Twirling her lace-trimmed parasol over her shoulder, Adrianna stepped along Hart’s Block. The feel of eyes upon her back made her shiver. Even though she practiced ignoring people who stared at her brilliant hair, especially against her bottle green street costume, she could not resist a peep at the vigorous man.

He had broken into a lope. Her tense frown smoothed into a tender smile as she saw within the man the image of a small boy, arms and legs flapping.

"Wait!" he shouted as he neared her. "You must—come with me —before..."

Snapping her head away from him, she quickened her pace. His strong hand grasped her shoulder.

"Please," he said, panting. "Listen ma’am, I’d never hurt you. You must let me take you back to your hotel. You’re walking to the polling place, and—"

"Certainly not, sir,"she said icily. "We have not been introduced."

For a moment he stared in consternation, then a slow smile filled his lean face. Doffing his high silk hat, he bowed low and intoned, "May I present Foy Edwards, Esquire."

Giggling in spite of herself, she responded, "Hello, I’m Adrianna Atherton."

Clapping his hat back on his head, he grasped her elbow. "That’s done. Now come on.," he said urgently and headed her down the empty street in the opposite direction.

Shrill piping and menacing drumbeats shattered the stillness. An angry roar of voices clashed against the music. Wrenching around, Adrianna saw the street filling with armed men.

She shrieked, and her knees buckled.

"Don’t play Lot’s wife. Come on!"

His arm shot around her trim waist. As he half-carried her, she felt the hard outline of a pistol against her ribs. Behind them rang the shouts of the mob.

"Who?" she gasped. "What?"

"That’s the Radical Party, and—" Scuffling sounds behind them increased his pace. "Run!"

A shot echoed and reechoed against the brick buildings. For one long moment there was deathly silence. Then hundreds of shots rained from the upper floors of the storehouses.

"That’s the Democrats. We’re ‘bout to the hotel. Oh, good grannies!" He jerked her to a stop.

Adrianna blinked at a wall of blue-coated soldiers.

"And that’s the Federal Occupation Army!" He spat out the words.

Her parasol dropped with a clatter as they darted into an alley. Running blindly, she had begun to think she could go no farther when he stopped abruptly, leaped astride a horse, and swung her up behind him. Sitting sidesaddle as they galloped away, Adrianna held tightly to the back of her rescuer with one hand and clutched her hat with the other.