The Texican Way

by Bernard Veale

  He thrust the card into his pocket just as the dance came to an end.

  “The dance was lovely, Daniel. Come back later and we shall have another but not too soon. We do not want to start a scandal.”

  Daniel returned to the card room where a much more modest game was in play. He sat on the sidelines and watched the cards until he saw the patterns repeat themselves. The dealers were tending to give the cards no more than a token shuffle. A player stood up and said: “If I do not dance with my wife she will never talk to me again.”

  “In that case, stay Jim, you may never get this chance again.” The others laughed and Daniel asked if he may sit in.

  “As long as you have money, Major. These others here are hardly worth plucking.” The table wag jested.

  This was the type of game that Daniel enjoyed. No-one was rushing to get rich quick. He could watch the cards carefully and bet up when circumstances were right and fold when they were not. His winnings rose steadily but not dramatically.

  “Y’hear about Ulysses? He don’t like to go to war unless he got belt and braces. He’s shipping down the biggest consignment of munitions that have ever been sent in this war or any other.”

  “How’s he shipping them? The Rebels keep bustin’ the railways.”

  “Yeah, some comin’ down river, some by rail and some overland by wagon train. That’s what I mean by belt and braces. First consignment comin’ down river due to arrive in two days time, that’s why we ain’t movin’ just yet. All our stuff is goin’ with Butler.”

  Daniel had heard enough. He had to get word to Lee.

  “Excuse me gentlemen, but I see I have a dance coming up. I had better not keep the lady waiting.”

  “Sure enough, major, if the dance is with the lady I saw you with earlier, you better be on time, that’s Boulder’s wife and he sees that she gets whatever she wants. Maybe it’ll be your head on a platter?”

  Daniel hurried to find the lady. “Arabella, I am sorry about the extra dance you wanted. I have to go. Something urgent has come up. I shall see you tomorrow at seven.”

  He gave her no time to reply but bowed and withdrew.

  He rode quickly to his quarters to find Jack dozing on a chair, obviously waiting for Daniel’s return.

  “Major, is there something wrong?”

  “Nothing Jack but I must get an urgent message off to my friend. I want you to get this off to the cable office as soon as possible.”

  “Cable office does not open until eight tomorrow morning, Major.”

  “No matter just be there and get it off first thing.”

  Daniel sat down and coded his message. He always took care to code the true meaning into guarded English in case the Yankees had broken the southern codes.

  His message read: “Goods due in two days coming south on water.” Lee already knew where he was and would be able to understand what goods they were.

  He went to bed and slept until Jack roused him at dawn.

  With the army preparing to move after its consolidation, there was plenty of work for an executive officer more especially since the regiment had been enlarged by the addition of many spare troops from destroyed regiments.

  Daniel worked hard and intensely throughout the day so that by six that evening he felt like a limp rag. He did not much feel like visiting Arabella but after such a long absence, he could hardly plead fatigue for failing to keep his promise.

  He changed into dress uniform and rode to the address on her visiting card.

  The door was opened instantly to his knock which told him that the maid had been anticipating his arrival.

  Arabella came down the stairs to meet him. She was dressed in a soft flowing robe of satin with her hair loose and brushed down. It was hardly formal wear.

  “Oh, Daniel, I should have told you! There was no need to dress up. It is only two old friends dining together. Ophelia, tell cook to serve dinner now and you may both go. There is no need to wait up. You may clean up tomorrow morning.”

  She led him into a small dining room containing a table just sufficient for two places to be set opposite each other. A small candelabrum containing three candles was set upon the table and was the only light in the room. There was an ice bucket cradling a bottle of champagne.

  “Sit, Daniel, you look tired. Have you had a hard day?”

  “Very, I have come to the conclusion that an executive officer does not get paid enough.”

  She laughed. “Why should you complain? You get paid by both armies do you not?”

  Daniel gave her a sharp look and looked around for the maid.

  “Don’t worry about Ophelia. Don’t you recognize her? She is from the plantation; as with all the darkies from the plantation, you are their hero. Here let me pour you a glass of champagne; that will cheer you up!”

  He ate and sipped champagne while Arabella told him about the people of the plantation and how much grander the new mansion was now that it had been rebuilt to her own specifications.

  “You won’t believe this Daniel but now I am one of the largest pig farmers in the county; all arising from those piglets that you brought to us to save us from starvation.”

  “I am so pleased to hear that the plantation is prospering, Arabella. I have fond memories of the place.”

  “So do I, of course, but my fondest are of the time when you were there.”

  Daniel changed the subject by talking of the war and what was to happen when it was over.

  Arabella arose from time to time to serve the next course from the chafing dishes on the sideboard.

  “Would you care for some French Cognac, Daniel? Bartholomew had it imported from France.”

  “It sounds delightful, Arabella. Are you sure that your husband will not miss it?”

  “Don’t be silly, Daniel. He has cases of the stuff. Besides, he dotes on me and gives me anything I want. He certainly is not going to fret over a few goblets of cognac.”

  “It must be pleasant to have someone who will do anything for you.” Daniel remarked as he sipped the very fine cognac.

  “Well you should know, Daniel.”

  “What do you mean I should know? I’ve had to struggle on my own most of my life.”

  “As long as I’ve known you, you have had people that would do anything for you.”

  “How ridiculous! Name one!”

  “Me, for example!”

  “You? But we are friends, I have never asked anything of you.”

  “That is true but it does not change the fact that I would do anything for you. When it comes to women Daniel, you are not very sharp. For example you never understood how jealous I was of Melissa Bridges. I even spent time with Bill Hamilton in the hope that you would become jealous yourself, but you never did.”

  “But Arabella, you went off and married a Union general. How can you claim that you would have done anything for me?” Daniel asked in bewilderment.

  “Do you think that I would have done such a thing had I known that you were still alive?”

  “It was my duty to return to General Lee. I am an officer of the Confederate Army and you knew that.”

  She sighed. “Daniel, it is wartime. You never wrote, not even to Melissa, how were we to know that you had survived? I waited a long time fighting off a very insistent Bill Hamilton until in desperation to get away from him I took the trip to Washington to plead for the rebuilding of the Burnt District. I met Bartholomew Boulder and he reminded me of my father, the only other man I have ever loved. After he promised to rebuild the mansion, I agreed to marry him. He is very well off, rich actually, and he dotes on me.”

  “I do not understand this obsession of yours about Melissa. She means nothing to me other than she is my colonel’s daughter. She wanted to get more serious in our relationship but she
is too young yet, what is more I am too young yet and I do not love her.”

  “Do you love me, Daniel?”

  “Does it matter, Arabella? You are married to another man.”

  “Yes it matters! I have loved you ever since I first met you. I still love you and I want to know if you love me.”

  “Arabella, I have never analyzed my feelings for you. I do know that I am happy to be back in your company and that of all the women alive there is none I would rather be with but I cannot look you in the eye and tell you that I love you because I do not know exactly what love is. I know that I am not yet ready for marriage but that hardly matters because you are married already.”

  “You are right. It does hardly matter. Let us be done with this pointless discussion. I am ready to retire.”

  Daniel rose from his chair believing himself to have been dismissed.

  “Thank you for an excellent dinner and a lovely evening, Arabella. I hope I shall see you again.”

  “Where do you think you are going, Daniel Beauregard?”

  “Why, back to my quarters, Arabella, where else?”

  “Don’t be a fool! Do you think I brought you here and dismissed the servants early so that you could return to your own bed at nine o’clock? You are staying the night!”

  Chapter Twenty Four

  What with the champagne and the cognac, Daniel found it very difficult to prize himself out of Arabella’s arms and return to his onerous work but duty is duty and he rose at dawn with a throbbing head.

  When he went down to the stables to collect Star he found the animal groomed and fed so someone in the household must have known that he would be staying over.

  He saddled the stallion and rode out into the darkness arriving at his quarters just as the reveille sounded. He had to change into his workday clothing which Jack had already anticipated and laid out.

  Sergeant Major Jock Macpherson was waiting for him with the latest orders: “Prepare to move at dawn tomorrow.”

  Daniel wondered why Grant was moving before his ammunition arrived but then he knew that armies move slowly and possibly Grant felt that there would be time for the munitions to catch up to them before the enemy engaged.

  “Jock, get these orders out to the companies as quickly as possible. Those majors will take their time. You’ll notice that I have told them to prepare to move this evening. No person in his right mind will believe that, moving into increasing darkness, but our bunch has never been in their right minds.”

  Later in the afternoon General Meade rode by, “Colonel Bridges, I see that your men are ready to move so I would like you to take the lead.”

  The colonel was delighted to be singled out as the ‘most ready’ regiment. He went up to headquarters to collect his orders.

  The whole regiment was eating supper when the news arrived. The munitions barges had been attacked by the Rebels and sunk in a lightning raid.

  An intelligence officer came by to question Daniel.

  “Major, I see that you sent your Chinese man to dispatch a cable that was in code. Can you explain to me why you did not use the army telegraph office to send the cable and why it was in code?”

  “Certainly, Captain, you come at an awkward time. We are about to move but I think I can ease your mind on that matter fairly quickly. I did not use the army telegraph office because the subject matter was related to my private business interests. If you check the recipient of the message you will find that it was sent to my business agent in Boston. The message was short and simply said: “Goods due in two days coming south on water.” It was in code to prevent business rivals from knowing when my goods would arrive from Canada. Will that be all? I have much to do here.”

  “Thank you Major, I believe that is all that I need.”

  As a result of, the loss of the munitions the order came to stand down on the move.

  Daniel received another invitation from Arabella to dine with her again since his departure had been delayed.

  This time he did not bother to change out of his workday uniform but rode directly to Arabella from his work.

  Arabella had set up everything as on the previous occasion and Daniel understood that they were to spend the night together once more.

  They were halfway through the meal when there was an imperious knock upon the front door. As Arabella was not dressed to receive visitors and the servants had all been dismissed, Daniel went to the front door and opened it.

  “Good evening Major Daniels, I hope that you remember me, I am Captain Mason. I met you yesterday.”

  “I remember you well Captain. How may I help you?”

  “I have come to ask some questions of Mrs Boulder, sir. May I see her?”

  “Not this evening Captain. I am a childhood friend of Mrs Boulder. I am visiting her as she is not well and her husband is away. I fear I shall have to send for the doctor.”

  “My apologies, Major, for calling unannounced but in the intelligence field it is better not to give your suspects a chance to prepare.”

  “Am I to understand that Mrs Boulder is a suspect? Of what may I ask?”

  “Not at all sir, but Mrs Boulder does have connections with the South and through her husband could well have access to military information. It is my duty to check such things.”

  “I understand, but could you not leave the matter until the lady has recovered from her ailment? Major General Boulder will not be happy to hear of her being mistreated.”

  “Sir, I have no intention of mistreating Mrs Boulder in any way. I shall call again tomorrow in the hope that she is sufficiently recovered to receive me.”

  The captain withdrew and Daniel returned to Arabella.

  “Did you hear all of that?”

  Arabella giggled. “Yes, you handled him superbly!”

  “Arabella do not take this lightly. Do you have a doctor? That Captain is very likely to check this matter. Even if he were not concerned about you being a spy, just letting me in here while your husband is away, could cause a scandal if the captain does not accept that I am here due to your illness. I will have to summon your doctor and you will have to feign an illness that will convince him so that he in turn will convince the captain that you were indeed ill.”

  “Ah pooh! I do not care. Bartholomew may divorce me if he wishes to. I have you and that is all I care about!”

  “But you must care, Arabella. Spying carries the death penalty. Either of us is susceptible to being accused of it. Do you want to see me hanged? If not, let us play this matter right.”

  She stopped laughing immediately. “Very well, Daniel, here is the doctor’s visiting card. He is a silly old fool but has served Bartholomew’s family for years. Tell him that I have a splitting headache. He will want to bleed me and I shall refuse so he will give me a drop of laudanum and send Bartholomew an outrageous bill. He is sure to maximize his diagnosis to justify the bill so your intelligence captain will be satisfied.”

  Daniel rode out and fetched the doctor paying him ten dollars to stir himself to see Arabella at that time of night. Daniel realized that Major General Boulder would nevertheless still get a bill including a charge for nighttime call-out.

  Daniel stayed downstairs while the doctor completed his examination and then descended the stairs shaking his head sadly.

  “It is a nervous condition, Major, caused by the stress of her husband going off to war. It would be better for her if you stayed by her side. She needs someone available at call and I understand that she has let the servants off early while the master is away. It is as well that you called on her to see how she is faring with her husband gone. Friends like you, Major, are few and far between.”

  Daniel thought that his last comment was generated by the ten dollar incentive that he had paid to the doctor.

  Daniel locked the
door behind the doctor and went up to Arabella who was already in bed.

  “What did he give you, Arabella?”

  “Just as I predicted, darling, he gave me a drop of laudanum and now I am feeling rather drowsy. Get in here before I fall asleep.”

  For one reason and another she slept soundly that night and did not stir when Daniel let himself out.

  He was working at his desk when the Intelligence Captain called on him once more.

  “Major, I trust that Mrs Boulder is feeling better this morning?”

  “I cannot say. She slept soundly from whatever the doctor gave her and I did not wish to awaken her so I left when the servants arrived.”

  “I spoke to the doctor. He seemed concerned for her health. Has she always been this delicate?”

  “Mrs Boulder has always been a very sensitive child but then most ladies are.”

  “You seem very fond of the lady, Major.”

  “Of course I am. She is like a sister to me. I have spent many a happy hour upon the Fairchild Plantation. I know each of the field hands personally.”

  “Yes, I spoke to the colored maid called Ophelia. She seems to have a very high opinion of you, sir.”

  “Well then you know. Our families have always been close.”

  “Ophelia said one strange thing to me she said that you had been a member of the Quantrill Raiders.”

  “Either she or you are mistaken. I was with the regiment when Quantrill was raiding in the county. I caught a couple of the raiders. Shot one in the kneecap and let them both go.”

  “Why would you have let two of those criminals go?”

  “I was at that stage in the war when I regarded the rebels as misguided brothers. The one I shot could never fight again and he needed the other to get him home to Texas. I have often wondered if that was the right thing to do but I could not bring myself to shoot them down in cold-blood.”

  “You could have taken them prisoner, sir.”