Love, Lies, Traitors & Spies

Prologue

Prologue

A mist of tears blurred Juliet Jackson's vision as she tore open the newly arrived letter. She'd spent weeks waiting anxiously for word from Cole, and it had finally come! Blinking the moisture from her eyes, she perched on the edge of the nearest chair and devoured the words on the page...

September, 1861

My dearest Juliet,

Just yesterday I received your letter from August the 18th. The news of home was most welcome, and I was glad to receive the likeness you had folded inside. I secured the picture in my uniform jacket so that I will always have it near me.

The army is not quite what I expected. In fact it is quite boring. We march and drill and mill about the camp. I am anxious for a good fight so that we can send the Yankees running back north and I can return to you.

Forever your soon to be husband,

Cole

~*~

Relief flooded Juliet as she stared down at the familiar script addressing the letter she'd received. With news of casualties arriving daily it was difficult to imagine Cole had not fallen victim to one of the many dangers of the war.

July, 1863

My dearest Juliet,

For the last day I have done little more than stare at your beautiful face in my tintype. I long for the day when I can return to you so we might marry and begin our lives together. I am weary of this war. Yesterday I spent hours burying the dead and returned to camp to learn that my cousin Billy had died of dysentery. How inelegant. He has survived several engagements and deserved a better death.

I was very sorry to receive word of your brother's passing. Michael was a good man and a good friend. It seems nothing but sad news surrounds us these days. I can only pray that the future holds brighter times, but truthfully I am losing heart.

All my love,

Cole

~*~

Candlelight flickered across the wooden crate Cole hunched over in the starry darkness. All around him men milled about the camp and somewhere in the distance a fiddle hummed Shenandoah. Cole ignored all of it. Heart heavy, he stared at the blank page of paper before him. No matter how he tried he couldn't find the right words. Finally he scribbled the only suitable thing that came readily to his mind.

September, 1863

My Dearest Juliet,

Forgive me...

Cole

Now he need only find the courage to mail it.