every night exhausted, but as the coins piled up, she was glad for the work—until the morning she awakened to find her tent mates gone and her small stash of savings missing. It took no scholar to put two and two together. Mrs. Reese was furious to learn she’d been employing thieves, but her anger couldn’t restore Sable’s money.
Mrs. Reese insisted Sable report the theft, so the following morning she found herself in line with many other contrabands outside the big white mansion. She hadn’t seen the major in the weeks since Patrick’s departure and found herself discreetly searching the premises for his handsome face. She saw many soldiers, both Black and White, but not Raimond LeVeq.
A large group of about twenty women and children were ahead of her in line. The soldier standing with them was explaining to the soldier doing the processing that the husbands of the women had been impressed by the Union army. Their commanding officer wanted the families to stay in the camps while their husbands fought the Rebs.
Such care had not always been extended, according to the rumors Sable had heard during her first days at the laundry. When the call went out from Washington in 1863 welcoming Black men into the fight, many Union commanders had been unconcerned about the fate of the family members left behind. There’d been tales of commanders forcibly turning away women and children to keep them from following their husbands. When the husbands began deserting to check on the welfare of their loved ones at home, the army reevaluated the situation and changed the policy. The Union needed the Black soldiers to fight, and they couldn’t fight if they were worried about their kin.
When it became Sable’s turn to approach the desk, her eyes widened with surprise at the sight of her brother Rhine seated behind one of the tables taking down reports. He wore a crisp, Union uniform, and when he looked up and saw her, his green eyes momentarily widened as well. He discreetly scratched his ivory cheek, an old signal between them that told Sable to approach him as if he were a stranger, even as her inner elation soared. He’d been gone for almost two years now, but there he sat, alive!
He wrote down all the information she could provide about the theft, and her description of the women, Sookie and Paige.
He then asked, “Will you be at the laundry this evening, in case I need more information?”
Sable looked into his oh-so-familiar eyes and replied, “Yes.”
Although they weren’t supposed to know each other, Sable dearly wanted to stay and talk. She wanted to ask him how he’d gotten there and where he’d been, and to tell him all that had happened to her since he’d left for the war, but when she glanced up, she saw that behind Rhine stood Raimond LeVeq. His dark and unfathomable eyes held hers, and everything seemed to go still for a moment. Not knowing what else to do, she nodded, and he inclined his head almost imperceptibly in kind. When he stepped over to the table and stood behind Rhine, she knew it would be best to save her questions for her brother until they were alone.
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 betweenthe 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
Mrs. Reese insisted Sable report the theft, so the following morning she found herself in line with many other contrabands outside the big white mansion. She hadn’t seen the major in the weeks since Patrick’s departure and found herself discreetly searching the premises for his handsome face. She saw many soldiers, both Black and White, but not Raimond LeVeq.
A large group of about twenty women and children were ahead of her in line. The soldier standing with them was explaining to the soldier doing the processing that the husbands of the women had been impressed by the Union army. Their commanding officer wanted the families to stay in the camps while their husbands fought the Rebs.
Such care had not always been extended, according to the rumors Sable had heard during her first days at the laundry. When the call went out from Washington in 1863 welcoming Black men into the fight, many Union commanders had been unconcerned about the fate of the family members left behind. There’d been tales of commanders forcibly turning away women and children to keep them from following their husbands. When the husbands began deserting to check on the welfare of their loved ones at home, the army reevaluated the situation and changed the policy. The Union needed the Black soldiers to fight, and they couldn’t fight if they were worried about their kin.
When it became Sable’s turn to approach the desk, her eyes widened with surprise at the sight of her brother Rhine seated behind one of the tables taking down reports. He wore a crisp, Union uniform, and when he looked up and saw her, his green eyes momentarily widened as well. He discreetly scratched his ivory cheek, an old signal between them that told Sable to approach him as if he were a stranger, even as her inner elation soared. He’d been gone for almost two years now, but there he sat, alive!
He wrote down all the information she could provide about the theft, and her description of the women, Sookie and Paige.
He then asked, “Will you be at the laundry this evening, in case I need more information?”
Sable looked into his oh-so-familiar eyes and replied, “Yes.”
Although they weren’t supposed to know each other, Sable dearly wanted to stay and talk. She wanted to ask him how he’d gotten there and where he’d been, and to tell him all that had happened to her since he’d left for the war, but when she glanced up, she saw that behind Rhine stood Raimond LeVeq. His dark and unfathomable eyes held hers, and everything seemed to go still for a moment. Not knowing what else to do, she nodded, and he inclined his head almost imperceptibly in kind. When he stepped over to the table and stood behind Rhine, she knew it would be best to save her questions for her brother until they were alone.
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 betweenthe 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
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