The Gentleman Spy

by: Shadow Chaser

Summary:

Episode 6 "Many Mickles Make A Muckle" extended scene. Benjamin Tallmadge through the eyes of Martha Washington.

Story:

Though Martha Washington enjoyed parties, enjoyed the bland chatter with the other socialites and families that revolved around the upper echelons of society, it was not the reason she attended them. She attended them for the joy of conversing with her husband's officers and confidants. The parties were only a cover for her, a frivolity that she knew was crucial to the war effort, but nonetheless was a necessity at times. Alliances and agreements were made at social gatherings such as this one and she had already teased dear George on his efforts to ensure that people liked him – be it they'd be on opposite sides of an agreement or two. It was the same with the current matter that had been a rift of contention between General Arnold and Joseph Reed.

"Ma'am, is there anything you need?" the quiet soothing voice of George's servant, Billy Lee spoke from her elbow and she turned her head a little to see a kind smile on his coal-black face.

"I am well at the moment Billy, but thank you," she replied, reaching over to pat him on the arm. She saw Billy duck his head a little, still shy and mindful of the propriety that negros maintained in polite society. She studied him out of the corner of her eyes and smiled a little. "I'm glad George took my advice about your new clothing."

"Ah, thank you ma'am," Billy blushed a little before picking at the corner of his waistcoat, "it was a little tight of a fit, but the Major sent me to fix it instead of waiting on him."

"And how is the Major?" from her vantage point near the back of the crowd, she was able to see both Major Tallmadge dancing with the beautiful Peggy Shippen, and on the opposite side conversing in low tones with General Arnold, her husband.

"His health is better, though he did have a recent injury," Billy said and Martha heard a slight exasperating disapproval in the young servant's tone.

"You taught him to the best of your abilities, Billy. Nathaniel would have been proud," she murmured out of the corner of her mouth.

"I respectfully disagree, ma'am," her smile grew a little wider at Billy's statement, "Mr. Sackett would have been muttering all over the place." Most servants, especially negros would never contradict their owner's statements or even disagree with them publicly. Even Billy had confessed that during one of George's long melancholic episodes last winter, he had found it terrifying when George demanded that they each be treated as equals. Billy had risen up to the occasion in spectacular fashion, but even then he said it had been a metaphoric leap of faith for him to do such a thing.

But Martha had always kept a different counsel with Billy ever since he had come into her household's service. She knew who Billy was and what he was, about the hidden war that had plagued George's older brother, she knew everything and always knew that the best secret keepers were not men – but rather servants and the women of the household. Hence why she ran her household's slaves and servants in a far different manner than most of what had been expected in this day and age. She knew if the facade was ever revealed, it would positively scandalous, but here, in this ball, she was safely anonymous with all of the attention currently on the festivities of the ball.

"That is quite true," she agreed. In her mind's eye she could see her late and dear friend Nathaniel Sackett shaking his head and muttering seemingly nonsensical things as he paced around. "But, the young Major is bright and has already learned from his mistakes." She could clearly see the same preternatural ease in which the Major guided himself around the dance hall reflected with the clear training that from Billy and Nathaniel that both men had instilled in the young officer.

"He has," Billy's voice turned to one of pride.

"You have trained him well," she praised him and saw him duck his head again, bashful from the amount of praise she was heaping on him. She returned to studying the young Major Benjamin Tallmadge, one of her husband's favorites, if not the clear favorite of all of George's proteges. The letters he sent her in their own code heaped his frustrations and praises of Tallmadge's exploits. Some of them she knew that he could not reveal, not without compromising whatever enterprise his head of intelligence had built, but Martha was adept at reading in between the lines. And in a way, she had found herself adopting young Benjamin as a son much like she had unofficially adopted all of her husband's proteges.

She was too old to bear children for George and she knew that it hurt him in a way. She also knew that he had tried to compensate for that by favoring some of the officers that served under him, whether it was his aide-de-camps Hamilton, Laurens, and a few others, or even the Marquis de Lafayette. But it seemed like it was young Benjamin who was his favored son – certain never an Esau or Jacob, but favored from what she read from George's letters.

And it was because of the amount of frustration she had read from his letters, at how he was trying to nurture the young officer's latent talents, but at the same time, she read the real fear of his own actions towards Benjamin. Martha knew that George feared turning into his brother, Lawrence's Templar legacy, even though he had been so devoted to him. He feared the machinations of the shadowy power behind this war for independence.

She understood why he had his fears for the Major – both Billy and Nathaniel knew of their heritages and had readily accepted them. George had expressed surprise that Benjamin knew of his heritage, but had utterly rejected it and instead, devoted himself solely to George and the cause – essentially willing to become his sword – and shield if her husband's reports on his defense from Charles Lee's machinations were anything to go by. Nathaniel and Billy were also devoted to the cause, but they had already been part of the Assassin Brotherhood, but had left it after the purge by Shay Cormac back during the Seven Years War. They had the awareness of what it meant, the shadowy hints of machinations and ulterior motives. George feared that Benjamin did not and perhaps foolishly rushed in to offer his aide and skills to him. Though Martha knew that her husband held no such ulterior motives, there was still that perceived fear behind George's actions. She had been right earlier – George wanted to be liked by everyone, and feared that rejection.

She and Billy stood in amicable silence for the last few notes of the dance before clapping in polite applause as it ended and Martha watched as the young officer led Miss Shippen to her cadre of friends that included her sister Betsy and socialite Becky Redman. That was when Martha decided to find out a little more about the young officer whom her husband had taken under his wing. She wanted to very much understand why Nathaniel was so excited in his letters to her when Tallmadge had arrived at Morristown two years ago.

Billy shadowed her as was his custom as she walked the few steps towards the small circle and inclined her head in greeting at the now slightly reserved and still shocked expressions the elder Miss Shippen and Miss Redman wore. That, had been a wonderful trick she had played amongst the women and she had seen George silently laugh at it – finding humor in such a fete that neither one of them quite wanted to attend, but had to because of their social statuses.

"Miss Shippen," she addressed the beautiful Peggy Shippen, "do you mind if I borrow the young man whom you've danced with so wonderfully just a few minutes ago?"

Peggy shook her head, her smile not quite reaching her eyes as she demurred, "Of course, Mrs. Washington." There were still some visible puffy streaks around her eyes and Martha was momentarily struck by concern. Why would Peggy be crying in such a lavish ball? However, she caught a nervous look that Betsy shot at her sister and then back at Tallmadge and realized that something must have happened between the two for the elder Shippen to be nervous around her younger sister. Betsy had not wanted Tallmadge to leave, hoping to use him as an excuse to not face Peggy, but with Martha's arrival and request, there was no other answer that could have been given.

"Ma'am," Tallmadge seemed oblivious to what had happened and instead, sketched a short polite bow to the women before holding his arm out to her. Martha took it and discreetly led him away, noting the slight surprise in his expression when they did not return to the dance floor and instead, stepped a bit away from the Shippen daughters and Becky Redman.

"Ma'am," Billy silently signaled to her that he was leaving her to her privacy and fell back two paces from them, earning a slight confused glance from Tallmadge to Billy before the young officer focused back on her.

"I never got the chance to thank you during my last visit to camp," Martha started and saw the confusion deepen before she clarified, "I visited George during the army's stay at Valley Forge in the winter."

"Oh," Tallmadge looked a little less nervous, "I had been sent away, ma'am. Troop count and foraging for supplies. I did not realize that you had requested to see me-"

"I always make it a point to see all of my husband's officers. To ensure their wellness, their health, and anything that they would require," she interrupted him gently, "George puts a lot of demands on his officers. I only ensure that if there are any such complaints, that they'd be brought to me so I can chastise him properly as a good wife is supposed to do."

"M-Ma'am," she smiled a little at the blush that appeared on Tallmadge's face. It certainly proved all of George's letters correct – Tallmadge was very devoted to her husband and would never say ill of him.

She decided to ease his embarrassment, "I worry for him, not only in the manner accustomed a wife to a husband, but in other ways. He sees too much of his brother Lawrence in himself from time to time and his moods will get the best of him. Billy does what he can, where and when he can, but..." She gave a small shrug and glanced up at the young officer who's embarrassment had faded and was now looking at her with a concerned fascination. "Nathaniel took on that role, enabling him to command with ease he may not show otherwise, but since his passing..."

"Ma'am..." she glanced back up at him as she saw the hesitation clear on his expression before it resolved in the manner that she instantly recognized why her husband valued Tallmadge so much. The decisiveness was unlike any other that she had seen and the clear lines of loyalty – hidden in most other officers, including the ones that George favored, behind false smiles and adopted masks of polite society – Tallmadge clearly disliked hiding behind the facade of shadowy secrets. Some might call it irony considering how many secrets Tallmadge must be privy to – but Martha did not. This was a man who refused to play the shadow game of the war between the Templars and Assassins.

"Do you know about...?" he asked and she nodded once. She knew that he was asking whether or not she was privy to the Templars and Assassins and knew of the blood ties between her husband and his brother. "Then do you wish for me to become what Mr. Sackett was to His Excellency?"

She smiled a little and shook her head, "No, Benjamin."

Her answer surprised him as the resolve melted away into one of curious shock.

"George wishes to be liked by everyone," she had teased her husband a few hours ago about this very subject, but it was true. "But in that sense, he will blind himself to aspects that he cannot see. It is not what I wish for you, far be it for me to give you orders, Major, but what you already know what to do. Watch him, protect him like you have always done, be his shield and if necessary, be his sword. He chose you, Major Benjamin Tallmadge, to be his eyes and ears."

She hoped that he received her hidden message and it seemed like he had as his nod of affirmation was much more serious before he seemingly looked to his right. She turned too, to see George and General Arnold walking towards them. Arnold looked to be in better spirits, but just as Tallmadge pulled away to let the two approach her, she saw the slight concern and trepidation in the young officer's eyes. It was directed at General Arnold and Martha knew then that while her husband had seemingly adopted Tallmadge like a son, Tallmadge had already long chosen whom his loyalty was to and was already executing his duties to watch for potential threats around George – and considered the famed General Arnold one of them.

And that comforted Martha more than anything else.

~END~