Chapter 37 – Gabriel's News

I had watched the sun set over the wet swamp, casting eerie shadows over the calm water. I knew what had to be done that night, and was surprised that my farther had agreed to let me participate in the way that I was going to. I would be joining Gabriel, John, the reverend and the major in helping to gather my brothers and sisters from Charlotte's plantation. I knew that it was only a matter of time before Cornwallis found out where the "Ghost" would hide his younger children. I just hoped that they would hang on one more night, so that we could move them without incident. So that when the British came upon the house, it would be empty.

Dressed in the red coat of the British was oddly familiar. There was something almost comforting in wearing it around my tired shoulders. I knew that that coat would keep me warm on the coldest nights and I knew that it took forever to dry when the time came for me to wash it. I was sat on the leaf strewn ground. Near where I had slept the previous night. To my left was the fire that was burning brightly and almost burning the one side of my face. If I had learnt anything over the past few months, it was not to complain when there was a fire in the night. For without it I knew how cold it could get.

I looked to my right and could see the greying head of my father as he consulted his maps for the last time that night. The French major was at his side, again in his pale blue coat, looking anxious. Come to think of it, all that men were looking anxious. I didn't know if this was their almost routine? All sitting in silence before moving out, deep in though and worrying about everything that could potentially go wrong that night. Sure it was a heavy burden if it did go wrong, there was so much at stake. I could see that all the bedraggled militia men adored my father, almost as though he was a close family member to them. When they spent so much time together in the conditions that they were in, it was easy to see how these men all became each others family.

Or maybe it was that all the men had their own families to worry about that night, and that by moving one family, only brought them one step closer to moving their own to safety. That was all tonight's efforts were... a means to an end.

The hard, cold blade of the knife I had only acquired the previous night was pressing sharply into my calf. Reminding me of its presence. If I had been told a year ago that I would be where I was sitting today, with a knife and the intention to use it, I would not have believed it. Did I really believe that when the time came that I would be able to end a mans life? Would I really be able to turn into the kind of monster that could do it? I really didn't know. When I sat and thought about my reasons for wanting a knife, I could feel the anger begin to pulse through me, filling every little corner of my being. When I was in that frame of mind, it wasn't hard to imagine doing the deed.

"Lucy? Are you alright?" My brother Gabriel asked, cutting through my train of thought. I looked up to see his face anxious also. I was so consumed in my plotting that I hadn't even seen him walk up to me.

"Yes." I replied curtly. I wanted to go tonight, and what was more was that I wanted to be in the party that got the family. I'd be able to touch them with my own hands, knowing that they were safe. And that I was doing everything in my power to keep them so. No fear, was I going to be a helpless girl who needed someone to fight my battles any more.



"I really don't think it's a good idea you coming tonight Lucy", Gabriel said, sitting down next to me with an awkward slump. "I think it would be much safer for you to stay here for the night and then make your way to the beach when we return"

"No." I said just as assertively as before. "I will be in that party, Gabe. And what's more is that if I go to the beach, it will be to see our families safe and then I will return here with you and father."

"What?" Gabriel said with a horrified look, he looked as though I had just spat on him! "There's no way you can stay here Lucy."

"And why not?" I asked him. He again looked stunned that I had grown this much confidence. Not waiting for him to answer, "I have just as much right to be here as you do. I've already been through all of this with father..."

"What? And he's okay with that is he?" My brother said looking me straight in the eye. He knew that there was no way our father would just let me stay with the Militia.

"Well he hasn't said either way." I suddenly looked away sheepishly. I knew when I was beaten. "I know its not going to be safe, but being at the British camp wasn't safe either. "

I let out a deep breath. I could see my breath mist in the chilling dark that was beginning to swamp us, covering South Carolina in a blanket of night. "All I need is a gun, and you know I'll be okay."

"A gun?" Gabriel whispered to me. He obviously didn't want our father to hear us. "Lucy I really don't think..."

"Oh Gabriel!" I was loosing patients with him. "You know I'm a good shot! The amount of times me, you and Thomas went shooting. Why are you so against it?"

"Because it's a gun..." he said. He really didn't seem comfortable having this conversation. "Its bad enough I got you that knife. I really don't know what you think you're going to need a gun for."

"You have one!" I stated. "Actually you have more than one, if you count you pistol and your rifle, and you spare pistol! Now why do you need all those guns? What's really going to happen to you that warrant you carry a spare pistol?"

"No, no, no hang on" Gabriel began, "Your not having my spare pistol!" He started looking around frantically, looking for some sort of distraction.

"Why not?" I asked him. "You don't need it..."

"Have you heard the news about me and Anne Howard?" Gabriel blurted out, quickly turning to me and staring me straight in the eyes.

What ever it was he was trying to do, it worked. What gun? "No," I said, suddenly interested in every word coming out of his mouth.

"If I tell you," Gabriel began lowering his voice to a whisper so that no one but me could hear, "You must promise not to tell Father, or anyone else for that matter..."



"Oh my gosh I promise," I said quickly, excited to hear what it was he had to say.

Gabriel leaned in closer to me again. We were both now completely covered by darkness, but the burning fire highlighted his still boyish smile that appeared as he took a breath in.

"Anne has agreed to become my wife." You couldn't cover the cheshire cat grin that immediately took over his face. My hands were over my mouth before I knew it! I was so happy for my elder brother, and for my good friend Anne. I had always known that there was something between them, for years and years everyone could see that this was indeed how it would end; it was only the two of them who didn't.

"And Father doesn't know?" I asked, still smiling broadly.

"No," Said my brother, "The Reverend knows. He's agreed to marry us when we get the opportunity. But apart from him, no one but us."

"Okay," I muttered. I must make sure to keep that one quiet.

"What's going on here then?" Both Gabriel and I instantly looked up. Our father was standing over us, looking down at his laughing children. Seeing the expression on our faces, that could only be described as being caught with your hand in the cookie jar, my father himself laughed. "It's been too long since I've seen you laugh."

"Oh father," Gabriel began. He quickly looked over to me, and then back up to look at him, "You're getting sentimental in your old age!" And with that all three of us again laughed. He was right, it had been too long.

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The swamp was eerie as we trudged through it, knee deep in cold mud. The crickets played in a great orchestra as we passed their resting place for the night, disturbing the undergrowth as we went. I had gotten my way in the end, and Gabriel had surrendered his spare pistol to me. That now was placed in my belt. I really didn't know what tonight was going to bring, but I knew that I was only a short time away from seeing my family. With that in mind I pulled my feet a little more fiercely.

We had already split into our two groups. My father had lead the majority of the men on horseback away from the swamp, where as Gabriel, Jon Velenue, John Billings, the Reverand and myself found ourselves alone. We were nearly at the edge, of which took us close to Charlottes plantation; we would go through the slave quarters and retrieve them from the back of the house.

I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Maybe the men had it right earlier with their anxious faces... I just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

"Lucy!" My brother's voice boomed. I whipped my head around, trying to gage where the voice had come from in the dark.

"What?" I replied with urgency.

"Now please stay behind us." The concern in his voice was evident; he was only trying to protect me. I didn't answer him, I could see the trees begging to thin and the outline of a magnificent plantation 

was ahead of us. I had forgotten how beautiful Charlotte's home was, big white columns stretching up to the sky, and different plants snaking their way up the walls. It was everything a South Carolina plantation should be. The French major took a deep breath in of appreciation.

There were a few lights on, not many. It was obvious the children were sleeping. I saw the window to the room that my sisters and I used to share when we came here to visit. I wondered if that was now the room that housed Margaret and Susan. We were out of the mud now, and just coming to the edge of the trees, when suddenly there was a tight hold around my upper arm.

I was pulled forward by one of my party; nearly causing me to trip there was that much force. My better judgement told me to stay quiet, and not to question anything until we stopped.

I looked to the side of the house, and that was when I caught sight of them. A company of Dragoons, all mounted on their horses were riding down the drive way. Even though we were around the back of the house, we had to be carful that we weren't seen. They were advancing with urgency down the dusty drive. The horses kicked up a lot of dust as they galloped.

"How did them..." John Billings asked to no one in particular, surprise was clear in his shaky voice. A sudden flash of light caught my attention from one of the rooms upstairs. Too quick it was gone to be a lamp; they were awake in the house. The quick light appeared and then disappeared from the window next to it; someone was running around with a candle.

"What shall we do?" The Reverend asked, this time I heard fear in his whisper. The Dragoons were coming to a halt at the front of the house, there was easily 20 men dismounting their horses, and they were quiet... too quiet. It was then that I heard his voice, the voice that had haunted my dreams for weeks, his deathly silent whisper that commanded attention and unquestioning faith. Although quiet, it carried around the back of the house to where we were hiding, behind a bush.

"Search the house and barns..." All I had to do was peer around the bush and I would see him, "Bring me those children, I want them alive".

Hearing those words, panic rushed through me. There was no other choice, there was no way that I would allow for any of my brothers and sisters to be held captive within the British camp, they were too young. One last look towards the front of the house, and I could see the Dragoons slowly climbing the front steps and into the house. I looked at my brother and I saw the panic ignite in his eyes as he realised what I was about to do, as quickly as I could I turned and sprinted for the door into the kitchen.

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Samuel, rifle in hand was at the back of the party. Everyone in the house was up and now running as silently as they could through the house. They clambered down the servant's stair case and in to the dining room. The long room with the rectangular table in the middle seemed a dead end. There was no where to go, that he could see. The red coats were already in the house, he just hoped that there was enough time to get them out of the back of the house before they were discovered.



"This way..." Aunt Charlotte whispered. She moved forward, handed Susan to Margaret as she lifted a curtain and revealed the servants stairs that lead into the kitchen. With one look behind her she stepped down the stairs.

"Go on..." Samuel urged his sister. Margaret, panic stricken handed Susan to Charlottes waiting arms. She then climbed down herself. Samuel always watching motioned for his youngest brother William to go next. There was only Nathan and himself and then they would all be safe, or that was what he hoped.

Nathan was the next one down, but Samuel heard it before all the others. He quickly pulled back the curtain, hiding the entrance. Where to hide? That was his only option... for he knew who was coming. The heavy sound of his metal boot spurs on the wooden floor warned Samuel. He clutched his rifle tighter in his hand and dashed underneath the table cloth.