Peggy appeared in the sewing room late one night, sitting down across from Grace. "There is something I must tell you, before you hear any rumors about it among the staff. Grace, you know you are one of the people I trust the most, and I owe you an explanation first and foremost. Benedict and I are moving to York City, since he cannot commute to West Point every day from here. He's become the commander there, and we are to be married shortly. Now Benedict has plenty of servants lined up in York City -"

"I see, it's time for me to pack my things. My time here is coming to an end, isn't it?"

"You may accompany us if you wish," Peggy proposed. "I will talk to Benedict if you wish."

Grace shook her head, setting her sewing in her lap. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I would love to accompany you to York City, but I think it is about time that I join my fiance in camp."

Peggy nodded understandingly. "I completely agree. Follow the man you love. Even if I cannot, someone should be living the life that they deserve. I will let Benedict know. There are still a few weeks until we leave, but I thought it best to inform you now. You will, of course, have to pack up your things beforehand."

"Of course," Grace agreed, continuing her work. As she reached for another spool of thread, she continued, saying, "I do not have a lot in the way of material things to pack up, but I will make sure that everything is in order before I leave, to help make the move to York City easier on you and the general."

"You are welcome to come to the wedding," Peggy added, standing once again. "I would like it if you were there, actually. Bring your rebel officer with you, if you wish."

"Thank you," Grace smiled, thinking that she would have to write to Ben that night. Truly, she would love to go to the wedding, since she and Peggy had been friends through so much, confessing things to each other that they had confessed to no one else. It wasn't too likely that Ben would be able to make it, but she had no idea where he was half of the time, and he could surprise her. "I will let him know. If you have any other letters to send, please have them set on the table in the front hall. I will leave for the post office first thing in the morning."

Peggy left her to think, Grace finishing up fixing one of Arnold's coats before dashing off a letter to Ben. She would send it in the morning with the rest of the post, hoping that Ben would write back quickly. No matter what, she would show up in camp, even if it took a long time to get there. It was that she either go back to Setauket or head to the Continental camp, which left her with a simple choice - heading back to the town that Simcoe now ruled with impunity or go to camp with Ben.

It was only a few weeks later that Peggy and Arnold were married in their home. Grace had packed her things and would be leaving that night. For his part, Ben had promised her a place to stay as long as she could help with some of the work that camp life involved. She would have her choice of helping with laundry and mending, being a part of the cooking staff, or working in the medical tents. Or hopping between them, which Grace was thinking would be the best option. Ben had arranged to pick her up himself that evening, and they would ride for camp immediately. But there was a long day ahead of her, Grace getting ready early in order to help Peggy prepare to become the new Mrs. Arnold. People were rushing in and out of the house, trying to get everything ready. Some of the servants had stayed up all night to make sure the place was spotless. Grace had gotten an hour or two of sleep and a nap during the early morning, but had been hard at work making sure she had all of her things packed and that Peggy would be ready on time.

She had just delivered Peggy to her father when there was another knock on the door. She had been letting people in all morning, whether it was the flower delivery boy or guests arriving early from out of town. This time, however, it was a Continental officer, dressed in his formal wear in honor of a fellow officer's wedding. He bowed formally to Grace, kissing her hand before leaning in to tell her, "You look beautiful."

Grace smiled, giving him a hug. "I wasn't expecting you until later!"

"Well, I had some time on my hands and thought I would set out early. I have to find General Arnold and pass on Washington's regards, but after that, I am yours," he told her, taking her hand and following Grace down the hall and into the house. She pointed out their seats before dropping him off with General Arnold and rushing to tell a few people that they would be starting soon.

Ben held her hand during the wedding, pulling her out on the dance floor as soon as Peggy and Arnold had led the first dance and other people had begun heading out on the floor. He wasn't much of a dancer himself, but he knew Grace liked dancing, and happily obliged, glad to see her genuinely smiling and laughing. Besides, it gave him a chance to think about something other than the war, the constant danger he was in, and the pressure that had been put on his shoulders to keep his friends safe and deliver information as soon as it was uncovered. He was glad to watch Grace happily dancing with him and a few others, her cheeks turning pink from the warmth of the firelight and the dance floor and a few strands of her hair out of place from all of the whirling around she had been doing. As he leaned against the wall, taking a break while she danced with General Arnold, Ben smiled to himself. Yes, he had decided, this was definitely the woman he wanted to marry. She was beautiful, and she was brilliant, and she was loyal to a fault. If anything, too loyal, defending him even when he made mistakes. Yes, she could be a bit blunt when telling people what she stood for, and incredibly stubborn, but he could work with that. At the end of the day, she made him smile, and he wanted to be near her.

It was Christmas Eve, snow blanketing the ground, when Ben sat in the first row of pews in his father's church. He had just applied to Yale, and was hoping he would get in for the fall term the next year. There would be a bit of a wait, but he was okay with that, largely because he and Grace had grown much closer. Sure, he had his job at the local school, but he lived to see her passing by on her way to work at Strong Tavern and for the evenings that they would spend together. He wanted to ask her to marry him, and had been talking to her father about it, but the time wasn't quite right - it just hadn't been the perfect time quite yet. He had liked her for years, and as their group grew up together, it had developed into more than a close friendship.

Sitting in church, he was hardly listening to his father, instead staring a bit above his right shoulder, thinking. Tonight. It would be tonight. He would offer to walk her home, since her mother was mildly ill and had only come for the morning service, leaving Grace to go to the Christmas Eve service with Anna and Selah Strong. He would offer to walk her home, and he would propose. He nodded to himself, lost in thought until his father coughed, gesturing for him to get up and collect the Christmas Eve offering. Ben got up, Abe heading down one side of the pews as he took the other. Grace was sitting at the end of a row, her hand brushing against his as she handed the offering plate over. She hesitated for a second, her hand lingering on his for just a second longer than normal as they met each other's eyes. He gave her a half smile as he moved on, Grace smiling to herself as Anna leaned over to whisper in her ear.

Everything had worked so far after the service, Ben offering to walk Grace home as his father stayed behind to talk and pray with people in need before locking up the church. They were quiet for a while, walking in the snow, but when they approached the river, Ben stopped her, saying, "Grace, I should best give you your present now, since tomorrow will be incredibly busy for my father and I. He… he wants to visit Samuel and our mother before the service."

"I understand," she nodded, thinking of how he would be spending Christmas without half of his family. "If you'd like, I could come and visit them with you." She had been there for both funerals, standing beside him at his mother's, when they were all 14, and holding his hand through his brother's funeral, a lot more recently.

"That would be nice. Mother always liked you, and Samuel, well, Samuel saw you as part of the family almost as soon as you two met," Ben thought back. "But I really ought to give you your present now."

"Well, go on," she laughed, her breath visible in the icy air.

"It isn't much of a physical present," he began, "since I cannot afford the symbols quite yet, and I'm going to have to save for Yale, if I make it there."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean, it… the physical symbols are not what I am giving you - offering you, since it is up to you to accept. But one day, when I can afford them," he shrugged, continuing with a nervous laugh. "You know, I talked to my father about this, and everything he told me… none of it prepares you adequately. What I am trying to say is, well, Grace, we're quite close, and I am extremely fond of you, as I know you are of me. It has been time enough that… I've been talking to your father, and to my father, and they agreed that they would support my decision and give their assent, so I have nothing in my way to asking…" He paused, taking a flower out of his coat pocket as he dropped to one knee. "I cannot afford rings yet, but none of that matters, because no matter how poor I am, I love you. Grace, will you marry me?"

"Yes," she beamed, sinking down to hug him without hesitation. "Yes, of course I will. I would be delighted - no, beyond delighted to be your wife. Merry Christmas, Ben."

He was shaken back to the present when Grace came over, leaning onto the wall and turning to him. "I'm thoroughly exhausted," she laughed. "General Arnold's made it a challenge to dance with every woman here, since almost every man wants to dance with Peggy."

"Well, to be completely honest, I would much rather just dance with you," he told her, keeping his voice low. He glanced over to Peggy, adding, "They say she's the most beautiful woman in all of the colonies, but I'm sure whoever they are, they've never seen you."

"As long as they aren't you, let them think that," Grace quipped. "Do you want more wine? They've got far too much for a party like this."

It was getting late when they stopped talking to other guests, drinking and dancing, and decided to head out. Grace went to say her goodbyes while Ben readied the horse, tying her bags to the saddle and making sure everything was secure. They started out for the Continental camp as soon as Grace finished saying goodbye, reaching the small city of tents a little after midnight.

As Ben tied up the horse and had a word with one of the guards on duty, Grace changed into her nightdress, piling blankets onto the bed. It would be another freezing night, but they had gotten used to them. Ben returned a little while later, hanging up his coat and joining her. "Do you remember the night I first proposed to you?" he asked as he wound an arm around her, Grace throwing blankets over both of them.

"I do." Grace turned to look at him, saying, "Truth be told, I had had my suspicions for some time. I saw you leaving our house one night when my father was in town. His ship had docked that afternoon, and you were talking to him that night. I saw you leaving while I was getting ready for bed. I thought it would be Christmas morning, but that night, in church, I knew. I just knew, and I had confirmed it when you offered to walk me home. But I was more than ready to say yes then, and I am more than ready to say yes on our wedding day."

Ben kissed the top of her head, confessing, "I wish we could be married sooner. I see no reason why not tomorrow, or the day after, but I would prefer to be married in a free country, on free soil, on the day our country first declared independence."

Taking a moment to think, Grace came up with an idea. "We could have a ceremony, a small one, just saying that we promise to live as a married couple and uphold the duties of a married couple, but then have the actual wedding ceremony and the party on the 4th of July, in whatever year this war ends. We could sign all of the documents, and all we would need is a chaplain to be there for it. The actual ceremony can wait. I must confess, I've been thinking of this, just in case something should happen… a betrothal ceremony, but we could have someone stand in for my father. I would like, beyond anything, to be Mrs. Tallmadge. Even if it isn't quite official. Officially betrothed, with more than just our word to each other."

"In the morning. Pick out your best dress when you wake up, and I'll find the chaplain and someone to stand as your father," he promised.

"Really?"

"Really."

It was the middle of the morning when Grace and Ben stood in front of the chaplain, Colonel Hamilton sitting nearby and drawing up the official documents while they waited. Ben had talked to them earlier, and they all had agreed. It wouldn't be normal, but in the middle of a war, no one knew who would live or die, and they wanted to ensure some things as quickly as possible. "Where is he? You said you'd found someone to sign as my father. An officer at that," Grace asked, looking to Ben. "He should be here by now."

"He should be here soon, I'm sure of it. This officer is a busy man."

They all turned as the chaplain's tent opened, General Washington striding in. "I apologize for being late. There was an urgent dispatch that needed answering, which arrived as I was on my way out here. Grace, you look wonderful. Major Tallmadge, you have done exceedingly well for yourself. Out of everything you have hunted down for our cause, she may be your best discovery."