Felicity had started her lessons with Miss Manderly at age nine, and to her great surprise, enjoyed them immensely. Now her sister was old enough to attend lessons, and where Felicity found her lessons to be enjoyable, Nan found them to be heavenly. Felicity could not believe someone could enjoy embroidery the way Nan did, Felicity barely tolerated it.
"Lissie, you are being awfully quiet this day. 'Tis not like you." Nan interrupted Felicity's thoughts.
"Tis nothing," she replied, "Look! There is Elizabeth!" and she quickened her pace towards her best friend.
Lessons seemed to last forever to Felicity. Miss Manderly had to call Felicity's attention several times and it was all Felicity could to not to race out the door once she was dismissed.
The brisk November air cut straight to the bones, Elizabeth, pulled her blue cloak more tightly and placed a hand on Felicity's shoulder, "Tis alright to be worried. Ben is a most faithful friend; you and him have always been confidants. You have every right to feel sad, he shall be sorely missed." The two girls were in their secret place. The Merrimans' barn, in Penny's stall safe within the sweet smelling hay is where they had shared many years of doll playing and secrets.
"Oh Elizabeth! Ben is my dearest friend—next to you. I don't want him to go to war. He is as dear to me as a brother! Every time Father and Marcus leave for their 'contribution' my heart is sick with grief! And they are away for only weeks at a time—Ben could be away for years!" Felicity cried, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Ever since he ran away two years ago, all he has been talking about is joining with the Patriots!"
Ben opened his eyes. His face was sweaty and streaked with mud. "I ran away," he said. "You know I want to be a soldier and fight with the Patriots."
"Father promised him that when Ben reached eighteen he may join with the Patriots, and today he is eighteen! He will surely leave now. 'Tis hard to say good-bye." Felicity hugged Penny's neck as Elizabeth stroked her friend's auburn hair. Even though she believed this war was perfectly the Patriots' fault and if the colonies would simply live under the King's jurisdiction without complaint there would be no war. Then father and all the fathers, brothers, sons, husbands and friends who were fighting could be home with those who loved them, Elizabeth was too good a friend to bring more pain to her friend. She just continued to stroke Felicity's hair, telling her that all will work out in time.