There was a thin trail of smoke coming from one of the two chimneys in her small cottage. In this weather, she should have had both fireplaces going. Jocko looked around, concerned that perhaps she was conserving firewood since he had not checked her woodshed in several days. As he rode by, he looked. There was plenty of wood in the shed.
He got to the door and tethered his mount to the fence railing. Usually, by now she would be at the door to greet him. He hurried to the door and knocked. A faint voice answered him.
She sat huddled beside the single fire, staring listlessly into the flickering flames. She had been beaten. Her hands shook. Her eyes were dull with pain and shame. Her clothing was ripped. To Jocko’s war hardened eyes, it was obvious. She had been raped.
His first reaction was anger, which he quickly swallowed. She needed his gentleness now, not his anger.
"Esther, dear, it is Jocko."
"Go away." She did not turn to look at him. "I cannot see you any more."
"Esther. Who did this to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Esther, who beat you?" He took a deep breath and asked the obvious question. "Who raped you?"
She laughed without humor. "One of the men who came out here to fill our wood sheds. Davison, I think his name was. He had two friends. This is what I get for letting you Yankees take care of me. They came back, they said, to collect for the work they had done."
"Davison." Jocko clenched his fists. The name fell into the void between them. "Esther, General Redmond expelled him from the army about a month ago and sent him home. He is no longer a soldier. We thought he had left the area. All we can do now is to find him, arrest him, and deal with him. But first, my dear, I need to get you to a doctor."
"No. Leave me."
"Esther, I cannot leave you. I love you." Jocko said the words without thinking. He had never said them to a woman in his life, except for his mother. Yet he knew they were true as he heard them leave his mouth. "Let me take you to Dr. Walker. She will help, I promise."
Esther White nodded numbly. She moved like a puppet as he scurried around collecting a change of clothes and some other odds and ends, banked the fire, and then wrapped her in a warm quilt and carried her outside. Gently he lifted her up into the saddle and pulled himself up behind her. Carrying her battered body in his arms, he set out for what he was beginning to think of as home.
--*--
Charlie walked up the steps to Lizzie Armstrong's Capitol Hill mansion at the socially unacceptable hour of 7:00 pm. He hoped to catch her before the evening's festivities started and convince her to assist him in braving the unknown world of feminine finery. Tucking his hat under his arm, he knocked on the door.
A very proper butler responded with a superior look on his face. No one who was anyone would knock on the door this early.
"Good evening, Sir. Whom may I say is calling?"
"Good evening. Would you please tell Mrs. Armstrong that Charlie Redmond would appreciate a moment of her time?"
The butler left Charlie standing in the hall, waiting, instead of showing him to a parlor.
Lizzie came down the steps, not even trying to hide the smile on her face at the appearance of her favorite companion. "General Redmond, you dear man." She took the last two steps to the landing and threw her arms around Charlie, bestowing on him a passionate kiss. "I heard of your promotion. Congratulations."
"Uh..." Charlie was captured in the woman’s arms, yet struggled gently to disengage her embrace. "Lizzie, I need your help, and you and I really need to talk. I have some news..."
"Oh, I am sure you do. It has been months, Charlie. Come on upstairs, we can talk up there."
"Can we go to your parlor, Lizzie?"
"The parlor? A bit public for your usual tastes." She chuckled and took his arm.
"Lizzie, dear friend. Perhaps you had better hear my news before we go any farther."
The woman sighed and smiled. She knew her General was an odd bird at times. Taking his hand, she walked to the parlor. "All right Charlie, what is your news? Let me guess, you have decided after the war to come back here, sweep me off my feet and take me away from all this."
Charlie had the grace to blush. "Actually, Lizzie, I have met someone."
"Oh." She tried to mask her disappointment. Over the years, as she had come to know Charlie, she had come to care for him very much, if not love him more than a little. "I see. Congratulations."
"I wanted to tell you personally, dear friend, because if you had not taken me in hand, I would never have had the courage to find my mate. I owe you a greater debt than I can ever repay."
"Well, I am happy for you, General." She took a seat on the davenport and tried to give him a sincere smile. "She is a very lucky lady."
Charlie looked at Lizzie. He knew that something was wrong, but had no idea what it was. "So, my dear friend, something seems to be bothering you. Can I help?"
"No, Charlie. I must admit this is a bit of a surprise." She patted the sofa. "Come sit and tell me of your lady." She got up and moved to a small brandy cabinet. "Your usual?"
"Yes, thank you. Lizzie, her name is Rebecca, and she has a horse farm down in Culpeper. She is the most delightfully spunky woman I have ever met, courageous, strong, sure of herself - and so kind and gentle."
Lizzie poured the drink, trying to gain control of her emotions. It would not do for a woman in her position to show concern over this. Picking up two glasses she settled back down next to Charlie, handing him one of the glasses. "Well, now she sounds like she has completely captured your heart, Charlie."
"She has, Lizzie, she has," he paused, "she knows, you know. She wants…… me."
The woman smiled and took Charlie's hand. "I am glad, dear Charlie, truly glad. I am sure she is a special lady. You know, though, if you ever find yourself wanting, I will always be here for you."
Something in Lizzie's voice caught Charlie's attention. "Lizzie?" He looked into her eyes. "What is wrong, Lizzie."
She looked away for a moment then looked back. "I suppose now is as good a time to confess as any. I have always been just a little in love with you, Charlie. I know a woman such as myself could never be a proper wife to someone of your standing. But there were nights, after you had been here, that I would lie wake and wonder about you and harbor just a little bit of a dream."
"Why, Lizzie? Why did you stay quiet?"
"Charlie, look at what I am. I could never have gotten past this. I am a lovely distraction, a convenience. I am not the type of woman a man would make his wife."
"I am not the type of man a woman would make as her husband. We could have talked about it. I am truly sorry."
"You had no way of knowing. But you have found someone and I am happy for you."
"Thank you, my dear. You know if there is anything you ever need, you have only to call on me."
"Oh no, Charlie. It would not do for me to come into contact with this lady of yours. I doubt she would appreciate me as much as you do."
"Rebecca would understand my giving assistance to nyone who is my friend. I have told her a little about you, you know."
"Oh, Charles Redmond, you have not!"
"She asked me what I had done for companionship. I told her. I also told her how kind and what a good friend you are."
"Oh lovely. Charlie, you know as well as I do that gentlemen do not speak of me to wives and sweethearts. I cannot believe you did that."
"Lizzie, she asked and I answered honestly. That is what our relationship is built on - our ability to be truly honest with one another."
"That is a very interesting relationship." She smiled and sipped her brandy.
"Lizzie, you know what I am. How can I be anything other than totally honest and still hope to have a relationship that will last?"