Eliza looked forlornly down at her soup as her sisters chatted around her. Ever since she's gotten home, she hadn't had much of an appetite, but it had gotten even worse since Alex's visit.

Angelica and Peggy fell silent around her, and she looked up to see them staring at her, they'd clearly asked her a question and expected an answer,

"I'm sorry, I wasn't…"

Angelica and Peggy shot each other a worried look, "There's a ball downtown tonight," Angelica explained, "We were asking if you want to come,"

"Oh, no, I think I'll just stay here,"

"Come on Eliza," Peggy said, "You never want to do anything with us at the moment,"

"We miss you,"

"Yeah, it'll be fun! Come on Eliza, you can find somebody to take your mind off that solider boy!"

Eliza's head shot up,

"Peggy!" Angelica admonished with a sharp look,

"What?" Peggy cried innocently,

"What do you mean take my mind off Alex?"

Peggy and Angelica looked at each other, "It's just that you've barely left your room since he came to visit," Angelica said cautiously, "I mean you came home crying…What we mean to say is you just seem a bit…"

"Hung up on him,"

"I am not hung up on him!"

"Brilliant," Peggy got to her feet and clapped Eliza on the shoulder, "Then you'll come to the ball with me and Angelica and have a great time,"

"Peggy…"

"No. No excuses. You are coming; I won't take no for an answer,"

Eliza groaned in frustration, "Fine," she said, "I'll come but you'd better not make me regret this."

-x-

The ball was taking place in a ballroom down a side road off the centre of town. The outside didn't look like much, but inside there was a large dance floor, decorated in gold, with a large chandelier hanging above it, and there was a heavily decorated bar stood at the far side of the dance floor.

The moment the sisters entered the ballroom Peggy threw a grin at her sisters over her shoulder, "Time to have some fun!" she cried and hurried off into the crowd.

Angelica smiled at Eliza and took her hand, "Come on, let's go get a drink,"

Angelica led Eliza over to the bar where she ordered two glasses of champagne. Angelica leant back against the bar and looked out surveying the crowd. Peggy had already found herself a young man to dance with and the two of them were twirling around in the centre of the dance floor.

"Is there anyone you have your eyes on?" Angelica asked Eliza,

"Angelica…"

Angelica nudged Eliza with her shoulder, "Come on, live a little, it'll be fun,"

"Why don't you go out and dance then?"

"I'm married now. Wouldn't want people to get ideas,"

"I don't think John would mind if you danced,"

"No, he wouldn't, but people would gossip, and I want to spare him that. Come on Eliza, let me live vicariously through you!"

At that moment a smartly dressed man walked over to the two of them, "Milady," he said, as he bowed and kissed Eliza's hand, "May I buy you a drink?"

Eliza turned to look at Angelica with wide eyes, "She'd love to," Angelica said,

"Angelica!"

"Have fun!"

The young man bought two more glasses of champagne and led Eliza over to a secluded corner of the ballroom,

"I'm James," he said, taking a sip from his glass,

"Eliza,"

"That's a very pretty name. It matches you. A very pretty name for a very pretty woman,"

Eliza took a gulp of champagne, "So James, what do you do?"

"I'm a soldier in the British army," he said proudly,

Eliza frowned in disgust, "You're a what‽"

"Oh, don't look like that. Think of it this way, I'm trying to protect our lively hoods! If congress win, we won't get to live like this anymore. We won't get to go to nice balls!"

"Excuse me, I have to get back to my sister,"

James reached out to grab Eliza's wrist and stop her walking away, "We are going to win this war," he said, "I know this for a fact so you would do well to be friendly towards members of our army,"

"And how do you know this for a fact?" Eliza snipped as she tried to pull away from James,

"Because we have a plan to capture General Washington himself!"

Eliza went limp in James's grasp as she gapped at him, "You do?" she said quietly,

"We do," James beamed at her,

Eliza scanned James's face and then smiled coyly at him, "That's very impressive," she said, allowing herself to be pulled back towards James, "You're right, I'm sure you will win, if your plan succeeds that is,"

"Oh, it'll succeed," he boosted.

Eliza placed her hand on his shoulder, "How can you know that for sure? I hear the continental army can be very…tricky,"

"Ah, well you see, here's the thing, in two days' time, Washington has to go to a meeting with Congress,"

"But doesn't he do that all the time?" Eliza said innocently,

"Well yes, but this time we have an advantage,"

Eliza moved closer so she was leaning against James, "And what's that?"

"This time we know what route he's going to take, which gives us the perfect opportunity to ambush him,"

Eliza drew away from James with wide eyes.

"Are you Ok?" he asked her, frowning slightly with worry,

"Yes, sorry, I just thought I heard my sister shouting me. I should go and see what she wants. I won't be a minute,"

Before James had time to explain Eliza extracted herself from James' grip, spun on her heals and headed towards the door.

"Eliza!"

Eliza turned to see Peggy and Angelica hurrying towards her,

"Where are you going?" Peggy asked, "The nights barely even started!"

"I need to go to Valley Forge," Eliza replied,

"Are you serious?"

"Why?"

"The British are planning an ambush. I have to warn them,"

Angelica looked Eliza up and down, her face pinched with worry. After a second, she pulled Eliza into a tight hug, "Stay safe,"

"We'll make something up to Father," Peggy said as she too hugged Eliza.

Eliza smiled at her sisters, "Thank you," she said before turning and hurrying out of the door, into the night.