Sweeter Than Blackberry Jam:
September 1780
The late summer sun was beating down on the path as Eliza hummed to herself, the wicker basket in her hand swinging back and forth. Glancing over her shoulder she saw Peggy staggering behind her. Her sister's normally cheerful disposition was not there and instead she had a pensive look. "Peggy? Is everything alright?" Eliza asked, voice soft. She kept her gaze on her sister for a moment before glancing back at the path in front of them. After a few more steps she stopped and waited to for Peggy to catch up to her.
Their mother had asked the two of them to gather as many blackberries as they could before they turned for the year. The autumn season was upon them and soon there would have to wait until next July if they wanted more berries. Eliza had suggested they take their younger siblings with them so they could gather more berries that way but Peggy told her that she just wanted it to just be the two of them.
When it came to their walks when collecting berries, Peggy was normally the talkative one but today she was unusually quiet. It made Eliza worry.
Peggy blinked as she looked at her sister after a moment. "Hm?"
"I asked if something was wrong."
A small sigh escaped Peggy's lips. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."
"About what?"
Peggy's shoe dug into the dirt path under her foot as she let out a small sigh. "I was just thinking about how this might be the last time we collect blackberries together."
Her brows furrowed as she looked at her younger sister for a moment as her hands tightened around the basket. "What makes you say that?"
Peggy pursed her lips as they began to walk slowly. "You're getting married in a few months, Eliza. Everything in our lives has changed over the past couple of years and is still changing so rapidly. I mean we used to collect berries with Angelica as well and the last couple of times Angelica hasn't been with us." Peggy had known for a while her sister was due to get married but it really hit her on their walk.
She glanced down at the worn path that they were on, one that they walked a hundred times before, listening to Peggy as she spoke. She had a point When they were younger the three of them would collect berries for their mother together at the end of every summer. The past couple of years it changed to just Eliza and Peggy. They had invited Angelica to join them, but she declined due to her being with child. Eliza just looked down, trying to keep the small smile on her lips. "Well, I suggested taking the younger children with us, but you told me did not want to."
Peggy hummed at the thought of them toting their younger siblings along with them and trying to keep them inline while picking berries. A small smile appeared on her lips she shook her head. "I know and really and as nice as it sounds, it wouldn't have been the same. This was something that the three of us shared." Peggy knew that they wouldn't be able to recapture the magic and it would just be different. She wasn't ready for that this year. "Besides, I just wanted to spend the time with you."
They went silent for the rest of their walk and soon the two young women arrived at their usual berry briers. They made their way over to the bush, setting their baskets on the grass at their feet before setting to work collecting the fresh berries. Eliza glanced over at Peggy as she spoke, "I know it's not the same, but change is a good thing. I know things change but we're growing up, of course our lives are going to change."
"I know," Peggy said softly. She was aware that life changed in big ways when Angelica had eloped. "I wish they wouldn't though. Sometimes I wish the three of us could keep being the way were when we were younger. Just us three sisters but Angelica's married, and she's had two kids with a third one on the way and now, you're going to be married not before too long."
Eliza cast her gaze downwards and nodded. "I know," she looked at her berries a moment before looking over at her sister, giving her a smile. "Soon you'll be the oldest sister in the house. That must count for something. "
Peggy snorted as she dropped a handful of blackberries into the basket at her feet. "I know and that means Mama's going to rely on me more and more. Eliza, I'm not like you or Angelica. You both were so good at helping her in different ways around the house and with the little ones."
A small smile tugged at Eliza's lips as she berries rolled off her red stained palms into the basket. Peggy was right. She was more apt to helping their father, but she had faith in her sister. "Peggy, you know you don't have to be like either myself or Angelica, right? You just need to be you. Mama will be happy to have your help no matter what."
"I'm going to miss you when you get married."
Eliza let out a giggle. "You know that I'm not going anywhere right away. Yes, Alexander and I are getting married, but I know he'll soon go back to General Washington's side not too long after. We probably won't be able to make a home for ourselves until after the war. I'll still be around a while."
Peggy nodded as she tired her best to return the smile. "Yes, but you'll be married and if you're anything like Angelica it won't be too long before you're with child as well."
"Peggy!" Eliza scolded as she felt heat rise to her cheeks. She looked away from her sister, unable to look her in the eyes. "You know my husband will need to be around for that. He is one of His Excellency's most trusted aides! I'm not sure how much I'll get to see Alexander before the war ends." While Eliza herself was excited for this change in her life that would be happening soon, she was still nervous. Nervous for what would happen if Alexander never came home.
The wedding was one that was supposed to bring hope, but Eliza would be lying is she said she wasn't also terrified. Terrified that her new husband might never come home, and she would be a widow not too long after being wedded. Let alone she wasn't sure how soon after getting married she would be with child. These were the fears of the future that kept her up at night, but she wasn't quite ready to voice them to her sister yet.
The younger Schuyler tired her best not to roll her eyes. "Yes, but you know how many times Mama has been with child and Angelica has also been a few times now. I am sure it won't be too long after you're married to Alexander before you are too."
Eliza swore silently to herself as she kept focusing on the brier in front of her. She scowled as she poked herself a couple times on the thorns. She focused on her basket as she put more berries in. "Can we discuss something else, please?" While she loved Peggy and talking to her about Alexander, they were dangerously close to a topic that she wasn't ready to talk about with her younger sister. Eliza wanted to change the subject to one that didn't have her blushing when she thought about her future husband.
Peggy's lips pursed in thought as she added a few more berries in her own basket. "What would you like to discuss?"
There was a moment of silence between the two before Eliza began giggling. "Do you remember the year Mama couldn't make any jam?"
A grin spread out across Peggy's lips as she began giggling as well. It was a fond memory that the sisters shared and joked about every year when they went out to pick berries. "How could I forget? It was Angelica's idea to have just a few berries on the way back home." The few berries turned into almost all three baskets. "Then she blamed me because I am the youngest!"
Of course, it didn't take long for their mother to realize it had been Angelica's idea since the girls stained hands, mouth and dress gave her away. "Mama was so mad!"
"I thought Mama was going to drag the three of us back out and make us pick some more berries. Instead she just told us that winter we wouldn't have any jam." Eliza closed her eyes, smiling fondly at the memory that was playing in her head. A moment or two she grabbed another few berries. "Peggy?"
"What is it?"
Eliza was silent as she glanced down at the grass. She looked at her stained hands for a moment before glancing over at her sister. "Just so you know, you're not the only one whose scared of what the future will bring." She hated voicing her fears, feeling like they made her look weak. Her mother had always depended on her. She was the mildest out of the three eldest sisters and was always helping her mother with their younger siblings, pregnancies, miscarriages, births, and cradle deaths.
She had voiced the fear, even if it wasn't everything that she feared.
Peggy moved her basket out of the way and sat closer to Eliza. She placed a hand on her shoulder, offering her a smile. "The future is scary, isn't it?"
Eliza nodded. "It is, but do you know what?"
Peggy shook her head. "What?"
Reaching over, Eliza moved some of Peggy's hair off her shoulders and tucked it behind her sisters' ear. "We'll make it through together. We always have."
Peggy grinned. "Of course, we will. That's what we Schuyler sisters do. Make it through the scariest parts of our lives together."
"Very true, we may not live near each other or be able to talk to each other, but we'll always be sisters."
"We'll still have each other."
Eliza smiled as she nodded, turning back to the bush in front of them. "Now, why don't we finish picking these blackberries for Mama." She pushed herself out of her kneeling position on the grass, turning to face the bush again.
Peggy nodded as the two of them went back to picking the blackberries until their baskets were full.