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"Yeah for Charles!" Justin Binder said, lifting his glass He was so he was staying on the property The others were all still playacting; they were entrenched in the past

They didn’t want to look for so his own star turn But…

"He would have wanted to be here tonight," Ashley said stubbornly "He was so thrilled to be taking the part of Marshall Donegal I’ out to see if his car is still here"

Ramsay lifted a hand "Sorry, don’t bother, Ashley He didn’t drive He caive hi to stay at the house out here for a while, but he told me he’d hitch a ride back in with someone Said he didn’t have to be back to work until Tuesdayand for me not to worry"

"Gentlemen, perhaps a search is in order," Frazier said "A Civil War parlor game of sorts"

They all stared at hi her tone "Find the lost rebel Beth will create a five-star private meal for a party of four, payable to the man--or woman--who finds Charles!"

"I will?" Beth said She looked at Ashley "Um, it will be--sumptuous!"

"It’s a lot of property to cover," Raanize, then," Griffin said "It will be fun Yankees take the cemetery side, and rebels search out the bayou side"

"Is that fair?" Griffin asked "If he’s still around, old Charlie would be by the ce detail!" Justin said

"Yes! Let’s find Charles!" Toby said

"I’ll check out the area around the oaks out front," Matty Martin offered She atching Ashley and seemed to realize that Ashley was seriously worried "John, you can cohts frohts"

"Of course, ht the war," he ine,at its best"

"Hank!" Cliff admonished "War is always a serious affair"

"Well, of course it is," Griffin said "War is very serious--but we’re not at war We’re playing a ga for old Charles Hey, Ashley, if no one wins…"

"Well, at some point, we’ll just all have dinner," she told theet to cook for all of theot the bayou side!" Toby Keaton said "Borders my property"

"I’ll take the ceerous in there," Ashley told him

"Not for me, dear It’s memories for me," he said softly, and quickly turned away Neither of them wanted to think about Ashley’s parents, entombed in the majestic family vault

"Grampa, please--you need to be here as everyone returns," Ashley said

"I’ll take the ce and the dead," he added and winked "Just give hts at the back door I’ll be fine"

Ben would be fine He was a big, strapping man in his mid-forties Besides, he’d attended funerals for both her parents and knew the cemetery well

Ashley wanted to take the cen

No, that would be insane Ben knehat he was doing She wasn’t going to let a dreaoing?" Beth asked Ashley

"The stables?" Ashley suggested

"I’ll co near the horses!"

An hour later, they had finished the actual search as best they could in the night

Ra in the rooent spoke with those in the other outbuildings Cliff went to his office, wondering if Charles ht have slipped in there to rest

They all searched, froar fields to the bayou, but there was no sign of Charles Osgood By ht, all the searchers were back at the house

"Ashley, really, he must be out somewhere else,"

Cliff told her