Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden Page B

being a librarian, which wasn’t merely a means of support but a calling she cherished.
    To this day she still missed her father, and yet she felt comforted in knowing he would have been proud of her. They shared a similar mission, both dedicated to the collection and preservation of the world’s knowledge.
    Today she had tried and failed to glean more insight into the truth behind the Culpeper ’s disappearance, but that didn’t mean she would stop the quest. After all, the only thing Anna was truly confident about in her life was that she was very good at finding answers to questions that wanted to remain hidden.

6

    W alking down the street with Caesar Trammel was like walking alongside a celebrity. Though Luke was well known in Congress, few people recognized him on the street. That wasn’t the case with Caesar Trammel, the oldest veteran of the Civil War still serving in Congress. Having been in the path of cannon shrapnel at Gettysburg, Caesar was missing his left eye and left leg, and his tiny, shrunken frame was easily recognizable as they proceeded down the tree-lined street full of shops and people enjoying the unexpectedly warm Saturday morning. Luke slowed his stride to match Caesar’s uncertain gait as the old veteran hobbled along with the aid of a cane. A patch covered Caesar’s eye, yet the old man saw more with his one good eye than most men saw with two.
    â€œWe’ll need to plan this carefully,” Caesar said. “Speaker Jones has enough votes to pass that revolting new tariff, but if we can convince enough members to be absent for the vote, Jones won’t have his quorum and the vote will be scuttled. He’ll have to wait until next term to bring it back to the floor.”
    It was a brilliant plan no one would see coming. CaesarTrammel might be the only man in Congress craftier and better connected than the Speaker of the House. It was important to the workingmen in Luke’s district for the tariff to be defeated, and Caesar’s plan would stop the vote from ever taking place. Then Luke could move in with the mountain of data he’d amassed from Anna O’Brien to begin dismantling the Speaker’s reputation. Luke smiled, feeling the end of his political exile drawing nearer.
    â€œSir, may I shake your hand?” A man wearing a cab driver’s uniform had recognized Caesar and sprang off the carriage to pay homage to the renowned veteran.
    Luke stepped aside to let Caesar enjoy his moment of glory. It was often like this when he was with Caesar, who loved basking in the limelight. Luke never cared for that sort of fame. The only thing he envied about Caesar was the man’s long and happy marriage. Unlike most politicians whose families remained living in their home districts, Caesar’s wife insisted on living with him in Washington. “I spent three years apart from my wife during the war,” he once groused. “As long as the two of us still draw breath, I will never spend another night without my wife by my side.”
    It was exactly what Luke craved. He’d fallen in love only once, a blazing few months that still lit the corners of his memory. At thirty-six, he’d never expected to remain a bachelor this long, and over the years the hollow ache of loneliness had grown and expanded. While he had many friends, a demanding career, and the satisfaction of raising his nephew Philip, still he longed for a wife.
    Caesar shook hands with a few other bystanders, and afterward they continued walking along the shady street, passing by the shops and cafés. With the regular interruptions from people wanting to meet Caesar and the crush of morning shoppers, itwas a strange place to hold a political meeting, but far safer than the Capitol, a place filled with eavesdroppers and the constant risk of being overheard.
    â€œI expect to have the data to launch a corruption charge against the Speaker soon,” Luke said as he