Connor stood brushing the dust off his hands and looking down at the grave before him. It was done. The purpose of his entire life so far had been fulfilled. He was ready to move on.
Lost in thought he followed the familiar path to Ellen's. He knocked on the door loudly. He heard hurrying footsteps but it was Ellen who opened the door. He pushed past her into the house looking around the room for his target. "I have to talk to her." Ellen looked up at him, and sighed. "It's too late Connor. She left this morning." She turned around and picked up a box from the table. "She said to give you this. There's supposed to be a letter in side." She handed him the box gently and laid a hand on his arms. "Would you like some tea? What with the blockade... " she trailed off, realizing what she said. Mutely he shook his head. He headed for the door pausing briefly at the threshold. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."
He left then, heading further up the road. He turned from the noise and bustle of the tavern and found himself by habit at the door of the school. With a grimace he entered the building surveying the neat desks and trying not to think on how he would never again walk her to Ellen's after a day of teaching. Sitting on one of the edges of the table he opened the box. The jewelry inside sparkled but the crisp white envelope was the only thing he was interested in. Putting the box aside he picked it up and opened it, reading:
I'm a coward, I know. I'm sorry for that. I knew if I tried to say good bye face to face I might not make it. Also since I promised to let you know I'll do so now. Nothing came of that day by the pond. I'm certain of it now and you can rest easy on that account. You've taught me a lot and I want to let you know I'll never forget you. I have my drawings of you but I've enclosed a sketch of myself to help you remember me if you wish. I'm leaving you my mother's jewelry. I would rather you keep it than it end up in the patriot's coffers. Someday you'll meet someone who can be what you deserve. I know you will be a good husband. You do not need to tell her about me but let her know that someone you knew once wanted her to have these and wishes her the best of happiness. -Carolyn
He pulled a second sheet of paper from the envelope and looked down at Carolyn's smiling face. His eyes fell to the wall, its mural complete at last. He loved the woods. He knew them his whole life. But he had never seen them as beautiful before. He scanned the trees trying to spot the changes and additions. He hadn't spotted the owl sitting on the branch before or noticed that one of the hares stood on its hind legs to nibble at a leaf. A dark spot in the river up past the beaver family caught his. He leaned in closer and could just make out two otters curled up sleeping on the shore, their paws touching. "Dammit!" he swore and slamming the lid of the jewelry box shut he went for the door.
The captain offered her his arm as they disembarked the Sovereignty but she did not need it. She tried not to think of how the movement of the ship reminded her of walking on tree branches. She was glad she had worn her black woolen dress. It fitted her mood but also caused all but the most crass of people to give pause before harassing her. The few remaining loyalists who had chosen to sail were getting a very unfriendly send off. So far she at least had not been pelted with anything. He escorted her to the customs house and waited while she was interviewed.
"Anything of value to declare? There are strict limits to what you may take and anything over the limit is subject to seizure. All possessions will be searched."
She shook her head.
"Nothing of value at all?" the clerk baulked at that and eyed her suspiciously.
"I have my clothes and a few books. I've lived the past 3 months on charity as a school teacher. What cash I have has been documented already and falls under the dower provisions. "she tried to get angry but didn't have the energy. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the captain approach one of the officers and whisper in his ear. The gentleman came over and tipped his hat respectfully. "Miss Blair?" She nodded. "I'm terribly sorry for your loss. He was a great man." He caught the clerk's eye "And a good patriot." She held her head up and tried to keep her composure. He turned to the clerk, his voice crisp with military command "Process her through."
The captain reclaimed her then and walked her outside. "We sail in the morning. For now though I would be honored if you would spend the night with me and my wife at our house. I'm afraid it's not much at the moment but it would be quieter than an inn." She nodded. "Thank you, it would be very kind." She looked around. "If I may I would like to walk first. It's hard to think that I'll never see the city again." He showed her where he lived and offered her an escort which she shook off. "Luckily we do not wear our allegiances on our skin. I'll be safe enough." She wandered around town visiting favorite spots and old acquaintances to let them know she was leaving. She did not stop by the old house, sure that seeing someone else on the steps would leave her crying in the streets.
Finally she returned to the house exhausted and knocking shyly at the door was let in. Politely declining dinner she retired to one of the guest rooms upstairs. Removing her shoes she picked up the one book she had not packed and curled into the chair in the corner. She had intended to read briefly to distract herself but fell fast asleep fully dressed.
Not knowing where else to go Connor began his search at the dock and spotted her entering a stately house near the water. Finding a nearby bench he sat and pondered the building but eventually it became clear that she was not coming out. He thought it perhaps better to find a spot for the night and return in the morning before the ship left rather than trying random windows and hoping for the best. He had just begun walking up the street when he spotted the mob.
It was not a large group by his standards, about the same as that day in the square but they were armed and shouting. Men carried torches and swords and held an effigy a loft of a man in a redcoat jacket with a captain's cap. They gathered around the door shouting for the captain to come out.
He moved as quietly as he could through the crowd to the house as the town guard arrived and ordered them to disperse. The old man appeared at the door with as much dignity as he could muster.
"We leave tomorrow. What more do you want?"
Over the shouts of the crowd could be heard the sounds of breaking glass and in moments the smell of smoke. Two men came running around the corner, bottles of spirits with burning rags in hand and lobbed 2 more through windows on the side of the house. An older woman and a young girl ran out to the door step flames already eating up the walls inside.
"Miss Blair! She's still upstairs!" the captain went for the door but Connor stopped him.
"I will get her. Is there anybody else in the house?"
He shook his head and Connor pushed him back and ran in the door.
Even half asleep Carolyn knew something was wrong. In her dream the Sovereignty was under attack and sinking but even as she sunk the smell of smoke burned at her lungs. With a start she awoke, realizing the smoke was not just part of her nightmare. She could feel the heat radiating from the floor boards beneath her. Rising from the chair she stumbled for the door through the smoke, her sleeve covering her mouth and nose as best she could but before she could make the landing a portion of the floor collapsed pulling down a heavy roof beam. She dove, narrowly dodging the debris. Her new position was little improvement. The edge of the dresser had caught the weight of the burning beam but left her only a small pocket trapped between the wall, the dresser and an open inferno below. Covering her face as best she could she tried to find a way across the gap.
If she had not been coughing her would never have found her. His first sweep of the room missed her entirely trapped as she was, her dark dress blending into the shadows. He pulled on the dresser, trying to get it out of the way but it was weighted in place by the beam. Finally she noticed his presence, her eyes going wide with fear. "What are you doing here?" He didn't answer, putting all his weight into trying to shift the wood. She crawled over to a small gap and reached a hand out towards him. He took her hand squeezing it briefly. "I'll get you out." She shook her head, tears in her eyes from the burning smoke. "No. You have to go. Get out of here."
Giving up on the dresser he eyed the beam itself. "Never again. I'm not leaving without you!" He grabbed a portion of the beam that had already charred and burned with both hands and threw his shoulder against it. He pushed, hoping that the floor would hold the extra strain until just has his lungs were about to burst he felt it begin to shift. Taking another breath he threw himself against it even harder and was rewarded by it shifting a foot from the wall. Spotting the opening Carolyn pressed herself to the floor and squeezed herself through.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door. "The captain and his family!" "Already outside" he assured her "but the landing is gone." Carolyn was still looking around for a way out when Connor grabbed her waist and pulled her into a run to the window. In horror she realized he did not mean to stop.
Connor hit the ground below first by the span of a heartbeat. Winded Carolyn laid there for a moment looking up at the window above in time to see the roof collapse on the room they had stood in moments before. Rolling over she checked on Connor who seemed to find the whole situation funny.
"Don't you ever do that again" her voice was serious but she kissed him lightly and rested her head on his chest. "You could have been killed". She slid her hand down his side and drew it back sticky with blood. Scrambling to her feet she opened his jacket revealing a seeping gash on his side. "Don't worry, I already had that. Just reopened it is all." He sat up slowly and winced. She looked around but spotted no assistance forthcoming so she reached down and pulled one of her stockings loose and wadding it up pressed it against the wound "Here, hold this against it."
She helped him to his feet as best she could and they walked around the front of the house where the guard had managed to disperse most of the crowd. Seeing them the captain breathed a sigh of relief. "We are going to go ahead and spend the night on the ship." He looked between her and Connor curiously.
She sighed and looked up at Connor where he leaned heavily on her. "I'm afraid you're sailing without me tomorrow." Connor smiled down at her at that. "You're sure?" She nodded. "You clearly haven't got any common sense. If I leave who else will look after you?"
The captain called a carriage and helped her load Connor into it. "I'll send your trunk on for you tomorrow. Where shall I send it?" She looked at Connor inquisitively. "Shall I have them send it to the manor? It is easier to find than Ellen's." He smiled at her leaving her weak kneed and she gave the captain a description of the house. Hesitating she drew a small ring from her pocket. "This was my father's. I would like you to have it. Show it to the governor when you get to Kingston. He should recognize it as the one he gave my father all those years ago. Tell them…. Tell them I'm sorry. " She pressed it into his hand. "You're certain?" She nodded looking at Connor in the carriage. "I think it's time to make a break from the past. "
With that she climbed up in the carriage behind him and they headed back to Davenport trying stabilize him as best she could over the bumpy road. As luck would have it they were driving past the tavern just as Dr. White was exiting and she had the driver stop and pick him up before heading to the house. She paid the driver, thankful that she had not removed her purse before falling asleep and together she and the doctor got Connor up in the house and into the downstairs bed.
She helped the doctor remove his jacked and shirt and brought over the supplies to redo the stitches. She had to give Connor that, he had plenty of bandages and they were not hard to find. The worst wound was the reopened cut on his side, the fall tearing the skin that had anchored the original stitches in place but the burns on his arms and the glass imbedded in his back and arms were clearly from the house fire. She held Connor's hand and watched nervously as the doctor carefully picked the broken shards from the flesh and deposited them in a bowl but he barely flinched. "You needn't worry about him. He does this more than you would think and he heals well." She shook her head at the thought that regularly getting hurt was not a sign for worrying.
Once Connor was bandaged and tucked into bed she went to put away the supplies but was stopped by Dr. White. "Come on, I'll do you in the kitchen." She looked down aware for the first time of the cuts to her own skin. She had not seen the blood against the black fabric of the dress. Now that awareness had come through the shock she started to feel the sting.
Sitting at the table she carefully peeled off the top of the dress, the arms sticky with blood. Apologetically he began to remove the glass from her arms and back and clean the area. "You're fairly lucky actually. The thickness of the stays stopped most of the glass. Though I think perhaps they gave their life for it." She nodded and gritted her teeth seeing him reach for a bottle of strong spirits. "I'm sorry to do this." She shook her head. "No, I understand. My father treated men who did not get the wounds tended properly. Gangrene is not a good way to die. Do what you must." She braced herself and sobbed as the liquid burned across the myriad of open cuts. "At least you will not need stitches!" he carefully bound up two cuts on her arms and she pulled the dress top back into place.
Once they were finished Dr. White headed for the door. "I'll be back to check on him in the morning. Are you staying at Ellen's again?" he asked casually. She shook her head. "Tonight I will stay here in case he needs anything. I've done this before. I know what to watch for. " He smiled at that and made no further comment. Latching the door behind him she pulled one of the wing backed chairs over by the edge of the bed and, trying to find a position that did not press on the cuts on her back, curled up to sleep.