by Lora Thomas
“Ye can’t be serious?” Sarah croaked. “If we get caught, they will hang us for treason.”
“I would rather die helping a good cause than be beaten to death by a heartless husband.”
“But we’re English.”
“No, I am an American. I was born and raised here. You are a Scotswoman—not that you can tell now by your accent. We have worked hard to correct that—as long as you remember.” Anna shot Sarah a meaningful glance before she continued, “Neither one of us are English. We hold no loyalties to that country or her king.”
“It’s suicide,” Sarah insisted.
“Don’t you want to feel that you have made a difference in something?”
“I do. I make a difference helping you.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. Don’t you want to contribute to something bigger than either of us? A cause that is worth fighting for? For freedom and liberties? With the knowledge that we just acquired we can save hundreds—no, thousands of lives. We can keep a child from being fatherless or a wife from becoming a widow.”
Sarah shook her head. “Even if I did, we do not know of anyone to tell this information to. In case you have forgotten, Anna, we are surrounded by British soldiers. I don’t know a single colonial.”
“Mr. Christopher!” Anna blurted out.
“Who?”
“The man I met at General Hatfield’s party. He owns a store. He is a colonial.”
“But he is also loyal to King George.”
A disheartened look crossed Anna’s face. “You’re right.” Suddenly her eyes grew wide again. “But you like to socialize.”
“What?”
“You said it yourself. You like to pay visits to your men friends.”
“I ain’t whoring fer yer cause!” Sarah snapped as her eyes grew wide with shock.
“I didn’t say that!” Anna snapped back. “I am just saying that it might be useful if you found a colonial man to be interested in.”
Sarah opened her mouth to protest but snapped it back shut. She gave Anna a heated glare. “There is a blacksmith that is a rather handsome devil.”
“That’s the spirit!” Anna chimed enthusiastically. “Now, you just need to find out if he knows someone we can give this information to.”
Sarah walked behind her mistress and began roughly untying the laces to Anna’s stays. She was pulling with such force that she nearly pulled Anna back on top of her. “It’s a good thing he’s a handsome chap or I would nae be sae agreeable.”
Both women laughed. “Oh, Sarah. What am I to do with you?”
“I think it should be me asking ye that question.”
“Accent,” Anna reminded before she asked, “Whatever do you mean?”
“Hang me accent.”
Anna gave her outspoken friend a look of warning.
“Very well,” Sarah spoke, using her newfound articulation. “When you’re around your father or husband you act like a dog that has been beaten into submission. But once away from them, you turn into a different person. You are open and full of spirit. Why?”
Anna’s expression sobered. “Like a Killdeer protecting its nest, I must act weak when predators are near.”
“And the other times?”
“I am allowed to be the free spirit I long to be.”
The door opened and both women jumped. Upon seeing the major in the doorway, Sarah curtsied and quickly left the room without having to be commanded.
Anna pulled the stay around her waist loose and tossed it onto the bed. She turned from her husband and walked to the dressing table.
“We need to discuss your actions today, Wife.”
Anna did not reply. She removed the pins from her hair and picked up her brush. She could hear his boots cross the room to her and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She felt the brush being pulled from her hand and then could feel the bristles run down the length of her hair. Albert pushed her into the chair beside the table as he brushed her hair.
“You should not have left the city.”
Anna diverted her eyes downward, trying to hide her nervousness. “I know, Husband. But I wanted to surprise you.”
“Please elaborate.”
“I wanted to see if the home needed repairs. That way if repairs were needed I could arrange for them and have them completed while you were busy winning the war. When the war is over, you could sell the land along with a grand home for a hefty profit.”
Albert placed the brush on the dressing stand and leaned over. His warm breath reeked of stale liquor, and he placed his mouth close to her ear, causing a shudder to run through her body. Fear entered her as she realized he was intoxicated.
His words were slurred as he spoke. “If I want your interference in my affairs, I will ask for it.”
She could hear him take a deep breath through his nose. He picked up a lock of her hair and studied her reflection in the mirror. Her mouth was slightly parted as she breathed heavily with fear. She watched his hands as he placed them on her shoulders and then captured the side of her head.
A faint whimper of pain escaped her from the pressure he was applying to the sides of her head. She instinctively placed her hands on his wrists in an attempt to pull them away, but she was no match for his strength. He quickly placed his hands around her neck and began choking her. She struggled against his tight grip. Her mouth dropped open as she gasped for breath. His grip tightened, and she could see stars in her peripheral vision. She couldn’t speak, she couldn’t breathe. Her body protested, and she clawed at his hands, cutting his flesh with her nails. The blood trailed down his hand and dripped on her peach gown, but he held fast. When he felt her body begin to go limp, he tossed her to the floor.
Her body reacted as air filled her lungs. She coughed violently. She attempted to rise off the floor to get a deeper breath, and the back of Albert’s hand connected with her jaw, sending her back to the floor.
“Do not disobey my orders again, Anna,” he seethed. His boots echoed as he crossed the room. The door slammed closed.
She stayed on the floor for several minutes, fighting the dizziness. When the room was no longer spinning, she righted herself and walked back to the dressing table. As she sat down, she twisted her head in order to view her neck. The pressure of his hands had left a deep red imprint. If Anna had to guess, she would say dark bruises would be noticeable by dawn. She blotted the blood from the corner of her mouth. As she studied her reflection, she realized that she had to escape from her husband—or find a way for him to die. The battle plans entered her mind again. She could not get Sarah involved in delivering the messages. She cared for her friend too much to allow her to become harmed by Albert’s hands. Sarah’s only involvement would be finding her a colonial sympathizer. Anna would be the one to discover and deliver the messages. If she were caught, her husband would kill her, but at least Sarah would be safe.
Anna pulled her dress off and tossed it in the corner, not really caring if the item would get wrinkled or damaged—it was already ruined because of the blood from Albert’s hand. She pulled on her shift and climbed into bed. Her mind raced most of the night wondering how she was going to find a sympathizer for her cause.
Chapter Eight
Cameron arrived at The Dragon’s Lair as scheduled. He went straight to the second floor to the meeting room door. He raised his hand and knocked twice, pounded once, and wiggled the knob four times. The door cracked open a hair.
“It’s too cold for visitors,” the man replied.
“But I have kindling for your fire,” Cameron replied.
The door opened the rest of the way. As Cameron entered, the men in the room continued with their conversation. He walked to an empty chair and sat down. Another man brought him a pint of ale. Cameron sipped his beverage, not really paying attention to what was being discussed. His mind kept returning to the lovely Mrs. Stevenson. Why was he even concerned about her? She was a traitor. She chose England over her
homeland. But there was just something about her. Her blue eyes held intelligence and spirit. But here was a shyness to them, almost fearful. She had risked a great deal to protect him. But why?
“What do you think, Cameron?” Duke asked as he leaned back in his chair. The other men seated around the table turned to face Cameron.
“I don’t know what you are discussing,” Cameron replied as he took a drink of his beverage.
“I said, we need to run these bastards out of North Carolina, but with those men o’ war in the harbor, no one could prevail.”
Cameron sighed and nodded his head. “True. We need to find someone on the inside who can deliver us the information we need to defeat these English overlords once and for all.”
“Do you know of someone?” Christopher asked.
Cameron shook his head. “No.”
“Well, now what?” Duke asked as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.
“We continue to fight. We continue to gather what intel we can and deliver it to our contacts. We keep Congress updated on the progress down here. We stay hidden and do not get caught,” Cameron replied.
“We have already been doing that. We need to do something else. How is it going with Major Stevenson’s wife, Chris?” a man named Joseph asked.
Christopher leaned back. “That is a complicated issue. I do not think she would be of any use. My sources have reported that he has her under his thumb and boot. She has constant guards. Even if she was willing to become friendly with me, there would not be a way.”
Cameron said nothing as Chris spoke of bedding the beautiful Anna Stevenson. The meeting adjourned and all departed but Chris and Cameron. Chris stood up and took the seat next to his brother.
“What’s bothering you, Cameron?”
Cameron downed his drink and looked at his brother. “I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Stevenson this afternoon.”
“The hell you say?” Chris choked out.
“Yes. She helped me hide from her guards.”
“Why?”
“She came to visit her old home and found me hiding in one of the upstairs rooms. She hid me from them because of her husband. If she were caught with me, it would appear she had taken a lover. From what I could gather, he is not overly kind to her as it is. If she had decided to take a lover, then it would not end well for her.”
Chris studied his brother. “You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
“Where was her home located?”
Cameron picked up a drink from the table. He downed the contents. “The old Channing place.”
“Are you ribbing me?”
“No.”
Chris ran his hand over his face. Tallmadge would not be happy to hear this. From what Chris had heard, Tallmadge’s top man, Donald Woods—the man Cameron and he reported to—was courting Joanna Williams when Henry Channing seduced her, stealing her from him. It was rumored that after Joanna was wed, she and Donald began having an affair, but it was never proven.
“Does Woods know?” Christopher asked.
“Yes. He was leaving as I was entering. I informed him of this.”
“What was his reaction?”
“As usual, I could not read him. He just nodded his head and left.”
“Speaking of leaving, we better get back downstairs before we draw suspicion to ourselves,” Chris said as he stood.
The brothers made their way downstairs and to the back room they so favored. As Cameron sat down, a barmaid brought him a drink and ran her hand seductively over his shoulders. His eyes locked onto the buxom doxy as she left the room.
“Is that all you ever think about?” a man named Joseph asked as he joined the brothers.
Cameron shot Joseph a heated gaze.
Chris spoke in a choked laugh, “I ask him the same question all the time.”
“How’s business, Joseph?” Cameron asked the blacksmith, ignoring the men’s observations.
“Not bad. I just don’t like shoeing horses for a group of Redcoats. Although working for some of the upper crust does have its advantages.”
“Like what?”
“Lonely wives who like to bake,” Joseph replied, leaning back and patting his stomach.
Cameron leaned over and motioned towards the door with his head. “Speaking of lonely wives, who is that?”
Chris and Joseph turned to view the woman Cameron was referring to. She was short and had her mahogany hair pulled up loosely in the back. She nervously pulled her brown cloak tightly over her shoulders. She was speaking with Duke. Duke motioned his head towards their direction. The woman thanked the bartender and headed their direction.
“Did you get someone pregnant?” Chris asked his brother, his eyes never leaving the beautiful woman.
“Why do you assume it’s me she’s looking for?” Cameron protested. “I don’t even know her.”
“I do,” Joseph replied as he stood up and walked to the woman.
Sarah silently closed the door to Anna’s bedroom behind her. She could hear Albert say something to Anna, but his exact words were muffled by the thick wooden door. Sarah rushed to the adjacent bedroom and pressed her ear to the wall. The words were still muffled. She worriedly worked her hands as she paced the room. The sound of something hitting the floor in her mistress’s room caused her to rush to the wall again. She could hear Stevenson’s voice plainly as he threatened his wife.
The sly servant approached the door to her hiding spot and cracked it open just a hair. She watched as the major walked down the hall and then disappeared down the stairs. She stayed hidden for several minutes, waiting to see if the major would return. Satisfied that he was not returning, she opened the door the rest of the way and then rushed to Anna’s room.
Anna was sitting at her dressing table brushing her hair. Sarah felt her heart break at the sight of her crestfallen mistress. The sparkle was now missing from Anna’s eyes. Normally, her proud mistress tolerated the abuse and threats without issue, never allowing them to destroy her spirit. But this time, her demeanor had changed. As Sarah approached, she could see the red outline around Anna’s neck. Sarah’s mouth parted in shock.
“Oh, Anna,” Sarah whispered as she walked over to the dressing table.
Anna met Sarah’s eyes through the reflection in the mirror.
“I can’t keep this up, Sarah. My father may have beat me but not once did he ever try to kill me.” Anna turned to face her friend, taking a ragged breath as she spoke. “I dismiss you from your station. Now please pack your belongings and leave.”
A panicked expression crossed Sarah’s face. “You can’t be serious?”
Anna licked her injured lip. “I am. Albert proved to me how easily he could take my life. I cannot allow him to do the same to you.”
“Anna—”
Anna stood and placed her finger over Sarah’s lips, halting her protest. “It will be only a matter of time before he turns his hand to you.” Anna’s chin quivered as tears formed in her eyes. “I am doing this for your own safety. Now, please leave, Sarah.”
“No,” Sarah answered shaking her head.
“This is not up for debate. You have been a faithful servant and a loyal friend. I cannot bear the thought of something happening to you. Now pack your belongings. You can stay until morning.” Anna wrapped her arms around Sarah and whispered in her ear, “You are the sister I always dreamed of. Please do not allow his vicious actions to take you from this world.” She pulled back and captured Sarah’s face in her hands. Anna watched as silent tears ran down Sarah’s cheeks. “Go. Find your blacksmith. Get married and have lots of babies.” Anna smiled weakly as she smoothed down Sarah’s hair. “That is what you would like to do. No…that is what you need to do.”
“But—”
“Please, Sarah. Find your blacksmith. Tell him what we have learned and then leave this city. These are good people here. They will help you. Go to the rural outskirts of Wilmington. My mother was from there. Find my great uncle. His na
me is Marcus Williams. He owns a small inn there called Evergreens.”
“What should I tell him?”
“Tell him we were acquaintances and nothing more.”
“But what about you?” Sarah asked with desperation in her tone.
A feigned smile crossed Anna’s face. “I am married. I have no options. I belong to my husband and his tyrannical will. I will face my fate without fear and accept death with open arms.”
Sarah shook her head back and forth. “Don’t talk like that.”
“Go, Sarah, before Albert returns.” Anna embraced her friend again. As she pulled back from Sarah, she placed a small pouch in her hand. Sarah looked at the pouch. “It’s not much, only what I dare risk giving without drawing suspicion to any missing funds.”
Sarah looked back to Anna, then back to the pouch. She nodded weakly and walked to the door. “Good-bye, Anna,” she whispered.
“Good-bye, Sarah.”
Sarah walked down the stairs to her room. She packed her small valise with what little belongings she possessed and left the home. Her heart was breaking for her friend. She had a feeling that as soon as the major found out that Anna had lied about her pregnancy, he would kill her.
Sarah’s feet walked without purpose down the cobblestone streets of the dark city. She should have waited until morning. It was dangerous for anyone to be out after dark in this town but more so for women. She pulled her brown cloak tightly around her body. It felt like the buildings had eyes. Every place she walked it felt like she was being followed, being watched. When she took notice of her location, she saw the blacksmith shop. Her body must have known where she wanted to go. She approached the dark structure. There were no lights burning inside. She opened the door.
“Hello,” she called out, but no one answered. “Hello.” Concluding that no one was in, she turned to leave as a figure blocked her path.
“You lost, miss?” the manly voice asked.
Sarah swallowed nervously. As the figure stepped closer, the lantern he was carrying illuminated his appearance. He was clean-shaven with a round, boyish face. He was slightly taller than her but not much. His stocky build and large arms gave her the impression that he was used to hard physical labor.
