Mister Merriman held Felicity tightly as he whispered "my dear girl," over and over, petting her copper head. When she finally regained her composure, they headed back to the inn, father leading as Felicity slowly followed behind. As they passed the destroyed Liberty Pole, Felicity jumped off her horse and picked up the tattered flag, lying so forlorn in the dirt. Stuffing it into the leather saddle bag, she mounted Penny and hurried to catch up to her father.
At the inn, Felicity asked Ms. Plumby for a sewing box.
"Got some mendin' to do?" Ms. Plumby asked as she searched in a cabinet for the box.
"Something like that," Felicity mumbled and thanked Ms. Plumby for the sewing box. Back in her room, Felicity shut the door and pulled out the ragged remains of the stars and stripes from her bag. She poured water out of the white porcelain pitcher and into the basin and gently scrubbed the material with soap. When the water became murky with the dirt, she poured water out the window and filled the basin again with water and rinsed the material. Wringing it out, she pressed it between the folds of the old patchwork quilt on the end of the bed to get any excess water out.
Though the material was still damp, Felicity sat in the chair by the window and began repairing it. She painstakingly took care with her stitches, making sure they were tiny and even. She worked all afternoon. As she mended the stars she noticed a few were missing completely. Rubbing a remaining star between her thumb and forefinger, she gazed out the window. After a few minutes she put the down on the small table and she picked up the scissors and bent over. Lifting her dress to reveal her white petticoat, she cut a square off the bottom and cut the missing stars out of the fabric.
Later in the afternoon Jonah came looking for her, he knocked on the door rat tat tat rat tat tat, "Felicity! Are you in there!" the little boy called, looking for a playmate. Holding the flag she opened the door and Jonah energetically ran in. "What are you doing?" he asked pointing to the flag in her hand.
"I'm fixing the stars and stripes." She answered, looking down at the colors in her hand.
"Like the banner that the Patriots wave," Jonah said waving an imaginary flag in his hands. Felicity laughed as she watched him. In just a day Jonah had transformed back into the small carefree child that he should be. He had experiences that had made him act much more mature than he was ready for and now he was able to have the burden of if he was going to eat and where he was going to sleep day by day, lifted.
"Come sit with me." She led him to the chair and sat down. "Do you know what the Stars and Stripes stands for?"
"The thirteen colonies."
"Your right," she hugged him, "The flag of the United States is made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation. The flag is a symbol of our country, united as one. Each of the thirteen stars represents a colony and they are placed in a circle so that each colony is equal, no one greater than the other. Each color has a different meaning. The blue field represents fairness, faithfulness, and sincerity. The red stripes represent courage and bravery, and white is for faith and purity."
Jonah ate her words as Felicity lovingly explained the meaning of flag, her eyes glistening. When she was done he asked her what she was going to do with it.
Holding it up for inspection, she smiled and said, "I think I know somewhere where it can renew faith and remind the people of their courage which is helping them to fight this war."
"Can I go with you when you bring it to that place?" Jonah asked eagerly.
Felicity smiled proudly at him, "Yes you may."
&&&
The next morning Felicity and her father prepared to leave for Williamsburg. Ms. Plumby prepared a basket for the journey. After she was done preparing the basket of goodies, Ms. Plumby pulled Felicity aside.
"I never thanked you for bringing Jonah to me. In these past three days he comes to world to me, just lookin' into those beautiful little eyes and seein' that sweet face," she dabbed the tears in her eyes, "ye has brought some higher purpose to my life again. You have brought me someone to love and someone who needs me. Not a boarder, but a family . . . I've been lonesome in away these past few years, and now . . ." Ms. Plumby got all choked up.
Gently patting her on the back to soothe her, Felicity said softly, "you two looked as though you needed each other."
Ms. Plumby blew her nose into her handkerchief, "Thank you Felicity."
"You're welcome." And Felicity went off in search of her Father. She found him preparing the horses. Stroking Penny's chestnut mane, Felicity asked her father for permission to drop off the flag.
"There is something Jonah and I have to do before we leave, may we go?"
"Felicity, we have a long journey ahead of us and I do not want to delay. We need to get a good distance before sundown; I've been away from the family and the store for much too long now."
"It's not too much out of the way and Jonah can make his way back to the inn by himself."
"Felicity! Where do you and Jonah want to go?"
Looking down at her shoes, Felicity admitted, "The jail."
Mister Merriman let out a deep, frustrated breath. "Felicity, I took you there yesterday, do you know how dangerous this all has been? I am a supporter of the Patriotic Cause. My store delivers supplies to the troops. I can easily find myself thrown in jail with Ben if I displease someone here. We are lucky to have found an inn where its keeper's only political loyalty is to money, but going to the jail again is tempted trouble. I cannot allow it." He whispered with fustration.
"Jonah will be careful, trust me. This package is of utmost importance."
Mister Merriman held out his hand and took the package from felicity's reluctant hands, unwrapping it he found the mended flag. He sighed and handed the package back to Felcitiy. "You and Jonah have a half hour." Felicity smiled and started to rush off to find Jonah but her father stopped her saying, "Felicity, you have asked a lot of me these past few days, and I have conceded. You have disobeyed me and I have over looked it, and now I am allowing you this. But mark my words, when we return home I want you to be on your best behavior. I hope you have learned something during this trip." Finishing, he turned back to grooming his horse.
Felicity found Jonah in the kitchen munching on a piece of bread. She beckoned for him to come and he followed like a puppy.
"can you get us to the jail and back within the half hour?" she asked.
"will for a shillin'" he grinned and took off running with Felicity at his heels.
"I wish you would stop running everywhere Jonah, 'tis fine for a bit, but you are not constricted to a corset!" she called after him, demanding that he slow his pace. Finally they reached the jail. Standing a block away, Felicity fanned her red face with her hand and pointed to the jail.
"See the second barred window from the right? That's where I want you to place the package. Push it through the bars so that it falls into the jail. But take care, those guards," she indicated to the Redcoats, roaming the perimeter of the jail, "mustn't see you for we will be in a tremendous amount of trouble if we are."
"Don't worry, I'm used to being unseen," Jonah assured her and darted off with the flag wrapped in butcher paper to the jail. Pausing for a minute he waited until a guard rounded the corner and then crept up towards the empty window. Felicity watched, suddenly regretting putting Jonah in harm's way for her own selfishness. What if he gets caught she thought and then horror seized her heart as she saw a guard come into view of her and Jonah. Jonah must have noticed him too out of the corner of his eye for he tossed the package through the bar with a well placed shot and then took off back towards Felicity.
"You there!" the guard called, "Halt!"
Jonah turned without fear and looked up at the officer with sad eyes, "the butterfly got away." he explained innocently.
The guard looked at him skeptically, "and what is such a small child doing out near a jail by himself?" (Luckily Jonah was so small for his age from lack of eating that the guard thought him to be no more than four or five)
Jonah motioned for the guard to come down to his level and then whispered in his ear, "my older sister is sweet on a soldier, she was looking to see if he was here."
The guard glanced up to look at Felicity who just smiled weakly, not knowing what to do, what was Jonah saying? He's a resourceful child but could he find his way out of this mess? she wondered, still holding a forced smile at Jonah and the guard.
The guard smiled at Felicity and then turned back to Jonah, "Your sister is very fine indeed. Do you know which guard she is sweet on?"
"No sir." Jonah shook his head, trying to seem sympathetic towards the guard.
"Well find out—and put in a good word for me lad," he patted him on his head and sent him back to Felicity, calling, "the name's Jonathan Parker." He smiled and went back to his rounds.
Felicity held out both her hands to Jonah and welcomed him with a warm embrace. "Jonah, I am so sorry." she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Awww it was no trouble, the guard liked me."
Felicity was taken aback and let out a laugh. "Well I know you are an endearing little child, but what did you say to him?"
"Oh nothing," he said with an arrogant little jaunt, "just that my sister was sweet on a soldier and came here to see him."
"Oh you little snipe!" Felicity tweaked his nose and she and Jonah laughed the entire way back to the inn.
&&&
Back at the inn saying good-bye to Jonah was extremely difficult. He hugged her and wouldn't let go, begging her to stay.
"I love you Felicity! You are my bestest friend!" he cried. Felicity assured him that someday their paths would meet again and then her and her father took off for home.