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an aide to President Jefferson Davis and a brigadier general in the Confederate Army. The Chesnuts moved in the highest social circles, and Mary’s observations of life in the South before, during, and after the Civil War offered great insight into women’s lives at the time.
    If Rachel Long’s diaries proved to be as rich in content as Mary Chesnut’s, I knew Southern historians and feminist scholars would want to read them. Marie Steverton, I reckoned, wanted to prepare them for publication, and that would help her bid for tenure.
    The decision regarding publication didn’t fall to me. I was simply the custodian of the primary documents, and I was determined to see that they were conserved and preserved properly. No matter who worked on them.
    Diesel came warbling into the kitchen the moment I set the casserole dish on a trivet on the table. The cat had impeccable timing—and an infallible nose—when it came to mealtime.
    I barely had time to dish up the food when the house phone rang. I stared at it.
Not again
.
    Diesel meowed, ready for a piece of chicken.
    â€œHold on, boy, and you can have a bite in a minute. It’s too hot anyway.” I kept an eye on the cat as I answered the phone. He had been known to jump up on the table in his quest for food.
    â€œMr. Harris, Lucinda Long here. Sorry to trouble you at home, but a situation has arisen that I need to discuss with you.”
    Right then I could cheerfully have consigned Marie Steverton to the farthest pit of hell. She was going to be a pain in the posterior after all.

FOUR
    I struggled to keep the irritation out of my voice when I responded to Mayor Long. “That’s okay, Your Honor. How can I help?” I imagined myself making a voodoo doll of Marie and sticking pins in it.
    The mayor sighed into the phone. “This is all rather awkward, but I have been approached by an old friend—someone I went to Sweet Briar with many years ago. She has expressed an interest in the diaries I brought you earlier today.” She paused. “I understand she has already spoken with you.”
    â€œYes, Marie came to see me a little while ago,” I said. “She was pretty insistent that she have exclusive access to the diaries, and I had to explain to her that it wasn’t up to me.”
    â€œI know you were within your rights to tell her that,” the mayor said. “Unfortunately Marie gets stubborn when she decides she wants something, and she doesn’t always understand that the world isn’t going to change its ways just for her.”
    I responded in a dry tone. “Yes, that was my impression.”
    â€œI’d like to help an old college friend because I know this is important to her. Frankly, she hasn’t left me much choice, but that’s neither here nor there.” She paused for a moment. “At the same time, I’m well aware of her reputation at Athena College, and that makes me a little hesitant to grant her request.”
    She had probably had an earful about Marie from Professor Newkirk. According to Melba, he had little respect for Marie and her abilities as a historian.
    â€œI see. How would you like me to handle the situation?” I wasn’t going to make this any easier for the mayor. I didn’t want to be in an awkward position myself, and I thought this decision was her responsibility. I would abide by it, whatever it was.
    Mrs. Long still sounded uncertain when she replied. “My husband will want to see the diaries handled properly by qualified historians and students, and so do I. I would like to give Marie a chance, however, in light of her needs and interests. I must get this settled, because I have many other matters that require my attention.” She paused, and I waited for her to continue. “How about this as a compromise? Marie can have exclusive access to the diaries for three weeks.”
    â€œIf that is what you want, then that is