CHAPTER 2

Captain Manoso perched behind his makeshift desk in the old fort's ramshackle office. Studying a small stack of ledgers, trying to come to some semblance of order from all the purchasing orders, an aberrant long-suffering sigh erupted from his pursed lips. His Acquistions agent, Quartermaster, and Purchaser were all in agreement that it would cost more coin to fix the dilapidated fort than it would be to start anew. Thus, the problem. The Army preferred refurbished rather than new, though he would need a sufficiently worded explanation as to why they were starting from the dirt up.

Plans for his new accommodations were already drafted as were the designs for the new fortifications. All was ready for his signal to begin construction. He figured they could have the ramparts and fort walls completed within sixty days if they worked two crews over the course of the day, allowing time for church services on Sundays.

Captain Manoso barked an order to his second in command, "Blinde!"

"Sir." Captain Manoso could always count on his friend and right-hand man to ensure his orders were carried out as instructed.

"Begin work on the logs needed for the walls and begin the first shift on constructing the ramparts."

"Immediately, Sir." The massive man turned on his heel and strode out of the cockeyed doorway, revealing Lt. Santos waiting on the other side.

"Captain. A word, if I may?" The Lt. was using his best manners, it immediately put the captain on edge.

"Come in." As his head tilted down to resume his task at hand, the sight of a soft feminine outline caused his head to raise once again. She was stunning. A bright, albeit nervous young mistress with bright blue eyes, an enchanting beauty with a cute button nose, shapely curves perfect for his hands and the wildest, curly brown hair he had ever seen in his life. Shifting slightly to alleviate a rising problem in his breeches, he rose to his feet, introducing himself before the Lt. could open his mouth.

"Captain Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Tis a pleasure to meet you..."

Stephanie could feel the shiver of unadulterated attraction to this man run down her spine, tripping along every nerve the entire way down from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. He was the very definition of handsome.

Curtsying as her mother had taught her, she replied timidly, "Mistress Plum."

"What has brought you to my office, Mistress Plum?" Captain Manoso adored the way her name rolled off of his tongue, it felt almost sinful.

"Lt. Santos stated you might be in need of household staff at your fort. I would be most interested if you would be willing to allow me to work as a maid or even housekeeper."

"Would you now?" He turned to give his cousin the Lt. a look that stated he had obviously overstepped his boundaries. Again.

"I keep a clean and tidy home. I clean, cook, bake, sew, knit, launder, and can keep a well producing garden. I am well versed in how to entertain guests as well as hosting dances and balls. I am of the opinion that even though you are currently residing in a tent, it does not mean you should not have the luxuries afforded to you through your station alone." She had quickly lost her timid pose and now stood proud and strong, smoothing the front of her dress in what he figured was a practiced act to reinforce her statement.

"I see." He carefully walked around the makeshift desk, coming to rest in front of his two visitors. "And what of your husband or betrothed? Are they willing to allow you to work inside the fort surrounded by so many men?"

"I am unwed, Captain." She left it at that, hoping he wouldn't press for further details. "No man to hold me back. And I am not afraid of men about, Captain. I have spent my entire life surrounded by mostly men at my father's blacksmithing and wheelwright businesses, patrons and apprentices alike. They do not scare me."

"I have nothing but a tent to offer you in accommodations for the moment."

"I am not afraid to sleep in a tent nor under the stars. It is much preferred to where I sleep now." She was going to lay it all on the line, hoping the captain would seek to employ her for the fort in some sort of capacity.

"As of yet, I have not hired a cook for the officers nor a laundress. You would be required to handle those duties until one could be hired."

"No amount of dirty laundry could compare with spending hours upon hours scouring and scrubbing the coal dust from my father's clothing, Sir. I am not afraid of hard work, nor am I afraid of dirt." Stephanie stood defiant in the face of certain mountains of dirty clothing. "And as for cooking, so long as I have the provisions, I can cook for one or I can cook for fifty. It does not matter. Anything you throw at me is infinitely better than the situation I find myself in if you do not hire me."

"Explain." The captain's face drew tight in concern.

Resigned to the fact she would have to explain her situation in detail, she gave a small sigh before replying, "If I do not procure employment here at the fort I will either be forced into a loveless marriage to a man I loathe or be forced to run away beyond the reaches of my mother to be able to live my life as I see fit. There are no other options."

"Captain, if I may." Lt. Santos cut it, clearly trying to save this poor woman from her unwanted fate.

"Lt. I can see the situation clearly. Is there any other reason you need to be here?"

"No, Sir." His abrupt manner told her far more than words ever could. He was not going to hire her for any position and would be throwing her off fort grounds in minutes.

"Tis alright." She shook her head and curtsied, "I can see you have already made up your mind. It was a pleasure to have met you, Captain. Now, I must take my leave. I am wanted back at home to prepare supper for the Constable."

The mention of the constable arrested the captain's movement. "Constable, you say?" He turned to look back at the young mistress, "Would you be speaking about Constable Morelli?" He loathed the man. His brief encounter with the scoundrel just the previous day, cemented his opinion of the man. He was not honorable nor someone to be trusted.

"Yes, I do mean Constable Morelli. He is the man my mother has selected for me to marry. I refuse. I'd rather die than subject myself to a lifetime of hell with a man who is well versed in debauchery and unseemliness, though my mother seems to ignore that bit."

"That settles it. You are my new Head Housekeeper, effective immediately."

Stephanie reeled back in shock, surely, he didn't mean that. "Are... are you sure, Sir?"

"I am. I will send you with a few of my men to collect your things while I have your accommodations situated. As for wages, I'll pay you $3.00 a week to tend to my home and my men."

"Three dollars a week?! Sir, that is an astronomical amount. Far too much for a woman of my stature." She was aghast at the exorbitant amount he was offering her. "I'll take two and a half dollars, but no more. I am only one woman and do not feel it is right for a God-fearing woman to swindle you out of so much money per week, Sir."

"Tis not enough, in my opinion. There is more than enough work to earn such a wage, Mistress Plum, be assured of that. But if you insist, two and a half dollars a week, it is." The captain looked down to his hands before adding, "I will give orders that no man under my command will accost or harass you in any way while you are employed here at the fort. I respect the female form far too much to allow such things to happen under my watch."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Now off with you. Lt. bring four men with you and a wagon to retrieve Mistress Plums belongings. Stop at the mercantile so she may procure anything she feels she needs immediately for herself or my home."

"Yes, Sir." Lt. Santos immediately understood that the cost would be absorbed by the captain and no other.

Unable to stop herself, Stephanie watched the captain resume his seat at the makeshift desk as the Lt. led her out of the dilapidated building and to a wagon sitting nearby. He hollered for a small group of men to join them to town. Sitting on the buckboard as the wagon bumped along, she looked out over the small confines of the township, excited for her new start in life.

"What do you mean you're taking your things and leaving?!" Spittle flew out of her mother's mouth as she screamed into Stephanie's face. Helen's hands gripped Stephanie's upper arms, biting in enough where she knew she'd have bruises within the hour.

"Mother! Release me!" She stumbled back as Helen let go, shoving her backwards in disgust.

"What is the meaning of this?" Helen's hands flew about her head as she ranted and raved about ungrateful and embarrassing children.

The cottage door slammed against the wall as it flew open when her father entered, concern lacing his face as he heard his wife screaming. "What is going on? I can't even hear my fire stoking over your bellowing Helen."

"She's leaving us. To live and work at the fort. The FORT! What will the neighbors think of us? On top of it all, she's refusing to marry!" Helen burst into tears, slumping onto a stool, head in her hands.

"What's all this nonsense about you leaving?" Frank demanded of Stephanie.

"Captain Manoso has employed me as Head Housekeeper at the fort. I'll have my own cottage after it's built, and even my own garden. I'll get paid a handsome sum, too."

"Decent wages?" Frank was the more practical of her two parents, knowing that though she would no longer be under their roof, Stephanie would be fine on her own, so long as no wandering soldier caught her eye.

"Two and a half dollars a week, Father! Two and a half!" The pride rolling off of her was enough to make the man smile. He was proud his daughter had found a job to earn such a princely wage this early in life and a woman as well.

"I forbid it!" Helen announced, collecting herself as a knock sounded at the door.

Frank opened it to find Lt. Santos standing with a guard of four men with horses waiting on the other side. "Good day, Mister Plum. I was just inquiring if Mistress Plum was ready to make her way back to the fort? We have the wagon is the event she has anything too large to carry by horseback."

"I will only be a few more minutes, Lt. I do need to bring my spinning wheel and a chest."

"Certainly. I'll have the spinning wheel loaded while you finish collecting your things." He motioned for one of the soldiers to grab the wheel.

Stephanie turned on her heels and climbed the ladder to her pallet. Carefully rolling her clothing into her bedding, she tied it with a cord she usually used to tie back her hair. Her small mirror and trinkets went into the chest, wrapped in cloth she intended for her wedding dress one day. Once finished, she carefully descended the ladder and grabbed the few books she had among the nooks in the walls, hidden from her mother's prying eyes.

Wrapping herself in her summer shawl, hands laden down with her winter cape, she faced her parents. "I will visit you when I am able, but as I'm told, I'll be busy washing, cleaning and cooking until more staff is hired." She wrapped her free arm around her father, kissing his cheek fondly. "I love you father. Goodbye."

"Goodbye my little pumpkin. Be brave and stand up for yourself. Let no man make you feel as though you're nothing."

Stephanie turned to her mother, arm out to embrace her, but Helen Plum walked out of the door, "You're no child of mine. Get out of my house and don't come back." Stephanie's heart fell. She knew her mother would be upset, but to ban her from ever returning was a harsh blow. Head hung in sadness; Stephanie allowed Lt. Santos to escort her to the wagon.

"You know, you have the power over your own emotions. Her words only have power and meaning to them if you allow them to."

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." Once everything was loaded, they headed for the shops and then finally to the fort.

Passing through the tent camp where she would be spending the majority of her time, Stephanie was eager to establish where everything was located at the fort. She knew of a nearby stream to retrieve water quicker than the well at the far end of the camp. Off to the side, separated from the tents of the enlisted men was the officer's area.

One of the twins, Sargeant Callum Grover, or Cal as he preferred to be called, was tasked with giving Steph a tour of the grounds, complete with a tour of the old fort and of the new fort site. In the matter of less than an hour, she had the lay of the land, so to say. She was soon shown to her tent, set up next to Captain Manoso's much larger one.

"I'll leave you to get settled in. We have supper about 7 in the evening, the captain doesn't expect anything tonight, though he will in the morning. Breakfast is typically just after sunrise and before inspection. The captain usually takes a light mid-day meal mainly consisting of cheese and bread, also fruit if you can manage to find some. He doesn't usually touch anything other than water, though he'll have an occasional ale or on special occasions he'll have a finger or two of brandy. He has a few recipes that he has from his mother that we rarely ever find the ingredients for, if you can manage to cook any of them it'll perk him right up."

Cal spoke from experience, as he had told Stephanie, he had been the captain's valet for years before his promotion. No one held the position now, as Captain Manoso didn't see the need while they were in desperate need of hands to build the new fort. Even the Captain himself, toiled with his men falling trees, de-limbing them and dragging them to the new fort site. Speaking of which, said Captain came walking to their location, tugging a clean shirt on after returning from the forest.

"Good evening, Mistress Plum."

"Captain. You have a fine-looking camp and quite the group of men. I'm sure the construction of the fort won't take too long with their help."

"Thank you." He turned to Cal, "All squared away?"

"Yes, Sir." Cal stood at attention, eyes looking far off into the distance.

"Dismissed." At his nod, Cal walked off to do whatever he was tasked with before he was ordered to be Stephanie's guide. "Would you be so kind as to dine with me tonight? I would like to learn more about you as I'm sure you'd like to do the same with me." His charming smile made her insides quiver.

"I'd be delighted."

"I'll have Lt. Santos escort you to the dining room around 9 if that is to your liking?"

"It is. Thank you."

"Good evening, until supper." He captured her hand in his, dropping a lingering kiss to the top of her hand before he strode off toward the old fort, hed held high and his gait steady.

Stephanie felt quite knock-kneed at the whole encounter. Captain Manoso was a man that she felt she had no defense, he was just that alluring and handsome.

Captain Manoso projected a calm and cool exterior while inside the man felt giddy as a schoolboy with his first ever crush. He spent the entire encounter memorizing her face, even down to the tiny little freckle to the left of her right eye. Those plump pouty lips caused his heart to skip a beat when he thought about how soft and pillowy, they would feel against his own.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Captain Manoso chastised himself for even having those thoughts about the poor woman. She was his housekeeper, not some trollop he could tussle with under the sheets without thought. She would be tending to his house, his needs, his belly. He needed to keep all types of those thoughts under wraps. She was not a girl he could play with. She was off limits.

At 9 in the evening, Lt. Santos arrived and escorted Steph to the old fort where they entered the common room, where dances and where meals for the enlisted men were typically served. Off to the side was a separated room where the officer dined. And inside, she was pleasantly surprised to find the captain sitting at a single table laid with fine China and actual silver silverware. A candelabra held seven tall, taper candles, their light throwing a large circle of light around the table.

Captain Manoso stood and kissed her hand once again in greeting, "I hope this is to your liking, Mistress Plum."

"It's lovely." She allowed him to assist her into her seat, before taking his own. "Please, I know it isn't proper, but I would feel more comfortable if you would call me Stephanie when it is just the two of us, if that is alright with you?"

"I would be delighted, Stephanie." The sound of her lovely first name caressed his tongue as it slipped from his lips. A uniformed soldier walked in carrying two dishes, while another followed carrying a basket of fresh baked bread she recognized as having come from the town baker, and a pitcher of what she assumed was possibly fresh cool water.

A simple stew of vegetables and what she figured was rabbit meat made her stomach growl in appreciation. She had skipped her mid-day meal out of pure anxiety about the supper her mother had planned with Constable Morelli.

"Are you nervous about your new position here at Fort Trenton?" He queried before spooning some of the delicious stew into his sinful mouth.

"I... am looking forward to everything I have been tasked with, even the laundry."

"Tell me about yourself." The captain slid the basket of fresh bread toward her, trying to get her to eat more. She was far too thin, though still beautiful.

"I was born and raised right here in Trenton. I have an older sister who is happily married to a banker, and they have three sweet daughters. I grew up helping my parents by stoking the fire in my father's forge and tending to the gardens. I adore sweets and love to spend my free time reading whatever my little hands can get ahold of. My father taught me reading, writing and arithmetic, and I absolutely loved history. It was my favorite subject. What about you?"

"I was born in Newark Township. My father and mother own a tavern there, and I have three older sisters and a younger brother." The captain was very precise if brief in his life description, making Steph feel as if he didn't like to talk about himself much.

"When did you fall into your role as a professional soldier?" She candidly questioned as she delicately spooned some stew into her mouth.

"I was having a difficult time as a young man. I misspent most of my youth causing nothing but trouble, much to the chagrin of my mother. She finally grew weary of my misguided ways and arranged an apprenticeship with a local gunsmith. I was doing quite well, being a productive member of society until I couldn't ignore the fact that Loyalists were preventing the sale or manufacture of weapons. Husbands and fathers were now unable to purchase a rifle to feed their families." His eyes grew distant, reliving his memories, "The day the Redcoats cut down the master gunsmith, I abandoned the shop to the other apprentices and joined up with a ragtag group of men who were also tired of the Crown taking what they wanted leaving us colonists to suffer."

"What happened then?" Steph was on the edge of her chair by this point, teetering as she grew enraptured by his tale.

"I found myself in Massachusetts, and through sheer luck, I enlisted into a company led by none other than General Washington. I worked my way up through the ranks, mostly due the deaths of my fellow soldiers. Though, I received my current rank just before the war of independence ended. I was soon given command of this motley crew and now here we are." He finished his tale by swiping a piece of the bread through the dregs of his stew, carefully placing the morsel into his mouth.

"My word. That is an interesting story, Captain. I can only imagine what serving under the general was like." She carefully placed the cloth napkin alongside her plate and made to rise.

Captain Manoso quickly got to his feet and assisted in pulling her chair out for her, his warm hand taking hers. She noted how warm and strong his fingers were, a small scar running across one of his knuckles. He noticed how small and dainty her hand was in his, and as soft as kid leather. Using the excuse of taking a moment to straighten her dress, she used the time to collect her thoughts. "I had a wonderful evening, and the food was lovely. But I must get to bed if I am to up before dawn preparing breakfast."

She looked lovely with a stray hair dangling down between her eyes, a sweet smile upon her lips. "I'll have a group of men assigned to you per meal, so you may have adequate assistance to prepare the meals. Duties will rotate so no man will be forced more than once in a while, unless they ask to be assigned to cook duty. The men will be waiting for you in the cook tent in the morning."

"Thank you, Captain." She wrapped her shawl around herself before turning to the door.

"I'll have Lt. Santos escort you back to your tent. I will see you in the morning. Good night."

"Good night." Her stomach fluttered ever so slightly at his farewell, as did his.

Steph woke before dawn; thankful she had purchased a small wind-up clock nearly a year ago. It had saved her from her mother's wrath on several occasions on mornings she needed to be up well before dawn. She quickly dressed and headed for the cook tent.

Fifteen men stood or sat waiting for her arrival, and most refused to stand when she approached. Only the four men who showed her deference, she gave the better tasks, measuring, stirring, and best of all taste-testers. The other men were tasked with hauling water for the porridge, starting the fires, hauling firewood, draining, drying and slicing the salt pork, and peeling the eighteen bushels of apples. If she was going to feed nearly three hundred men, she would need them all the fruit peeled and chopped in the matter of a few hours.

As they waited for the water in the seven massive cauldrons to heat over the fires, all sixteen sat and peeled apples by firelight. By the time the water was ready, nearly all the apples were peeled and chopped much to her delight. Though some grumbles were heard through the pack of men.

"I know you most likely never imagined yourselves assisting me in the cook tent today, but I assure you that unless you want to volunteer for this position, there will be others rotated in and out for every meal. Every man will be expected to assist in cooking a meal every so often." She sipped her morning tea, giving the men appraising looks. "There is a small perk to working with me. You will receive a ration and a half per man as well as the remainder of the morning to yourselves after everything is cleaned."

Excited murmurs carried through the men, some finally relieved of their scowls for the first time since she had met them. It was unusual for the entire company of men to be fed together at one time. Most companies afforded time in the mornings for the troops to cook for themselves. Captain Manoso, it seemed, was of the mind that wasted time was a waste of the day, thus a camp cook to prepare two substantial meals for the men per day. It allowed the men to get an early start on the day.

Steph concentrated on cooking the officer's meal while overseeing the enlisted meal. Once the porridge was finished and the apples and pork sufficiently fried until they were crisp, teams of three were dispatched through the camp to disperse the food in a timely and efficient manner. Captain Manoso stood at the top of the hill, overlooking the men as they filed through the chow lines even more quickly than he had anticipated. He was sure he had chosen the right woman for the job. She was quick, efficient and apparently according to the chatter among the men, a downright fine cook.

The men happily gobbled up the porridge with apples and relished the crispy pork slices, many of them burning then tips of their fingers and tongues by refusing to wait until they cooled.

Setting the last of the platters of crispy fried pork, fried apples with a hint of spice and the sweetened porridge, Stephanie set a small plate of fried dough balls rolled in sugar in the middle. It was one of her favorite things and she wanted to share a little bit of herself with the men she was tasked in serving.

The men sat at the table, eyes wide at the fine fare placed in front of them. She was sure one even licked his lips before they bowed their heads and said grace. By the end of the meal, Captain Manoso was absolutely certain that Mistress Plum was the correct choice. His stomach confirmed that assessment as he felt full for the first time in ages.

Lt Blinde sat back patting his stomach, clearly satisfied with the meal as well. A man assigned to KP that morning quickly came into the small dining room and cleared the dishes, leaving the officers to sip their tea and coffee in peace. Though it went against his typical diet choices, Captain Manoso had tried one of the light, airy fired sugar balls, left in the center of the table. It brought to mind mornings as a child in his mother's kitchen, thieving small bits of food as she cooked their morning meal. It nearly brought a smile to his face. Schooling his features, he ordered the men to work as he himself, left to pour over the ledgers once again in his dilapidated fort office.

Steph spent the remainder of the morning helping to clean up after breakfast, though the extra men made for short work of the scrubbing and scraping. A new set of men would be assigned to her come supper and she was a little nervous as to what she would make. She spent the rest of the morning going through the stores and food stuffs, acquainting herself with what was available. She sought out Lt. Santos for advice when she found some of their stores to be lacking.

"Excuse me Lt.?" She found him shirtless, shovel in hand, mounding dirt and rocks around the perimeter of what would eventually become the new fort. "May I have a moment of your time?"

"Certainly." He turned to another man working next to him, "Keep them at it."

"Yes, Sir."

Walking to a shady spot nearby, the Lt wiped away the sweat that had accumulated on his brow, giving her a knowing glance. "What is it that you needed?"

"I seem to have a problem with the stores of food. We're nearly out of flour, we have little to no fruit or vegetables, though the beans and pork seem to be plentiful. What am I going to do? I need ingredients to cook with to feed the men."

"Do you think you might be able to find what you need in town, or will you be requiring some of the men to go to several of the surrounding townships to find the necessary items."

"I think we'll be forced to source the food from several different towns, Trenton just doesn't have enough in stores for the amounts we need."

"I'll have a talk with the captain and hopefully we'll have the food you need in a week or two. In the meantime, you'll have to make do with what we have on hand."

"Yes, Sir." She answered giving him a forlorn look before heading back to camp to perform her housekeeping duties.