Chapter 6

Crrreeeaaakk.

My eyes fly open. For a moment, I can't remember where I am, and panic presses down on my chest. As my eyes adjust to the darkness of the bedroom, everything comes back to me in a rush.

After Eacker and Burr challenged Philip and Mr. Hamilton to the duel, Eliza had brought us all back to her house and prepared dinner. The silence was palpable, and nobody really spoke, even though I could tell that the Hamiltons were doing their best to make me and Miranda feel welcome.

Philip had excused himself from the table early, saying that he was tired and wanted to sleep, and Eliza sent him upstairs. The rest of us had left the table shortly after that, and Miranda and I went to our shared bedroom, which was right across from Philip's.

Now, I can hear noises. Creaking noises, as if someone is creeping across the floorboards, trying to not wake anybody.

I push back the sheets of my cot and slowly stand up. Eliza lent me some of her pajamas, so I'm wearing a pale, long-sleeved shirt that's slightly too big for me and a soft lavender shirt that goes down to my knees. She also lent Miranda clothing, but since Mandy is smaller than me, she's practically swimming in her borrowed nightgown.

"Mandy," I whisper, making my way over to her bed. I put my hand on her shoulder and shake her gently. "Wake up!"

She sits up immediately. I watch as her eyes adjust to the dark room.

"What's wrong, Kay?" she whispers back.

"Do you hear that?" I ask.

"Do I hear wh-"

"Shh!" I interrupt. I put my finger to my lips. "Listen."

For a moment, there's just silence. Then we hear it again.

Crrreeeaaak.

Miranda stands up. Together, we tiptoe over to the door, which is slightly open. We peer through the opening, and see Philip. He's dressed like he was earlier today, and he's carrying his boots in one hand. He's wearing just socks on his feet, and I have a feeling it's because he doesn't want his parents to know that he's leaving the house.

As he creeps down the hallway and disappears down the staircase, I turn to Miranda.

"Where is he going?" I wonder.

"Let's find out," Miranda says to me. We pick up our shoes, which we left in a pile in the corner of the room, and put them on. When we hear a soft thump, telling us that Philip left the house and closed the door behind him, we race down the steps.

Miranda pulls open the door and I follow her, stepping into the cool night air. I yank the door firmly shut behind me.

"Over there!" Miranda says, pointing. I turn just in time to see Philip turn a corner and disappear down the street.

"Follow him!" I say softly, not wanting to make too much noise. We break out in a sprint, turning the corner after him.

Miranda lets out a quiet yelp and pulls me behind a nearby tree.

"Look," she whispers.

I peek out from behind the tree. In the middle of the street, I see two men facing one another. One of them is Philip. The other is Eacker.

And they're both holding a gun.

I gasp. "What?" I stammer. "But- but- the duel is tomorrow! And Aaron Burr and Mr. Hamilton aren't even here!"

"What's going on?" Miranda demands.

My stomach sinks as the pieces slowly start to come together. "Eacker didn't care about dueling Hamilton- he just wanted to duel Philip. Philip must've offered to duel him tonight in order to save his father's life. Mr. Hamilton and Burr probably don't even know that this is happening."

"We have to stop this!" I say frantically. Without thinking, I step into the street.

"STOP!" I scream.

Both Philip and Eacker whirl around in surprise. Miranda steps up behind me. They stare at us.

"Kay? Miranda?" Philip asks, like he can't believe his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"You can't duel him, Philip!" Miranda pleads. "What about your parents?"

He smiles sadly. "I'm doing this for them. I can't let Dad duel them tomorrow."

"What are we going to tell them?" I whisper.

He thinks for a minute. "Tell them… tell them that-"

He doesn't even get to finish his sentence.

I hear a loud bang that echoes in my ears and vibrates in my brain as Eacker points his gun at Philip and shoots.

I feel as if I'm watching the scene in slow-motion. The bullet whirls through the air…

… and finds its target.

Philip falls to the ground, his gun clattering to the cobblestone streets beside him.