The next day came letters. There were three letters, one from Gabriel to the family, one from Benjamin to the family, and one from Benjamin to Hannah. The letters from the both of them to the family were gentle and encouraging, reassuring them that they would be home soon and the war was sure to end. But Hannah's letter from Benjamin held no such news. The letter lay in her limp hand as she read it over and over again.
Dear Hannah,
I feel that the time has come to be completely honest with you. You may wonder, haven't I been honest with you? The answer is most definitely no. I feel that should I never come back and this information never divulged, I should feel like a traitor. Your parents refused to tell you this, stupidly, prolonging this event and thus making it all the more painful, especially at this time. Your parents thought that they were doing the best thing for you, but they didn't count on their untimely deaths. Your parents were not your real family. You may have wondered on the fact that you didn't really look like either of them. When their relatives asked about this, they called you a 'hop out of kin' but I know otherwise. Your mother was Abigail Lindsay, a local girl in Charlestown. I knew her through her parents' correspondance, but nothing more. She was found pregnant at eighteen and was thrown out of her home, having no husband. Your mother gave birth to you in exile and went to the woods near my home. The facts of why she did this are sketchy, but as far as I can deduce your mother intended to kill both you and her with a gunshot, but left you unharmed, unable to hurt her child, thinking that eventually you would succumb to nature. She shot herself by her own hand. I found you both later as I was coming home from a hunting trip. I took you home with me after I had alerted your mother's family and had seen to the placement of her body. My wife Elizabeth, had just given birth to Thomas and Gabriel was four at the time. We didn't think that we should keep you because I had a better idea. I would give you to the Ross'. They had just lost their own daughter and were thrilled. They named you Hannah, and they are the ones that you knew as Father and Mother. Their reasons for not divulging this information are because they feared that you would want me as a father instead of them as parents. They figured this because they thought if they told you, you'd want to be with me because I saved your life. But they were willing to let you grow up knowing who I was and I thank God for that gift. It has been very satisfying for me to watch you grow like you were my own child. You are a very beautiful young woman, one whom I cherish as my own. Do not blame your parents for their past mistakes. They were only acting in your best interest, which I understand. Since you have heard all the 'official' news from the other two letters, I will close. I apologize to you, for I know that this will be difficult to bear. I apologize for causing you pain. I am sorry. When I return, I will be sure to take care of you, unless you feel otherwise and desire to leave. If that is so, I shall take it upon myself personally to see that you are placed in a suitable place. Keep myself, Gabriel and our men in your prayers. We need it.
I am most humbly yours,
Benjamin Martin
The letter dropped once more into Hannah's lap. She raised her head up to the sky. "Why me? Isn't everything bad enough? Now I find out that my family wasn't my own. God, isn't it enough that you've taken all whom I've ever loved that you take away my family?" She whispered. "Hannah." Hannah's eyes dropped and she looked into the eyes of Nathan. The boy was no longer the joking youth that she had seen grow before her very eyes. Now he was bordering on his teenage years, a certain air of wisdom on his young face which set him apart from others. His eyes gazed questioning into her own with startling clarity. Hannah looked away. She had seen those clear eyes before, only in a shade of green. "Hannah. Are you well?" Hannah turned back to him as soon as she had composed herself. "I'm fine Nathan. Don't worry about me." She said with a smile. Nathan did not return the smile but instead his face remained sober. "Father told me to take care of my family. As far as I am concerned, you are a member of my family and I will take care of you. I worry about you more than you know." Nathan said firmly, walking away. Hannah stared after the boy as he left and ever-present tears rose to her eyes.
That evening, Hannah took a book to bed with her, reading till she collapsed with exhaustion. But the sounds of horses woke her from her sleep. Not only that but the persistant tugging on her arm. "Hannah. Wake up now. British soldiers. Please wake up." Hannah saw the strained face of Nathan as he shook her and she sat up. "What?" Nathan sat up. "Soldiers. We've got to hide." Hannah jumped up and followed Nathan as he ran down the stairs. Charlotte and the children came into her sight and she saw their frightened faces. Suddenly she stopped. Nathan turned around to face her. "Go on Nathan. I'll draw them away." She whispered. Nathan's face blanched and he grasped his musket tighter. "Never. You come on." Hannah's face creased. "Go now. You have more to live for than I. Don't argue with me. Go!" She hissed as he took another step closer. He stopped in indecision, then ran into the dining room.
Hannah breathed deeply as she heard the sounds of the soldiers breaking in the house. She dashed out the side door and into the quiet yard. The yard was dark and she thought she could sneak away and get help before she was discovered. She began to slink off into the brush and she slipped behind a bush. She nearly fainted as a cold hand grasped her arm harshly. "Who are you?" A voice with a British accent asked angrily. Hannah took a deep breath and looked into the hard face. "I don't have to tell you that." She said firmly. The officer bit his lip as he saw her age, but all the same dragged her back to the front of the house. As they reached it, Hannah saw the same officer that had shot Thomas exit the house. "Colonel Tavington, we've found someone." The officer called out. The man turned and changed course, walking towards them.
Hannah gulped down her fear and instead hate took over and she lifted her head higher. The officer approached them and stared at her hard. He extended his hand and lifted her chin so that he could see her face. "I know you. You were there at that pathetic little farm. The day that boy decided to play hero. Were you his little friend?" He asked, his voice cruel. Hannah choked down her hate and jerked her face away. "Where are the children?" He asked softly. "What children?" She asked softly. Tavington jerked her face upwards. "Where are the children?" He asked, louder now. She stared at him, her eyes shooting daggers of hate. "Don't make me kill you girl. It would certainly be a waste with such a pretty face as yours." He hissed, his voice devoid of any pleasantry. Just as Hannah thought it was all over for her, gunshots rang out behind them.
Hannah attempted to whirl around, her arms still held captive to the young officer. What she saw sparked the fire in her heart. In the darkness she made out the form of Benjamin on his horse. Many other men backed him. Tavington's face became elated and he began to walk towards them, shooting off his revolver. Hannah took advantage of the moment and jerked away from the officer holding her captive. He yelled after her as she ran breathlessly away. She heard Tavington call after him. "Don't worry about her. We've got our 'Ghost' right where we want him. Fire the house!" He yelled. But before he let her go, the officer shot off his pistol. The bullet whizzed home and caught Hannah in the shoulder. She took a deep breath as the pain shot through her, but kept running. Hannah stopped for breath at one of the huge trees lining Charlotte's road. She watched as the beautiful plantation began to burn and she turned her eyes away from the sight and ran once more, praying that the children were safe.
************************************************************************
Hannah rolled over on her shoulder and winced. The bullet still remained in her shoulder. The previous night she had tried to extract it herself, but the pain had taken her over and she had fainted. She sat up groggily. She couldn't remember where she was. She was in a forest glade, but the glade ended but thirty feet ahead of her. Through the opening, Hannah could see a small town. She smiled grimly and pushed herself up, wincing at the pain. Her injured arm hung limply at her side as she limped into the town. She searched for one store and walked into it. The girl at the counter saw her, blanched and dropped the dish she was holding. "Hannah? Is that you?" Hannah smiled weakly at Anne Howard as she felt her legs dropping out from under her. The last thing she remembered was lying in Anne's arms as she called for help.
When Hannah opened her weary eyes, the first thing she noticed was the worried face of Anne as she rocked back and forth in her rocking chair beside the bed. When her eyes opened, Anne sat up sharply and peered into her face. "Hannah, are you well?" Hannah laughed somewhat. "Am I well? What a question to ask Anne Howard. I get shot, run for what seems like hours in the heat, collapse on my bad shoulder in the woods, stumble in here and collapse on your store floor. Now you tell me, am I well?" Anne smiled. "Well I'm glad you're temperament is back to normal." She said as she dipped a washcloth in some water. Hannah closed her eyes once more as the cloth was placed on her hot face. "Did you see Gabriel? The children? Did they get out?" She asked.
Anne's hand drew back sharply, then gently replaced it. "I haven't seen Gabriel for a long time Hannah. While the doctor was removing your bullet, you were delierious. You said things about the British coming to Charlotte's plantation." Hannah sighed. "Yes. I don't know whether the children and Charlotte escaped or not. I drew the British away as best I could. I only pray they were swift. When was the last you saw Gabriel?" She murmured. Anne turned away to hide the blush in her cheeks. "A few months ago. He asked permission to write me." Hannah smiled. "And your Father gave consent I assume." She said knowingly. Anne blushed once more and smiled. "Yes." Hannah smiled and looked away. "Congratulations." Then Hannah closed her eyes and said nothing for a long time, sleep taking control.
Dear Hannah,
I feel that the time has come to be completely honest with you. You may wonder, haven't I been honest with you? The answer is most definitely no. I feel that should I never come back and this information never divulged, I should feel like a traitor. Your parents refused to tell you this, stupidly, prolonging this event and thus making it all the more painful, especially at this time. Your parents thought that they were doing the best thing for you, but they didn't count on their untimely deaths. Your parents were not your real family. You may have wondered on the fact that you didn't really look like either of them. When their relatives asked about this, they called you a 'hop out of kin' but I know otherwise. Your mother was Abigail Lindsay, a local girl in Charlestown. I knew her through her parents' correspondance, but nothing more. She was found pregnant at eighteen and was thrown out of her home, having no husband. Your mother gave birth to you in exile and went to the woods near my home. The facts of why she did this are sketchy, but as far as I can deduce your mother intended to kill both you and her with a gunshot, but left you unharmed, unable to hurt her child, thinking that eventually you would succumb to nature. She shot herself by her own hand. I found you both later as I was coming home from a hunting trip. I took you home with me after I had alerted your mother's family and had seen to the placement of her body. My wife Elizabeth, had just given birth to Thomas and Gabriel was four at the time. We didn't think that we should keep you because I had a better idea. I would give you to the Ross'. They had just lost their own daughter and were thrilled. They named you Hannah, and they are the ones that you knew as Father and Mother. Their reasons for not divulging this information are because they feared that you would want me as a father instead of them as parents. They figured this because they thought if they told you, you'd want to be with me because I saved your life. But they were willing to let you grow up knowing who I was and I thank God for that gift. It has been very satisfying for me to watch you grow like you were my own child. You are a very beautiful young woman, one whom I cherish as my own. Do not blame your parents for their past mistakes. They were only acting in your best interest, which I understand. Since you have heard all the 'official' news from the other two letters, I will close. I apologize to you, for I know that this will be difficult to bear. I apologize for causing you pain. I am sorry. When I return, I will be sure to take care of you, unless you feel otherwise and desire to leave. If that is so, I shall take it upon myself personally to see that you are placed in a suitable place. Keep myself, Gabriel and our men in your prayers. We need it.
I am most humbly yours,
Benjamin Martin
The letter dropped once more into Hannah's lap. She raised her head up to the sky. "Why me? Isn't everything bad enough? Now I find out that my family wasn't my own. God, isn't it enough that you've taken all whom I've ever loved that you take away my family?" She whispered. "Hannah." Hannah's eyes dropped and she looked into the eyes of Nathan. The boy was no longer the joking youth that she had seen grow before her very eyes. Now he was bordering on his teenage years, a certain air of wisdom on his young face which set him apart from others. His eyes gazed questioning into her own with startling clarity. Hannah looked away. She had seen those clear eyes before, only in a shade of green. "Hannah. Are you well?" Hannah turned back to him as soon as she had composed herself. "I'm fine Nathan. Don't worry about me." She said with a smile. Nathan did not return the smile but instead his face remained sober. "Father told me to take care of my family. As far as I am concerned, you are a member of my family and I will take care of you. I worry about you more than you know." Nathan said firmly, walking away. Hannah stared after the boy as he left and ever-present tears rose to her eyes.
That evening, Hannah took a book to bed with her, reading till she collapsed with exhaustion. But the sounds of horses woke her from her sleep. Not only that but the persistant tugging on her arm. "Hannah. Wake up now. British soldiers. Please wake up." Hannah saw the strained face of Nathan as he shook her and she sat up. "What?" Nathan sat up. "Soldiers. We've got to hide." Hannah jumped up and followed Nathan as he ran down the stairs. Charlotte and the children came into her sight and she saw their frightened faces. Suddenly she stopped. Nathan turned around to face her. "Go on Nathan. I'll draw them away." She whispered. Nathan's face blanched and he grasped his musket tighter. "Never. You come on." Hannah's face creased. "Go now. You have more to live for than I. Don't argue with me. Go!" She hissed as he took another step closer. He stopped in indecision, then ran into the dining room.
Hannah breathed deeply as she heard the sounds of the soldiers breaking in the house. She dashed out the side door and into the quiet yard. The yard was dark and she thought she could sneak away and get help before she was discovered. She began to slink off into the brush and she slipped behind a bush. She nearly fainted as a cold hand grasped her arm harshly. "Who are you?" A voice with a British accent asked angrily. Hannah took a deep breath and looked into the hard face. "I don't have to tell you that." She said firmly. The officer bit his lip as he saw her age, but all the same dragged her back to the front of the house. As they reached it, Hannah saw the same officer that had shot Thomas exit the house. "Colonel Tavington, we've found someone." The officer called out. The man turned and changed course, walking towards them.
Hannah gulped down her fear and instead hate took over and she lifted her head higher. The officer approached them and stared at her hard. He extended his hand and lifted her chin so that he could see her face. "I know you. You were there at that pathetic little farm. The day that boy decided to play hero. Were you his little friend?" He asked, his voice cruel. Hannah choked down her hate and jerked her face away. "Where are the children?" He asked softly. "What children?" She asked softly. Tavington jerked her face upwards. "Where are the children?" He asked, louder now. She stared at him, her eyes shooting daggers of hate. "Don't make me kill you girl. It would certainly be a waste with such a pretty face as yours." He hissed, his voice devoid of any pleasantry. Just as Hannah thought it was all over for her, gunshots rang out behind them.
Hannah attempted to whirl around, her arms still held captive to the young officer. What she saw sparked the fire in her heart. In the darkness she made out the form of Benjamin on his horse. Many other men backed him. Tavington's face became elated and he began to walk towards them, shooting off his revolver. Hannah took advantage of the moment and jerked away from the officer holding her captive. He yelled after her as she ran breathlessly away. She heard Tavington call after him. "Don't worry about her. We've got our 'Ghost' right where we want him. Fire the house!" He yelled. But before he let her go, the officer shot off his pistol. The bullet whizzed home and caught Hannah in the shoulder. She took a deep breath as the pain shot through her, but kept running. Hannah stopped for breath at one of the huge trees lining Charlotte's road. She watched as the beautiful plantation began to burn and she turned her eyes away from the sight and ran once more, praying that the children were safe.
************************************************************************
Hannah rolled over on her shoulder and winced. The bullet still remained in her shoulder. The previous night she had tried to extract it herself, but the pain had taken her over and she had fainted. She sat up groggily. She couldn't remember where she was. She was in a forest glade, but the glade ended but thirty feet ahead of her. Through the opening, Hannah could see a small town. She smiled grimly and pushed herself up, wincing at the pain. Her injured arm hung limply at her side as she limped into the town. She searched for one store and walked into it. The girl at the counter saw her, blanched and dropped the dish she was holding. "Hannah? Is that you?" Hannah smiled weakly at Anne Howard as she felt her legs dropping out from under her. The last thing she remembered was lying in Anne's arms as she called for help.
When Hannah opened her weary eyes, the first thing she noticed was the worried face of Anne as she rocked back and forth in her rocking chair beside the bed. When her eyes opened, Anne sat up sharply and peered into her face. "Hannah, are you well?" Hannah laughed somewhat. "Am I well? What a question to ask Anne Howard. I get shot, run for what seems like hours in the heat, collapse on my bad shoulder in the woods, stumble in here and collapse on your store floor. Now you tell me, am I well?" Anne smiled. "Well I'm glad you're temperament is back to normal." She said as she dipped a washcloth in some water. Hannah closed her eyes once more as the cloth was placed on her hot face. "Did you see Gabriel? The children? Did they get out?" She asked.
Anne's hand drew back sharply, then gently replaced it. "I haven't seen Gabriel for a long time Hannah. While the doctor was removing your bullet, you were delierious. You said things about the British coming to Charlotte's plantation." Hannah sighed. "Yes. I don't know whether the children and Charlotte escaped or not. I drew the British away as best I could. I only pray they were swift. When was the last you saw Gabriel?" She murmured. Anne turned away to hide the blush in her cheeks. "A few months ago. He asked permission to write me." Hannah smiled. "And your Father gave consent I assume." She said knowingly. Anne blushed once more and smiled. "Yes." Hannah smiled and looked away. "Congratulations." Then Hannah closed her eyes and said nothing for a long time, sleep taking control.