- Text Size +
Several months had passed and Isabelle and Jeremy were growing closer and their love could be seen by all that knew them and even those that didn’t. Dianna and Kevin were nearly inseperateable. Kevin had proclaimed his love for Dianna one night while the two dinned alone.



“ Dianna in these past five months I’ve grown to love you.” Kevin said holding her hand in his.

“ And I have you.” Dianna said turning and looking at him.

“ You’ve filled a place in my heart that I thought was forever empty. After the death of my Kristin I had thought I would be alone forever, but when I met you that all changed.”

“ You make me feel whole.” Dianna said with a smile.

“ I want to keep that feeling. When the war is over, and we can return home I want you to be my wife. Dianna Hamilton will you do the honor of being my wife?” Kevin asked. Dianna smiled and looked at him, Kevin pulled a small diamond ring from his pocket. Tears formed in Dianna’s eyes as Kevin slid it onto her finger.

“ Yes, Yes Kevin I will.” Dianna said kissing him deeply. “ I love you.”

“ I love you more and more every day.” Kevin said lifting her into his arms.

“ Where did you ever get this ring?”

“ It was my mothers. She had been in correspondence with Jerold and he had spoke highly of you, during those letters a package arrived addressed to me. My mother wanted you to have it.”

“ It’s beautiful, but wouldn’t that have been something that Isabelle would have gotten?”

“ Isabelle has many things and I always make sure she has things she wants but this was something my mother wanted you to have.”

“ I will have to thank her when we meet.” Dianna said kissing him again. Kevin pulled Dianna into his lap and kissed her deeply.


Isabelle watched them from the shadows and giggled.

“ What?” Jeremy asked.

“ She said yes. My father asked Dianna to marry him and she said yes.” Isabelle said with a huge smile.

“ They are happy together, and I saw that the very first time he was brought in. When she was treating his wounds. There was a connection between them. Something I’ve never seen.”

“ I’ve only seen it one other time and that was between my mother and father. Dianna makes him happy and that makes me happy.” Isabelle said turning and looking at Jeremy. Jeremy leaned in and kissed her lips softly.

“ But do I make you happy?”

“ Yes you do, I didn’t think I could be happy after James but you make me very happy.” Isabelle said running her fingers over his cheeks. Jeremy kissed her again before standing.

“ You get some sleep and tomorrow you and I will have our dinner together.”

“ Where are you going?” Isabelle asked.

“ I have to do patrol tonight, but I will see you in the morning before breakfast.” He said kissing her again.

“ Be safe my love.” Isabelle said as he turned and left her.

“ I will. I love you.” Jeremy said as he vanished into the darkness.


Kevin walked hand in hand with Dianna as they made their way back to her quarters.

“ What?” She asked.

“ I will leave you tonight my love.” Kevin said kissing her lips.

“ Where are you going?” She asked.

“ To my quarters, you are a lady and as such shall sleep alone until the night of our wedding.” Kevin said with a smile. Dianna pulled his face down to hers as she kissed him passionately.

“ For now.” She whispered as she pulled away.

She ran her fingers over Kevin’s lip and then held his face in her hands.

“ I love to see your eyes sparkle like that. To see the mischief that lies deep within them.” Kevin said.

“ Well kind sir, you will see more than that soon enough.” Dianna said with a sly grin.

“ I bet I will.” Kevin said as Dianna pulled him into her room and closed the door.

“ Stay with me tonight.”

“ It’s not proper.”

“ I didn’t say sleep with me. I asked you to stay with me.” Dianna said looking at him.

“ But how can I share the bed with a beautiful woman and contain myself.” Kevin said with a grin.

“ You will or the commander will castrate you.” Dianna said laughing.

“ Very true. All right, I shall stay with you this evening.” Kevin said, he knew it would be good to feel a woman in his arms again, and know that woman wasn’t his daughter.


Isabelle stood outside her quarters looking at the sunrise. She had woke early when she had heard some soldiers enter the camp. She had been told they were safe but she didn’t sleep well after the recent attack. She looked to see Jeremy walking towards her.

“ I would have assumed you’d still be sleeping.” Jeremy said kissing her cheek.

“ I heard the soldiers enter the camp. What is going on?”

“ They have news but I don’t know what kind.” Jeremy said looking into her eyes.

“ I want this war to be over. I’ve lost so much.”

“ As have I. But I’ve found something too.” Jeremy said looking into her eyes, he loved her with all his heart and had since she had arrived in the camp a year before. Her soft spoken nature and high-spirited love of life.

“ Isabelle.”

“ Yes?” She said looking up at him. Jeremy moved her hair from her face.

“ I love you.” Jeremy said kissing her lips.

“ I love you too, and you are the reason that I smile again.” She said to him. Jeremy looked to see Kevin exiting Dianna’s quarters.

“ I have something to ask you when this war is over. But until then keep this small pin.”

“ It’s lovely.” She said as he pinned it to her dress.

“ It’s as lovely as you are. I will be back. I am going to get a few hours rest.” Jeremy said kissing her lips softly and then turning and walking away from her. Kevin stood next to Isabelle and smiled.

“ I sense that there will be two weddings soon.” Kevin said kissing her cheek.

“ I believe you are right father. I heard you ask Dianna to marry you. I am so happy for you.”

“ I am glad that you approve.”

“ Dianna is a wonderful woman and you need someone like her in your life. Mother would approve.” She said with a smile.

“ I believe your right.”

“ I am going to wash and dress for breakfast. Jeremy said that there are some soldiers here with news.”

“ Maybe it’s some good news.” Kevin said. Isabelle smiled and kissed his cheek before disappearing into her room.


Jerold sat behind his desk as the three men stood before him.

“ What is the news?” Jerold asked.

“ We have news of the war sir.”

“ I gathered that. What is it?”

“ General Lee has surrendered to General Grant.” The young soldier told Jerold.

“ What?”

“ Lee surrendered sir.”

“ When?”

“ About five days ago sir.”

“ Where?”

“ At Appomattox.”

“ I’ll be damned. Gather all the soldiers even the wounded.”

“ Yes sir.” The soldiers quickly left the room. Jerold smiled and stood, smoothing out the wrinkles in his uniform he walked around the desk and headed from the room. He could see that several soldiers where helping the wounded into the courtyard. Kevin walked towards his brother wondering what the big deal was about. Jerold motioned for him to stay where he was, waiting until he knew that all of his men and those that had been brought there wounded where assembled he spoke.

“ I’ve been given some news.” Jerold started.

“ What is it sir?”

“ General Robert E Lee has surrendered to General Ulysses S Grant at Appomattox. The war is over.” Jerold said happily.

The soldiers that were assembled shouted happily. Jerold knew that it would be a hard transition for the southerners to go back to their lives and he wasn’t entirely sure what President Lincoln had in store for them, but he at least knew that war was over. Jerold turned to see Dianna kissing Kevin deeply, he knew that there would be a wedding come spring.

“ Are you sure?” Kevin asked walking towards his brother.

“ Yes, I have the signed paper declaring the war has ended.”

“ YES!”

“ But we don’t know what President Lincoln is going to be doing but we know that the war is done and you can go home.”

“ What ever is left of it. Isabelle said that it had been attacked when she had been originally brought here.”

“ I had heard the same thing. But there has to be something still standing. For now be happy of our good fortune that we’ve finally stopped fighting.”

“ Finally.” Kevin said as Isabelle hugged them both and then happily hurried into Jeremy’s waiting arms.