Disclaimer: I don't own the patriot or any character besides Eliza. I totally made her up on my own.
Eliza watched in amusement as her father, Benjamin Martin, tried the wooden rocking chair he had just made. She was the second born of seventeen. Just one year behind Gabriel. She fought back the urge to laugh as the chair broke from under Bnjamin causing him to fall to the floor. Benjamin picked up the chair in anger and threw it on a pile of other failures. She giggled slightly as Susan slowly shook her head at Benjamin for throwing the chair. Benjamin looked at her briefly.
"It was a good try Father. You nearly had it that time." Eliza said, trying to keep a straight face. She looked up as she heard her brother's Thomas and Gabriel shout that the mail had arrived. She ran out to meet them holding her skirt just above her ankles so she wouldn't trip over it. Thomas handed the mail to Benjamin, then they all went inside.
After a very delicious supper, Gabriel, Thomas, Benjamin, and Eliza sat in the parlor watching the flames of a fire outline Thomas and his tin soldiers. When Eliza was younger she used to play with him, but her father frowned upon it now. "How will you ever find a suitable husband with your dress dirty from the floor?" He would always ask. So Eliza finally gave in and didn't play with the soldiers anymore. Thomas and Gabriel were waiting impatiently for Benjamin to get to opening the mail. He saw this and finally said something.
"So, what came in the mail today?" Thomas and Gabriel jumped up and ran to get the letters recieved. Eliza grinned and followed them. She had been called on by many men in the town, but she had turned them all down. Unlike her sisters, Eliza had soft brown hair like her father. She also had green eyes, and thin frame. Everyone adored her. But Eliza wasn't interested in any of them. But she couldn't quite say why. Gabriel grabbed the paper, while Thomas watched his father open a letter. After a while Benjamin spoke. "There's to be a meeting in Charlestown and I've been summoned to go." Thomas got an excited look in his eyes.
"We're going to Charlestown?!" He asked. The boy was practically jumping up and down in excitement. Benjamin smiled and nodded.
"We leave tomorrow morning."
The next morning everyone got up early. Eliza helped to prepare breakfast, and then they left. It wasn't that long a ride to Charlestown. Eliza spent the time thinking about the arguement Benjamin and Gabriel had about Gabriel going to aide the revolution. But soon they're Aunt Charlotte's house came into veiw. Eliza began to feel a great excitement. She loved visiting her Aunt. She smiled and ran up to her with everyone else smiling widely.
"Benjamin, they're huge. What have you been feeding them?" Charlotte asked with a laugh. Benjamin smiled too as he responded.
"Good heritage on their mother's side." Benjamin was clearly sucking up, but Eliza didn't say anything.
"I have something for you all." Charlotte smiled. The younger children smiled and ran inside. Eliza walked after them to make sure they didn't get into too much trouble. Besides that, she wondered what her Aunt had gotten her.
Later when it was dark, everyone except Gabriel was standing on the balcony on the second floor. Gabriel was down on the street celebrating with all the older boys. Thomas spotted him first.
"Look there's Gabriel!" Thomas shouted. "Gabriel!" Thomas and everyone else waved wildly. Gabriel grinned up at them and waved. He then walked off. Eliza smiled, knowing who he had spotted. It was Anne Howard. She was a good friend of Eliza. They still wrote, even though Gabriel didn't know about it. Anne often mentioned Gabriel in her letters. She missed him a lot. Eliza and the others went inside after that.
The next morning was the meeting. Eliza was terribly excited about it. She supported the revolution. She thought her father did too, but she wasn't sure about it. She listened as the arguments went back and forth. Eliza was suprised when Benjamin stood to speak. She was even more suprised about what he said.
When the meeting was over, the people flooded into the streets to wait and see if the levee would pass or fail. Finally a boy ran out shouting the news.
"28 TO 12! THE LEVEE PASSED!" The boy shouted. All around her Eliza could hear the shouts of joy at the news. She looked at her father. For some reason he seemed disappointed. Gabriel went to a table where a few people congregated.
"You're joining the army aren't you?" Benjamin asked. Gabriel nodded. Benjamin was about to protest, but stopped. He had spotted an old friend. Eliza stood idly while they talked. Finally the other man noticed her.
"And who is this lovely girl?" Asked her father's friend. He took her hand and gently kissed it. Eliza blushed slightly.
"My name is Eliza Martin. Pleased to meet you." Eliza introduced her self. He father gazed at her with pride.
"The pleasure is all mine Eliza. But as I said Benjamin, I'll make sure Gabriel serves under me." Benjamin and his friend resumed talking. Eliza wandered off back to her Aunt Charlottes. She didn't want Gabriel to leave, but she knew he would be serving a good cause. She wanted to spend as much time with him as she could before he left.