"Yes, you are correct. He is an honorable man and I think it is terribly dishonorable of you to try and blame him for something he had nothing to do with. So did you work for Mrs. Armstrong? Is that how you came to have this child?"
The woman's self-righteous facade crumbled. "How... how do you know about Mrs. Armstrong?"
"Charlie told me about her. You see Miss Hobart, my husband and I have no secrets from each other. By the way, Miss Hobart, I know for a fact that Charlie was never intimate with any of Mrs. Armstrong's employees; that he only consorted with Mrs. Armstrong herself. So do you want to tell me the real story?"
The woman started crying genuinely, quiet tears of despair. "I got pregnant by one of my customers. Mrs. Armstrong let me go and I had nowhere to turn. I met General Redmond while I was at Mrs. Armstrong's and knew he was a kind, generous man. I hoped he would... not remember or take pity on us."
Rebecca looked down at the child who now had a tight grip on her finger. A son for Charlie. She looked up with a smile. "Miss Hobart, is it your child you are truly concerned for?"
"Yes, ma'am. I know I can fend for myself, one way or another. There is always a place for a woman if she is willing. But a woman with a baby is more than most men will take on. He is a good baby, never fussy. I just want him to have a good life, a better chance than I had."
"Then I will make you an offer which I think is more than fair."
"What kind of offer, ma'am?" The tears had dried and the woman had an almost predatory look.
"I will give you a sum that will allow you to travel to get a new start; New York or Philadelphia perhaps. You will leave this child with me. When General Redmond returns home, we will raise it as our own. You will never come back here. You will never make yourself known to this child."
Miss Hobart looked away. "How much?"
"I thought as much." Rebecca stood and rang for Beulah, who happened to be listening outside the door anyhow.
"Yes, Miss Rebecca?"
"Beulah, take this little one and see to it that he is bathed and properly dressed, and if he is in need of a meal ask Ginny to take care of him."
"Yes, Miss Rebecca, right away." Beulah lifted the little one into her arms, talking to him all the way out of the room.
Rebecca closed the doors and then took a seat at her desk where she removed the check book Charlie had left with her before he departed. She dipped her pen into the inkwell and sighed. "How much?"
"So, if I can ask, what makes a lady like you willing to buy a child just because it looks like your husband? Why do you not just have your own? Or are you too much of a prig to bed a man like the General?"
"I am merely trying to give this child a decent life so he will not have to grow up on the street, stealing to keep you satisfied. How much?"
"Oh, I think there is something more here, ma'am. I think we shall make this trip worth my time and energy. How does a thousand dollars sound to you? For just a thousand dollars, you get the heir that you evidently do not want to give the good General yourself."
Rebecca bit her lip and fought the urge to throw this whore out on her ear. She very carefully wrote the draft, removed it from the book and stood. She held it out. "This is all you get. It is my best guess that two hundred dollars will get you out of Virginia. Now get out of my house."
"Two hundred dollars. You cheap.... Give me back my son. He is surely worth more than that."
"Yes, I agree he is worth far more than that, and in time he will have all that he requires to grow up as a fine young gentleman. Now take this, and get out of my house, off my property and far away from Culpeper."
"You could at least make it five hundred –– that would give me plenty of money to set up in New York and I will never bother you from there."
Rebecca took a deep breath, walked to the young woman, pressed the draft into her hand and then escorted her to the door. She placed the carpetbag in the woman's hand and opened the door. "Will you leave or will I have to toss you out bodily? I am very capable of it and if I find I am not, I have a staff who will be more than willing to help."
"You will regret this, Mrs. High and Mighty Redmond. I promise. You will regret this."
"Madam, I have survived a war. I have many things I regret. I am sure this will not keep me awake at night."
After the woman had left, Rebecca closed the door and then leaned against it. When she looked up, she saw Tess, Beulah and Sarah standing at the end of the hall looking at her. "What?"
"Did ya toss her out, Miss Rebecca?" Tess asked from the corner.
"I did." Rebecca sighed and stared down the hall toward the women. "Not very Christian of me, was it?"
"We was about to go get Reg and have him come help you." Beulah met her employer half way down the hall.
"Where is the baby?"
"In the kitchen with Ginny."
"Well, let us go meet my son, shall we?"
--*--
Rebecca sat in her bedroom holding the baby close to her. Ginny had just finished with his feeding and Rebecca wanted to be Mama now. Em sat at her feet, peeking up to look at the squirming bundle.
"Baby?"
"Yes sweetheart, this is your brother." She brushed her fingers through Em's hair, wondering if she would be able to get the child to sit still for a trim tomorrow. "He needs a name. What shall we name this young man?"
"Baby."
Rebecca chuckled. "Well, he won't be a baby forever and he will need a name like you have."
"Em."
"Yes, your name is Em. I do not think your brother would take well to that name, and it would get very confusing."
"Papa."
Rebecca smiled. "Should we name this baby after Papa?"
"Yes."
"All right then." She looked at her son, who was now sleeping peacefully in her arms. "Charles Huger Redmond the second it is." She looked back to Em. "I think your Papa will be very pleased."
--*--
Rebecca settled down at her desk once again. She drew several sheets of paper from the drawer and prepared to write two letters. She glanced over at Charlie, sleeping peacefully in a cradle near the fireplace. Em was content there as well, laying on a thick blanket and playing with her dolls.
Rebecca dipped the nib and gave careful consideration to how to begin the letter to Charlie Sr.
Tuesday, March 7, 1865
Dearest Charlie,
Congratulations! You have a son. Not the one you are thinking of, of that I am sure.
Yesterday, a young woman who had formerly been in the employment of Mrs. Armstrong came knocking on our door.
Her name was Alison Hobart, and she had a rather fascinating story about how you fathered her son. You truly are an amazing man, Charlie Redmond.
Of course, it became quite clear she was only after money. I gave her two hundred dollars, and relieved her of the baby boy, who is not more than a month old.
She did not care for the child, Charlie; she was only looking for a tidy sum. I certainly did not give her what she demanded, but I gave her enough to send her on her way.
So, last night, Miss Emily and I were discussing the new addition to our family and decided his name should be Charles Huger Redmond II. I do hope you approve.
He is an adorable little boy, and by all accounts very healthy, with a demanding appetite. He does keep Ginny quite busy.
We miss you so, my love. I hope you are well and staying dry and warm. Everything here is progressing as expected. Tarent and MacFarlane have taken to getting the farm up and running as soon as possible and have even hired several of the young Negro boys to help them build or repair anything that looks even slightly in need of work.
Shannon is doing very well; she does so enjoy running and kicking up her heels. She is actually quite playful and will run the fence when she sees Em and I coming for a visit to give her a special treat of carrots. I do think she misses Jack, though. Sometimes I see the same look in her eyes that I see in my own when I look in the mirror.