--*--
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 walked 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?"
Charlie flushed. In the fracas surrounding the arrest of Davison and his henchmen, he had totally forgotten about the doll he had bought her in Washington. "Yes, little one. You have been very good." He turned to Mrs. White. "Madam, I believe our young lady has demanded some attention from her Papa. So if I may excuse myself?"
Esther White nodded, and Charlie excused himself with a small bow. She watched as the tall man carried the daughter of his heart off to his room and the promised gift.
--*--
The day had been a long one, stressful in different ways for all members of the household. Most significantly, it had been a day where Charlie had no time alone with Rebecca. Other than the period when all had wondered over the fate of Davison and his men, the women had been occupied with wedding plans. As a result, the small ring box in his breast pocket was burning a hole in his chest.
By dinner, everyone was tired, and by mutual agreement, all withdrew for some quiet time in their rooms and an early bedtime. Charlie slipped up to their sitting room ahead of Rebecca, with a bottle of champagne and two glasses in hand. He built up the fire and dimmed the lamps. He was ready.
He joined Rebecca in the hall, and they both went to tuck young Em into bed for the night. Then, with a gallant bow, he swept open the door to Rebecca’s personal bower.
Rebecca smiled at him as she looked into the room before entering. "What has gotten into you tonight, Charlie?"
"I not only bought Em a present, I also got a couple of things for you, dear, and I wanted to give them to you."
She looked at him very carefully. He was in a rare, playful mood and she found she rather enjoyed this side of her normally reserved General. "Is that so? And what may I ask, have you found?"
"Well, there is the mundane. I went to my bank, put my accounts in both of our names, and opened a fund for you. Here, my love. It is the paperwork. I think you will find you are a rather wealthy woman in your own right. Consider it my engagement present." With a flourish, he laid the paperwork on the small table beside her. The top page noted Rebecca’s personal account of fifty thousand dollars. She riffled through the other papers, seeing the total sum in their joint accounts that made her eyes widen. The last documents were Charlie’s will and his military pension.
She turned to him, not quite knowing what to say. "I...I...Charlie it is too much..."
He took her in his arms. "No, dear. It is just a fraction of what I wish I could give you. To me, you are worth more than all the money in the world. While I am gone, you will have a great many issues to deal with. This gives you the financial freedom to do so. In just a few weeks, I will stand up and pledge "And all my worldly goods I thee endow." I just got a head start on it."
She smiled and kissed him. "Thank you, Charlie," she sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. "Are you as nervous as I am?"
"About marrying you or about the wedding?"
"Both?"
He laughed and settled on the davenport in front of the fire with her in his lap. "I am always nervous about public events and ceremonies. I worry about falling over my sword; I worry my jacket will get tucked into my trousers; I worry I will say or do something stupid; I worry I will give myself away. But as to marrying you," he stopped and tenderly kissed her under the curve of her jaw, his lips whispering just below her ear. "As for marrying you, it is the best thing I have ever done and will ever do. I am joyous, excited, can barely wait, but no, I am not nervous about it." He slipped his hand inside his jacket. She had felt an odd little lump under her shoulder where it rested against his coat. They adjusted their position a little as he pulled the small box out. "I thought you needed something of your own, so I got you these. One is for now, the other two are for later."
Rebecca looked at the rings in Charlie's hand. "Charlie, they are beautiful."
Charlie extracted one ring. It was an emerald, cut in a fine square and surrounded by a rosette of diamonds, all mounted in white gold. In the firelight, the stones flashed and sparkled. "Give me your hand, my love."
Rebecca tried to stop her hand from shaking as she presented it, but was not as successful as she would have liked. All she could do was give Charlie an embarrassed little smile.