Disclaimer – I don't own nor do I profit from any
characters or story lines from Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I just enjoy spending time with some very
special fictional characters.
Rated G for everyone
Title – Love's Spying Eyes
Any comments are appreciated.
Timeline – The fifth season that we never got. (Stupid secret) Marriage is common
knowledge.
It was a
warm June evening in Arlington Virginia.
Amanda was sitting on the sofa reading one of her mother's romance
novels. There was stillness in the house
that was rare. Lee had called to say he
would be late. He was stuck finishing
up a report in the Q bureau. The boys
had left earlier that day to spend the weekend with Joe camping and her mother
was out on a date. Just three weeks ago
the doctor had give them the news. The
rabbit had died. Lee was still walking
around with a goofy smile on his face.
While she was very happy with the news, mostly she just felt tired.
She wondered if this was because of her age. Amanda decided to use this quiet time to catch up on her
reading. She had first noticed this
book when her mother was reading it.
The picture on the cover had reminded her of Lee. Not so much the man himself but his
eyes. They had caught her attention
immediately. As she read her eyes kept
getting heavier and heavier. Soon the
book fell from her fingers and her head dropped to the back of the couch.
She found
herself standing in front of a boarding house.
The boys were in school. She was
so angry. How could Joe have done this
to her? This stupid war had already
lasted two years longer than he had said it would. Just a couple months sweetheart then I'll be back home. Yeah she laughed to herself, famous last
words. He had ridden off with his unit
looking sharp and handsome in that blue uniform. It didn't matter that she would be left on her own with two small
boys to support right next door to the enemy.
She felt so confused. Amanda
didn't know who the enemy was anymore.
She didn't believe in slavery but many of her old neighbors had chosen
the confederate side. It was hard; the
people who had once been her friends now wouldn't speak to her. The confederate government had burned her
house and Joe wasn't coming back. He
had been killed in the first major battle in a place called Manassas. She was a widow now and responsible for the
boys and her mother. They had been
living at Mrs. Garrett's boarding house for the last two years. She was working as a nurse at a hospital on
Connecticut Ave. She worked long hours
but still made time to spend with the boys.
Phillip was thirteen and already asking when he could join up. All she could think of was never if she had
anything to do with it. "Oh my
gosh," she thought to herself, "if I don't hurry up I'm going to be late."
She arrived
at the hospital a short ten minutes later.
The smell of the place still bothered her. She walked over to get her assignment and found out she would
doing patient care today. The orderly
in charge sent her over to a group of patients who were new from last
night. They were injured rebel
soldiers. The men were dirty and malnourished.
"These poor men" she thought sadly.
She set about her task of changing bandages, offering water, and writing
letters home. She went to the men one
by one. When she walked up to him a
chill went down her spine. He was
frowning and wouldn't look at her. His
right arm was missing from the elbow down.
But what she noticed about him the most was his eyes. They were a beautiful hazel and very
intense.
"Hi," she said brightly, "it's a beautiful day outside. I am going to change you dressing right
now. After that if you would like I
could write a letter for you. I have
two little boys. Their names are
Phillip and Jamie. My husband died at
the first battle of Manassas."
"Miss, if you don't mind I would really like to be left
alone," the man asked so quietly she could barely hear.
"Now Mr.…what was your name again?"
The man sighed and stared at her for a moment before he
replied, "Colonel Lee Stedman, CSA at your service. Now can you just move on and leave me alone please." He dismissed her at that moment and turned
his head. As she moved onto the next
man, she couldn't help but feel something wasn't quite right. He didn't look as bad as the others and,
rats, she didn't get a chance to change his dressing before he pushed her
away. She would have to make plans to
come back to him before she went home.
The rest of the day passed in a busy blur of activity. Little did she know that a pair of hazel eyes
followed her all day as she worked. It
was dark before she got back to Mr. Stedman.
Most of the men had fallen asleep by the time she approached his cot. She reached out to gently shake his left
shoulder when suddenly his hand shot out and pulled her to him.
"Shhh," he quietly whispered into her ear, "is there
somewhere we can go and talk privately?"
He had asked around today about her and found out she was a trustworthy,
honest person who would do what ever she could to help a soldier. He had found out she was a widow with two
small boys and her mother to support.
He knew where she lived and that she was well liked and respected by
all, federal and rebel alike. There was
something about her. Somehow he knew
instinctively that he could trust her.
He was taking a big chance but he needed help and he needed it quick.
"Yes, we can go to the operating room. No one's there now," she whispered
curiously, then in a louder voice she said, "Colonel Stedman why don't I take
you into the other room where there's more light so I can see to properly flush
out you wound and redress it. Let me
help you up." She said as she slid her arm around him and helped him into the
other room.
"Listen, we only have a few minutes and its imperative I get
a message to Federal Army headquarters," Lee said forcefully. Gone was the sickly man with the slow
southern accent and in his place stood a man with a mission.
"I am not going to do anything until you tell me who you are
and what you're doing," she said stubbornly.
"My name is Major Matthew Lee Stetson, US Army
Intelligence. I was assigned here to
try and find out where and when General Lee and the Rebs were going to strike
again. There have been rumors of a
large rebel force heading toward Pennsylvania.
I have learned that this is true.
I don't know exactly where yet but I need to get a message to
headquarters so that they can send out scouts to recon the area. Please Mrs. King, please I need you
help." He looked pleadingly into her
eyes.
She felt an electric shock run through her. At that second she would have done what ever
he asked. "Okay, I'll do it. Do you have something written down or do you
need help."
"Here, I've disguised it like a letter home. Just put it in your pocket and go directly
to Army Headquarters. Tell them that
the scarecrow sent you and that the night is warm but seasonally so. Repeat it back to me, you must say it
exactly."
"The night is warm but seasonally so, the night is warm but
seasonally so. The Scarecrow sent me."
"Good, now hurry and put a clean bandage on my arm. We have spent too much time in here
already."
"Major. Stetson? Do
you have any family? Are you
married? I could write to them and let
them know you're all right. Oh my gosh,
there's nothing wrong with your arm…it's totally healed."
"That's why I couldn't let you change it out with the other
men. It's a present from the last time
the rebs tried to come north." A look
of sadness passed over his face as he said, "I am sorry, Mrs. King there's no
need for you to write anyone on my behalf, my family is dead. And no I am not married. Never met anyone who would put up with
me. By the way please could you call me
Lee?"
"Alright Major. Stet…Lee, let me help you back to the cot
and then I'll be on my way"
She had her arm around him again and soon was ready to guide
him back to his sleeping area.
"Amanda, please don't think me forward but… this war has
taught me to reach for what I want." He
quickly reached down and kissed her. It
was a tentative kiss at first. He drew
back and looked down into her eyes. He
saw that she was as caught up in the moment as him and he once again settled
his lips over hers. This time the kiss
was deep and passionate. When he
finally lifted his head, they were both breathless. Before either one could say anything they heard someone walking
toward the operating room. They quickly
pulled apart just as Dr. Efram Beeman walked in.
"Mrs. King, what is going on?" he asked curiously
"I was just changing this soldier's dressing. I needed more light and didn't want to
disturb the other men. Now if you'll
excuse us, I am going to get him settled back in his cot and go on home. Goodnight Doctor," she said as she walked
quickly away from him. They made it
back to his sleeping area without incident.
As she helped him settle in she spoke quietly, "I'll see you tomorrow,"
she smiled then brushed the hair off his forehead and turned to leave. He reached out and grabbed her hand and gave
it alittle squeeze. The bittersweet
smile on his face almost made her turn and go back to him. But he dismissed her with a quiet, "God go with you Mrs. King," and released
her hand reluctantly.
She quickly walked out of the hospital and walked in the
direction of the boarding house only to take a couple of turns to insure no one
was following her before she headed toward Army headquarters. She reached into her pocket and to make sure
the letter was still there. She noticed
then there were two. How odd he only
mentioned one. Well she would deal with that when she got to her
destination. Over and over she kept
repeating to herself…the night is warm but seasonally so…over and over. Finally after what seemed like hours but was
in reality only about ten minutes she walked up to the door and knocked. A solder came and opened it. She looked at him and said the code word for
word as she had been told. He ushered
her into the building and told her to wait in the study. It wasn't long before she heard the door
open. As she turned and pulled the message
out of her pocket, she was shocked to see who the man was standing in front of
her. It was Abraham Lincoln himself. "I
understand you have a message from one of my boys."
"Mr. President…Uh…yes sir, here it is sir. Sir, if I could tell you something. I am worried about Mr. Stetson. I don't think he's very safe in that
hospital. The hospital personnel think
he's a rebel and treat him badly and if those rebel prisoners find out he's not
one of them…I don't want to think what will happen to him."
"At this very second, Major Stetson is being taken out of
that hospital. As soon as you gave the
code phase, intelligence operatives were sent to the hospital disguised as
guards and will take him out of there.
They will "drag" him out of there and it will look to everyone like he
is on his way to prison camp. Don't
worry Mrs. King, he can take care of himself.
You are a very brave woman. You
have performed a great service to your country. By passing this information on hopefully we can stop this dreadful
war and save some lives."
"Yes sir."
"Oh…Mrs. King the second letter is for you," the President
said as he handed it to her.
"Thank you sir. If
it's alright with you I'll just go home now."
"Let me get one of my officers to see you home. It's not safe for a woman out at night by
herself, Mrs. Lincoln would have me horse whipped if she found out I let you
walk home alone." He poked his head out
the door and called, "Sergeant Melrose, could you see Mrs. King home please.
"Thank you sir. It
was an honor to meet you. It's too bad
I can't ever tell anyone I met you. My
boys would be so impressed. I have two
of them Phillip and Jamie…oh sorry, I'll leave now." She turned and walked away with the sergeant.
Soon she was home.
She checked first on the boys, then her mother. Everyone was sleeping peacefully. No one aware of the intrigue she had been a
part of tonight. As she lit the
kerosene lantern and settled into the chair, her hands shook. What could be in this note? What couldn't he wait to tell me tomorrow?
It was soon evident that she would not be seeing him again
tomorrow.
Dear
Amanda,
Thank you
for being so brave. By the time you
read this I will be out of that dreadful hospital and headed toward
Pennsylvania. I will remember the short
time we spent together. It's funny I
feel like I've known you forever not just one short day. Hopefully, next time I get back to the
capital I can see you. Take care of
yourself. I will carry your kiss with
me until the next time we meet.
Yours, Lee
The letter fell from her hands as tears ran down her
face. Lee, oh Lee she called….
"Sweetheart…, Amanda…, wake up hon you were dreaming. I'm right here."
"Lee, Oh Lee I am so glad to see you. I was dreaming you were a solder and were leaving
to go to Gettysburg and fight the rebels and I might never see you again and I
didn't get a chance to tell you I loved you.
You wrote me this really beautiful letter," Amanda rambled on with tears
starting to fall down her face.
Lee pulled her into his arms and held her, "You are going to
have to stop reading these books if they upset you this much. Your hormones have been so mixed up since
you've been pregnant. Come on
sweetheart, we're all alone, lets go up stairs and you can show me just how much
you love me." As the couple stood up
the book fell silently to the floor.
Forgotten for the moment. Her
love's spying eyes were looking down on her tenderly as he lifted her into his
arms and carried her up the stairs.