Page 22 of Caught in Time
Chapter Six
Charlotte heard a loudknocking at the townhouse front door and opened it.
“Miss Charlotte Liddell?”
“Yes, I am Miss Liddell,” Charlotte replied fearfully.
The chilly early morning air made her skin prickle. She pulled her shawl tighter around her. The man who spoke glared at her. His surly tone made her uncomfortable. For some reason she didn’t like him. He wore stoic, drab brown clothing and spoke glibly. The two men and a woman standing behind him remained silent.
“You are under arrest, Miss Liddell,” the man in brown continued, “for engaging in seditious activities against the Union”
“What?” Charlotte froze, her entire body went rigid, her nerves taut, throat so tight she could hardly speak.
“Whoareyou?” she demanded, noticing her voice sounded weak and ineffective. She forgot her charade, forgot everything but the sting of the words spilling from the mouth of this short plump-faced man.
“My name is Detective Samuel Bridgeman. I work for Allan Pinkerton. I have the full authority of the State and War Department to take you in for questioning about your secret, traitorous activities against the government of the United States.”
“No!” she cried out, but inside her, hysterical laughter was building, threatening to erupt in front of the detective and the two men and female accompanying him.
Unbelievable, but he was going to arrestherfor spying for the Confederacy.
“What proof do you have?” Charlotte asked, trying to regain her composure.
“Mrs. Eleanor Sherman has told me that she saw you leaving her husband’s office during the Christmas Ball at Green-Meldrim house last evening. This aroused suspicion that you had been gathering intelligence relating to the Union’s military strategy,” he explained.
Although Mrs. Eleanor Sherman was said to possess a strong-willed nature, Charlotte couldn’t believe that the woman had fabricated such a malicious lie.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Deny everything. What solid proof do they have against me. Isn’t this the age before security cameras existed?
“You would have gotten away with your nefarious activities, Miss Liddell, if it were not for Mrs. Sherman’s observations. That gave me enough proof to open an investigation”
“I still have no idea what you are talking about,” Charlotte repeated.
“You’ve been passing information to the enemy ever since you came to Savannah. Before I take you into custody,” the detective said with a smug look on his face, “my female operative will search you for contraband.”
Charlotte wanted to run, but her instincts told her she wouldn’t get far.
