The Widow of Rose Hill (The Women of Rose Hill Book 2), стр. 47

“Of course,” Levi said.

A glint of humor flashed in the lieutenant’s eyes. “Rumor has it you’ve taken up cotton farming.”

Levi chuckled. “The Union Army requires much of its men.”

“The Widow Ellis is said to be a beauty.” Ridley lifted his eyebrows. “I don’t suppose it is too much of a hardship to assist the lady.”

Gossip through the ranks was not new, but Levi didn’t appreciate having his or Natalie’s names attached to it. “Mrs. Ellis has a business agreement with the Union Army, Lieutenant,” he said, his tone terse, causing the other man to jerk his relaxed posture upright. “An officer should never stoop to passing rumors, especially when another officer—a higher-ranking officer—is involved.”

Ridley’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “Yes, Colonel.”

After dismissing the lieutenant, Levi strode toward his tent among a sea of canvas on the outskirts of Austin. A river lined with towering cypress trees flowed nearby. He had some time to himself before his next meeting. The thought of spending it on his bunk in a stuffy canvas cave did not appeal, but his conversation with Ridley had soured his mood. Avoiding others was probably for the best. Eyeing the grassy bank of the river and seeing no one about, he changed his course and headed there instead.

Settling against the thick trunk of a very old tree, Levi set his hat on the ground next to him. Why Ridley’s offhand comment about Natalie rankled so, he couldn’t say. She was beautiful, and it wasn’t a hardship to help her. So why had he nearly taken off Ridley’s head for the harmless banter?

Recalling his time with her from two nights past, he shook his head in disgust. He’d been a fool to toy with the idea of a future with her. Not only was she a former slave owner, but she was a Confederate widow. A widow whose husband he may have killed.

Images from the battle along the Bull Run hovered on the edges of his memory. As a captain, he’d been in charge of a company of men under General McDowell’s command. They’d advanced from Washington, thirty thousand troops strong, with more confidence than anyone should possess in war. The Confederates were encamped at Manassas Junction, twenty-five miles to the southwest, and President Lincoln wanted them removed from that important rail-crossing point.

But most of Levi’s men and the majority of the others were green, three-month volunteers and militia who possessed little drill and marching skills. Their slowness and inexperience gave the Confederates time to call in reinforcements, a miscalculation the Union general would later regret.

The battle, Levi recalled, quickly turned into a free-for-all. He lost most of his men in the first hour, and McDowell’s strategy— feint to the left, attack on the right—soon fell apart. Riding his horse amid the chaos, firing his gun and swinging his saber, Levi remembered the eerie, shrill wail that came from the Confederate side. The Rebel yell, he would later hear it called, did nothing but ignite a fire in his belly to drive the Southerners into the ground. He lost count of the number of men in gray uniforms he cut down, their faces and screams blurring together. By the end of the struggle, hundreds of dead bodies littered the ground, and he was covered from head to toe in blood. Though the Union lost the battle and had to march back to Washington in defeat, Levi’s boldness had not gone unnoticed. He was promoted to colonel two days later.

But what of George Ellis? Was he one of the soldiers Levi killed? The same saber he’d worn in battle still hung at his side. Looking at it, a sick feeling in his gut, he wondered if it had been plunged into the heart of Natalie’s husband, Samuel’s father. How could either of them forgive him for things done in battle that may have altered their lives in the most profound way?

The answer was simple.

They couldn’t.

Alexander Lopez arrived at Rose Hill shortly after noon with his magnificent horse hitched to a carriage. Natalie stood while Cousin Eunice gushed over the man when he came to a stop in front of the manor.

“Señor, how good of you to come for a visit,” she said, giving Natalie a satisfied look as they waited in the shade of the porch to greet their visitor. That Ebenezer had not announced the arrival of the man more than likely meant the dog had found some sort of mischief to keep him occupied. Thankfully, she knew her son and Isaac were in the kitchen with Harriet baking sugar cookies. One of the privates assigned to help supervise the new field workers had bartered a bag of sugar for a batch of the sweet treats. Harriet was all too pleased to make the trade.

“The judge had a horse very much like that one,” Eunice continued as Alexander approached the steps, looking perfectly groomed considering the long and dusty drive from town. “He had it brought all the way to Texas from a farm in Tennessee. ‘Best horse I ever owned,’ says he, more than once.”

Alexander bowed politely. “Ma’am.” His dark gaze found Natalie, and the corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile. “Señora Ellis. You look lovely, as usual.”

Eunice cackled with pleasure. “My, my, you certainly are a charmer. Well, don’t just stand there. Come. I’ll have Lottie bring us some refreshments.”

Natalie nearly groaned. Her cousin’s meddling knew no end. Not an hour ago, Natalie had been forced to intervene when Eunice had Carolina cornered in the dining room, berating the servant for washing her white underskirt in the same tub of water as Samuel’s indigo trousers. While Carolina certainly should have anticipated the results, Natalie reminded her disgruntled cousin that everyone was learning new skills, and mistakes were bound to happen. Eunice was not appeased, but she hadn’t followed when Carolina dashed from the