ONCE LUNCH CONCLUDED, the girls climbed back into the buggy and started their trip back to the townhouse. As they traveled down a busy street, Emma saw something. Or someone. She grabbed Sophie’s hand. “Is that Rose?” she whispered.
“Where?” Sophie whispered back and looked behind them.
The woman they were referring to looked sideways just as the girls turned.
“It is, Sophie! I think that’s Rose!”
Sophie shook her head. “It couldn’t be, Em. She was staying back with Richard, right?”
“Sophie, it was Rose. I’m sure of it.”
“We’ll talk to the guys later. Maybe Clayton knows something.”
Emma nodded. “Okay.”
Arriving at the townhouse, Gwen pulled up to the front of the house and set the brake.
“Would you like to stay for tea?” Emma asked as she stepped from the buggy.
Gwen shook her head. “I would love to, but I’m meeting Mrs. Lincoln to help her plan a ball. I will see you in a day or so though.”
Sophie gasped and Emma squeezed her hand. “We’ll see you later, then. Thanks for the tour.”
Gwen waved and took off toward the White House.
Emma raised an eyebrow at her sister’s deer-in-the-headlight look. “Don’t freak.”
Sophie went white. “No!”
Emma nodded. “Um, yes. She’s a close personal friend of Mary Todd Lincoln.”
“Hold that thought. I’m going to be sick.” Sophie ran for her room.
Emma removed her gloves and cloak and went to find Sophie.
She pushed open her sister’s door. “Soph?” Sophie was leaning over the chamber pot losing her lunch. Literally.
“Are you okay?” Emma rushed to her side.
Sophie groaned. “The baby’s killing me.”
“Where are your pills?”
“They’re in my reticule.”
Emma retrieved the pills and grabbed Sophie a glass of water. “You look so pathetic right now.”
“I know.” Sophie took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed. “Give me a minute. I need to ride Samson before it gets dark.”
“I’m not sure if you should ride right now.”
“I have to.”
Emma sat next to her. “Maybe you should wait for Jamie.”
“It’ll be fine, Em. You can go with me. We won’t go far.”
“You’re probably right. I’m sure there’s a nice horse in the carriage house.” Emma stood. “I’ll go change really quick.”
The girls wore their newly made breeches under their skirts. They set out for the carriage house, excited about their ride.
Sophie whistled for Samson, who whinnied for her and stuck his head out of the stall in greeting. She asked Jack to saddle one of the other horses for Emma and then had Emma help with Samson.
Sophie sighed. “He’s so calm with you, Em.”
Emma tightened the girth. “He probably senses you and I are related.”
“Well, I hope you can ride him when I get too big.” Sophie poked her head over his back. “I’m not sure how long Jamie will let me once I start to show.”
“He’s beautiful. I’d love to ride him.”
“Mrs. Madden, I have your mount.”
“Thanks, Jack.”
Emma mounted from the ground, but Sophie had to use the mounting block, so it took a little extra time to get going. The girls spent the next two hours exploring their new city. They even found a stretch of land where they could run, which was really what Samson needed.
They arrived back at the stable, elated and with very tired horses. Sophie had to slide off Samson butt first, but he stayed perfectly still, almost as though he knew she needed his support. “Good boy, Sammy.”
As they walked inside, Emma decided that a bath was called for before dinner and organized one for Sophie as well.
* * *
Jamie paced the length of Clayton’s office while Christopher and Clayton sifted through the mountain of paperwork they’d accumulated over the past three months.
“I have to tell Sophie what’s going on.”
Clayton shook his head. “You can’t.”
Christopher studied one particular message delivered that morning. “I agree,” he said distractedly.
Jamie dragged his hands down his face. “She already knows something’s going on. If she suspects I’m lying to her, I don’t know what she’ll do.”
Christopher raised an eyebrow. “She’s a woman, James. You have the power to dictate her actions.”
Jamie snorted. “You don’t know my wife.”
Clayton signed the bottom of one of the pages he had been reading and leaned back in his chair. “Jamie, you can say nothing to Sophie or Emma. If they know, they’ll be in the path of danger.”
“I don’t like this, Clayton.” Jamie scowled. “Sophie will kill me when she finds out.”
Clayton rose to his feet. “As long as she finds out after we’ve dealt with the threat.”
* * *
Emma was dozing in the warm water when she felt soft lips on hers. “Fabio! I told you, we can’t do this here, my husband might find out.”
“Can this Fabio person do this to you?” Clayton chuckled and moved his hand under the water, sliding it between her legs. “Or this?” he asked, adding pressure to her clit.
Emma sighed as she reluctantly opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Hi.”
“How was your day?”
“I have other things on my mind than how my day was, Mr. Madden. I suggest you get naked quickly.” He laughed. Emma cocked her head in question. “Do you think this is a joke?”
“No ma’am. Yes ma’am.” He pulled his shirt over his head. “I will take care of that immediately, ma’am.”
Emma giggled. “I hope it’s always this easy to make you obey.”
He lifted her out of the tub and pulled her wet body closer for a kiss. She ran her hand down his bare chest. “I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of this view.”
Clayton lowered her to the ground and handed her a towel. “I believe my view is far better.”
Emma grinned. “You’re soaked.”
“Not for long.” He kissed her nose. “You ordered me to remove my clothes, remember?”
“Get to it, then.” He laughed as he made his way into their bedroom. Emma followed. “How was it being back at work?”
“Frantic. The President’s trip to Gettysburg is only a couple of weeks away.”
“Are we going to go?”
“If you’d like to, I think that can be arranged.”
“You don’t know my sister.” Emma secured her towel and sat on the bed. “She would absolutely die if she didn’t.”
Clayton washed his face and turned to her as he dragged a washcloth over his chin. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Sophie’s a huge Civil War buff.”
“How so?”
“For one, her library at home was filled with Lincoln biographies, Grant’s memoirs, anything relating to the war.”
Clayton lowered the washcloth. “Grant writes a memoir?”
Emma nodded. “Yes, apparently so. She used to do reenactments all over the country before she got sick. You should ask her about it. She remembers dates and places like no one else. If you ever need to know anything relating to the war, Clay, she’s the one to ask. I know it’s probably still strange for you, but seriously, she’s an encyclopedia.”
He removed his shoes and stood in front of her. “What’s the significance of Gettysburg for her?”
“The President is going to give what ends up being one of the most well-documented and profound speeches ever given. When Sophie talks about the President, her whole face lights up. I think that if she was able to attend this particular speech, she would probably never have to see anything else.”
“I’ll make it happen, then. We wouldn’t want to disappoint Sophie.”
Emma giggled. “No, we wouldn’t.”
“More importantly, however, I would hate to disappoint you, so I believe we should take care of you.” Clayton removed her towel and leaned down to kiss her.
“Mmm… more of that, please.” Emma pushed his pants from his hips and spent the next hour welcoming her husband home.
* * *
Clayton and Emma joined the Fords in the dining room for a late dinner. Clayton held the chair for Emma and waited for her to take a seat. “Did you enjoy your tour?”
Emma laid her napkin on her lap. “Yes. The city’s beautiful.”
Clayton sat at the head of the table. “Was Gwen able to show you much?”
Sophie nodded. “A bit, but it was the ride later when we got to really explore.”
“Ride?” Jamie broke in.
Sophie took a sip of water. “Yes, I took Samson out.”
Jamie leaned forward and glared. “Excuse me?”
“Well, with Emma, of course.”
Jamie laid his fork down slowly. “You took Samson out, with Emma of course?” His tone grew lethal.
Sophie rolled her eyes. “Jamie, it was a short ride.”
“A short ride.”
Emma glanced at Clayton and then back at Jamie.
Was that steam coming off his head?
“Excuse us.” Jamie took Sophie’s arm and pulled her away from the table. He pushed her out into the hallway. “What the hell were you thinking to go riding alone in a strange city without me?”
“I wasn’t alone, I was with Emma.”
“Emma’s in a strange city as well, Sophie!”
Emma squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of his anger.
“We were together, so we weren’t alone,” Sophie argued.
“Damn it, Sophie, don’t you dare try to mince words with me!”
The door to the parlor slammed shut and then all they heard was muffled yelling.
“Emma.” Clayton’s voice was laced with warning.
She turned to look at him. “Yes, Clayton.”
“Explain, please.”
“What’s to explain? We went for a short ride because Samson was freaking out. He needed to be ridden, and it’s not like Sophie could have gone by herself. That would have been dangerous.”
He took a deep breath. “Never again are you to ride anywhere without either me or Jamie. I would even be all right with Christopher, but no one else.”
“What if none of you are available?” Emma crossed her arms and sat back with a huff. “You let us ride around alone with Gwen today.”
“Then take Walter.”
“What if he’s not available?”
“Then you stay home.”
Emma slapped her hands on the table. “You can’t be serious!”
“Do I make myself clear, Emma?”
“Crystal!” she snapped and stood.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m leaving.”
“Sit down, Emma. This conversation is not over.” Clayton didn’t raise his voice, but she felt his anger just the same.
“Yes, it is.” She walked out of the room, but heard the scrape of a chair and his familiar footsteps behind her.
“Get back here.”
She kept going. “No.”
“Emma, we’re not finished.”
“You might not be, but I sure as hell am,” she fired back and started up the stairs. She was almost to the top of the staircase when she was lifted into his arms and thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She pounded his back and tried to yell, but couldn’t catch her breath. “What are you doing, you Neanderthal? Put me down!”
He carried her down the hall, through their sitting room, and into their bedroom, where he threw her unceremoniously onto the bed.
“Why are you being such an ass?” Emma screamed.
“Women do not simply go for a ride alone in this century. Especially my wife.”
“Why?” Emma hissed as she sat up. “Because I’m the so-called fairer sex?”
He paced the room. “You cannot comprehend the dangers for you outside of this house, without a man to protect you.”
“Oh, please! The melodrama. Sophie and I know how to take care of ourselves.”
Clayton took a long deep breath and ran his fingers slowly through his hair. “What would you do, Emma, if something happened to one of you? Explain to me how you would take care of yourself?”
“Well, I would call—”
“You would what?”
“Um, I would find a police officer or a soldier.”
“Really?” He crossed his arms. “And if there wasn’t one around, what would you do?”
“I would—”
“What, Emma? What would you do?”
“Well, I would…” She didn’t know.
He was right and she hated that. She realized she couldn’t just whip out her cell phone or jump in a cab. She wouldn’t be able to find a local hospital or lots of other things she could in the future.
The bluster went right out of her and she realized how stupid they’d been. They didn’t know anyone here and they didn’t know their way around. It could have been a dangerous situation and neither of them even thought about it.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “You’re right.”
“Come here, sweetheart.”
She stood and walked into his arms.
“If anything ever happened to you, I don’t know what I would do. I love you and I want you safe. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand, but it wasn’t like we thought about it and decided we didn’t care. We used to go riding alone all the time at home.”
He stroked her hair. “It’s different here.”
“I know.” She laid her cheek against his chest. “At home, we had cell phones.”
“What’s a cell phone?”
“It’s very complicated.”
“Why don’t you explain?”
She pulled away and looked up at him. “I think I should start at the beginning.”
“Should we sit down?”
“Probably.”
He sat on one of the chairs that faced the fireplace and pulled her onto his lap. “Please, continue.”
“A telephone will be invented, I’m not sure when. Sophie probably does. Anyway, Alexander Graham Bell invents this device that will allow people to talk in real time. For instance, if you’re at work, I could pick up the phone in this room, dial a number and we’d be able to speak – voice to voice. A cell phone utilizes cell towers and satellites and it allows you to take it anywhere in the world. You don’t have to plug it into the wall.”
“What do you mean by ‘plug it into the wall’?”
“In the future there’s electricity, so you don’t have to light a candle to create light. You can just flip a switch on the wall, or plug a cord into the wall for a lamp to illuminate.”
His eyes widened. “That’s amazing.”
“I know. Pretty cool, huh?”
“Yes, but still not a diversion enough to get you off the hook.”
“Dang it!”
Clayton chuckled quietly. “Sweet, you need to remember who you’re married to. I don’t want to scare you unnecessarily, but at the same time, you need to be a little extra careful. These are dangerous times and I have enemies.”
Emma sighed. “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll be much more careful.”
He gave her a squeeze. “That’s all I ask.”
“Oh! I almost forgot. I saw Rose today.”
“What? Where?”
“Over by the park.”
“Are you certain?”
She nodded. “I’m sure it was her.”
“Did she see you?”
“No, we were in the buggy with Gwen, so pretty hidden.” Emma sighed. “Do you believe me now, that she’s up to something?”
He frowned. “I wonder what her game is?”
Emma shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m hungry. Can we go back downstairs and finish dinner, please?”
“Yes, sweet.”
They made their way downstairs and heard more yelling coming from the parlor.
“Do I need to remind you of the stable incident, Sophie?” Jamie yelled.
“Oh, nice, throw that back in my face! You are such an ass!”
“You cannot just go off and do whatever the hell you want here. Think, Sophie. It’s a different time, not to mention a place you’re not familiar with.”
“Samson needed to be ridden, James. So, what exactly would you have had me do? Let him kick the stall out? He barreled poor Jack down trying to get free.”
“You aren’t listening to me!”
“Perhaps because you’re talking out of your ass!”
“I’m about ready to send Samson back.”
“You wouldn’t!” Sophie bellowed.
“I would if it means your safety. I’m sick of you putting yourself and our baby in danger, and I won’t sit by and watch you continue to do it. Pull anything like this again and that damn horse gets shipped back.”
Clayton pulled Emma away from the parlor and back into the dining room. Emma grimaced as she took her seat. “I’ve never heard Jamie that mad before.” She started to stand. “I wonder if I should go help.”
Clayton grabbed her hand. “No. They need to work it out themselves.”
Emma gave a little huff. They heard a door slam and then a few minutes later, Jamie walked in and sat at the table.
Clayton handed him a glass of whiskey. “Is everything all right?”
Jamie downed the drink. “It will be.”
“Where’s Sophie?” Emma asked.
“In our room.”
“I’ll make her a tray. She didn’t eat much.”
Jamie sighed. “Fine.”
Emma prepared a plate for Sophie and then made her way to her bedroom and knocked on the door. No one answered, so she pushed the door open. “Sophie? I brought you a tray.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Emma set the tray on the nightstand. “You need to eat, Sophie. You’ll get sick if you don’t.” Sophie sat up and wiped the tears from her face. Emma handed her a handkerchief. “If it’s any consolation, Clayton was pretty angry too.”
“Jamie’s so smothering at the moment and it’s driving me crazy.”
“Um, hello… you’re pregnant.”
Sophie shook her head. “No, there’s something else going on, but he refuses to talk to me about it.”
“Are you sure it’s not because you had a scare a little while ago?”
“No. It’s more than that. And now he’s threatening to send Sammy back.” Sophie rubbed her temples. “He’s been weird ever since they had that conversation with Topper. He’s being such a jerk.”
Emma sighed. “Did you ask Jamie what was going on?”
Sophie picked up a piece of bread and took a bite. “Of course I did. He won’t tell me.”
“Well, it’s obvious they both know something we don’t, so even if we hate it, maybe it would be better to be careful.”
Sophie shook her head. “He’s lying to me, Emma.”
* * *
In a small row house on the outskirts of D.C., two men and one woman discussed their plans to take care of what they referred to as “The Problem.”
“They arrived yesterday. They brought her sister and brother-in-law with them. That’s a complication I was not expecting.”
“Darlin’, it’s a small snafu. Nothin’ we can’t take care of. James is with Clayton all day and the bitch’s sister is pregnant. She won’t be difficult to subdue.”
“It has to happen before they leave for Gettysburg. If we can’t get the information from her husband, we won’t be able to take care of the problem. He needs a certain motivation.”
“You were supposed to take care of the Wade boy. That should have been motivation enough.”
“We didn’t count on him being smart, Tony. That was your first mistake.”
“I say we take care of them Monday, unless we can nab ’em this weekend. Lew, are you prepared? Don’t kill them, understand? We’ll just grab them and take them to the hideout.”
“I understand. I’ll take care of it.”