"You must be General Washington." I said quietly as I turned bright red and brushed my brown hair behind my ear.
"I am. Whom may you be?" He asked as I gave a small curtsy.
"My name is Eliza Schuyler, sir." I said as he smiled at me.
"Well, Miss. Schuyler I will say that your sisters are the talk of the town with your daring escape." He said as I turned a darker crimson and hurried back into the house.
"Angie! The general is here." I said excited as she was cooking more meat and had water boiling.
"Well, seems like their plan is going well so far." She said as I nodded.
"Angie, he said heard about us running. Is that good?" I asked as she pulled some dirty vegetables as she hands some to me.
"I don't know Liza. I hope that he doesn't let anyone know we are here." Angie said as I brushed some of the dirt off the carrots and green beans as I started to chop them up.
"I don't think he will, He seems like a very private man." I said as I heard the men walk in and started to talk. "He is quite handsome Angie. You and him would be a match of perfect wits." I whispered to her as she peeked out of the kitchen and then blushed bright red.
"Eliza! We have no time for courtships." She said mockingly as I stuck her tongue out at me.
"Well, let's serve the men and then we will leave them be." I said as I started to serve the meat, potatoes and the boiled vegetables onto different plates. I walked out and watched them sit at the old long dining table that Angelica dusted off earlier as they sat down and were having drinks out of new looking glass.
"I have been saving these glasses and wine for this night." Alexander said as he raised a glass of wine and the others followed in suit.
"Dinner is ready." I said quietly as they looked at me and Angelica walked over to them and put a plate in front of each of the men.
"Well, this looks very lovely. Thank you." General Washington said as Angelica smiled at him.
"Well, sir. We thought it would be best to celebrate the welcoming of a very important guest." Angelica said as I put a plate in front of Alexander.
"We will be taking our leave now." I said as Angelica and I walked back to the kitchen and I grabbed my plate. "Well, let's go eat in the parlor and finished our dresses." I said as she and I walked out to the parlor were out dresses were neatly folded. I put my plate down and I started to eat as Angelica sat next to me.
"I found some lace that we could use for the dresses." Angelica said as we heard laughter booming from the dining room area as I jumped up shocked at the noise.
"I think they are getting too drunk." I said as Angelica and I finished our dinner. "I will go see if the men are done." I said as I got up and brushed my teal skirt off as I walked into the dining room as Alexander raised a glass and motion it towards me.
"To the beautiful Schuyler sisters." He said as I blushed and he got down from stand on top of his chair and pulled me into a tight embraced and placed a sloppy kiss on my lips as I stood in place shocked as he pulled away and I covered my mouth as I heard everyone laugh. I felt my face heat up as I turned bright crimson red and turned away and ran out of the room.
"Eliza? What happened?" Angelica asked as I ran upstairs and into Angelica and I's room and fell onto my bed with tears of embarrassment falling down my face as I started to cry into my pillow. I heard someone knocking on the door.
"Eliza?" Angelica asked softly as she walked in. I lifted my head to watch her put a candle on the desk. "Dear Liza. Tell me what is wrong?" Angelica said as I shook my head.
"A-Alexander kissed me and everyone laugh at me and it was embarrassing…" I said as I cried into her lap. I felt her stroke the back of my head as she kept muttering it's okay.
"I don't think they meant to laugh. I think it was the wine laughing, not them." Angelica said as I shook my head.
"I don't ever want to leave this room again." I said as Angelica shook her head.
"Nonsense. Don't say that. Tomorrow will be better." She said as I sighed and sat up.
"I'm going to go to sleep. Good night Angie." I said as I got up and started to take my dress and corset and climbed into bed. I covered up and fell into a dreamless sleep.
I brushed my cream skirt off as I started to put wet clothes on the drying line as Angelica brought another basket of laundry to me as I sighed.
"Goodness. These boys are filthy." Angelica said as I giggled and saw Alexander looking over at me as he was ignoring a solider talking to him as I looked down. "Oh Liza, it's been a week since the whole drunk kiss. Maybe you and him need talk about it." Angelica said as I shook my head.
"No, it's too embarrassing. It was horrid when Lafayette, Mulligan and Laurens were forced to apologize to me by General Washington." I said as she rolled her eyes. Angelica and I finished pinning the wet clothes to the line as Alexander walked over to Angelica and I.
"Eliza, do you mind if I have a word with you in private?" Alexander asked as I shifted uncomfortably in my shop.
"Alexander, I believe now is not the best time." I said pointing behind him as he turned and saw the General walking towards us.
"Sorry to interrupt you Elizabeth and Angelica. Hamilton, I need a word." He said as Angelica smiled at him.
"No need to apologize George." Angelica said as I smiled to myself as Alexander nodded and walked away. "Come on, let's go inside and let the laundry dry." Angelica said as I walked inside with her.
"I think I am going to upstairs and finish that quilt." I said as Angelica nodded and walked away. I walked upstairs and into the small room that has become quite homely. I sat on my bed with scraps of fabric that Hercules and started to thread the needle. I sewed quietly to myself as I heard someone knock on my door.
"Do you mind if I come in?" Alexander asked as I looked up and sighed.
"Sure." I said as I put the colorful fabric down and watched him close the door softly.
"This is sort of long overdue but I want to apologize for my behavior last week when General Washington arrived. I had no intentions of making you embarrassed in front of everyone with me… drunkenly kissing you… I am so sorry." He rambled on as I looked down.
"It's alright Alexander. I have long forgotten it." I said as he looked at me and at the quilt with a small grin on his face.
"That is quite lovely. Things are a bit different now that your sister and you are here." Alexander said trying to make conversation.
"I hope that's good?" I asked giggling as I picked up my sewing and continued sewing the patch.
"It is. I didn't mean to offend you." He said rambling as I giggled.
"Well, it is a bit better then back in Manhattan." I said as he bit his lip as he pulled a chair up and sat in front of me.
"Well. I did promise to protect you and your sister. Also, that I would find Peggy." Alexander said as I looked down and felt sadness wash over me as he mentioned Peggy's name.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you Eliza." Alexander said as he gently touched my hand as I turned bright red at his touch. I giggled as he pulled away. "I think I should go." He said as he got up and stumbled over a chair. I giggled to myself as he walked out. I finished the rest of my quilt as I folded it up into a neat square and draped it over the back of the rickety wooden chair that Alexander was in as I smiled at my work. I looked out the window and watched Alexander and Laurens talking as I heard the bell warning ring again.
"Oh no!" I said as I ran out of the room and walked to the hatch and tried to get it open. It got stuck as Angelica and the General ran over to me. It was stuck as the General moved me out of the way as I stood back and he got the latch open as he helped me and Angelica in as Laurens ran over to us.
"You guys don't have to hide. Just stay in the ladies' room and be quiet." Laurens whispered as Washington helped Angelica and I down and ushered us quietly into our room as Laurens locked the door.
"We need a wedding dress. We found one of the sisters from Manhattan." Seabury said as Angelica and I covered our mouths as I sat on my bed in shock.
"Why do you need a wedding dress?" Mulligan asked as I felt my heart breaking.
"She is being sentenced to be the bride of one of my right-hand men." Seabury sneered as I cried into Angelica's shoulder softly as Washington looked at us confused.
"That is our baby sister…" Angelica whispered as she rubbed my shoulders.
"I need her to be brought here for measurements." Mulligan said as Seabury sneered.
"She will be here tomorrow." Seabury said as he walked out and we heard the horse gallop away. I sniffled and wiped my eyes.
"I am so sorry…" Washington said as he looked at us sadly as we heard the door open. Laurens and Alexander looked down as they walked in the room.
"I am taking it you heard what Seabury said…" Alexander said as we nodded and Washington snuck out of the room.
"Can we please try and get her back?" I pleaded as Alexander knelt in front of me and looked up at me.
"I made you a promise and I intend to keep it." He said as he looked at me and Angelica. "We will get her back. Tomorrow Hercules needs to take her measurements. We will find a way to get rid of her patrol. Then we will sneak her into the attic and then we will say she ran." Alexander said explaining the plan as I nodded.
"Okay." I said as he got up and walked out quietly. "I'm going to go get the laundry." I said shaking as I got up and I hurried outside as my thoughts were consumed by Peggy. I prayed to myself that she was not hurt. I wondered if she was still in her bright yellow dress. I remember making her dress and I sighed as I pulled the dried clothes off the pins and put them in a basket. I carried them into the house and listened to Alexander explain the plan to the others. I walked upstairs as I saw the sun starting to the set in the sky as I walked upstairs and put in one of the abandoned rooms. I put it on the desk and pulled out Angelica's peach colored gown and my teal dress as I walked out and into my room. I folded Angelica's peach dress and placed it on her brown and peach quilt that we found in the attic. I placed my dress neatly at the foot of my bed as I heard Angelica call for me. I walked downstairs and into the kitchen as she handed me a steaming plate of meat and potatoes. "I'm going to go upstairs." I said as she nodded and I walked upstairs and picked at my food as I shook my head. My thoughts were consumed with Peggy and hoping she was okay. I've seen what those soldiers have done to women that were sentence to be brides. They are normally battered and have their hair chopped off. I cringed at the thought of her curly thick brown ringlets being cut off. I shook my head as I heard Angelica walked into our room and close the door.
"Liza, you have not touched your food at all. What's wrong?" Angelica asked as I bit my lip.
"I'm scared about seeing Peggy tomorrow. Angie, you know what those monsters do to women who are forced brides." I said panicky as Angelica touched my shoulder gently.
"Peggy is a fighter. I am sure she is fine…" Angie said as she lit a candle on the desk and I started to eat some of my food. I finished eating as Angelica started to braid her thick black curls as I got up from my chair with my plate.
"I'll be up in a bit." I said as she nodded and I walked out of the room and went downstairs to the kitchen and I put my plate in the bucket of the water to wash it off as I cleaned off the plate and put it back on the shelf. I walked upstairs and closed the door as I saw Angelica reading a bible as I locked the door and unlaced my dress and slipped it off as I untied my corset. I folded my clothes up and put them in front my bed and climbed into bed. "Goodnight Angie." I said as she put her bible on the table and blew out her candle.
"Try not to worry so much Liza. Think tomorrow we will be reunited with Peggy." Angelica said with a yawn as I faced the ceiling.
"Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough." I whispered to myself.