The Widow of Rose Hill (The Women of Rose Hill Book 2), стр. 46
“Do you mind if I ask when your husband was killed?”
The question doused her romantic musings like a bucket of water to an errant flame. She was a Confederate soldier’s widow, and her son’s father had been killed by a Union soldier very much like the one sitting on the swing. It would do well to remember such truths before she allowed her heart to do something foolish.
“George rode away from Rose Hill believing the war would only last a few weeks. He joined the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia because he’d been born there and wanted to defend his birthplace against the Yankees.” She looked down at Samuel to be certain the boy was asleep. She didn’t want him to hear the sad end his father had met. “He died in the battle at Manassas Junction,” she said softly. “Luther wrote to everyone he knew in Virginia, desperate in his grief to learn the details of what happened. We eventually received a letter from one of the soldiers George served with. He said a Union officer on horseback shot George, but when he didn’t die right away, the officer dismounted and ran him through with his saber.”
She closed her eyes, a slight shudder coursing through her. Though she hadn’t loved George, nor had they been happy in their marriage, she wouldn’t have wished such a horrible death for him. Luther had gone insane after reading the letter and had passed away a few months later. Those dark days were not ones she desired to revisit.
The colonel departed a short time later, acting almost as though he could not get away quickly enough. Had he been offended? With no way to answer the question, she carried Samuel up to bed, his arms wrapped around her neck and his legs around her waist. She’d been quite candid in her description of George’s death, but it wasn’t the colonel’s fault George fell in his first battle. The colonel had most likely been far from Manassas Junction when her husband’s end came. Perhaps he simply didn’t like being reminded of the atrocities that took place under the guise of war.
It would do well, she decided, to avoid such talk with Colonel Maish from now on.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Levi exited General Granger’s office in Austin, stepping into the Texas sunshine after too many hours of sitting through meetings and discussions with the general and a dozen of his top officers. They’d accomplished a great deal, including plans to institute the Freedmen’s Bureau, the organization Congress had established in March to help the former slaves acclimate themselves to their newfound freedom. Once in place, the bureau would open branches in all the inhabited areas of the state, bringing relief to the thousands of refugees, both black and white, who were homeless and jobless. The bureau would provide rations and protection and would even administer land abandoned by Confederates. The key to promoting peace and goodwill throughout the state, General Granger and others believed, depended upon the creation of a new labor system followed by the education of the Negro. Both would take time.
Levi headed toward his tent, sobered by how much work still remained. Reconstruction, the government called it. In reality, it was simply helping people live out their daily lives. Stories of free Negroes being beaten, robbed, and murdered continued to come in. There was also the real problem of too few jobs across the state to support the influx of wage-earning workers. White men, especially those who’d owned slaves, didn’t take kindly to having to compete with them for jobs now.
But amid the ongoing difficulties and adjustments were also stories of hope. Schools for the children of former slaves were already popping up. Levi thought of Natalie teaching her servants their letters. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, knowing how difficult her life had become because of the slaves’ freedom, yet she was making a valiant effort to change, not only her way of doing things but her way of thinking as well.
Recalling their time on the porch swing two nights ago, he now recognized the hope he’d allowed to build up in his heart unawares. With Samuel’s head resting on his lap, the lad’s beautiful mother inches away, the homey scene had convinced him to explore his attraction to the widow. Though their differences were many, was it so far-fetched to imagine a life with Natalie and Samuel? He’d tested the waters when he’d asked if she would consider remarriage. Her uncertainty was expected but not off-putting.
Then she’d told him of her late husband’s death at Manassas. The grief on her face over his loss, the knowledge of all that little Samuel had lost, too … Levi knew then a future with the widow would be impossible.
“Maish, a moment of your time.”
First Lieutenant Ridley exited the general’s office and strode toward him. The man saluted Levi before offering his hand.
“It’s good to see you again, Lieutenant.” Levi nodded toward the building behind them. “Congratulations on your appointment to the Freedmen’s Bureau. I believe much good will come of it.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m eager to begin work.” A frown tugged the tall man’s brow. “However, until we have it organized, the general wants me to continue investigating the cattle thefts. We’ve received more complaints, mainly from landowners near the Mexican border. Apparently, the disappearances are fairly recent.”
“It isn’t hard to imagine someone stealing cattle for their own use or to sell locally, but none of the evidence seems to indicate that is what we’re dealing with.” Levi looked toward the south, wondering just how big this cattle rustling ring was and, more importantly, who was responsible. “The mystery lies in where someone could keep hundreds of stolen head of cattle and not draw suspicion.”
“If you can spare the men, I’d like to establish patrols in