The next day came all too soon, but not without changes. Susan had spoken. For the first time she had spoken to Benjamin. It was like a miracle. It was a miracle. Hannah decided that she would rather return with the Howards, and one Martin to the town until Benjamin and Gabriel were able to return. As she wished everyone goodbye, Benjamin pressed his hand into her own and smiled. "Be strong. You always have been." Hannah smiled and gently kissed his cheek. "I'd love to have you for my father." She said simply Benjamin's eyes echoed surprise and pleasure as he grasped her hands. "I would be honored." Hannah smiled. "Goodbye, Father." She whispered. "Goodbye." Benjamin said simply as the wagon pulled away. Hannah twisted in her seat and waved until the island was out of sight.
She fell asleep in the jostling wagon, surprisingly. But as soon as she did, Thomas' face came before her. It was not like when she had seen him before. His brow was furrowed and his face creased with worry. "What is it silly? You look so sober." Hannah laughed. "Get out of the wagon now." Hannah frowned. "What are you talking about?" Thomas looked at her, exasperated. "Just do it. The British are there." Hannah expressed her surprise by her mouth dropping open. Thomas smiled. "Now, now, that's not ladylike." He said. "You must get out." He said, sobering up again and disappearing from her vision. A sudden jolt of the wagon awakened Hannah. She sat up straight and tugged on Mr. Howard's sleeve. "We must stop the wagon. We can't go to the town. There are British soldiers there!" She hissed as the wagon rolled closer to the town. Mr. Howard scoffed. "Don't be so silly girl." He laughed.
Anne looked at her curiously. "Anne, you must come with me." Hannah said, grasping her hands. "No. I can't. I think you just dreamed it." Hannah gripped her hands tighter. "Please Anne. Perhaps it was only a dream, but come anyway, just to be sure." Anne wrenched her hands free. "No. I won't. Don't be so afraid. It's time you got over your worries about the British." Hannah bit her lip and set her jaw. "Mr. Howard would you stop the wagon please?" Mr. Howard twisted in his seat, but stopped the wagon. Hannah jumped out of the wagon and waved them on. They rolled past her. Anne twisted in her seat to look at her. Hannah waved to them till they rolled into the town. She squinted into the distance and frowned at the figures of green. Then she took off into the woods.
She had to help the Howards. She knew they were in danger. She had seen the British herself. Hannah crept through the woods surrounding the town and peered through the foliage. There she saw that man, Tavington, exit the church. Several soldiers barred it and closed the windows. She frowned at this action and then gasped. There was something wrong. There were no people wandering the town. But when a soldier threw a flame covered torch onto the church, Hannah collapsed on her knees, her hand over her mouth in shock. The whole town is in the church. Screams began to come to her ears as the horses thundered past her.
As Tavington passed the foliage, he had an inkling that he was being watched. But that must just be nerves. A member of His Majesty's Army must not feel nerves or conscience when he performs a service to His Majesty. Even when it is one such as this. It didn't matter, he had done worse things than this. It was all in the art of war. And soon Martin would be dead at his hand. A small smile curved on his lips as he thought of the pitiful farmer, his pathetic children, and that puny girl that his officer had shot that night at the brats' aunt's plantation. It was done with. The girl was most likely dead. But one thing was for sure. That girl had the eyes that set any man on edge. Eyes that had seen horrors of the dead and living.
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Hannah sat in the clearing for a long time, watching as the church was slowly consumed by the flames. She heard the screams. The screams were the worst part about the whole thing. She couldn't help them. The church was being watched by soldiers. She couldn't save them. She had only felt this helplessness once, when Thomas had been shot. Now the same helplessness washed over her as she listened to the blood-curdling screams of the townsfolk. She couldn't believe that this was happening. Not only were the Howards doomed, but the newly married Anne. Anne, who would never be the loving wife to Gabriel that she had always wished to be. Anne, who would never see her own home that she would share with Gabriel, not only the same house, but the same dreams. Anne, who would never live to see and care for her children.
But what truly made Hannah's stomach turn was the cruel fact that SHE could have been in there. She could have been the one screaming, inhaling the smoke and feeling the flames take hold of her body and consume her. She, and perhaps it would have been Anne sitting here in her place. A scream began to rise in her throat, but she quickly repressed it. She simply sat in silence till all the screams died out, till an eerie silence took hold of the once busy town. It was this silence that made Hannah want to scream to the soldiers, "Take me as well!", but it was the silence that kept her quiet. She watched as the British soldiers slowly rode around the foundations of the church, now smoldering on the groiund, and then rode out of the town. Hannah watched as they passed her hiding spot. One soldier was particularly young. His face was blanched and his eyes wide and staring. Before he got far out of the town, he stopped his horse, jumped off of it, much to the surprise of his companion and vomitted on the side of the road.
Hannah grimaced, but straightened as she watched him and heard his panting as he leaned over the ditch. Then her eyes narrowed as he stood. "I hope you were poisoned. And even if you weren't and you really do have feelings for these people, get comfortable. For once Benjamin Martin sees what you've done, well, you'll be sorry." She hissed under her breath as the soldier wiped his mouth and climbed his horse. His companion leaned back and questioned him. The boy soldier shook his head violently and started off. Hannah watched them, but she didn't move. She refused to move. She knew that Benjamin and his troops would be along soon enough. But even still as the morning turned to afternoon, then late afternoon, the militia still hadn't appeared. She stood up, loosening her weak limbs and walked to the town. She entered the Howard's store and with a sick heart, ate some of the food there, knowing that they no longer had any need for it.
She fell asleep in the jostling wagon, surprisingly. But as soon as she did, Thomas' face came before her. It was not like when she had seen him before. His brow was furrowed and his face creased with worry. "What is it silly? You look so sober." Hannah laughed. "Get out of the wagon now." Hannah frowned. "What are you talking about?" Thomas looked at her, exasperated. "Just do it. The British are there." Hannah expressed her surprise by her mouth dropping open. Thomas smiled. "Now, now, that's not ladylike." He said. "You must get out." He said, sobering up again and disappearing from her vision. A sudden jolt of the wagon awakened Hannah. She sat up straight and tugged on Mr. Howard's sleeve. "We must stop the wagon. We can't go to the town. There are British soldiers there!" She hissed as the wagon rolled closer to the town. Mr. Howard scoffed. "Don't be so silly girl." He laughed.
Anne looked at her curiously. "Anne, you must come with me." Hannah said, grasping her hands. "No. I can't. I think you just dreamed it." Hannah gripped her hands tighter. "Please Anne. Perhaps it was only a dream, but come anyway, just to be sure." Anne wrenched her hands free. "No. I won't. Don't be so afraid. It's time you got over your worries about the British." Hannah bit her lip and set her jaw. "Mr. Howard would you stop the wagon please?" Mr. Howard twisted in his seat, but stopped the wagon. Hannah jumped out of the wagon and waved them on. They rolled past her. Anne twisted in her seat to look at her. Hannah waved to them till they rolled into the town. She squinted into the distance and frowned at the figures of green. Then she took off into the woods.
She had to help the Howards. She knew they were in danger. She had seen the British herself. Hannah crept through the woods surrounding the town and peered through the foliage. There she saw that man, Tavington, exit the church. Several soldiers barred it and closed the windows. She frowned at this action and then gasped. There was something wrong. There were no people wandering the town. But when a soldier threw a flame covered torch onto the church, Hannah collapsed on her knees, her hand over her mouth in shock. The whole town is in the church. Screams began to come to her ears as the horses thundered past her.
As Tavington passed the foliage, he had an inkling that he was being watched. But that must just be nerves. A member of His Majesty's Army must not feel nerves or conscience when he performs a service to His Majesty. Even when it is one such as this. It didn't matter, he had done worse things than this. It was all in the art of war. And soon Martin would be dead at his hand. A small smile curved on his lips as he thought of the pitiful farmer, his pathetic children, and that puny girl that his officer had shot that night at the brats' aunt's plantation. It was done with. The girl was most likely dead. But one thing was for sure. That girl had the eyes that set any man on edge. Eyes that had seen horrors of the dead and living.
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Hannah sat in the clearing for a long time, watching as the church was slowly consumed by the flames. She heard the screams. The screams were the worst part about the whole thing. She couldn't help them. The church was being watched by soldiers. She couldn't save them. She had only felt this helplessness once, when Thomas had been shot. Now the same helplessness washed over her as she listened to the blood-curdling screams of the townsfolk. She couldn't believe that this was happening. Not only were the Howards doomed, but the newly married Anne. Anne, who would never be the loving wife to Gabriel that she had always wished to be. Anne, who would never see her own home that she would share with Gabriel, not only the same house, but the same dreams. Anne, who would never live to see and care for her children.
But what truly made Hannah's stomach turn was the cruel fact that SHE could have been in there. She could have been the one screaming, inhaling the smoke and feeling the flames take hold of her body and consume her. She, and perhaps it would have been Anne sitting here in her place. A scream began to rise in her throat, but she quickly repressed it. She simply sat in silence till all the screams died out, till an eerie silence took hold of the once busy town. It was this silence that made Hannah want to scream to the soldiers, "Take me as well!", but it was the silence that kept her quiet. She watched as the British soldiers slowly rode around the foundations of the church, now smoldering on the groiund, and then rode out of the town. Hannah watched as they passed her hiding spot. One soldier was particularly young. His face was blanched and his eyes wide and staring. Before he got far out of the town, he stopped his horse, jumped off of it, much to the surprise of his companion and vomitted on the side of the road.
Hannah grimaced, but straightened as she watched him and heard his panting as he leaned over the ditch. Then her eyes narrowed as he stood. "I hope you were poisoned. And even if you weren't and you really do have feelings for these people, get comfortable. For once Benjamin Martin sees what you've done, well, you'll be sorry." She hissed under her breath as the soldier wiped his mouth and climbed his horse. His companion leaned back and questioned him. The boy soldier shook his head violently and started off. Hannah watched them, but she didn't move. She refused to move. She knew that Benjamin and his troops would be along soon enough. But even still as the morning turned to afternoon, then late afternoon, the militia still hadn't appeared. She stood up, loosening her weak limbs and walked to the town. She entered the Howard's store and with a sick heart, ate some of the food there, knowing that they no longer had any need for it.