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Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Epigraph
  4. Prologue
  5. Part One
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Ten
  16. Eleven
  17. Twelve
  18. Thirteen
  19. Part Two
  20. Fourteen
  21. Fifteen
  22. Sixteen
  23. Seventeen
  24. Eighteen
  25. Nineteen
  26. Twenty
  27. Twenty-One
  28. Twenty-Two
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Part Three
  33. Twenty-Six
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Twenty-Eight
  36. Twenty-Nine
  37. Thirty
  38. Thirty-One
  39. Thirty-Two
  40. Thirty-Three
  41. Thirty-Four
  42. Thirty-Five
  43. Thirty-Six
  44. Thirty-Seven
  45. Thirty-Eight
  46. Thirty-Nine
  47. Forty
  48. Forty-One
  49. Forty-Two
  50. Part Four
  51. Forty-Three
  52. Forty-Four
  53. Forty-Five
  54. Forty-Six
  55. Forty-Seven
  56. Forty-Eight
  57. Forty-Nine
  58. Fifty
  59. Fifty-One
  60. Fifty-Two
  61. Fifty-Three
  62. Epilogue
  63. Author’s Note
  64. Acknowledgments
  65. Discover More
  66. Reading Group Guide
  67. Discussion Questions
  68. ESSAY FROMDIANA GIOVINAZZO
  69. Antoinette’s Sister
  70. Chapter One
  71. Chapter Two
  72. About the Author
  73. Praise forThe Woman in Red

José and Rossetti were the only ones who knew of my plan. They had arranged for a small cart to be stashed in the bushes for me. After a time, I moved quickly, hitching it to my horse. Once I was confident it was secured properly, I rode down to the battlefield to make my first patrol looking for injured men.

“Anita!” I turned. Rossetti limped through the smoke, bearing the weight of a brawny young soldier whose arm was wrapped around his shoulders. He moved slowly, though he tried to pull the man along faster. The man clutched his side as blood seeped through his fingers. I jumped from my horse, rushing to Rossetti’s side to help bring our comrade to my cart. Rossetti pointed off in the distance. “There are more up that way. Hurry!”

I acknowledged his order and got back on my horse to ride where he told me to. When I got there, seven men huddled under a tree. One languished over his broken leg while two others tried to help him. The rest, with minor wounds, stood at the ready, their guns drawn. I collected them all in my cart and rode away as fast as I could. We set up a makeshift medical camp a safe distance away from the battle. I dressed the wounds of the men I had saved before making another run through the battlefield.

I was tending to a soldier when José rode up on his steed. He launched himself from the beast as it came to a stop. With just a few steps he was by my side, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Tesoro mio, you again make me the proudest man in the Americas.” He began to pull me away while I was still entangled in his massive hug.

“Husband, you are acting like a drunk.”

“I am!” He whirled me around in a circle. “I am drunk with victory!” He kissed me so passionately I felt a blush of embarrassment pass over me. José pulled away as more men rode up. “We will be moving your patients to our new campsite at the top of the hill.”

“Anita Garibaldi! I gave you a direct order!” General Terceira came stomping over to us, pushing soldiers out of the way. I looked at José, whose face had suddenly turned deep red. I put a hand on his arm to calm him.

“I specifically stated—”

“You specifically told me not to fight in the battle. Those were your exact words were they not?”

“Yes, but—” He raised a finger to make a point.

“I followed your order, General. I did not fight in the battle. I simply rode through collecting the injured.”