Chapter 6

Matthew got his mail at his office, even mail from Mrs. Marston. He was at the office much more than he was at the house, so it only made sense. When he and Colonel Thornton got back to the office, he found a letter from that lady waiting for him. He read it quickly and said, "Mrs. Marston writes to inform me that she will be coming home at the end of the week, but only to repack her trunk with winter clothes. Her married daughter is expecting a new baby in early April, and since the lady's husband is on blockade duty with the West Gulf Coast Squadron and there are several small children, she urgently needs her mother's help. I am to have full use of the house until at least the end of April, and our current financial arrangements are to continue."

"It sounds like a good arrangement for all concerned, Matthew: you get a place to live and she has someone in the house to make sure it's kept up properly. How many servants does she have?"

"Only one, an Irish girl, Bridget, and there's a good chance she may be leaving to get married anyway. The last time I talked to her, she mentioned that she and her beau, a dockworker named Gallagher, were about ready to go to the priest and ask to have the banns called."

"We have more servants than we need; apparently Mrs. Beaumont measured her importance in the number of slaves - or former slaves, now – that she had."

"Her son certainly did. Orton Rosemont is a thoroughly bad lot, and I am sure that the female servants are very glad that he's gone."

"One of those, was he?"

"Oh, yes."

"Well, what about Curtis Hollis and Lucy Blair? Would you employ them?"

"Absolutely. I'll even foot the bill for them to get married."

"Come home with me tonight and we can talk to them about it, and then I'll have Curtis drive you over to Amanda's. She is expecting you for supper, isn't she?"

"Every night when I'm in town."

"She's a lovely woman. I'm glad you found her in the depot that day, Matthew."

"So am I, sir, and not just because she saved my life a few days later."

"It will be two years since her husband was killed come July next year, won't it?"'

"Yes, and in a way that's good for both of us, because it gives us time to think things through. At the same time, sir, bring on July 1863!"

Thornton chuckled. "Indeed, and maybe by then Mr. Lincoln will have found a general that can outfight General Lee."

"Oh, I hope so, sir, because otherwise, this war is going to last a very long time, and I don't even want to think about the cost in human lives."

Curtis Hollis and Lucy Blair had been delighted at the prospect of working for "the Major" as they called Matthew. He cautioned them that everything was contingent upon Bridget Murphy's leaving to get married, of course, but told them that he was fairly sure that she would do so. "And once she does leave, Curtis, Mrs. Bishop and I will be pleased to give a wedding reception for you at the house."

"Is you goin' to marry Miz Bishop, Major?" Lucy asked.

"She's still in mourning for her husband, Lucy, so that's still in the future. The two years since he died won't be up until next July, you see."

"She such a nice lady, Major."

"I agree wholeheartedly, but these things take time."

"Yessir." Lucy said, although she thought that if Matthew wanted to marry Amanda, he should do it and not wait until July. But then, ladies and gentlemen did things differently, she reasoned.

Curtis drove Matthew over to Amanda's and offered to come back for him later that evening, but Matthew declined the offer. "I've walked back every night, Curtis, and I've done just fine. Thank you, though. Go home and have your supper with Lucy."

"Yessir, I surely will."

As soon as he knocked on the front door, Amanda opened it and put out a hand to draw him inside. He closed the door quickly so as not to let in cold air, swept off his hat, bent to kiss her on both cheeks as he always did, and tucked her under his chin in a warm embrace.

"Your face is warm," she said. "You didn't walk from Colonel Thornton's?"

"No, Curtis drove me. I have news. I'll tell you all about it over supper."

"I have news too."

"Oh, that sounds intriguing. What's your news?"

"Supper first."

"Very well. I just need to go upstairs and wash up."

"There's fresh water in the pitcher in your room."

When he came back downstairs, supper was already on the table. He seated Amanda, took the chair at the head of the table that her mother had long since decided was his, and reached for her hand to kiss her fingers.

"Have I told you lately how happy I am that I saw you in the depot that day?"

"No, I think it's been at least three days. You're slacking, Major Davis," she teased.

"My apologies." He gave her the hand back so she could spoon up the soup Molly had fixed for their supper and said, "Your news first."

" I have taken up forgery."

"Have you now? Will I have to come to the police station and bail you out, promising Washington's finest that I'll make sure you don't do it, ever again?"

"Probably not, since I'm not forging a signature on a bank draft, just Mrs. Rosemont's handwriting on a letter of reference for Mrs. Amelia King, seamstress. Molly is practicing too, and we're going to show the results to Colonel Thornton and see who did a better job."

"Aha. Well, in that case, forge away, my sweet."

"Thank you. Now your news."

Matthew told her about Mrs. Marston's plans and how they affected him and about his plan to hire Curtis and Lucy if Bridget left to get married. "I said we'd give a wedding reception for the at the house, you and I."

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea! Thank you for thinking of it, Matthew."

"I'm sure there are plenty of my fellow officers who would think I'm foolish for even considering attending a wedding of two former slaves, let alone giving them a reception, but Curtis and Lucy risked a great deal to help us and I wanted to thank them."

"Yes, they did; the whole time after I left that house, I was praying that they wouldn't be found out. Orton Rosemont is a nasty piece of work, and I'm very glad he's gone."