The Last Confederate (37 page)

“Oh, Thad, you look wonderful in your uniform!” she exclaimed. She was wearing a new dress, but not a ball gown. It was a simple light blue frock with a high neck and a skirt
that fell to the floor. Her only jewelry was a single sparkling diamond on a gold chain around her neck, which highlighted the simplicity of her attire. Her hair was not braided as she usually wore it, but fell like a shining waterfall down her back. Her wide gray eyes and curved lips were the frosting on the cake

“You look great, Pet,” Thad murmured, admiration shading his face. Then he frowned. “But I feel like Dooley said
he
felt once—like a bullfrog on a busy street with his hopper busted!”

Pet laughed. “Oh, don’t be silly. You’re the hero of the hour. Everybody in Richmond’s talking about you.”

“Nope, they’re talking about you and that Yankee captain,” Thad retorted. “See that crowd around him?”

Pet looked across the room to where Captain Lowell Winslow was surrounded by an admiring group. “Every girl here wants to grab him,” Pet smiled. “I don’t know what they’d do with him if they caught him. Keep him in a glass cage? Become a Yankee bride?” Then she exclaimed, “Well, of all the nerve!”

“What is it, Pet?”

“Why, that sister of mine!” Pet’s eyes flashed with anger, and she said impatiently, “She’s stealing him away—and with her own fianc;aaee standing there! I declare, I’m going to have Papa whip that girl!”

“It’s too late for that, I reckon,” Thad grinned. “Have to catch a child young to do any good. Now, if your father would just take a stick to you—!” He caught her hand as she raised it to strike him playfully. “But I think you’re right,” he said soberly as he glanced to where Belle was smiling enticingly up at the young Yankee. “Miss Belle shouldn’t treat Captain Wickham that way. She’ll be sorry for it.”

“Belle’s a flirt—always has been,” Pet said, irritation lacing her voice. “But it’s time to stop.”

She would have been even more concerned had she been able to read Lowell Winslow’s thoughts. As he led Belle to the
dance floor, he was struck momentarily silent by the perfection of her face and figure. Many women look fine at twenty feet—but as he looked at her flawless creamy skin, he could see no fault. Her complexion was not quite olive, but there was just a faint trace of her Indian heritage to give her face a translucent glow that brought out the flush to her cheeks. Her eyes, he saw, were her best feature—large, almond shaped, with dark pupils, almost purple, surrounded by clear, bright white. This night she was wearing a daring low-cut silver gown that accentuated her exotic coloring—her figure was exciting, to say the least! She had a tiny waist, nipped in as far as possible, and her full bodice and curving body dazzled Lowell.

As they moved across the floor, he said, “I expect that your fianc;aaee will challenge me to a duel as soon as this dance is over. Isn’t that how you do it in the South?”

“Why, Captain Winslow, why would he do a thing like that?” Belle laughed up at him, adding, “You’re a perfect gentleman, sir—which I thought no Yankee could ever be! You haven’t done a thing to be challenged to a duel.”

“He’d shoot me if he could read what I’m thinking,” Winslow grinned. He was tall with slim flanks and trim shoulders, and a smile that revealed milky white teeth as he peered down at her.

“And what is that, sir?” she demanded.

“Why, that you are the loveliest woman I’ve ever seen—and I’d like to get you away from here and give you a mad, passionate kiss.” He laughed at her startled expression. “See, I’m just an uncouth Yankee, after all.”

Belle allowed herself to be pulled closer, saying, “If you hold me any closer, Vance
may
call you out, Captain Winslow!” She tilted her head back and pursed her lips, well aware that doing so made them into a tempting morsel. “I spent a great deal of time with your brother Davis when he came to Richmond. You aren’t at
all
like him, are you?”

“No. He has all the brains. I expect he’ll be a rich, famous
writer one day, while I will be a humble soldier—if you rebels don’t put me down.”

“Don’t say that!” A shiver ran over Belle, and she frowned. “I can’t bear to think of such things!”

“Even for us Yankees?”

“Oh, why did you people ever start this horrible war?” Belle shook her head, and as was customary, put the grim realities of the war out of her mind. “Your brother—I can’t understand how he can stand by and just
watch!
I didn’t like him—but I adored your grandfather!”

“So do I. He’s been my idol since I was a boy. I almost joined the navy to be like him, but I get seasick.” He grinned and commented, “He liked you, too. I got a letter from him telling me all about his visit. He called you—let’s see, how did he put it? Oh, yes—’the most toothsome wench I ever set eyes on.’.”

“He didn’t say that!”

“Oh, he did!—but he also said, ‘Beneath all that raw beauty there is a woman who would satisfy any man.’” Lowell swung her around and leaned so close that his lips brushed her cheek. “My grandfather and I agree on that!” he whispered, and saw the delicate flush that rose to her cheeks at his compliment.
Vain as a peacock,
he thought as they moved gracefully around the floor.
But Grandfather is pretty sharp. Guess he sees something real in her.

Sky was standing beside Vance Wickham, and he noted that his future son-in-law was watching the visitor dancing with Belle. He grinned. “You want your ring back, Vance?”

Wickham turned to smile at him. “No, sir. Let her torment the poor fellow. She’s done it to all of us poor rebels; now let her wipe up on the Yankees.”

Shelby Lee was standing to Sky’s left and he added a comment lightly, “You’ll have to be tougher on the men than you are with your fianc;aaee, Captain Wickham, or they’ll take advantage of your easy temper.”

“They aren’t as pretty as Belle, Major,” Wickham grinned.
“It’s not hard to be tough on a bunch of hard-nosed soldiers.” Then he changed the subject, asking, “You think we’ll be pulling out in a day or two for Manassas?”

“I was talking to General Lee this morning, and from what I gather the Third Virginia will be left here to protect the Capitol. Plans haven’t been finalized yet, so don’t say anything to the men.”

“We’ll miss it then,” Mark said, disappointment showing in his face.

“You bloody fire-eater!” Vance laughed. “Don’t be so anxious to get us all killed. There’ll be plenty of action for us here. Why don’t you get yourself engaged to Rowena? Think how quickly you could rise in the army, being the colonel’s son-in-law!”

Mark flushed, and then laughed at himself. “I guess I’ll wait to see how you and Belle make it, Vance. If you can tame my sister, I may be willing to take on a high-flying southern girl myself.” Then he asked Major Lee, “What does the general think of Pope?”

“Not much,” Lee replied. “The man is a talker, and my uncle doesn’t like that. Did you hear what he said when he took command from McClellan? ‘I have come to you from the west where we have always seen the backs of our enemies. Let us study the probable line of retreat of our opponents, and leave our own to take care of itself.’.”

“Sounds like a pompous fool,” Sky nodded, then added, “I heard he said that his headquarters would be in the saddle.”

“Yes, and do you know what Stonewall Jackson replied to that?” Lee smiled. “ ‘I don’t expect to have much trouble from someone who doesn’t know his headquarters from his hindquarters.’.”

A burst of laughter went up from the small group. Major Lee continued. “Pope has ordered his soldiers to live off the Virginia countryside, which gives a license to every man who wants to steal. He also told his men that anyone who communicates with the ‘rebels’ in any way—including any mother
or wife writing to a soldier—would be treated as a spy: shot by a firing squad.” He stared at the angry faces and added, “I heard General Lee say, ‘That miscreant Pope must be suppressed.’ Strong words for him.”

“Better not discuss any more strategy,” Mark suggested. “Here comes our Yankee.”

“I’ve pumped this Yankee dry of all his secrets!” Belle exclaimed as she pulled Lowell to where they stood. “If you’ll get me an interview with your uncle, Major Lee, I will give him General Pope’s plan and Robert E. Lee can run the Army of the Potomac back to Washington again!”

Belle’s comment drew laughter, but the Yankee held up his hand, saying solemnly, “No need to do that. I am so captivated by this rebel spy that I am ready to divulge General Pope’s battle plan to all of you.”

“I’d be glad to hear it, Captain,” Wickham remarked.

“Very simple. We intend to move all our troops from Washington by ship to Manassas.” He spoke with a straight face, but the humor shone out of his blue eyes.

“Ah, yes, but there are no bodies of water in that area that would permit those tactics,” Major Lee smiled.

“We Yankees are not bothered by such minor obstacles. General McClellan is an engineer, as you know. Well, sir, his plan is to dig huge canals, reaching all the way from Washington to the battlefield. It will take a long time, but General McClellan is a patient man.”

“That is well known, Captain,” Wickham agreed with a smile. “He moved at the terrific pace of two miles a day during the Peninsula campaign.”

“Of course! But you have not grasped the heart of our strategy, Captain Wickham! It will take between fifteen to twenty years to complete the canals, and by that time you rebels will have become enlightened to the evils of slavery and will have freed them all!”

They were all amused by the Yankee’s willingness to poke fun at himself, but Sky, who had been listening to the amiable
conversation, now said solemnly, “I wish such a plan would work, Captain. It would save thousands of lives—rebel and Yankee alike.”

Lowell stared at his relative with interest. Like Davis, he knew the history of Sky Winslow well, and admired him. He commented quietly, “It’s sad, Mr. Winslow, that we are separated by this war. I doubt if Gilbert Winslow ever thought of such a thing when he came over on the
Mayflower
to find a place of freedom.”

Sky shook his head slowly. “Every generation of Americans, it seems, has had to buy freedom with its own blood. But always before it’s been a struggle with the British or the French—another nation. Now—it’s brother against brother.”

Belle frowned and interrupted the solemn exchange. “Come, Vance, you’ve ignored me.” She pulled him away, and soon he was smiling at her as usual. “Were you jealous of Captain Winslow?” she asked, arching her eyebrows.

“Didn’t notice he was paying any attention to you, Belle.”

“Oh, you are a liar! I saw you watching us. I told him you’d probably send him a challenge if he didn’t stop!”

“Well, then, I was. But if I’m going to fight a duel with every man who flirts with you, I’d better stock up on ammunition.” He held her close and said, “You are lovely! I’ve never seen you look so beautiful!”

“Don’t try to make up to me, you old stick!” She pouted and tried to draw back. “I declare I’m going to make you jealous, Vance Wickham, if I have to elope with that handsome Yankee!”

Later, when they went back to find Lowell still surrounded by the officers, she claimed him audaciously, saying, “Captain Winslow, come dance with me. This fianc;aaee of mine is too self-assured. I propose that we make him turn green with jealousy.”

“No need of that,” Wickham protested and smiled at Winslow. “I hereby challenge you, sir, and demand satisfaction. You may choose the weapons.”

Lowell Winslow instantly countered, “I choose cornstalks, Captain!” and led Belle away amid the laughter.

“The fellow has great wit,” Sky said. “And even if he
is
my kin, I’d make a calculated guess he’s a pretty good soldier.”

A mutter of confirmation went up, and Mark remarked, “It’s hard to think that in a few days we may be killing each other. He’s a fine fellow. Don’t see why he can’t be on our side.”

The hours rolled by and soon the candles were half their original length. The refreshments had been replaced over and over, and the musicians had played every tune they knew at least a dozen times.

Thad had steadfastly refused to dance with Pet, so she had remained at his side. But he had spoken to almost everyone, shyly at first, but with more freedom when he saw that no shadow of guilt remained on him after the court-martial pronounced him innocent.

But when the end of the evening came, he got caught in a trap that Pet had carefully laid for him. While Thad was watching the dancers, Mr. Sky Winslow stepped up beside the musicians and called for quiet.

The music stopped abruptly and everyone turned toward Sky. “We have welcomed you all,” he said, “and we want to pay special appreciation to our kinsman from the North, Captain Lowell Winslow!” He waited until the applause died down, then continued. “But there is another person here from the North who has chosen to make the South his home—Private Thad Novak. Will you please come forward—and you too, Patience.”

Thad was stunned and wanted to run from the room, but Pet discerned his intention and grabbed his arm, whispering fiercely, “Come on!” He realized he had no choice but to follow her as she passed through the crowd to stand beside her father.

“You know the story of this young man, so I need not repeat it, but I will say that I am as proud of him as I am of my
own sons! He will soon be back with his company, and I want us to give him a hand for his courage and his selflessness!”

The room exploded with wild applause, and Thad found himself surrounded by well-wishing Confederate officers.

When order was restored, Sky said, “I think a speech is in order.”

“Oh no!” Thad protested. “I can’t, Mr. Winslow!”

“No speech?” Sky’s eyes twinkled. “Well, my daughter Patience
did
say you would refuse—but she also said you have a fine singing voice, so we demand a song, do we not?”

A cry of approval went up, and Thad shot a stricken look at Pet. “You told!” he whispered hoarsely. “I’ll get you for this, Patience Winslow!”

“Come now, Thad; what will it be?”

Thad had always been a singer, but not for others. Pet had discovered he had a gift, and had made him sing on the creek banks while they were fishing or in the woods hunting coons. But to sing before this group of rich people who had heard professional singers—it made the fear course down his back. Then Pet slipped her hand in his and urged, “You can do it, Thad! Sing the one I like so much.”