"Mail." The postmaster for camp declared as he entered the aides' office.
Alexander's head jerked up from his work. He looked to the postmaster hopefully. He had only received one letter from Eliza since she had left for New York. It had been three weeks since she had left.
The postmaster dropped a few envelopes onto Alexander's desk. Alexander shuffled through them for any sign of Eliza's handwriting. He paused when he reached a letter addressed to him in Maria's handwriting.
He reached for his letter opener, his brows furrowed. He opened the envelope and unfolded the parchment within it.
Dear Alexander,
Though I promised myself that I would no longer contact you following your termination of our engagement, I feel duty-bound to tell you that I am with child. Given the timing of our engagement, reason points to you as the father.
I expect that this will be most unhappy news, as I have heard of your recent engagement to Miss Elizabeth Schuyler. Before you write me a letter denying your involvement or attempting to pay me to keep quiet about my child's father, I must tell you that I wrote a similar letter to Miss Schuyler herself, as well as General Schuyler and General Washington. I will not raise a fatherless child. I expect that Miss Schuyler will agree that you are obligated to your child before you are obligated to your own whims.
I hope to hear from you soon.
All my love,
Maria
Alexander felt the blood drain from his face. He turned to look at the postmaster. He was walking towards Washington's office with a large stack of letters. Within that stack was a letter from Maria, just like the one that Alexander had received.
"Stop!" Alexander shouted, scrambling from his desk.
The postmaster cast him a strange look. He hurried towards Washington's office. Alexander raced after him. John rose from his desk, watching the scene with undisguised concern.
"No, wait!" Alexander reached out for the postmaster, but missed. The postmaster slipped into Washington's office before Alexander could catch him.
"What are you doing?" John demanded once Washington's office was closed. "Stopping General Washington's mail is something akin to treason."
Alexander's shoulders slumped as he walked back to his desk. He grabbed Maria's letter off of his desk and handed it to John. John scanned its contents before looking at Alexander. His expression was horror-stricken. It mirrored the feeling in Alexander's chest perfectly.
"Is there any truth to this?" John asked in a hushed tone.
Alexander swallowed hard and shook his head.
"No," He said. "I never…we never. It is impossible for me to be the father, but I cannot explain how it is that she fell pregnant while we were engaged. I do not know any other gentleman whose company she kept."
"Do you swear that you are not the father? I promise that I will not judge you if you are. I am only trying to help." John pressed.
"John, I swear." Alexander insisted. "I believed that she was a lady; I never even considered being intimate with her until we were married. I cannot speak to who the father is, but I know that it is not me."
"Colonel Hamilton." Washington growled out his name loud enough to be heard from his office.
Alexander and John looked over at the office door. The postmaster was walking out of the room. He afforded Alexander a wary expression. Alexander ignored him. Instead, he cast John a pained expression before proceeding into Washington's office.
"Yes, sir?" He inquired, as though he did not know why Washington was calling him into his office.
Washington's face was red, presumably with anger. He held up a piece of parchment. Alexander recognized Maria's handwriting.
"What is this?" Washington demanded, his voice trembling with barely suppressed rage. "Explain yourself immediately."
"Sir, I cannot." Alexander answered lamely. "I…I cannot explain why Miss Lewis has made the accusations that she has made, other than to injure me and prevent me from marrying Miss Schuyler."
"Do you realize the embarrassment that this causes for me? One of my officers - an officer who works under my roof - has been accused of improper conduct. I expect that General Schuyler will demand a court martial, and rightly so." Washington said.
His face seemed to get redder with each word. It was the most that Alexander had ever heard him speak.
"A court martial, sir?" Alexander echoed.
He had not thought about the possibility of being court martialed. He had assumed that Maria's accusation would impact his reputation and his engagement to Eliza. He had not considered that it might affect his job, too.
He had been working hard to receive a promotion from Washington; he wanted to receive a command before his wedding so that he might be more deserving of Eliza. Now, he would be lucky if he kept the job he had.
"I recommend finding a lawyer, Colonel Hamilton." Washington said. There was no sympathy in his voice. "I fear I must no longer speak to you on this matter, as I will be judging you, should General Schuyler wish to request a court martial."
"Yes, sir." Alexander rasped.
He bowed towards Washington, then walked out of the office. Tears blurred his vision. He did not know if the tears had appeared because he was angry, or because he was upset.
"Alexander?" John asked as Alexander returned to the office.
Alexander shook his head and kept walking right past his desk. He walked right out of Washington's quarters. He did not know where he was going, but he knew that he had to think. He had to figure out how to get himself out of this one.
It took General Schuyler one day to write a letter to Alexander. According to John, he had written one to Washington, too. Alexander could not worry about what General Schuyler had written to Washington. He was too absorbed in the letter that he had received.
Colonel Hamilton,
It is with the deepest regret that I write you this letter.
I have received distressing word from Miss Maria Lewis regarding a delicate matter. It is my understanding that you have conducted yourself in a most unbecoming fashion. It therefore can come as no surprise that I must terminate your engagement to my daughter, Elizabeth.
I recommend that you cease all communications with my daughter, as she has been told to have nothing to do with you.
Respectfully,
General Philip Schuyler
Alexander read the letter so many times that it was beginning to fall apart.
After three days, Alexander was court martialed. Two soldiers stormed into the aides' office to tell him. Washington would be his judge. The case would be presented within the week. General Schuyler would be in attendance.
Alexander was once again advised to retain a lawyer. He politely refused this advice.
Instead, he wrote two letters. One letter was addressed to Eliza. The other was addressed to Maria.
He begged Eliza to believe him when he said that Maria was lying. He assured her of his continued love for her, and his determination to get through the trial with his career and reputation intact, so that he might still be able to marry her. He begged for her forgiveness if he could not manage it.
He begged Maria to take back all that she said in her letters. He acknowledged his unfortunate conduct towards her, but asked that she not use such behavior against him. He offered to pay whatever sum she might require to raise her child in a modest but respectable manner, if she would only tell the truth about the child's parentage.
Neither lady responded.
As the days passed by, Alexander came to the grim realization that he would be entering the trial without a single strategy in mind.
Alexander's trial took place the day after General Schuyler arrived at the camp. Eliza had accompanied him. Washington told Alexander to remain in his temporary quarters while the Schuylers were present. He did not wish to offend General Schuyler by forcing him to confront Alexander before the trial.
On the morning of the trial, Alexander shakily appraised himself in the mirror. He did not want to look too dashing, for fear of playing into Maria's depiction of him as a heartbreaker. He did not want to appear to slovenly, either, for fear of appearing disreputable.
He was escorted into the room where his trial was to be held by two enlisted soldiers. It made him feel like a common criminal. He passed by where General Schuyler and Eliza were sitting. He fought the urge to look at them. They did not look at him.
Maria was seated at the front of the small audience. Her pregnancy was now obvious; her stomach bulged out in front of her. She appeared a rather pathetic figure, her stomach showing and no one seated by her side. She watched Alexander with a dramatic frown that he knew was for Washington's benefit.
Washington sat at the head of the room. He was seated behind a massive desk. His hands were folded and his face was expressionless as he watched Alexander approaching. There were papers stacked on the side of the desk. Presumably, it was evidence against him.
Alexander sucked in a deep, but admittedly shaky, breath as he took his place sitting before Washington.
"We are here today to inquire into accusations levelled against Colonel Hamilton. Colonel Hamilton has been accused of improper conduct as an officer. Will his accuser please rise?" Washington boomed in an unusually loud voice.
Maria rose to her feet. The chair groaned beneath her, drawing even more attention to her.
Alexander glanced over his shoulder. He scanned the room, hoping to see John or Lafayette; any friendly face he could find. Neither were present. Alexander wondered if they had abandoned him, now that he was a liability.
"Thank you, Miss Lewis." Washington said, gesturing for Maria to sit down again.
Maria sat down slowly, making sure that everyone saw her stomach as she descended. Alexander rubbed at his eyes in frustration.
"Colonel Hamilton, how do you plead?" Washington turned to look at him.
Alexander rose to his feet. He typically did not mind speaking in front of crowds, but he had never been judged in this sort of way before. His hands trembled at his side. His voice seized up, threatening to refuse to come out at all.
"Not guilty, sir." He said quietly.
"Thank you, Colonel Hamilton." Washington did not seem to notice Alexander's nerves. Perhaps he did not care. "Now we will proceed to the evidence presented. I have here a letter from Miss Lewis, stating that Colonel Hamilton consummated their relationship only to break their engagement a few weeks later. She states that she relied on Colonel Hamilton's promise that they would soon be married when she agreed to such an…intimate act."
Alexander swallowed hard. Maria nodded from across the room, an annoyingly earnest expression on her face. Alexander could hardly believe that this was the same woman that he had considered marrying just a few months prior.
"There is further evidence that Colonel Hamilton visited a whorehouse in a part of New York known as the…ahem…Holy Grounds." Washington did not seem to like discussing such matters. Alexander could not blame him.
"That's a lie." Alexander mumbled to himself, looking around to see if anyone else was outraged by the accusations. Everyone was staring straight ahead, as though Washington's narrative was the god's honest truth. Alexander could not stand it. He rose from his seat without thinking. "Sir, that is a lie!"
Washington glanced at Alexander. He did not seem surprised by Alexander's outburst, as others were.
"Sit down, Colonel Hamilton." Washington said. His voice was calm. He looked down at his papers again. "I will not tolerate outbursts. When I would like your answer to these accusations, I will ask for it."
"Yes, sir." Alexander plunked back into his chair. He looked over his shoulder again, hoping that John or Lafayette would materialize. He needed someone in the room to believe him. He felt as though he was being fed to the wolves.
"There is a letter from Mr. Lewis - Miss Lewis' father. He forwarded a letter written to him in Colonel Hamilton's hand, asking for Miss Lewis' hand in marriage." Washington continued as though there had been no interruption at all. "Colonel Hamilton, do you object to the assertion that you and Miss Lewis were engaged?"
Alexander rose to his feet again.
"No, I do not." He replied humbly. "But sir…"
"Thank you, Colonel Hamilton." Washington interrupted sharply. He cast Alexander a stern look. Alexander shut his mouth and sat down again.
He wished that he would have written to one of his friends from New York, asking them to represent him in this extremely embarrassing matter. Even Hercules would have been better than no one; at least Alexander would have had one friend in the room.
"Now, there are several accounts among the soldiers that you visited, if not frequented, whorehouses. I have the affidavits here with me, all of them signed and sworn. Do you object to these assertions?" Washington inquired, gesturing to a stack of papers.
"Yes, I do." Alexander rose to his feet again. He frowned back at Washington. "I have never been to such a place in my life."
"Can you explain, then, why there are so many soldiers who have sworn that they have seen you there?" Washington inquired.
Alexander shook his head.
"I cannot." He admitted. "I can only assume that those men were biased against me, either by my own wrongdoing or by some incentive greater than honesty."
"Can you account for your time when you were supposedly at these whorehouses?" Washington asked.
"I could not say; I do not know the times that these men assert." Alexander replied. "Though I am inclined to say that I was likely at my desk working for you, General Washington."
Washington nodded. He did not smile.
"Do you have any men who would corroborate this?" He asked.
"Uh…" Alexander looked over his shoulder. It would have been the perfect time for Lafayette or John to arrive. They could attest to Alexander's work ethic, and his distaste for whorehouses. "I believe that my colleagues would do so, if they were present."
"But they are not." Washington said.
"No," Alexander agreed. "They are not."
"Very well. Let us move on to our next point." Washington said, shuffling the papers on his desk. "Miss Lewis asserts that you consummated your relationship with her, under the pretense that you intended to marry her. Do you object to this assertion?"
"Yes, I do." Alexander said again. "I was engaged to Miss Lewis, that is true, but I never consummated the relationship. We were waiting until we were formally married."
"That is not true, General Washington. He did consummate it - right before he visited the Schuyler mansion!" Maria interjected.
"Miss Lewis, you will be given the chance to speak if you so desire, but you must first allow Colonel Hamilton to speak." Washington instructed her sternly.
Maria sat down in her seat and glowered at Alexander. Alexander did his best to avoid her stare. He did not trust himself not to stoop to her level.
"Do you have any evidence that you did not consummate your relationship with Miss Lewis, Colonel Hamilton?" Washington turned to look at Alexander.
Alexander frowned.
"No, sir." He said. "I cannot have evidence of something that did not happen."
There were murmurs behind him. He knew that it was a rather surly answer, but he could not help it. He felt as though the whole proceeding was extremely unfair. It was his word against Maria's. He did not know who it was that Washington would believe.
"Very well." Washington turned to look at Maria. "Miss Lewis, do you have any evidence that you and Colonel Hamilton did consummate your relationship, if you do not mind me asking?"
"Yes, I do." Maria glared at Alexander before rising to her feet again. She gestured towards her stomach. "I believe that this is proof enough. I was engaged to Colonel Hamilton at the time of my child's conception. Who else could have done this but Colonel Hamilton?"
Alexander bit down on his lip to restrain himself from answering.
Washington nodded.
"You may sit, Miss Lewis." He said. He then looked up at the rest of the people populating the room. "I will deliberate over this matter for the next hour. You are excused for that hour."
Everyone rose to their feet. Chairs scraped against the wooden floor. Alexander rose to his feet, looking around uncertainly.
"Colonel Hamilton," Washington called out over the noise. "I would like for you to remain behind."
Alexander felt the color drain from his face. He nodded without speaking. He remained where he was as everyone else filed out of the room.
Once everyone had left, Alexander allowed himself to look at Washington. Washington was staring back at him impassively.
"Colonel Hamilton," Washington said at last. "I must inform you that, at present, I am likely to find you guilty of the charges levelled against you. I did not think it prudent to bring it up in front of mixed company, but I, myself, have borne witness to your misconduct in the past."
"Sir?" Alexander cocked his head in surprise.
He could not imagine what misconduct Washington was referring to.
Washington cleared his throat, looking thoroughly uncomfortable.
"I have personally borne witness to both Miss Angelica Schuyler and Miss Eliza Schuyler leaving your company at inappropriate hours. It did not appear that you were chaperoned at either time. I thought it best to keep this information to myself, as I did not understand the context of these events, but in light of the accusations against you, I am led to believe the conduct was highly improper." He explained.
Alexander felt his stomach drop out of his body. He had forgotten about those two experiences entirely. He did not know how to justify his behavior without digging himself into this vile pit deeper. Worse still, he might injure Angelica and Eliza's reputations.
"It is regretful that you had to witness circumstances which made you think less of me," He said, his voice hoarse. "However, I cannot justify my actions without embarrassing the ladies in question. I will not do so."
Washington nodded. He likely thought that his own concerns were validated; that Alexander was admitting his guilt through omission. Alexander tried to hold his head high. If he was to suffer a punishment, he would at least do all that he could to spare the Schuyler sisters from the same punishment.
"Then I believe it is safe to deliberate not on the question of innocence, but instead on punishment." Washington said. "You may leave me."
Alexander hung his head and left the room.
Once he stepped out of the room, he saw several individuals loitering in the adjacent room. Among them were General Schuyler and Eliza. General Schuyler was speaking with a few officers that Alexander recognized, while Eliza was standing behind him with a forced smile painted on her face. Maria was in a separate corner, shooting daggers at Eliza while several ladies spoke to her.
A few people afforded Alexander curious stares. Alexander avoided their eyes as best he could. He strode down the hallway towards the door. He wanted some fresh air before he had to face his punishment. He assumed that he would be fired, and would be pressured into marrying Maria before she caused any more scandals. His life would be over. He was only twenty-five.
He sat down on the porch of the building. He did not care if dirt got on his trousers. At this point, his appearance did not matter at all. He would have to find a job without the support of Washington or General Schuyler. The best sort of job that he could hope for under such circumstances would be a debtor's attorney. He would not make a difference in the world. He would not even make a difference in New York.
After a long spell of self-pity, the door cracked open behind Alexander. He turned to look. One of the officers who had been speaking with General Schuyler was standing behind him.
"General Washington has requested your presence, Colonel Hamilton." He said gruffly.
"So I remain a colonel for the time being." Alexander said glumly. "All right."
He rose to his feet and followed the officer into the room where Washington sat in judgment of him. Maria was already back in her seat, glaring at him. His stomach churned at the idea of spending the rest of his life married to a woman who hated him.
"Be seated, Colonel Hamilton." Washington said.
No one stood when Alexander walked into the room, not even the enlisted soldiers whom he outranked. Alexander reminded himself that he would have to grow comfortable with these small indignities.
"Colonel Hamilton, you stand accused of improper conduct as an officer. After receiving evidence and hearing arguments from you and Miss Lewis, I hereby find you…"
"Hold on!" The doors swung open before Washington could finish his sentence.
Washington looked to the intruder with a dark expression. Alexander looked over his shoulder. He was startled to see John marching down the length of the room. He held another man - a man who Alexander did not recognize - at arm's length. The man's hands were bound together with rope. Behind them was Lafayette, grinning from ear to ear.
"Colonel Laurens, what is the meaning of this?" Washington demanded.
"My apologies, sir, but I found a soldier who has critical information regarding Colonel Hamilton's trial. Sergeant Reynolds, will you tell General Washington what you told me?" John looked at the man, Sergeant Reynolds, pointedly.
Sergeant Reynolds glowered back at John. Lafayette pushed Sergeant Reynolds forward with a questionable amount of force. Sergeant Reynolds was forced to stumble forward, humbled.
"Sir," He addressed Washington without looking at him. "I, er, I might've spent a night with Miss Lewis."
There was silence in the room. Alexander turned to look at Sergeant Reynolds in surprise. He had never met the man; he certainly would not have suspected him of impregnating Maria. He then looked to John. John winked at him before returning his attention to Sergeant Reynolds.
"Please continue. However, be sure to use the most appropriate language that you can, under the circumstances." Washington said. He glanced pointedly at Eliza. "There are ladies present."
Sergeant Reynolds cast John a surly look. He clearly did not wish to say anything further on the matter. John flicked his eyes back to Lafayette, threatening another rough push if Sergeant Reynolds did not speak.
"Miss Lewis came to me after Colonel Hamilton went to visit some fancy mansion in New York. She wanted a baby - she said she needed somethin' to keep Colonel Hamilton from breakin' their engagement if he asked some other lady to marry him." Sergeant Reynolds said with great reluctance.
Alexander turned to look at Maria in surprise. He had known that she was lying about the child's paternity, but he had not suspected that she had gotten pregnant with the deliberate intention of trapping him.
"That's not true!" Maria protested. She looked at Washington, not Alexander.
"Do you swear that the words you speak are true and of your own volition?" Washington asked Sergeant Reynolds.
"The words are true enough, sir." Sergeant Reynolds replied unhappily. He glared at John. "Though I am admitting to it solely because Colonel Laurens threatened to string me up by my ankles if I did not."
Washington cast John a disapproving stare. John grinned back at him, unashamed.
"Well," Washington said at length. "I suppose that we do not need to continue any further. Colonel Hamilton, do you reaffirm your pledge that you did not consummate your relationship with Miss Lewis?"
"I do, sir." Alexander replied eagerly.
Washington nodded.
"Then I find Colonel Hamilton innocent of the charges levelled against him. Sergeant Reynolds, you are relieved of your service. Though I cannot command you on personal matters, it is my recommendation that you marry Miss Lewis and stay out of trouble as best you can. You are all dismissed." He proclaimed.
Alexander let out a sigh of relief as people surrounding him rose to their feet and shuffled out of the room. After a moment, once he allowed himself to process all that had just occurred, he, too, rose to his feet. He approached John and Lafayette, who seemed to be waiting for him.
"Thank you." He said before they could say anything else. "I believe that General Washington was about to find me guilty."
"It is the least that we could do." John said.
"But Colonel Laurens is being too humble." Lafayette proclaimed, thumping John on the back. "When he 'eard about your trouble, he turned this camp upside down looking for anything which might 'elp you."
Alexander smiled at John.
"Then accept my gratitude, John. Thank you." Alexander said, placing his hand on John's shoulder. He then glanced over John's shoulder. He saw General Schuyler and Eliza loitering at the back of the room. "Now, if you will excuse me, gentlemen. I believe I have a very important conversation to have."
John nodded.
"Good luck." He said with a small smile.
Alexander nodded back before dropping his hand from John's shoulder. He then stepped around the two men and approached General Schuyler and Eliza. Eliza smiled at him shyly. General Schuyler did not look so friendly.
"Hello, sir." Alexander greeted General Schuyler first purely out of propriety. "Hello, Miss Schuyler."
General Schuyler nodded.
"Hello, Colonel Hamilton." He said. "Quite the show that you and your friends put on."
"I am sorry for the trouble that all of this has caused, sir." Alexander glanced over his shoulder at the empty room. Servants had already began clearing away the chairs. Alexander frowned as he turned to face General Schuyler again. "It is a great source of embarrassment for me. I hope that I have successfully proven that I have done nothing to injure the reputation of your daughter or myself."
General Schuyler nodded again.
"It seems that you were telling the truth." He said. "I apologize for not believing you."
"There is no need for apologies, sir. I understand that the surrounding circumstances did not support the truths that I was asserting." Alexander assured him. He then glanced at Eliza, venturing a small smile. "I only wish to return to the normalcy of my life before Miss Lewis' unfortunate claims. Might I ask if I may still rely upon your blessing of the union between your daughter and I?"
General Schuyler let out a sigh. Clearly, he still did not think very much of Alexander. Alexander did not blame him; the past week had done nothing to enhance his appearances of gentility.
"I suppose that is up to my daughter." General Schuyler said, taking Alexander by surprise.
Both of the men turned to look at Eliza.
Eliza smiled wryly. Alexander smiled back.