*** So then Chapter Three! Extremely loud applause is needed... Thank you! Not much to say for this one. Just read, I guess.

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The ride to Moss Neck had seemed very short to Serena. With a mind filled with such thoughts as the Yankee, named Darien Shields, and the story she had conceived during that morning's breakfast, what else was there to think of?

She had never really lied to her sister. There had, of course, been the occasional white lie, she could not deny that, but to actually conceive a story to protect a convict and her own reputation was never something she thought she would ever have to hide from her own sister.

Mina rode along Serena for some time until an excited call from behind sounded. "Mina!" The shriek was almost unbearable to the ears and much too loud for a proper young lady, but none the less they were forced to stop. "Oh, Mina, Ah'm so glad I found you. Ah was so worried that Ah would have to ride the entire way all by my self!" The fiery haired girl rode up beside her friend with a large smile on her face.

"Ah'm glade you found, Molly. My sistah seems to be all out of conversation, for she's hardly spoken a word all mornin'. You would think she was daft." Both of the girls laughed at the comment until Mina let out a sudden cry. "Oh is that a new bonnet? You make me so jealous. Where evah did you get the ribbon? Ya know Ah..."

Mina and Molly rambled on about dresses and bonnets, which when spoken to, was a conversation that needed little more than the sporadic nod or agreement from the elder Miss Hamilton. This chosen topic left Serena to her own thoughts for much of the ride until her younger sister suddenly switched her interests to the more recent of events. "You would not believe what happened after everyone went home last night, Molly!" Her tone was all too familiar. The voice of a young girl with a colossal secret that could not be kept for much longer was too recognizable for Serena to ignore. "Last night... when the full moon was shinnin'... this darkie came ridin' right up to our house screaming so loud I swear he woke the whole neighborhood.... And uh... then... uh.. Oh, Serena, you tell it so much bettah then I do."

Serena was so surprised by the sudden request of joining the horrible conversation that she looked at them completely speechless. Mina had been right. She had gone daft. "Well... Mina Ah don't thi-"

"Oh please, Serena!" Mina teased, her hands clutched together.

"Oh, yes, tell me!" Molly's voice quickly followed.

What other choice did Serena have? "Well, like Mina said, right after all of our guest left a darkie came racin' up our lawn, when what did he have right in his wagon?..." Both of the younger girls rode their horses almost the entire way in silence as they sat enthralled by the tale of the Confederate Soldier who arrived from the night. They had not asked a single question until the very end and had not interrupted her once.

Molly sat as if in a dream when Serena finished. "Oh, how romantic." A blissful smile fell upon her face as she looked up into the sun.

"Nothing of the sort!" Serena snapped back at the ignorant girl. "He is a boorish wild man who has the mannahs of a rodent! No, rodents have better mannahs. Ah have never seen such disrespect to a lady in my entire life. Wh-Why," She let out a little exasperated yell for she could not think of anything to say at the moment. Darien had not really done anything 'boorish' or 'wild' but a Union soldier was in her house and she had absolutely every right to have those very ideas about the man, didn't she? Of course she did.

The ride became silent after Serena unladylike display of emotions. Neither of the girls had lost their romantic notions of the man named Darien Shields, but both found Serena outburst a little unnerving. Serena was usually such a gentle and elegant woman. What could have led her to scream such awful things?

Arriving at Moss Neck finally broke the tension and all was well. "Why goodmornin' Miss Serena. I trust you slept well?" The charm of the voice sent shivers up Serena's spine as Andrew Campton rode up along her horse.

"Yes, very well." Serena lied yet again. The night had in fact been a strenuous one, but she would let anyone know. "Ah see you got yourself home safety last night..." She was at a loss for conversation. She truly had to sound like the most dimwitted of girls in all the county at that very moment.

Andrew nodded and smiled as he rode up before her mare stopping her from going any farther. "May Ah be so forward as to ask you for your wish in good luck in this mornin's fox hunt?" His green eyes sparkled in what little sun that was shinning though the gray clouds. "Or have you already promised that to some othah gentleman of the country."

Serena blushed at his request which suddenly pulled her out of the foul mood she had been in the entire ride from Willow's Creek to Moss Neck. Mr. Campton was fond of her. After almost two years of paying every moment's attention to him he finally had taken notice. He had danced with her the night before, had made enquiries on her presence during the fox hunt, and even given her a secret kiss before departing for his own home. Could Andrew Campton love her?

"Miss Serena...?" His charm dripped voice pulled her out of her day dreams. "Deah girl... Are you alright?"

"Oh yes." She paused to find him in a look that she took as concern. "Ah must apologize I do think this heat has gotten the best of me." She smiled then remembered that he had asked her for her wish of luck. "Mr. Campton, Ah have not promised luck to any othah gentlemen and would nor dream of doing any such thing, but Ah'll promise it to you if that is what you wish?"

Andrew smiled an almost sly smile his eyes sparkled again. "It is, my deah. Now let us get on with ourselves. Your sistah and her friend have already made it to the drive of Moss Neck and I can bet everyone is inquiring about our tardiness." He reared his stead forward giving Miss Hamilton plenty of room to move ahead. The rest of their short ride was kept in silence.

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When Serena had dismounted her horse she was quickly bombarded with young men leaving Andrew to wonder off to his own thoughts. Serena had tried to get to his side again, but found her attempts to be in vein and by the time all of the gentlemen had started to the back of the great plantation house he had disappeared.

Miss Hamilton finally joined with the rest of the women as they made there way to where the hunt would begin. As they found their places in a large gazebo, which could hold nearly seven young ladies and their large skirts, the men remounted as a darkie prepared to let lose the game that was to be hunted that morning. Each of the men had brought their own slave to carry their equipment and at that time each of the gentlemen were taking up their rifles so that they would be perfectly ready when the game began. An older slave struggles with the hounds as they yelped, barked, and pulled to get loose.

Several gentlemen rode by Serena with large smiles on their faces. "Ah will catch that fox for you, Miss Serena," were the words that came out of each of their mouths and each time it was said made Serena want to yell at them more. Didn't they know she didn't care? But no matter how much she hated their antics she would smile and nod, thanking them for being so kind.

The gentlemen lined up and the fox was let loose, but no one moved. They needed to let the animal gain a little distance before they could go after it, but none the less the hounds went wild. "Ready gentlemen?" Andrew yelled above all the excitement. "Tally ho!" The men all reared their horses at that moment as the great dogs were let go by the darkie.

Three women separated within a moments time as they greeted each other for the first time in many days. "Lita! It's been so long. How have you been, deah?" Serena smiled kindly as a lovely chocolate haired woman approached with a much shorter and shier woman at her side. "How's your mother?" She mocked.

Lita smiled at the mention of her mother. What a silly woman she was. "Mrs. Meribell has been too preoccupied with my wedding to say a word to me this week. And Ah don't even have the fancies of a gentleman to marry!" The taller of the two women laughed. She was the loudest young woman Serena had ever met and had the most energy, but she was an old friend that Serena couldn't imagine herself without.

"Good mournin' Ami. How's your husband, Dr. Richards." Serena hugged the shorter woman at Lita's side with all of her heart. The woman with the cropped black hair had been her friend for what seemed like her entire life.

"Oh... He's been so busy lately." She smiled and finally looked up to faces both of her friends. "Ah do believe he made a stop at your house last night... Ah do hope everyone is well?" Her voice sounded like a child's and her body mocked the same, but she was probably the kindest and wisest woman in the county and everyone loved her for it.

"Oh everyone is fine Ami. Thank you so much for askin'. We just had a... sick visitah come in late last night, but he will be well within a matter of days." She smiled hoping the explanation would satisfy her naturally caring friend. She hadn't lied... exactly.

"Ah do believe that everyone is going to be headin' to the buffet to start brunch. Why don't we make our way as well? Ah'm starvin'." Serena laughed at Lita's suggestion. It was so rude and very improper. Lita had gone to a finishing school but she hadn't excelled in anything at all. Serena finally came to the conclusion that that was the charm of the brunette.

Brunch had started and everyone sat so their small sandwiches and tea. They gossiped and joked with each other for some time until a young girl was heard over the rest. From the cross the table a red head yelled for Serena's attention. "Miss Serena!" Everyone grew silent. "Miss Serena? Molly and Mina have told us about this visitor that is stayin' at your house. Is it true he's a confederate soldier?"

Serena held her breath. The entire party knew about the Yankee and soon the entire county would know. What was she going to do. He wasn't a confederate soldier. He wasn't a gentleman. He was a man that would not avert his eyes when a woman was indecently dressed. A man that would joke about it and embarrass her in front of her Step Mother and a room full of slaves.

Oh, she wanted to faint, but instead it started to rain. A little at first, but as the moments passed where everyone was looking to her for an answer the rain became heavier until it was poring through the cracks between each board that held the gazebo together. The ladies started to scream as their frocks became soaked and their shoes ruined. She had been saved.

No one asked her about the 'gentleman' again that day. The men all rode back from their game in utter disappointment as the fox was let free. Men helped their women into carriages and women cried about their ruined clothing. The day had become an unhappy one.

Serena and Mina shared a ride home with Ami. Her husband had not attended the hunt but she had come none the less. The ride was in silence for everyone was too down hearted to even speak.

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The day had passed slowly for Darien. He had been confined to his bed chamber because of his wounds, but he had become restless and could not stay in bed any longer. His shoulder was wrapped in linen earlier that morning by a young woman. He hadn't caught her name, but she had been rather beautiful. She had been a darkie.

He stood up and began pacing the room. What was he going to do? He was in a rebel home. He was in the enemies home... yet... The older woman he had spoken to before had not had the same accent as the rebels he had heard before. In fact he had sounded a lot like a woman from the north. Could this be an allied family. No. They had slaves... Then what were they?

He turned quickly as the door opened revealing a dark skinned women in brown and off white skirts. She carried a basin of water along with clean linen. "Ah see you've grown tired of sleepin'." She smiled as she set the supplies on a near by table. "Ya still need your rest though. Mrs. Hamilton aint goin' to like it if your stitches rip."

Darien huffed. He didn't like how the darkie referred to her mistress with such respect. How could she act so calm when she was owned?

The darkie smiled as she told him to sit on his bed. He didn't move. "I can change my own linen. Thank you." He walked the to table as she started to unravel the white cloth.

"No! No! Sit Ah'll do it." She took the cloth from his hands.

"I'm not your master and I will not allow you to wait on me hand and foot." He looked down at her petite figure compared to his tall frame. He then took the linens back from the woman and preceded to unravel them.

"Well that's all well and good, but this is my job. Ah'm here to clean and redress that wound. Now you go sit yourself right back on that there bed and don't move." Her voice was loud and demanding. Nothing like the slaves he had met before, the ones that had run from their masters with slashes across their backs.

This time he did what he was told. He sat on his bed and allowed her to dress him. "What's you're name, Miss?" He asked as he looked down to watch her.

"Luna... Ah'm Miss Serena and Miss Mina's maid servant. They'ah not in the house right now. Though I think they might be back soon with those clouds loomin' ovah." She finally finished unwrapping his dirty bandages as she headed to the table and brought the basin over.

Darien said nothing as he was too angry at himself for allowing a slave to cater to him. "I'm sorry to be such trouble." He said as she dabbed the bullet hole with the warm cloth. He winced in pain as she did so.

"Oh, You'ah not trouble at all. Except you going to be if you don't lose that Yankee accent of yours. Here in the south they don't take kindly to Yankee boys. Your lucky Mrs. Hamilton is a Yankee herself or Ya'd be dead right about now." Luna smiled up at her patient.

"If this is an Union house... Then why are there slaves all around?" His head spun from the pain. Oh god, that damned soldier had gotten him good.

"This aint no Union house, boy!" Luna yelled with strong eyes as she stared right up at him. "This here is a confederate house, owned by Samuel Hamilton, a captain in the Confederate Army. Mrs. Hamilton done got herself married to Mr. Hamilton about five year ago... Before all this wah stuff started. And that's why you's got to start talkin' like we do here." She finished then sat next to Darien. "Miss Serena Hamilton came up with this wild story to save you from gettin' yourself in trouble. And you better follow that story if you want to stay alive."

He didn't agree with acting like he was a rebel. Like he was the enemy. He had morals. "I'd rather get shot then treat a slave like..."

"A slave...?" Luna smiled. "Ah know. You've got a nice heart and so do the people that live in this house and that's why you gotta go along with this. Please. Ah's don't want anything to happen to my family." Her eyes pleaded with him as she put her dark hand onto his arm, showing her sincerity. "Besides you don't have to treat the slaves badly. Just don't do anything out of the ordinary." Luna suddenly hopped from the bed to stand in front of him. He might not have agreed, but she didn't care. He was going to learn how to be a southern gentleman whether he liked it or not. This was her family.

"First... You got to start talking like Miss Hamilton... Or like me... but with more grammar." She waited as he nodded. He could do that. The rest of the afternoon had been what was dubbed 'Southern Gentleman Lessons' She had talked to him about almost everything from how to address a lady to how to talk a another gentlemen. At last she had told him the story of 'his' past. Of the plantation son from Louisiana and how he had gone into the army. She had told him how to become Darien Shields.

*** I hope that was enough to satisfy your craving for this story that I seem to have started. Please review... I am not really liking how this chapter came out... hopefully the next one will be better. Maybe.

The Lunar Witch

Merry Meet, Merry Part, Merry Meet Again.