It's been over two weeks without any word from any of the men. We had a note posted on the door that said Hercules was out of town getting new fabric and won't be back for a while. Angelica, Peggy and I sat in the parlor room and were sewing contently as we heard a knock on the door.
"Must be another British." I said shaking my head as I heard the door being banged on again. I jumped up from my spot on my sofa as Peggy clung onto Angelica.
"Ay! It's us!" Hercules called out as I looked at Angelica and Peggy excited and ran to the door, through it open to reveal Hercules and Lafayette along with Laurens and Washington.
"Where is Alexander?" I asked trying to mask my worry.
"He is putting the horses up mon cher." Lafayette said as they walked in and Peggy kept a hold onto Angelica.
"How about you get settled in, and Peggy and myself will start working on dinner." Angelica said as everyone nodded and went about.
"You go and talk to Alexander." Angelica whispered to me as I blushed and ran out of the house to the barn.
"Alexander?" I called out as I walked in and saw him putting a horse in stall.
"Eliza." He said smiling at me as I ran to him and hugged him tightly.
"Oh thank goodness you are alright." I said out of breath as he stood in shock. I pulled away and saw him blushing. I looked down at the floor as he lifted my chin up.
"I promised I would stay alive, and I like to keep my promises." He said as I smiled at him as I felt heat rise in my face.
"Let's go um… back inside. Angelica is making dinner." I said as he nodded and he and I walked together into the house as I smelled meat cooking as people were talking.
"I should go." We said at the same time as I heard Angelica calling my name and Laurens was calling for Alexander. I walked into the kitchen and put my apron on as Angelica tied it for me.
"So how was you and Alexander's reunion?" Angelica asked whispering as I stirred a pot of cream as I added some pieces of deer meat that Alexander had brought for us when Peggy first arrived, Angie tossed some potatoes in as I stirred the soup slowly.
"Well, it was alright." I said as Peggy was putting some dough in the oven as she froze. "Peggy?" I asked as she dropped the pan to the ground and screamed. She pointed at the window above the stove as she took a step back and fell to the ground. The guys came running into the kitchen as Angelica and I tried to help her stand up. "What the hell happened?" Laurens asked as she fought us off.
"Its…. Its…" She stuttered out as Angelica knelt on the floor next to Peggy.
"Peggy? What is it?" Angelica asked slowly as Peggy's chin quivered as she had a tear go down her face and pointed at the window again.
"He… H-he's outside… he is going to take me away! He…. He is going to tell him I'm here!" Peggy stuttered out as the men ran out of the kitchen and out the back door.
"Get Peggy into the attic and stay there till someone comes to get you." Alexander yelled as we picked Peggy up and we hurried upstairs to the attic.
"Calm her down in the attic. I'll lock it and hide in our room." I said as Angelica nodded and I helped Peggy and her into the attic. I locked the hatch and I ran to our room and locked the door as I grabbed the dagger that was under my bed and held it close to me. I heard the men yelling outside as I watched out the window as they chased after someone.
"Burr!" Alexander yelled as they finally caught them and shook him as they dragged him into the house.
"I'll get the girls and tell them it's safe. Get him tied up." Alexander said as he ran up the stairs to the attic as I walked out slowly.
"Who was it?" I asked startling him as he realized it was me.
"He fought with us in the war. How on earth does Peggy know him?" Alexander asked as before he opened the hatch.
"Well, considering that you yelled Burr that it was the man that gave Peggy up to Samuel Seabury." I whispered as he nodded and he unlatched the hatch and helped the others down.
"Well, he is sort of a spy for us. We never knew about Peggy and Him." Alexander said as Peggy cleared her throat.
"He gave… me up…" Peggy said looking down as Angelica had her arm around her shoulder as she rubbed Peggy's arm.
"Well, how about you stay up here and we will deal with him. I want to know why he gave you up." Alexander said as Peggy nodded.
"Okay…" She said as we lead her back to our room.
"We need to go finish dinner. Do you think you can hang out in here for a bit?" I asked we sat her on her bed. She nodded as she looked up at us.
"Angelica… I'm scared. He knows I'm here. He'll tell Seabury that Hercules lied! He'll get whipped in the square just like they did back home! This is all my fault." Peggy said getting riled up as we heard someone clear their throat.
"It's not your fault Peggy." Hercules said as I turned to face him as he walked in.
"You should have given me back to him…" Peggy muttered out as I looked at her.
"Peggy you should not say that at all. I am willing to risk my life for you." Hercules said as Peggy looked up at him.
"Really?" She asked as she brushed a tear away.
"I am. I promise you that he won't tell anyone that you are here." Hercules said as she hugged him.
"Thank you…" She said as Angelica got up and we walked up. Hercules walked out with us as he closed the door softly. We walked downstairs and Angelica and I went to the kitchen. We started to bake the rest of the bread and finished the soup as we listened to them talk to Aaron Burr.
"Why did you give up the girl Burr?" Hercules asked in a tone that was not him.
"I had to give her up because if I didn't, our cause would have been lost." Burr explained as I heard a fist pound on a table.
"You did it to save your own skin!" Hercules yelled as I nearly dropped the ladle at the booming of his voice.
"Hercules control yourself." Washington said as I started to pull out the bread from the stove.
"I didn't know that Seabury found her till he had her and I needed to admit that she ran from Manhattan." Burr said as I put the pan down and walked into the dining room where they were all standing with Burr tied to chair.
"Because of you. Our sister suffered because of Samuel Seabury." I said enraged as he looked at me shocked.
"You're the other sister that ran. You are lucky Seabury hasn't caught you yet." He said as I couldn't control my rage as I raised my hand and slapped hard across the face.
"Eliza!" Alexander exclaimed as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me away.
"Why did you do that?" He asked confused as I crossed my arms while Angelica was severing soup.
"That man is the reason why Peggy suffered at the hands of Seabury." I said frustrated as Alexander put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the face.
"He is a part of the cause. We will deal with the Peggy situation later." Alexander said as I looked down.
"Alright." I said as I pulled away from him and started to cut bread as I put some of it in each bowl. "I'm going to take some up to Peggy." I said as I grabbed a chipped bowl and carried it upstairs to Peggy as I walked in and saw her sitting in the rocking chair in her nightgown that we made while the others were gone as she looked out the window. "I brought you some dinner." I said as she turned and nodded.
"I heard Hercules yell downstairs…" She said as I nodded.
"He got upset with Burr for with Seabury… He is really protective of you Pegs." I said as I put the warm soup on the desk.
"Make sure you eat Peggy." I said as she nodded.
"Eliza… do you think that they will win the new war?" Peggy asked as I nodded.
"I think they will." I said as she nodded and took a sip of her soup.
"This reminds me of home." She said sadly as I patted her shoulder.
"Eat your dinner Pegs." I said as I smiled at her and walked out. I closed the door and hurried back into the kitchen. "What did I miss?" I whispered to Angelica.
"They are leaving again tomorrow night." She said as I sighed.
"They just got back." I said as she shrugged. "They want to win this war." She said as I took a sip of my soup and ate my bread.
"I wonder if Burr is going with them." I said as Laurens walked back in.
"How is Peggy doing?" He asked as I took his bowl.
"She's okay now. She's shock with how protective Hercules got over her." I said as he smiled softly.
"Well, he sorta of has a crush on her. Barely knows this girl and thinks she is the most beautiful girl he has seen." Laurens said as Angelica peeked up from the dishes and raised an eyebrow.
"That boy barely knows her and thinks she is the most beautiful girl?" She asked as Laurens nodded. "He better live through this war then he could try and court Peggy." She said as I giggled and handed Angie my bowl.
"I am going to get some rest. Good night." I said as I pecked Angelica's cheek and went up to my room. I walked into our room and saw Peggy asleep in her bed. I covered her up with her sunflower quilt and pulled out my baby doll blue night gown and took off my dress and start to ready for bed as Angelica walked in and closed our door. "She finally fell asleep…" I said as I braided my hair as Angelica kissed her forehead lightly as she put her peach colored night gown as I locked the door.
"They are taking Burr with them when they leave." Angelica said as I nodded and put my hairbrush down on the desk.
"Angie, do you think Alexander is handsome?" I asked as she looked over at me.
"Do you find him handsome?" Angelica asked as she folded up her dresses and I put mine next to hers as I started to lay out my cream-colored dress for tomorrow as I laid my black flats on the ground.
"I think he is quite handsome. How I wish we didn't have a war right now then I could tell him that he makes me feel happy." I said as I swooned over him.
"Oh Eliza." She said giggling as I bit my lip.
"He and you would look so adorable together, and if you get married then I will be your maid of honor, Hercules will make you the most divine wedding dress and then Laurens would be Alexander's best man and George would walk you down the aisle." She said as I rolled my eyes.
"How about you and General Washington." I said as she flushed.
"What about us, Eliza?" Angelica asked coyly as I smiled and sat on her bed.
"You two are always talking and strolling outside after dinner in the field." I said as she smacked my arm playfully.
"How do you know about that?" She asked as I giggled.
"I clean the dishes up and the field is in the back and you two are always talking and strolling." I said as she blushed.
"He is a gentleman and you are right. We match wits perfectly." I said as I got up and blew out the candle for the night.
"Good night Angie." I said as I walked to the door and close it all way. I walked to bed not realizing that someone overheard us on the other side of the door, I locked it and walked back to bed. I climbed in as Angelica was already fast asleep. I stared at the ceiling as I couldn't fall asleep. I tried hard to count sheep but I was struck with the thought of Alexander and I. I sighed contently and went to sleep with his name floating around my mind.