Washington Faulconer lay back and basked in the praise. A hero of Manassas! Even the pain seemed diminished, or maybe that was the morphine that Doctor Danson had insisted he swallow, but even so, a hero! That was a good word and how well it sat on a Faulconer! And maybe six weeks in the Richmond town house would not come amiss, so long, of course, that this battle was won and the Confederacy survived, but granted that proviso, surely a hero stood a better chance of promotion if he dined regularly with the rulers of his country? And what a rebuke to the mudsills like Lee who had been so niggardly in their attitude. Now they would have to deal with a hero! Faulconer smiled at his son. “I think you’ve earned yourself a promotion, Adam.”

“But…”

“Quiet! Don’t protest.” The Colonel always felt good when he could behave generously, and this moment was made even better by the burgeoning hopes that his new status as a hero of Manassas made credible. He could surely attain general rank? And he could surely find the time to perfect his Legion, which could then become the jewel and heart of his new brigade. Faulconer’s Brigade. That name had a fine ring, and he imagined Faulconer’s Brigade leading the march into Washington, presenting arms outside the White House and escorting a conqueror on horseback into a humbled land. He took a cigar from the case beside him and jabbed it toward Adam to emphasize the importance of what he said. “I need you to be in charge of the Legion while I’m convalescing. I need you to make sure Pecker doesn’t run wild again, eh? That he doesn’t fritter the Legion away in some piddling skirmish. Besides, the Legion should be in family hands. And you did well today, son, very well.”

“I did nothing, Father,” Adam protested hotly, “and I’m not even sure—”

“Now, now! Quiet!” Washington Faulconer had seen Major Bird approaching and did not want Thaddeus to witness his son’s prevarications. “Thaddeus!” The Colonel greeted his brother-in-law with an unaccustomed warmth. “The general asked me to thank you. You did well!”

Major Bird, who knew full well that the Colonel had been furious with him until just a moment before, stopped dead in his tracks then looked ostentatiously about, as though searching for another man called Thaddeus who might be the object of the Colonel’s praise. “Are you talking to me, Colonel?”

“You did marvelously well! I congratulate you! You did precisely what I would have expected of you, indeed, exactly what I wanted of you! You held the Legion to its duty till I arrived. Everyone else thought the battle would be on the right, but we knew better, eh? We did well, very well. If my arm wasn’t broken I’d shake your hand. Well done, Thaddeus, well done!”