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“ She would have loved to have known you were going to be here.” Kevin said placing his hands on her shoulders. Isabelle looked at her mother’s fresh grave and let out a small sob.
“ I know, I just couldn’t.”
“ I know and she understands. Always remember she’s in your heart.” Kevin said holding her close. Isabelle cried against his chest knowing she’d never see her mother again. Kevin led her back towards the house and looked as he noticed soldiers standing on his porch.
“ Come. How about you rest and I’ll come check on you later.” Kevin said kissing her cheek.
“ All right father.” Isabelle said heading into the house never paying the soldiers any mind. Kevin stopped on the porch and faced the soldiers.
“ May I help you gentlemen?” Kevin asked politely.
“ Yes you may sir. We are here to inform you you’ve been drafted into the confederate states army.”
“ How so? I am not a young man anymore?” Kevin asked looking at them.
“ We need good soldiers like you ready to lead young men into battle.”
“ My daughter just lost her mother and now her fiancee has gone to war, I fear she can not handle another loss.”
“ I fear kind sir you have no choice.” The officer said looking at Kevin. He handed him the paper and waited.
“ Damn it. All right let me speak to my daughter alone. Return in two hours I shall be ready.” Kevin said sighing. He knew this was going to be hard. Isabelle would not take this news well, he waited till the soldiers where off his porch and gone and then he headed inside.
“ Martha fetch me some tea for Isabelle and the medicine the doctor said for her to rest with.”
“ Yes Master Kevin.” She said disappearing into the kitchen. Kevin sighed and sat down on the steps, he would wait for the tea and the medicine he knew he’d need both to tell his daughter of his impending departure. Martha returned a while later holding the tray that held the steaming tea and the vial of medicine.
“ Remember only give her two drops in her tea, any more you could kill her.” Martha said remembering what the doctor had said.
“ I know. Martha, she will be the woman of the house. I’ve been called to duty.”
“ Master?”
“ Please take care of her help her as best you can.”
“ Yes master. I will tell the others.” Martha said as she handed him the tray and then left the room. Kevin sighed and headed up the stairs to his daughter’s room. He lightly knocked on the door and then slowly opened it.
“ I saw the soldiers father.” Isabelle said her eyes red and puffy from crying.
“ I am sorry.” Kevin said hoping he had better news to tell her.
“ They’ve called you?”
“ Yes. I am ordered to report with in the next few days. The fort is two days ride. I must leave today.”
“ I know. But promise me father. You will return?”
“ I don’t wish to promise something I might not be able to keep.” Kevin said looking at her.
“ Please you’re my only family.”
“ I have sent word to Brian and he should be here with in two days.”
“ Father, Brian doesn’t need to come here.”
“ He does need to come here. I would have asked my brothers but they are serving in the war as well. Brian has been an ill child and was unable to serve. Please allow me this one comfort.”
“ Yes father. Will Brian be coming alone?”
“ Brian is coming from the seminary so I would think he’s coming alone.”
“ You never told me Brian was a priest.”
“ I never felt the need. Please allow me this?”
“ All right. I will miss you father.” She said as tears formed in her eyes. Kevin kissed her forehead and handed her the tea he had ready.
“ Drink up. Martha will wake you in a few hours for supper. Be strong for me.”
“ I will try father.” Isabelle said hugging him close. Kevin could feel Isabelle’s wet tears soaking his shirt, held her until she finally drifted off to sleep. He lay her back on her pillow and kissed her forehead again. He blew out the candle and pulled the door closed. Kevin sighed and went to retrieve what he needed and headed down the stairs. The two soldiers from before where standing in his foyer next to Martha.
“ I am ready.” Kevin said following them from the room. Martha had already had Lukas ready Kevin’s best stallion for the journey. Martha watched Kevin mount the horse and then ride away from the plantation without a word.


It was early in the morning on what Isabelle thought to be a never-ending cycle of lonely days. Brian had arrived safely two days after her father’s departure. Isabelle spent most days alone in her room staring out the window.
“ Isabelle come to church with me.” Brian insisted as he knocked on her door. Isabelle had rarely left her room only for bathing eating and other natural dealings. She left the plantation to running for Brian. Isabelle finally opened the door after Brian had been knocking on it for nearly an hour. She was dressed in her Sunday best, her hair pulled up and away from her face, she looked beautiful.
“ Come then.” Isabelle said, Brian was nicely surprised it had been the first word she had spoken in the nearly three months he had been there. Brian smiled and shook his head as he followed his young cousin from her home.


Brian watched as Isabelle found her seat at the back of the church. He sat down next to her as the people began to notice she was there.
“ Isabelle Richardson. I am so sorry about your mother dear.”
“ Thank you Mrs. Hanson.” She said smiling at the older woman.
“ If you ever need anything my dear, just send George over and we will be there.” She said hugging Isabelle. Isabelle smiled sweetly and nodded at the older woman.
“ I will thank you.” She said sitting back down. Brian smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder.
“ Everyone cares.”
“ More than you ever know.” Isabelle said smiling. Her mother’s family sat in the front of the church and to Isabelle’s surprise so did her grandmother. Brian placed his hand on her shoulder as the service began.



Kevin stood in the darkened woods waiting, the unit he was with had been placed deep in a wooded area of Georgia.
“ Captain Richardson.”
“ Yes Lietenit.”
“ Yankees have been sited near the boarder.”
“ Have your regiment ready.” Kevin said looking around. He could hear the crunching of the leaves under the feet of the soldiers. He looked at the soldiers that he commanded and shook his head they couldn’t even be called men most where just boys. He had been gone from his home for nearly a year and had buried so many young men from both sides that he wondered if he’d actually make it home to his daughter. He had been writing things down on some paper he kept in his pocket, he felt, if he did this even if he was killed his daughter would still understand that he did this for her and for their way of life. He had been sent word that the battalion that James was in had been hit with heavy gunfire and half or more had been killed.
October 25th 1862
My sweet Isabelle,
I know that we’ve been apart for nearly a year. I hope that you and Brian are keeping things going. I miss you and your mother. I know that your mother has been dead for nearly a year but I still hold her deep in my heart and she helps me carry on so I can get back to you.

All my love your father
Kevin

He found the young messenger that had been making his way threw the fields of troops.
“ Make sure my daughter gets this.” Kevin said looking at the young man.
“ Yes sir.” The boy said placing the envelope into his pack. Many of the young men had been trying to get messages home to their families letting them know they where alive and well. Kevin watched the boy make his way out of the field and hurry on his way. He wondered if the message would actually make it to Isabelle or would the boy die before he got that far. His fears where warranted as gunfire started again.



Isabelle sat on the porch of her home when she heard shouting. She looked towards the fields and saw that they where on fire.
“ Brian.” Isabelle cried getting her cousin’s attention. Brian came from the house and looked out at the field.
“ The soldiers have set the fields on fire. They are here.” She said looking at him.
“ Back into the house Isabelle.” Brian said seeing the distinct blue coats coming into view. Brian remained calm as the soldiers came to a stop in front of the house.
“ May I help you sirs?” Brian asked.
“ Father you live on this plantation?” The soldier asked.
“ I tend to the plantation while my family fights in the war.” Brian answered simply.
“ Your family has you tend a plantation of slaves?”
“ Free slaves if you mind. My cousin set them free before leaving for the war. They chose to stay here as most have been with the family since my cousin’s daughter was but a baby.” Brian said.
“ So is your cousin’s daughter here?”
“ I am here.” Isabelle said stepping out on to the porch.
“ You’re the daughter. I expected a child not a full grown woman.” The soldier said. Isabelle narrowed her eyes and then turned on her heal and headed back into her home.
“ I seem to have insulted the young woman.” He said nearly laughing.
“ I would like you to leave.” Brian said calmly. The soldiers grumbled something but did as they where asked and turned to leave. The soldiers weren’t sure they could return to their commanding officer without making sure the people of this plantation where either gone or dead. But since the young woman that had been seen inside was standing watching them they decided it best to just mount their horses and leave.


Kevin had received word that his land had been taken and his daughter and cousin taken into custody. He wasn’t sure if anything would happen to them but he prayed that they where safe. He hoped that she would be her safest right where she was.