Chapter Fourteen: See Her Again
I did not have the heart to part from her without the aching desire to stay. But I had to go now or I should never leave. Taking her hand in mine, I brought it to my lips and kissed it tenderly.
"Goodnight, Miss Allen." It pained me say those words. Kate. I said in my head. I could see the glimpse of sadness in her eyes, but she understood I think.
"Goodnight, Major Tallmadge." She spoke softly and ended with a closed smile. It's Benjamin. I wanted to say, but her father was sitting close by in the parlor and no doubt eavesdropping on the few words that passed between us. I replied with a short smile from the corner of my mouth before bowing once more and taking my leave.
Once outside of the house I saw Lafayette and Caleb were mounted and waiting rather impatiently for me to come out. I inhaled deeply the murky Pennsylvania country air and exhaled the pit in my stomach. I looked back to see if Katherine was standing there, but the door had already been shut behind me.
"Oi, lover-boy you comin'?" OI heard Caleb call from the darkness. I rolled my eyes at his comment before descending the porch steps. Mr. Allen's footman brought around my grey stallion and I mounted. "So, what were you two talkin' about?" Brewster asked looking over at me, a cheeky grin barely visible on his bearded face. I didn't answer him. I kicked my horse forward, back to camp.
As the three of us made our way back to camp. From the corner of my eye I could see them following behind me. They spurred their horses to move faster and caught up with me. "Ah come on Tall-boy, there aint't a need to be so secretive about it." Lafayette seemed rather confused about it all. Brewster was more than happy to inform him at my expense. "Oh, that's right you don't know nothing about it, Mr. de Markey." Brewster leant over to Lafayette's side. "You see, our beloved Major Tallmadge here has a sort of, affection, for the eldest Miss Allen." Brewster infernal teasing has been nothing but a pain in my arse since the moment he figured it out. The Marquis' only response was an expression of comprehension, he then grimaced.
"What?" I asked him irritated by his reaction. He stayed quiet, whatever it was he took no pleasure in say it to my face. I pulled my mount around and halted in front of them forcing them to stop as well. "What is it?" I asked him again this time more sternly.
"Il est vrai que la jeune femme est belle." He paused to collect his thoughts. "Cependant, elle parle trop pour son propre bien.1 I was able to understand what the Marquis was saying, with what French I knew. It is true that Katherine expresses her opinions passionately and without hesitation. She is unorthodox in many ways that is certain. Most people would say that a well brought up young woman should not be so vocal about their thoughts.
"Perhaps you felt attacked by what she was saying? I, however, am not threatened by the opinions of a well-educated woman." Once the Marquis grasped my meaning I turned my horse back on the path back to camp. It's not that I dislike the gentleman, he has admirable qualities. General Washington certainly thinks so. Lafayette is a good military commander and his is a loyal volunteer to our cause, of that there is no doubt. He just has this arrogant air about him that rubs me the wrong way.
When we reached the fork in the road that led to the main headquarters, Brewster and I parted ways with the Marquis. He went on his way back to his quarters at the Whitemarsh Estate. We rode into camp silently. The men were huddled within their tents or around the fire pits they built. We dismounted once we reached our lodgings.
"You know he really wasn't wrong. Th' lass does talk a lot. " Brewster spoke as he tied his horse's reigns to the post. I couldn't really disagree with him. I dismounted and led my mount to the posts. Miss Allen, Katherine is not an incongruity in the realm of upper class. There are many well to do young ladies with the same opportunity to a great education. She has just gone beyond the standard, and sought out a classical education for herself. That is something to admire, not scorn. She is the perfect embodiment of the argument Nathan and I made back at school. There is a captivating passion about her that is unadulterated and constant. A fire burns within her that has attracted me with its brilliance.
"You know what they say Benny boy. It is an arduous task to tame a shrew." His words provoked me. My brow furled and my eyes looked back at him in irritation. I had had enough of his infernal teasing which he has done nothing but since the first day we had dinner at the Allen house.
"She, is not a shrew, and you should not insult her." I said angered by his insult towards Katherine. I left him outside as I pushed inside my tent. He followed closely behind.
"Oh relax Ben, I was just screwin' with ya. She quite the fiery one, with one hell of swing. Plus, she's quite easy on the eyes. If I know anything at all I know this much," He paused, and I turned looking back at him waiting for him to continue, "I know saw the way you to look at each other and that tells me she feels the same way about you my friend." His cheeky smile and somewhat of an apology smoothed down the ruffled feathers. I replied with a smirk. Brewster yawned loudly. "Well, I'm going to bed before there's any more excitement. See ya in the morning Tall-boy."
"Goodnight, Caleb." I said as he left the tent. I pulled of my jacket and hooked it on the back of my desk chair. Unfastening my scabbard belt, I hanged it on the same chair. I partially unbuttoned my waistcoat and rolled up my shirt sleeves before laying down in my cot. The past few days have been an exhausting series of patrols along the Schuylkill River. I huffed a sigh as I sat up again. I bent over resting one arm on my knee and with the other I rubbed the back of my stiff neck. The frustration within me had been building for weeks. There has been no word from Abe for over a month. I wanted to know what the hell was happening in Setauket. I'm the bloody head of intelligence I should know what's going on. I had to stop myself from getting even my anxious. Tonight's meal was an escape from all of that.
I laid back down in an effort to get some sleep. When I closed my eyes again, I thought back to the moment Katherine came down the stairs. She has enraptured me, not just with her beauty and charm, but with her mind and soul. It has been said that too much passion creates wildness. It was this wildness that I found so intriguing. The way she had spoken so passionately tonight about her opinions made me admire her even more than I had before.
I could see her as clearly as if she were standing in front of me: her soft dark brown curls, the softness of her skin, the curve of her face, the length of her eyelashes, the shape of her lips, the blushing of her cheeks. I could see her dark chestnut eyes shimmer like jewels against the candle light. I could smell the perfume that lingered in the air as I kissed her hand. How can one know so much about a person without hardly saying a word? How can one feel this way about someone, but barely know them for more than a week?
Before I knew it I was being awoken by a commotion coming from outside of my tent. Suddenly an unrecognized corporal came into the tent.
"Major Tallmadge, Sir." He said saluting. He couldn't be no older than eighteen.
"At ease Corporal. What's going on?" I said as I sat up. Still drowsy, I had no idea what the time was or how long I had been asleep.
"Orders from General Washington, the men are to march to Germantown. The British are forming for an attack." As he spoke I stood up quickly reaching for my jacket sliding it back on. I hastily buttoning my waistcoat.
"Thank you Corporal." I acknowledged before he left me. I was not estranged to the battlefield, and I was fully aware of the dangers that the men and I were facing. There was always the risk of injury or death. Before I had always went head on into the fray, for the glory of victory. There was something different now. A sort of pit into my chest, and a sudden sense of regret. What if I died tomorrow? I would never see her again. I could never tell her how I felt about her. What do I feel? Was this what love felt like? It is all so very strange. I had never experienced this before. There were many young ladies in New Haven, but I had been so focused on my studies that I never really thought about them. I cared for Katherine in a way that I hadn't fully understood yet. I knew I had to see her again. Suddenly, I thought of a way. I quickly grabbed my quill, ink, and paper, and I began to write.
1 Trans: It is true that the young lady is comely. However, she speaks too much for her own good.