Author's notes: I was originally going to keep this as a one-shot, but there's always more to write!
Chapter Summary: Felicity decides to play a game, and completely manages to victimize Ben.
Ben sighed and relaxed into his bath, leaning his head back against the edge of the tub. Normally, the water would be a little too hot, but on this occasion the high temperature felt soothing on his tense muscles. He heard a noise approaching his bedroom door, and lazily turned his head in time to watch the knob turn, and the door swing open. Felicity poked her head in, grinning at him. "May I come in?"
Ben smiled, fully relaxed. "Of course Lissie. Tell me a story?"
She closed the door behind herself, walked over and knelt next to the tub, placing her hand over his. "Think you have enough bubbles? You might get lost in there if you aren't careful."
Ben closed his eyes. "My mother always insisted that hot water and lots of suds was the key to good healing. Now, story please? I'm injured and I demand it."
Felicity laughed, emitting a clear, musical tone that was very different than the playful giggling that he commonly heard when she was a child. "I shan't refuse you, Mr. Davidson. But first, give me your arm. I want to see how it is healing."
"That would be far too much effort right now." Ben replied. "I'm not moving. You'll have to find it." He opened his eyes and looked at her.
Felicity shook her head resignedly, and reached into the tub. She easily found his arm, and kneaded the muscle with her fingertips underneath the surface. "Does this hurt?"
Ben considered the sensation. "No, it feels nice." He closed his eyes again. "Now, how about my story?"
"Be patient." Felicity said, digging her fingers in harder. "How does it feel now?"
Ben swept away some bubbles with his free arm so he could see. "Hmmm…perhaps a little numb."
"I think it has not healed completely. Let me try something." Felicity held his wrist with one hand, then placed her other palm on his forearm, fingers outstretched. She tightened her grip on his wrist, then dug her fingernails into his skin.
"Hey!" Ben protested, trying to jerk his arm away. Felicity was surprisingly strong. She continued to hold tight. He looked down in shock as her fingers burrowed underneath his skin, and her hand tugged upward on the bone towards his shoulder, as if she was easily putting her hand up the sleeve of a shirt. Ben realized that there was no pain, only a slight pressure as her hand went deeper. He looked up at her face, and was stunned to see that it was not Felicity staring back at him; she had transformed into a bird-like creature. He made a desperate attempt to grab her wrist and pull it away, realizing that it had also morphed into long talons. She pulled her claws out of his arm, and immediately slipped them into his chest as easily as if he were bread dough. She grasped his rib, and with a mighty CRACK, pulled it free.
Ben gasped in pain, and opened his eyes. He was no longer in his childhood bedroom, and there was no Felicity, nor Bird Creature Felicity present. He was up in his loft above the Merrimans' stable. He blinked, trying to clear his head at the absurd dream, and noted with dismay that he was completely covered in sweat and tangled in a mass of quilts and woolen blankets. He kicked them off, and felt his ribs gingerly. They were extremely sore. He sighed, wondering why they were so poorly.
Then, it all came back to him.
Joseph running his mouth.
The bar fight.
Arguing with Felicity.
His foolish, embarrassing admission.
The kiss.
Oh no….
He rolled over to bury his face in his pillow and held fast, as if he could smother all of the occurrences of the previous night away. His lungs burned a moment later, and he was forced to take a breath. This sent another jolt of pain through his ribs, as if they were reminding him that everything that had happened, everything that he had said could not be unsaid.
What was that proverb that Nan was always repeating towards her siblings? Oh yes. He imagined her saying them. Think 'ere before you speak, for Words, once flown, Once utter'd, are no more your own.
At that moment, the rooster began to crow. He had to get up, get dressed, and join the Merrimans at breakfast. He swallowed, and realized that he had in fact needed to say all of those things. This was done, and he would have to face it. After all, he reasoned, I've faced things that were much, much worse.
He splashed water from the basin on his face, and changed out of his nightshirt, pulling on his breeches and tunic. He pulled on his socks and shoes, tied his hair back, then left his room and headed towards the house.
Inside the Merriman house, Felicity, Rose, Nan, and Martha Merriman were setting breakfast out. Ben paused in the doorway and watched them. Felicity and Nan were jokingly singing a French folk tune, emphasizing the strange phonetics of the language. Martha was begging the girls to not act so silly, but her eyes showed amusement all the same. Edward Merriman was seated at the table, talking with Polly. Ben turned his attention back to Felicity. She walked with her head high and her shoulders back as she carried a stack of plates, her eyes shining brightly. If she was feeling a similar internal turmoil, it did not show. She continued to sing, her perfect mouth effortlessly forming the words. He flashed back to the previous night in which he had brushed his lips against hers.
"Ben!" Martha Merriman said, breaking him out of his thoughts. "You are not going to church dressed link that, are you? If so, then we should all change clothes and be a proper band of ruffians." She paused, and studied his face. "Lad, you look flushed. Are you ill?"
Everyone turned to look towards him. Ben felt himself blushing even harder. Before he could think of a reply, Felicity set the plates down, crossed the room, and placed a hand on his brow. "He feels warm." She reported back to her mother. Her fingertips brushed his forehead and smoothed a few strands of hair away as she locked eyes with him. Lord have mercy. Ben thought. Felicity spoke again, this time to him. "You are sweaty." She turned her attention back to her mother "It feels like a low fever."
Martha spoke, "Ben, you must go lie back down and rest. No church for you today. Rose will bring you some biscuits and herbal tea." Ben opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by William trudging into the room. "I couldn't sleep at all last night." He complained. "I swear I heard a couple of local idiots yelling back and forth for hours." He slumped down at the table and yawned for emphasis, then stared accusingly at Ben and Felicity.
Ben felt his courage draining away, marveling at the absurdness of how all it took for him to stand down was the glare of an eleven year-old boy. He decided that retreating would be the best tactic at the moment. "I beg your pardon, Ma'am, Sir," he nodded to Martha and Edward, "I am feeling a little exhausted." Martha pressed her lips together and gave him a sympathetic look. "Go rest."
Ben turned away and walked back to his room. Once a safe distance from the house, he glanced down at his attire, realizing that he had put on not a clean shirt, but the torn shirt from the previous night. Annoyed with his carelessness and cowardice, he climbed the stairs, entered his room, and flopped down on his bed.
Upon returning from church, Felicity pinned on an apron, filled a bowl with bean soup, fetched a few biscuits, and a pot of herb tea. She placed these items on a tray, carried them out of the kitchen, and up to Ben's loft. Through the open door, she could see Ben sitting at his desk, his back to her. She balanced the tray on one arm, then rapped lightly on the doorframe to get his attention.
He turned and gave her a smile, putting down a small book that he had been reading. "Lissie. Come in." She entered the room and placed the tray down next to him, then sat down on the edge of the bed. She studied his face. He looked much more awake, and thankfully the bruise he had the previous night had faded rapidly. "You look much better. How do you feel?"
A sheepish smile spread across Ben's face. Felicity thought it was adorable. He spoke up. "Admittedly, I was not ill in the first place. I had a strange dream and woke up confused. Then William was about to accuse us over what happened last night. It was all a bit too much. I decided to play along to just have a little more time to myself."
Felicity burst out laughing. "Tell me it's not true!" She exclaimed, shaking her head incredulously. "You can stand up in front of an army of Redcoats, but you can't stand up to my brother? He is a child!"
Ben chuckled, then took a deep breath, a serious look crossing over his face. "It is not just your brother. It is you. I am a little embarrassed about my emotional breakdown last night, and I…" He paused, blushing again, "and now that you know how I feel, you are terrifying to me." He ducked his head, but still looked up to make eye contact with her. "Really though, you looked radiantly happy this morning. In fact, you still do. I suppose it threw me off a little. I know this is a strange question, but I must ask it. Why are you so happy? What are you thinking?"
Felicity had already thought this through, not that it required all that much thinking in the first place. She decided to tell him the truth. "You complimented me in a way that no one has ever done before. You said that you know me and all of my faults…" "Perceived faults." Ben interrupted. Felicity held up her hand and continued "…and you still love me. The only other person that seems to like me as I am is Elizabeth, but you know, I cannot marry her. Everyone wants me to change. I always thought that I eventually would grow up, but I find that as I get older I'm inclined to behave more wickedly." She shook her head. "I cannot stop it. But you, you never tell me to slow down, to mind my manners, to stop speaking about serious issues." She clasped her hands together on the bedpost, and pressed her cheek into them and looked up at Ben, knowing full well the effect of this posture. "You said we would talk tomorrow, so here I am. Talk to me." A new boldness had passed over her, and she reveled in the clear head it had given her.
Ben smiled. "Okay, Miss Merriman. First things first." He thought for a moment, then corrected himself. "Well, two things. First, you are most certainly not wicked. Secondly," He leaned towards her, "when are you breaking off your present courtship?"
"Very soon." Felicity said. "I need to speak with my mother first and give her warning that I am going to do this. I hope she is not disappointed." At this thought, slight butterflies invaded her stomach, causing her visage to falter slightly. She looked at Ben, hoping that he didn't notice. But, Ben never missed anything. His brow furrowed, and he reached out and clasped her hand, causing more butterflies to invade.
"Lissie, everything with me aside, he does not make you happy. You need to get rid of him. Your mother loves you and she will understand."
Felicity nodded. Ben was absolutely right. She had woken up this morning with new sense of self-worth. Keeping Joseph around any longer would destroy it all over again.
"And then," Ben continued, a smile spreading across his face again. He squeezed her hand. "We can talk about us. I can speak with your parents. Lissie," he was practically glowing, "I am so happy."
Felicity pulled her hand away from his and held it up. "Wait wait wait." Ben sat back, surprised, "Remember what we talked about? The letters. I'll need to read them first before I even consider having you as a beau." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared at him for a moment, then held out her hand. "Give them to me."
Ben sighed. "I was hoping you would not have bothered. I guess I should have not been so foolish to think this." He moved to open one of the desk drawers, and pulled out a neat stack of letters, tied together. He handed them to her. "Just take them, they are yours. But please know, some of them are not very nice. I hope you understand."
Felicity smiled. "I won't take them all at once. Just give me two. I'll come back for more later."
Ben raised an eyebrow at her, and started to pull the bottom two from the stack. "No, no, just chose them completely random. It will be more fun to read them this way." She let a mischievous grin spread on her face in response to Ben's confusion. Felicity took them quickly and put them in her apron pocket. "Eat your lunch before it gets cold." She commanded. "I must go; I have tons of sewing to do." She stood up and left the room, looking back briefly to catch the confused expression on Ben's face. She ran down the stairs, stuffing the two letters safely in her apron pocket, then continued into the house, up the stairs to her bed room. She laid on her bed, broke the seal of one and began to read.
August 5th, 1780
My Dear Felicity,
I was having a conversation with the other men this evening that had many interesting points and I feel I must share it with you. We were discussing dreams and one of the young boys said that dreams are what is left of the memories of our past lives, degraded and mixed and scrambled around, then left to misfire like many old dueling pistols at random along with the memories we have picked up in this life. I very much like thinking about this, and I will begin trying to identify the lives in which I dream about.
The sunset I see tonight is a deep red and now instead I am thinking about your hair.
Forever I remain,
Your Benjamin
Felicity blushed and smiled to herself. What a strange ending! She held out the second letter and considered saving it for later, but could not stop herself from breaking the seal and opening it. She began to read.
December 17th, 1779
Dearest Felicity,
It is so cold that I almost cannot stand writing but there will be a mail gathering to-morrow and I have pen and ink so I must take this opportunity. My birthday was a few days ago do you remember it? I am trying to keep my mind away from thinking of all the sweets that my parents would give me on this day. The other men and boys wished me good health and a long life, but I at this moment I would gladly trade ten years for a blueberry tart. Lissie if only you knew how cold it is I feel as though my bones are freezing me from the inside and no amount of blankets will help. My parents have sent me several woolen items but I feel strange to possess so many items while many of the other men have none so I must give them away.
I do not mean to burden you with these thoughts, but I always know you can listen and understand.
I wish you good spirits and cheer for the season and if you would Please celebrate on my behalf for I know there will be no Christmastide as I know it here.
I forever remain your true friend,
Benjamin Davidson
Felicity slowly folded up this letter, thinking back to Christmastide in 1779. The war had taken a toll throughout Williamsburg; her father's store went weeks without goods and there was no money to think about. She would work for hours spinning, weaving, and sewing, and was glad to do it. It was the least she could do to not feel useless. Yet, Christmas still had that same feeling, even with less to eat. She couldn't bear to imagine what it was like exposed to the elements in the New England Colonies. She unfolded the letter and read it again, reminding herself that Ben was still alive, he was here, he was okay. She returned to the letter she had read first, imagining all the men and boys sitting around together, pondering about dreams and past lives. This was a much more pleasant thought. She folded both letters and stashed them in the drawer of her nightstand, then walked downstairs to start in with the mending basket.
Over the next week Felicity would come and collect several more letters. It seemed she had a method to this; she would collect no more than two letters, and it was always at random. Ben almost wished he had not written so many; there were at least 20 more letters left. Felicity never wanted to talk about what she had read, nor did she seem to want to talk about the unknown status of their relationship. At one point Ben had tried to refuse to give her another until she would speak with him, but Felicity had merely reminded him of his promise and their deal.
"If you had sent me these letters as I had intended, then I would not be there to talk with you about them. I am simply trying to be authentic." She smirked at him.
"If this were authentic, then you would have to be reading them in chronological order!" Ben had retorted. "Besides, is it not better reading them now as you know I survived and would return home? Some of those letters spoke of hardship and danger. Would you not read them and be worried for me?" He raised his eyebrows, hoping to appeal to her sympathetic nature.
"Do not test me, Benjamin Davidson!" Felicity had positively snapped and held out her hand. "Now, two more letters, please!" Ben sighed, and handed them over. Sometimes he missed the younger, more sensitive Felicity Merriman.
Ben was walking back to Merrimans store after a delivery when he ran into Walter. It had been nearly a week and a half since the tavern fight. "Walk with me." Walter said. "It is unfortunate we have been banned from the tavern; where else are we supposed to talk?" Ben laughed. "Hopefully this is not a lifetime ban! I had promised Lissie that I would accompany her there. Shall we go and plead our case?"
Walter's eyebrows had raised at the mention of Felicity. "Would it not be a little untoward if you showed up with Felicity? When she is supposed to be on Joseph's arm?"
Ben fleetingly regretted mentioning Felicity, and decided to play obtuse to test the waters. "I don't understand. Why would that be untoward?"
Walter blinked, confused. "Because…Joseph is Felicity's suitor. You are not." He spoke as if Ben was a mere child.
"Ah," Ben corrected. "Not for long."
"Really." Walter replied. "So, she is going to drop Joseph, so she can go with you to the tavern." His eyebrows were still raised. "Man, I feel like I am not getting the full story." He paused, and looked up with surprise. "Wait! Tell me you are not sweet on Felicity? Whenever did this happen?"
Ben looked up, thinking. Truth be told, he had never really worked that out for himself. Was the starting point at Publick Times, back almost three years ago? "That does not matter right now."
Walter laughed incredulously. "Right. Well, if she ever asks, don't say it was not until you saw her with another man. Women don't like that." He continued. "So your plan is as follows: Felicity will drop Joseph, then you will court her? That's it?"
"Don't forget, we will go to the tavern, where I will be un-banned on the spot." Ben jokingly added.
"You've gone mad." Walter said, a serious look crossing his face. "You know that it is a big deal for women to end a courtship. And then to start one with you? What is the timeframe on this? And most importantly, is Felicity going to go along with this?" He stared at Ben. "I still feel I am not getting the whole story. You need to tell me everything."
Ben shrugged noncommittally and told Walter about that night, beginning after he had arrived back to the Merrimans home after the tavern fight. He mentioned the letters, how Felicity said that should would agree to a courtship if, and only if she could read all of the letters. "….but she has made it all in to some kind of game and still won't tell me all of the rules, or whatever she is thinking. And here I sit, waiting! At this point my expectations are so low that I'd be happy enough if she just dropped Joseph, never mind the rest of it." He clasped his hands, folding his fingers together and propped them on top of his head, looking up at the sky.
"Would you really though?" Joseph said, chuckling and shaking his head. "So Joseph goes, then Felicity and…say, my cousin declare their undying love for one another?"
"No, no I guess not. That would not be okay." Ben sighed. "I think I would just kill myself and be done with it."
Joseph laughed. "I can just picture the writing on your gravestone." He held up his hands for emphasis. "Here lies Benjamin, who almost had a sweetheart." He clapped Ben on the shoulder. "It's been less than two weeks. You best settle in. Women like to test a man's patience."
Ben smiled in spite of himself. "It all reminds me of something I was told years ago." He thought back. "I was only six years old, and the way I remember it, my sister was being so very cruel to her gentleman friend, despite the fact that he kept coming around to give her sweets and gifts. My mother told me that women often don't have much power or control over their lives in this society, except when it came to courtship. Choosing a husband is a very important decision, and she told me that my sister was just testing how patient and forgiving her suitor was. And that someday, I would have to show how patient and forgiving I am." He shuffled his feet.
"So here we sit." Walter said.
"Yep." Ben replied.
"So in all honesty, how are you feeling?" Walter asked.
"I think I'm going mad." Ben deadpanned, keeping a neutral expression.
The two men sat in silence for a moment. Walter then spoke up. "You could try to speed along the process. You could make her jealous and feign interest in Annabelle Cole, but I do not advise that." Ben barked a laugh. "Of course not! Felicity would see through that in a moment. That, and Annabelle told me she was done with me, for what it's worth."
"Then, you best play along." Walter said. "Smile at her, lean towards her when speaking, perhaps brush your hand against hers…" He trailed off, looking skyward. Ben got the idea he was thinking about something entirely different. He stood up. "I best get back to work. Mr. Merriman is out so it is just Felicity working at the storefront." Walter grinned at him. "I wish you the best of luck, man."
Felicity stood behind the shop counter, idly tapping her fingers. There were no customers. It made sense, as many of the shelves were completely bare. It just an effect of the neverending war. If a customer needed something it could be ordered, but many items were too expensive for just the purposes of keeping the shelves stocked. She reached into her pocket and took out two letters, unfolded one, and began to read.
September 23rd, 1779
Dear Felicity,
Try as I might, I cannot get it out of my head how you told me that the kiss we shared was only to make Annabelle angry. How could you be so foolish as to use me in this manner? What am I to you? If I had not been standing there, perhaps another man in my place, would you have kissed him in that way? Do you know how difficult my life has been for the last two years? All of the hardship and danger I have faced? And you have the audacity and the gravitas to use me for your petty little grievance? I cannot abide by this. How dare you!
Felicity put down the letter, trying to stifle any hurt feelings. Ben had warned her that some of the letters were not so nice. Still she remembered how in a way, he had used her as well. Right? She briefly thought about putting it away for the moment, but mentally built a shield for her emotions and picked it up again.
I do not understand the girl you have become. There are many things I must think about.
Should I still call you a friend? I do not know the answer to this question. I feel like you have not treated me as a friend should.
Yours truly and completely. Really. Everything is always for you, isn't it?
Benjamin Davidson
Her mind numb, Felicity folded the letter and stuffed it in her drawer. She opened the next one and began to read, noticing right away at what looked to be bloody finger prints on the paper.
September 29th, 1779
Dearest Felicity,
I have tried to avoid speaking about battles in my letters to you as I am sure you are getting the news in town, but I must break tradition this once and tell you about something. I woke up this morning with an awful premonition and now I know to trust how I feel. I will not speak of much detail but I found myself crouching behind a downed tree. There was so much chaos and I was able to fire off a few shots. I do not want to think about if they were effective. Then we all scattered like birds. I could not hear anything because the gunfire left my ears ringing. Lissie I wish I could tell you that this was a rare occurrence but it happens more than I want to tell you. Many of the lads are now missing and I fear for them.
Lissie how I wish I could talk to you now.
Your friend,
Ben
Felicity folded up this letter slowly, her mind spinning at the opposite tone. She unfolded it and read it again, trying to connect the disjointed sentences to imagine the scene. Ben had mentioned that his hearing was not great; was this due to gunfire from the battles? There had to have been several of these scenes if his hearing was still damaged. She noted the date of the letter; it was written not even a full week after the previous, antagonistic letter. She felt slightly cheered at how Ben had called himself "your friend" at the end of this one. His feelings of anger had lasted no more than five days.
Perhaps Ben was right in one aspect. Had she received this letter while he was still away, she could imagine all of the nights she would lie awake with worry for him. Knowing he was safe was like skipping forward and reading the end of a book, so she could read without any fear for the hero despite all of his hardships.
At that moment, Ben returned from his errand. Felicity quickly folded the letter and stuffed it into her pocket, then stood straight up. He noticed that she had been reading one of his letters, and blushed slightly as he made his way to the counter. "Having a productive day Miss Merriman?" He asked. Felicity saw that his smile did not reach his eyes, and decided that things should not need to be so serious between them.
"There is one piece of business that I must take care of." She said, walking out from behind the counter, "and now is the opportune moment." She bent down and rifled through a small box of childrens' toys, pulling out a wooden replica of a dueling pistol. She wielded it as if it were real, pointing it directly at Ben's chest. He held his hands up. Felicity pulled her most threatening face. "You rebel scum." She pretended to pull back on the safety lever.
Ben played along, feigning a shocked face. "Miss Merriman! I should have known you were a Loyalist spy!"
Felicity smiled. "It was too easy. All I needed to do was tempt you with food, and you would tell me all of General Washington's secrets! And now, once I have completed my final mission of killing the most notorious rebel warrior, Benjamin Davidson, I will sail to London and live out my days in high society!" She spoke the last lines as Annabelle would, laying on the posh accent thickly.
"Madam," Ben pleaded, his hands still up. "I have been a proper fool to have played into your treacherous hands. But please, before you kill me, I must tell you one thing!" He paused, "I….I confess….," he suddenly looked like a man holding back tears. "If telling you General Washington's plans was what kept your attention towards me, I regret nothing!" His face hardened, and he looked defiantly at her. "If you wish to kill me, do not hesitate!" He held his shoulders back and gestured grandly towards himself, "For I cannot live in a world where the woman I love trades me for a powdered wig and a little pug!" The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
"Indeed!" Felicity retorted, trying not to break into laughter herself. "Prepare to meet thy devil!" She stomped her foot, mimicking the sound of a firing pistol.
Ben recoiled, then slowly looked down. He clutched at his chest as if to cover a bullet wound. "You…you shot me!" He allowed his knees to buckle, and he lurched forward at Felicity as if to grab her by the shoulders. Felicity, momentarily shocked at his realistic performance, stepped back. Ben dropped to his knees and looked up at her, eyes wide, but mouth slack. He drew in a few labored breaths and gasped, "My dear Lissie…why?"
Felicity, still shocked, stammered "I…I…." She shook her head to snap out of it. Apparently Ben was a talented actor. She watched as Ben slumped over sideways, his hands falling away limply from his chest. His shoulder hit the floor, making her flinch at the sound. With half-lidded eyes, he rolled over partway onto his back and continued gasping for air, punctuating the horrible sound with an occasional weak cough. "Lissie" he choked, focusing his eyes on her. His fingers curled and opened again, trying to beckon towards her. Felicity put the wooden pistol down and knelt at his side. "Oh Benjamin," she crooned, "perhaps I did love you in my own way." She took his hand, and with her other hand stroked his long brown hair. He painstakingly reached up and stroked her cheek lightly before letting his hand fall back to the floor. She forced herself to stay in character. "But, my love for you only made it easy to kill you. I utterly despise you for…." She struggled to keep the façade as easily as he did, "….for what….for what you made me feel!" She inwardly cringed at her poor performance.
Ben closed his eyes, his breaths turning into rasps. She watched him, overtaken by the sad beauty of his performance. Why had Ben not gone into play acting? She felt her instinct taking over, and wanted to cradle his head and tell him it was all going to be okay. His rasping became more intermittent, and as she continued to stare at him, he gave one final exhale and was completely still.
Felicity realized that he had probably seen men shot and killed right in front of him. An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. How could she have been so insensitive? "Ben, get up." She said, forcing a laugh. He did not move. She watched him a moment later, seeing that he had to eventually take a breath. He finally did, his chest moving ever so slightly. "Ha!" Felicity exclaimed. "I see you are still alive, now get up and help me once again clean these shelves!" She stood up, and grabbed a cloth. He continued to lie on the floor. "Gee, I suppose I'll have to use the ladder with no support!" Felicity said loudly. "I wish someone would come back to life and help me out!" She clambered up, and dusted her way around the already-clean, empty shelves. After a few minutes, she looked back. Ben still laid on the floor, eyes closed. She rapidly shifted her weight back and forth, making the ladder wobble precariously. No response from Ben. Surely he will eventually get bored. I'll just have to ignore him. Felicity climbed down from the ladder and stood back behind the counter. A thought occurred to her. "Ben!" She hissed. "Get up before someone comes in and sees you!" Ben did not move. She sighed, resting her chin into her palm. It's not as if anyone comes in at all anyways. She opened the ledger to start the day's inventory.
An hour later, someone indeed came in. Felicity looked down with a start, expecting Ben to jump up. But, he still did not move. Luckily, it was just Elizabeth. She looked down, surprised at seeing Ben sprawled across the floor, and then looked back at Felicity's exasperated face. "Lissie, what on Earth is going on? What is wrong with Ben?"
Felicity felt her temper rising. "He is being completely daft." She snapped. Elizabeth waited for further explanation. Felicity, thoroughly irritated, offered none.
Elizabeth chuckled, "so, there is nothing wrong? He is sleeping? Pretending to be asleep?" She watched him for a moment, noting that his chest moved as he breathed. "What if someone comes in?"
Felicity pressed her lips together tersely. "You came in, and you could have been anyone! He is pretending to be dead. Honestly, I think he has gone mad."
"Awwww," Elizabeth laughed, "look at him! He looks so sweet and harmless! She quirked her lips. "Don't you think he looks so handsome, like a tragic hero? Why, I could just kiss him and he would come back to life. Or, perhaps you could as well." She smiled wickedly. Felicity blushed. Elizabeth would often remind Felicity of that awkward day back at Publick Times. She continued, "Anyways, my sister was a few minutes behind me. Best he get up before she sees him."
"Ben!" Felicity snapped, "Get up, or else!" She knelt at his side and shook him. His head rolled to the side. She poked the uninjured side of his ribcage, knowing that it was often a sensitive area on many folks. No response. "Aargh!" She yelled. "He is being so infuriating!" She had a sudden, evil thought to rub her knuckles heavily along his breastbone, an excruciatingly painful move that Joseph had told her would stir even the most drunken fool out of any state.
"Lissie," Elizabeth put a hand on her shoulder, "I think I hear her coming up. Quick! Let's just drag him behind the counter!" "Right!" Felicity seized one ankle. "Take his other foot!" The girls roughly dragged him away from the center of the floor. Felicity noticed that he flinched a little when his head hit an uneven floorboard. Serves him right, she thought.
At that moment, Annabelle walked in. Felicity dropped Ben's ankle and it hit the floor with a loud thud, while Elizabeth instinctively ducked down behind the counter. "Felicity," she said crisply, pulling out a copy of Voltaire's Candide from her handbag and placing it down on the counter, "I have brought this for you. I found it to be utterly foolish, just completely trite. So my first thought is that you would thoroughly enjoy it." Felicity plastered on a large, toothy smile and decided to respond in kind. "Why thank you Annabelle! I know I will find many subtle messages that I'm sure went right over your pretty little head! Don't fret, I will explain them all to you." Annabelle smirked, and held out her hand. "I won't go without a trade. Did you think this was a charity case?" She stepped closer to the counter, and noticed Elizabeth crouched down low. "Bitsy! I had forgotten all about you! What on Earth are you doing down there?" She then noticed Ben, who was still collapsed on the floor. A concerned expression crossed over her face. "Good heavens! What is wrong with Ben? Is he all right?" Her concern quickly turned into disdain as she considered something else. "He is not drunk, is he? The fool!"
Felicity sighed. Knowing Annabelle's penchant for gossip, they were all in trouble. "No, he is not drunk. I can promise you that." Annabelle narrowed her eyes, sensing that nothing serious had happened. "What are you three twits up to?"
Elizabeth decided to answer, simply stating, "Ben is playing a trick on us."
Annabelle raised an eyebrow as if to demand a more detailed explanation, but Felicity and Elizabeth both remained silent. She finally spoke back up. "Ahem, well, it serves the both of you right, as I remember all of the little jokes you both would play to amuse your foolish little heads." She turned her nose up. "Felicity, remember that you were going to give me the French novel. You know the one." Felicity smiled at that fact that Annabelle couldn't bring herself to say the title. Annabelle called to Elizabeth, "Bitsy! Did you put in your order? We must get along to finish all of Mama's errands."
"Oh!" Elizabeth said. "Lissie, may I get some more thread? The usual colors." She smiled. "I would like to try some new embroidery." Felicity grinned. "Yes indeed Ma'am! I'll get that order in today," She thought for a moment, then added, "And my copy of Les Liasions!" Annabelle blushed slightly, but kept her haughty face. She stood for a moment in anticipation, then tapped her foot impatiently. "Well?" She demanded.
"Go on ahead, I will catch up with you." Elizabeth said. Annabelle rolled her eyes and stalked out of the shop. Elizabeth waited to hear Annabelle's footsteps fade away, then she turned back to Felicity. "You never told me what is going on. Why is Ben playing dead?"
"We were just playing around, and I pretended to shoot him." Felicity knew how ridiculous this sounded, but Elizabeth knew how she and Ben liked to be ridiculous around each other. She shrugged her shoulders. "For some reason I can't get him to stop pretending."
Elizabeth laughed. "Lissie, you know that shooting a man is an action that cannot just be undone." She sighed dramatically, placing the back of her hand against her forehead. "You have killed him! Poor Benjamin! Now you will have to explain to his mother and father why you have murdered their most precious only son! Are you prepared to beg for forgiveness and resign yourself to the noose?" Felicity laughed, her annoyance lifting. Perhaps she had been too irritable over the matter. She responded in kind, "I was hoping with your connections I can be on the next ship to London! There, I will slip away and live in the Scottish wilderness! Come and find me, and we will live happily and free!"
Elizabeth smiled. "There's a thought!" She looked down on him as if to ponder something. "Perhaps…" She paused, thinking, "Perhaps you need to tell him certain things, and he will wake up." Her eyes took on a familiar look, and she smiled widely. "Yes, I'm sure of it! There has to be some magic words!"
Felicity blushed. Once again, she knew exactly what Elizabeth was getting at. She shook her head resignedly and spoke up, "There are things I must tell you, but not right at this moment." She nodded towards Ben's prone form. Felicity knew that he was listening to their every word.
"Hm?" Elizabeth responded. She studied Felicity's face, then smiled slightly. "Okay, yes. I must catch up with Annabelle. We must sit together tomorrow, okay? You can play guitar and I will work on stitching. And we will be sure to talk!" Felicity smiled, watching her leave. "Good day Miss Cole! We will talk on the 'morrow!"
After Elizabeth left, Felicity dragged a chair to the side of the counter, and continued with the ledger. She spoke towards Ben "Hope you enjoyed all of that. I am not sure what you wish to accomplish, but you have truly embarrassed yourself. You know that I will be talking to Elizabeth tomorrow, and I'm sure you have an inkling of what I will be speaking about." She stared at Ben, noticing his mouth twitch. She sat in silence for the next hour, jotting down the inventory. Once or twice she was interrupted by customers, who luckily did not notice Ben laying behind the counter. Once evening fell, she closed and locked the door, then lit a few candles and worked to finish the final bookkeeping. As she wrote the last lines, she heard a peculiar sound coming from the floor. She looked down at Ben. He was breathing deeply, alternatively muttering something that sounded like gibberish. "Ben?" She questioned, then realized it a moment later.
He was asleep.
Felicity's temper flared. How long had he actually been sleeping? She had done everything at her father's store today! She imagined giving him a solid kick to the side, but stopped herself, forcing calm. She thought for a moment, then grabbed a large bucket from one of the shelves. She quietly opened the door as not to wake Ben up, then went outside to fill it from a watering trough. She re-entered the shop and stood over him, bucket in hand. He had not stirred.
She watched him for a moment, taking into account his breathing pattern. He was sound asleep, his mouth slightly open, inhaling and exhaling fast, but deep. As he exhaled, she positioned the bucket of water over his head and waited for him to draw breath. Then without any further hesitation, she dumped the contents over his face.
Felicity's timing was perfect, and Ben inhaled a lungful of cold trough water. He shot to sitting, and began choking and coughing. Felicity smiled widely, and crowed, raising up her hands like the Sunday preacher. "Hallelujah! It's a miracle! He hath risen from the dead!" Ben stared up at Felicity. The look in his eyes turned from shocked to accusatory as he continued to cough, water dripping down his face. Felicity kept smiling, feeling as though she had bested Ben at something. She then began to kneel so she could pound him on the back. He raised a hand towards her as if to hold her back, and put his other hand on his ribcage, coughing all the while.
Felicity straightened back up, standing next to him. "Have a good sleep? You missed the entire day! We were so busy, I did not know what to do with no help!" Her smile faltered a bit as he closed his eyes. He had finally stopped coughing, but something wasn't right. One of this forearms was pressed against the wall to support himself, and his other hand had moved to his stomach as he continued to work to steady his breathing. His face had drained of all color. She stepped closer, and his hand went up again to keep her at a distance. She batted it away and stood next to him. "Let me help you, silly boy." Ben shook his head, his eyes still closed. He put a hand back out and pushed weakly against her leg, as if to hold her back. She shook it off, but just as soon as she began to kneel down, Ben made a face, gagged, and vomited all over her shoes.
Now it was Felicity's turn to be shocked. She jumped back and looked down at her now-ruined shoes, then stared at Ben. He reached for a nearby cloth and spat into it, then wiped his mouth. He set the cloth aside and drew his sleeve across his face, wiping off any excess water. After a moment, he cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly up at her, finally speaking with a scratchy voice. "You had best get another bucket of water."
After thoroughly cleaning up the floor, the two of them walked home. Felicity was wearing a new pair of stockings she had taken from the shelf to replace her messy ones, and Ben had given her his shoes to wear. They were way too big, and she would often stumble. Ben walked carefully in his stocking feet, trying to avoid sharp gravel. He grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her from falling as she tripped once again. She looked up gratefully, glad that his hair was starting to dry. He gave her a smile and spoke up with a voice that was still slightly scratchy. "I figure I owe you an apology for ruining your shoes."
Felicity considered this. She had felt terrible for making him sick. The bucket of water had indeed gone too far. "'Tis I that should be apologizing." She reached out and squeezed his hand, smiling back at him.
Ben grinned wider, and spoke up. "You remember when I assured you that you were not wicked?" Felicity raised her eyebrows. He spoke again. "I'm re-thinking that opinion." Felicity laughed, "Fair enough, Benjamin."
They continued walking hand in hand, with Ben's stockings picking up mud from the road, and Felicity stumbling again in a pair of too-big shoes.
Author's notes:
1) Ben's dream is inspired by the song "Quotidian Beasts" by Phosphorescent. Give it a listen!
2) Don't rub your knuckles against your sternum. It may be harmless, but it is extremely painful. The medical purpose is to test for unconsciousness, but its usefulness is disputed. I'm not a medical professional, so I don't know either way. Consider this to be a disclaimer.
3) Next up, Felicity and Ben get into another row, and Mrs. Merriman suspects something may be up. There will probably be other things that happen too.
