LeVeq leaned over Rhine’s shoulder and read the report he’d written. He looked up. “It’s good to see you again, Miss Fontaine. You’ve been robbed?”
“Yes.”
She sensed Rhine’s curiosity as he glanced between the two of them. The major wanted her to retell the story of the theft, so she did.
He then asked, “Are you totally without funds?”
She nodded.
“I’ll send Lieutenant Renaud to you later with some army scrip to tide you over until you are paid.”
Sable could feel the eyes of the others in the room staring curiously, no doubt wondering what made her so special. Convinced the last thing she needed was gossip dogging her steps, she said, “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. Mrs. Reese will take care of my needs until I am paid again.” She turned her attention back to Rhine. “Please contact me if anything arises.”
Rhine nodded.
Sable walked toward the door, very aware that Major LeVeq’s eyes were following her.
Rhine showed up after dinner that evening. Mrs. Reese raised an eyebrow at his presence until Sable explained he was the soldier looking into the theft.
Because Mrs. Reese hadn’t found anyone to replace the women who’d run out on her, Sable had the tent to herself. With Mrs. Reese’s approval, she escorted Rhine there. Once inside, they hugged each other tightly. Sable had missed him so intensely, and it felt so good to be held by someone who loved her, she had tears in her eyes when they finally eased apart.
“How in the world did you get here?” he asked.
Holding on to her own questions for now, she related the sad story of Mahti’s fiery death and the events that had triggered it.
Rhine was livid. “Carson sold you? That bastard. Guess his slave-holding days are over now.”
“I guess so,” Sable echoed, though her heart still ached with the loss of Mahti. “What are you doing wearing Union colors? Where’s Andrew?”
“Our illustrious half brother is by now in California. Once we made it through the first battle alive, Andrew had had enough. He said to hell with the South, freed me, and headed West.”
“So you joined up with one of the Black units?”
“No.”
He spoke the word so softly, Sable peered at him curiously. “What’s wrong?”
When he didn’t immediately reply, her imagination ran wild. “Oh Lord, Rhine, you’re not a Reb spy, are you?”
He chuckled. “No, Sable. I’m with one of the regiments that came in a few days ago.”
For a moment confusion held her. She’d heard nothing about a new unit of Black troops arriving in camp. The contrabands took such pride in their presence, any new Black units always caused a stir. She took a good look at her brother’s uniform. Unlike the uniforms of the few Black troops she had seen, her brother’s was the crisp, clean version worn by White soldiers. She gasped. “Rhine, you’re not passing as White, are you?”
He nodded.
“Why?”
“I’m tired, Sable. Just tired.”
“Tired of what?”
“Having no voice in my own life.”
“But Rhine, you’re not White.”
“We both know that, but the army doesn’t.”
Sable could only stare and ask again, “But why?”
He shrugged. “I’m not strong like you and Mahti. I can’t stomach not being free to be who I am just because the law considers me less than a man.”
“So you’re going to pass? What will that accomplish?”
“It will help me get what I want out of life. I’ll have the freedom to choose what I want to do, where I want to go.”
“But slavery is almost dead. Everyone says so.”
“And afterward? Do you think the country is just going to embrace us? They hate us now and they’ll hate us after slavery.”
“But you can’t turn your back on who and what you are. What about Mahti, our mother? Have you forgotten the sacrifices they made?”
“Yes, and as I said, I’m not that strong. You know I’ve always sought the easiest road, and besides, I’ve had plenty of practice passing. Andrew let me do it all the time.”
Sable simply could not believe her ears. And yes, he had passed before. The first time she’d realized he could do it successfully had been on one of her first trips to Atlanta. She couldn’t have been more than eight or nine summers, which made Rhine ten or eleven. That evening, Andrew decided to go downstairs ahead of everyone else and order the family’s dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. As a slave, Rhine should have been eating in the kitchen with Sable and the slaves of the other guests, but Carson Fontaine found Andrew and Rhine seated together in the fancy eating room, drinking lemonade. Rather than cause a scene, Carson held his tongue and let Andrew and the ivory skinned, green-eyed Rhine have their fun. When they returned home, Rhine received the worst whipping of his life. Carson personally laid the strap across his back and did not let up until Rhine promised he’d never pass as White ever again. It was obvious now that neither Rhine nor Andrew had kept the promise.
“Rhine, you can’t do this.”
“Sure I can, Sabe. After the war, I’ll probably follow Andrew West, or maybe I’ll settle in Canada, but I’m done suffering for no reason.”
“You’re the only person I have left in this world, yet you would leave me too?”
He stared into her eyes. “You know how much I love you, but yes.”
The pain in her heart made her close her eyes tight.
He spoke with the earnestness that had always been a part of his nature. “You and I have never been free, and I refuse to wait and have my freedom grudgingly handed over by believers in a Constitution that counts me as three-fifths a man.”
Sable looked up at her brother. He’d taught her to climb trees, to fish, and to read. He’d been her hero, her bane, and her dancing partner at the county’s annual slave ball. That he could just walk away from the race, and her, brought tears to her eyes.
“Don’t cry, Sabe. You’re a queen. Queens don’t cry.”
She stiffened with surprise. “You know about the queens?”
“Yes, Mahti told me their story the night before Andrew and I went off to fight. She wanted me to know in case something happened to her.”
“Then if you know the tales, how can you do this?”
“Because I have the blood of queens in my veins too. I refuse to grovel for the rest of my days.”
“But Rhine—”
He shook his head, and his voice sounded sad. “No more, Sable. My mind’s made up. You can’t change it.”
“So will I ever see you again, hear from you again?”
“My unit’s scheduled to be here for another few days. After that we’re marching to South Carolina. Only the queens know if you’ll ever hear from me again, but I’ll always carry you and Mahti in my heart. Always.”
She wrapped her arms fiercely around his waist, and he held her tight as they both wept.
The next morning Rhine brought her his laundry. She still found it hard to accept the path he’d chosen, but it pleased her to have him near for the time being. Mrs. Reese, always happy for new business, greeted him with a smile and asked if there’d been any progress on finding the two thieves. When he told her nothing had turned up so far, she went about her day. Sable knew Rhine wanted to keep their relationship secret so she didn’t tell Mrs. Reese the truth. She had introduced him as Sergeant Rhine Clark, not as Rhine Clark Fontaine.
Rhine insisted upon paying Sable for doing his laundry, which she thought only fair. He then asked about Otis and Opal.
“They ran away about six weeks before I did,” Sable replied. “I thought maybe they’d come to this camp, but so far I’ve not seen them.”
Thinking about the Fontaine housekeeper and her husband made a long-forgotten memory rise. She asked her brother, “Remember the time she caught us snitching those tea cakes she’d made for Silly Ann’s Christmas tea?”
Rhi
ne grinned. “Do I? Andrew must’ve eaten a dozen before she caught us. Not only did we have to wash every window in the house. We couldn’t sit for a week.”
Sable laughed. “I can still hear her and Silly Ann yelling at us.”
They were still laughing when the major strolled up, carrying a few shirts. Upon seeing the two of them together he paused, and Sable wondered why he looked so displeased. His disgruntled expression suggested he would move on to another woman, but much to her dismay, he came to her station.
“Good morning, Miss Fontaine.”
Uncertain of his mood, Sable nodded in response. “Major.”
Rhine saluted. “Good morning, Major.”
He returned both the salute and the greeting. “Good morning, Sergeant. Here to avail yourself of Miss Fontaine’s services?”
Was it her imagination, or did the major seem to be intimating she might be offering more than laundry service?
Apparently her brother felt the same sting, because he looked LeVeq in the eye and said coolly, “If you mean am I here to have my wash done, yes sir, I am.”
The major looked over at the large pile of wash awaiting Sable’s attention and replied smoothly, “Alas, Miss Fontaine seems to be a bit behind. Maybe you should see one of the other laundresses.”
“I made my arrangements last night, sir.”
Rhine had always possessed a quick mind, but the major didn’t seem to appreciate it. “When last night?”
“Last evening when I came over to followup on her report of the theft, sir.”
“Well, soldier, I outrank you. Find someone else to wash your drawers.”
Sable’s mouth fell open in astonishment. Of all the arrogant, high-handed…She gritted her teeth. “Major, his coin is as good as yours, and he was here first. You find someone else.”
She was certain LeVeq was not accustomed to being spoken to in such a manner, but she really didn’t care. How dare he act so rude! Ignoring him, she told her brother, “Sergeant, please, hand me your things.”
Tight-lipped, Rhine complied, and she placed his bundle atop the pile of items to be washed. “I’ll have these for you tomorrow.”
She then looked at LeVeq and asked, “Are you still here?”
His eyes sparkled dangerously. “Yes, Miss Fontaine, I am.” And while still holding her eyes he said to Rhine, “Sergeant, you’ve conducted your business. Don’t you have a detail this morning?”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“Then be on your way.”
Rhine looked to Sable, only to have the officer add warningly, “Now, soldier.”
Rhine saluted angrily. “Yes, sir!”
He turned crisply and headed back toward the main camp.
Watching him leave, Sable was furious. “You are possibly the most arrogant man I’ve ever met.”
“Merci beaucoup, mademoiselle,” he replied and bowed.
Irate, Sable snatched the pile of laundry from his hand. “Be gone. I’ll have these done tomorrow. Send an aide to retrieve them.”
“And miss the opportunity to watch your eyes flash like a storm at sea? No, I will be back to retrieve them. Au revoir, Miss Fontaine.”
As he marched away, Bridget sidled over. “You really don’t like him, do you?”
Shooting daggers at his back, Sable confessed, “At this moment, no. Not at all.”
Back near his tent, Raimond was angrily tossing darts at a board set up on a tree and thinking, How dare that little contraband take up with another man! He’d seen how she’d smiled up into the soldier’s eyes, her face filled with a warmth he’d yet to have directed his way. He was not accustomed to being either ignored or verbally flayed by a woman he desired. He walked over to the board and snatched the darts free, retreated a few paces, and began hurling them again.
In the midst of his bad mood, Andre Renaud walked up, eyed the darts sticking haphazardly out of the board, and drawled dryly, “I assume you are not trying to hit the mark?”
“Shut up, Renaud.”
Andre raised an eyebrow. “What gator bit your nose?”
Raimond flung another dart. “A green-eyed one named Sable Fontaine.” A whistling dart struck nowhere near the center.
“Ah,” Andre replied sagely. “It seems there is one woman in the world immune to the charms of the eldest son of the house of LeVeq.”
Raimond’s eyes flashed like an angry god’s.
“This will definitely go into my next letter to Galeno,” Andre added.
“If you reveal even a sniff of this to Galeno, I will personally toss you into the nearest privy.”
“He will enjoy hearing of it.”
“Don’t you have some duties to attend?”
“No sir, everything is under control.”
“Then go and see what you can find out about a White soldier named Rhine Clark. He seems to be paying Miss Fontaine a bit of attention.”
“Is he a rival for your lovely contraband’s affections?”
“Just do as I asked, Andre.”
“The answer must be yes. I believe Galeno is going to fall out of his chair laughing when he reads about this.”
Raimond turned on Andre with yet another malevolent look, and a grinning Andre said, “I’m going, I’m going.”
After Andre’s departure, Raimond snatched the darts from the target and took them back inside the tent. Sable Fontaine had him in knots—not only had she not returned for dinner the evening after finding Patrick’s kin, but she seemed no more interested in him than she’d been the first night they’d met. He had never confronted such a situation before. Didn’t this contraband know the LeVeq charm had dazzled women all over the world? Didn’t she know that whenever he pulled into port, no matter where, no matter what hour, women flocked to him like birds to corn? They all wanted to be with him, to share his bed, to bask in his smile. Being around Sable Fontaine was definitely a humbling experience, especially coupled with the evidence that she might be keeping time with another man. What was wrong with her? Had his physical attributes suddenly changed? Had he awakened this morning as ugly and misshapen as Shakespeare’s Caliban? He didn’t understand any of it, and her even less.
Andre returned later that evening with a report on Rhine Clark. He had just opened his mouth to speak when Sable came barreling into the tent. She angrily and forcefully threw Raimond’s clean but wet shirts against his chest and sailed out. An astonished Raimond met the equally astonished eyes of Andre, who, on the heels of her startling appearance and exit, burst into laughter. Growling, Raimond went after her.
Sable was hurrying as fast as her legs could carry her. All day long, the more she’d thought about the major’s behavior that morning, the madder she’d gotten. How dare he intimate that she was offering more than laundry! Her original intent had been to return his shirts and give His Royal Arrogantness a good piece of her mind, but by the time she’d marched across camp to his tent, she’d worked up so much indignation that throwing his shirts at him had been by far the safer option. A minute alone with him and she might have done him bodily harm.
Sable marched past many familiar faces as she went. They all looked at her a bit strangely, but she didn’t stop.
She also didn’t get very far.
She had no idea he’d followed her until he tackled her from behind and threw her over his shoulder. Her yells of outrage, her kicks and flailings, were all ignored as he clamped a big arm across the back of her knees and proceeded to carry her through camp like a sack of meal.
“Put me down, you insufferable Frenchman!”
“Or what? You’ll hit me with more wet shirts?” He did not break his stride. “Quit squirming before I drop you on your head.”
Many camp dwellers stopped in their tracks to view the determined major carrying the boisterous and fuming laundress over his shoulder. Some even clapped—mostly men. When Raimond passed Avery standing in front of his tent, an upside-down Sable demanded that Avery do something. He only grinned.
Once ba
ck in his tent, Raimond turned to Andre, who’d followed them, and said, “Miss Fontaine will be staying for dinner.”
“I will not! Put me down!”
Raimond ignored her outburst. “Make the arrangements, Andre.”
“Stay where you are Andre! The only thing I will be having for dinner is his head! Release me this instant!”
“Go, Andre.”
Grinning Andre saluted and left to do his major’s bidding.
Raimond eased her feet to the ground and beheld the absolute fury in her eyes.
“Who is your commanding officer?” she demanded.
Raimond scratched his head. “Actually, I don’t have one.”
“There has to be someone to whom I can report this outrage.”
Chuckling at her angry indignation, he bowed elegantly. “I apologize if my methods were a bit unorthodox.”
“A bit! Do you know how much gossip you’ve created, carrying me through camp like a sack of yams?”
He poured a cup of water from a pitcher. “Refreshment?”
“Charm does not become you.”
As Raimond drank, he watched her over the cup and wondered if this was how Galeno had become enraptured with his wife, Hester. Had he experienced this same, nearly overwhelming urge to take on the challenge of winning her for his own?
Sable wanted to box his ears. For the first time in her life she wished she were a male so she could order him to choose a weapon and meet her at dawn. He was far too handsome for his own good, and even in the throes of wanting to feed his liver to a hog, she couldn’t deny how he affected her. She didn’t want to be attracted to him in any fashion, but it appeared she was. Still, she would continue to fight it, because she knew instinctively that for Raimond LeVeq women were dessert, and dessert was probably his favorite meal.
“Mrs. Reese is expecting me back,” she informed him.
“I’ll escort you there after we’ve eaten.”
“I’m not staying. Not even a man as arrogant as you can make me eat against my will.”