Chapter 7 ~ Accordance

Major Bailey is informed of more problems of the fort and General Prior comes across some of his own.

Chapter 7 ~ Accordance

Major Bailey found Taylor standing outside HQ the next morning. He had been let out of the confines of the building for a short period of time and by the looks of the situation, Taylor had been too. He was sitting on the little wall outside the main building when Bailey found him, watching Colonel Dawes patrol the daily infantry drills and with his jacket half undone in the balmy heat.

‘’Morning, Taylor,’’ he greeted with a smile, taking a place next to him on the wall.

‘’Morning, Major,’’ he replied. Bailey was glad to see a sparkle in his eyes this time and a certain spring in his voice. ‘’How are you?’’

‘’I’m fine. You seem better too.’’

‘’Better?’’ Taylor frowned. ‘’What do you mean?’’

‘’Well, last night you hurried off pretty quick after finding me about that letter. I was wondering if you were alright.’’

‘’Oh.’’ Taylor smiled and Bailey swore he saw the slightest pink tinge on his cheeks. ‘’ Oh, Major, you are perceptive. But no, no, I just wanted to get everything done last night. Losing letters at that time in the evening is not my favourite thing.’’

Bailey nodded. ‘’I understand.’’

Taylor yawned quietly beside him, trying effortlessly to hide it behind his hand, and stretched out his legs. Bailey liked this more carefree, less business like side to him. His hair was a little messed, eyes twinkling and cheeks slightly flushed in the warmness of the approaching day and there were something very calm about him. However, as he lengthened his arms above his head, Bailey regretted glancing at his wrists. They were healing, but hints of purple still adorned the ivory skin. He immediately looked back to Colonel Dawes, watching his men in the parade ground. Taylor followed his gaze, settling again.

‘’How long have you known him?’’ he asked. Bailey sighed softly.

‘’A long time,’’ he replied, almost nostalgically. ‘’Well, since we were children. He lived along the same lane as we did back in Maine. We joined up together in the War and I went through god knows how many battles with him until Gettysburg.’’

Taylor didn’t want to ask but he felt he must. ‘’What happened at Gettysburg?’’ he tried carefully but Bailey’s reaction was much better than what his worst hope of it had been.

‘’Well, I don’t want to go into details, but we all got mixed up in a charge on the third day and that was the last time I saw Will �" Colonel Dawes �" until now. I thought he’d been killed. I tried to visit the hospital at the end of the day but there were so many men in there that I didn’t know if he had been moved already or…’’ Bailey trailed off, his eyes flickering to the ground below him. Taylor remembered the image of him and the colonel in each other’s arms the previous night. His stomach jumped at how much that single moment had probably meant to Major Bailey. ‘’…but then he arrived here. He’s the William I must have heard the men talking about.’’

Taylor nodded. ‘’Yes, he’s usually the centre of attention here. Well, mostly related to what happens outside the fort with the Indians but most of the men seem to really admire him here beyond that too.’’

‘’…and what are the general’s thoughts on that?’’ Bailey didn’t expect a favourable answer. Taylor laughed quietly.

‘’Him and the colonel don’t get on,’’ he replied without hardly any hesitation. ‘’They’re professional enough to work together �" at varying degrees of success �" but aside from business matters, they tend to clash. Not openly �" no, they’re both too much of gentlemen to do that �" but there is definite awkwardness between them.’’

‘’And is this because of jealousy?’’ Bailey noticed Taylor’s eyes flick towards the HQ before he answered. Even then, he still lowered his voice.

‘’I think so,’’ he said, leaning slightly into the major. ‘’At least partly, or mostly. On General Prior’s part. Colonel Dawes has had far more successes than him in war and General Prior had always wanted to be on the field in the Civil War yet never really got the chance to. Colonel Dawes represents all that he wanted to be, and all that he still wants to be, I suppose. Though he’ll never admit he’s jealous. That’s just a theory anyway.’’

‘’Does anybody else believe it?’’

Taylor’s eyes met with Bailey’s. ‘’Just about all the men who dislike General Prior. And there are many.’’

‘’How about Colonel Dawes?’’

‘’I suppose he’s been told but he never acts on it. As I said, too much of a gentleman. But General Prior has rather distorted views on him because of what could be his jealousy…’’

‘’And what do you think of Colonel Dawes?’’

Taylor paused for a moment or two. ‘’I think he is a very good officer,’’ he replied after a little while. ‘’He seems to know what he’s doing and he has a very thoughtful personality. In and out of battle. His men all adore him so he must be doing something right. But me and him haven’t really spoken outside professional matters, except from at some events held here at the fort and one or two occasions while off duty.’’

‘’He’s a good man,’’ Bailey said with a smile.

‘’Yes. He seems it. I’ve seen him in battle a few times as well and he is…well, nothing short of an exceptional officer. Maybe even better than the general…’’ Taylor trailed off and fell silent. Bailey turned to him after a little while but he was already standing up and heading back to HQ.

~~~

That evening, the general sat in his parlour, the office having become something of a padded cell for him during the day. Usually, he could stand it, even though he could map out where precisely everything was and probably find things with his eyes closed because he had spent so much of what felt like his life in there, but that day had been different for some reason. Maybe because of the cigar smoke that was still clogging the already relatively small air space in there, maybe because Colonel Dawes kept walking past the door or entering all throughout the hours, maybe because of the previous night’s images.

For some reason, having Major Bailey in his parlour was slightly better. It was slightly less professional in there, despite having papers piled on the small coffee table. Bailey was currently kneeling by this table, signing the documents. Prior watched him with some interest from over the top of his book, the words inside having not sunk in for a while now. He was probably almost finished with business by then. He had been sat there for at least an hour or so and his hair had become slightly mussed with the amount of times he had run his hand through it. General Prior wasn’t entirely sure why he had noticed that.

He tried to return to his book but shortly realised this attempt was to no avail. Bailey looked up as he said his name.

‘’General?’’ he asked and those big green eyes flashed. Prior found himself fiddling with the corner of a page of his book, something he usually got irritated at Dandy for doing.

‘’I was just wondering, major,’’ he said. ‘’I saw you with Colonel Dawes earlier, and last night too off duty, and you appeared to be very friendly with him. I was wondering if you had known him before.’’

Bailey stopped writing, putting the pen down, and a smile spread over his face. For some reason, Prior felt his chest tighten. ‘’Well, yes, him and I have been friends since childhood, actually, general.’’ There was a tone of admiration in the major’s voice that began to sear at his nerves. He forced himself to ignore these sensations. ‘’We went through the War together until I thought he had been killed at Gettysburg. Yesterday was the first time I had seen him since then.’’

The general nodded and let his eyes drift back to the book. Bailey continued to talk. In all honesty, Prior wasn’t concentrating on either the words in the book or the words coming out of his major’s mouth. The sound of Bailey’s voice told him everything he needed to know. Still, when he had at last finished, he nodded politely again and looked up.

‘’Well, major, you appear to be settling in to your job very well.’’ He wasn’t entirely sure if that was an adequate response to what his aide had been saying yet that wasn’t a real concern of his.

‘’Oh. Thank you, general.’’ He smiled and then pushed the papers all into one stack. ‘’ These are finished with for the night, sir.’’

‘’Do you like it, major?’’ the general carried on.

‘’The work?’’

‘’Well, yes. Your job here.’’

‘’Yes I do, sir. This is a lovely fort to work in and Taylor �" Lieutenant Anderson �" is a wonderful companion.’’ Prior let the mistake Bailey had made slip.

‘’Very good.’’ Prior again tried to look at his book but the question in his mind kept nagging at him. He found himself asking it. ‘’And, major, I was also wondering �" have you heard anything from other officers and the men?’’

Bailey paused. ‘’About what, sir?’’

Prior shook his head. ‘’Never mind. It isn’t important.’’

Bailey nodded and stood up, stretching. ‘’Will that be all for the night, general?’’ he asked obediently.

‘’Yes, yes, that will be all, major,’’ Prior replied and cursed himself for sounding so absent minded. ‘’Thank you.’’

‘’Not a problem, general.’’ Bailey smiled and made to leave. Prior stopped him before he could.

‘’I was wondering if you had heard them say anything about me, major.’’ He said it while trying not to think. Still, it made Bailey pause. He returned to the general’s side. Prior dared to look up at him and straight into those eyes once more.

‘’I have heard a few things, general,’’ he said and there was a certain slowness in his voice now. ‘’Conflicting views. Yet that is the same with every general �" every officer even. I would say that there are none out there that don’t have such opinions put upon them.’’

Prior found himself smiling at this response and the sincerity in Major Bailey’s face. Something different to the previous sensation now stirred in his stomach. ‘’I admire that, major,’’ he said softly and he subconsciously reached out a hand to touch Bailey’s arm. He willed himself to stop as he realised he was stroking at the fabric of his jacket. The major, apparently unaware, nodded in thanks. Prior let his hand drop from his arm.

‘’Well, good night, general,’’ Bailey said gently. Prior’s stomach stirred even more. ‘’I will see you in the morning.’’

‘’Yes…’’ He tried to regain a hold over himself. ‘’Yes…good night, major.’’

The major smiled once more and then exited. Prior couldn’t resist watching him go. He wondered what it would be like if Dandy was that according.

TBC