Chapter 11: The Correspondent from Washington
The provost guards finished their cursory search, grumbling about the storm, and left the library, locking the conservatory doors behind them. I remained hidden, shivering [more…]
Series: If those bees attack my uncle one more time, the old keeper will be dragged away in chains for treason, my cousin whispered as we stood on the portico of Elmwood Manor.
Chapter 12: Trapped in the Glasshouse
Marcus Crane, already dictating a frantic telegram to the clerk, was a whirlwind of journalistic zeal. “Hold the presses! This is bigger than Gettysburg!” he [more…]
Chapter 13: The Military Court of Inquiry
Julian’s screams echoed through the greenhouse, a chilling symphony of panic and pain. The arriving guards, armed and wary, hesitated at the threshold, unwilling to [more…]
Chapter 14: The Unsealed Ledger
All eyes snapped to the entrance. The silence in the parlor was immediate, absolute. Dr. Alistair Finch stood framed in the doorway, escorted by two [more…]
Chapter 15: The Aftermath in Chains
The silence that followed Dr. Finch’s revelations was deafening, broken only by the rustle of newspapers as the tribunal members devoured the shocking headlines. Colonel [more…]
Chapter 16: One Year at the Field Cemetery
May 14, 1864. Exactly one year since my arrival at Elmwood Manor. The wind swept across the muddy ridge behind the estate, rustling through the [more…]