would alter the growing rapport he sensed between him and his wife. He was on the point of suggesting that it might be better if Adam did call later when the other man said something that had his undivided attention.
"I've been biting my tongue since I arrived, not wanting to say anything in front of Melissa, but the war news is bad, Dom. Very bad."
Seeing that he had Dominic's full concentration, Adam said bluntly, "The British attacked and burned the capital on the twenty-fourth of August!"
Part IV
To Trust My Love
The violet loves a sunny bank,
The cowslip loves the lea;
The scarlet creeper loves the elm,
But I love—thee.
Proposal
—Bayard Taylor
Chapter 23
There was a moment of stunned silence as Dominic took in the disastrous implications of Adam's news. If Washington had fallen... He swallowed painfully, the horrifying vision of British Rule rising before his gaze. The war had never seemed real to him before; it had been too far-flung, too sporadic, too ill-defined to make itself felt beyond being an annoying nuisance. But this! This changed everything!
His voice was thick and rusty with emotion as he finally asked, "The President? His Cabinet?"
Quickly Adam reassured him. "The President escaped, although our forces were so mismanaged that at one point he and his party nearly plunged right into the middle of the British advance. And they would have done just that if a self-appointed scout, self-appointed, mind you, hadn't warned them at the last moment."
Adam's face showed his disgust and contempt for what had been the disgraceful disarray of the American troops at the Battle of Bladensburg, which had taken place just outside the capital city. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Between them, General Winder, our disorganized commander of the army; Armstrong, our sulking and arrogant Secretary of War; James Monroe, supposedly our Secretary of State, but ever eager to try his hand at military tactics, and our ineffectual President, they practically gave the British a victory!"
Having vented at least some of the rage he felt for what had been shocking ineptitude, he went on dispiritedly, "It is hard for me to believe it even now, but with little more than twenty-six hundred men, the British were able to vanquish an American force of more than six thousand!" Shame evident in his words, Adam added, "We should have won, but almost from the first volley of rockets, the first thunder of the cannon, our lines broke, and in little more than half an hour our troops were in full retreat. It was a complete rout!"
Numbed by Adam's shocking account, Dominic could only stare at his friend, not quite able to believe that things had been as bad as stated. Giving himself a mental shake, he leaned forward and said hopefully, "But that was at Bladensburg. What happened at Washington? Surely we were better organized in the defense of our capital?"
Adam smiled bitterly. "There was no defense. The place was in utter chaos, people streaming out from the city in all directions, their belongings piled high on carts and wagons, rumors flying wildly through the streets, the military..."He gave a harsh laugh. "The military were as anxious as the civilians to put as much distance between themselves and the advancing British forces as possible. Oh, Winder tried to rally his men, but by then more than half his troops had taken to their heels and there was no stemming the tide—we ran like sheep chased by a pack of dogs."
Unwilling to dwell on the ignoble picture Adam presented, yet desperate to know the worst, Dominic questioned sharply, "You said that the capital had been burned. If there was no battle at the site itself, no one to offer resistance, how did the fire come about?"
Adam shrugged. "Major General Ross and Admiral Cockburn, the British commanders, wanted to teach us a lesson. And while I don't like to speak well of the enemy, they did show considerable restraint in their actions, even going so far as to not blow up the capitol building itself when several of our women begged them not to, fearful that the explosion would destroy their nearby homes. In the main, only public buildings were put to the torch, but Washington is still a sad sight... our capital is in ruins."
There was nothing Dominic could think of to say, the enormity of what had happened leaving him filled with a helpless rage. The shameful defeat at Bladensburg and the infamous burning of Washington were such devastating blows to the American government that he wondered bleakly if it could recover. His voice a mixture of anger and despair, he asked, "Do the British still hold the city?"
"No. After the most important buildings were aflame, they retreated. Before I left the area, there was speculation that their next target might be either Annapolis or Baltimore." Adam ran his hand tiredly over his face. "I didn't want to leave until I had definite word on where they might strike next, but I dared not tarry too long—Jason will want a factual account from me as soon as possible." He smiled faintly. "And since it was at his, er, request that I be in Washington, and since my entire purpose was to be his 'eyes,' it seemed logical that once the city had returned to something faintly resembling normality, I should be on my way."
"Jason sent you there?" Dominic inquired, his surprise momentarily pushing aside the catastrophic events of the burning of Washington.
Adam nodded. "You know Jason—he believes firmly in keeping his finger on the pulse of the country. I
believe he has even convinced some other poor fool to spy for him in England. He has tentacles everywhere, it seems." A grin broke across Adam's lean features. "He is more like his Uncle Roxbury than he would care to admit."
"Ah, speaking of Roxbury..." Dominic began and proceeded to explain, in a less-than-complimentary tone of voice, Jason's fine hand in his own affairs.
Having been enmeshed in Jason's machinations on more than one occasion, Adam listened with commiseration. He couldn't help being amused by the situation, though, and when Dominic finished speaking Adam's blue eyes glinted with amusement. "And is your bride most understanding about your apparent flirtation with another woman?" he asked.
"Now what do you think?" Dominic retorted, the memory of the harsh words he and Melissa had exchanged a scant forty-eight hours ago still rankling and reminding him unpleasantly that things had not been completely settled between them. "I don't believe that Melissa is a chatterbox, but I cannot take the chance—and then there is the depressing possibility that even if I were to tell her the truth she might not believe me."
Adam could not help teasing him about the situation, but the topic of the war was too compelling to be ignored for long, and in just a few minutes they were deeply involved in a discussion about the repercussion of the burning of Washington. The conversation could have gone on indefinitely, but Adam was pressed for time and after a short while he said regretfully, "I really must be on my way. I have lingered here much longer than I intended, but I did not want to be in the area, however briefly, without calling on you."
They rose to their feet and began to walk down the length of the gallery toward Adam's horse. "I can only hope that when next we meet, I have much better news for you. In the meantime, I must leave for Terre du Coeur. Jason will have my hide if I do not reach him without further delay." Swinging effortlessly up onto his restive horse, Adam said, "It is too bad that I cannot remain here and lift the burden of remaining, ah, friendly with Lady Bowden from your shoulders."
Dominic smiled faintly. "Yes, I'm sure that you would not find it a very arduous task."
Adam laughed; then, his dark face suddenly serious, he murmured, "Be careful, Dom. That brother of hers sounds like a nasty brute."
Dominic needed no warning, well aware, after the beating he had taken in London, of Latimer's dangerousness. He merely commented, "Royce will keep watch at my back, and knowing that Latimer is capable of anything will make me all the more cautious in my dealings with him."
Adam nodded and then, kicking his horse, rode away. A frown between his eyes, Dominic watched Adam's tall form disappear down the driveway, the sensation that there were troubled days ahead for all of them strong. The British strike at Washington had changed the whole tenor of the war for him, and he suspected that he would not be alone in this feeling. Mulling over the far-reaching implications of Adam's unwelcome news, he finally went in search of Melissa. Though he appreciated the niceties of Adam's restraint, he felt that there was no use in withholding the information from her; soon the entire countryside would be aflame with it.
Dominic was correct in his assumption, and in those first black, disbelieving days, as word of the terrible destruction wrought on the nation's capital filtered slowly throughout the country, the opinion was against the President and his Cabinet. The Winchester, Virginia, Gazette blared: "Poor, contemptible, pitiful, dastardly wretches! Their heads would be but a poor price for the degradation into which they have plunged our bleeding country."
Eventually the tide of rage and indignation faded and there was a wave of sympathy for the embattled President. The change of attitude was best expressed by the influential Niles' Weekly Register: "War is a new business to us, but we must 'teach our fingers to fight'—and Wellington's invincibles shall be beaten by the sons of those who fought at Saratoga and Yorktown."
The burning of Washington united the country, help flooding in from all directions. The greatest outpourings of men, money and sympathy came from the big cities along the coast and the Northeast. Rufus King of New York, the darling of the Federalists, declared that he would "subscribe to the amount of my whole fortune." In Frederick, Maryland, a company of eighty-four men was raised within twenty-four hours and within another four hours was marching to Washington. As far away as the Richland District of South Carolina, the citizens raised a hundred men and three thousand dollars for supplies. Even New England, which had been hotly antiwar, rallied to the cause, Governor Martin Chittenden of Vermont declaring passionately, "The time has now arrived when all degrading party distinctions and animosities, however we may have differed respecting the policy of declaring or the mode of prosecuting the war, ought to be laid aside; that every heart may be stimulated and every arm nerved for the protection of our common country, our liberty, our altars, and our firesides." It was all very stirring, and up and down the Atlantic seaboard the country was galvanized into action.
In the interior, where the news was already several weeks old when it finally arrived, the reactions were not as obvious, although the anger was just as intense. As had occurred along the coastal reaches of the country, there was furious talk of raising men and money, but soon enough common sense prevailed. They were weeks, possibly months, away from being of any help, and the rumors of a possible British attack on Mobile, Alabama, or New Orleans had men thinking of protecting the territory closer to home. Everyone, however, was caught up in the events of the war, eager for news, less complacent and more ready to commit to the war effort.
As could be expected, the situation between Dominic and Melissa was momentarily eclipsed by the upheaval within the nation, and it was many days after Adam had departed before things began to return to something approaching normality. During that time Dominic had been preoccupied with considerations pertaining to the war, and there had been several meetings held by the various plantation owners and businessmen in Baton Rouge to discuss various strategies and methods to best use the men and arms available to them. This was not only to protect their own homes and families, but also to be ready to go wherever they were needed on a moment's notice.
Morgan and Leonie had left Baton Rouge immediately after Adam, Morgan feeling, not unnaturally, that his place was in New Orleans. There were times in the days that followed, when tempers frayed and angry words were exchanged as hot-blooded gentlemen argued over the best plan for the area, that Dominic wished for Morgan's cool practicality. He and Royce did their utmost to keep friends and neighbors from taking out their frustrations on one another, Dominic saying wryly to two rather flush-faced gentlemen that "It is the British we wish to kill—not ourselves."
Latimer's presence at some of the town meetings made Dominic uneasy, but as everything discussed was of a most general nature, he did not think that Latimer would learn anything of great value... or anything that couldn't be discovered on any street corner, opinions being freely exchanged everywhere. He kept a careful eye on the Englishman, though, noting whom he talked with at length and with which gentlemen he seemed to be on the best of terms. It came as no surprise to him that Latimer concentrated his attention on those individuals, like Colonel Grayson, who either had once been British officers or were descendants of those who had been labeled "Tories" and had fled the Colonies for the sanctuary of the Louisiana Territory when the War for Independence had broken out. Latimer's actions only confirmed Jason's suspicions, and while the ridiculous story that Deborah had told Dominic had to be at least considered, it had been the opinion of Morgan, Royce and Dominic that the philanthropic organization was merely a ruse to cover the Englishman's true activities. There was no proof of anything, and Dominic supposed that was what grated on him the most, that and having to watch a man he clearly viewed as an enemy be accepted and apparently well-liked by people who should have known better. He and Latimer avoided each other's company, and when they did meet, as happened occasionally in the small society in which they both moved, they exchanged only cool nods and then found a reason to move on.
The co
nstraint between them was not as noticeable during the many town meetings they attended immediately after the burning of Washington, but as the first anxious weeks passed and Dominic and Melissa began to accept more and more invitations to social functions in the neighborhood, two things became obvious to those who paid attention: that Zachary Seymour was Deborah Bowden's constant companion (except for those times when she was to be found fawning over Dominic Slade) and that Mr. Slade did not seem to care overmuch for the handsome Englishman. It was also apparent that Mr. Latimer was equally not fond of Mr. Slade's company.
Melissa, of course, noticed it at once, but then she had good reason to observe the two men closely. Their reaction to each other came as no surprise to her, although she did wonder at the degree of dislike that existed between them. After all, she had only suggested that she might be interested in Latimer. She came to the lowering conclusion, especially when she remembered Latimer's letter that the enmity between the two men had nothing to do with her—it was somehow tied up with what had happened in London in connection with Lady Bowden. A very lowering conclusion indeed.
Even though nothing had been settled between Dominic and Melissa and they slept chastely, each in his own bed, there did exist between them a tacit truce. It was as if, during this time of anxiety and upheaval within the nation, their problems had been put aside and all their energies were taken up with the more serious matter at hand—the war. The news of the burning of Washington had come as a terrible shock to Melissa, and she had experienced all the rage and fear of any normal American; and like women all across the nation, her next thoughts were of her menfolk and the dangers they might face.
She had felt both guilty and relieved when it had been decided not to send a contingent of volunteers to the Atlantic seaboard, but rather to keep them in readiness to be used in possible defense of the southern borders. Sending a beloved man, whether husband, lover, father or son, off to war would never be easy, but with things so unsettled between her and Dominic, Melissa dreaded the idea of waving him off to war, never knowing if the powerful feeling that seemed to be growing stronger day by day between them was real and true or simply a fantasy..... Just the notion of him facing a barrage of English gunfire filled her with tenor, and the war became very real.
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