Background Info: Nick Corelli gave Steve and Kayla an old mansion he owned, as a gift. (He was
grateful to Steve for taking him in after he had been badly burned and injured in a car wreck.) In the
attic of the mansion, Steve and Kayla found a diary and some old clothes and belongings of previous
tenants from the Civil War Era. Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans played the roles of Emily and
Gideon as Steve and Kayla read from Emily's diary.Part 1 Aired From 4/7/89-4/14/89. Part 2 aired from 5/19-6/1/89.
Part 1
The war between the States is still raging. Daddy and Thomas and Wayne
Junior have all gone off to fight for the cause. Mama has taken my baby sisters
to stay with Aunt Willamae in Philadelphia. I fear the Yankee soldiers are closing in
on me, but I will not leave my family home, it's all I have left, I'd rather die than dessert it..
suddenly the sound of horses..."
"Yankees! I can't let them in here!"
Three Yankees rushed through my door.
"Anybody in here?"
"Stand back or I'll shoot.. in the name of the Confederate flag.."
as I pulled my gun one of the Yankees grabbed it from me..
"Let go of me you filthy Yankee! Let go of me!
Let go of me! Stop it!"
They were dirty and they smelled of liquor. I fought them with every ounce of my strength
I had in my body. Whatever wicked thoughts they entertained in their minds, they would
have to kill rne first before I would dare let them lay a hand on me.
They were laughing "looks like we got ourselves a little Southern Belle here, boys..."
"Here, have some of this"
"Stop it, that was my granddaddy's, stop it!"
They laughed as they started breaking things..
I struggled with them and screamed "STOP IT!" when all of a sudden a Yankee captain
appeared in the doorway, with his gun drawn.
"What in blazes.. is going on in here?
"Nothing, sir."
"Check the grounds"
The Yankee captain came toward me and offered his hand.."Ma'am?"
"Don't touch me!"
With a firm grip he swiftly lifed me, "Begging your pardon ma'am, I'm just going to help you up."
"I don't need any of your Yankee help."
"With all due respect, I'd take any help I could get right now. Go to
your room.
No harm will come to you there. You have my word as an officer and a
gentleman."
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Never had I felt such stirrings inside me. How could I feel this way towards this
man, my enemy? I knew it would lead to dire circumstances for me to ever surrender
to these desires, but try as I may, I could not get him out of my thoughts, my dreams, my heart.....
While the Captain told me to stay in my room, I couldn't very well be expected to do as
he said, he was a Northerner after all and they weren't to be trusted. I knew must find out
what was taking place. I made my way to the secret passage leading from my bedroom
down to the library..
I heard the Captain say, "Now listen carefully. There's a new shipment
of Confederate
gold coming in. The South is being bled dry and their money is not worth anything anymore.
They need this money to pay off their blockade runners. Now all we have to do is intercept the
shipment and we may be home by Christmas."
Without meaning so--I coughed ever so slightly.
"Did you hear that?" one of the men asked his Captain.
"What?"
"I heard some kind of noise."
"I didn't hear anything. maybe you've been drinking too much of Miss Matthews' whiskey.
Now come on, let's check our supplies. We need plenty if we're to carry out our mission."
I thought ..."I must warn the Confederacy."
It was the first night of a new moon, I knew if l could manage to get out of the house
undetected I could slip into the shadows and warn the Confederate troops of the
Union plot to rob them of there gold. The lifeblood of the South. I was nearly to the door,
only footsteps away from my only means of escape, when suddenly
I heard the flicker of a match, only to turn and see the Captain standing there.
"I asked you quite politely to stay in your room for the night." he said.
"It was warm up there, I thought I would just step out for a breath of fresh air."
"If you're lying to me, I hope you didn't intend to tell the Confederates
of our plan.
That would be a hanging offense."
"I do not have the vaguest notion of what plan you are referring to.." I lied.
"Take my advice ma'am and stay in your room. I can't be responsible for
my men at
all times, especially when there is a beautiful woman in the house."
"You can flatter me with your silver tongue untill your heart is content,
but you don't
fool me. I can see that you're a Yankee through and through."
"Oh yes ma'am, I am and I'm proud of it. Just as I suspect you're proud to be a Southerner."
As I moved to go back to my room.."By the way, next time you decide to
sneak through
secret tunnels, try avoid coughing."
While I dare not give him even the faintest hint of how attracted I am to him, I cannot
forget his face, that handsome rugged face and those piercing eyes that looked through
me, inside of me as if looking into my very soul.
The next morning... locked in my room...As night became morn, my despair turned to
frustration. I was being held prisoner in my own home. I was angry.... as the Captain
unlocked my door and entered.
"Good morning Miss Matthews. Oh, I see the cat has taken a hold of your
tongue.
Well, I guess that's to be expected. I only wanted to tell you that I am
sorry that you
have to be locked in here like this."
"Then Why don't you do something about it and you and your men leave my house?" I demanded
"You know that's not possible."
"Then you are not sorry and you are nothing more than my warden!"
"If that's the way you wish to think of me, I'm sorry. I can only hope
that I will make
your stay here comfortable. Your breakfast." gesturing towards the tray
he brought.
"This is what I think of your hospitality sir!" as I flung the tray towards him.
Later that same day I over heard some of the men talking. Instead of feeling delight at my
small victory, I am ashamed at my selfishness. Knock at my door... and the sound of the
key turning.
It was the Yankee Captain. "You wanted to see me, Miss Matthews?"
"Yes, I was sitting, uh, by my window a little while ago and I overheard
your men in
conversation and they were talking."
"I can't be responsible for their conversations, but if they disturb you, I'm sorry."
"On the contrary, you see, I heard one of the men say ....."Did you give me your
breakfast, Captain?"
"I will have to reprimand whomever was speaking so freely."
"Don't be silly, it was I who was eavesdropping. I would just like to apologize."
"This is your house, there's no need to apologize" and he turned to leave the room.
"Wait, you see, my ..ah.. behavior was ..ah...well, food is scarce and
you shouldn't
have given me yours..."
"You needn't worry about me. I will eat mid-day Miss Matthews."
"Emily"
"I beg your pardon?"
"My name is Emily."
"My given name is Gideon."
I smiled at this.."You are a curious man, Gideon."
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Well, here I am your prisoner....."
"In a manner of speaking..."
"and yet you treat me with kindness, why? Why are you being so kind?"
I saw it was not an easy question for him to answer.
"Miss Matthews, you underestimate Union men."
"Well, to be fair, I think I underestimate all men."
Gideon grinned and said, "I believe it."
"If you knew what it was to be a woman in these times, you might adopt a different tone."
"With all due respect, these times have placed heavy burdens on all of us."
"yes, You're right. I'm affraid this war has changed me."
"It's changed all of us."
"It's taken the joy out of everything. My family has left, my friends
are all
gone, all I have left is this house and now that's been taken over.. but
you
are the first one in a long time to treat me like a person, like a lady..."
"Considering the lady, it's a very simple task indeed."
There was a crash from downstairs.."What was that?" I turned and ran
downstairs with Gideon behind me "Emily! Emily!"
I went downstairs without delay and to my horror I found Gideon's men
destroying what was left of my house.
"Emily! Emily!" He grabbed me as to prevent me from entering the room where
his men were.
"Can't you stop them? They are acting like animals!"
"They are men at war."
"This is not a battlefield! This is my house and that was my
grandmother's tea
set...al that I have left of her! Stop them!.. You are their commander!
"These are men, they are far from their homes, they have left their families,
their
farms, their stores. They have nothing. They take what they can to
survive."
"So they take what they like from my home! That's all right!"
"No, it's not all right! But they are at war nonetheless."
"You are like every one of them, every one of them, and I thought that
you were better
...you all take what you want and destroy the rest! How can you live with
yourself?"
I turned and ran up to my room.
-------
As I sat alone in my room, I began to feel as if everything decent, everything hopeful had
been taken from my soul.
A knock at my door.
Gideon entered my room. "Miss Matthews, I came to see if you were feeling better."
"Feeling better? Your men are down there stealing all that is left of
my family's possessions
and you stood there and you condoned it."
"Let me explain, please."
But I did not want to hear his explanation.
"You are a despicable person and I would like it if you left my sight this very instant"
"I can understand why you hate all of us and why you would hate me."
"Good!"
"But you are in the middle of war and war is hatred. Believe me, it could
have been
much worse for you."
"Worse? I don't see how. I have nothing left."
"You have this house."
"and for that I should be thankful?"
"My orders were to burn all homes in the area"
"Burn them?"
"Yes" he answered.
I turned and grasped Gideon's arm.
"I beg of you! I beg of you! Leave me this house!"
With a reassuring touch, "You needn't worry...your house will be spared."
Stirred by the touch of this man's hand, I pulled away.
"Don't think me ungrateful, but why?
He turned away from me and I took his arm and turned him back to face me.
"Look at me...it's because of you isn't it? You ordered your men to leave
me this
house."
"There simply was no profound reason to destroy it."
"You had your orders. You defied them...why?"
"Maybe because this house reminds me of my own. My mother and sister are
struggling.."
"I am sure they are well"
"Nevertheless, this war has caused too much pain already. I needn't add more."
As he started to leave my room, he remembered the bag he brought with him.
"I forgot this."
"What?"
"I know this could never replace all that you've lost, but please take it."
He handed me the bag, took my hand and gave it a gentle kiss. Before I knew it,
he was gone.
I opened the bag and found my grandmother's teapot.
Continue Reading Emily's Diary
Back To:
Steve and Kayla: An Unforgettable Love Story
The Diary was originally transcribed by Carole Baquet, and I thank and credit her. I merely typed it up and put it online.
**FYI :Some sentences of the diary were written by Carole to describe the scenes from Emily's point of view, and were not "spoken" on air. However, most of the transcript above did air onscreen.
Pictures on this page by Rabet
