“Probably; there are plenty of spies on both sides. Since Lee knows Grant is going to try to decoy him away from Petersburg by sending troops across the James River to fake a threat on Richmond, perhaps he won’t use that strategy now, because Lee certainly won’t fall for it.” Laura took a deep breath. “What worries me is that tunnel the Yankees are digging and planning to mine. An explosion of that size should tear through the Rebels’ defense line, but it could do enormous damage to the area and kill many men. I wonder why they don’t halt that plan since the Confederates know about it and are counter-tunneling to thwart them.”
“With so many Yankees positioned east of Petersburg, you’d think they could stroll over the Rebels without much trouble.”
“The Rebels are too well armed and prepared, Lily. They dug in good before the Union forces could reach that location.”
“Did you tell Grant the Petersburg railroad lines have been repaired, and about so many Rebel soldiers being missing without permission?”
“Yes, I put everything you said James told you in that message. He’ll know it’s from me when he sees it’s signed by Vixen.”
Lily propped her head against the sofa. “James will be returning to Petersburg on Tuesday. He’s hoping Lee will order them to attack Grant’s headquarters after Grant sends his men off on that fake strike.”
“At least Sheridan’s with him now, and out of the Valley. Wrong or not, I’m glad those people will have a chance to be safe for a while.”
Lily turned her head to look at Laura. “You don’t think the officers Sheridan left behind will give Early much trouble?”
“Not as much as Sheridan did when he was ripping through that area. It’s men like him, Butler, and Sherman who make me wonder if I’m doing the right thing to aid the Union.”
Lily straightened. “You aren’t thinking of changing sides, are you?”
“No, I can’t. If I did that, I would be working against my family and country. I’ll just have to endure my distress over their vile actions.”
The bell jangled to summon either Laura or Lily or both to the hotel.
Lily stood and said, “I’ll go see who they want. If I don’t return, it was me. If I ring the bell, you’re needed. It’s Saturday, so we’ll probably be busy tonight. I just hope James’s appetite for me hasn’t returned this soon. When he has money in his pocket, he wants me to spend hours with him and pleasure him every way imaginable. With luck, he’ll lose it all at the gaming tables. I surely won’t give him a free romp; we’ve already gotten all the news we need from him.”
“If I’m not needed yet, I’ll get a few chores done here before I come over to help with serving dinner and greeting our regulars.” Laura saw Lily nod and smile before she left. She suspected that Lily was losing interest in her sexual profession and the only man Lily wanted to “entertain” upstairs was Richard Stevens. If or when the major returned, perhaps she could find a cunning way to discover if Richard had any genuine romantic interest in Lily. If he did, perhaps she could find a way to coax them toward marriage, as they would make a lovely couple. But until she was convinced that goal was obtainable, Laura wouldn’t encourage Lily to seek it.
Compared to difficult conditions today, courtship had been simple before the war. Now, most men either were off fighting or those present were concentrating on it. Time, opportunities, and occasions for wooing were few, if any. And, she fretted, if the war didn’t end soon, the numbers of quality men would be diminished. As the conflict continued without an end in sight, she and other women her age grew older, streaking past their most fruitful and appealing years, and often being stripped of families and wealth that made them appealing to men of their equal social status.
Somehow she knew the Old South lifestyle was gone forever, and she couldn’t imagine what would take its place after peace came.
By Sunday evening, Laura discovered that many things had occurred during the last week which were just now reaching local newspapers. Rebel Hood had been repulsed at Peachtree Creek in Georgia, and Sherman was trying to cut Atlanta’s rail lines. The mostly conquered Confederate state of Louisiana had voted to adopt a constitution with an amendment to abolish slavery and to do whatever was necessary to be readmitted to the Union! Early had defeated Union troops at Kernstown, suffering light losses himself, but inflicting twelve hundred casualties upon his enemies. From what she read, fierce battles were taking place in every state in the Confederacy, even those supposedly conquered for most part by the Union, and with victories being divided almost equally between the warring sides.
Frank had arrived from Alabama that afternoon. Immediately after checking into Room 5, the riled politician had gone to visit with Davis.
Laura didn’t know what had the offensive man so vexed, but she hoped he would drop clues to her later or reveal things to friends which she could overhear if he sat in certain locations in the parlor.
Laura received an enormous shock Monday night while eavesdropping on two strangers who had checked into her hotel that evening. Their odd behavior had provoked her to slip into Room C to see what she could learn about them as the two gathered in Hill’s room to talk. She was glad she placed Ward Hill in Room 2 and Stu Clark in Room 1, both equipped with secret peepholes from the adjoining room, currently empty, where her girls entertained men. She also was glad a sofa was positioned against the wall near the disguised opening so she could hear what they said.
“We can’t back out now, Ward; the plans are in motion.”
“If we’re caught, Stu, we’ll be hanged or shot; this is crazy. We’ll never get away with kidnapping those Rebels’ wives, especially General Lee’s. We can’t stuff them ladies in trunks and haul ’em out of town in a wagon without getting caught.”
“It’ll work, Ward, so stiffen up your spine. We got the wagon and trunks waiting and we got chloroform to knock them out cold. Lee and his generals will surrender rather than see their women executed.”
“I got me a bad feeling about this, Stu.”
“Thurmond and Foster are over at the Exchange Hotel; Weed and Mays are at the Spotswood. We’re all spread out, so nobody will become suspicious of us. We’ll meet at that old barn on the corner of Clay and Moore streets at nine tomorrow night; then we’ll snare us some Dixie ladies. We’ll be gone before anybody knows they’re missing.”
“We didn’t get permission to do this, Stu. If General Hancock don’t like our plan, whatcha gonna do with them women?”
“Ransom them and make us a fat sum. Hell, that might even be a better plan if I can get the others to go along with it. We could get rich if we went from town to town doing this all over the blasted South.”
“That’ll put the Rebs and our side chasing our tails for punishment.”
“They’d have to catch us first, and they won’t. We could head to California, rich and free, long gone from this infernal fighting.”
“I still say this wild plan of yours is crazy.”
“Damn you, Ward! Are you in or out?”
“Shitfire, Stu, you know I’m in, but I don’t have to like it.”
“You’ll like what I got in mind for tomorrow while we’re waiting for night to come.”
“What’s that?”
“We’ll use some of the money we stole off that banker we killed to rent us a few juicy females who’ll be more than willing to do anything we want to get their hands on it. I know just where they’re located some blocks from here. If it suits you, my friend, we’ll spend the day in bed tomorrow, and I don’t mean sleeping. Think you can handle two or three eager women?”
“Damn right I can, long as it’s been since I had me some.”
“What say you to a few hands of cards and a couple of drinks?”
“Suits me. Let’s go. Suddenly I’m feeling real lucky.”
* * *
Laura blackened her face and hands with soot from the chimney, dressed in ebony garments, and stuffed her blond hair under a dark slouch hat to carry out a bold action.
She knew her horse’s hooves would make too much noise and would call unwanted attention to her, so she had to walk the less than a mile to her destination. She crept between and around buildings, houses, trees, bushes, walls, fenced gardens, hedgerows, and sheds. To avoid revealing light of gas lamps on sidewalks, she cut through the shadowy interiors of most blocks and selected streets away from corners. Any time she saw or heard someone, she concealed herself until the peril was gone. She sneaked to the Confederate White House porch and placed a letter there which contained facts about the abduction plot and the names of the men involved and their current locations. She lit a candle by the letter, pounded on the double doors, and raced down the many steps, almost tripping on the last one. She concealed herself in bushes to make certain someone responded to her summons; if not, she would knock again. She grimaced when Mary Bowser opened the door, a Union spy who would destroy the crucial message if she read it. Immediately relief filled her when she saw a male servant wriggle past the woman and collect the letter, one addressed to the President and marked, Urgent, open and read immediately!
The servant peered into the night but could not see her in the shadows. As soon as he reentered the house and closed the door, she hurried around the other side and watched the windows which she knew were the President’s bedroom and adjoining office on the second floor. She couldn’t help her sigh of relief when she saw light dance on the lacy panel, implying the man had delivered her message to Jefferson Davis. She had done her duty; now it was up to him to act upon the shocking news. With stealth, she crept from the location before guards could be summoned to search for the person who had brought the letter. Her tension never alleviated as she retraced her path home.
Lily embraced Laura after her safe return. “I was scared silly the whole time you were gone! I kept peeping out the kitchen window until I saw your signal lamp. I should have gone for you.”
Laura shook her head. “I couldn’t endanger your life, dear Lily. Besides, I’m more experienced at sneaking around at night, remember?”
Lily nodded in agreement. “How did it go?”
Laura related the details of her task, then said to her friend, “Thanks for writing the letter for me so it wouldn’t be in my script; mine is known in some places around town where I do business. We should be prepared to be questioned about our two guests if an investigation ensues after their captures. As far as we’re concerned, they’re strangers, have never been guests before, and we saw and heard nothing suspicious.”
“I hope they hang the scum. Though I’m a Unionist, what they were planning to do is wrong. It’s just like treacherous and greedy men to use innocent women to serve their selfish needs. You should get cleaned up and changed in a hurry in case soldiers come calling tonight.”
“If they’re smart, they’ll spy on those six men and catch them in the act as proof of their evil intentions, and proof an informer told the truth.”
Lily didn’t have to ask why the kind deed was done in secret; she knew Laura couldn’t reveal she was the informer or the authorities would want to know how she had made her astonishing discovery. Too, if Laura were proclaimed a heroine in the newspapers, it would call too much attention to her, and guests might get tight-lipped around her. “Things have quietened down over there and Cleo will be locking up soon. I’m going to bed now; I’m body and mind weary. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Lily, and thanks for your help and concern.”
“I know you’re exhausted, too, but don’t forget to wash up before you lie down. You don’t want to be found with a black face and hands. Would you like some hot tea or warm milk before I retire?”
“No, thanks. I’ll be asleep the minute my head is down.”
* * *
News arrived the next day that General Early was tearing up tracks of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in West Virginia to cut his opponent’s supply line. So much destruction, Laura fretted. Would it ever end? Were her actions really doing anything to help terminate the hostilities, and faster? Or was she only duping herself?
At least Lily was happy today with James Webber’s departure, as the man couldn’t seem to get enough of her, in and out of bed. Several times she had found Lily almost hiding in her room to avoid the enchanted man. Laura concluded that with Lily’s change of heart, problems were ahead for her friend if she didn’t think of a way to help Lily also change her life.
As Laura dusted furniture in the parlor, her troubled mind filled with dreamy fantasies about Jayce Storm. She visualized his tanned face, strong features, wit-stealing smile, virile physique, the way he moved with ease and agility and stood tall and proud. If only, she mused as she turned from the piano, he—
Laura’s gaze widened and her heart beat fast as it settled on the man consuming her thoughts, but surely, her dazed brain reasoned, it was only an illusion. His left shoulder was leaning against the parlor archway, one booted ankle crossing the other, a slouch hat grasped between his fingers, his ebony hair mussed as if windblown. The still and silent figure simply gazed at her with those remarkable sapphire eyes. Desire ignited within her, and she yearned to race into his strong arms and to kiss his full lips at least a hundred times. She realized he was not an illusion when he smiled, straightened from his position, approached her with long strides.
“You’re as busy and lovely as always, Miss Carlisle, so I couldn’t resist watching you for a while.” He spoke in a husky tone. “Any luck you have a room available for tonight?”
“Jayce…You’re back,” she murmured, smiling at him.
Jayce held her gaze and wits captive as he reached her and halted. “Not soon enough to please me and not for long enough to satisfy me.”
The front door slammed, causing Laura to jump and jerking her back to reality. She peered past Jayce’s broad shoulders as Cleo stopped in the foyer and apologized for a gust of wind yanking it out of her grasp.
“A storm’s brewing, Laura; that wind is strong and wild.”
“It’s all right, Cleo; the noise only startled me. Belle and Lily are upstairs working. I’m almost finished in here. Lieutenant Storm just arrived, so I’ll get him registered. Please make sure Room 6 is clean and ready for his occupation, then help the others with the rest of the chores.”
Laura saw the fair-skinned redhead walk her hazel gaze over Jayce, nod compliance to her orders, and head up the steps. She looked at the handsome officer in a dusty gray uniform and prompted, “You were saying?”
“I’ll only be here until tomorrow morning. I was asked to take care of a task for my commander. I’m in luck you have an empty room. Too bad it doesn’t extend to enjoying Mrs. Barton’s fine cooking tonight, but I’m looking forward to having my fill in the morning before I leave.”
Laura tried not to stare at him. She felt as if every inch of her body was alive and tingling at his presence. She hoped her tone and expression didn’t expose her disappointment about his short visit and her joy at seeing him. “You won’t be joining us for dinner?”
Jayce perceived her reactions, though she tried to conceal them. He was pleased by his potent effect on her because she certainly got to him in a powerful way. He had derived pleasure from just watching her earlier before she noticed him. Mercy, she was tempting! “Afraid not; I have to go out as soon as I’m registered and won’t return until late tonight.”
“Then, let’s get you signed in and settled so you can get busy. That way, you can finish your work and return in time to get a good night’s rest,” she said, though she wanted him back so she could spend time with him.
Laura guided him to the foyer desk and watched him sign his name. She placed his payment in a metal box under the counter and handed him his room key. “Would you like for me to see if there are any leftovers from lunch so you can have a snack before you leave?”
“That’s a kind offer, but I’m not hungry and I have to hurry. If I can finish early, maybe we can have a talk before you retire.”
Laura tried not to s
ound overeager when she replied, “That would be nice. I’m on duty until ten o’clock.” She reminded him, “The front door is locked at midnight, but your room key will fit it if you’re late.”
“Only something beyond my control will keep me out after nine.”
Laura warmed to his broad smile and tender gaze and hoped she grasped his implication. She watched him depart, took a deep breath, and returned to her chore, fantasizing about him again…
By ten o’clock, Jayce had not returned to her establishment, and Laura decided she shouldn’t stay up, as if waiting for him. She would have to be content with seeing him at breakfast.
She furtively had observed Hill and Clark during dinner, which they attended after—she presumed from past eavesdropping—a day of debauchery elsewhere. At eight, the two men had left, she assumed, to carry out their wicked plot against the wives of Rebel officers. As she had watched the culprits from the front window in an unlighted and vacant Room 3, she saw two Confederate soldiers step from the shadows across the street and stealthily trail the villains. That action had indicated her letter was accepted as truth and the crime would be thwarted.
Laura locked the doors at each end of the passageway. Despite partially raised bottom sashes and lowered upper sashes, her house was stuffy. The evening air was hot and humid, as storm clouds had blown over the city without sending down cooling rain. She wondered if she would be able to get to sleep anytime soon with the oppressive heat and worries over Jayce plaguing her.
Laura heard a knock at her front door and glanced down the hallway in that direction, as she was leaving the kitchen to enter her bedroom. She couldn’t imagine who would come calling this late; then a stimulating idea flashed across her mind. She walked to the door and asked, “Who’s there?”
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