SAM LEFT EARLY the next morning without waking Rayne. He met Crow just as he was leaving the prison and they discussed the process of trying to sort out the truth behind Rose Johnson’s accusations. Crow left to interview the guards and Sam made his way inside.
He greeted Christopher as he entered his office and noticed Hannah going over some notes. She had interviewed Rose at the request of Christopher and agreed something wasn’t quite right. Christopher handed her a glass of water. “What are your thoughts, sweetheart?”
“She has some severe bruising…” Hannah let out a frustrated sigh. “But Rose does not appear to be acting like a rape victim.”
Sam settled into his desk chair. “How does a rape victim act?”
Hannah sipped her water and then set it aside. “For one, they usually want to bathe. Several times. To wash the feeling of the rapist away. She has not asked once for a bath. Another flag is that she doesn’t seem frightened. If she were in fact raped by one of the guards, then she would show fear toward the other male guards. However, she’s still playing the damsel in distress, bordering on flirtation.”
“What’s your suggestion?” Christopher sat down across from her.
Hannah laid her notebook down with a slap. “I think Stephen should examine her.”
Sam shook his head. “We already had a doctor examine her.”
“But he didn’t check for vaginal tearing or other rape injuries.”
Sam cleared his throat, unaccustomed to such a personal conversation with a woman. “Is that significant?”
Hannah nodded. “It is to determine rape. I hate to say this, but it’s possible she was beaten up, but not raped.”
Christopher let out a grunt. “That would be just as bad!”
“It would be if the guard did it, Knight.” Hannah frowned. “But I think you need to consider another option.”
“Which is?”
“Her brother did it,” Hannah said.
Christopher shook his head. “How could you say that? As cruel as Tim might be, he would never hurt Rose.”
“Unless she asked him to.”
“Could you explain your theory, please?” Sam asked.
Hannah nodded. “What if Tim’s beating of the guard was so that his fists were battered enough to hide the fact he was planning to beat Rose for purposes of her crying rape? Or, perhaps she got the idea once she saw how bad his hands looked.”
Sam shook his head. “When would he have done it? We’ve had guards on them at all times.”
Hannah glanced at her husband. “Didn’t you tell me she tended him after he beat the guard?”
Christopher nodded. “Yes.”
“Her face was unharmed when she left him.” Sam leaned his forearms on his desk. “We would have noticed.”
Hannah crossed her arms. “He could have done the body beating while they were alone. She could have taken care of her face on her own.”
Christopher frowned. “Rose is the ultimate southern lady, Hannah. She would have never beat herself.”
Hannah stood and started to pace. “Knight. If I had a mission that could affect the outcome of this war, you better believe I’d do whatever I needed to do in order to complete it.”
“If this is all true,” Sam said, “she’s obviously not someone to trifle with.”
Christopher squeezed Hannah’s arm. “Well, you’re the expert in this area. If you say we need Stephen, then I’ll send him a wire.”
“Good.” Hannah lifted her chin for a kiss and quickly put her hand on her stomach. “Ooh.”
“What’s amiss?” Christopher frowned.
“Your son is doing cartwheels.”
“Sit down, sweetheart.”
Sam stood. “Should I get a doctor?”
Hannah laughed from her chair. “No, I’m fine. The baby’s just moving a lot. He’s going to be a rugby player.” Christopher squatted in front of her. Hannah smiled. “Knight, I’m fine. Here, feel.” She placed his hand on her stomach and held it in place as the baby kicked.
Sam decided to give the couple some privacy and quietly left the room. He spent the next hour making his rounds, checking every area of the prison. So far everything was calm. The guards were alert and aware of the events of the past few days, so were taking extra precautions, and for now the prisoners were behaving themselves.
Sam made his way back to his office, surprised to find Rayne waiting for him inside. “Angel?”
She turned and smiled. “Hi.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m great. I was hoping you might have time for lunch.”
Closing the office door, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “I’d love to have lunch. Of course, there are other things I’d rather do.”
“Don’t you dare start,” she admonished. “I woke up frustrated after a very vivid dream.”
“Oh?”
Whispering as she ran her hands under his jacket, she placed her hands flat on his chest. “Yes, you were doing things to me that I probably shouldn’t say out loud, but I’ll show you later if you like.”
He kissed her again. “Now how am I going to last the rest of the day?”
Rayne giggled and pulled herself away. “If I have to suffer, you have to suffer.”
She gathered the basket she had set on one of the chairs and he cleared a place on his desk for the food. She unpacked everything and they sat down to eat. He sat at his desk and she sat facing him in one of the cushioned chairs. Kicking off her shoes, she slid her feet under his thighs for warmth. “How’s your day going so far?”
“It’s progressing quite well. How are you feeling? Are you tired?”
“I feel fine. I got to sleep in this morning.” She bit into her sandwich. “It’s a good thing, too. My husband kept me up late doing very naughty things to me.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Did he?”
“Yes. He is a very, very bad man.”
Sam smiled as he slipped his hand under her skirts and squeezed her leg. “My wife did some very naughty things to me also.”
“You don’t say? What a coincidence.” He moved his hand farther up her leg. She jumped in surprise. “What are you doing?”
“Naughty things,” he whispered.
She squeezed her eyes shut. “I might scream and I don’t see any pillows lying around.”
Sam chuckled as he took her feet and laid them gently on his lap. He picked one up and rubbed it. “Where is Victoria today?”
“She and Emma went riding. They were going to leave the buggy at the war offices, so I’ll meet them over there when we’re done and they’ll take me home. When will you be finished here?”
“Not long. However, I have something planned for later.”
“What have you planned?”
Sam grinned. “It’s a secret.”
“Hm. Will it involve you and me naked at some point?”
Sam let out a loud laugh. “Yes, Angel, we will be naked at some point.”
Rayne shrugged. “That’s all I care about.”
A knock came at the door and Rayne removed her feet from his lap. She slipped her shoes back on and stood as Sam called for the person to open the door.
“Excuse me, sir, we have received a missive for you.”
“Thank you, Paul. May I present my wife? Rayne, this is one of our senior guards, Paul Seward.”
Rayne reached her hand out and the man took it in a firm grip. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Seward.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Powell.”
“Excellent.” Sam refolded the note and turned to Paul. “Dr. Paxton will be arriving Monday morning to examine Miss Johnson. Please prepare one of the private rooms so that he may examine her. Do not say anything to anyone else.”
“Yes sir.” Bowing to Rayne, the guard left Sam’s office.
“I should let you get back to work,” Rayne said. “Can you walk me over to Chris’s office, please?”
He kicked the door shut and pulled her into his arms. “I can… however, in just one more minute.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she sighed as he gave her a deep kiss. “How long until my surprise and you naked?”
Sam chuckled. “One hour. I’ll be by the house to collect you at two.”
“Okay. One hour. Do I need to bring anything?”
He smiled down at her. “Just those undergarments you wore at the hotel.”
“Really? One hour, huh? Could we make it fifteen minutes?”
“Don’t tempt me, Angel.” He grabbed her heavy coat and gloves. “I’ll walk you over to the offices.”
He helped her with her outerwear, gathered the remnants of their lunch, and packed it back into the basket. She took his arm and they walked over to the war offices to meet Victoria.
* * *
Rayne was pacing the parlor of the Butler’s townhouse when Sam arrived, just past two. “You’re late.”
Sam chuckled and looked at his pocket watch. “Forgive me, Angel. I am three minutes late. It will never happen again.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Are you ready?”
“So ready!”
Sam led her outside to a hired buggy waiting for them. He lifted her in and they took off to his secret destination.
“The train station?” she asked in confusion as the cab pulled up to the building.
He paid the driver and lifted her down. They made their way to the train platform and stepped inside one of the passenger cars.
“Oh! We’re going home.”
Sam grinned. “We’re going home. We have to be back on Sunday, but we have the rest of today and all day tomorrow to explore.”
Rayne clapped her hands in excitement. “I can’t wait!”
The train pulled into Camden Station an hour later and they disembarked. Sam hired another buggy and Rayne gripped his hand as they rode through the countryside. It was beautiful and so expansive. The driver drove between two large brick columns and onto a road with full-grown trees on each side that formed the most spectacular archway.
Rayne squeezed Sam’s knee in excitement. He leaned back against the seat, relaxed, while she sat on the edge. He smiled at the look of bliss on her face and she turned back to the scenery. “Not far now, Angel.”
Rayne was in a state of shock as the driver pulled up in front of the house. It wasn’t just a house. It was a bona fide antebellum plantation. She said nothing as Sam paid the man and lifted her from the buggy. Before she was able to gather her wits about her, a large black woman came out onto the porch. “Massah Powell! Welcome home.”
“Tandy, how is everything?”
“Jus’ fine,” she said. “Elijah’s tendin’ to the crops so’s they don’ freeze.”
Sam grinned. “Excellent. I’ll speak with him when he gets back from the field.”
“Yessuh.”
“This is your new mistress, Tandy. Rayne, this is Tandy.”
Rayne scowled at him and Sam raised an eyebrow at her in question.
Tandy grinned. “Welcome, Missus Powell, it sho’ is a pleasure.”
Rayne forced a smile. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Tandy. I look forward to getting to know you.”
“Let me show you inside, Angel.” He took Rayne’s hand, which she quickly pulled from him. He continued inside and led her to a spacious room at the back of the house. She surmised it was his office, with the large desk by the window and paperwork stacked neatly on top of it. When he followed her in, he closed the door and raised an eyebrow. “What’s amiss?”
“You didn’t tell me you owned slaves,” she snapped.
“I don’t.”
Rayne crossed her arms. “Right. A black woman comes out and calls you ‘massah’ and you expect me to believe that. Try again.”
“Sweetheart, all of my workers are freed Negroes. They earn a wage on top of their room and board, which is also on my land.”
Rayne scowled. “I hate that word.”
“What word?”
“Negroes.” She grunted. “It’s so debasing.”
“It is?” He frowned in confusion.
She took a deep breath. “It is in the future.”
Sam rubbed his head in confusion. “It’s what they call themselves.”
“I know, Sam,” she said with a sigh. “I’m sorry. Explain how your workers came here.”
He led her to a chair in front of the fireplace. Once she was seated, he sat in the seat next to her and settled his ankle on his knee. “This was my mother’s childhood home. She was the oldest of four sisters, and without brothers, she would have inherited when my grandmother dies, however, I have taken possession. Tandy’s mother was my mother’s nurse. Tandy essentially grew up with my mother, although they weren’t equal.”
Rayne bit her lip, but refrained from making a snarky comment.
“My mother moved into my father’s home when they married, and the rest of my aunts married over the next ten years. My grandfather died when I was young, I never knew him.”
“Then, why doesn’t your grandmother live here?”
Sam shook his head. “The homestead is far too large for her to manage. She lives with my aunt in Boston.”
Rayne tucked her feet under her bottom. “How did you end up here?”
“My parents bought it from my grandmother ten years ago, and when I turned twenty-one, my parents decided it was time for me to take over responsibility, so it was deeded to me.”
“That seems so young!” Rayne exclaimed.
“If I hadn’t already seen what I’d seen, I may have agreed with you,” he said quietly.
She set her chin in the heel of her hand. “War?”
“Yes.” Sam sighed. “It wasn’t a particularly difficult decision. I have always loved this land, so I signed the deed and immediately freed every Negro on the property. My mother was livid.”
Rayne frowned. “Why?”
“She’s very traditional. Marrying my father turned her world upside down. Much to her disgust, he believes in the Union, but it has taken my mother years to come to a tentative understanding of what it all means. She still views the people on her plantation as slaves, so when I made them equal, she didn’t know quite how to react.”
“I’ll refrain from comment.”
“Why start now?”
“You’re very funny,” she retorted. “Do you really pay your workers?”
He nodded. “Every one of them. I also give a bonus for extra hard work, or if we have an exceptionally good crop.”
Rayne sat back in the chair. “Do you provide lessons for the children?”
“School?”
Rayne nodded. “Yes.”
“No.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“It’s extremely controversial, not to mention dangerous. There has been some backlash for plantation owners who offer it and since I’m not here at all times, the thought of anyone being hurt doesn’t sit well with me.”
“Can I? If I’m very discreet?”
He considered her question for a few minutes before answering. “If you’re careful about it and the workers agree, then yes. My main concern, Rayne, is your safety, so if there is even a hint of danger, it’ll be stopped.”
“Or postponed?”
Sam chuckled. “All right, Angel. Postponed.”
“Thank you.” She jumped from the chair and held her hand out to him. “Okay, I’m ready for the tour now.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. Show me the bedroom last though, because I plan to do unspeakable things to you in there.”
Sam laughed and led her out of the office. “I have a surprise for you. Something I hope you will use for years to come.”
“Intriguing.” He guided her back toward the front of the house and to a room to the right of the front door. Rayne gasped as she stepped into the room. “Is that what I think it is?”
Sam smiled. “If you think it’s a piano, then, yes.”
Rayne let out a tiny squeal and rushed to the grand piano. “Not just any piano, Sam. A Steinway. Did you know that this grand piano, with patent resonator and patent double-repeating action…” She investigated every inch, “…has a rosewood case, three carved serpentine legs, and a fretwork system?”
He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. “I was vaguely aware of that, yes.”
Rayne ran her fingers over the keys and smiled over at him. “And did you know that by the eighteen-sixties...which is now, isn’t it?” She shook her head with a giggle. “Anyway, Steinway & Sons will become the leading piano manufacturer in America. The company’s innovations will be adopted by piano manufacturers all over the world.”
Sam chuckled. “I thought history wasn’t your subject, Angel.”
Rayne rushed to him and threw herself in his arms. “When it comes to pianos, I know a little bit.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Do you like it?”
“I adore it! How long have you had it?”
“It was delivered yesterday.”
Rayne glanced up at him. “Shut up… you did not.”
“I did.” He took her hand and pulled her back toward the hallway. “I ordered it the night you sang at Emma’s house. I thought it would never get here.”
“Sam.” She pulled on his hand to stop him from walking. “Are you serious?”
He faced her. “Yes. Of course. It’s a wedding present, and I wanted you to have the best.” Rayne burst into tears and Sam frowned. “Angel? What’s amiss? Do you not like it?”
She shook her head. “It’s just the best and most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received. No one has ever “gotten” me the way you do. You understand everything.”
He stroked her back. “I love you, silly girl. I’m supposed to understand everything.” She nodded into his chest. “Now, come and see your other surprise, so we can relax in the music room later. I’d love you to play for me.”
“There’s more?” she asked incredulously.
Sam chuckled as he took her hand and led her upstairs. Stopping in front of a nondescript door, he turned the knob. “This has been redecorated for you. I hope you like it.”
“Redecorated?”
Sam nodded. “Have a look.”
Rayne stepped inside the room and gasped. “Sam!”
“This was my grandmother’s personal parlor. She used to come here every afternoon for tea and often let me play with my soldiers on the floor… much to my mother’s dismay.”
The room was quintessentially nineteenth-century. Two light blue brocade sofas sat next to each other against the wall, while two walnut ladies’ chairs with matching fabric flanked the fireplace. The walls were white-washed and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves covered the south wall. Rayne tried to take everything in but every time her eye caught something, she was drawn to something else.
She ran her fingers over the chess set, neatly set up on the table nestled between the chairs. She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know how to play chess, babe.”
Sam picked up the king and studied it. “I’m going to teach you.”
Rayne snorted. “Good luck with that.”
He leaned down and kissed her neck. “I plan to make it interesting enough, you won’t have any problems remembering each and every lesson.”
Rayne shivered. “Oh, really? How do you plan to do that?”
“Every time you make the right move, I will remove an article of your clothing.”
Rayne laughed. “Are you planning on that being a reward for me or you?”
Sam shrugged. “I believe it’ll be mutually beneficial.”
“Nice.” Rayne headed for the antique desk sitting under the window and rolled her eyes at the neatly stacked paper. She glanced over her shoulder. “Are you thinking I’ll be writing a lot of letters?”
He shook his head. “Unlikely.”
She smirked. “You know me so well.”
Sam smiled. “I do, however, hope you’ll continue to write songs.”
Rayne picked up a nib pen and sighed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to write here, Sam.”
“Why not?”
“Because my life is too settled.” She fisted her hand at her chest. “I don’t have any angst… I do my best writing when I’m miserable.”
Sam chuckled. “That won’t do. I’d rather have you happy.”
Rayne slid her hands around his waist and smiled. “I like that most about you.”
Sam kissed her slowly, but before he took it any further, he took a deep breath and stepped away from her. “We need to finish the tour, or it will end here.”
Rayne licked her lips. “Okay… but let’s finish the tour quickly.”