Despite the fact Howard and another officer would be standing on the porch, Laura thought it was odd that her father would leave her alone with what he believed was a…stranger, an armed enemy. Her mind echoed, Durance…So that’s what the D stands for on the knife I found in the cellar. Yet, there were questions he needed to answer about the knife and his past whereabouts, just as she surmised he had plenty of queries for her. She sensed the strain between them following their unexpected reunion, as if neither knew what to say or how to behave.
“What are you doing here?” she finally asked. He kept his place near the center of the cabin as he responded to her in a controlled tone, after glancing toward the window where the two men outside were visible.
“Didn’t your father explain I’m a Galvanized Yank now?” She nodded. “Do you know what that is?” She nodded again. “I was told Colonel Adams had a beautiful daughter, but I never imagined Laura Adams would be you. So your name wasn’t Carlisle; that clarifies a few things for me.”
Why, Laura fretted, was he being distant and formal when they were alone? Unless he had been captured before receiving her letter from Lily and now, after finding out she was a Unionist and was in Arizona, assumed she had deceived and betrayed him. Or perhaps he felt resentful toward her, her father, and her uncle—all Southerners who had sided with the Union, with his enemy, with his captors. She must reveal part of the truth to him before he turned completely against her. Mercy, she was glad to see him, but he was going to complicate matters for her! Laura shook her head. “I take it Storm isn’t your name?”
Jayce assumed she was staring at him so oddly because she thought he had lied to her about everything, just as she had deceived him about herself; yet, he was glad they were on the same side, a fact she didn’t know and couldn’t be told. He knew what she had done to help Rebel soldiers and others, despite her loyalties being elsewhere, and he was proud of her good traits. Yet, she had lied to him convincingly…“But it is my name, Miss Adams, Jayce Storm Durance. Storm was my mother’s maiden name. I—”
Howard interrupted their talk when he returned. “Well, do you two think you can get along, or should I select another soldier?”
Laura had to get close to Jayce later to explain, no matter how he now felt about her. “Lieutenant…Durance is fine with me, Father.”
“It’s Private now, Miss Adams, but that tells me you were listening when I related my story to you. That means, if we encounter any trouble during our outings, you’ll be ready to obey my words in a hurry, ’cause a minute is all we might have at times.” Jayce turned the direction of his words to Laura’s father. “I can follow your orders, sir, and your daughter’s. If there’s nothing else, I’ll return to my duties. It was nice to meet you, Miss Adams. I hope you won’t mind having an ex-Rebel around.”
Laura tried to remain poised and to keep her voice from quavering as she said, “Not one who seems as respectful and tolerant as you do, sir.”
As the two spoke, Howard concluded he had made a wise decision. He had been told to pick Jayce, since the man was a loyal patriot who had been sent there to watch the other captives for signs of desertion and threats against Union soldiers. If any trouble was noticed, Jayce was to report it to him, which, being Laura’s escort, would be easy. To him, Jayce appeared to be a strong, brave, smart, and good man, one who could be trusted with his daughter. Howard wished he could confide that to Laura, but he had been ordered not to expose Jayce to anyone. Being an honorable gentleman and obedient officer, he would not break his word. He turned kindly eyes to Jayce and said, “You’re dismissed, Private Durance, and I’m grateful you accepted this assignment. My daughter is very important to me; we were separated for a long time during this war. Of course, after being on her own for years without my guidance and supervision, Laura has become a mite headstrong and independent, so don’t let those traits discourage or annoy you.”
Jayce had to struggle to avoid smiling, and he was touched by the love he perceived between father and daughter. It was also a battle to prevent staring at the beautiful woman he loved. She was a mystery to him, but he would solve it soon. “I’m certain Miss Adams will behave as the lady she is, sir. If not, I’ll report it to you.”
Howard chuckled and grinned. “I would expect you to do so.”
Laura was stunned by her father’s behavior, a superior officer mischievously joking about his daughter with a Rebel prisoner, even if Jayce was in the U.S. Army now! She also realized Jayce was in a position to expose her unladylike conduct in Richmond, if he so desired…So far, he hadn’t said or done anything to cause her to panic, though his coolness toward her considering their past intimate relationship was unsettling. “I won’t give Private Durance any trouble, Father, so both of you can relax.”
After the shocking reunion with Laura, Jayce headed to join the group of men he had been sent to expose, soldiers he had met almost immediately after his arrival. He had managed to get friendly with them during the past weeks while building the cabin Laura now occupied and during routine patrols. He worried that being assigned as Laura’s escort could endanger his identity and mission, but he had been unable to discourage her father. He had used every imaginable reason—except the truth—to change Howard’s mind, but the man was determined to have him and, in Howard’s unenlightened state, Howard didn’t believe it would jeopardize his “real” assignment. On the one hand, it was risky for him to be the ex-Rebel who squired the post commander’s daughter around and to have contact with them, but on the other, it was nice to know Laura’s father trusted and respected him so. That the situation would allow him to see his love in private if he was cunning and careful made it seem almost appealing.
Major Jim Wright, his contact, had assigned him to the suspected unit that was under Captain Reno’s command, who was under Wright’s, who was under Jacob’s, who was under Howard’s. Jim was the only person at Fort Whipple who knew who and what he was and why he was there. But there was to be no contact with Jim unless it was absolutely necessary in order to safeguard his identity and mission.
Jayce cast aside his troubling thoughts as he reached the others and scoffed, “Would you believe the colonel assigned me to be his daughter’s guard and escort when she wants to go shopping or ride around the area? That’s all I need, to play wet nurse to a spoiled Unionist! She chatters like a squirrel, so she’ll bore my ears off within a week. Probably all she knows about are parties and looking pretty and acting the coquette. Damn, my luck is sorry!”
“I got me a long view of her last evening when I carried food over for Mrs. Wright. She surely warmed my eyes and stick good, so maybe she’ll take a liking to you and let you do a little poking around in her treat box.”
Jayce concealed his anger at hearing Captain Bart Reno—a Union soldier turned traitor and thief, if his suspicion was correct—talk crudely about his love. “She could be the prettiest female in the territory, Reno, but I’m not fooling around with that bag of trouble. If anything happens to her, he’ll hold me to blame and send me back to one of those Yankee hellholes. Bad as it is here, it’s better than what we endured back there.”
“Escape would be loco, ’cause we got it pretty nice here. I surely don’t want to go back to killing and starving and freezing my ass off for nothing. Do what you have to for the colonel and her, Durance, but steer clear of her charms, and Reno says she’s got plenty of’em.”
Jayce glanced at Dunnie Ford, a Galvanized Yank, and agreed, “That’s exactly what I’m planning to do to avoid trouble. It’s bad enough to have to obey Yankee officers’ orders, now I got hers, too!”
Captain Bart Reno said, “Let’s cut the chatter, boys, and get moving. We might find us some Injuns to put to rest today if we’re lucky.”
As they saddled up and rode out to check on the Indians’ location and actions, Jayce wished he could seize her and escape before she turned against him for what he must do, but he couldn’t cast aside his mission or endanger her life during their pursuit,
even if she was willing to run off with him. He doubted she would hurt her father for a man who had been reckless and weak enough to get captured. He couldn’t tell her why he was there; she would hate him for trying to destroy her uncle and could, in a fit of anger and disillusionment, expose him.
Jayce recalled how he had investigated Jacob Adams for Benjamin Simmons and General Grant, so he knew what kind of man her uncle was. He prayed Howard was different, and the man appeared to be good and honorable. He had been told Jacob Adams’s brother and niece were being sent to distract the suspected officer from his own observant presence, but he had never imagined Howard Adams’s daughter was Laura “Carlisle.” He hadn’t noticed a resemblance between father and daughter when Howard came to the prison to select his men, three days after he’d been placed there and allegedly after being moved from another overcrowded prison. An officer in the know had accompanied Laura’s father and had made suggestions about choices. He also knew that captives were taken from different prisons so no man would know all of the others. When he had been hauled away in irons on January seventh, he hadn’t imagined he would be seeing Laura again anytime soon and certainly not here, or be given chances to be with his woman, if she still loved and wanted him.
As the group rode away from the fort, Jayce furtively glanced toward the cabin and wondered if Laura was watching him and, if so, what she was thinking. For certain, he was confused and worried.
Laura wasn’t observing Jayce, as Emmaline had arrived early, shortly after his departure, and was helping her with her chores. Yet, until the woman had joined her, she had been trying to think of a way to get him alone so they could talk soon. An idea had formed in her mind, one she hoped was feasible. Until tomorrow, my love…
As they were unpacking Laura’s clothes, Emmaline whispered, “Jim said we’re not to talk about why you’ve been sent here because someone could overhear us. But he asked me to relate a few facts to you before that silence. He says you’re to get close to your uncle and to watch him for clues. Those men are in one of the four small units under Jim’s command: Company G; I suppose it stands for Galvanized Yankees. Captain Bart Reno is the company leader; he’s a Union soldier, but Jim believes he’s working with your uncle and he heads up that gang. I got him to help me last night so you could get a look at him. He’s usually with the other three men under suspicion: privates Anson Kearny, Sam Hallack, and Dunnie Ford, who are all ex-Rebels. Jim also placed most of the newest Galvanized Yanks in that same company, so some of them could be persuaded to join the gang and increase its size. Jim said if you find any clues, pass them to him under the guise of a visit with me.”
That news told Laura the woman was privy to her mission secret and must be trustworthy. She already knew those four men’s names from Ben’s list, so she assumed Jim had supplied them. That caused her to wonder why Jim wasn’t doing the investigating instead of her. “I understand,” she affirmed, “and we’ll obey Jim’s order of silence.”
“I know this assignment must be difficult and painful for you, Laura, but if they’re guilty, they must be exposed. If it were possible, Jim would handle this matter, but he can’t get close enough to them to earn their trust and learn their secrets. At least, not without joining their gang, and Jim can’t do the evil things they do in order to dupe them. Jim told me you did some spying for the Union back East, so you’ve witnessed the war and it’s obvious you want to help end it as quickly as possible.”
Laura noted the empathetic look in the woman’s brown eyes and had heard that same emotion in Emmaline’s voice. “That’s why I agreed to do this dismaying deed. I know what would happen if that gold and silver gets into Confederate hands back East; it would prolong the fighting, dying, and destruction. I hope and pray Uncle Jake isn’t involved, but if he is, I have no choice except to expose him with the others. Of course, I’m not certain what I can do to get evidence against them, but I’ll try my best.”
“That’s all they can ask or expect of you, Laura. You’re brave and a true patriot for taking on this tormenting task; I would be scared silly. These are dangerous and desperate men, so please be careful.”
“I will, and thanks for worrying about me, and for helping me today.”
“The other wives and the children live in town; I can use a friend here at the fort. Actually, only a few men have their wives or families with them; that’s because most Union soldiers were sent back East years ago and reinforcements will be here for only a year; the others are ex-prisoners. Be alert around them because you’re a beautiful woman and the commanding officer’s daughter; that makes you a possible target for a troublemaker or sex-starved male. But I’m certain most of the men will be respectful and polite to you. I’ve never had problems with any of them, but I also stay alert and conduct myself as a lady at all times. Do you have any questions for me or for Jim before we drop this perilous subject?”
“I think you covered everything. Except…” Laura recalled. “My father doesn’t know anything about this matter, does he?”
“No, and he won’t be told until it’s over and then, only if there is something criminal to report. Otherwise, it will remain a secret.”
“That’s good news, since it’s his brother under suspicion and his daughter doing the spying.” Laura stayed quiet about her escort, fearing her voice and expression might reveal her turbulent emotions about the ex-Confederate.
The two women finished unpacking Laura’s clothes, uncrated and arranged the kitchen items, and ate a light lunch which Emmaline had brought with her. Afterward as they sipped tea and sewed on curtains, they talked about themselves, the fort, the town, their inhabitants, local events, and the war, which, from their location, seemed distant and a little unreal.
The night before Emmaline’s arrival, Laura had made sure to conceal the treasures that exposed a past connection to Jayce.
“Tell me about yourself,” Laura coaxed as they worked.
“Jim and I have known each other since childhood. Both of our families farm in Ohio. He’s twenty-six and I’m twenty-three. We’ve been married for two years; we took that step just before he was sent here. We don’t have any children, but we want a houseful one day. Actually, I’m glad we don’t have any; I wouldn’t want to start raising them in a secluded fort or in a rough town like Prescott. What about you?”
Laura had observed a glow of love and joy when Emmaline talked about her husband. That caused Laura to yearn for Jayce who was currently out of her reach and to envy the woman’s happy life. “I’m twenty-one, but I’ll be twenty-two in June. We own a plantation in Virginia near Fredericksburg: Greenbriar. I have two brothers who are off fighting for the Union; they’re with General Schofield in Tennessee, or were when we left Washington. Tom is twenty and single. Henry is twenty-four; he’s married to a woman from Pennsylvania; they live in Gettysburg and they have two children; Henry’s family is staying with Nora’s parents up North until the war is over. At Greenbriar, Father and Tom raise fruits and vegetables for the market; and they also raise a few goats, pigs, and horses. We have a manager and workers who are taking care of everything while we’re gone. My mother died when I was one, so I don’t remember her, but Father and her portrait say I favor her.”
Laura didn’t relate that her mother had died from a chill taken during her first carriage ride following Tom’s birth, a year after hers. “Before I was reunited with Father and we came here, I was running a hotel in Richmond; it belonged to a friend of my father’s before she died in ’63. It belongs to close friends of mine now, Richard and Lily Stevens; they were married in December.” Laura whispered, “That’s where I did my work.”
Emmaline grasped her hint, but let it pass unquestioned as her beloved husband had ordered. “Did you leave a sweetheart behind?”
Laura worded her deceitful response with care so it wouldn’t be an outright lie, “When I left home in ’63, there was no one special there.”
“And not much to pick from in Richmond with men off at war.�
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Laura nodded and crinkled her forehead into a humorous frown which caused Emmaline to laugh. “I’ll be happy to see all our men return home; this war is taking a terrible toll on our male population.”
“You’re right, and that’s sad for both sides. Out here, a lot of men get gold-fever and take off into the wilderness either alone or in groups; some look forever and never return home; others either strike it rich or find enough to spend every week in town. This is big gold and silver country, Laura; there are mines and diggings in all directions. In some places, more gold than a man can carry can be picked up off the ground or panned in the streams in only a few hours. Even soldiers can hold mining claims as long as they don’t let it interfere with their duties. Wives usually organize the social and religious events at forts, but I can’t plan and carry out those events alone. Besides, Prescott isn’t far away and it’s a mining town, so it offers plenty of diversions for the men when they’re off-duty. You can’t imagine how many saloons, dance halls, and brothels that town has. But it does have a school and sort of a church, thanks to becoming the territorial capital. And we do get traveling shows on occasion: plays, musicals, and such. The next time one comes, we’ll attend it together.” Emmaline grinned and added, “We might even find you a proper escort for the evening. There are a few handsome bachelors from fine families serving here.”
“I know you’re happily married, Em, but you mustn’t start playing matchmaker,” Laura teased. “Tell me, where do you and Jim live?”
“We have three rooms inside the fort, rather large and nice ones, and a detached kitchen like yours. Thanks to all my mother and grandmother taught me, I have it looking rather pretty. The men are provided with rations, but officers have to purchase theirs. I mainly shop at the sutler’s store because prices can be high in town; miners will pay any amount to get what they want. Of course, some stores give discounts to the military to thank us for being here to protect them; just look for a sign on the door to tell you which ones. If you find it too difficult to do washing here because of the water supply and cold weather, they have laundresses in town who do it at a reasonable price. Usually laundresses have quarters in the fort, but not here. Most of them are wives of widows or soldiers or ex-soldiers who stayed in Prescott to mine or settle nearby. They receive rations, lodgings, and payment for doing the men’s clothes.”
Defiant Hearts Page 34