Andrea shifted her weight again. She could not remember the last time she’d eaten. Swallowing hard to make sure she could still move things in that direction, she looked around the room. Everyone was staring at her, so she guessed it was her turn to speak. Problem was, she had not been paying attention to the question. She looked blankly at J.J., but he did not offer any help.
How dare he act like he’s a–a darn colonel or something! He’s just J.J.
But “just J.J.” just sat there drumming his fingers on the desk, glaring at her with his head cocked to one side, waiting for her to respond. Andrea cleared her throat and elaborated on the last question she remembered being asked, hoping they had not proceeded too far in her mental absence.
“I knew I was late getting back to Hopewell Gap where I was supposed to meet up with you. I’d made up my mind I was going through, with or without Colonel Delaney.”
Colonel Jordan leafed through some papers on the table. “There were reinforcements being brought up. You were aware of that?”
“Yes, Colonel Delaney told me that. B-but I feared our chance would be lost by then.”
“And let me see.” J.J. looked up and leaned forward. “What rank have you that gives you the authority to make such decisions?”
Andrea rolled her eyes but succeeded in suppressing a verbal response other than, “none sir.” She had never been through a grilling of this nature before and was fairly certain she would not be desirous of doing it again—at least not on an empty stomach full of whiskey.
J.J. let out his breath in exasperation. “Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you know there were Confederates in those hills?”
Andrea looked over at Daniel, who turned his back on her and continued his watch out the window. From what she could tell the view offered nothing more than a cavern of darkening shadows, but he seemed intent on studying them nonetheless.
Andrea cleared her throat nervously. “I knew … I mean, that is to say, I had reason to believe that a Virginia regiment and Hunter’s command were there, at the very least.”
J.J. looked up sharply. “On what did you base your information?”
Andrea shifted her weight onto her sore ankle in the hopes the throbbing pain it produced would take her mind off the excruciating ordeal she faced. Daniel had not asked nearly so many questions.
“On what did you base your information?” he repeated louder. “Colonel Delaney tells me you were confronted in the Gap. Supposedly by one of Hunter’s command?”
“Yes.” Andrea tried to sound calm. “It was one of Hunter’s command.”
“How did you know it was someone from Hunter’s command?”
Andrea sighed. There was no way out of it now. “Because—” She paused, then tried again while staring at the floor. “Because I know—”
“Yes, you know?” J.J. leaned forward.
“Because I know what Captain Hunter looks like.” Andrea finished as quietly as she could yet it was apparent everyone in the room heard her.
“The devil you say!” Daniel strode toward her, his cavalry boots and spurs echoing loudly in the room. “It was Hunter you met in the pass?”
J.J. came to his feet, his hands tightly fisted and trembling. “Let’s make sure I have this right. You knew Hunter was there ready to strike, yet contrary to every sensible deduction that could be drawn from the laws of nature, the decrees of mankind, or the edicts of our heavenly Father, you decided to create a diversion?”
Andrea let her gaze drift to the window and pretended she was somewhere else—a tactic she often used when she was somewhere she did not wish to be. The sound of J.J.’s fist hitting the table returned her attention to the present.
“A commanding officer told you not to go!”
Andrea jumped and refocused her attention on him. “That is correct, sir. Colonel Delaney told me he was concerned for my safety. He said I should wait for the reinforcements to come up.”
“And your response?”
“I told him . . .” She took a deep breath and glanced at Daniel. He leaned casually against the windowsill now with his arms and legs crossed, his eyebrows raised as if waiting with great anticipation to hear her answer himself. His pose told her he thought her in too deep for him to save now.
“I do not recall my exact words,” she mumbled.
J.J.’s glare then fell upon Daniel, who gazed sternly at Andrea. “I believe your exact words were, ‘Come with me or get out of the way.’”
Andrea rolled her eyes at his brutal honesty. “Colonel Delaney did everything in his power to follow military regulations,” Andrea admitted, looking up at J.J.
“And you did everything in your power not to,” he responded. The room fell silent, and then J.J. cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, if you will excuse us, I’d like to speak to Sinclair alone.
After the door closed, J.J. stood staring broodingly at her for a few long, uncomfortable moments. “It was the consensus of the other officers that the success of the expedition outweighed the risk and disobedience.”
“Sir?”
“We’ve got prisoners … three of them from Hunter’s command, plus one killed. That’s quite a loss for him.”
Andrea stood stunned and speechless for a moment. “Killed? Dead?”
“What other kind of killed is there?” J.J. yelled. “How many times do I have to tell you this is not a game?”
“I know it’s not a game,” Andrea responded angrily, limping as she paced the room. “I guess I just thought we would stop them, not kill them.”
“Dash it, girl! Those men are fighting for their lives. Their honor! This is their homeland! They would rather die on it than ‘stop!’”
Andrea sat and put her aching head in her hands. She couldn’t think about this right now.
J.J. cleared his throat. “Anyway, somewhat to my surprise and not at all to my understanding, Colonel Delaney has taken your side.”
Andrea looked up at him sharply. “He needn’t have. I accept full—”
“I know that. But it made me realize how much he believes in you. And for that reason, and after cool reflection, I’ve decided to let you go ahead with Richmond.”
Andrea looked up to see if he was joking, and when she saw he was not, leaped to her feet—one foot anyway—and hopped over to him. “But you said today—”
“May not a man change his mind?”
“J.J., I won’t let you down. I promise,” Andrea said, hugging him.
“You have Colonel Delaney to thank. I respect his opinion. And for some reason he believes you have some sense hiding somewhere in that head of yours.”
Andrea blushed. “Will that be all?”
“No. One more thing.”
She looked up when she heard the seriousness of his tone.
“Hunter’s men, the prisoners, were very vocal about you.”
“About me?”
“The little kid with the big backbone on the black horse to be precise.” J.J. paused to make sure she was listening. “And they said you are as good as dead if Hunter ever gets his hands on you.”
Andrea bit her cheek, then shrugged. “We’ll have to make sure that doesn’t happen, won’t we?”
“I’m not sure you understand the seriousness of the matter.” J.J.’s voice grew louder. “This from a man who does not threaten in vain.”
Andrea nodded. “Will that be all?”
J.J. decided not to further waste his breath. “Yes,” he growled. “That will be all.”
Andrea turned to leave with her lips curved in a smile, but when she reached the door, she paused with her hand on the latch. “That’s not why you’re sending me to Richmond, I hope.” She forced a laugh, and looked back at him over her shoulder. “To protect me from Hunter.”
The room fell silent, but the silence spoke louder than words. The sound of the slamming door echoing through the Union camp warned everyone in earshot to steer clear of Sinclair. He was no longer in the best of moods.
* * *
Colonel Delaney stepped from the shadows of the picket line, stopping Andrea as she stormed toward Justus. “It’s a little late for a ride, is it not, Sinclair?”
“I’m not afraid of the dark and was not aware I was under a curfew.” Andrea picked up her saddle and threw it over Justus’ back a little harder than she should have, causing him to jump sideways.
“Where are you going?” Daniel asked, sidestepping the prancing horse.
“To hell in a hand basket,” was the immediate retort. Though she said it under her breath, Daniel heard it nonetheless.
“You can’t just come and go as you please,” he said forcefully. “Soldiers have to have a little discipline.”
“In case you haven’t noticed,” Andrea replied, limping to the other side of her horse to untangle the cinch, “I’m not a soldier. At least I’m not treated as a soldier.”
“Perhaps if you acted with a little more restraint and obeyed orders you would be. Subordination, no less than valor, is the duty of a warrior.” Daniel winced when Andrea let out a string of curses from the far side of the horse, her hands pulling and slapping at the leather as she worked to untangle it. Justus continued sidestepping and snorting, trying to avoid her wrath.
“These hills are still full of Rebels,” he said, changing tactics.
“Good.” Andrea came back from around the horse but did not stop her work. “Perhaps one of them would be kind enough to shoot me. That torment could not be nearly as agonizing as that through which I just passed.”
Cursing again as she strove to cinch up the saddle with fingers that bungled the job, Andrea added a few more sentences—all richly punctuated with profanity—when her toe was almost stamped upon by her jumpy horse.
“You’re tired,” Daniel said, touching her arm. “Stay here the night.”
Andrea stopped, took a deep breath, and leaned her head into her horse’s neck for a moment as if to gather strength. “You and Colonel Jordan have it all figured out, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Sending me to Richmond. To protect me from Hunter.”
Daniel cleared his throat. “That’s what Colonel Jordan told you?” He laid his hand on Justus’ rump to calm him.
“No.” Andrea wheeled around to face him. “That’s what he did not tell me!”
Daniel met her gaze but did not speak.
“It was all your idea, wasn’t it?” Andrea glared at him accusingly. “Jordan wasn’t going to let me go until you talked him into it.”
“I thought you wanted to go to Richmond.”
“I did. I do!” Andrea turned back to her horse. “I don’t want to be exiled there so you and Jordan can be rid of me.”
“It’s not like that.” Daniel put his hand on her arm and led her deeper into the shadows. “Look, I was with the prisoners when they were being interrogated. Hunter means business.”
“Oh, hang him!” Andrea said, freeing herself from his grasp and walking away. “I don’t fear Hunter.”
“Then you do need protection,” Daniel said grabbing her arm and pulling her to a stop. “Because you should!”
“You know him so well as to believe I should fear him?” Andrea’s eyes probed his.
“I know he’s a soldier fighting for what he believes in. That’s reason enough to fear him.”
“We’re all fighting for what we believe in,” she countered.
Daniel let out an exasperated breath. “You don’t understand. He’s as devoted to his men as they are to him. There’ll be blood to pay for the one he lost—and the three he’s missing.”
Andrea stood staring into Daniel’s eyes as if contemplating what she saw there. “I’ll stay the night,” she finally said, turning back to Justus and removing his saddle. “And I’ll take the offer of Richmond under consideration.”
Daniel shook his head in bewilderment. Now he knew why Colonel Jordan said he had his hands full. This was a woman with no little spirit—even now when he knew she was fighting exhaustion. “Is it so hard to believe we’re doing this because we’re concerned about you?”
Andrea stopped what she was doing but did not turn around. “Your concern is misplaced. I’d rather have your trust.”
Daniel put his hand on her shoulder from directly behind her. “Perhaps you should try trusting us first.” He watched her take a deep, quivering breath, and was astounded when she turned and looked up at him with woeful eyes as if he had said something that hurt her.
Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her to comfort her and she responded by burying her head against his shoulder as if in desperate need. Daniel drew her even closer then, surprised at her softness and fragile vulnerability.
She pulled away after only a few moments and stared at the ground as if confused. “I think I’d better say good night, Colonel Delaney.” Removing the saddle and placing it over a post, she turned and started walking toward the mill.
“It’s Daniel. I wish you wouldn’t be so formal when we’re alone.”
Andrea stopped, looked back over her shoulder, and smiled. “Well then, good night—Daniel.”
“That sounds better. Good night—Andrea.”
Chapter 11
“Madness in great ones must not unwatch’d go.”
– Hamlet, Shakespeare
The camp lay wrapped in deep silence a little before dawn when Daniel stumbled onto the wide wooden porch of the mill and stretched. Drawing in a deep breath of the fresh, cool air, he pulled his suspenders over his shoulders and started down the steps. The flickering light from a campfire caught his eye, followed by the sight of a solitary figure silhouetted against the flames.
Daniel could tell upon his approach her mind was miles away. She seemed to be staring into the fire in deep—and private—reflection. “Sinclair,” he said in case anyone was about. “You get any sleep?”
Startled, Andrea looked up and shrugged. “Yes, sir. A little.”
Daniel pulled a pot of coffee off the fire, cursing under his breath when he burned his fingers, and poured the warm liquid into a battered tin cup. He wondered why she sat up awake when she looked so dreadfully tired.
“Well, I’m glad to see someone’s up keeping the coffee hot,” he said teasingly. Andrea nodded slightly, but her gaze remained locked on the fire.
Glancing up at the sky, as all soldiers do when they know they have a ride ahead of them, Daniel smiled when he saw a few stars. Good. No rain—for a little while anyway.
“I ah, need a guide,” he said, taking a sip of coffee and grimacing at its strength. “Was going to wake up Logan, but since you’re up—if you’re willing.”
He did not have time to finish. Andrea jumped to her feet, took a final gulp of coffee, dumped the rest, and limped quickly to the picket line.
“I didn’t even tell you where I’m going,” Daniel said after catching up.
“Doesn’t matter,” Andrea answered. “I don’t like sitting around camp.”
Yes, I’ve noticed that, he thought as he spread a map on his horse’s rump and lit a match. “I’m heading here.”
Andrea nodded, barely giving the map a glance. “I’m familiar. Let’s go.”
After refolding the map, Daniel gave her a leg up on her prancing beast, then swung into his own saddle with easy grace. Riding a few paces behind the silent figure, he watched her drift into the night with the ease of one familiar with its depths.
Daniel remained silent, but noticed Andrea took her business seriously, constantly scanning the terrain and studying the ground. Instead of following the road as he assumed she would, she directed him into a grove of pines. He followed her by sound, not sight, for under the cover of the trees he could barely see his hand in front of his face.
After a few miles, Andrea reined in Justus while pulling a spyglass from her saddle. When she finished looking at the horizon, she handed it to Daniel, then circled her prancing horse back into the shadows of the trees.
Pointing the sp
yglass in the same direction, Daniel saw the image of shadowy horsemen about a mile away, standing in bold relief against the sun rising behind them. He watched in disbelief as they came row after row over a hill, the Southern Cross fluttering proudly in their midst.
“I saw tracks when we crossed the road a ways back.” Andrea’s voice was low and hushed. “Their advance must have come through right before us. I figure about two hundred cavalry and at least one fieldpiece. What thinks you?”
“That looks about right,” Daniel said, a bit overwhelmed at her ability to summarize numbers so quickly. He wondered what have happened if he’d brought Logan as a guide. No doubt we would have run directly into them.
The first stirrings of the birds began announcing morning’s birth as the two sat under the cover of trees, watching their foe advance westerly. The landscape began to reflect the soft pinkish hue of the dawning sun, but neither had time to appreciate the view. “Doesn’t look like Hunter’s men,” Andrea said, turning her experienced eye back to the horizon. “Could be Stuart.”
“And they’re heading straight toward Salem,” Daniel replied.
Andrea nodded. “I have the fastest horse,” she stated with authority. “I’ll head to Salem to warn Dayton while you go gather your men. We may be able to flank them yet.”
Daniel turned and looked into green eyes that appeared to gleam with mad impatience. “Capital plan, that. But I don’t think Colonel Jordan will approve.”
“It matters not,” Andrea said bluntly. “We have no choice.”
Daniel now heard the distinctive rattle of sabers clanking against saddle fittings.
“Can’t be Hunter with those sabers.” Andrea moved Justus back to the edge of the tree line to scan the scene again.
Daniel circled his horse in the shadows, mulling over her plan. “I know of your readiness to undertake danger, but you can’t keep pushing Colonel Jordan like this,” he said at length, trying to keep a firm hand on his suddenly unruly mount. “You can’t keep on with this complete disregard for military regulations and orders.”
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