The Forgotten Debutante

by Becky Lower

  “Do you have these papers with you?”

  Halwyn opened the folder he’d been carrying, and handed the papers to the attorney.

  “Explain to me what your findings are before I enter these into evidence.”

  “Mr. Boone had four brothers who all volunteered to serve. They are listed here. Adam Boone, age twenty-five, Benjamin Boone, age twenty-two, Caleb Boone, age nineteen, and David Boone, age seventeen.”

  The attorney pointed his hand toward Zeke. “But no Ezekiel Boone?”

  “No, sir. He’s not listed.”

  “Do you have an assumption as to why he’s not listed?”

  Halwyn nodded. “I have Mr. Boone’s testimony. And my own assumptions. Obviously, the children in this family are named in alphabetical order, so Ezekiel would be fifth in chronological order. And there seems to be a year or two between each child. So following that logic, Ezekiel would have been no more than fourteen or fifteen when the war began and his brothers enlisted.”

  The attorney resumed his pacing. “So you’re telling me Mr. Boone was too young to enlist?”

  “Yes, he would have been turned away, despite the fact we needed every soldier we could find. Fourteen is too young.”

  “And how are you familiar with the protocol of the recruiting staff of the New York army?”

  “I was one of the recruiting officers during the war, stationed at Fort MacDougall.”

  The attorney stopped in front of Halwyn again. “So what do you make of these findings?”

  “Mr. Boone has revealed his mother had a child not carried to term between David and himself, and he was, in fact, only thirteen when his brothers enlisted. He ran off with them and followed the troops until their first battle. Then, he stripped the uniform off a fallen soldier and took up a rifle. He fought alongside his brothers for three years, until his brothers all fell at Chancellorsville.”

  The attorney then turned to face Zeke. “Which would be when he deserted?”

  Halwyn also turned his gaze toward Zeke. “That’s when he left. Not deserted. You can’t desert the army if you never enlisted in the first place. It only appeared that he had deserted. The records from the Twenty-Second New York Infantry close the loop on the discrepancy. In fact, before the battle ensued, the Boone brothers’ commanding officer approved one of them to return home after Chancellorsville to help their ailing father. After the battle, Zeke was the only one left. This boy, now a man, should be awarded a medal instead of being subjected to a court-martial.”

  The courtroom erupted as the twelve men on the jury began to talk among themselves. Zeke’s head jerked up, and he stared at Halwyn with his mouth agape. Halwyn suggested he be awarded a medal? The judge pounded his gavel, and finally quiet reigned.

  The attorney turned toward Halwyn once more. “So, sum it up for me. Other than giving this man a medal, what do you suggest we do?”

  “Mr. Boone was only thirteen when he joined the army to fight alongside his brothers. He then buried all of them at Chancellorsville when he was only sixteen. The horrors he bore witness to for those three years, not to mention seeing each of his brothers die in battle, are something no child should ever have to deal with. I believe he’s suffered enough from this war. Mr. Boone has proven himself a good soldier, and under any other circumstances, I’d be grateful to have him represent the army. But, if some punishment must be meted out, I’d suggest we deny his request to enlist.”

  Zeke’s breath whooshed out, and he fought the urge to grin. His trial wasn’t over yet, but he at least had Halwyn’s approval, for the first time.

  • • •

  Zeke was placed under guard in a small room next to the judge’s chambers. Not that he would have gotten far with handcuffs around his wrists and shackles on his ankles. Halwyn joined him as they waited for a judgment.

  “Thank you, Halwyn, for sticking your neck out on my behalf.”

  Halwyn ran his finger under the collar of his uniform, soothing the skin of the aforementioned neck. “Let’s hope it worked and that you can leave here with your own neck intact.”

  “Well, you’ve done what you can, and I appreciate it, even if it doesn’t work.”

  “Why don’t you tell me about Chancellorsville, when you lost all your brothers?”

  Zeke turned his head away. “I have no wish to relive those awful days, but it plays over and over in my head anyway. The battle lasted nearly a week, one brother falling each day. At the end of the conflict, the Confederates were rounding up all the soldiers they hadn’t slaughtered to take to their prison camps, so I ran into the woods after I buried David alongside the others.”

  Zeke pressed his handcuffed hands against his stomach, which was still unsettled. He understood Halwyn was trying to take his mind off what was being discussed in the other room, but it made no difference. His ears were tingling as his body craned toward the adjoining wall, hoping to hear something from the jurors. Anything. But he could hear nothing.

  Halwyn insisted on filling the space with words, though. “All right, then. If you can’t talk about the battle, let’s talk about Saffron.”

  Zeke’s head turned from the wall to stare at Halwyn. “What about Saffron?”

  “She told me you asked for her hand in marriage and she accepted.”

  Zeke gulped. “Yes, sir.”

  “And you two were going to wait until you were accepted into the military to come to me. You figured a job with the army would make you seem more appealing as a husband.”

  Zeke nodded his head. “Yes, sir.”

  “She also told me you presented her with a choice between the military and heading west on a wagon train, and she’s the one who chose the military.”

  “Yes, sir. All I’ve ever hoped for since I was sixteen and kissed her for the first time, was to make Saffron happy.”

  Halwyn removed his glasses and rubbed a hand over his eyes. “She told me of your first meeting, but left out the part about you kissing her. If I hadn’t just tried to save your life, I’d wring your neck. She was only fifteen! Now, she’s blaming herself for the spot in which you find yourself. If she had chosen the wagon train, none of us would be here.”

  “I’m aware of the blame she’s placed on herself.”

  “So what I did today on the stand was for Saffron as much as it was for you. I only hope for her happiness, same as you. She could have chosen a man more suitable, more fitting to her social status, but Saffron has never done things the easy way.”

  Zeke’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Does that mean you approve of our union?”

  Halwyn hesitated before he answered. He replaced his glasses and glanced at Zeke. “Now that I have the whole story of how you met, yes, I approve. I thought your actions toward her since you came to the program were very forward, but knowing that you had a past together, even though you should never have met, now they make sense. I wish you’d come to me right away; this whole court-martial could have been avoided. Now I can only hope you and Saffron have a future together.”

  Halwyn shook his head before he continued. “But what you did during the war—fighting when you were no more than a child, burying all of your kin, going home to work alongside your ailing father and save the lives of your remaining siblings, and then coming back to retrieve your brothers’ bones and make certain they are properly laid to rest—are proof you’re a man of honor.”

  Tears filled Zeke’s eyes as he listened to Halwyn. A man of honor. A lump formed in Zeke’s throat.

  “I was only doing my duty. To my country and to my family.”

  “Well, if you can get through the trial, we will welcome you into our family. We’ll take a trip to New York or maybe bring my folks here so you can meet them. My mother will enjoy having another wedding to plan.”

  “I still have a ways to go before I can even contemplate planning a wedding. Let me ask you a question. If the worst happens, and the jury decides to put me to death, will Saffron be all right?”

  Halwyn he
sitated before answering. “It will take a while, but yes, she’ll make it through. She’s been in love with you for years, evidently, ever since your first encounter, so it would be hard for her to accept. But she will, if that’s to be your fate. We’ll take care of her.”

  “She blames herself for this whole mess. She should never feel anguish. Or heartache. That’s what a relationship with me has brought her.”

  Halwyn put a hand on Zeke’s shoulder as he stood. “What’s done is done, Zeke. I hope my testimony was enough to convince the jury, but the outcome is now out of our hands. I’ll be in the courtroom when they announce the verdict.”

  “But keep Saffy out, will you? She doesn’t need to be here.”

  “Of course. But she’ll ask to be in attendance.”

  Zeke rose as well and faced Halwyn. “You promised to take care of her. Keeping her away from the courtroom is the first thing you can do for me.”

  “It will be done.”

  Halwyn squeezed Zeke’s shoulder before he left the room. Adam had squeezed Zeke’s shoulder before each battle, and he’d missed the brotherly contact. Now Halwyn’s reassuring squeeze was possibly the last physical contact he’d have with anyone—except his executioners.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Saffron paced from one side of the small antechamber to the other and back again. Her mind raced while she waited for a verdict. This was the closest the army would allow her to be to the courtroom where the continuation of Zeke’s life, and their future together, was being decided. And she could hear nothing through the wall, even with the water glass she’d found in the room pressed up against it.

  Halwyn stopped in before heading back to the courtroom for the verdict, which made her cease her frantic movements for the moment. Even though he tried to be upbeat, Saffron’s mouth grew dry even as her eyes grew moist. She swallowed the lump of fear at her throat. Their last shot had been fired over the galley of the ship. Now all they could do was wait to see if their ship sank or stayed afloat.

  “Keep your chin up, Saffy. This will be over soon.”

  “I am trying to, but just when I get a good grip on things, the idea of Zeke being put to death invades my mind, and I start to panic again.”

  Halwyn placed her cold hands in his, lending her some of his warmth, and kissed her fingers. “My recommendation to the jury for punishment, if they feel compelled to mete out any, was to deny his request to join the military. If they listened to me, that means you and Zeke will be heading west on a wagon train soon. I’ve been told it was your second choice for a life together. How will you handle it?”

  She gazed into Halwyn’s eyes. “If I can be with Zeke, I’ll go anywhere. I’m sure I can manage.”

  “You’ll face a lot of hardship and rough conditions. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay here or in New York City? I’m certain Father would offer Zeke a job at the bank.”

  Tears slid down her cheeks as she stared at her brother. “I can’t talk about options until I can be certain Zeke will be with me. And I can’t be assured of that until his blasted trial is over.”

  Footsteps in the hallway signaled the jury was about to reconvene. Halwyn pulled Saffron close, wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs, and kissed the top of her head. “It seems we’ll all find out very soon. Try to maintain a positive outlook.”

  He left the antechamber, and Saffron resumed her pacing. Even though the army had provided a good job for Halwyn, and she had to admit the uniform he wore made him rather dashing, she now, at this very moment, hated the army. Hated all military. She’d had the same reaction when her brother-in-law, Michael, had died at Bull Run. But now, the army and the war weren’t one step removed from her. They were launching a direct blow on her life, and in the typical manner of the military, women were not allowed in the courtroom, so she couldn’t even witness the possible destruction.

  God forbid the military would acknowledge the weaker sex had brains, too. And would not break down at the verdict. She paced again, her anger growing. Her heart raced as the hall quieted. Poor Zeke. He must be terrified, because she certainly was. Her limbs shook, but she couldn’t stop pacing. Wouldn’t stop moving.

  She could not be cooped up in the tiny room any longer. If she couldn’t go into the courtroom, maybe she could stroll down the hallway in front of it and overhear some of the proceedings from there. Saffron yanked open the door and spilled out into the darkened hallway. Her teary eyes made her vision weak, and she stumbled into a guard outside the doors to the courtroom. He grabbed her arms to keep her upright.

  “Oh, sorry.” She stepped back and brushed his hands away from her.

  “Ma’am, our orders are to make certain you stay in the antechamber.”

  She bristled. “And who gave you such orders?”

  “The major, ma’am. Your brother.”

  “I merely hoped to take a peek inside and see what’s going on.” She flashed the young officer what she hoped was her most pleasant smile. Maybe she could charm her way inside.

  “And I can’t let you take even a peek. I have my orders. The major told us you might try. Please return to the antechamber. You’ll find out the verdict soon enough.”

  She stomped her foot on the marble floor, but her slipper barely made a sound. Halwyn still protected her. God’s teeth. She was so tired of being treated as a child.

  She had no choice but to return to the cloistered room and resume pacing. Her fingers laced together, and she brought her hands to her stomach, which was now churning. She bent over, hoping for some measure of relief. She longed to crawl into a corner of the room and cry for days. She longed to allow her quivering insides to manifest themselves into an entire body shake. She longed to let herself go.

  But what she longed for most of all was for Zeke to walk out of the courtroom and into her arms.

  And if he found her sniveling in some corner, she would be mortified. What kind of strength would that show him? He’d be afraid to take her on a wagon train if she shriveled up into a simpering ball at the first sign of trouble. She stood, wiped the tears from her face, inhaled a few deep breaths, and smoothed the skirt of her red dress. Red was the color of victory, and she had chosen her gown with care this morning. She would be ready when he finally was freed. Because she couldn’t allow herself to ponder any other outcome.

  • • •

  Zeke’s head buzzed as he stood before the jury who had taken very little time in deciding his fate. His life or death seemed to matter little to them. He shook his head to clear it, and stared at the twelve men in uniform. His chin came up. He would not allow them to intimidate him.

  “Have you reached a verdict then?” the judge asked.

  “We have, your honor.”

  “Will the defendant please rise?”

  Zeke rose on unsteady feet and stared straight ahead.

  The judge directed the jury. “Well, then, what say you in the matter of Boone versus the United States Army?”

  “We find the defendant …” Zeke tried not to fidget as the leader of the jury paused for dramatic effect.

  “Not guilty.”

  Zeke blinked, and his body slumped. Surely he had misheard.

  “Is this a unanimous verdict?”

  “It is, your honor. We could find no conclusive evidence Mr. Boone was ever in the army. Therefore, he could not have deserted. We do request though, a fitting punishment for causing these proceedings would be to ban him from any future military service.”

  The judge turned to gaze directly at Zeke, who straightened his spine into a proper military stance and stared back.

  “You have been found not guilty, Mr. Boone. Therefore, all charges have been dropped against you. I hope you will adhere to the jury’s decision and give up your quest to join the army.”

  “Yes, sir.” Zeke’s legs began to shake. The guard came forward and removed his handcuffs and ankle shackles. He was a free man. He needed to sit; he needed a hot bath. But what he really needed was to fin
d Saffron.

  Halwyn appeared at his side and placed a hand on his arm. “Come along, Zeke. I’ll take you to her.”

  Zeke nodded, unable to form words around the huge lump in his throat. His eyes smarted with tears that he blinked away. He walked out of the courtroom and into the rest of his life. He had no idea what the future held, but he now had Halwyn’s assurance Saffron would be a part of it. Halwyn, the protective older brother, was leading him to her. Zeke rubbed his face and took a huge gulp of air as they walked down the hall and stopped at a door.

  Halwyn clamped a hand on Zeke’s shoulder. “She’s inside, wearing out the carpet with her pacing. You two are a good pair, and you have my blessing. But you’d better marry her soon. Three years is a long time to make her wait.”

  “Yes, sir.” Zeke grinned, finally.

  “I’ll leave you alone. But I expect you both to join us for dinner tonight, when we can discuss your future plans.”

  Zeke reached for Halwyn’s extended hand and shook it. Then he faced the door, swallowed hard, wiped his sweaty palms on his shirt, and turned the doorknob. His life had righted itself again. Saffron had been responsible for getting him out of New York City and heading back home three years ago, and she now had helped save him again. A lifetime would not be long enough to pay her back, but he intended to try.

  She cried out when the door opened and she caught sight of him. She raced to him, her gown swishing against the floor. If he hadn’t been hanging on to the door handle still, she would have knocked him flat.

  “Oh, thank God.” She peppered his face with kisses and wrapped her arms around him.

  “You didn’t really entertain any other outcome, did you?” He laughed as he caressed her cheek and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, which he then kissed.

  “I prayed for your release, harder than I’ve ever prayed before. But you must make me a promise.”

  “I’ll grant you any wish, my love.”

  “Promise me right now whatever trouble life throws at us, we’ll go through it together. You can’t ever again put your own life in danger to save mine. We go through life together or not at all.”