October 1776 - Setauket, Long Island

"Mr. Strong! Four ales, please!"

Molly Strong turned her head slightly to glance at the soldiers. They were all clothed in their bright red coats, and they filled nearly every chair in the tavern. She headed over to the bar to collect the fresh mugs filled to the brim with ale. Her younger brother, Selah Strong, looked right passed her. He was looking towards the entrance. She followed his gaze and was surprised to see their friend Abraham Woodhull making his way over to them. Abraham never visited the tavern.

Molly quickly delivered the drinks to the right table and began to walk back to the men. By the time she came back to the bar, the men were already in the midst of a conversation.

"What's this?" Selah asked. He was referring to a small pouch Abraham had placed on the bar.

"I said I would repay my debt." Abraham explained.

"We're not even halfway through the season."

"This is only half of what I owe. The harvest isn't coming in as I hoped."

Selah scoffed and gave Molly a knowing look. She knew that meant she was free to eavesdrop. So Molly made herself busy cleaning out the mugs at the one end of the bar.

"Loopers or maggots?"

Molly internally cringed. If maggots had gotten into Abraham's cabbage crop again, there was no way he could financially recover from this. He was already borrowing money from her brother. The Strongs and the Woodhulls had known each other for generations. But if Abraham's luck with farming continued, Molly was positive her brother's generosity would quickly end.

"I just need more time, Selah," Abraham pleaded, quietly, "and then next season, I swear…"

"Next season? Of course, why not? Perhaps by then you just pay me back with my own cauliflower."

All three of them shifted their attention when Selah's wife, Anna, descended the staircase.

"Abraham." She greeted, the surprise evident in her tone, "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Abe and I were just discussing maggots." Selah explained nonchalantly.

Anna's eyebrows knitted together. "Maggots?"

"Mrs. Strong, here, here!" It was one of the tables across the room.

"I hear they've been dethroned as Setauket's reigning pests." Anna mumbled under her breath.

Molly looked over her shoulder at one of the tables. It was no secret that several of the soldiers enjoyed flirting with Anna Strong. Anna was beautiful, it was true, but the reality was, most of the men wanted to be in Selah's good graces.

Although the redcoats drank excessively, most of the time, they didn't pay with coin. Since they were stationed in the colonies, and since there was a war going on, most payments were made with military checks given to Selah. The officers promised that King George would provide compensation for loyalists once they won the war. However, it didn't prevent Selah, Anna, and Molly from feeling animosity towards the men stationed in their small town. All they knew was that none of them would be fully compensated for a long time.

"Ahem. Your rooms are ready, gentlemen." Anna informed the table, pleasantly.

That was the other thing. Locals were expected to provide house and board for all the soldiers stationed in their towns or cities. Currently Selah's estate, Strong Manor, as well as the entire second floor of Strong Tavern were filled will redcoats.

Abraham suddenly felt out of place. "Well, I should be off, so..."

"No, now, wait." Anna protested. "We hardly see you anymore. How is Mary and Thomas?"

Mary Woodhull, Abraham's wife, and Thomas Woodhull, their one-year old son.

"They're both well. I really should..." Abraham made a motion that he intended to go.

"You should come for dinner at our house. The three of you." Anna insisted.

Molly rolled her eyes and turned around to collect the empty mugs from the tables nearby. They weren't children anymore; Abraham was clearly uncomfortable with the prospect. Selah picked up on it as well.

"Anna." He warned.

"I fear that wouldn't feel right. I owe your husband a debt. I would be shamed for you to cook for us while I'm in arrears." Abraham tried to explain.

Anna looked between the two men. "I didn't know about this."

And there it was.

Molly jumped as John Robeson rose to his feet and climbed onto one of the chairs.

"Bloody news! Bloody news!" he announced obnoxiously. Although Robeson was a local fisherman, he was spent every cent he had on alcohol. The Strongs knew him well. They also knew that when he got tipsy, he became extremely vocal about his Tory – those who supported the British – policies.

"'Where are the rebels now?'" Robeson read from a recent newspaper. "'To the brave Patriot commander on the eve of his retreat... Pardon, his charge into northern New Jersey."

Robeson and the redcoats began to laugh. The article was mocking the Continental Army's most recent defeat.

He continued, "Pulled back from the line, a most propitious sign, for Mrs. Washington, that sow. Alas, before his return, dear Georgie must discern in what place he should sheathe his saber… the joke of it all is that his scabbard calls for any puff's sword he can stow.'"

As the laughter continued, the volume rose in the tavern, and the men were only getting rowdier.

"Go upstairs." Selah ordered. He was addressing Anna, not Molly.

Molly knew what he was going to do, and she was glad he was going to do it.

"Selah, don't." Anna warned.

Selah stepped into the center of the room.

"Get out, Robeson." Selah demanded.

This wasn't unusual. When Robeson became too loud, Selah had asked him to leave on many occasions.

"I'm sorry, did I offend your sensitive liberal puff cake?" Robeson challenged.

Molly held her breath. He may be a drunk, but Robeson never acted like this. What if the Strongs were known for their Whig – those who support the Continental Army – leanings? They might be sympathetic, but they had proven loyal to the British Crown time and time again.

"You offended my wife." Selah lied. "Now, leave."

"Come off it, man. We're celebrating your king's victory in New York." One of the redcoats replied.

Robeson wouldn't let it go though. He continued, "Though we understand how that might upset a certain delegate to the Provincial Congress."

Robeson had gotten off of the chair, but he still clutched his mug in his hand. He and Selah were nose-to-nose.

"Drunk!" Selah spat.

"Whig!"

Selah gave him a shove and Robeson's mug went flying. The ale landed with a splash onto the front of Captain Joyce's uniform. Captain Joyce's expression changed from passive to enraged in an instant.

"You stupid-" he began, getting cut off as he jumped to his feet and punched Selah in the stomach.

Molly gasped as Selah collapsed to the ground. Captain Joyce suddenly swore. As he had jumped to his feet, he had sliced open the palm of his hand on the knife beside his plate.

"Did he just hit Captain Joyce?" a soldier asked.

Obviously, the answer was no. But it didn't seem to matter because Joyce drew his sword and was barreling towards Selah. Before Molly could ever think of what to do, Abraham had jumped into the mess.

"Let me help you. Let me get that for you." Abraham offered. He was trying to help Captain Joyce out of his stained coat. He was trying to distract him from his rage.

"Out of my way." Joyce tried to shove his away.

"Here, it's fine. Take your coat off. There you are, just..."

There was the faint sound of fabric ripping. Another soldier was on his feet. His name was Lieutenant Simcoe, and he had his gun pressed to the back of Abraham's head. Everyone froze.

"Release the captain, please." He ordered.

Abraham raised his hands in surrender. "Of course." He began to back away from Joyce.

Despite all that had happened, Captain Joyce was no calmer than before. He turned on his heels and punches Abraham in the stomach this time. As Abe collapsed on the ground, other soldiers jumped to their feet and began kicking and beating Abe and Selah.

Molly and Anna both rushed forward to stop them, but soldiers held them back.

Molly shouted until her throat hurt.

"Selah!"

Molly could kill Robeson she was so angry. After a few minutes, the soldiers had finished beating Selah and Abraham. But they didn't leave it at that. They placed them both under arrest for assaulting an officer. It was completely idiotic.

Captain Joyce ordered that the men be thrown into a cellar (seeing as there was no jail in town) until they could face trial. He then went back to the tavern to finish his drink.

The soldiers refused to let Anna or Molly see Abraham and Selah. Back at the tavern, the two women met in the cellar. Anna was crying so hard that Molly wasn't sure if she'd ever stop.

"Anna," Molly said, "Anna." She was holding her sister-in-law by the shoulders, trying to calm her down. She was upset too, but nothing was definitive yet. Anna sniffled and managed to silence her sobs for a moment.

"Listen to me, Annie, I'm going to make an appeal to the Major. What I want you to do is stay here. Let the men finish their drinks, then close the tavern early for the evening." Molly instructed. "Listen to me, we are not going to let them take Selah without a fight."

Anna nodded eagerly.

"You're right, you're right." She wiped her eyes. "Go, I can manage here."

Molly hurried back up to the main floor and began to make the short hike to the local church.

When the redcoats were stationed in Setauket, Long Island, one of their first decrees had been that their commanding officer needed a headquarters. Rather than set up in one of the late estates (as everyone expected), the redcoats had decided to commandeer the local church. There hadn't been a Sunday service in over a year. On Sunday, interested individuals were welcome to visit the Reverend at his home. So that was where Molly was going now. She was going to the church to seek an audience with the commanding officer in Setauket: Major Edmund Hewlett.

The soldiers immediately stopped her when she reached the entrance.

"I demand an audience with the Major."

The soldiers told her that the major could not see her for several hours. She told them that she would wait. And wait she did. The church was positioned on a hill and all around the church was the town graveyard. She spent the time visiting the graves of her deceased neighbors and her late parents.

She stood on that hill and watched men come and go. She saw Captain Joyce go into the church. She saw him leave. She watched the local Magistrate Richard Woodhull (Abraham's father) go into the church and then leave. Finally, a soldier came to inform her that the major would see her.

She stormed into the church.

"Major –" She didn't even get a chance to say anything because the major cut her off.

"Hello, Ms. Strong. You will be happy to hear that I have dismissed Captain Joyce from further military service. As for your brother, I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. This is a legal matter now. Judge Woodhull is reviewing your brother's case as we speak."

Molly was speechless. Now she knew why they had made her wait. It was so they could clean up their mess and condemn her brother before she could try to defend him.

"That is all, you are dismissed. Please give me apologies to Mrs. Strong as well."

The major turned away from her once more. He didn't appear to be affected at all by what he had just told her. How could he be so passive? Molly refused to leave.

"Major Hewlett." She began again.

He glanced up at her. He looked annoyed now.

"Yes, goodbye Ms. Strong."

"How can you-" The second she said a word of protest, the major interrupted her once more.

"Ensign, please escort Ms. Strong out of the building!"

And that was what happened. The soldier walked her out of the church and made sure she walked down the hill. Molly looked back at the church as she walked away.

She didn't care if she was considered a British citizen. She was not fond of the soldiers before, but now she hated them. She hated the British.

Molly went looking for Anna at the tavern, but she found that her sister-in-law had listened to her after all. Anna had closed the tavern for the night and went home. Molly didn't blame her. She wished she could go home too. But she knew she couldn't. Not yet. So she sat in the empty tavern and she waited until nightfall.

It rained that night. A couple hours after it got dark, she ventured out of the tavern and made her way back to the hill where the church was. She had a good idea of where Selah and Abraham were, and she was adamant about speaking with them.

She found Selah in the stockade, just like she thought. The redcoats set up the stocks near the bottom of the hill. She was surprised not to see any sign of Abraham though.

"Selah?"

He jumped at the sound of her voice, but he was still conscious.

"Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me." She crouched down so he could see her face. He was shivering in the rain and he had a black eye. The soldiers obviously hadn't stopped the beatings after they dragged him out of the tavern.

"Where's Anna?"

"She's distraught. She's at the house, but we know we'll have more time to see you before anything's decided."

He closed his eyes and was quiet for a moment.

"Moll, listen to me," Selah said through chattering teeth, "Abe already came to see me. They've granted him a pardon."

Molly suddenly felt nauseous. Had it already been decided? So quickly?

"If I don't plead guilty, they're going to hang me. But if I do plead, they're going to send me to the Jersey."

"A prison ship?" Molly asked in disbelief. Although she made no sound, she was crying now. A prison ship was not a merciful punishment. Although the required imprisonment time was short, the conditions alone made it a near death sentence.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

"I've already asked Abe if he'll look after both of you. I know you can look after yourself, but I'm sure they'll make things especially hard for Anna. Take care of her for me. She'll be all alone to run our house and the tavern. You take care of Anna while I'm gone."

"I will, you know I will."

"I love you."

"I love you, and we'll see you soon."

She kissed him on the cheek and departed before any soldiers had the chance to catch her.

She walked home that night. Although it was cold and rainy, and although the walk was long, Molly didn't care. She wanted to be miserable, because she knew her little brother was going to be stuck out there in the stocks all night long.

When she arrived at Strong Manor, she made her way up the stairs and to her room. She had been living with Selah since their parents died over five years ago. Even when Selah married Anna, they both asked her if she would live with them. Although Selah was the youngest and the only Strong son (meaning he got all their family's property and wealth), he had always been good to his sister.

He had always been a good brother to her, and she knew he was a good husband to Anna. And that's why, that night, she cried harder than she had ever cried before.

Despite her late night, Molly arose early the next morning. As she was leaving for the tavern, she found Anna sitting on the front steps of the house. Molly had always loved her family's estate. They could see the ocean from their front porch.

"He's gone. They took him away this morning." Anna said.

Molly could tell she was still in shock.

"They brought him here to say goodbye. He asked me not to wake you. So, I didn't." Anna looked up at her husband's sister.

"Is it true? Are they really sending him to the Jersey?"

Molly nodded faintly, "Aye."

Anna turned away. Molly could tell that she was holding back tears.

"Don't worry about coming to the tavern today. I can manage. I want you to stay here. Get some rest." She put a hand on Anna's shoulder. "Hey, we're going to be okay."

Anna nodded, but she would not look her sister-in-law in the eye. And with that, Molly began to her walk into town.

"Captain Joyce is dead."

That was how she was greeted when she arrived at the tavern. Good, Molly thought. She was too bitter to think anything else. She was greeted by Lieutenant Simcoe, the man who had held his pistol to Abraham's head. Molly had never been fond of him before, but now she especially didn't like him. He gave off a strange energy. His tone was always calm, but he somehow always managed to sound ingenuine and mocking at the same time. When she didn't verbally respond, Simcoe continued.

"His body was found this morning in a field with his throat slit. You haven't heard?"

Molly eyed him wearily. He wasn't telling her this to make small talk. There was a reason he was waiting for her at the tavern this early.

"No. I only just got into town now." She replied calmly.

No matter how bitter she might feel, she was not a fool. She knew the importance of controlling and hiding her true emotions. Especially after what had happened yesterday.

"Did you come here for a morning drink, Lieutenant?" she asked, beginning to unlock the front door.

"Captain." He corrected.

She paused as she digested that information.

"I purchased Captain Joyce's commission in the wake of his death." He explained.

Of course, you did.

"Oh," she said, turning towards him, "well, then I suppose congratulations are in order… Despite the circumstances." She added.

Simcoe was eyeing her, and it was beginning to make Molly feel uncomfortable. She wanted nothing more than to get into the tavern and get some distance from him.

"Have you seen Mrs. Strong? Or Abraham Woodhull?"

"What? Um, Anna's at Strong Manor, and I haven't seen Abe since yesterday." A beat. "Why are you asking me this?"

"An officer in His Majesty's Army is dead following an altercation with your brother and with Mr. Woodhull. Now, your brother has been shipped off to prison, Mr. Woodhull is nowhere to be found, and I have not yet confirmed the location of your sister-in-law."

Molly felt nauseous. He was trying to identify her as a suspect in Captain Joyce's death.

"If you're trying to accuse me of something, then do it, Captain." She said mockingly. "If not, then please leave me be. I'm just trying to make a living."

She swung the tavern door open and closed it abruptly behind her, and she locked Captain Simcoe outside. Her offer for the morning drink no longer stood.

She couldn't help wondering though, where was Abe?

Abraham Woodhull was located the next day. Molly managed to get all the details related to his disappearance and reappearance from the locals and soldiers who visited the tavern throughout the day.

Apparently, Abe had taken what he could salvage of his cabbage crop and sailed in a rowboat across the strait. He sold it on the London Trade – i.e. black market. On his way back to Setauket, he was overtaken by a Continental brig sloop. The sailors robbed him of his payment from the London Trade, beat him, and threw his overboard. He managed to make it to shore. When he found his way back to town, he was arrested by the redcoats because he was suspected of murdering Captain Joyce.

Molly never would've expected Abe to do something like that the same day he was pardoned from assaulting an English officer. It didn't make much sense to her, but at the same time, she knew Abe was probably thinking about the debt he owed to Selah. So, although Abe had lost everything he had earned on the London Trade, in Molly's eyes, his debt was as good as repaid.

That evening, when Molly returned to Strong Manor, she found herself face-to-face will Captain Simcoe in the foyer.

"Good evening, Ms. Strong." He said. The fake pleasantness in his voice was as present as ever.

She nodded, "Captain."

Her heart and mind were racing. What was he doing here? Was he here to arrest her? Was it because she was a bit mouthy this morning at the tavern?

"Because of my promotion, I am now being housed here, at your brother's lovely home." Simcoe explained, noticing her confusion.

"Oh." Molly responded, letting out an internal sigh of relief.

He gave her a fake smile, "Yes. Oh."

The next couple of days passed agonizingly slowly. Although Major Hewlett didn't seem to care, Captain Simcoe was spending all his energy in trying to identify Captain Joyce's killer. Molly wished he'd leave her alone. Since moving into Strong Manor, she found herself bumping into him constantly. Before three days ago, she hardly knew his name.

One evening, she closed the tavern early. When she arrived home, she was working with Anna and Anna's slave Abigail to fold the laundry that had been dried on the clothesline. As they worked, Anna blurted, "Do you know Captain Simcoe?"

"You mean the man who tried to blow Abe's brains out?

That comment made Anna pause, "Yes."

"What of him?"

"Well, it's-" Anna stopped.

Both Abigail and Molly stopped as well.

"What is it?" Molly asked.

"You agree, you both agree," she said turning to Abigail, "that that man is frightening?"

Molly and Abigail agreed.

"He-" Anna let out a heavy sigh. "I hear him outside my door at night. And he's been in my room when I haven't, I'm certain of it."

Molly bit the inside of her cheek. Nothing like this had ever happened when Selah was here. Then again, none of the redcoats had ever behaved like Mr. Simcoe. To be honest, this type of thing didn't surprise her. For being so uptight, Captain Simcoe did exhibit flirtatious behavior with most women. It was a strange phenomenon, but Molly was not blind to it.

"What do you think I should do?" Anna asked hesitantly.

Abigail said nothing, she and Anna both looked at Molly for a solution. After a moment, Molly continued folding the laundry as if nothing was the matter,

"You are going to do nothing. What I am going to do, is I am going to move into your room." A beat. "I don't think anyone would question that decision. Sisters share rooms frequently. Besides, it only makes sense. After all, we don't have a real man in the house anymore."

Abigail giggled at the comment, and that was that. They talked about the issue no more.

More days passed. Molly made her move into Anna's bedroom very indiscreetly. Anna informed her that she didn't believe Captain Simcoe was continuing to stalk her.

The days only became stranger the week after Selah was taken away. Molly didn't initially notice it. One morning, as she was leaving for the tavern, Abigail's son Cicero made the comment, "What's she doing?"

Molly followed his gaze and the two of them watched Anna as she hung up laundry on the clothesline. It was strange. Anna never did laundry that early in the morning. What was even more bizarre was that Anna hung a black petticoat in the middle of the line. But none of them had worn a black petticoat recently.

After Captain Simcoe seemed to stop his bizarre behavior, he made the announcement that he had been assigned to lead a military mission in Connecticut. He would be gone for several days. Molly was glad to see him off.

Then there was the thing with Abraham. She had not spoken to Abe once since what had happened at the tavern. Finally, one day, she got the chance to speak to his wife, Mary. Mary agreed that the London Trade business had been strange. Molly didn't bring up the debt owed to her brother. She doubted Abe had been vocal about that.

Molly and Mary got along well, but they rarely had a chance to visit with one another. The occasion for their reacquaintance was very odd, however. Apparently, to affirm his position as a loyalist of the British Crown, Abe agreed to publicly swear fealty to the king.

And so, he did. Exactly a week after Selah was taken, Abe stood in the center of town, and all the locals and soldiers who could witness it, did. Judge Woodhull had his son place a hand on a Bible, and Abe said these words, "I, Abraham Woodhull, do sincerely and faithfully promise and swear that I will bear true allegiance to His Majesty, King George III. And that, with heart and hands, life and goods will maintain and defend His Majesty's government and the laws of the province of New York against all traitorous conspiracies and attempts that shall be made against his person, crown, or dignity. And I will do my utmost endeavor and make known to His Majesty and his successors all treasons and traitorous conspiracies which I shall know to be against, or any of them. God save the King!"

"God save the King." The soldiers and locals parroted. All except Molly who very much did not give a damn about the king's welfare.

Author's Notes

I wrote this back in April, not expecting anything to come of it. But here I am, in July, now attempting to rewrite the entire series 👀 (It seemed very fitting to publish this on the 4th of July, so Happy 4th!)

Honestly, the only reason I made Molly was so someone could finally defend Selah. Honestly, Selah deserved so much better.

This fanfic is by no means perfect. As you can tell, I am attempting to sprinkle in hints of historical accuracy, but let's be honest: This fanfic is so historically inaccurate it hurts.