“Do you know who it is, Miss Childs?” Mrs. Abernathy called from somewhere behind the curtain?
Elise studied the silhouette a few moments more then sat back, her shoulders sagging. “No, I don’t.”
“Are you certain...? Take your best guess.”
Elise shook her head and turned out her hands. “Finlay Burch?”
“Nope. Not me,” Finlay called from somewhere in the crowd.
She sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t recognize him.”
“That’s too bad,” Mrs. Abernathy said. “But you still get a consolation prize for playing.” She lifted the edge of the sheet, revealing the legs of a man in a Union Army uniform.
As he limped forward and ducked under the fabric, Elise gasped.
The man was Gabriel Emmons, Elise’s intended. He’d been badly injured at Appomattox and forced to stay behind in a Virginia hospital. Until now.
“Gabriel!” Elise cried as she flew into his arms.
Cheers erupted as he wrapped her in an ardent embrace.
Caroline’s throat tightened. She wanted to be happy for them, but the way they clung to each other was so much like her reunion with Jackson she had to look away.
“Are you sure you still want her, Gabe?” a male guest teased from the back of the room. “She didn’t even recognize you!”
Gabriel lifted his head, his arms still wrapped around his beloved. “Shut your mouth,” he spat in mock reproof. “You just want my Lisie for yourself.”
That gave rise to a round of raucous hoots.
Elise’s parents joined her as the laughter died down and extended a warm welcome to their future son-in-law.
“Do your parents know you’re home?” the heckler asked.
“Not yet,” Gabriel replied. “So, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to tell them.”
“I guess this means we can expect a wedding soon,” another partygoer called out as the couple turned to leave.
Gabriel looked back and flashed a grand smile over his shoulder. “You can bet on it.”
There was barely a dry eye in the room—among the women, at least—so the tears gathering in Caroline’s eyes didn’t draw any notice. She clasped her hands in her lap and stiffened her posture to brace herself against the pain pulsing through her heart.
It took another two games of Shadow Buff before a winner could be declared.
Walsh, who’d been completely engrossed by the contest when it resumed, began glancing at her with increasing frequency. By the time his aunt awarded the prize, he was fairly frowning. “Are you all right.”
Caroline rose and motioned for him to follow. Once she’d led him to a quiet spot in the adjoining hall, she glanced over his shoulder at Malvinia, who had trailed him and stopped several paces behind, then looked Walsh straight in the eye. “Did youknow of your aunt’s plan to reunite Mr. Emmons and Miss Childs before the party began?”
“No,” he said, still looking on her with concern. “Aunt warned me she would pick me as one of the shadows, but I was unaware of the surprise guest.”
Caroline scrutinized every inch of his expression and found no evidence of deceit. In fact, his face was full of the same candor he’d shown in her garden.
But what did it matter? Even if he’d known what was to happen, she couldn’t fault him. His aunt had made a treasured memory for a couple who deserved it, and Caroline had no right to begrudge them their joy.
The last of the spite drained away, leaving her weak. “Would you take me home?”
“Um... Yes, of course.” Walsh left briefly to speak with his aunt and send for his carriage, then he rejoined her and Malvinia in the foyer as they were fastening their cloaks.
He turned to Caroline once they’d made their way down the front steps. “Did I do something to upset you?”
