On April 7, the persistent Union forces, who had been held in check briefly and skillfully, pressed forward into the confusion and skirmishes at Sayler’s Creek. After retreating once more, the Rebels headed for Farmville, where Shannon had fallen into the evil grasp of Major Benjamin Clifford the September before. Lee knew the fate of the Confederacy would soon be decided, for he was down to ten thousand soldiers who were exhausted and dejected and lacked weapons and supplies.
On April 9 at Appomattox, General Lee admitted defeat and surrendered to General Grant. Apprehension and uncertainty hung heavily in the stillness, a stillness that resulted from the cessation of fighting and talking. To the surprise of the conquered men, Grant gave the astounding order that the Confederate soldiers be given food and a pardon and a dismissal. Another stab at peace was made when the honorable victor allowed the ex-Rebels to leave with their mounts and weapons, for he knew such items would be needed to supply game and to plant new crops.
Blane witnessed this meeting between two great men. Soon, all fighting would cease, and the Union would rebuild itself. Blane slyly requested that he be sent to North Carolina to see if he might assist Sherman with clearing away the remaining Rebels in that state. Such an assignment would provide the opportunity for a quick departure from Virginia and the chance to see his love, if only for a few hours. He and Dan were permitted to ride the train to speed his arrival and much-needed assistance. Along the way, Blane made plans to expose the villainous Travers and to free Shannon.
At sea, a crippled Siren’s Song was slowly making her way toward the port near Wilmington. A violent storm had broken one mast and had cracked another. Because Wilmington was the closest place available for repairs, Captain Neil Ruffin had ordered his disabled ship and loyal crew to head there. With calm breezes and lost sails, the voyage would take several days. And it was during those sluggish moments that the crafty Captain Ruffin conceived a possible solution to Shannon’s dilemma. He realized that its success would require an illegal deception and perfect timing…
In Wilmington, Simon was biding his time until the Union soldiers left town to aid Sherman’s assault on Johnston. Too many officers were staying at the Sinclairs’ hotel, soldiers who might be persuaded to side with the ravishing Flame or Major Blane Stevens. Now that he had discovered a trail to his traitorous wife, he found the patience to wait and to plot. After all, Simon mused, anticipation and clever planning were almost as stimulating as success.
On Monday, April 10, the revelation of Lee’s surrender and Johnston’s continued resistance spurred most of the local troops into action. On the thirteenth, the Union regiments headed for Battle Ridge and Sherman’s command. It was the moment Simon Travers had dreamed of for days. At last, he would locate Shannon. Then he would make her and all of her helpers pay dearly for their treacheries!
Elisha and Denton Carter reached Wilmington in time to rescue Sarah Jane and Jeremy Steele from Simon’s horrid plan for their deaths. Upon their arrival, the Carters had been alerted to something suspicious when they could not locate their friends in the hotel, and the hired servants seemed confused by the couple’s unannounced absence. The woodcutter told of seeing five men entering the hotel around noon and seeing three of them departing fifteen minutes later. The two brothers sensed danger and trouble. Elisha and Denton sneaked into an unlocked window of the Steele’s suit and killed Simon’s cohorts as the two villains struggled to strip and violate Sarah Jane. They found that Jeremy had been beaten during his interrogation by Simon, for he had tried to remain silent.
The four prayed for a miracle, for Jeremy had betrayed Shannon’s new hiding place to keep Simon’s men from beating and raping his wife. The confession had been in vain, for Simon had announced his intention of having them tortured and slain despite Jeremy’s cooperation. The two brothers listened in horror as the rescued couple described their terrifying experience and expressed fear over Shannon’s peril.
Jeremy told how Simon’s sadistic evil had exposed itself when he ordered two of his men to remain behind to rape Sarah Jane time and time again and to force Jeremy to watch every minute of her shame and abuse. Jeremy said the wicked man had laughed satanically as he had issued his final order before leaving. He had told his men, “When you run out of strength or get bored with her, slice their throats or whatever. Just don’t leave them alive. I’ll meet you back in Savannah within two weeks.” With this, he had calmly departed to head for Norfolk. Jeremy couldn’t thank the brothers enough for saving their lives and for preventing Sarah Jane’s degrading violation.
The authorities in Washington and Norfolk were immediately informed of this crime and the one about to take place. The two brothers quickly and fearfully raced off in pursuit of Simon and his cutthroats, not wanting to chance the possibility of the villains getting through to their parents and Shannon.
Sherman entered Raleigh that same day. Confederate Generals Johnston and Hardee convened at Hillsboro to decide their imminent course of action in order to continue their resistance.
On the morning of April 14, Blane Stevens reached Wilmington to make his terrifying discoveries. Before he could gather supplies to head after his love and her satanic enemy, Captain Neil Ruffin arrived to halt his departure and to provide the scheme that would foil Simon permanently.
Ruffin escorted Blane to his ship and quarters and into the arms of Shannon. He explained his daring, ingenious solution to the startled Texan. Then he handed Blane a pen and showed him where to sign the paper and page, praising Fate for leaving two lines blank on that vital day. There was no danger of discovery, for it could be proven that all three people involved had been in Wilmington on a particular winter day. For the lovers’ benefit, he hurriedly performed a wedding ceremony. When Shannon and Blane left the Siren’s Song shortly thereafter, they were secure in the knowledge that the ship’s log and the document in Blane’s grasp stated that on November 22, 1864—the night on which Shannon had conceived their child—on this ship and by this captain, Major Blane Stevens and Shannon Greenleaf were married.
At the hotel, Blane and Shannon explained Ruffin’s cunning ploy to Jeremy and Sarah Jane. “All of the documents declare that Shannon and I got married that day. All we have to do now is have her bigamous marriage to Simon nullified. Considering all of his crimes, it should be simple to prove he forced Shannon to marry him. We’ll say he told her I was dead and that she was free to marry him. Naturally he was threatening to kill all of her friends and two brothers if she didn’t obey him. We’ll use the actual account of how she fled him, then found me alive in Georgetown. All of you were helping me hide and protect her until she and I could straighten out this mess. Now that the war’s at an end, President Lincoln can help.”
Shannon’s eyes glowed as they settled on her love. “Simon and I were never really married. But Captain Ruffin did marry Blane and I today. Are you sure you two are all right? I’m sorry for getting you both into danger. You can see why I was too scared not to marry him in Savannah, and too smart to hang around afterward.”
While Shannon and Blane were making passionate love in the Wilmington hotel on the night of April 14, they were unaware that President Abraham Lincoln was being assassinated by actor and Southern partisan John Wilkes Booth during a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington. Nor were they aware that it would no longer be necessary to extricate Shannon from Simon Travers’s evil grasp. By midnight, the malevolent Travers was dead at the hands of Elisha and Denton Carter. It would now be a simple matter to expose Simon’s fraudulent claims on Greenleaf holdings, to have such holdings returned to their rightful owners, and to prove blackmail, which would nullify Shannon’s marriage to him.
Gradually all Confederate uprisings were quelled. On April 26, General Joseph Johnston capitulated to General William Sherman at Durham Station. On May 4, General Richard Taylor, commander of the Mississippi and Alabama forces, surrendered to General Edward Canby. President Jefferson Davis was captured on May 10 at Irvinsville, Georgia. The charismatic man, whose fealty, enthusiasm, confidence, energy, and courage had given the Confederacy theirs, would be imprisoned at Fortress Monroe in Virginia until 1867. On May 26, the Confederate forces in Texas under General Kirby-Smith yielded peacefully to Union forces. In the South, it was time for recovery and reconstruction.
The first of June found the remaining Greenleaf heirs camped on the site of their devastated property, planning and rebuilding the lovely house. Corry had returned home and was seeing Temple’s ex-fiancée, Clarissa Jamison. Hawke was there with his wife, Ellie Stevens Greenleaf, and their energetic and inquisitive four-yearold son.
As warm rain continued to fall and impede the rebirth of Greenleaf, Shannon and Blane Stevens lay on a thick bedroll in their large tent, which had been purposely situated at a distance that would allow privacy. She was lying on her back and gazing into her husband’s sparkling hazel eyes. Blane was resting on his left side with his chin proped upon his left hand. His right hand was lovingly and gently stroking Shannon’s protruding abdomen. It halted briefly when the baby shifted. A grin swept over his face at the slight movement. Awe, peace, and joy mingled to compose a heart-fluttering expression on his face.
Blane’s mellow gaze lifted from his right hand to Shannon’s face. She smiled at him and reached up to caress his cheek. “I think he’s going to have as much vitality as his father. With luck, he’ll be as handsome.”
“What if he is a she, and she becomes a headstrong temptress like you? I’ll have to remember never to try to control this tiny vixen’s destiny. I had a hell of a time doing so with her mother. Lord, spare me from the trials of handling two ravishing and willful redheads at the same time,” he murmured, passing his tongue over her lips as he deftly unbuttoned her cotton dress. His hand slipped inside the material to allow his fingers to playfully tease a receptive peak. His mouth sealed over hers in a kiss of contentment that swiftly changed to hunger.
After his pervasive kiss, Shannon replied merrily, “I can think of something better for you to handle, Major Stevens.”
As Blane’s lips replaced his hand at her breast, he speculated mischievously, “Better than this, my flaming enchantress?” His hand slid down her quivering body, up her silky thigh, and into a fuzzy paradise as he added roguishly, “Or better than this, Shannon Stevens?”
She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly as she enjoyed his blissful ministrations. “That’s exactly what I had in mind, my cunning Blade.” Never had she been happier than here with the man who had compelled her to tempt all dangers and demons to share his destiny.