I listened to his heart beat and breathing as I tried to ignore the nightmare that plagued me for the last week as I cringed from the nightmare as it felt almost too real. I was back in the town square where I was chained to the post as Alexander stood with the whip in his hand. I heard Seabury yelling my charges as I felt the whip being dug into my back as I cried out for Alexander to stop, he refused to and I saw the bodies of Angelica and Peggy on the ground. I kept screaming for Alexander to stop till I woke up on the floor as Alexander was kneeling next to me.
"Eliza? What happened?" He asked worried as he tried to help me standing as I jerked away from him as I fell backwards in terror as I kept the nightmare in my mind. I let out a small scream of pain as tears of pain went down my cheeks as Alexander left me alone and lit a candle. I tried to take a deep breath as I felt pain shot through my back. "What happened Eliza?" Alexander asked as I shook my head as he picked me up gently and put me back in the bed. "Did you have a nightmare?" Alexander asked as I nodded slowly. "Tell me what happened?" Alexander asked as I looked down. "Please tell me Liza." Alexander said softly as I took a deep breath.
"I was in the town square… I-I was tied up to the w-whipping post… It wasn't Seabury whipping me…" I whimpered as he touched my arm as I jerked away. "Please don't touch me…" I whimpered as he looked at me worried.
"Eliza, who was whiping you?" Alexander asked as I squeezed my eyes shut.
"It… It w-was you…" I said crying into my knees as he sat on the ground next to me.
"What else happened?" He asked softly as I shook my head.
"I kept screaming for you to stop but then I saw Peggy and… and Angelica on the ground… dead…" I said through my tears as I cried harder as Alexander looked at me and he gently touched my arms and pulled me into his lap as he stroked my hair back as I cried into his chest.
"It's okay." Alexander said as he kept trying to soothe me as I ran out of tears.
"I'm sorry for always crying." I said sniffling as Alexander shook his head.
"It's okay Eliza." He said as I looked up at him and squeezed my eyes shut.
"What time is it?" I asked as I felt pain send shockwave through my body.
"It's almost midnight. Are you okay Liza?" Alexander asked as I tried to stand but fell to the ground as Alexander caught my arms. "Eliza?" He asked as he looked at my back and gasped. "Your back is bleeding. We need to clean up your wounds." I Alexander said as I got up.
"I'll go clean it." I said as he helped me stand up.
"Do you want me to help you?" Alexander asked as I shook my head no quickly.
"No… No thank you." I said quickly as he looked at me worried and nodded. I walked out of the room and hurried into my room and walked in to see Angelica and George asleep in each other's arms as I sighed at the sight and gathered my shift and the first aid kit. I hurried out of the room quietly as I walked back to Alexander's room. I knocked on his door softly as he opened it and ushered me in. "Do you mind if I stay in here for the night. Angelica and Washington are asleep in my room." I asked as he nodded.
"Of course." He said as I pulled out my small bottle of alcohol as I looked at Alexander then to the ground.
"Do you mind if I have some privacy?" I asked as he nodded and walked out of the room. I locked the door as I sighed. I unbutton my dress fastenings as I slide it off and cringed as I saw my reflection, I hated what I saw now with my scars that were starting to heal, with my body covered in bruises and marks as I felt blood run down my back. I turned my back to the mirror and saw that two of my unhealed lashes where bleeding as I dabbed the alcohol rag on them as I winced. I finished and I started to wrapped my body in the bandage as I finished and stood in front of the mirror. "Why does he love me? I'm not beautiful like Angelica, I'm not cute like Peggy… I'm just… I'm just me. Just plain Eliza…" I said to myself as I put my shift on. I bit my lip as I tried to brush my hair into my face to cover up my bruises and I finally was satisfied with my appearance. I opened the door and Alexander walk throw as I started to clean up from things.
"How is your back feeling?" Alexander asked breaking the silence as I nodded.
"It's fine." I said softly as he helped me pack up my things. I finished as he blew out his candle.
"Do you want to sleep in the bed by yourself?" Alexander asked as I nodded.
"Yes please…" I said as I looked down.
"Eliza? What's wrong?" Alexander asked as I shook my head.
"Why do you love me? I'm not beautiful like Angelica or cute like Peggy. I'm just plain Eliza…" I said as I grew hysterical. Alexander put his hands on my shoulders as I jumped slightly.
"Eliza, why are you saying that? I don't love you just for your beauty. I love that you are beautiful and I also love your good heart and your happy soul." Alexander said as I looked at him.
"What do you mean?" I asked confused as he sat me on the bed.
"Eliza, you took care of me when I was whipped by Seabury and you barely knew me. Then you would find the greatest joy in the simplest things. Remember when we took you and Angelica to the stream for the first time and you found the greatest entertainment from skipping rocks?" He asked trying to make me feel better as I giggled from the memory.
"Even though I nearly broke your nose?" I asked as he chuckled and nodded.
"Yes even when you nearly broke my nose. You always managed to make things better and find a way to cheer any one up." Alexander said as I shook my head. "You might think you are plain Eliza. But you are my Eliza." He said as I blushed.
"Alexander." I said giggling as he pulled out a blanket.
"Liza?" He asked as I pushed my hair back.
"Do you really mean it?" I asked as he nodded. He started to lay out the blanket on Laurens' bed as I cleared my throat. "You can sleep in your own bed with me, if you want?" I said as he nodded.
"Only if it is okay with you." Alexander said as I nodded.
"It will be." I said as I laid down as he got into bed next to me and covered me up with his soft blanket. I laid my head on his chest as his fingertips grazed my wrists as I looked up at him.
"These are from the whipping post?" He asked as he touched the cracked torn apart skin on my wrists as I winced at his touch. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." Alexander said as I closed my eyes and realized that he was right. I know he was not going to hurt me and I relaxed as he rubbed my wrist gently as I sighed contently as I started to drift off to sleep but I jolted awake I realized that I couldn't go to sleep without having that nightmare. I looked up and saw Alexander fast asleep with his arms around me as I froze. I sat in that position till I felt him shift. I held my breath as he settled himself back down. I started to close my eyes to try to fall asleep as I felt him stretch. I opened my eyes as he looked down at me. "Did you get any sleep?" He asked yawning as I shook my head. "Why didn't you get some rest?" He asked as the sun began to rise.
"I couldn't sleep." I said softly as he kissed my forehead gently as I felt my face heat up from his touch.
"You scared of the nightmare, aren't you?" Alexander asked as I sighed, closing my eyes as he gently touched my cheek.
"I feel helpless. I can't escape from that nightmare." I said upset as Alexander shushed me.
"Eliza as long as I'm alive. I swear to God you'll never feel helpless." Alexander as I looked him square in the eye and didn't try to fight back on my feelings as I cupped his cheeks and kissed him on the lips as he ran his fingers up my back with feather like touches as our tender kiss turned more intense. I ran my fingers through his dark brown hair as he pulled away and groan as he looked at the clock. "I need to get ready for the day. You need to get some sleep." Alexander said as I groaned.
"What do you have to get ready for?" I asked as we just sat in each other's embrace.
"Today we start negotiations with Britain and we are also going to figure out if Lafayette is able to return home to France." Alexander said as I sighed.
"Must you go?" I asked as he nodded.
"Washington needs me. Don't worry Hercules will be here and so will Laurens." Alexander said as I nodded.
"Okay." I said as he pecked my temple gently and then got up from his side of the bed. He got ready for the day as someone knocked on his door.
"One moment." Alexander called out as he turned back to me. He kissed my forehead as I laid back down. "Get some sleep Eliza." Alexander said as I nodded and closed my eyes.
"Alexander what if I have a nightmare?" I asked worried as he knelt next to my bedside and he fixed his emerald green waist coat as he took my hand.
"Then just think that I am right there beside you and that I will protect you." Alexander said as I felt my eyelids drooped and I drifted off to sleep as he kissed my forehead and he walked out. I was in the windowless room with Seabury on the floor as I was covered in his blood as I looked at my hands, shaking.
"Look what you did!" Samuel Seabury exclaimed as he stood up from the floor.
"You... You are dead." I said stuttering as I pointed at him as he chuckles.
"Well. sweetheart. I'm not really dead." He said as he lunged at me as I felt him pin me by my throat as he pinned me to the bed behind him, I let out a loud scream.
"Let me go!" I yelled as I started to thrashing around as I felt him grab my arm.
"Eliza!" He said but it wasn't his voice. "Eliza, wake up!" He said again as it was Angelica's voice that came out of his mouth as I shot up and sobbed heavily as she pulled me into her embrace.
"It's okay love. I'm right here." Angelica said rubbing my back gently as I sobbed into her shoulder. "Take a deep breath." Angelica said trying to get me to calm down as I took a struggling breath. "What happened?" She asked as I finally calmed down and was heaving as she stroked my hair.
"It was Seabury… H-he was going to hurt me…" I said as she shushed me.
"It's okay Eliza. You're safe now." Angelica said as I bit my lip. "Come on, let's go get you ready for the day and then you can eat something." Angie said as I nodded and I got out of bed. I hurried out of Alexander's room and walked to my room as Angelica locked the door. "So how did things go with you Alexander?" Angelica asked as I smiled softly as I unfolded my cream dress.
"It went okay. He said he loved me last night." I said as Angelica smiled widely and she clapped her hands excited.
"Oh Eliza that's amazing!" Angie exclaimed as I blushed.
"How about you and Washington?" I asked as she smiled.
"He and I are going swimmingly." Angelica said as I smiled. "Do you want some privacy?" She asked as I nodded. "I'll be downstairs. Peggy and Hercules are sewing outside and Laurens is cleaning up the barn." Angelica said as I nodded.
"Angie, how is Peggy doing?" I asked as Angelica looked at me before leaving. "She is doing fine, Hercules and her are attached at the hip and they couldn't be cuter." She said as I smiled happily.
"That's great." I said as she nodded. "Go get dress." She said as I nodded. "Yes ma'am." I said as she walked out. I closed the door and locked it as I started to undress from my night shift into my other clean one and then tossed on my cream dress on as I brushed off the wrinkles while I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I saw what Alexander saw. I saw his plain Eliza and I felt more beautiful than anytime that I remember.