Though that didn’t mean it had to be a free-for-all, either.
“I will have to put boundaries on our time together,” I told Seth, almost pleading. “You cannot hold my hand, or dance with me, or kiss me, or say such sweet and romantic things to me. Do you understand?” I was laughing, but I was very serious.
“I promise.” He nodded, so grave it made me laugh even harder.
“I won’t be able to see you often, but when I get some time, I’ll let you know.”
“Doyoupromise?”
I nodded. “But if it gets to be too much, I will have to pull away. Okay? I really do need to spend a lot of my time studying. I have responsibilities, and I can’t shirk them. I’ve been working my whole life for this. I really want to stay at GUH.”
“I know, Meg.” He let out a sigh. “I really do know.”
“Good.”
We started to walk again, and this time he kept his distance from me.
“Can we put work aside when we’re together?” he asked. “Can we just pretend like we’re two average adults, ready to have some fun?”
“That sounds nice.”
“We’ll start tonight. Let’s put this conversation behind us and just have fun. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
The problem was that I could agree to almost any suggestion Seth Wallace made.
13
JULY 21, 1861
WASHINGTON, DC
“Are you certain you want to go to Centreville today?” I asked Papa as I pulled on my gloves. Papa and I had been invited out to the battlefield with Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts, the gentleman who had been at Kate Chase’s ball and Rose Greenhow’s luncheon. Goldie was packing a picnic basket, which Papa had instructed her to fill with dozens of sandwiches for the Union soldiers we might meet along the way.
I couldn’t understand why he wanted to go—why anyone would want to go.
“It’s about time we show these so-called Confederates what we’re made of,” Papa said with a smile as he slipped his top hat onto his head. He wore his Sunday best, as if we were heading to the park for a leisurely day and not a battlefield. “Our men will have them rushing back to Richmond tonight, and by tomorrow at this time, we’ll have overtaken their capital. The Confederate States of America will die, and Jeff Davis will be out of a job. The war will be over.”
“What if we don’t win this battle?” I asked, knowing verywell that we wouldn’t. By the end of the day, we would not have a Union victory but a mortifying defeat. It was something I had been dreading since I learned about it years ago in a history class in my 2001 path. The First Battle of Bull Run—because there would be a second—would end in chaos and confusion today.
The only reason Papa and the others wanted to go was because they truly thought it would be a simple confrontation and the Confederates would turn tail and run. They didn’t expect a lot of bloodshed. Since I knew the truth, it made me hesitate. But if Papa wanted to be there, and he was willing to take me, I couldn’t let him go alone. If he was hurt, I could help. I had buried my medical supplies in the bottom of a picnic basket in case we needed them.
“What are you saying, Margaret?” He frowned. “Do you doubt our army?”
I needed to keep my mouth shut and silently watch history unfold. There was nothing I could do to change this or stop it from happening, because Iwasaware of the outcome, and if I tried to change something intentionally, Iwouldforfeit this path. Of that, I was certain.
“I don’t doubt our army, Papa.” I smiled, putting my hand on his arm. “The North will be victorious. I believe that with all my heart.”
He returned my smile and nodded. “Good. Now, shall we see if Senator Wilson has arrived?”
Joseph opened the front door for us, and we stepped outside.
It was a glorious Sunday morning. A bit warm, but the humidity was low, and a gentle breeze swept the heat away. We were greeted by a waiting carriage and a beaming Senator Wilson.
The carriage top was down, revealing several occupants sitting on the seats facing each other. Mrs. Wilson was there, a congenial woman close to forty, with blond hair and a penchant for ribbons and lace. Their son, Henry Jr., was seated next toher. At the age of fifteen, he was as tall as his father, and if his eager expression was any indication, just as excited to see the battlefield.
Across from the Wilson family sat another gentleman I was surprised and delighted to see.
