Clayton followed her. “Ma’am. General Washington is in the middle of a war.”
“Well, someone has to do something. They cannot just leave Matthew there.”
“I agree, but I could not find any senior officer who could help me. That is why I came home to bring you the news.” He sighed, lines etching his face. “War is ugly business, Mrs. Jackson. The Continental Army needs every man they can get, and they are doing all right holding their own for the moment. I just don’t think they are completely organized. Whoever commanded this small band of soldiers obviously forgot about them. They have been in the same place for over a month, and it is pretty foul.”
“What about Benjamin Franklin! He knows Matthew well. Maybe I can get in touch with him?”
“Hmmm…Franklin is in Philadelphia, so that might be helpful. Matthew is being held in a remote location in New Jersey.”
“New Jersey? I don’t think I’ve ever been there.”
“It’s not too far from Philadelphia. Much closer to us than Boston.”
“What do you think he was doing in New Jersey?” The puzzle didn’t make sense to her.
“Apparently, the man the Patriots wanted to nab was with the Royal Governor of New Jersey. Who just happens to be Benjamin Franklin’s son. They’d heard that he had been gathering secrets from the Patriots and wanted to know how. They just missed the governor and his aides, but they took all the others.”
A horrible thought crashed into her brain. Matthew knew a lot of secrets of the Patriots. And she brought him message after message …
He couldn’t be the man they were looking for, could he?
Matthew couldn’t be giving secrets to the Loyalists. No. It couldn’t be. The governor had to be getting his information from somewhere else. It was all just a coincidence. She simply needed sleep. How could she ever suspect the man she loved?
“What is troubling you, ma’am?”
Clayton’s words made her look up. She tried to wipe her face of expression. “Oh, nothing. Just trying to figure out how to get there.”
“You are not thinking of going, are you?”
“Of course.” She went to the stairs. “Do you think you can get me a uniform?”
Marie assisted Faith with the alterations to her new outfit up in her room. The lovely bedchamber had been part of the section that George rebuilt after her parents’ death. She didn’t have any memories up here from before her mother and father died. But she’d love to have memories here with a family. Her family. Prayerfully, one day.
That’s why she was doing what she was doing. Exhausted as she was, she had new determination to spur her on.
She had to save Matthew.
“I think it’s ready, ma’am.” Marie held up the garment.
“It’s perfect. Thank you, Marie.”
“Are you certain this is safe?”
“Of course not.” Faith shook her head. “But who else can do it?”
“I will finish packing your things, then.” Her maid gave Faith the look that showed she clearly disapproved but would do her duties nonetheless.
Marie would just have to get in line with Clayton. He certainly didn’t approve. But neither of them could stop her.
Before she could make the journey, she needed to write George a letter. Let him know what she was about. Just in case. He wouldn’t be pleased, but he was the least of her worries right now.
First, she needed a plan. How could she rescue Matthew? She couldn’t just traipse in there and demand his release. Second, she needed some rest before she rode all the way to Philadelphia. By herself. Something she’d never done before. Third, she needed to figure out how she would change her clothes without a maid. That might prove difficult. Maybe she’d just wear the same thing every day until she saved him. That would be the easiest. She might not smell the greatest by the time she got there, but she didn’t care about that.
She sat down at her desk. “Marie?”
Her maid came to her side. “Ma’am?”
“How long will it take you to finish packing?”
“Not long, ma’am. Maybe fifteen more minutes.”
“Good. That will give me time to write a letter, and then I am going to lie down and rest before I start the journey. Please make sure I am not disturbed unless it is urgent.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
Faith put her elbow on the desk and leaned her forehead on it. How on earth would she tell George?
Wednesday, July 19, 1775
Continental Army Camp
The troops in front of him were getting better. George was pleased with their progress but had them in training numerous times a day when they weren’t marching toward the next battle. He’d worked with many different battle groups now as he’d traveled New England, surveying what made up his Continental Army.
Still amazed at all they’d accomplished, he thanked the good Lord each day for His provision.
He’d gotten word from one of his aides that Faith had indeed escaped the house arrest in Boston. Assuming she went to Virginia, he thought she should be there by now. Unless she went to Mount Vernon. It was closer. He’d have to send a letter to Martha and check. If Faith hadn’t gone to Mount Vernon, then maybe she could check on her at the farm in Virginia.
He shook his head and smiled. Of course Faith had escaped the British soldiers. He’d expected nothing less. But his heart still worried after her. For years, he’d thought of her like a little sister, but as he got older, he was beginning to feel much more parental.
Matthew better take good care of her. The man was a good choice for her, of that he had no doubt, but everything was so unstable right now. There wasn’t much of a chance for romance when he was a spy within the Loyalists.
Clark—his aide—rode up next to him. “Sir, I have an urgent message for you.” He held out a folded paper.
Washington nodded and took the note. He opened it and read the contents.
His heart dropped. Poor Faith.
But maybe she didn’t know?
Matthew had been captured by the Patriots as a Loyalist spy. George would have to get word to the encampment immediately so that Matthew could be released.
If he was still alive.
George quirked an eyebrow as he thought it all through. If she didn’t know, then perhaps George could save the day without her ever having to know.
Another scan of the note urged him to his quarters.
Prayerfully, Matthew was still alive.
The sun wasn’t up yet, but Faith had been awake for over an hour. She was ready to go. Marie had helped her to dress and send word to the groomer to ready her horse. She’d carry only what she needed in her bedroll on the animal’s back.
It was up to her to save Matthew, and she would do it. Even if she died trying.
As she walked down the stairs, she knew Clayton would try to talk her out of it, but rather than sneak away to avoid him, she’d remind him that she was the mistress of this house and that she could handle herself.
She’d been in tough scrapes before.
When she reached the foyer, she heard a gasp and knew it was her devoted butler. “Ma’am. I see you are ready to go.”
Faith cringed and closed her eyes to turn and face him. But when she opened them, she had to blink several times. Clayton was a mirror image of herself.
His blue breeches, gold waistcoat, and blue coat all matched hers perfectly.
She put her hands on her hips. “Clayton! What are you about?”
He bowed and smirked at her. “Well, since I was getting one uniform, I figured I could get two….”
“Or perhaps three.” Marie’s voice echoed from the top of the stairs. And down strode her maid. Dressed in the same livery as Faith and Clayton. The velvet coats were trimmed in gold embroidery at the wrists.
They really were quite stunning liveries, but why did all three of them need them? Faith pinched the bridge of her nose. “Marie, why are you dressed like that?”
&nb
sp; Her maid walked up to her with confidence.
Faith understood the walk. There was something quite freeing about wearing men’s breeches. Not that she would ever say that aloud. But she definitely felt like she could conquer the world without the skirts and petticoats in her way.
Marie lifted her chin a bit. “There’s a very good explanation why I’m dressed this way. You need someone to help you with your clothes on the trip. As you know—excuse me Clayton for the delicate conversation—it isn’t easy to hide your feminine virtues in men’s clothes. Simple as that. I refuse to allow you to go alone.”
Faith couldn’t argue with her on that point. The wrapping they’d had to do of her chest before Marie put on Faith’s stays was quite the chore and Faith was quite sure she wouldn’t survive wearing them around the clock. Honesty had always been her policy, and poor Clayton had seen and heard much in his years of service to her. She found she didn’t even mind the turn of conversation in front of him. Raising her eyebrows, she turned to her butler. “You knew my reasoning. I couldn’t go traipsing around soldier encampments dressed as a woman asking about prisoners. They wouldn’t have told me a thing. But what exactly is your excuse?”
“I promised General Washington I would do something, and I plan to keep my promise.”
George. She should have known. And a very vague answer. “You promised him…something?”
“Yes, ma’am. And I will not tell you what that something is.”
Of course he wouldn’t. The man knew every secret there was to know it seemed. Faith didn’t have time to argue. “I didn’t pack provisions for you.”
“We did.”
The two answered in unison.
“All right then, let us be on our way. Matthew needs our help.”
Friday, July 21, 1775
New Jersey
Matthew could taste the fear of the other prisoners. They’d been sick so long that they were weak and confused. Just like he had been.
Collins had died. Just this morning. And the other two men were much younger. They didn’t have as much experience and had worn down over time. They cried at night and whimpered during the day. The nighttime was so much worse.
The only thing that had saved Matthew thus far was when he stopped drinking the water they brought him in the cup. One day he’d been so delirious, he thought he saw something in the cup and it tasted horrid. So he threw it up against the wall.
What he saw in the next morning’s light made him lose what little contents he had in his stomach.
From that moment on, he emptied the cup and wiped it out with his shirt. Then he prayed for rain. He rigged up his jacket under the hole in the ceiling. When the Lord sent rain, he drank his fill and more. But only from the sky. If there wasn’t rain, Matthew didn’t drink.
Thankfully, it had rained a lot this summer.
And the past few days, he’d begun to regain his strength. Not a lot, but he wasn’t sick all the time. Which helped.
As darkness closed in around him once again, he prayed. Something he’d done a lot more of while he was a prisoner. He found such peace in doing it, and it also kept his mind off the horrific cries of the other prisoners.
If only he could figure out a way to escape. But the lock on the bars was solid. He’d tried it more times than he could count.
Closing his eyes, he thought of Faith. What he wouldn’t give to see her again.
As sleep began to claim him, he thought he heard someone humming. It was actually quite a lovely tune. This would be a nice change to fall asleep peacefully.
Faith. He tried to focus on the last time he’d seen her. Her beautiful smile.
Thunk! “Ow!” Something had hit him in the head. He sat up in the straw. Just as something else pelted him from above. Matthew looked up.
“Yoo-hoo.” The ugliest woman he’d ever seen waved at him from the hole in the ceiling. Then something was lowered on a string.
When it reached Matthew, he realized it was the key. Scrambling to the door, he whispered a quiet “thank you” to the old hag and unlocked the bars. Within seconds, he was outside running for all he was worth. Which wasn’t much more than a fast walk, he was so weak. He reached the edge of the woods and kept going into the thick forest. After a minute, he was too winded to go on, and he stopped to breathe in the fresh air. His first fresh air in weeks.
“You ungrateful boy.” Someone came toward him.
Wait a minute. He recognized that voice. Matthew turned. “Ben!”
Franklin reached him and nodded, limping along.
Matthew rubbed his eyes. “Are you wearing…a dress?”
The old man chuckled. “I certainly am. And it worked too.” Then he grabbed at his skirts, lifted them, and took off at a fast pace past him. “Come on. Let us get you out of here.”
Matthew had no choice but to follow. “I thought you were the ugliest old hag I had ever seen.” He chuckled and half walked, half stumbled through the undergrowth.
“I shall take that as a compliment.” For an old man in a dress, he was surprisingly agile.
They reached a river. A really wide river. “What is your plan, Ben? I am weak and haven’t had a decent meal in more than a month.”
“This is where we swim.” Ben’s voice was a bit muffled as he tugged the dress over his head, leaving him in his underclothes.
“I do not think I have the energy to swim, my friend. Go on without me.” Matthew collapsed in the grass at the bank of the river. The escape had taken its toll on him, and he didn’t feel like he could move.
“Oh no, you are not giving up on me now. I did not come all this way to rescue you to have you give up on me. You do not have to swim. I am an excellent swimmer and will help you across.” Ben rubbed his hands together and then stretched his arms above his head. “It’s not that far, and the river is slow moving.”
“But—” He wanted to say, “You’re old,” but he didn’t think that would go over too well. The man had gotten him out of a locked cell. Dressed as a woman no less.
“Trust me.”
Matthew nodded.
“Lie on your back and float. You need only to kick your feet a bit to help move you along.”
It made absolutely no sense to him, but Matthew obeyed. The water was cold, but it soothed his weary, bruised body. Ben gripped his arm and literally dragged him across the river. While Matthew had always thought of him as a stout—even paunchy—little man, Benjamin Franklin was quite athletic and strong.
Within minutes, Matthew crawled up on the other side of the river, feeling cleaner than he had in weeks. “Thank you, Ben.”
His mentor and friend looked down at him. “You are most welcome, my boy. I couldn’t very well allow you to shrivel up and die in prison, now could I?”
A small laugh escaped his lips. The fresh air smelled sweet. “I am quite shriveled up, but thankfully not dead. It will probably take a good deal of time to build up my strength.”
“General Washington was quite concerned for you, as I am sure Faith is as well.”
Faith. He’d despaired of never seeing her again and putting her through such sorrow. The war was just beginning, and the horror it already brought was devastating.
“Have you told her yet?”
Matthew turned to Ben. “Told her what?”
“That you love her?”
The thought brought a smile to his face as he watched the clouds float in the sky above. “Yes, I have. I asked her to wait for me.”
Ben jumped to his feet, his long shirt dripping from their swim. “Wait for you? Are you daft?”
Matthew pulled enough energy together to sit up. “I did not think it would be very kind to ask her to marry me in the middle of a war.”
His friend smacked his palm against his forehead. “You are quite addled, I fear. When you see her again, my suggestion is that you do not wait one more moment. Marry the girl.” Ben’s features softened. “Time is short, my dear boy. Shorter than you can imagine. Why, look at what
you just went through. I am most certain that you feared you would not survive, and in fact probably prayed for Almighty God to take you from this life.”
The words were truth. Matthew nodded.
“If you love her, marry her. Do not let the circumstances of war stand in the way.” He pointed a finger in Matthew’s face and nodded. Placing his hands on his hips, he scanned the horizon. “Now if I can just remember where I hid my breeches, we can journey on and find some food for you, then get you back to Faith where you belong.”
This is the place where Matthew is being held,” Clayton whispered.
Faith nodded. It had been grueling to get here. She was tired and dirty and hungry. Their ruse had worked so far, and no one thought a thing about three gentleman riding off to aid the Continental Army. They’d asked lots of questions about soldier camps, where to find the officers in charge, etc. But today was the day. It was time to rescue Matthew.
“I still think we should have gone to see Mr. Franklin and get his help.” Marie crossed her arms over her chest. “I am just a maid. I have no knowledge or experience for this sort of thing.” For the first time on the trip, the girl sounded a bit frightened.
“We ran out of time. It would have taken us more time to get there and back.” Faith put a hand on her maid’s shoulder. “Why don’t you stay here—hidden in the trees—and wait for Clayton and me to return?”
Marie nodded. Then shook her head. “No, I said I would go with you, and that is what I am going to do.” She drew in a shaky breath.
Clayton looked around. “Something isn’t right. There doesn’t appear to be any movement.”
“Well, I am not just going to sit here.” Faith took off at a run across the open field until she got to the edge of a ramshackle building. Running was so much easier when there wasn’t a dress involved. Clayton and Marie were right behind her.
Clayton spoke in a low tone. “I will go see if I can distract the soldiers in their quarters. You see if you can find where they are holding Matthew.”
Faith nodded and watched her butler sneak across the yard without making a sound. Once he entered into the other building, she grabbed Marie and took her toward the other building. The one that looked like a place they’d hold prisoners. It was disgusting.
The Patriot Bride Page 19
