This chapter is Tabitha's view of By Land or By Sea's Chapter 5. If you haven't read that yet, I suggest you do so! This chapter will not make much sense otherwise.


Tabitha had lost sight of the shore mere minutes after the small boat had launched into the sound. Occasionally, she could make out the dim outline of a conifer in the distance, but nothing more in the dark. As the hours passed, she knew a lantern would be pointless, but wished for one all the same. Ben seemed more than confident in Caleb's skill with a boat, however, so she gradually forced herself to relax, allowing her fingertips to skim the surface of the water as the two men adjusted the sail for the umpteenth time.

"I got it, Tall-boy," Caleb was saying. "Just leave the work to the master, eh?"

Though the dark made the act of rolling his eyes useless, the annoyance was still clear in Ben's voice. "Well, if the Master didn't continuously complain about having to do all the work himself…"

"With you fumbling about here, I might as well be," Caleb replied. "There, got it. See how easy that was?"

Ben snorted. "I'll remember this the next time you complain, Caleb."

"You do that." The breeze had picked up slightly, and Tabitha shrugged her coat a bit higher on her shoulders, flipping the collar to shield her neck from the chill. "Not cold, are ya, Tabby-cat?" Caleb asked with a smirk, and Tabitha frowned.

"I'm not overly fond of boats," she admitted stiffly. "Why must your contacts be on an island?"

Caleb sounded far too amused for Tabitha's liking. "You get seasick?"

"Just keep your eyes on the moon," Ben offered helpfully, and Tabitha glanced skywards.

The moon was mostly shadow, but bright enough to leave an afterglow as she glanced back toward the captain. "What is it you want me to look for in Miss Adams?" she asked. "You said outright that you don't trust me-"

"-and I don't."

"Nor should you," Tabitha continued. "Why, then, would you want my opinion of your newest agent?"

Ben shrugged, and rested his arm on the side of the boat. "You harbor an... inherently nasty hatred of the British," he said slowly. "And that means if you find a glaring flaw in Miss Adams, you will say so. Because remaining silent only helps the enemy."

"Why not Lieutenant Brewster, then?" she countered.

"I'm not implying that Caleb doesn't know how to choose an agent," Ben said. "Only that neither of us are quite as well versed in the subtleties of women."

Caleb laughed at Ben's words. "Subtleties're probably the only aspect of a woman that I don't care to be 'versed' in," he cackled.

"How well d'ya swim, Lieutenant Brewster?" Tabitha asked sharply, voice unconsciously thickening in a heavier lilt. "Because I believe ya may have need t'do so in the near future."

"That a threat?" Caleb replied, grin widening. "Bet I pull you in with me if you try."

"Keep talkin', ya gobshite, and we'll find out."

Ben slapped a hand to his face, rubbing his eyes briefly before getting to his feet. "Will you two keep your voices down? I can see the dock already."

With a muffled curse, Caleb got to his feet and reached to the halyard, and Tabitha once again fixed her eyes on the moon as the boat began to rock. In her peripheral vision, she saw the mainsail fluttering as it was lowered down the mast. The boat gave an almighty lurch as he grasped the rudder, and she let out a low groan as Ben staggered to his feet as well.

"Would ya sit down, Benny-boy?" Caleb said, exasperated. "You're the only person I know who insists on standing in a boat while it's still sailin'! Ya shite!"

"There's no call for that kind of language, Caleb, we're to be in mixed compan—"

"Sit down, you're tipping me in!" Tabitha all but shrieked, knuckles white as she clutched the mast.

"Daft bastard!" There was another lurch, and Ben grasped the rigging for a semblance of balance. "Don't pull the—"

"Well stop swaying, then!"

Tabitha groaned as the boat slammed into the dock with a crunch, and she silently prayed that if the boat was indeed sinking, Ben would go down with it.

"Abe!" Caleb called, and Tabitha briefly wondered how they hadn't been surrounded by Redcoats. "Help me tie the boat, will ya?"

A man—Abe, she assumed—grabbed the sodden rope Caleb had tossed onto the planks above them as Ben fumbled for the ladder.

"Benny boy, I swear if you don't get your arse up that ladder," Caleb began threateningly.

"You're moving too much! Caleb, I thought you were a proper boatman!" Tabitha bit her lip to stifle a giggle as the two continued to bicker. There were more footsteps on the deck above them, and a hand was extended slightly over the edge of the planks.

Though she couldn't see much farther past her companions, and though she hadn't an inkling of an idea as to what Abraham Woodhull or Charlotte Adams looked like, the small, oval-shaped fingertips glowing in the moonlight were certainly not those of a farmer—or of any man Tabitha had ever met. Ben clearly hadn't noticed this, however, as he grasped the hand rather unceremoniously and hauled himself onto the deck, attention still half-focused on a half-arsed insult about Caleb's nautical skills.

He promptly fell silent, however, and Tabitha smirked as she realized Ben must have discovered his mistake. Abe seemed to have noticed as well, as his voice broke the echoing silence. "Captain Benjamin Tallmadge, may I present my cousin, Miss Charlotte Cornelia Adams."

There might have been a whisper, but it was quickly followed by the scuff of boots on the planks, and Ben Tallmadge's voice was all charm. "Miss Adams," he said.

"Captain," a musical voice responded, and Tabitha rolled her eyes, wondering briefly if her impression of the (clearly lovely) Miss Adams would be needed after all.

Caleb, meanwhile, had had more than enough of clinging to the ladder. "If you move your college boy arse, we can all stand on the dock," he snapped.

Tabitha made a mental note to share the next brace of cottontails she came by with the boatman. Provided he didn't irritate her again.

There was a light giggle from above them, and Caleb hoisted himself onto the dock as Ben began to profusely apologize on their behalf. "Especially this one," he concluded, as Caleb dug an apple from the depths of his coat pockets.

"Caleb? Oh, he's all right," Charlotte replied warmly, and Tabitha peered over the deck just in time to see Ben shoot him a glare.

As she rose to her feet, she became aware of not one, but two sets of eyes fixed on her, both with various degrees of curiosity. Abe truly did deserve Caleb's description of a 'flighty fellow'. The man made so many small, jerky movements out of sheer nervousness that Tabitha began to feel seasick again. Clearly Caleb hadn't mentioned there would be a third member in their party.

Charlotte, however…

"This is, uh, Second Lieutenant Aaron McKenna," Ben said hesitantly, and Tabitha bowed as she had seen Aaron do numerous times before. Charlotte lowered herself in a gentle pool of silk and grace, and Tabitha briefly allowed her eyes to absorb as many details as possible. The finery, the poise, and the general air about her clearly marked her as a lady of high social standing. Or, at least, a higher standing than Tabitha was accustomed to. But there was definitely something else there.

She glanced away as Charlotte straightened, and Abe extended an arm to Tabitha. Without hesitation, she accepted it, and nodded at the man's muttered greeting. For the quickest second, her eyes locked with his, and she saw the faintest hint of a challenge reflected back at her. Not a total coward, then, she realized. A nervous wreck, certainly, but with more substance than Caleb seemed to give him credit for.

Ben wasted no time in striking up conversation with Charlotte—relevant conversation, to his credit—asking about everything from her home to her family to social circles. Tabitha did not once look away from the other woman, eyes fixed firmly on her porcelain face. There was an eagerness in her posture, and whether or not that had anything to do with Ben's over-the-top charm was debatable. Her words were clear, prim and precise—a well-spoken lady to be sure.

"Unfortunately, I have no experience with poisons," she was saying, and Tabitha's brow furrowed.

Ben and Caleb laughed, and Tabitha took the cover of their voices as an opportunity to mutter a brief, "An bhfuil sí dáiríre?" out the corner of her mouth. Caleb shot her a look and shook his head, and she fell silent once again.

"Well," Ben continued, "I certainly wouldn't want to put a lady in jeopardy, but it seems you've established a possible method for leaving letters and meeting agents as information arises that seems quite sound."

Tabitha was rapt with attention. Ben and Caleb hadn't mentioned anything about communication to her, and upon reflection, had probably never intended to.

"The bell and the anchor are inside that box. I would hang the bell if a message were in that tree with the very large vacant cavern, and the anchor if I want to meet."

Abraham seemed quite a bit less impressed with this strategy as he said for what was probably the hundredth time, "I would like to avoid meetings in favor of drops if possible, in Charlotte's case."

Tabitha felt a brief twinge of anger. Charlotte seemed more than capable of speaking on her own behalf; who did Abraham Woodhull think he was?

"We of course wouldn't want to…offend or anger your intended by placing you in any danger," Ben said, and Tabitha was snapped out of her momentary reverie.

"Mo dhia," she groaned under her breath, and this time, Caleb caught her eye with a smirk, which she returned begrudgingly.

Charlotte seemed just as thrown by this statement as the rest of the group, and Ben's over-eager reply of "You don't have an intended?" sorely tried Tabitha's determination not to laugh.

She clearly wasn't the only one, as the silence was repeatedly almost broken by Caleb's equally assiduous efforts to keep quiet. Charlotte was explaining her detailed and clearly meticulously thought-out plan for their lines of communication, and the more she spoke, the more effort Ben had to exert on hearing her words and not simply the sound of her voice.

Tabitha gave Caleb a discreet nudge, nodding towards the hills in the distance. Caleb seemed to get the message, as did Ben when Caleb clapped a hand rather unceremoniously on the captain's shoulder.

"Miss Adams," Ben said gently, stepping closer to Charlotte in a way reminiscent to Tabitha of Father Michael approaching a new horse. "It's been my….pleasure, to meet you. You are a welcome addition to our efforts. We would, if you wouldn't mind, like to speak with Abraham in private."

Charlotte's curtsey was, as expected, elegant and graceful. "It's been my pleasure to meet you both," she said; more to Ben, it seemed, but Tabitha nodded politely nonetheless.

"Do take care of yourself," Ben called, and Tabitha's hand flew to her forehead in exasperation.

Charlotte's melodious reply of "Yes, Captain," seemed to echo momentarily, and Ben looked somewhat dazed as she hurried up the hill.

"How she moves in that number of skirts…" Tabitha began, but trailed off as she noticed Ben's eyes fixed on the moonlit figure at the crest of the hill, skirts billowing about her in a way that seemed erethral in its own right. She didn't make a second attempt.

"Caleb didn't mention you'd be joining us tonight, Mr. McKenna" Abe said, turning his attention to Tabitha.

"Likely 'cause he didn' know either," she replied allowing her accent to slip slightly as her voice deepened. "I have a… ah, a particular skill set I am honored ta utilize fer Capt'n Tallmadge."

"And what skill set would that be?" Abe asked, voice layered with suspicion that clearly came as natural to him as breathing.

Tabitha just smiled, and her smile was full of teeth. "I would be a terrible spy if I spilled all me secrets t'ya on our firs' meetin, Mr. Woodhull," she said simply. "Canna go havin' one man with all the keys, now can we?"

Abe exchanged glances with Caleb, who shrugged. "Real piece of work, isn' he?" Caleb said. "But he's a sharp little shite, and pretty useful in a tight spot."

"And he knows less about you than you do about him," Ben added finally, and Tabitha cocked her head in surprise. "Apart from your name, he knows nothing pertaining to you, or our arrangement. And for the time being, it will stay that way."

For a moment, Abe looked ready to argue. To yell, to say something, but instead he nodded, and all he said was a muttered, "Can't have one man with all the keys."


Google!Translation of Tabby's gratuitous Gaelic:
An bhfuil sí dáiríre?...Is she serious?
Mo dhia...Oh my god.