Angelica insisted on helping Alexander and John get Alexander a commission with General Washington, despite their numerous objections. She claimed that she did not trust them to accomplish anything on their own. Neither Alexander nor John were brave enough to object.
It was just as well. John's attention was divided, with his new position at Washington's camp. Most days, it was only Angelica who showed up at the dock to suggest new ideas to Alexander. Some days, she showed up without ideas. Some days, they just talked about everything other than getting Alexander a position.
It was a Saturday afternoon when Angelica showed up with a letter in her hand and a frown on her face.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Hamilton." She greeted him in her customary way, waiting on the dock for him to come to her.
Alexander set down his parchment and quill, wiping the excess ink off of his hands and onto his pants.
"Miss Schuyler," He admonished her, as he always did. "I've told you a thousand times to just call me Alexander."
"General Washington plans to pull his troops from New York at the end of the month." Angelica held out the letter to Alexander without acknowledging his request.
"What?" Alexander reached for the letter, scanning its contents with furrowed brows.
My dearest darling,
Do not begrudge my absence in the months to come, for the General has decided that it is time for us to spread our resources beyond New York. He does not tell us where we are to go. I think that he worries of spies and deception.
I beseech you, remain true in my absence, as I shall in yours.
With all my love,
Colonel Moore
Alexander ignored the romantic intonation of the letter, as he was certain that Angelica had not showed him the letter to prompt a conversation about her romantic affairs.
"I'd been hoping that Colonel Moore would be able to help with your assent." Angelica explained despite Alexander's lack of questions. She worried at her upper lip with her teeth, looking thoroughly annoyed. "I cannot believe that I wasted all of those weeks flirting with him for nothing."
"How am I supposed to be appointed within a week?" Alexander ignored her despair about wasting too much time on a beau. That was none of his business.
"I don't know." Angelica admitted. Alexander was fairly certain that this was the first time that he had ever heard her use those three words in that specific order. "Can't Mr. Laurens help you at all?"
"Not in a week." Alexander shook his head.
"Do you know if General Washington will be back to New York? Maybe in a few months?" Angelica asked hopefully.
"I don't even know that the war will last a few months." Alexander sighed, sitting down on the dock and frowning down at his hands. Discouragement threatened to swallow him whole.
"What else could you do, if the war ends?" Angelica sat down right beside him, completely against all rules of etiquette and decorum.
Alexander looked around, hoping that there were no well-bred ladies or gentlemen witnessing Angelica's impropriety. He didn't want to be responsible for her ruin. Once he was satisfied that no one was looking, he shook his head and looked down at his hands again.
"I don't know. The war's my chance to get ahead without worrying about money or status or land. Without the war, no matter how it ends, I don't think there's much chance for me at all." He confessed glumly.
"That is a terrible attitude to have." Angelica remarked, casting Alexander a disapproving look. "You're in school, are you not? Could you not make connections with remarkable young men in your classes? Would they be unwilling to employ you?"
"I don't want to work for any of them. They're all idiots." Alexander dismissed the idea straight away.
"Most people are idiots. What's wrong with working for them besides that?" Angelica wondered.
"It's not…I just…there isn't anything remarkable about working at someone's bank, is there? Or being a lawyer in one hundred debt cases? Nothing about any of that seems at all important, so why should I do it?"
"Because you need status in order to marry my sister." Angelica raised an eyebrow at him, like he had gone crazy. "And because not every job you're going to do is going to change the world. Look at your job right now."
"This is different. This is paying me through school." Alexander tried to justify his clerkship.
"Being a lawyer isn't so bad. You don't have to do debt cases. You could work on cases with murders and spies and treason. That's sort of exciting, isn't it?" Angelica suggested.
Alexander sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. It's not what I thought I'd do."
"Do you always pout when things don't go exactly right for you?" Angelica demanded.
"I do not!" Alexander protested, sitting up a bit straighter.
"Yes, you do!" Angelica rose to her feet, looking down at Alexander critically. Alexander scrambled to his feet, huffing in indignation. "If you're going to sit here and lament because everything is not going perfectly in the world of Mr. Hamilton, I shall go home and never look back. My dear Eliza deserves better."
Alexander clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know what to do." His clenched jaw made his words sound venomous.
"Don't accept defeat." Angelica was speaking more like a general than she was a lady. "Write General Washington a letter. Go to the camp yourself. Find out whose dinner parties he's attending through the week. Do something, anything, to make sure that he remembers your name when he leaves."
Alexander turned back to the ships at the end of the dock, scowling. Angelica was right. He knew that. That didn't make it any less infuriating to agree with her.
"Hey." John Laurens had a knack for showing up at the worst times.
Alexander turned to look at him. Angelica had turned to look at him, too. John took an uncertain step back, his smile slipping from his face.
"Is this a bad time?" He asked.
"Why didn't you tell me that Washington was moving his camp out of New York?" Alexander found that it was easier to redirect his anger at John than it was to admit that Angelica was right.
John's eyes widened. "I was just coming to tell you. How did you find out?"
"Colonel Moore." Angelica replied dismissively.
"He shouldn't be telling anyone that - General Washington only made up his mind to move last night." John disapproved.
"What am I supposed to do?" Alexander demanded.
"General Washington likes you!" John didn't understand Alexander's anger. He looked between Alexander and Angelica helplessly. "You just have to be patient."
Both Alexander and Angelica blinked, not understanding the meaning of the word "patient".
"You could start a small company here." John surveyed the port with a cynical expression. "No frills, of course. Maybe a cannon or two, sixty or so men. You could probably get Herc involved. If you work hard, maybe your company will be chosen to accompany General Washington's troops. From there, he might promote you."
"Who on Earth is Herc and why are we getting them involved?" Angelica demanded.
"He's a friend. A tailor." Alexander answered.
"How is he going to help you? Are you in the market for a new coat?" Angelica snarked, her eyes narrowing as she looked at John critically.
"He is a good man." John replied, looking thoroughly offended. "He would be an excellent leader for any company. He will help Alexander put together a company with minimal difficulty."
"I think that I would like to meet him." Angelica said.
"Why? Do you feel compelled to intervene in yet another military affair?" John huffed in exasperation.
"I may just want a pretty dress." Angelica glowered at John.
"It's worth a try to ask him." Alexander was not listening to the petty argument taking place between John and Angelica. He didn't mind either of them intervening on his behalf.
"Yes." Hercules surprised everyone by agreeing to Alexander's proposal without demanding any convincing. Both Alexander and John had agreed that Alexander would almost certainly have to bribe Hercules with half of his wages for at least a month.
"Yes?" John did not have the good sense to take the desirable answer the second it presented itself.
"Thank you." Alexander did. "I will file the paperwork immediately. Do you know where we will be able to find men?"
"I think between your classmates and my patrons, we may be able to come up with the quota." Hercules replied thoughtfully. He looked around the tailor's shop thoughtfully. "What brought you to consider this possibility, Hamilton?"
"Eliza." Angelica remarked.
"Naturally." Hercules rolled his eyes.
"No, Eliza." Angelica's voice had taken on a semi-urgent tone.
"Yes, I am aware of your sister, Miss Schuyler." Hercules turned to look at Angelica. He afforded her one of his gruff looks. Alexander grinned at Hercules, amused by this exchange.
"No, you silly man! Eliza is coming this way!" Angelica pushed John, knocking him right into Alexander. Alexander stumbled back towards the curtains that Hercules' patrons changed behind. Once he found his footing, he looked to the entrance of the tailor's shop. He could just barely make out Eliza's silhouette. Her glossy hair shined in the sunlight. One small, slippered foot entered the shop.
"Alexander?"
Alexander disappeared behind the curtain before he was forced to make eye contact with Eliza. He looked around frantically, searching for an escape route or a set of clothes that did not make him look like a pauper.
"Angelica," The sound of Eliza's voice was louder this time. She was in the shop. Alexander resisted the urge to leap out from behind the curtains just to see her. "Was Alexander Laurens just here? Oh, Mr. John Laurens - now I know that he's here! Mr. Laurens, are you in here?"
"He's, erm, he's trying on new coats!" John said. "Isn't that right, Mr. Mulligan? Weren't you just bringing Alexander those new coats he requested?"
"Oh." Eliza's voice could barely be heard over a loud shuffling noise which had suddenly filled the shop. Alexander assumed that it was Hercules, searching for the coats that John had demanded. Alexander hoped that Hercules knew to bring other fine things besides the coat. "But when did he return from Massachusetts? I only received a letter from him two weeks ago and he said nothing of returning."
Hercules poked his head through the curtain. While Alexander felt panicked, Hercules just looked annoyed. He looked as though this were nothing more than an imposition on him, instead of being a potentially life-ruining moment in Alexander's life.
"Here." Hercules grunted, throwing a coat at Alexander.
"Pants, Herc." Alexander pleaded, looking down at his own clothes in ill-disguised horror. "I need pants. And shoes. And, well, a shirt."
"You need an entire outfit in your size?" Hercules asked with such incredulity that Alexander couldn't help but feel offended. He was certain that his size was not an unusual one. He may have been a bit on the short side, but he was hardly an abnormality.
"Mr. Laurens, is that you?" Eliza called out to him.
"Oh, uh, hello Miss Schuyler." Alexander tried to keep his voice level.
"What are you doing here, Mr. Laurens?" Eliza wondered.
Alexander wished that she would stop using his false name. The more she used the name, the more he had to answer to it. The more he had to perpetuate the lie. The deeper he had to bury himself.
"Perhaps I might talk to you when there are less barriers between us, Miss Schuyler." Alexander tried to joke. His laugh sounded desperate to his own ears.
"He just returned a night ago." John told Eliza. It was a lie, but of course, everything up to now had been a lie anyway. "He returned to join the militia."
"The militia? But I thought that he was a businessman." Eliza ventured.
"The patriot cause caught up with me, I'm afraid." Alexander called out.
He wished that John would stop talking. He wished that John would stop telling her more lies. He was only making things worse. It was far easier to escape the liability that unnecessary explanations brought.
"I'm glad of it, if it means that you will be in town for a little while longer." Eliza said.
Alexander's heart seized up. Eliza sounded like she meant it. The idea that she would be glad of his presence in any way made him want to tell her everything. He wanted to come clean and tell her that he had loved her from the moment that he had seen her.
"Eliza, darling, why don't we look around the shops while Mr. Ha - ah, Mr. Laurens finds the clothing that he's looking for?" Angelica suggested.
John had started coughing loudly when Angelica nearly let Alexander's name slip. Alexander's mouth had gone dry.
"Oh, that's okay. I think I've shopped enough for one day." Eliza could not be persuaded to leave. She was quiet for a second, then asked the question that Alexander had not even thought to worry about. "How did you and Mr. Laurens become so well acquainted?"
"We were just reintroduced this afternoon." Angelica lied quickly. Alexander wished that everyone would just stop lying. "I saw Mr. John Laurens walking with him and they made such a pretty picture that I could not resist joining them."
"Should I be hurt that you did not think to send someone for me?" Eliza asked playfully.
"Of course not, darling. I had every intention of bringing Mr. Laurens home for supper just for you." Angelia pacified her.
The way she phrased it, Alexander felt like a gift being passed from one owner to the other. He did not mind, so long as the hands passing him belonged to a Schuyler.
"Will you come to dinner, Mr. Laurens?" Eliza asked hopefully.
"I'm afraid that isn't possible." John intervened hastily.
Hercules returned to the curtain with more clothes. None of them were of the same cloth as the other. None of them were even the same color as the other. Alexander looked at him, his brows furrowed.
"Don't look at me that way - you never actually bought anything!" Hercules hissed, shoving the clothes into Alexander's arms.
"Are they at least my size?" Alexander whispered, looking down at the pile of clothes dubiously.
"These are not your clothes!" Hercules felt compelled to remind Alexander again that he was not a paying customer. "Don't make any rips or tears, or I'll have your head."
"When you speak to me like that, it's really no wonder that I haven't bought anything from you." Alexander murmured with a small smile.
Hercules cast him a withering look before returning to the other side of the curtain.
"We have dinner plans already, I'm afraid." John explained to Eliza as Alexander hastened to put on the variety of clothes that Hercules had given him. He started with the shirt. A shiny, ivory button popped off the shirt as soon as Alexander stuck his right arm through the sleeve. It went rolling out from under the curtain. Alexander heard Hercules let out an audible sigh.
"Mr. Mulligan, it seems that there was a loose button." He remarked, barely suppressing a laugh.
"So it seems." Hercules agreed, his tone clipped.
"Oh, dear. Mr. Laurens, are you sure that you wouldn't prefer to look at another shop? My father's tailor works just a few rows down." Eliza suggested.
The suggestion would have made Alexander laugh, had it not been so frightening.
"Yes, Mr. Laurens." Hercules did not suppress his mocking tone. "If you would like to consider another tailor's work, I would be happy to pass along your measurements."
"That's quite alright, Mr. Mulligan." Alexander snapped. "I'm sure that the rest of the buttons are fastened well enough for my taste."
"Eliza, perhaps we should be going home for supper, if the men aren't going to join us. Father won't like it if we're out past dark." Angelica tried again to lure Eliza away from Alexander.
"Since when have you ever been concerned about what Father likes?" Eliza laughed. It was a perfect laugh. It was sunny and light. "Besides, the sun will be up for another two or three hours, still."
"We were very sorry to have to decline your generous invitation, Miss Schuyler." John tried to change the subject. "There is nothing that we would have enjoyed more."
Alexander hopped into the trousers that Hercules had provided. They were too big. The fabric was too wide to stay at his waist. He tucked in the shirt in the hopes that it would fill the space in the trousers that his waist could not. It did not. With a frustrated sigh, he resigned to holding up the pants with his hand while he put on the silk stockings that Hercules had provided. They were too small for him. They did not reach the end of the trousers, leaving an awkward patch of skin exposed. With an annoyed huff, he set to work putting on the shoes. They were too big for him, creating a space between the back of the shoe and his ankle.
"Mr. Mulligan, I don't think that these clothes are going to quite do the trick." Alexander remarked, trying very hard not to sound as annoyed as he felt.
"Why don't you come out here and let me take a look? I'll need to see where I went wrong in order to alter them." Hercules remarked. For once, he sounded like he was enjoying himself. Alexander had a sneaking suspicious that it was no accident that the clothes did not fit.
"I don't think that is advisable, Mr. Mulligan." Alexander protested.
"I insist, Mr. Laurens." Hercules said.
"Come on, Alexander." John agreed in exasperation. He was probably tired of entertaining the Schuyler sisters on Alexander's behalf.
Alexander let out a frustrated sigh before walking through the curtain. Angelica let out an involuntary laugh then covered her mouth. Eliza's eyes widened, and her mouth curled into a small smile, but she obviously was trying very hard not to laugh. John looked over at Hercules critically. Hercules was grinning like all of his dreams were finally coming true.
"I think your measurements may be wrong." Alexander snarked.
"It does look that way, doesn't it?" Hercules agreed, still grinning. He looked over his shoulder and snapped his fingers. "Do you know, I think I may have given you the wrong clothes, Mr. Laurens. I hope you'll forgive the mistake."
"Of course." Alexander agreed, his eyes narrowed as he watched Hercules recover another set of clothes. This set matched in cloth and color.
"Oh, but who would order those terrible clothes?" Eliza asked, gesturing to Alexander. Alexander shrugged. The motion caused his grip on his trousers to loosen. They slid down his thighs, nearly creating a great deal of embarrassment before Alexander grabbed them and returned them to his waist.
Angelica let out another laugh.
Alexander tried to smile good-naturedly, though his face burned with embarrassment. "I cannot imagine who might have requested these proportions. I do hope that you will forgive me for exposing so much of myself when we have only met twice."
Eliza dissolved into giggles. Alexander's smile grew genuine. Upon seeing Alexander's smile, John smiled, too.
"Here you are, Mr. Laurens." Hercules handed Alexander the bundle of clothes. Alexander accepted them with one hand, still holding the trousers up with the other. "If you would please change; I cannot have you showing so much of yourself to potential customers."
Alexander cast Eliza a lopsided grin before hurrying behind the curtain to change into clothes that, hopefully, would fit him much better than the original set.
When he emerged from the curtain again, it was in an entire outfit that fit him perfectly. Even the clothes that he wore to school - the ones he had spent two months' worth of pay on and kept under meticulous conditions - did not fit him so well, nor feel so nice.
"Ah. There are your clothes, Mr. Laurens." Hercules cast him an uncharacteristically kind smile.
Alexander smiled back, wishing that these were, indeed, his clothes.
"Shall we wait for Mr. Laurens outside while he pays?" Angelica suggested, linking her arm with Eliza's and ushering her outside. "It's so dreadfully stuffy in this store with all five of us, I think I should faint if I don't get some fresh air."
"Yes, of course." Eliza craned her neck to look over her shoulder at Alexander. She smiled when her eyes found his. Alexander smiled back at her as the women disappeared from sight.
"I can buy those for him, if they don't have a buyer lined up already." John drew Alexander's attention back within the confines of the store.
Hercules waved off John's offer. "They're for Hamilton."
"What?" Alexander didn't hide his surprise.
"We like you, Hammie, fine clothes or not." Hercules shrugged, looking a bit embarrassed. "But if fine clothes are going to win over Miss Schuyler, then I'll make the contribution on your behalf. You deserve to be happy."
Alexander quirked a smile. It was not like Hercules to be nice.
"Thank you." He said. It was not like Alexander to be grateful.
"Go on," Hercules dismissed Alexander gruffly. Alexander's gratitude embarrassed him. "I am certain that you would rather speak with Miss Schuyler than stand around here and speak with me."
Alexander nodded, grinning at Hercules before exiting the shop. John followed at his heels. Alexander didn't look at him, certain that he would understand the importance of speaking with Eliza Schuyler when the opportunity presented itself.
"Miss Schuyler." Alexander was relieved when he found her waiting outside with Angelica.
Both Eliza and Angelica turned around to look at him. Both were smiling. Alexander fixed his eyes on Eliza, his own smile broadening.
"Mr. Laurens." Eliza cast her eyes downward in a demure gesture that might have made Alexander laugh, if she weren't so devastatingly beautiful.
"May I walk you home?" Alexander could not offer Eliza his entire night; John had already told her that he was busy to avoid having to have dinner with her father.
"We have the horses -" Angelica turned around to look at the horses they had presumably ridden to get to town.
"I would love little more than for you to walk me home, Mr. Laurens." Eliza ignored Angelica.
"Uh, Alexander, I have to return to camp soon…" John remarked.
Alexander looked over his shoulder at John. "All right. Thank you for the visit, John. Send General Washington my regards."
John's face paled a bit. He frowned, but nodded and bowed to both Angelica and Eliza.
"Good evening, Miss Schuyler." He murmured.
"Good evening, Mr. Laurens." Both Eliza and Angelica chorused.
"New York will feel your absence, Mr. Laurens." Angelica said.
Alexander started, realizing that he had quite forgotten that John would be leaving New York before they were to see each other again. He turned to say a proper goodbye to his friend, only to find that John was gone. Alexander could vaguely make out his retreating figure several yards away.
When Alexander turned around to look at Eliza again, he noticed that Angelica was watching him with something resembling disapproval. She likely noticed that he had forgotten that John was leaving. Alexander absolved himself of the guilt that Angelica was trying to impose upon him. He would write John a letter when he returned home.
"Shall we, Mr. Laurens?" Eliza inquired, oblivious to the meaning behind Angelica's words.
"Of course." Alexander offered Eliza his arm, the way he'd dreamt of doing for months on end. He nearly shuddered out of pure joy when Eliza placed her small hand on his arm.
"Angelica," Eliza surprised both Angelica and Alexander by turning to look at her sister. "Would you like to walk with us? I'm sure that we can send someone to fetch the horses when we're home."
Angelica looked at Eliza and Alexander, considering Eliza's invitation. Alexander was certain that she would say no. She knew how much Alexander wanted to speak with Eliza undisturbed. She knew how much he cherished every second spent alone with her.
"I would be delighted to." Angelica said.
I'M BACK! I can't promise consistency because I am a busy person and I've also been working on an OG piece of writing, but I'll do my best to post at least a couple of times a month. Enjoy~