November 26, 1779
Mr. and Mrs. Van Garrett announced they were hosting a party at their mansion that night and invited everybody in town to join them for food and merriment, so that people of high and low estate could partake in a bit of fun during these dark times. The banquet was filled with the most delicious foods, and right before the feast, Peter Van Garrett raised a toast to the men who were away at war. After the meal, a quartet of fiddle players provided music to lift the spirits of every man, woman and child in attendance. Lillian and Cassandra joined in the dance with the rest of the crowd, while Mr. Mortner held a conversation with the town elders.
When the music ended, Mrs. Van Garrett told the ladies to choose a male partner for the next dance. Cassandra stepped back immediately, while the other maidens giggled and looked at each other, slightly blushing.
Lillian stepped forward and went over to Albert, curtsying to him in a respectable, ladylike fashion. Albert bowed to her like a well-behaved gentleman and took hold of her hand to place a kiss upon it before stepping forward and placing his free hand on her hip.
"I'm not very good at this", Lillian whispered to Albert.
"Don't worry", said Albert. "Just keep your head up and look at me while you're doing it. Now, take my hand."
Lillian obeyed his instructions and looked into his eyes as the music started playing again. Albert danced slowly with her at first, allowing a warm, caring smile to appear on his face, filling her with encouragement.
"There, see? You're dancing just fine", said Albert.
Lillian smiled in return and allowed him to lead her into a waltz. The other ladies selected a man of their choosing and joined the starting couple in the next dance, except Cassandra, who sat down in a chair and brooded in the corner, watching from afar with burning jealousy at the sight of the beautiful Lillian dancing with the handsome, gentlemanly Albert. It made her nauseous seeing the two of them dancing together.
Once the music stopped, the crowd broke out into applause and took a break from dancing to mingle with friends and family members, while the fiddlers continued playing to keep the mood lively.
"Thank you for the dance, Albert", said Lillian. "It was very nice of you to teach me."
"The pleasure was all mine", said Albert. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business I'd like to discuss with Mr. Mortner."
Lillian nodded. "I understand."
Albert bowed to her again and walked away. Lillian turned around and made her way over to Cassandra, slowing her pace upon noticing her expression of disdain.
"Are you all right?" Lillian asked.
"Yes, I'm all right", Cassandra answered, bitterly. "Why shouldn't I be all right? It's not like you noticed I was left all alone, seeing how you were having such a good time with Albert."
"Cassandra, please don't start this again."
"Why not? Nobody else cares about my feelings, why should I care about anyone else's?"
"When did you start becoming paranoid and unsociable?" Lillian questioned her friend. "You never used to be like this before. And what is it about Albert that vexes you so much?"
Cassandra rose up and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, Albert came over and stood next to Lillian. "Is everything all right, ladies?" He asked.
Cassandra looked mortified, casting her eyes back and forth between looking at Lillian and Albert.
"I'm not sure at the moment", said Lillian, keeping her eyes locked on Cassandra while talking to Albert. "Some of us aren't having such a good time, so it would appear."
"Lillian, could I talk to you privately, please?" Cassandra asked her.
Lillian grabbed hold of Albert's arm and answered, "No. Whatever it is you have to say to me, you can say it to Albert, as well. Besides, I believe he has something he would like to say to you. Go ahead, Albert."
Albert gave Cassandra his full attention and cleared his throat before speaking. "Miss Mortner, I know you don't think very fondly of me, and I understand that I did some things in the past that annoyed you when we were children, but I hope you could find it in your heart to forgive me for any harm I might have caused you. It was wrong of me to play those pranks on you when I was a boy. I see that now. All I ask is that you accept my apologies, so that you and I can start over and become friends again, as we once were."
Suspicious, Cassandra looked to Lillian for confirmation, and when the dark-haired woman nodded and showed a look of warning in her cold, blue eyes, Cassandra had no choice but to accept Albert's humble advances.
"I see", Cassandra said at last, folding her hands in front of herself. "Very well, Mr. Vaughn. You have my forgiveness. After all, we were only children."
"And no real harm was done", Lillian added in, making her point very clear.
"But I would still like to have a word with Lillian in private, if you don't mind", said Cassandra.
"As you wish", said Albert.
"We'll be right back", said Lillian, then she walked away, with Cassandra following behind her. They started towards the door when Mr. Mortner and Reverend Steenwyck approached them, both men looking solemn.
"Good evening, ladies", Reverend Steenwyck greeted them.
"Good evening, Reverend", Cassandra replied. Lillian did a small curtsy, remaining silent in front of the black-robed man.
"Miss Mortner, your father and I would like a word with you", said Reverend Steenwyck.
"Can't it wait, Reverend?" Cassandra wondered. "Lillian and I were just about to step outside for a bit of air."
"I'm sorry, Miss Mortner, but it can't wait", said Reverend Steenwyck. "Miss Waise will simply have to wait outside without you."
Lillian leaned in close to Cassandra, whispering into her ear, "What's this about?"
Cassandra shrugged. "I don't know", she replied, softly.
"Come, my dear", said Mr. Mortner. "Excuse us, please, Lillian."
"Yes, Mr. Mortner", said Lillian, turning around and heading towards the front door, missing Cassandra's worried face when Reverend Steenwyck grabbed her by her arm and began leading her away from the party.
Lillian walked out of the mansion and shut the door behind her, keeping her back to it for a minute before taking a deep breath and stepping forward to rest her hands on the porch rail. Hearing the sound of wings flapping, Lillian looked up and caught sight of Simara approaching, landing on a leafless branch in one of the apple blossom trees, which had lost most, if not all, of their brightly-colored petals.
"What news have you?" Lillian asked the raven. "Has the Hessian sent you to find me?"
Simara didn't reply and had no intention of answering her mistress, who was well aware that animals couldn't speak to humans.
Suddenly, Lillian went into a trance and experienced a vision, seeing that it was snowing in the Western Woods. The Hessian was there, wearing the same uniform she associated him with, but his face was different. His hair was not so wild as it usually was, but rather slicked back and neatly-groomed, and from what Lillian could see through his slightly-parted lips, his teeth were normal and no longer pointed. The Hessian stood before the dark, twisted tree while looking down sadly at the body of a white deer, the same one Lillian dreamed about once before. The deer lied dead in the snow, surrounded by a pool of blood that seeped out from a gaping hole in her stomach, and as if the sight wasn't horrible enough, a smaller, mangled body lied right next to it. A dead mother and her unborn child.
The Hessian knelt beside the deer's corpse, stroking the side of her head and showing grief for the loss of the innocent doe and the fawn ripped away from her body. He sensed a presence and turned his head to glance over his left shoulder, seeing a beautiful woman with long, wavy black hair and dark brown eyes. Her Cupid's bow lips were painted red as a rose and her cheeks were blushing. She was wearing an elegant, dark blue velvet dress and white cape lined with wolf fur. Her stomach was protruding beneath the fabric of her gown, heavy with child. The Hessian seemed to know who she was, as he stood up immediately and went over to approach the woman, putting his gloved left hand to her cheek. The regal-looking woman closed her eyes and hummed contently, smiling at his touch. She opened her eyes to look at him again and reached her hands up to take hold of his, removing his gloves and revealing a gold band on the ring finger of his right hand, matching the one she was wearing on her own right hand.
Lillian couldn't believe what she was seeing, as the the woman cupped her hands to his face. The Hessian smiled at the woman, showing two rows of perfect teeth and making her laugh. It obvious to Lillian that the woman was someone he loved very much, and although the scene played before her was romantic and sweet, minus the part about the dead deer and her fawn, the young maiden was distraught at the thought of seeing the Hessian with another woman, feeling hurt and betrayed. It pained her that he did not look at her the same way as he did at the woman, but something told her not to let her heart be troubled by something so trivial. Lillian might have heeded the advice of the little voice inside her head, had it not been for the final nail on the coffin of watching the Hessian lean forward to give the regal woman a tender kiss on her lips.
Just then, Lillian heard the door open and looked over her left shoulder, seeing it was Cassandra who walked out. The dark-haired maiden turned her gaze away and stared at the ground, pretending that nothing was wrong.
Cassandra came over and stood beside Lillian, rubbing her left arm as if she were cold. She sighed to herself before looking at her friend, frowning when she noticed she was avoiding eye contact.
"Are you all right?" Cassandra asked.
"No, I'm not", Lillian whispered, still keeping her head turned away.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I was thinking about the He..." Lillian caught herself before she let it slip out the title of the man who was on her mind and lied to Cassandra, "The hermit who saved me that night."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I miss him, I suppose."
Cassandra blinked and looked away from Lillian, showing a soft tenderness in her eyes. "I never did ask you about him", she said. "What was he like?"
"What is he like, you mean", Lillian said firmly, looking at Cassandra that time. "He's not dead. Not yet, at least."
"I'm sorry", Cassandra replied, looking at her friend again. "What is he like?"
Lillian looked forward and answered softly, "It doesn't matter. I don't think I shall ever see him again. As far as my mind is concerned, he's probably moved on from this place."
"How do you know?" Cassandra asked her.
"I just know", said Lillian, raising her voice a little, sounding angry.
"That is a shame. I would have liked to shake his hand and tell him how grateful I am for him saving your life."
"I'm sure he would be honored to hear you say that to him. You two may never meet, but I know he would appreciate your gratitude."
"You know, it's strange to me", said Cassandra. "Whenever you speak the way you do, you always seem to know what will happen."
"I don't", Lillian denied.
"Are you sure? Because it seems to me you-"
"Yes, I'm sure!" Lillian barked, startling Cassandra and causing her to jump back a little. When she saw the look of frighten on her friend's face, Lillian immediately felt ashamed and fought herself to hold back tears.
"I'm sorry. I'm not myself tonight", Lillian whimpered out.
Cassandra stared at the dark-haired maiden, hesitating a minute before stepping forward and reaching her hand out to place it on Lillian's shoulder.
"Let me help you", said Cassandra.
"You can't help me", Lillian whispered, tearfully.
"Don't give me that talk, Lillian Waise. Something is troubling you and I want to know what it is. You're my best friend. I don't like seeing you like this. Tell me what you feel."
Lillian shook her head and said, "You couldn't possibly understand how I feel. You've never been in love before...Not like I have..." Hearing her voice crack, Lillian past her friend and began walking away.
"Where are you going?" Cassandra asked.
"I'm going home", said Lillian. "Don't follow me."
Cassandra stepped off the porch and started following Lillian, disobeying her. When she felt her friend try to place her hand on her shoulder again, Lillian turned around and pushed her back.
"I said don't follow me! I mean it!"
"Lillian, what is wrong with you?"
"There's nothing wrong with me, Cassandra. Just leave me alone."
With that said, Lillian turned around and started walking away again, hugging her arms around her body as though she were trying to hold herself together and not fall apart. Cassandra watched her go, watching her friend shrink in the distance. She thought she heard a raven caw, but when she turned her head to look up at the tree behind her, there was no raven in sight.
When she arrived back in town, Lillian went upstairs to her room and threw herself down on the bed and cried into her pillow, thinking she had lost the heart of her beloved German soldier. When they first met, she asked the Hessian if he was married, and since he said he wasn't, and mentioned having no woman or a family in his life, Lillian assumed that he loved her, but since he had yet to say it, she felt as though the Hessian held no feelings for her as she did for him.
After several minutes of sobbing, Lillian calmed down and heard Simara tapping on the window with her beak. Raising her head up from her tear-drenched pillow, Lillian looked over her right shoulder and went over to let the raven inside. The raven hopped in at once and perched on the sill, looking up at her mistress, who hugged an arm around her blackbird friend, seeking comfort.
"I need to see him again", Lillian said to the raven. "If I don't, I don't know what I'll do."
Lillian turned her head, looking over at the chest at the foot of her bed. She released Simara and turned her body around, kneeling down and opening the chest, rummaging through her things until she found a pair of scissors and used them to cut off a lock of her hair. She then tore off a piece of her dress and wrapped the ebony strand inside the cloth before attaching it to Simara's leg.
When Lillian opened the window to let her out, Simara jumped onto her mistress's right arm and cawed softly, to which Lillian stroked a finger along her back and placed a gentle kiss on top of her silken head.
"Fly to him, my friend", said Lillian, sending the raven out into the night.
After her winged messenger left, Lillian shut the window and took off her dress and slipped on her nightgown before getting back into bed, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't stop thinking about the vision, her mind lingering on the mystery woman who stole the Hessian's heart. He looked very much in love with her, as if he had never been happier or would ever find happiness ever again. Maybe there was more to the vision than what she saw, but Lillian chose to ignore it for the rest of the night, especially the part about the dead deer and the fawn.