Words Heard In Silence / Xena Uber

by T. Novan

  She climbed up into his lap and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Papa spank da bad man."

  "No, honey. Papa will have to do something else. These men were too bad to just spank them."

  Em settled herself back on his knee and picked up her spoon, her little brows coming together as she considered it. "Bewy bad man," she mumbled around another spoon of cereal.

  --*--

  Richard and Charlie, preoccupied with the fact that Davison and his men had been captured, hurriedly finished their breakfasts and departed to interview the criminals. This left Rebecca with a very distressed little girl.

  "Mama Becca, Em good. Papa fowgot pwesents." Em’s face was a portrait of confused disappointment.

  "Oh, sweetheart, Papa is very busy. He will give you your present later, I promise. How about this? Shall we go see what Papa brought back for the wedding?"

  "Pwesents for wedding?"

  Rebecca laughed and picked up the little girl. "Yes, in a sense. These are the things Mama Becca needs to have a proper wedding to Papa." Rebecca turned to Elizabeth. "Would you care to join us?"

  The little girl settled happily in Rebecca’s arms. She was growing like a weed with the good food Sarah had been feeding her. Soon she would be too heavy for Rebecca to pick up easily and carry around. "Mama Becca? What is wedding?"

  "Good question. I do wish I had an answer you would understand." She gave it further thought as she continued down the hall. "It is a party, Em."

  "Good. Em likes pawties."

  Elizabeth chuckled as the two women proceeded to the back parlor to examine Charlie’s acquisitions. Entering the room, they were confronted by a sizable pile of bundles, bags and boxes, all heaped rather haphazardly in the middle of the room. Rebecca immediately went to the bell pull and summoned Lizbet, Tess and Reg.

  "It appears absolutely everything that Charlie brought back was just piled here. I do believe I will need at least one pot of tea to get through this Herculean effort." Elizabeth’s eyes were sparkling with laughter. Rebecca was a bit overwhelmed.

  "It is not funny, Elizabeth," Rebecca chastised playfully as she placed Em on the floor and continued to stare at the pile. "You would think he could have labeled things a little better."

  "My dear, this is Charlie –– the man who never shops. I think he has had Jocko do all of his shopping, except for the fittings of his clothes and boots, for years. We are fortunate he managed to get everything on your list, dear." Elizabeth was poking at the pile, shifting bags and examining boxes. "It will get much better once we get the cases of wine and kegs of brandy out of here."

  Rebecca looked closer at the pile. "Good Lord, is Charlie planning on getting the entire county drunk?"

  "Well, there is the gentlemen’s bachelor party the night before the wedding." Elizabeth smirked.

  Rebecca stood up, giving Elizabeth a very serious look. "Oh, I had forgotten about that. Do you think Charlie will have such a thing?"

  "I think Richard will probably insist. That man will take any opportunity to celebrate, and if he can do it at Charlie’s expense, well, so much the better, according to him."

  "As long as Charlie is in proper condition for the wedding the next day, because if he is not I will take it off Richard's hide myself."

  "My dear, please leave me some of that hide." Elizabeth continued to poke among the packages. "By the way, I believe Mrs. Carter said something about being a seamstress. Perhaps we should ask her to join us?" Just then, Lizbet, Tess, and Reg appeared at the door.

  "You rang for us, Miss Rebecca?" Lizbet was in the lead. Tess immediately took charge of the youngster, who had disembarked from Rebecca’s arms and was using the pile of merchandise to play a small version of king of the mountain. Reg, fully aware of how much stuff was piled in the middle of the floor and fearing that he was about to be told to put most of the heavier stuff away, was trying to make himself invisible.

  "Yes, we must sort through these things and determine what needs to be put away," Rebecca looked at the man standing quietly in the corner by the door. "Reg, I am sure you will see to that right away."

  "Yes’m." Reg rolled his eyes as Rebecca turned away. He had hauled most of this stuff into the parlor from the wagon last night. Now he would have to haul it again. He already hurt.

  "Tess, could you go find Mrs. Carter and ask her to join us? You can leave Em here with us." She turned to Elizabeth. "Thank you for reminding me. Mrs. Carter offered to assist in preparing for the wedding, as did several of the other women."

  "And Lizbet, you know I will depend on you heavily in the coming weeks. So, please, consider yourself part of the wedding party. Dr. Walker needs some tea to get through this; perhaps you will bring enough for all of us –– and Lizbet, bring cups for you, Tess, and Reg."

  Elizabeth looked at her friend. "Good thing Mrs. Williams is not part of this little wedding party. She would faint if she knew you let your servants drink tea with you."

  "Remind me to tell her the next time I see her."

  Elizabeth snorted as she picked up a package that was clearly a bolt of cloth.

  "I think you may want to look at this." She handed Rebecca the package.

  Rebecca opened the package and smiled at the contents. It was beautiful ivory semi-sheer voile that would be the outer shell of her wedding gown. "It is beautiful."

  "Yes, dear, it is. What are you planning, if I may ask?"

  "Mrs. Cooper had a lovely picture of a dress I thought would be appropriate. Mrs. Carter agreed, and said that she could make it for me fairly quickly. It has a simple underskirt of palest blue satin with a voile overskirt that is gathered to the waist over one hip. The bodice is more of the blue satin with ivory lace, with a scooped, off the shoulder neckline. There are lace rosettes around the skirt. Simple, elegant, and I love it."

  Mrs. Carter entered as Elizabeth was describing the dress. "Ah, Mrs. Gaines. I see the supplies have come. Let us get them sorted out and we can begin cutting the pattern today."

  Silently, Reg trudged in and out of the room, carrying cases of wine and kegs of brandy downstairs to the cellar.

  --*--

  Jocko knocked gently on the door of Esther White’s room. A soft voice bade him enter. "Good morning, Esther. Are you feeling any better, dear lady?"

  "Good morning, John. Yes, I am. Thank you. Please come join me." She patted a place next to her on the small davenport.

  "I, um, I wanted to check and see if Dr. Walker had taken care of you, if there were any problems." Jocko was nervous. What he really wanted to tell her was that Davison had been captured, but did not quite know how to do it.

  "Yes. Dr. Walker and Mrs. Gaines have been very kind to me. I am feeling much better. I do believe I will make a full recovery." She paused, glancing down at her hands. "John, I am so sorry for the way I spoke to you when you first found me."

  "Esther, dear lady, I am surprised you will talk to anyone wearing this uniform after what those monsters did to you. I am just grateful you let me help you and bring you here."

  "John, I learned a very long time ago that there are good men and there are evil men. The clothes do not make the man. It is what is in your heart. You are a good man, they are evil."

  "Thank you, Esther. I am honored to know you think me a good man. I fear there are more people in the world who think I am more of a rake than a saint."

  "Yes, well, I would imagine that would be my rather vocal Southern cousins. Would you think me odd if I told you I never supported this war? I knew it would be a foolhardy venture. I am proud to be Southern, John, but I never believed we could win a war with the Federals. If our way of life has been destroyed, we destroyed it ourselves."

  "Ah, Esther, I appreciate your perspective on this war, but I am afraid I was referring more to my own personal life. I have, um, been known to, ah, avail myself of, er, the company of ladies of less than sterling reputation in the past. I have also been told I have the Irish predilection for a bit of the jug."

  "I
have never known an Irishman that was not a scallywag, John Jackson. You are a perfectly charming gentleman and you know it."

  "Well, ma’am, if you can stand having the support of a known scallywag, I would be honored to stand as your support. And when this whole thing is over, perhaps……"

  Jocko stopped for a moment, then looked at the floor.

  "You see, Esther, I think you are going to need someone to stand for you. Our troops captured Davison and two other men last night. The General said he plans to turn them over for civilian justice, but either way, you will be asked to testify."

  "Will they be hanged?" she asked with very little emotion.

  "If I have anything to say about it. I know that General Redmond does not have any compunction about hanging rapists. But it remains to be seen what Mayor Frazier chooses to do."

  "Frazier does not have the backbone to make a decision like that. I can say that, as I have known him all my life. He and Mr. White used to go rabbit hunting together. Horace is a good hearted man, but he is not a leader."

  "Well, I suspect that whatever happens, General Redmond will play a major role. And he does have the backbone."

  "You are very fond of your General., very loyal to him. What has he done to deserve such fierce loyalty?"

  "He saved my life and then he gave me a place in the world." The stark simplicity of Jocko’s statement spoke volumes about the relationship between the two men.

  "I can tell you the people in the area are torn between calling him friend and hating him just because he is a Union officer. They realize he has done more than they ever expected but their damn foolish pride will not let them thank him." She sighed and looked to her friend. "I would be grateful for your support through this John. Thank you."

  "You know, Esther, I have seen women after they had been violated, and most of them were far more emotional than you are. I am worried about you, sweet lady. Holding in the anger and the pain are not good for you."

  "I am past all that, dear man. I am old enough to know it will not make anything different. What happened, happened. I did nothing to encourage it, but I most certainly cannot change it."

  "Well, ma’am, I believe you can expect a visit from the General soon. If you would like, I will be here with you when he calls."

  "Yes, I think I would like that very much. Thank you."

  "Now, ma’am, to pass the time, would you like to play a little two handed whist, or perhaps some checkers or chess?"

  "I would be careful if I were you, Sergeant. Before my husband died, when he could no longer get out of his sickbed, we played checkers all day. I am quite good." She smiled as Jocko brought the game table closer to her seat.

  Jocko set the checkerboard down on the small table and pulled the box of markers out. They were setting them in place when they heard the crack of gunshots ring out. Jocko leapt up, knocking the table over, and raced through the door.

  --*--

  Charlie and Richard had gone to Charlie’s office to review the reports of the arresting officers. Charlie then prepared articles of arrest, defining the formal charges and remanding the three men to the civilian authorities. Finally, he prepared copies of the documents, along with a letter to Frazier, and sent them off with a trooper to be delivered to the Mayor post haste.

  He then stopped upstairs to check on Rebecca and the ladies. As he entered the small back parlor, he was confronted with most of the women in the house all sorting through the material, lace, and notions he had brought, sketching details of design, or sipping tea. The din was overwhelming and he hastily kissed Rebecca, tousled Em’s hair and started backing out of what had become a totally feminine domain. The sound of gunfire penetrated even that cacophony. He bolted from the room.

  --*--

  Captain Peter Dewees, the new commander of Company C, had accepted responsibility for the prisoners from Captain Maguire with a certain level of pride. All three men had been members of his company, all three had been special cronies of the late, and to be truthful, unlamented, Major Montgomery, and all three were an embarrassment to his company. That Colonel Polk saw fit to allow his company to mount the guard was an honor; one that he believed they had earned by winning the gymkhana.

  Dewees strode into the small stone building. The three men were standing in irons, looking decidedly the worse for wear. Maguire had said they had resisted arrest; from the looks of them, the men of Company G had not been gentle in their efforts to subdue them.

  "Shamus Davison, Otis Dumpire, and Edward Osborn, you are charged with the crimes of rape, theft, and assault on a civilian. Because you have broken the terms of your dismissal, you are also charged with failure to obey a commanding officer and dereliction of duty. On the charges of rape, theft, and assault, you are to be remanded to civilian authorities, as is appropriate because of your discharge from the Army. Only after the civilian authorities have pursued their charges will you then be tried on the military charges. Consider well, men. Mr. Samuelson will be along shortly to tend to your injuries."

  Young Lieutenant Swallow led the detail assigned to guard duty, supported by Raiford, the new color bearer. Raiford and the other guards unshackled the men, one at a time, and marched them into the empty storage room at the back of the overseer’s office. A few minutes later, Samuelson arrived. Raiford volunteered to go in with him.

  As they opened the door, the three men exploded out of their makeshift prison. One stiff-armed Samuelson, who fell unconscious. Another grappled with Raiford for his carbine, while the third went for Swallow. Young Swallow reacted as he had been trained. He fired his pistol, one clean shot to the heart. Raiford’s carbine went off at almost the same time, blasting up through the jaw and brain of his assailant. The third man was running; Dewees dropped him with two shots in the back.

  Dewees checked on Samuelson and the other men. Apart from the obvious fact that the medic had a glass jaw, all of the men were healthy, if somewhat shaken. All three miscreants were dead. Dewees was just ordering a detail to handle the bodies as Charlie, Richard, and Jocko roared around the corner, the two officers with side arms drawn. They drew up short as soon as they saw the three bodies on the ground.

  "Captain Dewees reporting, sir. The prisoners attempted to escape, assaulting several of our men. As is standard procedure, we responded with force. I am sorry, sir, that we were unable to bring them to trial, but to be honest, I am just as glad it ended this way. Good riddance to bad trash."

  Charlie looked at the bodies crumpled in the mud, then at the faces of the men around him. These were the same men who had marched, slept, eaten, and fought side by side with those lying in the mud. There was not a single face that showed any grief for the loss of a comrade. Perhaps justice had been done.

  --*--

  Charlie and Jocko walked back to the house, leaving Richard to oversee the burial detail, handle the paper work and dispatch a messenger to Mayor Frazier. It was time for Charlie to meet with Mrs. White and carry the news that she would not have to undergo the strain of a trial.

  They mounted the back stairs and walked down the hall to her room. Just as they knocked on Mrs. White’s door, the door to Constance’s room burst open and a small tornado with black hair burst out. Having been extremely good during her morning visit with her mother, she was full of energy and ready to play.

  "Papa!" Em ran over and threw herself at him, wrapping around his legs and trying to climb him like a tree.

  Esther White had been up and pacing when the knock came on her door. Like everyone else in the house, she had heard the gunshots. She opened the door to the highly amusing vision of a tall, slender black-haired officer being climbed by a small, eager black-haired monkey child. It was a vision so far from what she expected that she could not help but burst out laughing.

  While she laughed, Charlie settled Em in the crook of his left arm and admonished her, "Be good, now, Papa has to talk to the nice lady."

  Em curled into Charlie's shoulder and watched the woman as her Papa wa
lked into the room.

  "You are this child's father, General? How is that possible?"

  "No, Mrs. White, I am not. I simply resemble her father. Her mother is unwell and is advanced in another pregnancy, so Em has rather attached herself to Rebecca and me. Welcome to our home, although I would have wished it to be under much more pleasant circumstances." Charlie was obviously comfortable in the role of father to the little imp who was peeking at Mrs. White through her fingers, flirting and smiling.

  "Thank you. It was very kind of Miss Rebecca to take me in." The older woman reached out and ran her fingers through Em's bangs. "Something has happened? I heard the shots. Was anyone hurt?"

  "I must inform you that the prisoners attempted to escape and were killed in the ensuing ruckus. Perhaps the good news, ma’am, is that you will not have to undergo the strain of a trial."

  She lowered her eyes and said a quiet prayer. Then she looked back to Charlie. "Thank you, General. I am grateful for your assistance and your honesty."

  "Mrs. White, I do understand this may be a difficult time for you. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you wish. In fact, if you are up to it, I suspect that Mrs. Gaines would enjoy the additional company. It seems the house has been taken over by women in a wedding planning frenzy."

  "Oh yes, John had mentioned that during one of his visits. Congratulations, General."

  Charlie’s eyebrow rose. The last time anyone had called Jocko ‘‘John’ was when he took his induction oath. "Yes, thank you, ma’am."

  "You mentioned the child’s mother is expecting and unwell? I am a midwife; perhaps I could be of some assistance."

  "I suspect so. Mrs. Adams has been under Dr. Walker’s care, but unfortunately, she is not due until after I believe we will be ordered back to the field. Dr. Walker will be with our support staff then. Perhaps you can discuss it with Dr. Walker and Mrs. Adams after you have had a chance to recover yourself."

  Mrs. White smiled and nodded agreement. "Perhaps I shall, General."

  Just then, Em tugged on Charlie’s lapel. "Papa?"

  "Yes, Em?"

  "Em good. Papa give pwesent now?"