Chapter One:
Atlanta in the mid-afternoon was stuffy and humid. The air hung low and blanketed the city, thick and wet. The sky was clear of clouds, and the perfect blue that I had missed seeing in Texas. It was warm, not hot, yet the sun burned down on the street, reflecting of the cobblestones as if they were glass. The streets buzzed with activity, as the horses pulled, and people walked, enjoying the glow of the sun. It was a lovely day, and it was great to feel the heat, after dealing with the Virginia weather, which was, at this time in the year, nearly always cold. Especially on the coast.
I had just arrived, I was not even remotely settled, yet I set off anyway. I had to find Miss Lee and make myself known to her, as so I might become a friend to her and not seem like a predictor, instead of a protector. As I friend I would have an excuse to be near her, and an excuse to worry, when the time came. I would also have an enhanced chance of convincing her to leave Atlanta.
She was walking. An afternoon walk, I thought. Maybe she did it everyday. I had to find a way to meet her with out… meeting her. As in, telling her why I was there. I was still wearing my uniform, and I could change into something more suitable and meet her later… No, no. It was better to get it over with. She was walking with what I presumed to be her nanny. She was, as I understood, twelve. She was slim and short, and her back was facing me. Her dress held onto the subtle curves lightly, barely making them noticeable, as if there was not much to be noticed. I assumed she was a late bloomer. And fanciful, as most young girls were.
I was good-looking, and I knew it. I had grown up knowing it. My mother was always complimenting me on my honey-blond hair and tawny eyes. I had a lean body, that was still muscular, and I was tall. I could use that to my advantage with Elisabeth. I could make her think herself in love, or close to it, letting me be around her more then I probably should be, had we just been friends. I would make it clear on my end that I was only a friend, though that could not stop her from liking me.
I "accidentally" crashed into her, purposely causing her to stumble forward into my waiting arms. I steadied her, my hands grasping her arms gently, but still strongly. I knew how to work everything to my advantage. I had been doing it since birth. I oozed charisma and was overly helpful, manipulating the people around me easily into think that what I wanted was what they, too, wanted. It was as if it were a gift, a special power, not a learned accessory to life.
I was more surprised that I had ever been when I was faced with Elisabeth. She was not the twelve year old girl I had expected, but a very beautiful young woman, probably sixteen or seventeen. Her eyes were blue, a dark, compelling blue that shocked me; I had thought them to be lighter, like her uncle's. Her hair was the palest of yellows, almost white, and it shined and swung across her face as she toppled into my arms, escaping slightly from the bind that held it at the nape of her neck. Her features were more profound than in the photo, less round and more angular. A perfectly straight nose, her eyes were deep set and large, her mouth wide. Her lower lip was much larger then her first, the only flaw in her face at all. I did not even consider it a flaw, really, and no one else would, either. It made her look only the more beautiful.
"I am terribly sorry, madam." I said, helping her to stand regularly, smiling apologetically, and faking ignorance to who she was. She reminded me, I now noticed, of an angel. Insipid and beautiful, shockingly so. She looked almost illusory, as if she was some dream that some detailed artist had painted, but never showed to any one, thinking it more precious than anything in the world. She did seem delicate, soft and in need of protection, as if anything would harm her, even the petals of a rose.
"It's quite alright, I assure you, sir." She straightened herself, standing perfectly still. Her voice was soft and sweet, a high pitch that rang happily in my ears, and seemed, even when just talking normally, to sing. It was harmonic, and melodious, all at the same time, more perfection in my eyes. That was what she was, perfection. Everything about her was gorgeous. Her voice, her face, even her smell. She smelled like lilies, I could smell it from where I stood. It wasn't excessive, like some women, it was veiled almost, as if she were trying not to smell as lovely as she did.
Just as I was starting to think that she was too perfect, nothing else would happen to make me almost gasp aloud at her striking beauty, her face spread into a dazzling smile. Not a polite one, like the one on my own face, but a purely happy smile. Her eyes lit up, showing again the happiness I had noted. Again, the colour shocked me. It was barely lighter then the night sky, a thousand times deeper, and sparkling as if her eyes were pools that captured the stars more profoundly then even the dark sky could ever hope to. The dark colour in contrast to her fair skin was remarkable, stunning me even further. "You're in the army, I see." Her voice said, snapping me back.
I nodded. "Yes, miss, I am." I smiled back.
"And a Major, too, I see. I assure you even more, then, sir, that it is quite all right." The respect radiated off her voice, seeping into me as if I was quick sand, and her words were elephants.
"You know ranks, miss?" I knew she would, but my equally impressed tone would not show that.
"Why, yes, sir, I do. My uncle, you see, is in the army, as well." She was being modest. He was the army.
"Would I know him?" I asked, falling into step next to her, as she continued to walk.
She allowed this, graciously handing me her umbrella to hold over her head, as this was expected of a gentleman. Especially one from the South. I did not object, taking it and holding it without complaint. "Possibly." A secretive smile spread across her face, even more stunning then the first smile she had sent towards me.
"Will you perhaps tell me his name?" I raised an eyebrow slightly. She would never have been able to tell that I already knew his name.
"Because you want to know his name, or mine?" she retorted lightly, and even thought the words were shallow, she did not in the least seem vain. She was well aware of her beauty, it was only to be estimated, but she did not seem to flaunt it. She knew how men acted when they were attracted to her, which was also to be anticipated.
"Both, truthfully." I smiled.
"Lee. General Robert E. Lee is his name." she said, making my smile turn into a fake O of respect and recognition.
"The Robert E. Lee?" I asked.
"There only one." she teased, kindly, not harshly.
"Well, the you must be the Elisabeth he kept on about." I smiled warmly.
"You know my uncle?" she was deffinately pleased.
"Yes, ma'am." I nodded. "Very well, too. I'm almost directly bellow him. He gives orders to someone, they pass it one to someone else, then another, and then I."
"Oh, then you must have seen in the past month?"
I nodded. "Yes, of course." I let confusion cloud my face and eyes. "Why do you ask?" I had noted the slight concern in her voice.
"I haven't received a letter for a while, and the last one he sent just begged me to leave Atlanta." She confessed, without probing. "He hasn't written again."
"Well… he's quite fine, I guarantee it. Have you ever considered, madam, doing as he requests?"
"Heavens no!" she exclaimed, eyeing me sharply. "No, no, never." She added, softer. "I could never leave, knowing that I could help here…"
"Help, miss?" I inquired. What was there she could do? She could donate money, but she could do that from anywhere. She was a woman, she could not be in the army herself…
"Nursing, Major. I help by nursing those wounded." She said.
"That is very noble, Miss Lee. I am sure that the men you nurse must be in better health, just seeing you walk in. You are stunning." I smiled.
She blushed, her cheeks immediately glowing scarlet under her pale cheeks. "Thank you, sir. You're very handsome, yourself." She was looking away, colouring deeper with every word.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm nothing in comparison to you." that was the most truth I had speaking in our how conversation so far.
She smiled a little smile that she contained and tried to bite back, still not looking at me, still red. Her cheeks resembled a rose's petals now, and I was caught wondering if they felt as soft. They most likely would, it looked that way. "I disagree."
"You're beauty is nothing to your modesty!"
"Please, Major, a different topic. I still have yet to learn your name."
"Jasper. Jasper Whitlock." I said, smiling. She was uncomfortable with the topic of herself. Most women loved themselves more than anything else, especially those who had splendor like Elisabeth's. Though, as I thought about it, I could not remember seeing a woman who looked anything like her, who had such captivating magnificence…
"Jasper." She repeated. "That's lovely." She seemed sincere. "I can see why your mother chose it."
"I like it. Elisabeth is lovely, too."
"It's normal. I would much rather have something as charming as Jasper. Yet, not a male name. Something like… Angelique." She smiled.
"Angelique? It would fit." I said this unthinkingly.
She shrugged. "I'll just have to make due with Elisabeth."
She was so graceful. She danced rather than walked, her step fluid and blending. She glided across the cobblestones, her hand clasped in front of her. She never tripped, like I did quite a few times. She was tiny, at least a head shorter than I. She held herself regally, so still and straight you would think her a queen.
"I think Elisabeth is a wonderful name." I grinned then. "It's an antique."
She laughed, a soft musical laugh. "Yes, I suppose it is. I never considered it that way."
She stopped in front of a large cream-coloured building. "This is where I live." She said softly, smiling. She held out one long fingered, pale, elegant hand.
I handed her the umbrella, quickly absorbing every detail of the house. It was huge, yet not overly ordinate, everything was neat in the yard, the porch was sturdy, yet old. It seemed safe enough, though I highly doubted it could withstand a blaze. "Will I see you again?" I asked, not entirely faking my eagerness.
"I walk everyday at three, if you would like to, you can join me." She smiled hesitantly.
"I shall see you tomorrow, in that case. Good day, Miss Lee." I brushed my lips softly over the smooth alabaster skin of her knuckles, hesitating only a second longer than necessary.
She flushed again. "Good day, Major Whitlock." She replied, before rushing into the house, followed by the brisk woman I had originally thought of as her nanny.
I watched as she entered the house, and saw that she immediately ran to the window, lifting the lace drape to watch me stroll off. I smiled to myself, thinking only of how beautiful she was, how well we seemed to get along…