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© 2007, Cheryl
Mullenax Reviews For SOUTHERN LEGACIES Book 3: WOUNDED HEARTS by M.C. Scout M.C. Scout's SOUTHERN LEGACIES series has spawned a renewed interest in facts regarding the Civil War. There are so many fascinating aspects that I hadn't thought of before I began reading this series. With the newest addition to this thrilling series, WOUNDED HEARTS, readers will be treated to Anne and Justin's story. They're both strong characters who desperately need each other but healing their fears and WOUNDED HEARTS is infinitely more complicated. It takes a lot of love, patience and a little help from their friends. This is a truly wonderful series and if you enjoy reading about the Civil War era then you're sure to love all of the books in the SOUTHERN LEGACIES series." 5 Ribbons! - Chrissy at Romance Junkies What an extraordinary book! The story surpassed all my expectations concerning this series! Even though this is Book 3 of the series, I have not read the first two and had no trouble with this one; this proves that this can be read as a stand-alone manuscript. I do, however, have plans to read the first two because I like the author's writing style. The characters involved in this saga were beautifully written; they were multi-faceted, incredibly developed, and poignantly portrayed. It felt as if I was involved in the war itself. The facts were, seemingly, factual, even though I was not aware of many of the areas discussed. The book showed the horrors encountered by families involved in the Civil War. I laughed a little, cried more, and thoroughly enjoyed this marvelous work. I recommend you read this book; its myriad of characters will grip your soul as well as your mind! Reviewer: Brenda Talley Sample Chapter For SOUTHERN LEGACIES Book 3: WOUNDED HEARTS by M.C. Scout Anne Rutledge prepared for her wedding to Jamie Townsend. At eighteen, she would begin the newest part of her life married to a boy she really didn’t know and hadn’t been in love with. A plain and simple business arrangement. She despised the whole idea of arranged marriages. Granted, the newly wedded couple would end up with a good-sized home and a large amount of acreage in a lush area of Virginia but both sets of parents made out better in the long run with their financial fortunes combined. “Come, child, smile. It’s your wedding day.” “Mamie, I don’t even know him.” “You’ll get to know him over time.” “But this is barbaric! I don’t love him. I hope I never do this to my children.” “Never say never, child,” Mamie warned her. Anne hugged the black servant who’d been with the family for years. Mamie had reared her while her parents did the society outings so Rutledge business interests would flourish. Anne and her sister Jane saw more of Mamie then anyone else and came to rely on her for her intuitive guidance. “What am I going to do without you?” “I’ll be here, child. Anytime you need me. Now, turn around for me to see.” Anne spun to allow Mamie to check the antique lace of her mother’s gown. It gracefully hugged her body before it flared out from the waist to drape the length of her body. Mamie laid the matching veil over Anne’s auburn hair. Mamie had braided it loosely so it could fall down Anne’s back. She turned Anne to face her and saw a teardrop fall from the bride’s blue eye. Mamie saw a hint of a sparkle in it and smiled. “Beautiful. The dress just adds to your God-given looks.” Mamie hurried Anne from the bedroom to the top of the long winding staircase where her father John waited. He thanked Mamie who left them alone for the few minutes before he handed his daughter over to her new husband. “Before you say anything, Anne, I know how you feel but this union will keep us financially solvent. I raised you to respect duty to your family.” “But…” “Anne, for now, there’s nothing more to be said. You’ve made me very proud.” John Rutledge escorted his daughter down the grand staircase of the family’s Tidewater home to the man chosen for her to spend the rest of her life with. Against her better judgment, she resigned herself to a future she no longer had any control over. * * * * James “Jamie” Townsend waited at the fireplace with the minister from the Methodist Church. Eighteen and extremely nervous, he was no more happy about his present situation than the girl he had been forced to wed. Yes, she was pretty… He knew his time to start a family had come way too soon and pleasing his folks and the Rutledges had not been his first choice but duty had to be honored. “We’ll make the best of it,” he promised his father while he rued the entire idea. The pianist began to play and the last moments of his bachelorhood and youth dwindled away. He caught his breath as he gazed at his betrothed on her father’s arm. He had to admit his father had chosen a beautiful bride for him. Can we make it? Jamie took Anne’s hand from his father-in-law-to-be and together the couple faced the minister. Half an hour later, he pronounced them husband and wife. “You may now kiss the bride.” Jamie gave her a quick kiss then they left the room. He whisked her outside because he needed air. “I’m sorry but I couldn’t breathe in there. I felt closed in.” “It’s all right. I feel the same way.” “You didn’t want this either, did you?” “Honestly? I think parents arranging marriages for their own security is barbaric and outdated. It’s decidedly unfair. I’m not ready for this.” “Neither am I. I argued with my father but to no avail.” “Same here.” “I guess we’ll have to make the best of things for now, won’t we?” “I guess so.” In that instant, two children became adults by agreeing to work side-by-side to make a true success of their future together. They would leave the next day for their new home south of the town of Fredericksburg and an uncertain future, especially with the ongoing hostilities between the Union and the Confederacy. * * * * After several days of traveling from Hampton Roads to their new home on the outskirts of Fredericksburg, they finally arrived. Once Jamie pulled inside the gates of the revolutionary era house, he stopped the wagon and they stared at it. When they finally went inside, Anne gasped in astonishment. “This is not what I pictured.” “It’s not what I remembered,” Jamie commented. The two-story house appeared larger once they went inside. “It doesn’t look this large from outside,” Anne said. They stood in the entry on polished hardwood flooring. A chandelier hung in the center of the foyer and Anne imagined it flooding this part of the house with the warm glow of candlelight. To her right, she found the living room and a parlor set off to the side while on the left, she gazed at the dining room and library. Anne followed the doors to a hallway and into a huge kitchen. It surprised her to find it separated into three sections. She walked into a huge pantry and spun around in the huge preparation area. Shocked, she looked at all the workspace around her. “My father said many parties and celebrations have been held here over the years,” Jamie explained when he saw the questions in her eyes. What piqued her curiosity amused her husband. She went to a room where the ovens and stoves had been set up in what she discovered had been a separate and detached building. A small breezeway lay between it and the main house. She looked back to Jamie for an explanation. “I’ve been told, m’lady, the purpose of this was to lessen the threat of fire.” “Interesting,” she observed. He took her upstairs to the second floor where they settled into the master suite. Jamie and Anne cleaned up after their journey then went downstairs to remove the sheeting covering the furniture. “Where did…” “This home belonged to my grandmother. I spent a lot of time here growing up. She died last year and left it to me.” “Jamie, it’s beautiful.” “I hope it’s not too overwhelming.” “For now, we’ll manage,” she assured him. * * * * A few days after their arrival, Jamie answered a call-to-arms and joined one of the area’s Confederate units. They shared a quick good-bye before he left her to defend Virginia and the Confederate cause. “Anne, hold on as long as you can then run. Either go home or to Richmond and I will find you,” he told her. He kissed her good-bye holding her before leaving to join his regiment. Anne watched him leave, her heart empty. In their short time together, she had grown very fond of him. Now, he left her to go to war and it scared her she might lose him. She watched him ride off and disappear over the hill. She swore to be strong enough to keep the farm successful for Jamie’s return home. She went inside then closed off several rooms she knew she would have no use for. It would be easier this way since she reduced her living space to the library, kitchen and master bedroom. She felt this would be more than enough room for one lone inhabitant. Ann glanced around, alone in this huge house. God, please give me the strength and guidance I need. * * * * Townsend’s regiment headed to Chantilly right away where they joined up with Stonewall Jackson’s command. The fighting shifted from Manassas during what became known as Second Bull Run. The men they joined with crawled east on the Little River Turnpike, hungry and spent. On the morning of September 1st, they staged for the first battle after Lee’s resounding victory at Bull Run in the waning days of August, 1862. Weather wouldn’t help their cause as dark clouds lowered and heavy rains met them on the grounds of Chantilly, a country mansion. As they reached it, they met Federal troops prepared for the ensuing fight. Both sides met as Jackson ordered three divisions south of the turnpike with artillery on the opposite side. A thunderstorm broke over the warring forces bringing with it heavy winds and sheeting rains driving into the faces of the troops. A. P. Hill’s brigades crossed the battlefield to seek safety in a small wooded area. Two Federal divisions under the command of Major Philip Kearney and Brigadier General Isaac I. Stevens hit them with heavy fire. This moved Hill to add three more brigades to his ranks. The intense storms added to the confusion and misery between the conflict and nature’s raw force. Fighting continued with more attacks and counterattacks, though neither side gained. Stevens and Kearney died in the fighting that ended after dark with the Federal withdrawal, Second Bull Run concluded. Jamie and several others weathered the storms while they got firsthand combat training. That night, they watched the last remnants of the storm move away. “Do you think the storm helped our side?” one asked. “Maybe it held up Pope and his men.” “But the captain said Pope held the line and hurt Lee’s offensive.” “Maybe it did, maybe it didn’t. I just go where the general orders.” Jamie listened to the discussion and thanked the Lord he’d made it through his first battle. Maybe I’ll make it back to Anne. Over the next several days, his regiment saw action in skirmishes at Fairfax Court House, Vienna, Falls Church and Flint Hill while Lee started a drive to position his armies for a Potomac River crossing in his attempt to move north. During the fighting at Falls Church, Jamie took a bullet in the neck and bled to death. His prayers unanswered, he wouldn’t make it home. * * * * Word of Jamie’s death finally reached Anne in mid-November. One of the scouts sent back to Lee’s command made a side trip to visit Anne and break the sad news. With him came a squad assigned to return the bodies of fallen Confederate soldiers to their grieving families for proper burial—if it could be safely accomplished. “Mrs. Townsend, you have our deepest condolences,” Captain Abner Kent told her, helping her to a chair. “We’ve brought him home to you, ma’am.” Anne paled feeling the captain’s hand on her shoulder for support. “My God, we only got married about two weeks before he left.” “Ma’am, is there anything we can do for you?” “I-I…need a grave dug…out…” “We can do that for you. Do you have a minister we can send for?” “No…I… We just moved here…” “Jenks, go into the nearest town and find someone to…” “Yes, sir.” Jenks left while the others went to a small family cemetery on the north end of the Townsend property. Once the minister arrived, he and Captain Kent escorted her to where her husband’s body would rest eternally. The minister spoke the rites of burial and the men left. Captain Kent went to Anne, his hand on her shoulder. “Ma’am, may I help you back to the house?” “No. Thank you, I’m all right. You have… You have others to see to. I appreciate your concern and your help.” “Yes, ma’am.” He stepped back and saluted her then quietly withdrew. She stared at the wooden cross set to mark her husband’s grave. She would have to contact a mason to carve a proper headstone for him. She stood back then gazed at the land she had been sole owner of for the last several weeks. “Jamie, I swear I will keep this place profitable and in my ownership so your family’s birthright stays safe. I know you went and gave your life for what we believe in but we never had a chance.” Anne felt his absence and his loss. Her stomach tightened from sadness. She said a second farewell to him then slowly walked back to the house. She went up to the attic and found a trunk Jamie told her contained his grandmother’s clothing. When he had described his grandmother to her, he explained they were roughly the same size. It remains to be seen. She opened the trunk and carefully searched through it. She found several black dresses—dressy and day dresses with veils and other accessories. Thank you, Grandmother Alice. She carried the clothes and some other things to her room, the one she shared briefly with her husband. She hung the dresses up to let them air out. Tomorrow, she would become the Widow Townsend and she had yet to turn nineteen. * * * * Justin Capwell reported to General James Longstreet. He’d served under Old Pete since the war began. Now he and Aiden Hart took on more important assignments for the General and Commander of the Confederate Armies, Robert E. Lee. During Lee’s drive north to stop the Union’s southern advances, Capwell and Hart acted as Longstreet’s eyes and ears. They had been following troop movements through Northern Virginia from Manassas west to the Shenandoah Valley. The two continually crisscrossed the same areas in order to get vital information to the Confederate command. Mid-December, they rode along Jackson’s trenches where the troops dug into the soft ground. While the weather said winter, the ground remained damp from the waterlogged area. Jackson’s men held their lines while they waited for the coming battle. “It’s a damned good thing it’s not July,” Justin stated. “I know. I hate being eaten alive,” Aiden agreed. “This is not my favorite area. I love this part of the state but I’m not one for being in or near swampland.” They trudged along the trenches and joined up with a detachment attempting to defend a railroad station, the rail lines taken out by the Federals. Though foggy, pontoon bridges began to span the Rappahannock River. Longstreet ordered Justin and Aiden to get him an idea of troop strengths and movements along Marye’s Heights. He had his regiments flank the left side of the ridge while Jackson took the right. General Ambrose Burnside launched an attack on Fredericksburg but after their retreat, Lee’s divisions returned to settle along the ridge. While they secured advantageous positions, Northern troops looted and burned the city, the Union soldiers walking off with anything of value they could find. They tried to destroy what remained. “This is disgusting,” Aiden stated as they watched from the ridge. “Someone should explain compassion and humanity to those boys.” “I know.” “Excuse me, Colonel Capwell. The general would like to see you.” “Thank you, Corporal,” Justin replied. A few minutes later, Longstreet told them to stand easy. They followed him to where he headquartered. “Gentlemen, I want you to scout the surrounding area around the city. If there is any of this still going on, I want a stop put to it. We must see to our own.” “Yes, sir.” “You’ll be on your own for the next few weeks. Do your best. I will try to get word to you if you’re needed.” “Yes, sir.” “Dismissed.” The three officers saluted and Aiden turned to leave as Longstreet stopped Justin. Once Aiden had gone, Longstreet relaxed. “Justin, I need you to handle this situation with the utmost care.” “Yes, sir, I will.” “I have received word of a small detachment, maybe half a dozen Union soldiers, taking part in this heinous action. They’ve split from the Northern command.” “I understand.” “Good. Take as long as you need in order to secure the area. If control changes hands, I expect you to get the hell out of there. I don’t want to lose either one of you.” “Yes, sir. Thank you.” Capwell saluted then left his commander to rejoin Aiden. They bedded down for the night in order to get an early start the next morning. Something bothered Capwell, though he could not get a clear idea of what nagged at him. Why? |