The next morning, Gabriel found wounded soldiers from both sides. Lily was busy attending to a young British soldier. Their attention was brought to the sea of Redcoats in the fields. One walked up to the porch and thanked Benjamin for caring for the wounded British soldiers. Another set of British soldiers, mostly cavalry mostly, arrived. The commander began dishing out orders for the wounded soldiers to be taken to their hospital. Then he told his men to burn the house and barn. Lily walked over to the children.
"Let it be known, if you harbor the enemy, you will loose your home."
Lily couldn't believe this. Who does he think he is! Telling the freedmen to join them! One of the men gave the commander Gabriel's pouch - carrying the dispatches.
"Who carried this?" demanded the Colonel.
Silence.
"Who carried this?!"
"...I did, sir." said Gabriel, "I was wounded, these people gave me care. They have nothing to do with the dispatches."
Lily felt queasy.
"Take this one. He is a spy, hang his body on display."
"He's a dispatch rider and that is a marked case!" said Benjamin.
"Destroy the livestock, save the horses."
"Colonel, this is a uniformed carrying a marked case. He cannot be held as a spy."
"We're not going to hold him, we're going to hang him."
"Colonel..."
"Father..." Gabriel whispered.
Benjamin paled.
"Oh, I see. He is your son. Well, perhaps you should've taught him something of loyalty."
"Colonel, I beg you, please reconsider. By the rules of war - "
"The rules of war," laughed Tavington. "Would you like a lesson in rules of war?" he aimed his pistol at Benjamin, "Or perhaps your children would?"
Benjamin stepped between them.
Lily held Margaret and William protectively. As did Abigail and Katarina with the other children.
"No lesson is necessary." said Benjamin.
"Sir, what of the Rebel wounded?" questioned the soldier who had thanked them.
"Kill them."
Two Redcoats took Gabriel and bound his hands. Lily wanted to run out and fight them off, especially the Colonel.
"Father do something!" pleased Thomas.
"Be quiet."
Thomas ran to save Gabriel and ended up being shot in the chest by Tavington.
"No!" screamed Katarina, running to his side.
Lily ran over to them. Katarina looked into the pale face of Thomas. He was fading fast. Benjamin held his son close to him.
"I...love you, Kat..."
His eyes closed.
Katarina screamed and began sobbing more. Lily held her hand over her mouth, beginning to cry as well. She looked up to see Gabriel being lead away. Everything was going to hell. The house and barn were burned, they took Abigail and the freedmen, and shot the rebels. All the Redcoats left calmly, the one who had thanked them looked apologetically at Nathan. He knew it wouldn't reverse what Colonel Tavington had done - it was all he could o.
"All of you stay here." Benjamin said, laying Thomas down.
Katarina cried over his limp body. Lily stroked her sister's hair. Benjamin ran into the burning house to retrieve arms.
"Nathan, Samuel." he handed them rifles. "Lily,"
She rose and walked up to him.
"I want you to hide in the field with the girls and William. Take them to Charlotte's if we're not back by sundown. Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Boys!"
Benjamin left with the two boys to find Gabriel. Lily took the children and Katarina into the field. She held her baby sister while she continued to cry.
"I'm so sorry, Kat." she rocked her.
Margaret held Susan and William close to her. Lily heard Katarina begin to say something.
"What?"
"He...he was going to marry me..."
"Oh, Kat..."
"He loved me!" she cried.
"I know." she rubbed her back soothingly.
Minutes passed in sets of ten. Lily watched the sky. When it became an orange-pink color, Lily moved the children. They had to walk down there. Each of the girls took turns holding Susan. Lily held William for the final stretch. She knocked at the door. Charlotte opened it.
"What's going on Lily?"
"We were told to come here if he didn't come back yet."
"Who?"
"Benjamin."
"Come in, " she helped take the children upstairs.
Susan was already asleep when they arrived. Katarina, Margaret and Susan curled up in a bed together. Lily stood on the porch waiting for Benjamin and the boys. Charlotte stood by her.
"Tell me what happened."
Lily related the drama of the hours before.
"Oh my Lord..."
"Benjamin took Nathan and Samuel to retrieve Gabriel. He had me hide with the children and Katarina in the field."
Just then, Benjamin came down the driveway. Gabriel rode on horseback. Lily ran down the steps and over to them. She clutched to Gabriel, crying out of happiness and other emotions.
"I thought I lost you!"
"You can't."
After the children were asleep, Lily, Benjamin and Charlotte sat by the fire. Lily wondered if Gabriel was asleep yet.
"Gates and the Continental army are at Hillsborough. I'm joining up with them." announced Gabriel.
They looked at him with disappointment. Lily felt nauseated again. Benjamin rose from his chair.
"Gabriel..." Lily and Charlotte started.
"No, you're place is here now..." stated Benjamin.
"I'm going back, I'm a solider - it's my duty."
"Your duty is to your family,"
Gabriel turned to walk out.
"Don't you walk away from me, boy!"
""I'm sorry, father, I'll find you when this is all over."
"No you're not going! I forbid you to go!"
"I'm not a child!"
"You're my child!"
"...Goodbye father."
"Gabriel, Thomas is dead. How many more have to die before you heed my word?"
Lily watched him ride away, she fought back tears. Charlotte touched Benjamin's shoulder.
"I'm loosing my family."
Charlotte and Lily looked at each other.
¤
¤
"When will you be back, Father?" asked William.
"I don't know..."
"Tomorrow?"
"No, not tomorrow. Say your prayers."
"I will."
"Nathan, I want you to take care of you brothers, sisters, Lily, Kat and your Aunt Charlotte. I'm depending on you. As well as you, Samuel." he picked up Susan, "Susan...goodbye?"
She remained quiet, he kissed her forehead.
"Kat, stay strong and help take care of these little ones."
"I will, Mr. Martin."
"Lily, you too, and be sure to help Charlotte."
"I will."
Benjamin looked at Charlotte and nodded awkwardly. Then he mounted his horse and left. That day, Lily began embroidering a piece of white cloth. She felt it cleared her mind of the thoughts of war, death, Gabriel, and anything else which had been troubling her. William practiced his letters with Margaret. Katarina stayed in the rocking chair. Susan watched Lily sewing. The verse on the cloth would say:
"My Heart is fix'd
I cannot range,
I like my choice
Too well to change."
It had reminded her of Gabriel.
"Let it be known, if you harbor the enemy, you will loose your home."
Lily couldn't believe this. Who does he think he is! Telling the freedmen to join them! One of the men gave the commander Gabriel's pouch - carrying the dispatches.
"Who carried this?" demanded the Colonel.
Silence.
"Who carried this?!"
"...I did, sir." said Gabriel, "I was wounded, these people gave me care. They have nothing to do with the dispatches."
Lily felt queasy.
"Take this one. He is a spy, hang his body on display."
"He's a dispatch rider and that is a marked case!" said Benjamin.
"Destroy the livestock, save the horses."
"Colonel, this is a uniformed carrying a marked case. He cannot be held as a spy."
"We're not going to hold him, we're going to hang him."
"Colonel..."
"Father..." Gabriel whispered.
Benjamin paled.
"Oh, I see. He is your son. Well, perhaps you should've taught him something of loyalty."
"Colonel, I beg you, please reconsider. By the rules of war - "
"The rules of war," laughed Tavington. "Would you like a lesson in rules of war?" he aimed his pistol at Benjamin, "Or perhaps your children would?"
Benjamin stepped between them.
Lily held Margaret and William protectively. As did Abigail and Katarina with the other children.
"No lesson is necessary." said Benjamin.
"Sir, what of the Rebel wounded?" questioned the soldier who had thanked them.
"Kill them."
Two Redcoats took Gabriel and bound his hands. Lily wanted to run out and fight them off, especially the Colonel.
"Father do something!" pleased Thomas.
"Be quiet."
Thomas ran to save Gabriel and ended up being shot in the chest by Tavington.
"No!" screamed Katarina, running to his side.
Lily ran over to them. Katarina looked into the pale face of Thomas. He was fading fast. Benjamin held his son close to him.
"I...love you, Kat..."
His eyes closed.
Katarina screamed and began sobbing more. Lily held her hand over her mouth, beginning to cry as well. She looked up to see Gabriel being lead away. Everything was going to hell. The house and barn were burned, they took Abigail and the freedmen, and shot the rebels. All the Redcoats left calmly, the one who had thanked them looked apologetically at Nathan. He knew it wouldn't reverse what Colonel Tavington had done - it was all he could o.
"All of you stay here." Benjamin said, laying Thomas down.
Katarina cried over his limp body. Lily stroked her sister's hair. Benjamin ran into the burning house to retrieve arms.
"Nathan, Samuel." he handed them rifles. "Lily,"
She rose and walked up to him.
"I want you to hide in the field with the girls and William. Take them to Charlotte's if we're not back by sundown. Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Boys!"
Benjamin left with the two boys to find Gabriel. Lily took the children and Katarina into the field. She held her baby sister while she continued to cry.
"I'm so sorry, Kat." she rocked her.
Margaret held Susan and William close to her. Lily heard Katarina begin to say something.
"What?"
"He...he was going to marry me..."
"Oh, Kat..."
"He loved me!" she cried.
"I know." she rubbed her back soothingly.
Minutes passed in sets of ten. Lily watched the sky. When it became an orange-pink color, Lily moved the children. They had to walk down there. Each of the girls took turns holding Susan. Lily held William for the final stretch. She knocked at the door. Charlotte opened it.
"What's going on Lily?"
"We were told to come here if he didn't come back yet."
"Who?"
"Benjamin."
"Come in, " she helped take the children upstairs.
Susan was already asleep when they arrived. Katarina, Margaret and Susan curled up in a bed together. Lily stood on the porch waiting for Benjamin and the boys. Charlotte stood by her.
"Tell me what happened."
Lily related the drama of the hours before.
"Oh my Lord..."
"Benjamin took Nathan and Samuel to retrieve Gabriel. He had me hide with the children and Katarina in the field."
Just then, Benjamin came down the driveway. Gabriel rode on horseback. Lily ran down the steps and over to them. She clutched to Gabriel, crying out of happiness and other emotions.
"I thought I lost you!"
"You can't."
After the children were asleep, Lily, Benjamin and Charlotte sat by the fire. Lily wondered if Gabriel was asleep yet.
"Gates and the Continental army are at Hillsborough. I'm joining up with them." announced Gabriel.
They looked at him with disappointment. Lily felt nauseated again. Benjamin rose from his chair.
"Gabriel..." Lily and Charlotte started.
"No, you're place is here now..." stated Benjamin.
"I'm going back, I'm a solider - it's my duty."
"Your duty is to your family,"
Gabriel turned to walk out.
"Don't you walk away from me, boy!"
""I'm sorry, father, I'll find you when this is all over."
"No you're not going! I forbid you to go!"
"I'm not a child!"
"You're my child!"
"...Goodbye father."
"Gabriel, Thomas is dead. How many more have to die before you heed my word?"
Lily watched him ride away, she fought back tears. Charlotte touched Benjamin's shoulder.
"I'm loosing my family."
Charlotte and Lily looked at each other.
¤
¤
"When will you be back, Father?" asked William.
"I don't know..."
"Tomorrow?"
"No, not tomorrow. Say your prayers."
"I will."
"Nathan, I want you to take care of you brothers, sisters, Lily, Kat and your Aunt Charlotte. I'm depending on you. As well as you, Samuel." he picked up Susan, "Susan...goodbye?"
She remained quiet, he kissed her forehead.
"Kat, stay strong and help take care of these little ones."
"I will, Mr. Martin."
"Lily, you too, and be sure to help Charlotte."
"I will."
Benjamin looked at Charlotte and nodded awkwardly. Then he mounted his horse and left. That day, Lily began embroidering a piece of white cloth. She felt it cleared her mind of the thoughts of war, death, Gabriel, and anything else which had been troubling her. William practiced his letters with Margaret. Katarina stayed in the rocking chair. Susan watched Lily sewing. The verse on the cloth would say:
"My Heart is fix'd
I cannot range,
I like my choice
Too well to change."
It had reminded her of Gabriel.