The sun rises over the Ohio Valley, exposing what beautiful scenery it has to offer in early summer. I'm in my shimmy, but covered in my shawl, when my husband approaches and hugs me from behind.

"How are you feeling?" Oliver asks just before he moved my hair aside and kissed my neck.

"It's still hard to sleep at times. There's just way to many horrible memories." I said.

"You'll adjust in time. I've arranged for our loved ones to return from Canada, but the house is nowhere near fully staffed. We will need to bring in some more employees. I've heard the freed people from the south are looking for gainful employment, so I'll put word out."

"Nobody could ever replace Mimi and Bub." I felt a small tear.

"Those would be hard shoes to fill." He squeezed me a bit tighter.

"Please behave when Armstrong returns." I said, then felt him take a deep breath.

"It's not going to be easy."

"All I ask is for you to try."

"I will." We watched the sunrise a moment longer before getting dressed for the day. Oliver sat behind his desk after breakfast working and called me to come sit with him. He pulled me onto his lap and pointed at the large papers on the desk.

"Our new home will have plumbing and a garden room. I've requested a carriage house, and this large room is a ballroom. It'll be the finest Indiana has ever seen." He said.

"It looks beautiful, and ridiculously large." I said with a giggle.

"We will call it Westlake Manor." He said.

His investments in Europe, along with many other ventures, has earned Oliver the reputation as one of the wealthiest men in America. He was nearing that before the war, but not everyone protected their money in Europe like my husband. I've heard even the wealthiest in the south are near bankrupt.

We heard hooves, and we both stood to see who was approaching. "Stay here."

And they say I'm the paranoid one.

He walks to the door and peeks out. His face becomes grim and unpleasant. "It's Armstrong." He says, then just walks away.

I gathered the children and we walked out to greet him, but I saw he had a passenger in his carriage. Slowly with Armstrong assistance, a woman and child emerged.

"Everyone meet Evelyn Westlake, my wife, and her daughter Roseland."

Why did my heart just sink?

"Hello, I'm Naomi Westlake, and these are my children, Ollie, Elizabeth, and Ethan. Anna is my mother-in-law, Mae is my sister, and this is her husband Patrick. Welcome to Maukport." I avoided Armstrong, but didn't miss the look she gave my sister.

"It is very nice to meet you all." She said with a southern drawl. He actually brought a confederate to our home.

"Might I ask where you are from, Mrs. Westlake?" I'm not amused.

"Yes, ma'am, I'm from Southern Virginia."

What are her political views?

"Now Naomi, the war is over, and we're are all citizens of the mighty United States of America." Armstrong reminded me. No, I didn't need reminding.

"Where's my cousin, Oliver. I do hope he is home." He said.

"Yes, just tending to business inside. Come, let's get you all settled."

Everyone except Patrick made their way inside, where we found Oliver and Norman in the Parlor. For some reason, Oliver turned as white as a ghost when he saw the new Mrs. Westlake. Does he know her?

"I believe you already know my wife Evelyn?" Armstrong said.

"Yes, glad to see you survived such hardships Miss. Cal..I apologize, Mrs. Westlake. Claire, could you please show Mrs. Westlake to her quarters, and everyone else, could you please excuse my cousin and I, Norman you may stay." Oliver refused to look at me.

I walked out and tried to eavesdrop, but Mae pulled me away. "Stop acting like mother. If there's something you need to know, your husband will inform you." She said as she guided me upstairs.

"Did you see the way he looked at that woman?" I asked.

"Now Naomi, men of your husbands standing know many people from both the north and the south. You'll have to accept we are all one now."

I don't buy it, not an ounce of what she said, and why has she led me upstairs?

"Mae, I'm going back downstairs. Anna has the children alone." I turned and walked away. Mae was trying to distract me, and it isn't a welcomed move.

I heard yelling come from the parlor, and it was Armstrong.

"Naomi had marks and bruises all over her body because of you! You've failed her in so many ways, Oliver!"

"So you bring that woman here, under my roof where I share a marriage bed with my wife? You're just jealous of my marriage to Naomi! Are you trying to destroy her once again? You are the one that failed her when she was raped and our child beat out of her. How could you marry that woman?"

"Cleaning up your messes, dear cousin, has become my full time job!"

"Nobody asked you to clean up my messes! I expect you to have that woman and her child out of my house by tomorrow." Oliver is very angry.

"You are forgetting that I own half the deed to this house." Armstrong said leaving me puzzled.

"That was for keeping my family safe, which you failed miserably, and in addition, you bedded my wife!"

"I did everything in my power to protect them! I did fail, and failed miserably the night you left those marks on her, so don't you dare throw that in my face. I love that woman and would give my life for hers! Morgan had help from your past life, so he knew our weakness. That was brought on by you."

"You have your own wife now, so stop with whatever fantasies you have about mine. Naomi loves me, and even you know how powerful our love is for each other, so your weak attempt to have Evelyn come between us is your own mistake. Nothing will destroy our love."

"Not even the fact that Roseland is your daughter?" Armstrong said, and I took off. I wasn't going to listen to another word.