The sun had just risen on the cold February day and Elizabeth had woken early to hang the laundry. It had been about six months since Ben and Caleb had joined the cause and Officer Johnathan Brooks had moved into her home. She scowled inwardly as she hung the red coat on the line. She grabbed the basket and turned around to find the man in question behind her.
"Good morning," she offered kindly to the officer. The longer the man had stayed at the Brewster home, the less comfortable she had felt under his gaze. He hadn't exactly been discreet about his intentions towards her over the past few months but she had been very careful to avoid his advances.
"Ms. Brewster," he nodded. "I wondered if you might accompany me on a walk this afternoon."
"I'm afraid I'm needed here to take care of my father," she replied feigning apology. She pushed past him and tried to return to her home. He sidestepped into her way.
"You know, that wasn't really a request," he insisted grabbing her arm and causing her to drop the basket. "You have been trying to avoid me for months, offering one excuse or another. One might think you didn't like us officers. After all, you were in love with a traitor." Elizabeth looked taken aback.
"That was," she stated swallowing bile, "a mistake."
"You're correct, it was. But this isn't," he persisted. He leaned in to kiss her but she turned her cheek to him.
"Johnathan, I can't; not with my father being so sick." She made a move to get away.
"And you wouldn't want something unfortunate to happen to him," he threatened. Elizabeth stopped dead. She opened her mouth to speak but could find no words to say. "No one would believe you a traitor if you were to wed an officer of his Majesty." She couldn't disagree with his logic, though. She needed to back track.
"So you want me to marry you?" she played dumb.
"No," he responded. Elizabeth was about to sigh. "You are going to marry me. My dear, you are the most beautiful woman in this town and I intend to have you." He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "and you're going to like it."
"Fine," she responded. There was no use objecting, he was going to win.
"I'll go talk to the Judge," he said as he slithered away. Elizabeth picked up the basket once more and went inside.
She closed the door behind her.
"What have I done?" she pleaded with her father. He seemed to already know what had happened. He waved her over to him and she sat by his feet, laying her head on his knee. He lightly patted the top of her head. They stayed like this for a long time.
"You don't have to stay," Lukas whispered, causing her to look up. "If there is nothing left for you here, go."
"I can't, father. I have to stay." Lukas just sighed. "Father, if you must know, if I were not still here, the officers would have been far more vicious after the disappearance of Caleb and Ben. I miss them every hour of every day but until this war is over, my place is here." Her father's eyes flashed with realization. He looked as if he wanted to speak.
Johnathan Brooks burst swiftly through the door suddenly with a wide smile.
"It is set!" he exclaimed. "Tomorrow we shall be wed!"
"So soon?" Elizabeth questioned.
"Of course," came Johnathan's response. "We have lived together for six months. Why wait?" She nodded silently for her words would have betrayed her.
"And where is this to happen?" she inquired trying desperately to calm her raging heartbeat.
"The town hall." The church, she thought bitterly. It seemed like adultery, what she was agreeing to.
"Very well," she finished the conversation. She had agreed and he had his satisfaction. There was no need to pretend she was happy about it.
The next morning, she woke early once again but instead of doing her chores, she delicately pinned her hair up and fastened her dress corset. She didn't actually have a wedding dress but in her heart, this was not a real wedding. She chose her whitest frock and laced it tight.
She came downstairs and her father sat in a chair and stared out the window. She could tell by the tremors in his hands that this was one of his bad days. She bitterly sighed in relief that he would not be well enough to witness her wedding.
She opened the door to leave and saw Anna standing at the door. She hugged her friend fiercely for Anna was perhaps the only one who knew how it felt to have to marry the wrong man.
She had been married to Silas Strong for only three weeks and Elizabeth knew that Anna still wept occasionally for the love she once had for Abraham.
"It will get easier," Anna assured her.
"But Silas is a good man, and a patriot too," Elizabeth replied. "Johnathan is-"
"A man," Anna finished. "And a good way to keep suspicion from yourself." Elizabeth thought she saw Anna wink at her but it must have been a trick of the morning light.
They made their way to the church quietly. When they could see it in the immediate distance, Elizabeth turned to her friend to ask a burning question.
"When he finds out, do you think he will hate me?" she asked. Anna shook her head.
"That man could never hate you," she said. "Not after everything you have been through together." Elizabeth nodded knowing that there were things between herself and Ben that not even Anna knew about.
The disease had come quickly and no one had been prepared, least of all the Tallmadges. Elizabeth sat in her parlor and listened to Judge Woodhull tell her parents the news. Mrs. Tallmadge had passed after only two weeks with the deadly virus of which no one could identify.
Hearing all of this, Elizabeth thought of the Tallmadge boys, especially her close friend Benjamin. They were both about seventeen at the time. Her heart hurt for him. Standing up, she politely excused herself and headed to get her cape. Placing it around her shoulders, she left her own house and headed for that of the Tallmadges.
There were throngs of people already at the house offering their condolences. Upon her approach, Samuel, Ben's older brother, found her. He hugged her tightly and she whispered how sorry she was. Pulling away, Sam nodded and squeezed her shoulders in appreciation
"Ben hasn't left his room since it happened," he told her. It was more of a plea than a statement and Elizabeth turned and headed in the direction of the house once more. She passed Abraham and Anna and paused a moment to nod to them in greeting. Abraham shook his head sadly and Caleb approached them doing the same. It became rather apparent that Ben would not come out for anyone but Elizabeth wanted to try.
When she knocked on Ben's door there was no answer.
"Please, Ben, let me in," she pleaded. As much as Ben wanted to open the door, he couldn't find the strength in him to stand, let alone walk across the room to unlock the door. After a few more moments, she sighed and turned to leave. She paused to look out the hallway window when she immediately got an idea.
Elizabeth hiked up her skirts and swiftly climbed out the hallway window. Luckily for her, Ben's room overlooked the rear of the house and she was easily able to climb around the house without being seen. She pushed the window to Ben's room open and tumbled inside rather ungracefully.
She looked around to get some bearing of her surroundings and saw a dumbfounded Ben sitting on the bed in the corner of the room. He looked as though he had stopped crying a while ago but his face still looked rather puffy. He looked away from her and looked at the floor.
She silently stood up and took a seat on the bed next to him.
"Sam said that you were up here," she told him, looking at her hands. "He's worried about you." She took a chance and glanced at him. His gaze remained fixed on the floor.
She shifted off the bed and gently knelt down in front of him sitting on her feet. All this thinking was bad for him, she decided. She put her hands on his folded ones and pressed her lips to his thumbs. He finally looked up at her, astonished. He slid off the bed to his knees so that they were on the same level. She sat up off of her feet and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him to her chest.
He surrounded her frame and squeezed her, drawing what comfort there was to be found in their embrace. For the first time in two days, he smiled a little.
Just then, someone knocked at the door.
"Ben, are you in there?" Abraham called from outside. Elizabeth guessed that Anna was with him, maybe even Caleb. Elizabeth pulled out of his arms and unlocked the door. Ben, now painfully aware of the absence of her body heat, stood up to greet his friends.
"Elizabeth?" Caleb questioned. "How did you get in here?" Ben and Elizabeth both looked at the slightly ajar window. Caleb laughed. "Shoulda guessed." Ben turned to face his friends.
"Thank you," he said evenly. He looked at Elizabeth and smiled. "I will be alright."
"Glad to hear it," Abraham responded hugging his friend. Ben turned and embraced each of his friends. He came to Elizabeth last. He hesitated only a moment to look her in the eyes before hugging her fiercely. The five friends headed back down the stairs and outside.
Ben stood by his father and received each of the guests and mourners that came for the rest of the evening and Elizabeth stayed by his side until the last guest, Judge Woodhull, had left.
Elizabeth went to go fetch her cape once the Judge had gone but Ben beat her to the rack and held the slip of blue fabric out for her. She turned her back to him as he slipped the cape over her shoulders. When he pulled her hair out from under the cape, his fingers lightly brushed against the nape of her neck and a tremor ran down her spine. She wrote it off as a side effect of it being such a long day but still struggled to calm her shaking fingers to tie the cape at the front.
Ben escorted her home almost completely in silence. Once they came upon the house, they both stopped and turned to each other. Ben opened his mouth to speak but Elizabeth held up a finger to him. She turned around and plucked a red rose from her favorite bush. She tucked it into the pocket of his jacket.
"How did you know-" he started to ask when she cut him off.
"That it was her favorite?" she finished. "When you were little and came over to play with Caleb, she would stop to admire this bush before she came to retrieve you." She smiled up at him and no longer saw sadness in his eyes. "You know, this bush will always be here in case you need something to remember her by."
Ben pulled her into his arms and embraced her warmly. She inhaled deeply the sweet scent of the flower and the scent that was distinctly him and relaxed.
"One day, I will find a way to thank you for this," he whispered. Elizabeth chuckled silently.
"There's no need," she assured him. "It's what friends are for." She turned and opened the door to find Caleb standing in the corridor.
"Benny Boy," Caleb greeted as Elizabeth stepped inside. "If ya need anythin'," Caleb told his friend, "just let us know." Ben nodded and looked right at Elizabeth.
"Thank you, but I think I'm going to be alright," he said smiling.
"Hold on to that," Anna said, snapping Elizabeth out of the memory. "This war won't last forever."