December 1864
It had been three months since Katie had arrived, and with each passing day, the day Sherman was to reach them grew ever nearer. Katie spent most of her time over in the camp laundry, helping the women who followed the unit. They were the men’s wives, daughters, and mothers, women who had chosen to help the cause by helping their men and the unit. It was hard work, both dirty and clean work, but it passed the time between seeing Colm, practicing her spell casting, and helping to plan their defenses.
She had gotten close with a number of the women, and spent most of her time helping Mrs. Gordon and her daughter Katherine, who had lost her husband in the skirmish with the small battery of Union troops who had been sent to scout the area. Katie showed extra attention to the young woman as she and Katherine were not only similar in age, but they shared the same name.
She had developed a kinship with the girl and wanted to help her, so Katie did what she knew best. She taught the women how to take care of and survive for themselves. It was a radical idea, and most of the men in camp did not take kindly to the woman from Missouri who, they felt, thought she was better than they were. Katie knew the only reason they felt that way was because she wasn’t like the rest of the women there. She was outspoken, knowledgeable, and schooled. Most of the women had none of those qualities and were clearly not as eloquent.
Katie would never have spoken of her own upbringing. She was raised in a poor middle-class family. Her father was a coal miner and her mother a housewife. She was the first in her family to go to college, and when her brother was killed by a school shooter at the tender age of sixteen, Katie knew what she had to do. She joined ROTC in college and carried on the family legacy of service. Katie was the last person to ever judge anyone for their actions, their background, or the way they lived.
It was easy for her to befriend the women there, and easy for her to understand them, even though she knew they were judging her. Katie ignored the teases and the whispers and did what she could for them. When Mrs. Gordon’s daughter lost her husband, she was there to help and to give comfort. As she grew closer with these women, she taught them simple remedies for common afflictions and some not so common injuries, and taught some basic reading. This brought about questions and rumors, and for her, questions and rumors were dangerous.
On one such evening, after the supper meal, Katie had planned to meet with Katherine, Mrs. Gordon’s daughter. Katie had spent most of the afternoon in her tent with Eleanor’s book. The more she read, the more fascinating it was. Katie was learning so much, and faster than she had thought humanly possible. She was starting to practice more difficult incantations, and had discovered from Colm that most of the book was written in Irish Gaelic. She was surprised at how it had become quite natural to her.
Pacing in her tent and reciting one of her new spells, she attempted to turn her salted pork into a cheeseburger, but instead of a cheeseburger she got a burger-shaped cheese patty. Frustrated, she cursed and continued to recite the spell. Finally a cheeseburger appeared and Katie rejoiced, unaware that Katherine had come into her tent and witnessed her transformation spell on the salted pork.
Katherine turns to leave but Katie grabs her arm. “Please let me explain. It doesn’t look like what you think.”
Frightened, the young woman reacted, “Please do not hurt me!”
Softly, Katie says, “Katherine, I would never hurt you. What you saw was purely a slip of my hands. Nothing more. Just a trick and sleight of hand.”
“It did not look that way. It looked like the devil’s work.”
“No, I promise you it is not.”
“Well, then let me go.”
“I will. I apologize. I saw you were upset, and I wanted you to understand what you saw so no more rumors could be started. I promise you it was just me, not the devil, and not some magical force. Just me,” Katie replied, hoping she was convincing and letting go of Katherine’s arm in the process.
“I just came by to tell you I cannot meet with you anymore. I am going to be working for the general.”
“Oh, I am sorry to hear that, but I am happy for you,” Katie said. “I hope we can still be friends?”
“Perhaps. I know I will be very busy, but I shall stop in when I can.”
Katie immediately knew the young woman was giving her the brush off; that was perfectly okay with her. What worried her more was that Katherine would mention what she saw to others. Then an idea struck her. I can try to cast the spell of forgetfulness and maybe I will get lucky
“Katherine, I look forward to that,” Katie said, pulling the young woman close and giving her a hug. She picked a stray hair from Katherine’s dress, then let her go. “Thank you, Katherine. I shall see you soon.”
When Katherine left, Katie lit a candle, flipped open the book to the spell of forgetfulness, and began to recite the words. When she finished, she lit Katherine’s hair with fire from the candle. Here goes nothing.
Two days later
When Katie discovered that her spell went horribly wrong, it was too late. When Katherine had returned to the laundry tent, she had not only told them but told everyone she could about what she had seen and heard in Katie’s tent. Katie attempted to fix her mistake, but by the time she figured out what she needed to do, the damage was already done. She had been labeled a witch. It was true, of course, but that was beside the point. It was dangerous to be singled out, especially as a witch.
Katie spent most of her time in her tent because when she left it, most of the soldiers mocked and threatened her. Colm, of course, tried to stop it, but when he intervened it just made things worse. Colm took Katie to stay in his tent so he could keep watch on her; his tent was bigger and more comfortable than Katie’s own tent.
Colm spent most of his days working out battle plans with Katie’s help. They would work the strategy out together, and the following morning he would take them to the general for approval.
One day Colm returned early, his face somber and worried.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
“I don’t know, really. I went to meet with the general, and when he called me in, he asked to dine with you alone this evening. I don’t like it. With all the rumors that have been flying around camp, it could be dangerous.”
“Don’t worry about me. You know I can take care of myself.”
Colm laughed. “Oh yes, I am aware. That is what I am afraid of.”
When Katie arrived at the mansion, the general was outside to greet her.
“Good evening, Miss Butler. I hope you don’t mind, but it will be just the two of us for dinner, along with a few kitchen staff.”
“No, not at all. May I ask what this concerns?”
“I will explain it all inside. Please, come. I have a fine meal planned for us.”
The general escorted Katie into the dining room where the table was set for two. One of the general’s soldiers stood in the back of the room, watching.
As the general seated Katie, one of the kitchen staff brought their plates, filled with roast beef and potatoes, while another poured their wine.
“Mis Butler, I wanted to thank you again for joining me.”
“My pleasure, sir, but I am still curious why you asked me here this evening.”
General Morgan sat down and took a drink from his cup. “Well, it is a delicate situation, but I felt I should address it before it gets out of hand.”
It was as she suspected. He wanted to ask her about the rumors that were going around. “What situation would that be, sir?”
“Well, some days ago, it came to my attention that there are rumors about the camp that you are a witch in league with the devil, while others have said you are a Union spy, and still others question your loyalty to the cause. I haven’t determined which or if any are true.” He leaned back in his chair waiting for Katie to reply.
“I can assure you, sir, that I am not a spy nor a witch, and my loyalties lie with the soldiers here. I promise you that,” she snapped back.
“I can understand that, miss, but you have to understand I am in a precarious position. Many of the soldiers here want you gone. Some have even requested that I execute you. But I think I have come up with a solution that might help all of us,” he said as he picked at his food.
Katie had a feeling she knew what was coming next. “And what would that be, sir?”
“Well, perhaps you can convince me you are not any of these things you are accused of.”
Yep, here it comes.
“May I ask what your idea is that I might convince you that I am not a spy and am loyal to the cause?’
General Morgan sat up and leaned in closer. “I thought perhaps you could come to my room tonight and allow me to take care of your needs. If you agree, I can forgive your indiscretions and ensure that the rumors stop and all harassment ends. If you do not agree. then…”
Katie stopped him. “Then what, sir? You will have me executed without trial, have me shot for all the camp to see?”
“No, of course not.” He scooted his chair closer to Katie, putting his hand on her leg. “But if you do this for me, then I will not have to take further measures.”
Katie did all she could to not punch him in the jaw. Taking a deep breath, she replied, “May I have a couple of days to think about it? Until then, could you perhaps maybe try to squash some of the rumors? It would go a long way toward helping me make a decision.” It was the only recourse she had—play on his emotions and string him along, at least long enough that she could find something in her book that could help get her out of this situation. She felt sick to her stomach just thinking about it. “Sir, if you don’t mind, I am feeling a bit ill and would like to go back to camp now.”
“No, not at all. I will have the carriage brought around.”
Katie could tell by the gritting of his teeth that he was not happy, and was beyond pissed that she didn’t take him up on his offer. She could see the anger well up in him, so when the carriage came around and he attempted to kiss her, and she rejected him, she thought for sure he would have her shot right where she stood. But thankfully, he held his anger in and kept his cool. Katie breathed a sigh of relief when she looked back and saw the mansion disappear in the distance. She just had to think of a way to tell Colm what happened and keep him from ripping the general’s head off.
As Colm walked into the headquarters for his meeting with the general, he couldn’t get the image of General Morgan putting his hands on the woman he loved out of his mind. It took all he had not to punch him, but he kept his bearing and waited for the general to call him into his office.
“Captain, good, I’m glad you could make it. I need to speak with you about Miss Butler. It has come to my attention that she is a spy, and that your relationship is not one of kinship but of a carnal nature. It has also come to my attention that there are rumors that she is a witch in bed with the devil. If any of this is true, that leaves me no choice but to have her executed for treason and crimes against the confederacy. Before you say anything, you should also know you have been accused, and that if true, I mean to execute you as well.”
Colm’s anger grew as he listened to the general’s accusations. He wanted to wrap his hands around the man’s neck and strangle the life from his body, but he stood fast. “Sir, I can assure you that Miss Butler is not a witch. She is a soothsayer.” Colm stood for a moment, frozen. He couldn’t believe he had just called Katie a soothsayer, but in a way it was true—she knew the future. At least being a soothsayer was a little less on the dangerous side. He had heard that Morgan did believe in the occult, and as a man from New Orleans, it was engrained in his psyche. If he could get the general to agree that Katie was much more valuable to them alive than dead, then perhaps he could save her life.
“A soothsayer? My grandmother was a soothsayer. Why did you not come to me with this information in the first place?”
“Miss Butler feared for her life and what might happen to her if it was known that she can see the future. And you did give her quite a fright. Her virtue is important to her abilities. If that is taken from her, then she will no longer be able to see.”
“Ah, well, I see. That does explain a lot, and I wouldn’t want that. Her gift is something we might be able to use.”
“I agree. May I tell her that?”
The general sat down, leaning back in his chair. “Yes, please do, and please give my apologies to the young lady. Please tell her that she needn’t worry about what we discussed last night. That offer is no longer on the table and she must keep her virtue for the sake of the Confederacy.”
“Yes, sir, I will tell her now. May I go?”
“Yes, yes, of course you are dismissed, Captain. But I request that Miss Butler give me a reading soon.”
“Thank you, sir, I will tell her. I am sure she will be quite relieved. May I request to take her to my family’s home for a few days of rest and relaxation before returning to you for your reading?”
“Yes, of course. Granted. I shall expect you back in a week’s time.”
Colm exited the office and jumped on his horse. He knew he had to tell Katie both the good and the bad news. She would be elated over taking a trip to his family’s home, but he fully expected her to punch him in the jaw when he told her about reading the general’s future.
Katie became bored while waiting for Colm to return, so she headed down to the laundry to help the ladies. Mrs. Gordon and her daughter had long since left, so when she arrived, she was greeted by an older woman close to her grandmother’s age. She was a sweet, kind woman who Katie took to almost immediately. They sat and talked for at least three hours and not one load of laundry was washed in that time. As they sat and chatted, the old woman, out of nowhere, paused, looked Katie squarely in her eyes, and said, “My dear, you are not of this time, are you?”
She thought her heart stopped, and she stuttered to find the words. “I’m sorry, what do you mean?”
The old woman looked at her, staring into her eyes with a knowing like she could see right through to her soul. “It’s okay my dear. I know. You have nothing to fear. I will not tell your secret.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you are talking about. But I must go. I had a splendid time, but I see Captain O’Donnell and I must speak with him.”
As Colm rode into camp, Katie met him as she was leaving the laundry tent. He helped Katie onto his horse and maneuvered his horse through the tents until he reached his own.
“I need to speak with you when we get inside,” she told him
Colm jumped down and hitched his horse to the tie out, then assisted Katie. When they entered the shelter, Colm took her into his arms and kissed her. “I have missed you, my dear. I have some great news for you!”
“Well, I could use some good news today. What is it?”
“We are taking a trip.”
“A trip? Where? Do you really think a trip is a good idea?”
“I received permission from General Morgan to take you to my family’s home. He has given me a week’s leave to spend in the company of you and my family. Are you excited?”
Katie could hardly believe it. “How? How did you get him to agree?”
“Well, here is the bad news.”
Katie took a deep breath. “I knew it.”
Colm looked at her, his blue eyes boring a hole right through her heart. “Well, when I got there, he threatened to have you executed for witchcraft and threatened the same for me. So…”
Yep, here it comes.
“I told him you were not a witch but a soothsayer.”
“A soothsayer? Why?”
“It just came out. But it isn’t a lie. You do know the future. It’s just until we can figure out how to get you back home.”
“But what if I don’t want to go?” she replied without thinking.
Colm smiled. “I thought that was what you wanted?”
“It is. I mean, I think it is. I don’t know. I just know I want to be with you no matter where or when it is.”
“Well then, let’s get you packed. We have a week to find out.”