August 1805

As Eliza was washing the dishes from dinner, she heard a knock at the door. She went to open it, and smiled when she saw a familiar face: Stephen Van Rensselaer.

"Hello, Eliza," he said as he stepped inside.

"Stephen!" Eliza said. She hadn't seen her brother-in-law since Peggy died. "What brings you to the city?"

"I just wanted to check on you and the children," Stephen said.

"Well, I can assure you everything is fine," Eliza said. "At least, as fine as it can be." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why did you really come here? You could have just written a letter."

"I confess I have an ulterior motive." Stephen sat on the couch. "Eliza, I would like you to consider my… proposal."

Eliza raised her eyebrows. "Proposal? Of what?"

Stephen took a deep breath. "Of marriage."

Eliza gasped. No man had been bold enough to propose to her since Alexander died, though she knew that many wealthy widowers had their eyes on her. Her two names - Schuyler and Hamilton - were all she had left. What could she offer a potential husband but poverty and seven young children, one of whom had suffered a permanent mental breakdown and would certainly never get married? She was briefly attracted by the idea of gaining a stepson, though no one could ever replace Philip. And it was a bit strange for your stepson to also be your nephew - would he call her "Mother" or keep calling her "Aunt Eliza"?

All these thoughts whirled through Eliza's head, and she opened her mouth to speak. But Stephen cut her off.

"I know what you're going to say," he said. "Just hear me out. I know what Alexander meant to you, and I would never try to replace him. Nor would I expect you to replace Peggy. They were both very dear to me. But Alexander has been dead for over a year, and Peggy for four. I think it's time for both of us to move on, for the sake of our children if nothing else. My son needs a mother, and more importantly, your children need a father, a provider. With me, you and they will want for nothing. Everything will be kept in the family."

"That's very generous of you, Stephen," Eliza said. "But I'm afraid I can't accept."

"Eliza - "

"Now it's your turn to hear me out," Eliza said. "My husband exists now only as a memory. A memory which, I fear, is growing fainter every day. My youngest children will grow up with no memory of their father. I'm sorry, Stephen. I cannot betray Alexander's legacy."

"Eliza, please be reasonable," Stephen said. "Think of your children. They cannot preserve their father's legacy tomorrow if their bellies are empty today. Is that what he would want?"

"My husband had an empty belly every day for the first half of his life," Eliza said. "He rose up, and he died defending his honor. The love he and I had was once in a lifetime. No, it was more - most people never have love like that. Anything else would pale in comparison."

"Eliza…" Stephen could see that further attempts at persuasion were pointless. "Just think about it. Please."

"I have thought about it," Eliza said. "My answer is no. That will not change."

"Very well," said Stephen. He got up. "I will, of course, support you as much as I can. And I hope we can still be as we were before."

"Of course. Thank you, Stephen."

Stephen walked across the room and opened the door to find a gaggle of children smiling expectantly. They were all happily surprised to see their Uncle Stephen. Stephen grinned and knelt down to hug each of them in turn. Eliza briefly considered reprimanding them for eavesdropping, but it didn't seem like they'd heard the conversation. She smiled as they all badgered him for presents. She was just glad they wouldn't have to start calling him Father.

A few months later, Eliza received a letter announcing that Stephen was to marry Cornelia Paterson, a judge's daughter from New Jersey who was fifteen years his junior. Enclosed in the letter was enough money for her and the children's passage to Albany and back. Eliza knew Stephen had taken quite a risk sending that much money through the mail, even though he had money to burn; this made it impossible for her to decline. She hated taking charity, but she hadn't been upstate since her father's funeral last November, and it would be nice to go home again for a happier occasion.

Eliza and her children decided to board a riverboat with Angelica, John, and their children. While they waited, Angelica pulled Eliza aside for a private moment.

"I know that Stephen proposed to you," she said. "He told me."

Eliza's eyes widened. "Don't bring it up when we get there," she warned.

"Don't worry. I won't."

"Do you think I should have accepted him?" Eliza asked.

"Eliza, I once had to choose between marrying for money and marrying for love," Angelica said. "When I made that choice, I thought I might regret it for the rest of my days."

"And did you? Do you?"

"Well, yes and no. It was a trade-off, like most decisions. But I don't think either Alexander or Peggy would have begrudged you if you had chosen differently."

"Thank you, Angelica," Eliza said.

"You know," Angelica said, "just because you can't love a man as a husband, doesn't mean you can't love him as a brother-in-law." Eliza stared at her in shock. "Stephen will still be our brother-in-law even after the wedding."

"Of course."

They heard a foghorn in the distance. John stepped onto the grass and gestured behind him to the river. "Angelica," he said. "Eliza. The boat is here."

"Thank you, John," Angelica said. She smiled at Eliza, and the three of them walked back out to the pier for their journey to Albany.

Note: In real life, Stephen Van Rensselaer remarried in 1802, the year after Peggy's death.