"I don't want you to go." Maria pouted as Alexander saddled and packed his and Washington's horses for the journey.
Alexander sighed as he turned to look at Maria.
"It is an opportunity which I could not pass up." He reminded her. "General Washington instructed me to accompany him, with the agreement that I would receive furlough upon my return. I am doing this for you and I."
Maria snorted and shook her head.
"She will be there, will she not?" She demanded.
Alexander did not bother asking who it was that Maria referred to. He knew well enough that she was talking about Eliza.
"Of course she will not be there." He assured her. "For what purpose would she attend a dinner between General Schuyler and General Washington? This dinner is purely for the purpose of the war."
Maria pursed her lips.
"Promise me that you will return to me after your dinner with General Schuyler." She said. She stared up at him with wide eyes, her mouth downturned.
"I promise." Alexander replied, smiling down at her. "Even if Miss Schuyler were to attend the dinner, I can assure you that I do not have any remaining feelings for her. It has been months since I have last spoken to her. You have nothing to worry about. I am, and will continue to be, faithful to you."
"Colonel Hamilton." Washington addressed him from a few feet away.
He nodded respectfully in Maria's direction. Maria dropped into a deep and thoroughly respectful curtsy. Alexander smiled at her approvingly. Such propriety was certainly a desirable trait in a wife.
"Your Excellency." Alexander bowed to Washington. "The horses are packed and prepared for the journey."
"Very good." Washington approved. "Let us not dwell; we have a great deal of ground to cover in a small amount of time."
"Yes, sir." Alexander agreed.
He moved to join Washington with one last smile in Maria's direction. She smiled back at him reluctantly. Alexander allowed this to reassure him that all was well.
Washington was quiet for most of the ride. Alexander did not mind the silence. It gave him the opportunity to think about other matters, such as an opinion piece he intended to write for a New York newspaper.
Every once in a while, Washington would break the silence to ask Alexander for his opinions on several matters. Rations for the soldiers, geographical locations that the British might attack, the best way to elicit funds from Congress…complex topics were discussed for a few minutes at a time. After Alexander had given his answer, Washington would fall into silence once more.
They rode for hours until the familiar sight of New York came into view.
Once Alexander recognized his surroundings, he could hardly keep still. He looked about, hoping to see familiar faces.
"You attended college in this area, did you not?" Washington remarked, following Alexander's curious gaze.
"Yes, sir." Alexander replied.
Washington nodded to himself, considering Alexander's answer. Washington seemed to think about his words more carefully than any other man that Alexander had ever met. He thought for an hour and spoke for five minutes.
"Did you ever meet the Schuyler family during your stay in New York?" Washington asked after a few minutes of silence. "They are a rather prominent family in the area, if I am not mistaken."
Alexander cleared his throat uncomfortably. He knew that he could not lie to Washington about having met Eliza, Angelica, and, at times, Peggy Schuyler. If any of the sisters were present at the dinner, they would give away his lie immediately.
"Yes, sir. I had the pleasure of meeting General Schuyler's three daughters at various social events." He replied ambiguously.
"Was General Schuyler in attendance at any of these events?" Washington inquired after an uncharacteristically short amount of time.
"No, sir." Alexander said. "I believe his daughters attended the events on his behalf."
Washington nodded to himself.
"You are in luck." He said after the usual pause. "It is my understanding that the Schuyler sisters will be in attendance at tonight's dinner."
Alexander felt the color drain from his face.
"Is that right?" He asked weakly.
Washington nodded, enveloping himself once more in the silence which he seemed to prefer.
The Schuyler mansion came into view. Alexander felt less certain than he had five minutes ago. The mansion appeared more daunting now than it had when he had last visited it. The idea of Eliza Schuyler waiting within it made Alexander want to turn around and never look back.
However, disappointing Washington was not an option. If he displeased Washington, he would not get furlough to marry Maria. Worse still, he would likely be demoted to a lowly infantryman. He could not afford to regress in society. As it was, the war was in danger of ending without him achieving any esteem at all.
"Mr. Laurens!" Jack, the servant that Alexander had come to know during his courtship of Eliza, called out as Alexander and Washington approached the stables on their horses. "How are you, sir?"
Washington looked to Alexander curiously. Alexander felt a blush erupt across his face. He cleared his throat and lowered his eyes.
"I believe you are mistaken, sir." He said pathetically. "For Colonel Laurens is a friend of mine. I am Colonel Hamilton."
Jack looked surprised. However, he seemed sensible of Alexander's embarrassment. Instead of arguing, he bowed.
"My mistake, sir. May I take your horses?" He asked.
Both Alexander and Washington slid off of their horses. Washington handed the reins of his horse over to Jack without a word. He was more accustomed to being served than Alexander was.
"Thank you, Jack." Alexander said as he handed over his own reins. He spoke in a low voice, so that Washington would not hear. "I apologize for my conduct, I am simply -"
"There is no need to explain yourself to me, Colonel Hamilton." Jack interrupted Alexander, his tone markedly cooler than it had been when they first arrived. Alexander understood that he had offended Jack by treating him as a mere servant for Washington's benefit. He could not object to Jack taking such offense.
Alexander nodded grimly. He could not stand around and apologize to Jack while Washington was waiting for him. He was forced to turn away and leave Jack to his anger.
Washington strode up to the front door of the Schuyler mansion with Alexander trailing at his heels. He rapped his knuckle against the door three times. Within seconds, the door swung open. Another servant of the Schuyler family opened the door. He spared Alexander a curious glance, but did not comment on his presence the way that Jack had.
"Gentlemen, please come in." The servant stepped back to allow Washington and Alexander entry into the room. "General Schuyler is occupied at the moment, but he has set aside rooms for each of you to stay in. Shall I escort you to your rooms to get dressed for dinner?"
"Yes, please." Washington agreed.
Alexander nodded, looking around the foyer warily. He expected Eliza or Angelica to appear in the eaves, waiting to stir up trouble for him. He could not imagine that they would not find a way to make his visit to the Schuyler mansion troublesome.
The servant led Alexander and Washington up the grand staircase towards their rooms. Alexander had never ascended the staircase before. He had always been tempted by it, for it held the promise of an intimacy beyond mere friendship.
"Here is your room, General Washington." The servant showed Washington to his room first. It was expected, as Washington was higher ranking than Alexander.
Washington nodded and entered the room allotted to him. He closed the door behind him. The servant moved on without a second thought. He did not look back to see if Alexander was following him.
"And here is your room, sir." The servant opened the door to the room that was allotted to Alexander. "Please let me know if there is anything else which you will require during your stay."
"Thank you." Alexander said, walking into his room.
The servant glanced over his shoulder in surprise as Alexander closed the door.
Once alone in his room, Alexander threw his saddle bag onto a chair. He opened it and hung up his dinner clothes. They had not gotten terribly dusty during the ride. He would appear suitable for the occasion.
After hanging up his saddle bag, Alexander removed paper and a quill from his bag. He sat at the small desk in his room and began a letter to Maria. He was determined not to forget himself while staying at the Schuyler mansion.
Just as he was thinking of a poetic way to describe Maria's face, there was a knock on his door. Alexander leapt to his feet, assuming that either Washington or General Schuyler were at his door.
He strode the length of the room, adjusting his waistcoat as he moved. He mentally chided himself for not yet changing out of his riding clothes. They were not suitable for a meeting with such important men.
When he threw open his door, he was surprised to see Angelica Schuyler's smiling face on the other side.
"So you did accompany General Washington." She remarked, looking Alexander over as she spoke. "I thought Father had dreamt you up."
"Miss Schuyler." Alexander said, surprised. "Hello."
"Oh, don't start with those niceties." Angelica rolled her eyes as she strode into Alexander's room.
Alexander looked around in horror. If Washington, General Schuyler, Mrs. Schuyler, or any of the servants saw Angelica walking into his room, they would assume the worst. His reputation would be ruined along with hers. He would no longer be permitted to marry Maria; instead, he would have to marry Angelica in a futile attempt to save their reputations. He would be forever condemned to bear witness to the Schuyler family.
"Miss Schuyler, you forget yourself!" He whispered to Angelica, his tone frantic. "If you are discovered here -"
"Close the door, Alexander." Angelica said, smiling at Alexander piteously. "We will not be discovered, I can promise you. My mother is too worried about impressing General Washington with a good dinner to keep track of her own head. As for my father…I doubt that he remembers he has three daughters to account for."
Alexander sighed and closed the door. He didn't exactly trust that Angelica would not be discovered, but he had never been very good at arguing with her. She possessed a confidence that he was not accustomed to in a lady.
"I hear that you are engaged to a woman who works at General Washington's camp." Angelica remarked as she paced the length of Alexander's room.
She cast him a smile that was meant to be coy. Alexander saw the sadness through it. Hercules' words haunted him. Angelica loved him; or, she had at least loved him at one time. Alexander had spurned her the last time that they had met. The news of his engagement had likely hurt her.
"I am." He admitted, not meeting Angelica's eyes.
"Is she a prostitute?" Angelica asked.
Alexander looked up to meet Angelica's eyes. She was still smiling, but her smile was less sad than it had been. There was more amusement, and far more wickedness, in her smile now.
"What?" Alexander asked, bewildered. "No, she is not a prostitute. What on this earth could lead you to believe that I would marry a prostitute?"
"I cannot imagine another kind of woman you would meet around a soldier's camp." Angelica remarked, dropping into one of the armchairs in the room. She cocked her head to the side as she considered him. "Was she there to nurse her brother back to health? Her son? No gentlewoman is taking to the fields for such a purpose, so she could not be very well-bred."
"Enough of the guessing. Miss Lewis is a nurse for the field medic - an honorable position for a woman to maintain. She does not come from a family like yours, to be sure, but she is a good woman with good manners. Are you satisfied?" Alexander explained irritably.
"No," Angelica shook her head, her smiling fading. "I am not satisfied. Why did you come here tonight?"
"General Washington asked me to." Alexander replied, frowning.
"You could have told him 'no'." Angelica said. "You had no right to come here tonight and further torment my sister. She has heard of your engagement, too. Do you have any idea of the pain that you have caused her?"
"Pain?" Alexander echoed incredulously. He could not believe that Angelica was accusing him of heartlessness. "I would have proposed to your sister months ago if she only would have spoken to me. I wrote hundreds of letters to her. I clawed my way up to a higher rank to be deserving of her. I waited months for any sort of response. You cannot blame me for moving on when I did not receive one."
"Can I not? I had to hold Eliza as she cried through the night after finding out about your engagement at a party." Angelica responded without sympathy. "She was angry with you, but that does not mean that she did not love you."
A knock on the door interrupted them.
Angelica looked in the direction of the door, surprised. She had obviously not expected someone to disturb them during her visit.
Alexander was too absorbed in his thoughts to worry about the knock on the door. He had given up all hope that Eliza had any affection left for him. He had assumed that once she learned the truth about him, she had immediately stopped loving him.
There was another knock. Angelica looked to Alexander expectantly. She could not speak up, as she was not supposed to be in the room and could not risk being discovered. When Alexander did not speak up, she pinched his arm. Alexander jumped at the pain, then looked to Angelica for an explanation. Angelica gestured to the door.
"You have to answer it." She whispered.
"Oh. Oh!" Alexander raised his voice, looking towards the door. "Yes - what is it?"
"Dinner is about to be served, Colonel Hamilton." The servant who had shown Alexander to his room spoke through the door. "May I escort you down to announce you?"
"That would be wonderful…could you give me a moment? I am not fully dressed for dinner yet." Alexander replied, scrambling for his clothes.
"Shall I assist you with your clothes?" The servant inquired politely.
"No! No, thank you." Alexander shouted back. He looked around for any way to get Angelica out of the room without notice.
"Very good, sir." The servant mumbled, his tone one of confusion. "I will notify General Schuyler's daughters of the time, then return to escort you."
The floor creaked beneath the servant as he moved down the hallway. Alexander turned to look at Angelica. He expected her to know what to do, as it was her fault that the two of them found themselves in such a predicament.
Angelica clucked her tongue and shook her head at him.
"You should see your face." She joked, her wicked smile returning. "There is no need to be afraid of Matthew. He won't tell on me. He's let me get away with far worse for years. I'll leave you to get dressed for dinner."
Alexander shook his head as Angelica moved towards the door.
"Will Eliza be attending dinner?" He asked just before Angelica opened the door.
"She will." Angelica replied in a matter-of-fact tone. She glanced back at Alexander as she opened the door. "You had better not make her cry again."
She walked out of the room before Alexander could protest her statement. He moved forward to close the door behind her. In a stroke of what could only be described as miserable luck, he locked eyes with Washington, who had just emerged from his own room.
Washington had clearly seen Angelica emerging from Alexander's room. He spared Angelica's retreating figure a curious look before affording Alexander a curt nod. He did not say anything about the matter, nor did he do anything which might suggest that he intended to tell General Schuyler what he had seen. This did not do much to soothe Alexander's concerns.
He closed his door, his hands shaking. He turned to his dinner clothes, quickly shedding his dirty riding clothes and changing into his cleaner dinner clothes. He pulled his hair back and secured it with a new ribbon that he had procured from the nearest town to camp. He hoped that he would not enter the room just as Washington was informing General Schuyler of what he had seen.
When he opened the door again, the servant who had escorted him to the room earlier was waiting outside the doorway. He bowed as Alexander stepped into the hallway.
"Shall I escort you to dinner, sir?" He inquired.
"Yes. Thank you." Alexander mumbled, looking around for either Angelica or Eliza.
"This way, sir." The servant showed Alexander down the stairs and towards the dining room. Alexander continued to look around for any sign of the Schuyler sisters.
The servant announced Alexander as they entered the dining room. Alexander barely heard him. He was too busy staring at Eliza, who was seated at her mother's side. She did not look up as he took his seat. Her attention remained fixed on her place setting.
"Welcome, Colonel Hamilton," General Schuyler said in a jovial tone which suggested that Washington had not told him about Angelica sneaking out of Alexander's room just minutes before. "General Washington informs me that I have been corresponding with you for several months now without knowing it."
Alexander smiled politely, but could not think of any word other than Eliza.
"Colonel Hamilton is a rare asset to me; he thinks and speaks for me when I am otherwise indisposed." Washington said, looking in Alexander's direction.
He did not speak with the same unmistakable pride that he had when speaking to General Greene and General Knox. He was looking at Alexander with a stony expression. It made Alexander uncomfortable. He looked at his own place setting to avoid Washington's stare.
"You look familiar, Colonel Hamilton. Have we had the pleasure of your company before?" Mrs. Schuyler inquired.
Alexander looked up again. He continued to avoid Washington's stare as he looked at Mrs. Schuyler.
"I don't believe I have ever had the pleasure, madam." He replied awkwardly. "Perhaps we have seen each other about New York, as I do not hail far from here."
He hoped that Mrs. Schuyler had not managed to see him with Eliza despite his best efforts.
"I am sure that is it." Mrs. Schuyler agreed amiably.
"I have heard that you are recently engaged, Colonel Hamilton." Eliza finally spoke. She met Alexander's eyes steadily. Alexander had forgotten how much Eliza's eyes sparkled. He found himself struggling to retain the words that she was saying. "I must congratulate you."
"Thank you, Miss Schuyler." He said unsteadily.
"Do we know the family?" General Schuyler wondered, glancing in Washington's direction.
Washington shook his head.
"Miss Lewis is from a modest family in Pennsylvania." He replied, glancing at Alexander. "But she is a very bright girl who is well-suited to learn the office of a dignified wife."
General Schuyler nodded. Alexander returned his eyes to his place setting.
Servers entered the room to serve the first course. It was a soup of some sort. It smelled warm and better than anything that Alexander had eaten since joining the militia. Alexander eagerly invested his attention in the food.
"When are you to be wed?" Eliza asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the table.
Alexander looked up, his mouth full of soup. Eliza was looking at him, her mouth set in a small frown. Her eyes were locked on his. She did not seem to notice Angelica and Peggy casting her disapproving looks.
"We have not set a date yet, Miss Schuyler." Alexander replied unwillingly.
He did not like talking about his engagement to Maria in front of Eliza. He was afraid of hurting her; Angelica's subtle glaring did nothing to quell this fear.
"I sympathize with the trouble of planning a wedding during these times." Mrs. Schuyler chimed in, casting Alexander a polite smile. "We are in the process of planning a wedding for our eldest daughter, Angelica."
"You are engaged, Miss Schuyler?" Alexander looked to Angelica in surprise.
He had not heard that she was engaged. She had not told him that she was engaged when they had spoken just moments ago. He could not even imagine who she might be engaged to.
"Yes, Colonel Hamilton." Angelica looked back at him, unsmiling. "I am to marry John Church. He is a gentleman of some esteem in London."
"London?" Alexander could not hide his surprise. He felt both General Schuyler and Washington's eyes on him as he engaged in a conversation as though no one else was there. It was a tremendous breach of propriety. "You are going to be wed to a British man?"
"He is sympathetic to our cause." General Schuyler interjected before Angelica could reply. He cast Alexander a warning look. "And his breeding is impeccable. We have high hopes for the union."
"Congratulations." Alexander realized his error and nodded to General Schuyler deferentially. "Your daughter is a credit to you. I am sure you are pleased that she has made such a successful match."
General Schuyler nodded, returning his attention to the soup. Alexander did the same.
Dinner was a dreadfully long affair, lasting two and a half hours. After dinner, the ladies retired while the gentlemen played cards. Alexander allowed General Washington and General Schuyler to beat him with ease. He did not feel much like focusing on cards.
After a few hours of cards, Alexander retired to his bedroom for the evening. A silence fell over the house.
Alexander shed his dinner clothes and crawled into bed. He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped that sleep would find him.
It did not.
Alexander tossed and turned for nearly two hours before he flung the covers back from his body with an irritated sigh. He knew that he would not be able to sleep; not with all of the thoughts racing around his head. He could not shake thoughts of Eliza and what she must think of him. He wondered about Angelica's engagement to a British man. He considered how circumstances might have changed if he and Hercules had not been able to create the company that had impressed Washington. He might have remained in New York, where he could have worked at earning Eliza's forgiveness. He might have talked Angelica out of her engagement.
He rolled out of bed and snatched up his clothes. He threw them on and emerged from his room. The house was dark and quiet, but the moonlight shone through the windows. It allowed Alexander to see where he was going as he descended the stairs and headed for the porch. He hoped that the fresh air would assist him in clearing the unwanted thoughts from his head.
As he stepped out onto the porch, he glanced up at the sky. The stars shone just as brightly in New York as they did at camp. It was one of the few consistencies that Alexander could rely upon.
He sat down in one of the wooden chairs on the porch. He placed his head between his hands and let out a loud groan. There was no risk of disturbing anyone, now that he was outside.
So he thought.
"Colonel Hamilton?" Eliza's soft voice interrupted the silence of the night.
"Miss Schuyler?" Alexander raised his head and looked around in surprise.
"You are sitting outside of my window." Eliza explained. "I like to keep it open when the weather is nice."
Alexander glanced behind him. Sure enough, there was an open window. He could not see Eliza - it was far too dark to see much of anything - but he took some comfort in knowing that she was there. Better still, she was there and she was speaking to him.
"I am sorry for disturbing you." He said. He started to rise to his feet. "I can return to my room if you are uncomfortable with -"
"You aren't disturbing me." Eliza responded before Alexander could finish his sentence. "Are you having trouble sleeping, Colonel Hamilton?"
She returned to the formal version of his name. She was making it clear that there was still a tremendous amount of distance between them. Alexander slumped back into the chair.
"Ah, yes." He replied, deciding against drawing attention to the distance. "Returning to New York has been, ah, more difficult than I anticipated it being."
There was silence for a moment. Alexander wondered if he had overstepped some sort of invisible boundary.
"I am sorry if I offended you by asking you so much about your fiancé." Eliza finally said. "I…I find it difficult to adhere to the rules under the circumstances. I did not mean to embarrass you."
"No, I'm sorry. I should have written to you before I announced my engagement. I did not mean for you to be upset by the news. I had assumed -" Alexander tried to apologize for his own transgressions.
"You do not need to apologize." Eliza sighed. "I understand that we must both move on with our lives. Perhaps we should view Angelica as an example."
"I believe I would rather die than marry a British man." Alexander tried to joke.
"He is not so bad. I have corresponded with him since their engagement. I believe that his temperament will suit her." Eliza considered.
"Then I suppose I am happy for her." Alexander admitted.
"What is your fiancé like?" Eliza inquired. "Or would you prefer I not ask?"
"Oh." Alexander had not expected Eliza to want to talk about Maria any further. "No, er, you can ask. I just didn't think that you would want to…I mean…"
"Colonel Hamilton." Eliza interrupted him. He could hear the smile in her voice.
"Right." Alexander mumbled. He cleared his voice and adjusted his posture. "Uh, her name is Maria Lewis. She is not as esteemed as you and your family, of course, but…er, you know now that I could never strive for a match with a woman as esteemed as…well."
An awkward silence asserted itself between them. Alexander had not meant to remind Eliza of their failed courtship. He had not meant to remind himself of their failed courtship. He silently lamented over how complicated it had become to talk to Eliza. It had been so simple in the past.
"I am sure that any woman would be proud to be your wife." Eliza sidestepped the issue neatly. "Does she come from a large family?"
"I could not say." Alexander replied. His brows furrowed as he realized that he had never asked Maria about any siblings she might have had.
"Is she very beautiful?" Eliza asked.
"Yes." Alexander answered, somewhat embarrassed. Eliza's questions were making him appear as though he considered Maria's only qualifying trait to be her beauty. It was rather unfair. "Although I would not say that was the only reason I had to propose to her."
"Of course not." Eliza replied in a tone of such sincerity that Alexander had no choice but to believe her. "I did not mean to accuse you so. I am afraid that I am simply curious about Miss Lewis. No one in New York could tell me anything about her."
"Did you ask after her?" Alexander wondered.
His mouth curved into a slight smile at the thought of Eliza asking after his own fiancé. He knew that he could not hope that jealousy fueled her curiosity, but he could content himself with the knowledge that she still cared about him in some capacity.
"I wanted to make sure that she was deserving of you." Eliza replied. Alexander could hear the smile in her voice.
"You flatter me, Miss Schuyler." He permitted himself the pleasure of teasing her as though they were still good friends.
"You must be very good at your job, if General Washington requested your company on this visit. My father says that General Washington is not quick to trust his subordinates, especially not officers." Eliza changed the subject.
"I could ask for no better commanding officer than General Washington." Alexander replied.
It was the same sort of thing that he always said when anyone mentioned Washington in his presence. Washington enjoyed being praised. If he heard that Alexander was singing his praises in a respectful manner, it could only benefit Alexander.
"Do you enjoy your work?" Eliza pressed.
"There is something rewarding in being of use to such a great man." Alexander said, tilting his head to the side as he considered Eliza's question. "But I must admit, I do miss being in command of a group of men. There is little glory in being chained to a desk."
"There is safety in being chained to a desk." Eliza remarked.
"If I were concerned with my safety, I would not have enlisted in the war." Alexander chuckled.
"I am sure that your fiancé is concerned with your safety." Eliza said. "She is probably glad to see you chained up to a desk."
Alexander shrugged, though Eliza would not see the gesture.
"There is not much for me to accomplish as an aide. No one will read a history book about the man who wrote letters and entertained visiting dignitaries." He said, finally allowing his true feelings to pour out. He had not even told Maria how disappointed he was with his job. He feared that if he actually articulated his feelings, he would lose the respect of whoever heard him.
"Is it important to be in a history book?" Eliza inquired. "Those who wind up in those pages rarely have happy lives."
"I think that I would rather be successful than happy." Alexander admitted.
He would have never admitted this to Eliza, had she still been a possibility for him. Now that she no longer loved him, however, he did not fear her judgment. She was perhaps the only person in the world who he could truly be honest with.
"Oh, Alexander." Eliza sighed. "That is so sad. Why is success so important to you? Is happiness not the ultimate accomplishment?"
Alexander shook his head. He wrung his hands in his lap.
"I…er, I have seen the life that a lack of success provides. I do not believe happiness can be achieved without success. Even if it can…happiness does not keep you fed." He said.
They were silent for a moment.
"The sun is rising." Eliza said after a pause.
Alexander looked up. To his surprise, Eliza was right. The sun was just beginning to peek out from the horizon. The house would spring into action soon.
"I should return to my room." Alexander remarked with some regret.
He had been enjoying his conversation with Eliza. He had missed talking with her.
"Yes." Eliza agreed.
"Well," Alexander hoisted himself up from his chair. "Thank you for conversing with me, Miss Schuyler. I apologize if I prevented you from getting the rest that you need."
"No apology is needed, Colonel Hamilton." Eliza replied. Alexander could hear the smile in her voice.
"Good morning, Miss Schuyler." Alexander said before walking towards the mansion's door again.
"Good morning, Colonel Hamilton." Eliza's voice wafted after him.
Alexander only got an hour of sleep before Washington instructed a servant to wake him up. Though they were guests in General Schuyler's home, there was work to be done. Alexander spent the bulk of the morning crafting letters to Congress. He looked up every so often to see if Eliza had emerged from her room yet.
Angelica brought Alexander his lunch. It was unusual, given their respective statuses in society, but Alexander was not altogether surprised. Angelica asked about her sister's failure to emerge from her room all day. Alexander shrugged and claimed that he did not know anything about Eliza's schedule.
Eliza finally emerged from her room a few hours before dinner. She did not stop in to say hello to Alexander. He only heard of her presence in the household through the chatter of servants.
At six o'clock, a servant entered Washington's makeshift office. He bowed low before informing both Alexander and Washington that dinner would be served soon. Washington and Alexander hurried to their rooms to change into suitable clothes for dinner.
At six-thirty, Alexander found himself seated across from Eliza at the dinner table. She was casting him shy smiles between courses, but did not engage him in a conversation. Alexander tried to act natural as he discussed artillery allocation with Washington and General Schuyler.
After dinner, Washington and General Schuyler agreed to play another game of cards. Mrs. Schuyler and her three daughters rose to their feet, presumably to retire for the evening.
"Colonel Hamilton," Eliza did not follow her mother and her sisters as they strode towards the doorway. "Would you care to see the garden?"
"Eliza!" Mrs. Schuyler chided in a hushed tone. "It would be highly inappropriate for -"
"Oh, Mother." Angelica chimed in, strategically using a deceptively placating tone. "Eliza and I first met Colonel Hamilton when he was a mere student at King's College. You cannot fault her for wishing to speak with an old friend."
"Angelica, we will not have this discussion in front of company. It is impolite." Mrs. Schuyler glanced pointedly at Washington.
"You must forgive my daughters for their forwardness." General Schuyler remarked, glancing at Washington and Alexander with an apologetic smile. "They have been much indulged by their mother. They often forget themselves."
"Do not trouble yourself on my behalf. I am quite accustomed to the precocious nature of young ladies." Washington assured General Schuyler with a slight smile.
"I would be glad to take a walk about the garden with Miss Schuyler, if it would not be offensive to you or Mrs. Schuyler." Alexander offered, looking at General Schuyler.
"I will chaperone their conversation, if you are concerned that Colonel Hamilton's fiancé will take offense to his conversation with an old friend." Angelica remarked, not looking at her mother's reddening face.
"Very well. Have Colonel back at a reasonable hour, ladies. He is not here for the purpose of keeping you entertained." General Schuyler said good-naturedly.
Angelica grinned as she crossed the room. She shepherded Alexander and Eliza out of the room before either of her parents could change their minds. Eliza's face was completely red. Alexander wondered at the boldness of both of the ladies for performing the way that they had in front of Washington.
"Angelica, are you really going to chaperone us?" Eliza asked as they reached the garden. Her tone suggested that she might not have been as pleased with Angelica's offer as she might have otherwise been.
"If I returned to the house, Father would assume the worst. Do you really want to tarnish poor Colonel Hamilton's reputation when he is doing so well with General Washington?" Angelica retorted with a wicked smile. "I will sit right here on this bench. I will not hear a word that you are saying; I will only see that Colonel Hamilton's hands - among other things - remain exactly where they ought to."
Eliza blushed at the implication behind Angelica's words. Alexander shook his head and smiled.
"Go on. Do not let me interrupt your reunion." Angelica urged them.
Eliza huffed out a sigh and took Alexander by the arm. Alexander allowed himself to be led away. He relished the feeling of Eliza's hand on his arm once more.
"Thank you for coming out here with me…I am sorry that I caused so much trouble by inviting you. I did not think that Mother or Father would be so disturbed by my inclination to converse with an old friend." Eliza said as they began to walk about the garden.
"It was no trouble, Miss Schuyler." Alexander assured her.
"Please," Eliza glanced down at their feet as they walked. Her cheeks were pink. "Call me Eliza. I…I took leave of my senses when I demanded to be addressed so formally."
It was the first time since their fight that Alexander had been permitted use of Eliza's first name. He smiled and nodded, hoping that his expression did not betray his true emotions. For the first time, he allowed himself to entertain the hope that Eliza had forgiven him.
He nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet.
"May I still call you Alexander?" Eliza asked in a quiet voice.
"Yes." Alexander replied without thinking. "You may always call me Alexander."
"I would like it very much if you would tell me about yourself, Alexander." Eliza said, glancing up at Alexander with something that resembled apprehension.
"What do you mean?" Alexander wondered. "I have told you a great deal about myself, have I not?"
Eliza shook her head.
"I got to know Alexander Laurens very well, but I suspect that there are some differences between him and Alexander Hamilton. I should like to know more about Hamilton, if I might." She said.
"Are you sure?" Alexander was not eager to tell Eliza about his past. He had not shared the worst of it with anyone - not even John or Hercules. "It is not…I would prefer for you to believe that I had been educated in Switzerland and given all of the best opportunities."
"I want to know the truth. I do not care how ugly it might be." Eliza insisted.
"Very well." Alexander would not lie to Eliza again. He could not risk her anger once more. He was certain that a second argument with her would finish him. His heart would break clean apart.
"I was not born in the American colonies, to begin with. I, er, I was born in the Caribbean colonies. A small island named Saint Kitts." He began.
He could feel his pulse picking up. He did not like talking about his childhood. He did not like thinking about his childhood. It caused a sort of panic within him that he did not understand. Not even battle could produce the frightful sensations that thoughts of the past could.
"What was your life like there?" Eliza asked patiently.
There was no judgment in her voice. Alexander wondered how much effort she had exerted to make it so. The Caribbean islands were typically reserved for the lowest tier of society - prisoners, slaves, and debtors hoping to make a quick penny.
"It…er…it left much to be desired." Alexander replied, trying to keep his voice from wobbling.
"Did you live with your mother and father?" Eliza moved on without pressing Alexander for a better answer. Had Alexander not been struggling to maintain his composure, he might have appreciated it more.
"For a while." Alexander said, looking around at the flowers. He could not meet Eliza's eyes as he spoke of his past life. "My, ah, my father left when I was very young, and my mother died when I was thirteen."
"Oh." Eliza's voice was no longer steady.
Silence hung between them like a dead man's body.
Despite the warmth of the night, Alexander found that he was shivering. He stood a little straighter so that Eliza would not notice.
"How did you…I mean…well…it must have been exceedingly difficult to end up in New York." Eliza said.
Alexander tried to smile. He did not want to make Eliza feel as though she could not ask him these questions.
"It was." He said. "And…it wasn't. Though I had always dreamt of coming to American colonies, I had been resigned to my fate, more or less. My family had not be an…ahem…affluent one. After my mother passed, my brother and I went to live with a distant cousin."
"You have a brother?" Eliza inquired.
"Yes." Alexander stuffed his hands in his pockets so that he would not wring them together. Within the confines of his pocket, he clenched and unclenched his fists as he spoke.
"What is his name?" Eliza asked, her tone gentle.
"James." Alexander had not spoken his brother's name in years.
"James Hamilton." Eliza spoke the name with such tenderness and thoughtfulness that it nearly made Alexander weep. "Did he come to the colonies with you?"
"Ah…no." Alexander had been hoping that he would not have to tell Eliza about this particular detail. The sight of James watching his ship leave from the docks haunted him.
"Oh." Eliza paused, frowning. She shook away the frown and looked up at Alexander again. "But I am interrupting your story. You were trying to tell me how you ended up in America."
Alexander nodded, summoning all of his remaining strength to continue.
"Where did I…?" He could not remember where he had left off.
"You and James went to live with your cousin." Eliza supplied.
"Yes." Alexander nodded. "We did not remain there for very long. My cousin, he, ah, he killed himself shortly after James and I were placed in his charge. He left all of his property to his mistress. She had no interest in supporting James and I. She had children of her own to worry about."
"That's horrible! But did you not have an inheritance of your own from when your mother died? Surely at fourteen you could manage your own property." Eliza remarked.
Alexander shook his head.
"My mother was married to a man other than my father. I never met him, but my mother was afraid of him. She said that he was the reason that my father had left - he did not want to be jailed for adultery. James and I were damning evidence. Anyway, when mother died, the son that she had with her husband inherited everything. As you might imagine, he did not feel inclined to share the wealth with his half-brothers." Alexander explained. He spoke quickly, as though the words could not injure them if they did not linger on his tongue.
"Oh, Alexander." Eliza sighed, her tone full of sympathy.
Alexander winced at her pity. It hurt just as badly as her scorn might have - perhaps even more.
"There was no sense in dwelling upon misfortunes." Alexander hoped to move on from the part of his tale that made Eliza pity him. He could not stand the way that she was looking at him - as though he was a bird with an injured wing, one that needed saving. "Shortly after my cousin's suicide, there was a terrible hurricane. I swear to you that you have never experienced anything like it."
"You had better not tell me that poor James died." Eliza looked at Alexander with big, sad eyes. Those eyes had been sparkling just a few hours before. Alexander did not like that he had made them sad.
"James is still alive to this day." Alexander assured her.
"Good." Eliza cast him a nervous smile. "I could not stand it if you lost another person."
Alexander almost smiled. He wanted to. He liked that Eliza cared enough about him to want to influence his past.
"I did not lose anyone of consequence in the hurricane." He said. "It is only noteworthy in this story because of a letter I wrote to my father, describing the wreckage."
"A letter?" Eliza echoed in surprise.
Alexander nodded. This time, he did smile a little. This was a less painful section of his story.
"I wrote my father a letter recounting all that I had borne witness to." He explained with a sheepish shrug. "It fell into the hands of my local clergyman. It seems that he was impressed with my writing, so much so that he had our local newspaper print a copy for all to read. It moved people - at least, it moved Mr. Thomas Stevens, who had the means to pay for me to join him and his family in the American colonies."
"So that is how you came to be here." Eliza remarked.
"More or less, yes." Alexander was happy to be finished discussing his childhood. His shirt was nearly soaked through with sweat.
"Did Mr. Stevens provide you with the resources to attend King's College?" Eliza asked.
"No," Alexander replied with a slight frown. "He provided me with the funds to come to America, as well as a home for some time. Anything else that I might want, I was to achieve for myself."
"I see." Eliza nodded. She met Alexander's eyes. A small smile crossed her face. "It is too bad that we were unable to meet under honest circumstances. I would have liked to meet Alexander Hamilton. I think that I like him better than Alexander Laurens."
Alexander turned to look at Eliza in surprise. Eliza smiled back at him.
"Goodnight, Alexander." She curtseyed towards him before turning on her heel and striding towards the house.
Alexander watched her go, too puzzled to follow after her.
"Goodnight, Eliza." He murmured far too late.
"Well done, Colonel Hamilton." Angelica retorted as she rose from her bench to reenter the mansion.
Alexander felt a smile slide across his face.
Alexander and Washington left the Schuyler mansion the next morning.
Eliza had caught Alexander in the hallway before breakfast. She had asked him to write to her once more. Alexander had been ecstatic to agree to this request. He could not imagine returning to a world in which Eliza was not a part of his life after the weekend that he had spent at the Schuyler mansion.
During breakfast, General Schuyler monopolized the conversation. He spoke mostly of Congress' inability to gather the resources necessary to wage war. Washington, true to form, spent most of the conversation listening. He spoke once or twice. Neither of the men asked Alexander for his opinion. Alexander did not mind. He was content to eat his breakfast as he struggled to resist casting glances at Eliza.
Once breakfast was over, Alexander and Washington said their goodbyes in the mansion. The weather was dreary and Washington did not want any member of the Schuyler family falling ill.
Both Eliza and Angelica curtsied when Alexander said goodbye to them; they were unable to express their true feelings. Alexander did not mind. They would express themselves in their letters.
After the goodbyes, Alexander and Washington departed from the mansion and retrieved their horses from the stables. They quickly saddled and mounted the horses, then set out for camp.
They rode together in comfortable silence for nearly an hour when Washington suddenly turned to look at Alexander.
"You know, Colonel Hamilton," He said with a studied air of informality. "Betrothals are a rather…informal agreement. There is no law which says they cannot be broken if there is some sort of…impediment."
"Sir?" Alexander felt his face redden as he turned to look at Washington.
Washington looked back at Alexander - stony-faced, as usual - before riding ahead, leaving Alexander to puzzle over the meaning behind his words.