of campaigning. There would be recitations and maybe a play, and refreshments. She would plan and work and love her husband and try not to think about Tommy any more than most of everyday.
She calmed herself, grateful that every night she would be in the capable arms of a man who knew her sorrows, knew his own, and who seemed to have no trouble comforting her. She couldn’t help smiling.
He was waiting for her in the hotel room when she returned, surprising her. She was grateful she had spent some time composing herself, but he seemed to see right through what she thought was her calm demeanor.
“I thought it might be hard for you to go to the newspaper office,” he said, putting down the paper he was reading and holding out his arms for her.
She sat on his lap. “How on earth did you get away early?” she asked.
“I requested an early adjournment,” he replied, and chuckled. “You can imagine the ribbing I got, complete with suggestions on how I should spend my extra free time! They’re so envious.”
She poked him in the chest, then kissed him. “You’re going to make it hard for me to ever meet these gentlemen without blushing. Why are you early?”
“I have an idea. I was sitting there, bored, doodling little blonde ladies with big eyes, when it occurred to me that I possibly have an ace up my sleeve—Allan Pinkerton.”
“Of the detective agency?”
“The same. I knew him as Major E.J. Allen, when he was doing undercover work around Atlanta in ‘64. He had a rather nasty case of diarrhea.”
“You are descriptive.”
“Ah, yes. He owes me one or two. Mr. Pinkerton isn’t active in the agency now, but his sons are. I came home early to get a bank draft—over there on the desk—and write a letter. We’ll put the National Detective Agency on Tommy’s trail.” Joe kissed her. “Don’t cry, Suzie. I’m just sorry it took me this long to think of it.”
They put their heads together over the letter. An hour later Susanna had finished writing it, because she knew her penmanship was better than a physician’s. Joe looked at the letter a long time.
“I know you’ve described him down to the mole under his eye, but I wish you had a photograph,” he said finally.
She almost didn’t want to tell him. She had promised herself she would never let it out of her sight. Do you want him found or not? she asked herself.
“I do have a photograph,” she told her husband. “I carry it everywhere with me.”
“We need to send it to Will Pinkerton, Suzie.”
“It’s all I have,” she said as she took it from her carpetbag and handed it to him. “It was taken just before Frederick nearly killed me, and thank God Frederick had forgotten all about it.”
Joe looked at the photograph a long time, a smile playing around his lips. “He looks so much like you.” He pointed to the picture. “That’s interesting—he really does have that same blaze of dark hair on his temple like you.”
“He’s my son,” she said simply. “Just make sure Mr. Pinkerton knows I must have the photograph back.”
The court-martial ended two days later, to her husband’s obvious relief. He came into the hotel room carrying a large pasteboard box and wearing a grin from ear to ear. “General Crook will be so disappointed,” he told her, setting down the box. “All we did was issue a rather tepid reprimand, because that was all the matter deserved.” He followed the trajectory of her expression. “And what is this, you’re thinking?”
“It’s too big for flowers, and you hardly seem like someone who would waste money on flowers,” she said.
“It’s for you, and you don’t even need to do anything extraordinary for it.”
When she said, “I already did that last night,” he laughed and handed her the box.
She felt her breath catch when she took off the lid. Nestled inside were two dresses, one a dignified royal-blue and the other made of summery lawn, little purple flowers on a pale green background.
“You dear man,” she whispered, shaking out the blue dress. It was simple, with long sleeves and a plain round neckline.
“There’s a lace collar in the box, too,” her husband said, his eyes lively. “I really liked the one you borrowed from Mrs. Burt for our wedding. I have a very nice opal necklace in my quarters that should go fine with the dress and collar.”