November 3, 1861

This one final task, and Evelyn would accept no more of Mrs. Greenman’s aid or any of the woman’s dangerous plotting. Once she knew what had become of Daddy, she would make plans for the future. Maybe find a paying position or ask Samuel if the hospital would allow her to work for room and board. One more task, and her debts would all be paid and this would all be over. She drew her wrap around her and repeated those words to herself as they neared the prison.

The Old Capitol Prison was made up of a cluster of dismal structures huddled along the east side of First Street, a lackluster jumble determined to be uninviting. The November wind plucked at Evelyn’s hair and pulled it free from the hood she hoped would shadow her face. Alice had lied to Nurse Brown about their health today, and so by proxy, Evelyn had lied to Samuel. Neither had the stomach ailments Alice’s missive had described. The only thing that ailed her this day was the sour taste of deception.

Did Samuel know yet about the letter? Did he worry over her condition while she traipsed through the mud on her way to visit a prisoner? She shivered, though it had less to do with the chill than her guilt.

They neared the looming structure at the center of the depressing compound. The three-story pile of brick had once housed Congress before the British burned it during the 1812 war. It hadn’t performed any honorable duties since, and the façade seemed weighted with despondency. Its one notable feature, the large arched window on the front, could have been appealing if one could ignore the wood that had been nailed across it, barring any hope of escape for those condemned within.

Evelyn had heard enough about the place to know she had no desire to be anywhere near it. It was first planned to house Confederate prisoners of war, but now it collected an eclectic variety of malefic captives ranging from blockade runners to Southern widows with more bravado than sense.

They passed through the main door with only a nod from the guard, though Evelyn had no idea why. Then another man, as gloomy as the first, guided them through the drab chamber and to the office of the superintendent, one William P. Wood. Mr. Wood filled his small office with both girth and height, an impressive fellow surely able to keep his inmates in line.

Alice dropped into a curtsy and passed the man a slip of paper. He read it, narrowed his eyes, and then, to Evelyn’s pure amazement, waved them back toward the doorway they’d just crossed.

“You have a quarter hour. No more. You are not to touch the prisoner, nor exchange anything with her. You will be under a guard at all times.”

“Yes, sir,” Alice replied sweetly.

Evelyn kept her hands at her sides, her pulse pounding furiously.

Alice twirled around and cast her a sly grin, then slipped out the door.

Evelyn ground her teeth. This girl was no longer her friend. Holding Daddy’s letter captive to make her come to a prison! And for what? How would that help the foolhardy widow and her overly enthusiastic apprentice?

They followed a guard down a series of winding halls, dread heavy in her stomach. She shouldn’t be here. She should turn and run.

Could she even find her way back out?

The sounds of men grumbling and shouting grated on her ears as they passed row after row of barred chambers. The sounds chafed less than the smell. The overwhelming stench of the latrines permeated the brick walls and would certainly cling to her clothing long after she removed herself from this horrid place.

Near the back of the building, the guard opened the door to a narrow chamber, ushered them in, and then planted himself squarely in the open frame. The feeling of being trapped shortened her breath. It took nearly every fiber of her willpower not to bolt past the man and sprint free of this madness.

Stay calm. A few moments only, and then I’ll have the letter.

And even if Alice refused to give it to her—or worse, it didn’t exist—nothing else Alice said would make her continue this madness. If she kept taking risks for Mrs. Greenman, she most surely would find herself in this dank prison as well. And she couldn’t abide being confined to a narrow chamber with crumbling furniture, a filthy single bed, and a cracked mirror over a tiny fireplace that did not hold enough of a flame to take the chill from the air. She shivered. The windows were covered in thick slats that choked out the sunlight and any fresh air that might have been found. In all, it was the most depressing place she’d ever set foot in.

Mrs. Greenman rose from a dilapidated chair that creaked with her movement and stood a few paces from them. Though pale and much too thin, her hawkish eyes still glinted with determination.

Alice inclined her head. “How do you fare, ma’am?”

Evelyn wrapped her arms around her waist and watched a mouse scurry into a hole in the corner. Then she concentrated on pulling fetid air slowly into her lungs and releasing it without haste. She took a step back toward the entrance.

Mrs. Greenman glanced at the window. “They are taking every precaution. I suppose I should be flattered that they think so highly of my resourcefulness that they cannot even allow me a nip of fresh air.”

Alice shot Evelyn a glance, but spoke to Mrs. Greenman. “It is most dreadful that a lady be treated with such maliciousness.”

“The language here scrapes upon the ear,” Mrs. Greenman said, “and the sights that have met my eyes are too revolting to describe.”

Evelyn glanced at the guard, who watched them closely, and then did the only part she had in this entire ridiculous plan. She subtly shifted herself to stand slightly behind and to the left of Alice. With her back to the guard, Evelyn’s wide skirts blocked part of Alice’s form from the guard’s eye. He didn’t seem to notice, however, as he kept his gaze riveted on the widow.

Alice quickly made a series of hand gestures where the guard couldn’t see. Evelyn nearly rolled her eyes. For this they risked imprisonment? Making secret codes? How did the woman expect to do any of her spying from this chamber?

“Why, this very morning,” Mrs. Greenman continued to lament as her sharp eyes followed the gestures, “they put me on display like a caged bird, parading Yanks through here to gawk at me as though I were some kind of animal.”

Alice snorted. “Most horrendous.” She made another set of signals with her fingers. “Are we allowed to bring you any manner of comforts?”

“Do not underestimate the determined nature of these Yanks. They will see that every comfort has been stripped from me until they can tease any incriminating lie from my parched lips.”

Evelyn swallowed, wishing to moisten her own parched lips and be gone from this place as soon as possible.

Alice dipped into an odd curtsy and then backed toward the door, stepping on Evelyn in the process. “Good day to you, Mrs. Greenman. May the sun brighten your days and the moon comfort your nights.”

A smile quirked one corner of the widow’s mouth, and Evelyn frowned. What did Alice blather about? Before she could contemplate or make a move, Alice tripped on Evelyn’s skirt and bumped into her, sending Evelyn stumbling forward. Mrs. Greenman suddenly reached out, grabbed Evelyn by the wrist, and swept her into a tight embrace, keeping her from hitting the floor.

“Hey! I said no touching!” The guard’s thundering voice reverberated around the room.

Evelyn tried to right herself, finally gathering her feet under her as the widow pulled her close.

“I mean it!”

Evelyn struggled to release herself from the woman’s grip, but Mrs. Greenman held firm. The guard sank his fingers into her shoulder and wrenched her backward. She stumbled, held up by the claws that felt like eagle’s talons down into her bones.

Mrs. Greenman let go. “Oh, my!” She placed a hand to her heart. “I’m terribly sorry.” She fanned her face. “I merely got caught up in the emotions of missing my dear friends. Do forgive me, sir.”

The guard scowled at her. “You’ll be granted no more visitors if you cannot follow simple instructions.”

“I understand.” She lowered her head, but not before Evelyn caught the glimmer in her eyes.

The guard snatched Evelyn’s shoulder. “Come, you will have to be searched.”

Evelyn planted her heels, wrenching herself out of his grasp. “What!” Indignation scorched through her veins, mingling with the fear that resided there. “You will do no such thing!”

He grabbed her by the elbow, nearly lifting her off her feet as he hauled her from the room, ignoring her cries of injustice. In the hallway, he pushed her against the wall, pinning her there with his forearm tightly pressed against her collarbone. Visions of Martinsburg filled her mind.

Clenching her fists at her sides, Evelyn forced her voice to remain low. “Release me, sir. This is no way to treat a lady.”

He called for another guard, and lifted one side of his mouth. “But it is the way we treat Rebel spies.”

Her heart pounded furiously. What would they do to her? Where was Alice? She glanced down the hall, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. She trembled, alone in the cold of the heartless prison. “What..?” The word stuck in her throat, terror clenching her voice into the squeak of a cornered mouse. “What will you do to me?”

The man’s face contorted. “I told you. You have to be searched.” He snarled. “If she passed anything to you, we will find it.”

Squirming made him increase the pressure across the base of her throat, so she stilled. “Please, you must believe me. If that woman passed anything to me, it was entirely without my knowledge or consent.”

“Of course you would say that, you little Jezebel.” The guard released a dark chuckle as another fellow, more scabrous than the one before her, joined his side. “You vixens will say anything you think will prey upon men’s decency.”

Please, God, don’t let her have placed anything on me.

While the first guard held her against the wall, the other knelt in front of her. His grimy hands skimmed down the folds of her skirts, pressing into her legs and hips. Tears burned and spilled over, sliding down her face in humiliation. Without restraint, he brushed over every curve she possessed and splayed his fingers through her hair and released some of her pins.

Evelyn caught a sob in her throat, determined not to let them see her defeat, but unable to stop it. She wanted to curl into herself and melt into a heap on the floor. Anything to end this disgrace.

Finally, the man stepped back and nodded to the other. The first one released his hold, and Evelyn’s trembling knees buckled. She stooped forward, air burning as it came shuddering into her lungs.

“You will have to remove the garment,” the second guard said, his nasally voice slithering over her like an eel.

She pulled her arms tighter around herself, sinking lower until she could press her kneecaps into her face.

“What’s going on here?” The staunch voice of Superintendent Wood sluiced through her jumbled thoughts.

Get up! With a surge of desperation, she straightened her legs, scraping her back along the wall. She fixed her eyes on the superintendent’s startled features and clasped the fabric at her neck. “Please, sir, I beg of you. Don’t allow them to make me remove my dress.”

The man’s mouth fell agape, and he turned on the nearest guard. “What foul intentions did you plan to commit?”

The fellow who had guarded Mrs. Greenman’s chamber lifted his beefy hands, palms out. “She embraced the widow against orders. We had to search her.”

The muscles in the superintendent’s jaw flexed. “Was this embrace under your supervision?”

“It was.” The man jutted his chin. “But I separated them immediately.”

Evelyn’s lips trembled. She had to hold herself together. “I’ve been thoroughly searched, sir, and swear upon my life I have no items from Mrs. Greenman upon my person.” She steeled her voice. “And especially not under my gown!”

Wood’s face reddened, and he pointed a finger at the two guards. “Has this woman been searched?”

“Yes, sir,” the second man, the one with too willing hands, replied. “I searched the folds of her gown, but she could still be hiding something.”

“Return to your post,” Wood said, his voice nearly a growl.

The man scurried away.

“And Carter…” Wood pointed to the first guard. “Mrs. Greenman gets no more visitors.”

“Yes, sir.” The man turned and stood in front of the closed door.

“Now.” Mr. Wood eyed Evelyn with caution, as though she were the one who had perpetuated her own humiliation. “I don’t care who you women know in Washington or what politician wants to flex his influence. Those tactics will not work here a second time. If I ever see you in my prison again, you will not be leaving it. Do I make myself clear?”

Relief surged through her, making her press closer against the wall to maintain her footing. “I assure you, sir, you will never lay eyes on me again.”

He extended his hand, motioning her ahead of him. Evelyn lifted the hem of her skirt, and heedless to any sense of propriety, broke into a jog. She could not reach the sunlight fast enough, and even after the Old Capitol’s door slammed behind her, she did not ease her pace. Tears blurred her vision, making her twice stumble before she was far enough down First Street to take a full breath.

Where was Alice? What had they done? They’d clearly planned to do that, but why?

Evelyn scanned every face she passed and checked as many alcoves as she could on her way back to the hotel but saw no sign of a curly brown mop of hair. Hoping to find the perfidious girl, she hurried up the stairs and flung herself into their chamber.

The room was empty. She paced, willing her mind to focus. As she neared the bed, something atop the quilt caught her eye. A paper.

She snatched it up. The envelope’s seal had been broken, but its dirty surface contained her father’s writing. At least Alice had kept her word.

She pulled a single sheet of paper out and unfolded it, her father’s neat penmanship jumping out at her. She placed a hand to her chest and sank on the bed.

Dearest Evelyn,

I received word from your aunt that you went to Washington after me. I wish you had waited, as I have not been in that city for some time. Just after the battle at Manassas, I traveled back south. I have been working an exciting position that is very crucial to our cause. I cannot give you details until I see you again in person, but suffice it to say, my work with the newspapers is a critical link to the information we need for our men.

I admit I was rather surprised to learn you tended soldiers in Front Royal. I am thrilled by your gallant and selfless actions. Your dedication to our great cause wells this old heart with pride.

Evelyn’s eyes blurred, and she had to wipe the moisture away.

Despite your aunt’s wishes, I am unable to come after you and must continue my way to New Orleans. My work there is very important and must be completed.

I pray this letter finds you well, as these are the most dangerous of times. If you do not wish to return to your aunt, I’m sure you’ll do well in the fine company of a loyal lady such as Mrs. Greenman.

Evelyn’s hand trembled and a tear fell, smudging the date on the bottom of the page under his signature. The letter had arrived in Washington several weeks ago. She rubbed the paper between her fingers. Had Mrs. Greenman lied about knowing where her father was? Or had the letter come after their first visit and she subsequently withheld it?

The line about the newspaper work niggled in her brain. Could he possibly be referring to the secret codes Alice used? It was a question she must ask when she had the chance to speak with him.

Oh, but how? She wouldn’t follow him to New Orleans, and she wouldn’t stay with Mrs. Greenman even if it was an option. Evelyn sank to her knees, the weight in her chest as solid as an artillery cannon ball.

She needed help.

Her friend now entirely lost to her, Evelyn had only one person she could trust. Girding herself with a whispered prayer, she gathered her petticoats and found her footing once more. Then she wiped her eyes and stepped back out of the room with new determination.

Outside the Halverson Hotel, the people on the street sauntered about their daily business, going to and fro from various appointments and errands. But Evelyn’s life had no such simple luxuries. She kept her eyes moving, scanning people as she passed. Men with stovepipe hats cast her glances, while women with little children in tow kept their eyes downcast.

Evelyn held her spine erect, ignoring the lingering gaze of a fellow with a full beard, and made her way down the road. The clear sky held the warmth of a cheery sun, but none of its gentle touch chased the chill from her veins. The fine hairs on the nape of her neck stood on end.

Movement in the shadows between two buildings drew her regard, but whomever had been there darted away before she could get a good look. She quickened her pace. The streets seemed to stretch between her, growing farther apart the faster she tried to reach them. Every doorway seemed to contain a shadow, every lingering eye some hidden malice.

By the time she reached the comforting brick façade of Samuel’s townhome, she was nearly out of breath. Lifting her hem to climb the stairs, she heard a rustling to her left. Pausing, she narrowed her eyes. Was someone kneeling behind the leafless branches of a puny shrub at the corner of the house?

Had her fear and imagination simply run away with her? Heart hammering, she took another step closer, telling herself this was all tomfoolery.

Giggles erupted from the bush as she neared.

“Emily!” Relief surged like a mighty wind. Evelyn clutched her cloak. “What are you doing out here in the cold?”

The little girl rose, her almond-colored dress perfect for blending in. She offered Evelyn a smile and a little wave, clearly pleased with herself for having given Evelyn a fright.

Evelyn extended her hand. “Come, let’s get you inside where it is warm.”

A shadow moved behind Emily. The world seemed to slow to molasses as Evelyn lifted her eyes from the child’s delighted features to the form of a man in the alleyway. He wore a long coat and a dark hat. She opened her mouth to scream, but the sound erupted from Emily instead. The man swept the child into his arms and smothered her little mouth.

Evelyn lunged, but with a swish of tailcoats, he turned and disappeared between the houses, the earth exploding back into a deluge of scattered senses.

“No!” Evelyn hiked her skirts and rounded the side of the house. “Emily!”

Behind her, footsteps pounded, closing in on her, but she couldn’t peel her eyes from the abductor’s retreating form. Please, God! Let me get the child. An arm snaked around her middle, stopping her and forcing the air out of her. She gasped for a breath to scream but was released so quickly that she stumbled forward.

“Evelyn!” Samuel’s frantic voice clawed past her terror. “What are you doing?”

She whirled around, gasping. “They took her!”

Samuel frowned, his movements infuriatingly languid. “What?”

“Emily!” She pointed down the alley. “He took Emily!”

Samuel’s eyes bulged and his gaze darted past her. Evelyn reached for him, but Samuel was sprinting away.