Violence Disclaimer: This story gets a bit graphic at times...a bit of blood and gore...it is set during the Civil War, and it wasn't a pretty war. Some of the conditions described may not be for the faint of heart.
Subtext: Yes. 'nuf said.
All feedback is most welcome!
BardWooHoo@oocities.com
CHAPTER 15
Quietly, so as not to wake the others, she decided to clean up, change clothes and sort through her things. This was her private time of day, with no prying eyes to meddle in her affairs. Although the lack of sleep would tell later, as it always did, this time was her own, no one else had a claim on her during these wee hours of the morning. Sitting up, she pulled out a change of clothes, and went to wash up.
Coming back to her bunk, she lit a small stub of a candle, its’ flame barely keeping the predawn darkness at bay. She decided to empty out her knapsack, tidy things up. As she upended it onto the thin mattress, she heard a tiny clank coming from the bottom of the bag. Reil noticed that her tin cup and spoon were not spread out on the bunk along with the rest of her things. Figuring the items had gotten hooked on one of the many strings inside the bag, she stuck her hand inside to search for the errant utensils.
The spoon, it seemed, had gotten stuck under a stiff piece of paper, the tin cup, in turn, had its’ handle around the spoon. With a bit of tugging and a few curses, she soon had all three items out of the bag. She turned the piece of paper over in her hands, wondering what it could possibly be...she hadn’t put it there, she was sure. There was handwriting on it, small and almost indecipherable. Reil moved closer to the window where the small stub of a candle was fitfully attempting to stay lit through the draft of the ill fitting sill. Barely able to make out the writing, her eyes grew wide as she struggled to read the cramped handwriting on the rigid piece of paper.
Lieutenant Bardlow, Reil. This leave paper hereby authorizes extended leave time to recuperate from wounds received during the battle fought near Chancellorsville. It will be reflected in the company records that this time will not interfere with accrued leave earned prior to the battle, but may be taken in conjunction with the leave mentioned above, should your recuperation take more than one month.
Signed this day, the 6th of May, eighteen hundred and sixty three,
Colonel Augustus Van Horne Ellis
Commander
124th NYSV Regiment
Reil wanted to cry, so overwhelmed was she. A little of her faith in Rock had been restored, thankful that the man had, indeed, come through for her when needed. The fact that the items had been hung up in her bag were probably the reason that the soldiers at Emma’s house hadn’t found the document. She wanted to yell out her joy, maybe even dance! She restrained herself, but thoughts were running madly through her head. She was put on profile, ordered to stand down from her post with the authority of the commander of her company himself!
Not only was this good for Reils’ case, but Emmas’ as well. She had been in her own trial for two days now, and this would certainly make the government drop at least one of the charges against her. They had accused Emma of causing the young lieutenant to become insubordinate, the motivating factor in Reils’ supposed desertion and of harboring her as a deserter as well, all charges by themselves worthy of being labeled a traitor.
Reils’ inquiry was in the final stages, she couldn’t have found these papers at a better time, but she truly wondered how it was that no one from her unit had come forth to defend her. This would at least hold up judgment while it was being verified, giving her time to make some inquiries of her own. She was also set to testify on behalf of Emma later that day, she only hoped things were finally beginning to look up for the both of them. A sudden flash of insight caused her to stop in wonder...what other paperwork might she have in her and Emmas’ defense? The soldiers at the house had taken all the letters she had received, but her coat had been on the back porch, and had somehow been overlooked. Grabbing her blue coat from the back of the chair it was draped across, Reil felt around in the inside pocket and pulled out a tattered bundle of letters.
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Emma sat in the courthouse nervously wringing a small white handkerchief. Reil hadn’t come by that morning for her ëvisit’, and it left the woman with nerves that were so taut, she imagined that she would hear them snap if she didn’t see the small blonde soldier soon. She tried to concentrate on the proceedings, still rather amazed that they had let Flo testify. Fortunately, Flo only had second hand knowledge of her dealings with Colonel Sykes/Bardlow, and would only be able to testify to that fact alone. Emma knew the government needed two witnesses to the accused acts of treason, and that had never happened, to her knowledge.
"All’s I know, is that Miss Emma would tell me how she’d messed up those Rebels plans but good. She would give that fat, miserable Colonel all kinds of bad advice, an’ he’d go run and follow along like you was tellin’ a dog to fetch a stick. From what I heard, the north’s been doin’ quite well by Miss Emmas’ deceptions." Flo was incensed that these blind men before her couldn’t see that her Emma was a paragon of virtue. The poor woman had been through enough, what with the loss of her kin, just to be put through nonsense like this. "Did you ever see any other officers with Mrs. Collingsworth?" The opposing lawyer in this case was a painfully thin man with a nasally voice. It reminded Flo of a sound she once heard an old hound make when its’ tail got caught under a wagon wheel. Just the thought made her wince internally. Externally, she was all business.
"Yes, yes I did, as a matter of fact. It was a Union man. Tall, with short hair and a trim beard. A nice fella, not like that Reb. Didn’t get the creeping willies with him." The tall man gave her a small smile. "And did you know the name of this officer? His unit perhaps?" Flos’ eyebrows scrunched in thought as she searched her memory for the name. "Paunton...no, not that...Paxell, no, wait...Parcell! That was him, but I always called him Major. Major Parcell. You go find that nice young man, and he’ll have your answers for you. I believe he was stationed in a unit not too far from where that terrible battle took place."
"Thank you very much, Miss Davies. You may step down." As Flo made her way to the seats, the tall lawyer called his next witness. "Your Honor, I call Lieutenant Reil Bardlow to the stand." A hush fell over the courtroom as it was apparent that the officer in question was not present. A murmur started up causing the judge to rap his gavel. Two slate gray eyes looked down upon Emmas’ lawyer. "Mr. Green, you have five minutes to find your witness, it falls upon you, since he was proposed as a witness on your request. If he fails to show, you will be held in contempt of court. And he, when found, will be as well." The minutes ticked by, Emma growing more concerned with each one that passed.
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Major Ablemeyer was in a full blown snit. He paced in front of the board members of the inquiry panel. Small eyes darted back and forth as he ranted, trying to remember how he could have missed such an opportunity. The letters the annoying lieutenant had produced blew his case out of the water, and it was all he could do not to start breaking furniture. In all his years of service, never had his men handed him such a glaring display of ineptitude. "Obviously these documents that Lieutenant Bardlow has produced are forgeries. There is no record on file with the Army of the Potomac as to his leave status, thereby rendering him absent without proper authorization. There can be no mistaking this."
Colonel Rachie looked at the oily major in front of him. He was truly beginning to dislike this aide that Hooker had chosen to present this case. "Major, we will most certainly check the veracity of these documents, but it appears that there has been an extreme oversight on the part of the army if what they say is true."
"If I may speak, Colonel?" Reils’ soft voice rang out in the intervening silence as all participants of this drama were obviously running out of patience with the whole affair. Nerves were taut, Reil sought to calm them if at all possible. Colonel Rachie nodded towards the young officer, indicating that Reil should speak.
"With the board of inquiries permission, perhaps we should take the time provided while the papers are being checked, to not only hold these proceedings until they are back, but until Mrs. Collingsworths’ trial is over as well. Seeing as how one of the possible charges against me is that I didn’t inform my superiors about espionage that I had uncovered, once her name is cleared, my name shall be cleared as well. And I do believe, Colonel Rachie, that Mrs. Collingsworth is innocent." The colonel took a moment to confer with the rest of the board members, and so it was agreed upon. Reil would have two days...enough time for a homing pigeon to be sent out and a return answer to be given.
Reil stepped out of the courthouse, more confident than ever that things would work out. She fumed at the time that had been wasted collecting her paperwork from the board members. It had taken near pleading to convince them that the papers were also needed at the other trial, but she had them securely in hand as she made her way to the civilian courthouse.
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The door flew open with a loud bang as Reil swept into the courtroom. Her left hand flew up to remove her hat, wisps of blonde hair flying out as her momentum propelled her forward. As fast as her healing leg would allow, she strode down the center aisle, stopping only long enough at the low swinging doors to flash Emma a brilliant smile. For her part, Emma was thankful that she was sitting down, as she knew that her legs would be too weak to keep her upright at the moment. Her officer obviously had something up her sleeve, judging by the broad wink that accompanied the smile.
Reil knew she had been called to the stand, a young boy a whole dollar richer for delivering the information while Reil was still half a block away. She had practically run up the courthouse steps, as fast as her leg would allow, disregarding the throbbing pain which flared up. Her one goal was to get to Emma, the look on her face echoing the feelings she had of letting destiny be damned...she would no longer flow along silently in its’ wake. No, the raging waves that were destines’ vessel would no longer crash upon her shore. She was primal in her intensity, a massive granite cliff that the waves fruitlessly pounded against, the crashing force vexed by its’ own impotence.
As she made her way to the stand to be sworn in, the courtroom went completely silent. Reils’ strong, confident voice carried up to the highest rafters, floating back down with an underlying strength that mesmerized all who heard it. There was fire behind those green eyes, a fire that meant to burn out as much injustice as possible that came across their path. She handed her papers to the judge personally, making sure he read the specific parts she pointed out. He then called both lawyers to the bench, to ascertain whether or not they had a problem entering the documents into evidence. They had none.
Reil solemnly swore as to the contents of the documents, and how they came to be in her possession. Her voice strong and clear, she spoke to the court, but her eyes never left those of Emma. Without hesitation, she related once again the story of that fateful night which seemed so long ago. The prosecution had no questions, he gave the floor to Mr. Green so that the evidence might be presented by the defense.
Mr. Green was a man who looked like he made sure he took time out of each day to play with his children. The kind of man who saw to it that things were done right the first time. He was, at this moment, very grateful to the young officer seated now in front of him. The lieutenant had just made part of his job a whole lot easier. "Lt. Bardlow, would you be so kind as to read, out loud, this letter which you have just brought us?" Reil took the letter from him and began to read, thankful that her father had at least had the sense to hide her gender, even in his correspondence.
My son, Reil,
I have written this last letter to you, in the hopes that it will never have to be delivered. If you ever do find yourself reading it, it will mean that I am dead. There are things I need to tell you, that I was unable to during the time God gave me on earth.
For the past several years, I have been joined in this war between the states. Unlike you, however, I saw my duty as lying with the Confederacy. I won’t go into the many reasons, just believe that my convictions are strong ones. The position I hold is not of the most noble kind, but important to the winning of this war. I do that work which is possibly more dangerous for its’ consequences than even being on the front line. I have become an officer, rather high in rank, in charge of a spy ring.
I informed Rock not to divulge this information to you, as I thought it might upset you. You have your duty, and I have mine, and no sense in you perceiving that your loyalties need be divided. Please don’t be mad at him, he didn’t agree with the silence, it not sitting well with his views. It was upon his insistence that I take Grandmothers’ maiden name, and I found his advice to be most useful.
You may wonder why I write these things down, being a spy as I am, and that I would be fearful of being captured and have my letters read. Well, I fear that I may be exposed soon enough. A certain Mrs. Collingsworth, whom I’ve had the occasion to utilize in the past, I fear may not be what she seems. I believe she is, in reality, consorting with the enemy, and leading me and my good men on false trails. I shall have to confront her, and know not what the outcome will be.
Pray for my soul to be sent to heaven, my son. Make proud the name of Bardlow, as I was too ashamed to do.
Your father,
Silas Bardlow
As Reil finished reading, Mr. Green walked over, retrieved the letter and handed her the note authorizing her leave. Reil read this as well, smiling when she was done, as Mr. Green asked the court that those charges related to Lt. Bardlow be dropped. The prosecution had no objections, seeing that all which had been proven to that point supported the documentation Reil had provided.
As Emmas’ lawyer turned to congratulate her, he noticed a messenger coming down the aisle. The young boy appeared road weary, dirt covering him from head to foot. As he approached, his shortness of breath could be heard. "Message from General Hooker, sir." His voice bearing out that he was just past puberty, old enough to serve as messenger, but just barely. "It’s addressed to the court." He turned towards the bench. "Your honor, if I may approach?" Once again, both lawyers approached the judge. "Your honor...I must protest. How am I supposed to try my case with all these interruptions?" The nasal like voice was a barely restrained whine. The judge gave him a befuddled look.
"How can you say such a thing? We’ve been waiting on word from Gen. Hooker for weeks now!" He gave a small hrumph to the odd man and opened the note. "Well, gentlemen, I shall read this myself. You may both return to your seats." Over the course of the proceedings, the judge had come to believe that a serious wrong had been done to the tall dark haired beauty known as Mrs. Collingsworth, but had allowed the trial to proceed due to the gravity of the charges.
"Mrs. Collingsworth, I have some news for you. It seems that Major Parcell is no longer among the living. However, since his untimely demise, Gen. Hooker has felt it will no longer jeopardize national security to let it be known that, yes, indeed, Major Parcell was a spy for the Army of the Potomac. He sends his regrets that he was unable to offer up the information in a more timely manner, but it would have placed the man in grave danger." The judge gave a small smile. "Although it seems to me...it didn’t make much difference in the end, now did it?" Bits of laughter floated through the courtroom, Emma freely letting the tears and laughter mingle unimpeded.
Reil stepped down from the stand. Emma reached out her arms as two strong hands lifted her up off the floor. Reil wanted to spin her around, but settled instead to set her down softly. There, in the courtroom, for all the world to see, the handsome young officer and the tall southern beauty shared a kiss that would be remembered for a lifetime.
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That night, they rented a room in the city, careless of the looks they got from the deskclerk as two unmarried people asked for only one bed. Safely settling Flo into an adjoining room, they spent the night talking. Apologies were said, tender touches exchanged, and morning found them asleep, wrapped in each others arms. They still had the problem of Reil’s inquiry to worry about, but that could wait till later. For now, they were content to hold one another, reveling in just being able to hold one another once more. The lengthy separation causing fresh wounds over the old, the only salve being the touch of the others hands.
Just because the civilian court took Reils’ word as to the origins of the documents, the military was much more stringent in its’ practices. They would just have to wait for the answer to the message that went out by bird. The response would arrive on a wing and a prayer.
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Two days later, word came back from Reil’s unit that not only did she have official leave, but that she had given word to her commander about the possible spy. Col. Ellis, in his own hand, had sent a special messenger with a hand written note. In it, he praised young Lt. Bardlow for bravery on the battlefield, and having done the proper thing by delivering information that was vital to the upcoming battle. While he was unaware of the name of the spy, he trusted Lt. Bardlow implicitly, saying that if he had not been convinced of the lieutenants’ story, he would have sent a man out to investigate personally. Col. Ellis had not stopped there, though. In addition, to show his sincerity, and by word of those who saw the young man in battle, he was awarding Lt. Bardlow the Gilmore Medal for bravery.
The man who delivered the medal was Rock. He had asked to be able to deliver the message in the hopes that he could mend things with Reil. The young woman was happy to be reunited with her foster father, having forgiven him after having read the letter from her real father. She knew that Rock was only standing up for his friend, regardless of the fact that he had disagreed with the whole business. Rock himself pinned the award on Reil, never was there a father prouder.
It was upon Rocks’ suggestion that they asked Col. Rachie to find out why no one from his unit had been called to testify on Reils’ behalf. The colonel found this odd as well, and it was soon learned that Major Ablemeyer had set up Reil, just to advance his own career. The evidence that he actually had would have normally gone unnoticed, not having any basis in fact, if one were to look at the facts. With all the whitewash the major had applied, it would have made even Honest Abe look guilty.
The sight of Major Ablemeyer being led away in cuffs was almost worth all the headaches Reil and Emma had gone through. Reil had decided that maybe letting destiny play a small part in her life was just fine, as long as she could hold the reins now and then. All Emma wanted to do was be done with this city which had brought so much heartache. Home was where she wanted to be, and while home might be in Reils’ arms, she just didn’t want it to be here on this patch of earth much longer if she had any say. Flo had just enough time to celebrate Emma’s freedom before she realized that this was far from over. She had a wedding to plan.
