Alexander began to court Maria once he left the infirmary. Alexander had brought up the matter with Maria the day after Hercules left camp. She had accepted his request to pay her courtship, but only after he had left her care. She did not wish to be accused of improper conduct by allowing a man living under her quarters to court her.
Washington had found a space for Alexander about a week after he had asked to pay court to Maria. It had been a terribly long week, but it had been one full of secret smiles and whispered promises. Alexander found himself thinking less about Eliza, and more about Maria's laughter. He tried very hard to love Maria the way that he loved Eliza. Or, had loved Eliza. He was continually reminding himself that he no longer loved Eliza.
The space that Washington had found for Alexander was hardly ideal; he was sleeping on the floor of Washington's quarters on a cot placed beside John's. It did not matter, though. Alexander spent a majority of his time at his desk. He spent the rest of his remaining time loitering around the medic's tent until the annoyed medic shooed him away.
During the times when Alexander was tied to his desk, Maria loitered around Washington's quarters. Washington said that he did not mind, so long as Alexander's work did not suffer. John quite clearly minded, but he was far too polite to do more than roll his eyes in a passive aggressive manner.
Alexander would have had a very hard time looking for something to complain about, were it not for one glaring annoyance: Washington kept him out of any fighting that took place. It was an infuriating aspect of his job; one which he had not thought about when he accepted the promotion. Every battle, every skirmish, every espionage mission…Alexander was stuck by Washington's side, along with John and a French general who went by the name Lafayette.
Lafayette was not the only general with whom Alexander had grown acquainted since he had begun to work for Washington. Washington seemed to be grooming him to be an important man in society.
Presently, Alexander found himself sitting in a room filled with men of such high status that he could not shake the fear that he would be asked to leave once he was discovered.
"Colonel Hamilton is my most promising aide." Washington was telling one such man; General Greene.
"Is that so?" Greene asked politely. "You must be quite impressive to merit such praise from General Washington. He so rarely has kind words for those in his employ."
The rest of the men in the room laughed. Washington forced a tight smile. Alexander knew him well enough to know that he did not like being laughed at. He was remarkably sensitive for such an important man.
"I dare not ask for a better employer than General Washington." Alexander replied, hoping that his words would appease Washington while charming the men around him.
"And yet, Congress is a rather bothersome employer, is it not, General Washington?" Another man, General Knox, boomed. "I relish the idea that I will once more return to my own employ."
"We are all of us facing a difficult situation. Under such circumstances, no man can be the leader which he wishes to be." Washington replied vaguely. "Yet, I, too, find myself looking forward to returning to my home, where I answer to no man but God."
"What is your occupation, Colonel Hamilton?" Greene asked Alexander. "Outside of the war, I mean."
"I left university to pursue the patriot cause." Alexander replied, his ears reddening somewhat.
He did not wish to disclose that he had had to work while going to school in order to pay his room and board. He wanted these men to consider him their equal, even as he knew himself to be their inferior.
"How very noble. What were you studying?" Greene asked.
If he suspected Alexander of low status, he did not show it. He appeared genuinely interested in Alexander's academic pursuits. Not even Alexander's professors had been interested in his academic pursuits.
"Law." He replied. He hoped that he did not sound too immodest when he added. "I was studying at King's College."
"A very good school. General Washington, how do you always manage to snag the very best aides? I remember trying to recruit Colonel Hamilton when he was only Captain Hamilton, but could not convince him to leave his company." Knox complained playfully.
Alexander's blush deepened. He had been hoping that Knox would forget about his spurned offer when they were reintroduced.
Knox had written to him after a brief exchange during a skirmish in New York, offering him a job as an aide. Alexander had rejected the offer after conferring with Hercules and John. He figured that he had to work for Washington, specifically, or be a war hero in order to win Eliza over. No one would remember the name of an aide for one of Washington's generals.
"I suppose it is a perk of my position." Washington replied with a small attempt at a smile.
Washington did not smile very often. He was a rather grim man. Alexander tried not to hold that against him. He figured that he would be rather grim, too, if he were the commander-in-chief for an unkempt militia that could not seem to win.
"Perhaps I will poach Colonel Hamilton away from your employ once you have sufficiently trained him." Knox teased. "I will offer to pay him double the amount that you are paying him."
"Colonel Hamilton accepts no salary from Congress." Washington replied, his voice reaching an unmistakable note of pride.
Alexander could not help but smile once he heard Washington's tone. He could not hide his pleasure at having received Washington's approval. It was an extraordinary accomplishment.
"Ah! You and Colonel Hamilton are one in the same." Knox chuckled dismissively. "I don't suppose I had better poach him from you, after all."
Alexander joined the men in a bout of laughter. He relished the wonderful sensation of being accepted for who he was, instead of being rejected for who he was not.
After the supper with Washington and his generals, Alexander stumbled over to the medic's tent. He had consumed enough wine to make his brain feel fuzzy, but he had promised Maria that he would meet her once he was through with his social obligations.
Maria was just inside the tent, folding the linens that had been drying on the line that afternoon. She smiled when she saw Alexander. Alexander liked that she smiled when she saw him. He never worried about where he stood in her eyes. She made it abundantly clear that he was loved.
"Hello." He greeted her, his voice unnaturally drawn-out and sloppy.
"Hello." Maria echoed, her voice laced with laughter. "It looks like you enjoyed your supper with the generals."
Alexander grinned, unashamed.
"Would you like to take a walk?" Maria asked, unbothered by Alexander's drunkenness. "I'm nearly finished here."
"Yes." Alexander agreed straight away.
There was a momentary pause while Maria finished the folding. Once she was finished with it, she stepped out of the tent and joined Alexander in the night air. She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, dissolving into giggles when she caught sight of Alexander's smile. Alexander laughed, too.
"What did you men talk about during your secret supper? Are you allowed to tell me?" Maria teased him as they walked.
Alexander did not mind being teased. He knew it was well-intentioned.
"I would tell you, but I fear that it would bore you to tears." He responded, his smile fading into a comfortable cross between his resting face and the remnant of his smile. "We spoke of little other than one another."
"What was said of you?" Maria inquired, seemingly interested.
Alexander could not hide his pride, nor did he have much interest in trying.
"General Washington seemed very pleased with the work that I have done for him so far." He said. "General Knox said that he envied General Washington for having me in his employ."
Maria clucked her tongue and shook her head.
"Imagine," She said, her tone one of wonder. "I am walking with a man so brilliant that the most important men in the world are fighting over him."
"Hardly the most important men in the world. I should say the country." Alexander corrected her good-naturedly. "Though it is still a tremendous honor."
"You are too humble." Maria nudged his shoulder playfully. It was a toward and impolite act, but it made Alexander feel at home.
"General Washington values humility." He retorted, grinning.
Maria laughed. She laughed loud enough that the sound carried through the quiet of the night.
"Perhaps General Washington values it," She agreed, still laughing. "But I cannot see why you should seek to impress General Washington right now. You should embellish your accomplishments so that you might impress me."
"Are you not impressed with me, already?" Alexander feigned injury.
"Oh, I am very impressed with you. That does not mean it is impossible for me to be more impressed with you." Maria rationed.
"How impressed with me do you need to be?" Alexander wondered.
"That depends," Maria replied, her mouth curving into an alluring smile.
"On what?" Alexander could not resist playing into whatever it was that she was doing.
"On what you want me to do." Maria answered.
The sound of their laughter could be heard all throughout camp.
"No." John said as soon as Alexander brought up the idea.
"Well, why not?" Alexander protested, feeling as though John was being rather unfair.
"Why not?" John echoed with a disbelieving laugh. "Because you have only known her for two weeks. You have older quills on your desk."
"General Washington met his wife only twice before they were wed." Alexander knew that citing Washington as a measure of good judgment would win him the argument.
John spared a glance in the direction of Washington's closed door. He leaned closer to Alexander, his eyes narrowed.
"General Washington married Mrs. Washington because it was an advantageous match which required no thought." He whispered, not taking his eyes off of Washington's door. "Miss Lewis can hardly compare to Mrs. Washington. She does not bring money, land, or status."
"She loves me." Alexander said, as though this simple fact compensated for her lack of a dowry.
"Do not make this mistake because Miss Schuyler has led you to believe that love is a rare commodity." John pleaded. "Miss Lewis is a fine girl, but not the sort that you should be considering for a wife. Let her be your entertainment until you find a more suitable match."
"I would prefer you not speak of her that way." Alexander said coolly.
"Marriage is a big decision." John tried to circle back to his initial point. "You cannot change your mind once it is done."
Washington strode out of his office in the middle of John's statement. He looked to Alexander curiously, appraising him. Alexander felt a blush creep across his face.
"Are you considering marriage, Colonel Hamilton?" Washington inquired, his tone one of polite interest.
"Yes, sir." Alexander admitted.
"I assume we are discussing Miss Lewis from the medic's tent." Washington continued, not taking his eyes off of Alexander.
"Yes, sir." Alexander said, surprised.
He had not anticipated Washington knowing Maria's name, much less that Alexander was involved with her. Washington seemed far too busy to worry about such trivial matters. Most days, he was securing food and clothing for his troops; he was not bumping elbows with his inferiors.
"Marriage is almost always either the making of a man, or the undoing of one." Washington remarked in his usual stoic manner. He cast Alexander a pointed look. "Choose wisely, my boy."
John cast Alexander a smug look as Washington strode through the room towards the door. Both men waited until Washington had exited the building altogether before speaking again.
"See?" John said triumphantly.
"He did not say that I should not marry Maria." Alexander argued. "Perhaps he meant that I ought to marry her, for she would be the making of me."
"You are the making of you, Alex." John protested. "General Washington does not know what he is talking about when it comes to this matter. I beg of you - do not do this. Wait a year. If you still wish to marry Miss Lewis after a year, then I will not protest."
Alexander shook his head. "A year is too long."
"Why are you in such a hurry?" John demanded.
"I do not know how much time I have left on this earth." Alexander replied, as though it was common sense. In his mind, it was. "I do not intend to waste a single second of it. Now, if you will excuse me, John, I am going to return to my work. I suggest you do the same."
John shook his head and spared Alexander one last look of disapproval before craning his head to read the latest reports from Charles Lee. Alexander ignored him as he did the same.
"Are you sure that you aren't ill?" Maria asked as she and Alexander walked through the fields together the following night. "You look paler than usual."
"I'm fine." Alexander assured her, forcing a smile.
His hands were trembling by his side. His heart was hammering against his chest. His whole body was drenched with a cold sweat. He was shivering despite the warm temperature.
He told himself that this reaction was only natural, as he was afraid of Maria saying 'no'. He did not allow himself to entertain the possibility that he was afraid of her saying yes. He wrestled against thoughts of Eliza. Every time he pushed them out of his head, they cropped right back up again. He did not want to think of Eliza when he was about to promise the rest of his life away to another woman…to Maria.
"All right." Maria accepted his assurance without a lot of confidence. She looked up at the stars littering the night sky. "It's pretty out tonight."
Alexander nodded without looking at the stars. He did not care whether it was pretty out or not. He tried to think of how to go about proposing. He had never proposed to a woman before. He was not quite sure what he was meant to say.
"Miss Lewis," He said, looking down at the grass below them as they spoke. "I am aware that we have only known one another for a short amount of time, but I cannot help but feel as though we have been acquainted before in another lifetime."
"I agree." Maria said, casting Alexander a pretty, demure smile.
"Perhaps it is because I feel such a way that I am emboldened to make such a request," Alexander continued, still looking down. "But I must make it now, before I lose my nerve forever. Miss Lewis, would you do me the honor of your hand?"
Maria paused, turning to look at Alexander. Alexander tore his gaze away from the ground long enough to meet her eyes. He had to know if her silence was one of repulsion or one of surprise. To his relief, she was smiling.
"Yes," She said, at last. Her tone was one of surprise, but it was also one of joy. "Yes, of course I will marry you!"
"You will?" Alexander wondered in disbelief.
"Yes!" Maria leapt forward and wrapped her arms around Alexander's neck in an incredibly untoward act. Alexander forgave her for this oversight, as she was clearly overwhelmed by emotion.
Once she untangled herself from Alexander and stepped away from him, she looked him over carefully.
"You will have to write to my father." She told him, her tone taking on a startlingly serious tone. "He cannot know that you dared to ask me without his consent."
"Of course." Alexander agreed readily.
He had planned to write to Mr. Lewis as soon as he had asked Maria. He had already drafted a letter or two. He had yet to come up with a good way of explaining how he and Maria had gotten to know one another while serving in the militia, where there were no chaperones.
"When will we get married?" Maria wondered. All seriousness disappeared from her face. A smile took its place.
Alexander smiled. He didn't know why he still felt nervous. The difficult part was over. He should have been happy now.
"As soon as I get furlough." He said.
He figured that he was still nervous because they were not yet married. Maria could still find someone who she preferred. They could be separated through some unforeseeable act, delaying the marriage until the war had ended. Alexander told himself that he simply wanted everything to be settled. The sooner he was married, the sooner that he would be happy.
"Promise me that you'll ask General Washington for furlough soon." Maria looked up at Alexander, her eyes alight.
Alexander smiled back at her.
Yes, he would definitely be happy once they settled down.
"I will ask him tomorrow." He promised.
They were nearing the camp. Alexander could hear the crackle of dying fires. Prostitutes were beginning to stumble from shoddy tents and officer's quarters. A few men were sitting on rotting logs, drinking the small ration of rum that Washington afforded his soldiers. Their laughter made Maria look over her shoulder in their direction.
"I should return to the medic's quarters." She said with a small smile.
Alexander nodded. He knew that she could not afford to be caught outside with him at this hour. Though they were now engaged, everyone would suspect the worst.
"Goodnight." He said, bending down to plant a kiss on her hand.
"Goodnight." She whispered back, walking off in the direction of her tent.
"Goodnight." Alexander whispered to himself before returning to Washington's quarters.
Alexander was at work early the next morning. He was hoping to speak to Washington before anyone else showed up; John, in particular. He did not want anyone to hear his request for furlough. He was unwilling to deal with the judgment of others at the moment. He was far too consumed with his own strange feeling of dread.
Luckily, Washington strolled into the office just as the sun was beginning to rise. He looked at Alexander curiously. He demanded that his aides begin their work at six o'clock in the morning, but did not ask them to show up any earlier. Given the late hours that they often worked, the aides typically did not arrive until six o'clock on the dot.
"Hello, Colonel Hamilton." Washington recovered from his surprise with his typical, maddening amount of grace. "Dare I ask what I have done to deserve the honor of your presence so early in the morning?"
"I had a few unresolved matters to tend to." Alexander lied, glancing down at his desk.
Washington quirked an eyebrow.
"Is this a matter with which I should be concerned?" He asked, his voice laced with concern.
"No, sir." Alexander replied hastily. "I also wished to broach the subject of furlough with you, sir."
"I see." Washington hummed. His posture relaxed somewhat. "I suppose this request for furlough has something to do with the lovely Miss Lewis?"
"Yes, sir." Alexander said, his face reddening.
"Hm." Washington rubbed his jawline with his right hand, a thoughtful expression on his face. "It is a bit soon for a furlough request - you have only been in my employ for a few weeks."
Alexander nodded, his blush deepening further. He had worried that Washington would consider his request improper. If rumors were to be believed, Washington valued propriety in his officers above all other things.
"I will grant you furlough if you accompany me to the Schuyler mansion this coming weekend." Washington said after a pause. "General Schuyler is a man with whom I should like you to be acquainted. He has the means to elevate you in New York society."
Alexander felt his expression fall. Judging from the way that Washington quirked his eyebrow, it was equally obvious to him. Alexander knew better than to explain his acquaintance with the Schuyler sisters to Washington; Washington would think less of him for lying to ladies of such high status.
"Yes, sir." He said without protest. "It would be an honor."