Disclaimer: I do not own American Girl or any of the American Girl Characters and stories.
A/N Hello everyone! Here is a slightly longer chapter than usual; I hope you enjoy.
Night had fallen in Williamsburg. An exhausted Mr. Merriman sat at the dining room table, his head in his hands. She was still missing. Lissie had still not returned. When she did not turned up for breakfast, nobody had thought anything of it. Felicity often used the early mornings to care for the horses or to go on long walks through the town, so everyone went on with their day.
It wasn't until the midday meal when Nan worriedly asked her mother about Felicity. Mrs. Merriman had immediately called throughout the house, and, when receiving no answer, collected her children and visited Mr. Merriman's store with the hopes that their search would end there.
But Felicity could not be found there or at the Cole's or in the Merriman's stables. Mr. Merriman rode for hours all over town searching, only giving up when the sun set. After a stop at the local newspaper office to place a missing persons ad, he returned home to a somber house.
Now that he had time to think and reflect on the day's happenings, Mr. Merriman began to worry more and more about his eldest daughter. She must had left very early, for nobody heard her depart. Yes, she left on her own, Mr. Merriman firmly told himself. He couldn't bear the thought that Felicity could have been taken against her will while she was on a walk. It was just too terrible.
Mr. Merriman was startled by a light touch on his shoulder. His wife sat down in the dining chair next to him, a sad, meant to be reassuring smile on her tired face.
"They're finally all asleep," she said softly. "Nan especially is so upset. It is so unlike Felicity to do such a deed. I do believe she will return soon."
Mr. Merriman sighed. "I hope that is what will come to pass, dear. Thinking of her out there somewhere, alone, makes me very, very afraid."
Mrs. Merriman nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek.
Elizabeth Cole fidgeted all throughout tea. She was seated on a frilly chair on the sunny porch in her friend Susanna's large home in the outskirts of Williamsburg. Susanna and her other sophisticated English friends were chattering spiritedly about the newest this and the newest that while they nibbled on biscuits and cakes. Elizabeth's best friend had been missing since yesterday, and all they cared about was the season's most glamorous hats.
"Elizabeth!" Susanna gushed. "Do tell us where you bought your slippers. Is that real silk?"
"Yes…" Elizabeth replied absentmindedly. "I got them at the new shop on Main Street while shopping with Felicity…"
She frowned. Thinking of Felicity made her want to fling her napkin away and start searching for her friend. Ever since the Merrimans had stopped by the Cole's house the other day to tell her family the news of Felicity's disappearance, Elizabeth had been worried sick. But now she had a hunch about where Felicity might be.
It all started when Elizabeth first arrived at Susanna's house. To her friends' credit, they almost immediately noticed the change in her spirit. They inquired about the reason for Elizabeth's worry, and Elizabeth retold yesterday's events.
Julia, who had a reputation of being a hopeless romantic, had immediately exclaimed, "Oh, it's obvious, isn't it? Felicity has run after a boy. Young ladies never just run away for no reason. There's always a boy involved."
Elizabeth had dismissed the idea as silly and too impulsive of a thing for even Felicity to do, but now that she gave it some thought, she decided that the theory wasn't as impossible as she first imagined. Hadn't Felicity talked with Ben the night before she left? Felicity had been sweet on Ben for as long as Elizabeth could remember. But running away with him, without even saying something to her best friend? That was definitely unlike Felicity. Anyway, Elizabeth knew that Ben had just left to join the patriot army, a long time dream of his.
Not being able to stand the tea atmosphere any longer, Elizabeth politely excused herself and left the porch. She walked slowly back to the street and made a left turn onto it, not really in a hurry to get home. The wind had picked up since earlier, but the air was still a pleasant temperature.
Just as Elizabeth was reaching up to adjust her hat, a particularly strong gust whipped it off her head. Making an annoyed sigh, Elizabeth turned around and broke into a slightly unladylike jog. She caught up to her hat quickly and snatched it up before it could fly any farther.
As she straightened up, a flash of white caught her eye. It was a sheet of paper, tumbling through the air even faster than her hat had been. With reflexes that would have made Felicity cheer, Elizabeth caught the paper before it blew by. She looked at it curiously.
It said "Freedom Gazette" at the top. Elizabeth recognized it as one of the fliers that local patriots secretly handed out. Usually they stayed out of the general public's sight, so it was the first time Elizabeth had seen one up close. She scanned the flier.
"Patriots far and wide to gather in Yorktown: Join the fight for freedom!" the headline shouted. Uninterested, but figuring Felicity would be like to read it when she returned, Elizabeth started to tuck the paper in her pocket. She froze when she saw the date on the top right corner. The gathering must have been yesterday morning…
Felicity gone… Ben gone…
Suddenly, everything made sense.
A/N Thank you very much for reading! Reviews inspire me to keep writing, so I'd love for you to leave one if you have a minute.