Major General Benedict Arnold, on the heels of his heroic military feats at Saratoga; Fort Ticonderoga; Valcour Island; and Ridgefield, Connecticut, did in fact march into Philadelphia and take control of the city to the backdrop of a grand parade. With Washington as his staunchest supporter, Arnold imposed martial law. What happened next was what got him into trouble. Arnold closed the shops and began a black market trade with the help of a local merchant, Joseph Stansbury.
Details relating to Arnold’s crippling injury, his military accolades, and his worsening financial situation are factually based. So too are the details related to his lavish spending, at times abrasive personality, and increasing bitterness toward the colonial cause. This bitterness was only exacerbated when Arnold found a vocal critic in the leader of Pennsylvania’s Executive Council, Joseph Reed. The acrimony that developed between Arnold and Reed did in fact culminate with Arnold demanding a court-martial to clear his name, and Washington reluctantly issuing a public reprimand to the junior officer for whom he’d had such high hopes.
Arnold and Peggy did in fact meet at a reception at the Penn mansion, given by its new tenant, Benedict Arnold, in honor of the French ambassador, the Count Conrad Alexandre Gérard. During their courtship, Arnold was in fact turned down by Judge Edward Shippen in his suit for Peggy Shippen’s hand. Arnold did rehabilitate his injured leg in order to win over the much younger and more attractive Peggy Shippen. And he did buy Mount Pleasant for his bride, though he never could afford to occupy it.
Clara Bell and Caleb Little, as well as the Quigleys, the Breunig sisters, and Robert Balmor, are all fictional, and so are all of the plot developments relating to them. In order for the reader to be able to witness the events from an outsider’s perspective, I felt that the narrator had to be similarly situated. The historical record refers to Peggy Arnold as having a lady’s maid with whom she traveled, and so Clara was created.
This is a work of fiction, but the remaining cast of supporting characters: Little Eddy Arnold, Major David Franks, Joshua Hett Smith, Joseph Stansbury, Neddy and Betsy Burd, Judge and Mrs. Edward Shippen, Dr. William Shippen, Margaret Chew, Christianne Amile, Becky Redman, Lord Rawdon, General William Howe, the Marquis de Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton, and of course George Washington, are all characters plucked from history who did in fact inhabit roles similar to those developed throughout The Traitor’s Wife.
George Washington was indeed at Benedict Arnold’s home on the morning of September 25, 1780, when he received word of John André’s apprehension. Peggy Arnold did feign a hysterical fit during which she tore at her gown and screamed some of the incoherent quotes and accusations that I’ve included in this novel. Her fit, whether genuine or conjured, served to distract the men and convinced them of her innocence. Believed by Washington to be a victim in the entire affair, Peggy was nursed back to health, brought flowers in bed, and eventually allowed to return to her husband. Throughout her life, Peggy remained largely shielded from the enmity and ridicule that haunted her husband. It wasn’t until after her death that historians discovered the significant role Peggy played in her husband’s treason.
The meeting between Arnold and André did in fact occur at and near the home of Joshua Hett Smith in Haverstraw, New York, in the days leading up to André’s arrest. Though Peggy Arnold was not actually in attendance at those rendezvous, she was the integral figure who initiated the written correspondence between Arnold and André. Letters remain to this day showing her handwriting in the messages passed between her husband and her former suitor. After André was captured out of uniform and charged as a spy, Arnold did attempt to swap places with André to save his coconspirator from the gallows. That offer, like his letter explaining his motives to Washington, went unanswered.
Though I’ve tried to weave this story with as much historical fact as possible, this novel is historical fiction, and there were points at which I took license to alter what is in the historical record. A few points of note are included here:
Prior to meeting and marrying Peggy Shippen, Benedict Arnold had been married once before, to Margaret Mansfield Arnold. The first Mrs. Arnold died in 1775, leaving Benedict Arnold a widower and the father to three sons. All accounts point to the fact that Peggy Shippen Arnold was a loving and caring figure in the lives of her stepchildren, none of whom lived with their father and his new bride.
Since Caleb Little is a fictional character, so too is the role he played in the apprehension of John André following his meeting with Benedict Arnold. The true credit goes to militiamen John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart. I apologize for omitting them and not giving them their proper due for the role they played in saving the American Revolution.
Peggy Shippen was the youngest in a family of five surviving children born to Judge Edward Shippen and his wife, Margaret. For the purpose of the plot, I’ve written about only one sister, Elizabeth, in my novel. But Peggy’s additional older siblings included sisters Sarah and Mary, as well as a brother, Edward. Elizabeth did in fact marry Edward Burd, and Peggy was described by many as her father’s favorite daughter.
I began my research where the plot itself began—Philadelphia. The city’s old quarter, specifically Society Hill, is remarkably well preserved, and one can walk through the Shippens’ former neighborhood and imagine briefly that they have stepped back in time; at any moment, Peggy Shippen’s carriage might roll by. Other locales along the way included Williamsburg, Virginia, where General Washington was in residence during some of the years covered in this novel, as well as Manhattan, Garrison, and of course West Point, New York.
The New York Public Library has countless archives on colonial history. Of special interest was its collection on antique maps from the period of the Revolutionary War. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was invaluable in helping me to learn about early American architecture, clothing, and furniture. Similarly, the New-York Historical Society is a trove of not only colonial history but the furniture, history, literature, and art of the period as well.
Books read for research include: The Traitor and the Spy by James Thomas Flexner; Patriot John, The Man Who Saved America by Philip B. Secor; Washington: A Life, by Ron Chernow; Benedict Arnold: Traitor of the Revolution by Ronald Syme; Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor by Willard Sterne Randall; West Point: Legend on the Hudson published by the Poughkeepsie Journal; and 1776 and John Adams, both by David McCullough.
Other thanks go to the Federal Museum in New York City; the West Point Foundry in Cold Spring, New York; the Fort Montgomery State Historic Site; and the Putnam County Tourism Department.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I WANT TO thank the friends, colleagues, and family members who have supported me while writing The Traitor’s Wife and who made its publication possible.
Mom, you are the reason I found and wrote this story. Dad, you are the reason I love history. I was able to write this novel because the two of you have encouraged me and loved me and taught me that no dream or aspiration should be considered out of reach. I will never be able to properly thank the two of you, but I hope you know how much I love you.
Dave: my husband, best friend, and the most reliable grammarian and editor I know. Thank you for being my partner in every way.
My siblings: Owen, thank you for always knowing the answer to any historical question I ever ask. Teddy and Emled, thank you for inspiring me to look deeply into questions and to pursue dreams passionately. Emily, thank you for telling me, years ago when I first set out on this journey, to look for the conflict that makes characters compelling, and for encouraging me at every step since then.
Nelson and Louisa: thank you for believing in me even before I knew this was something worth believing in. I’ll never forget the moment when you offered your initial feedback for my very first (and very “rough”) manuscript. Your belief in me meant more than you know. And to all the Levys: my second family, I have learned so much from you on how a family ought to love and support one another.
> To my agent and friend, the tireless Lacy Lynch: you are truly talented at what you do and there’s no one I’d rather have championing my work. And to Jan Miller and the rest of the team at Dupree Miller & Associates: thank you for your faith and for taking a chance on me, years ago, when there was still much work ahead.
To Jonathan Merkh, Beth Adams, Amanda Demastus, and the entire team at Howard Books and Simon & Schuster: thank you for sharing my vision and helping me to make it a reality. To my editor, Beth Adams: somehow you managed to make the editing process fun. Thank you for your diligence and your dogged devotion to The Traitor’s Wife.
To the earliest readers and editors: Marya Myers, my first guinea pig and constant cheerleader, thank you for your contagious enthusiasm; Charlotte d’Orchimont, my sounding board and soul sister, thank you for always understanding what I’m trying to say; Margaret, my cover model and favorite playmate with whom to explore our beloved jungle gym—the imagination; Carolyn Rossi Copeland, Jamie Copeland, and the Copeland girls—my home away from home and the first people with whom I discovered the joys of creating; Liz Steinberg: my Philadelphia tour-guide and constant confidante. Other dear friends have helped by reading, editing, and encouraging me throughout the process: Cristina Corbin and Jonathan Corbin, Kasdin Miller, Cristina Scudder, Shannon Farrell, Alyssa Oakley, Emily Shuey, Dana Schuster, and Jackie Carter.
And to the many others who have helped me on this journey: Zenia Mucha, thank you for your belief in me and my work; Allison McCabe, your early editorial expertise taught me how to develop a manuscript; Philip Rowland, thank you for my website and for your enthusiastic support; and to Tessa and Andrew Farnsworth, Sheila Weber, Fred Newman, and Earle and Carol Mack, thank you.
Reading Group Guide
THE TRAITOR’S WIFE
A Novel
Allison Pataki
Introduction
When turncoat Benedict Arnold aided the British during the Revolutionary War, he wasn’t acting alone. Orchestrating the espionage was his spouse, the beautiful socialite Peggy Shippen, whose treachery nearly cost the fledgling nation its fight for freedom. In The Traitor’s Wife, Allison Pataki brings to life an intriguing slice of American history, told from the perspective of Peggy’s lady’s maid, Clara Bell, who must decide where her own loyalties lie.
Topics and Questions for Discussion
1. Before moving to Philadelphia, Clara spent her entire life on a farm in the Pennsylvania countryside. How does Clara’s identity evolve throughout her years of service to Peggy and Benedict Arnold? What character traits does Clara retain? Discuss which characters have the greatest impact on Clara’s growth and development.
2. Why does Clara take a nearly instant dislike to Major John André? Why is she relieved when Judge and Mrs. Shippen refuse to allow Peggy to attend the Meshianza Masque? Compare the way André treats Peggy with how Caleb treats Clara.
3. Clara is flattered at “having so quickly become her lady’s confidante and friend”. Does Peggy sincerely consider Clara a friend, or is Clara misreading her mistress? Why does Clara so desperately crave Peggy’s approval, and even friendship? At what point does this begin to shift?
4. Discuss the theme of loyalty in the novel. What drives the different characters’ allegiances? Who is the most loyal character?
5. “I hate the man, and I always will,” says Peggy of Benedict Arnold. Why then does she begin pursuing him the first time they meet? Does she truly come to care about him, or is it all an act?
6. What is your view of Benedict Arnold? Trace his evolution from ardent patriot to turncoat. Do you think he would have committed treason without Peggy’s influence? Why or why not? Discuss both his and Peggy’s motivations for aiding the British.
7. “My husband knows how to win on the battlefield. It’s all brute strength and fighting. But spy work is different—it requires poise, and self-control, and grace. It’s like a delicate dance. And if anyone knows how to dance, it’s me,” says Peggy. Which traits make Peggy better suited for espionage than Arnold? Why does the couple freely discuss their plans in front of Clara? Is it because they trust her not to reveal their secrets or, as Clara believes, because they find her invisible?
8. When Arnold’s treachery is revealed, he immediately flees and leaves Peggy behind. Given the circumstances, are his actions justifiable in any way? Why doesn’t Peggy hold it against him? Share whether or not you were surprised that Peggy was able to so easily convince George Washington and his companions of her innocence.
9. Does Clara intentionally or unintentionally help the Arnolds commit treason by cracking André’s code and translating the clandestine correspondence? Does her role make Clara partly to blame? What would you have done if you were in her position?
10. At one point in the story, Clara laments that she is not the master of her own fate. How do she and Caleb take charge of their future, both individually and as a couple? Discuss Clara’s warring emotions of impotency and desperation to intervene in the Arnolds’ plot.
11. When Clara confides in Mrs. Quigley about the Arnolds’ plotting, why is the older woman so quick to dismiss her claims? When Mrs. Quigley later understands exactly what’s happening, why does she still advise against Clara and Caleb taking action to stop the Arnolds? Explore how Mrs. Quigley’s response to the news differs from Caleb’s response to the news. Does either of them understand Clara’s position and perspective?
12. Examine the character of George Washington. Why does the novel open on the morning of his visit? What does George Washington mean to Benedict Arnold? To Peggy Arnold? To the servants like Hannah, Caleb, Clara, or the Quigleys? Discuss whether George Washington’s disapproval was the impetus for Arnold to agree to treason.
13. How does Clara use tactics she learned from observing her mistress to achieve her freedom from Peggy? What gives Clara the strength and courage to stand up to the imposing Peggy? Would Clara actually have reported Peggy’s guilt, or was it a bluff?
14. When news comes that Arnold successfully escaped, why is Clara relieved he won’t hang for his crimes? Why does she promise to keep quiet about Peggy’s role in the plot?
15. In what ways did The Traitor’s Wife give you new insights into the Revolutionary War? What, if anything, did you learn that surprised you?
A Conversation with Allison Pataki
Q: It seems remarkable that one woman might have come so close to single-handedly turning the tide of the Revolutionary War. Why do you suppose Peggy’s part in the treasonous plot didn’t come to light sooner?
A: My thoughts exactly! And why don’t more people know about the role Peggy Arnold played in her husband’s life and career? That was how I felt when I came across the story, and that’s been the consistent reaction I’ve gotten as I’ve told people about The Traitor’s Wife. People find it hard to believe the story is true, because if it was, why hadn’t they heard about it?
According to Arnold biographers, people didn’t learn of Peggy’s role in the plot until the nineteenth century, after all of the principle players in the plot were deceased. Apparently Aaron Burr (the man responsible for Alexander Hamilton’s death—of all people!) confessed what he knew of Peggy’s role on his deathbed, based on Peggy’s own confessions while she was alive. Whether or not the Burr deathbed confession is credible (though many historians have debated that point and assert that it is), there is plenty of other proof of her involvement. The New York Public Library has letters exchanged between Arnold and André, on which you can see Peggy’s handwriting. And, how else would her former suitor have come into contact with her husband?
I think Peggy understood and skillfully harnessed the belief of the time—the flawed supposition that women were much less intelligent or capable than men. Boy, did she use that to her advantage!
Q: As an epigraph to The Traitor’s Wife you selected a quotation by Lady Macbeth, and another from Benedict Arnold’s own letter. Why did you select these quotations?
A: I love epigraphs and
I’m always intrigued by which quotations writers choose to begin their books with, and why. The Lady Macbeth quotation was on my mind from the beginning. I went back and reread Macbeth before I began writing The Traitor’s Wife because I wanted to revisit some of the themes of the play. I especially wanted to read Lady Macbeth’s speeches to her husband. Lady Macbeth is literature’s consummate double-dealer. She charms the men and welcomes them into her home, all the while she’s whispering into her husband’s ear to kill the king and take his crown. She uses soft, beautiful words to incite gruesome and treacherous actions.
I was intrigued by the similarities between Lady Macbeth’s style and how Peggy Arnold enacted her plot. Peggy, like Lady Macbeth, believed in her husband. She felt that he had been denied the glory he deserved. She was patient and strategic and bitter and ruthless. She knew how to charm and coax and manipulate people with her words. And she welcomed the leader, George Washington, into her home with a smile, all the while intending to betray him and quite possibly cost him his life.
The whole thing just felt so Shakespearean, with all the plotting, the human foibles, and the drama. I kept telling people as I was working on it: the Arnolds’ story is so salacious, you really cannot make this stuff up! And it’s true. One difference, however, is that Lady Macbeth gets her comeuppance in the end, whereas Peggy Shippen Arnold makes it out unscathed. Maybe Peggy was the greater wit, even more cunning than Lady Macbeth!
And then the Benedict Arnold quotation just makes me sad every time I read it. In that letter, you are seeing Arnold attempt to exculpate himself in the hours after his plot had failed. He wrote it knowing that all ties to the country he had once served and loved were irreparably severed. Knowing that his greatest hero, George Washington, now wished him dead. It’s tough to imagine how Arnold must have felt while writing that letter. Did he truly believe that what he had done had been in the best interest of the country, or was he simply making a justification? And, if it was just a justification, to whom was he speaking? To himself? To Washington? To history and the crafters of his legacy? It’s hard to know. But I do think it’s true what he says—that the world “very seldom judge(s) right of any man’s actions.” The truth is always more complicated than it appears.
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