So True a Love (Daughters of His Kingdom Book 2) Page 2

  “My passion for this cause is as vital as ever, but I tend to have more sense than you when it comes to matters such as these.” Thomas’s volume rose as he pointed at Nathaniel’s chest, his voice as sharp as his gaze. “Watch yourself or your impetuous nature will do you in.”

  Nathaniel glared and straightened his shoulders. Impetuous? Nay. Able to make judgments and take command when needed? Aye. Hadn’t the town appointed him as Chairman of the Committee of Correspondence for those very reasons?

  He clenched and released his fists, choosing not to argue the point. Instead, he picked up the broken piece of chain that rested in a shallow puddle by the door. “I wonder how long it would take for Joseph to repair this?” Nathaniel’s childhood friend, Joseph Wythe—himself a valiant patriot—could best anyone in blacksmithing for sixty miles. Too bad he had such an unfortunate man for a brother.

  “Not long, I’d suppose.” Looking over the reorganized space, Thomas plucked a long musket from a shadowy corner. “Do you think it is still safe to keep everything here? Should we not move the stores immediately?”

  Nathaniel shook his head and tenderly ran his hand along the fractured lid of the top of the largest barrel, feeling the same as if human flesh had been mutilated. “Why did they not take it all? From what I can surmise, whoever did this got away with only several bags worth. And all the muskets are accounted for. ‘Tis strange. Alarming.” He brushed the dust from his hands and locked eyes with Thomas. “Some might assume this was simply a thoughtless act of youth, but I cannot see it as such. This is a threat to our independence and to the safety of the families of this county.”

  Thomas pressed his tricorn onto his head. “Well, you certainly weren’t selected as the Chairman of the Committee for your lack of zeal.” Pulling his jacket around his neck, he stepped out into the rain with the hint of a smirk.

  Nathaniel grinned and followed him out. “How thankful I am for your overwhelming support.”

  Chuckling, Thomas squinted up at the sky. “I’ll stand guard.”

  “I shall have a replacement for you by noon.” Nathaniel smiled and smacked his friend on the back as he left, but the merriment that inched upward quickly receded. A cloud, as grey as the ones overhead, darkened his spirit with every step. Those munitions were vital. Without them they couldn’t ensure the safety of their families against the time the British would surely fall upon them.

  And that time was coming.

  “Nathaniel,” Thomas called.

  He stopped and turned.

  “We will see you this evening at Andrew Cooper’s?”

  Nathaniel nodded. “He’s asked me to give a political speech and you know how I crave such attention.” He took a few steps backward, that refreshing merriment trickling over his back. “This gathering will no doubt attract the patriotic women in town as well, and where beautiful ladies are present, there shall you find me.”

  Before Thomas could continue the conversation that might lead to avenues Nathaniel wished not to discuss, he waved over his shoulder and marched toward Roger’s home. ‘Twas then, unbidden, words spoken several days past echoed in Nathaniel’s mind, as they had from the moment Thomas had voiced them. One day, Nathaniel, you will find yourself in the presence of a woman that robs you of all your senses, leaving you tongue tied and acting more a buffoon than a gentleman.

  Nathaniel chuckled to himself and switched his medical bag to the other hand. If he hadn’t felt that way about a woman thus far, the possibility of such a thing occurring now was more than remote. Better to enjoy the smiles and flirtations than steady his attentions on finding a wife.

  As he made his way down the muddy street, the reality of the morning’s discovery socked him in the gut, thankfully smacking him away from his thought’s unwanted wanderings. What was he thinking attending a political meeting on the same day the magazine had been raided? There were more important things to do than eat cakes and drink wine. Then again, he could use the affair at Andrew’s, and his speech, to focus his energies on rallying the people and finding men to guard the magazine. He humphed. Better to go and make the most of it.

  The rain continued to pour, making its way through Nathaniel’s coat and seeping into his shirt and waistcoat. He picked up his pace. His responsibilities as Chairman occupied more energy and brainpower with every day that passed. Even though he wished to spend most of his time caring for his patients, independence was far more crucial. Their lives changed day by day thanks to Parliament and the “high and mighty” King George. He looked down at the dark mud that clung to his boots. This robbery and Caleb’s attack brought to light the very fears that forced him to pace his parlor floor night after night. This was no longer a vague, untouchable enemy. This threat was real, tangible and right at their doors.

  Nathaniel halted, his muscles tensing as he stared into the rain.

  Someone wanted to rob them of their liberties.

  He would find out who. And he would stop them.

  ***

  Cyprian Wythe stood by the window in the office of his detested establishment, parting the curtain just enough to allow him a fair view of Nathaniel Smith as he walked from the magazine toward town. Cyprian swallowed. The rain drummed against the window, driving the emptiness deeper.

  He ran a hand over his unshaven jaw, the shivers from this morning’s encounter still shooting down his spine. He hadn’t meant for anything to happen to the boy, it simply had. How did the British expect an untrained man to do the job of a mercenary? What were he and Andrew supposed to do? They hadn’t expected anyone to be there and they needed that powder.

  “Your mission is to secure their munitions secretly over time—not bring attention to it by attacking their guard—let alone a young boy!”

  The memory of Captain Donaldson’s heated tone burned his ears anew.

  Cyprian dropped the curtain and slumped at his desk in the room above the tavern. He snatched the quill from its dock and twirled it in his fingers, trying to ignore Donaldson’s warnings.

  “This command comes from Major Stockton. If you fail to fulfill his requests then I will be forced to find another man for the job.”

  Another man for the job?

  He lunged from his chair and pounded his fist against the desk, jostling the newly acquired bag of coins Donaldson had tossed at him in anger. The tinkling sound made him clench his teeth until they nearly cracked. Holding his arms rigid on the edge of the wood, he lowered his head.

  Camilla needed him. The weakness of her smile and the gray around her eyes haunted his mind like a tortured ghost. A man shouldn’t lose his wife like this—not so soon. The money the British paid him for this job would cover the cost of his debts and the medicines that kept her alive. With a snarl, Cyprian looked up. He didn’t need that wicked patriot doctor to care for his beloved. He could buy the opium from any source he wished. It kept her heart beating and dulled the heedless pain.

  The weight on his shoulders seemed as heavy as the solid oak underneath his fists. He shoved away from the desk and went again to the window, staring past the sheets of rain that watered the earth.

  Beyond the deluge, the resulting puddles and mist, the magazine taunted him.

  He reserved a quiet chuckle and whispered. “We shall meet again, my friend. Depend upon it.”

  Chapter Two

  The surrounding quiet in the Watson home mingled with the mumbled voices of Eliza and Thomas, seeping not only into Kitty’s bedchamber upstairs, but into her spirit as well, chasing away the bitter loneliness she’d borne for more than a year. The sweet scent of lavender-water curled upward as she stared into the mirror atop the table beside where she sat. She smiled at her reflection, recalling the joy on her sister’s face when she’d opened the door and found Kitty smiling back at her. Thomas, too, once he’d returned from town, had burst into jubilant laughter. They’d welcomed her with a warmth Kitty could never have imagined, but should have expected.

  She closed her eyes as a melancholy rolled o
ver her. Why had she agreed to go to tonight’s party? All she wanted was to stay amongst the warmth of home and family, to reminisce with Eliza and stare at the fire while sipping hot cider. Instead, she would have to feign enjoyment at a gathering that would surely bring more discord than merriment. What else could a patriot crowd produce?

  A gentle tap sounded at the door.

  “Come in.” Kitty swiveled in her seat.

  Eliza entered, wearing an exquisite cream-colored gown embroidered with a vibrant array of pinks, greens and golds. Her dark locks were piled magnificently atop her head, making her brown eyes seem almost black.

  She stopped, her dainty jaw dropping. “Kitty, you look stunning in that emerald gown.” Eliza’s smile broadened. “Too bad Father isn’t here, I’m sure he would have just the perfect flower for you to tuck behind your ear.”

  The tender memories whisked to the forefront of Kitty’s mind, and she could almost feel Father’s rough fingers tucking a stem into her hair. That had been his way of making Kitty feel cherished, and now the recollection made her miss him all the more. She opened her mouth to answer, but only smiled. No words could express emotions so richly sewn into her heart.

  Eliza stepped behind Kitty, and spoke to the mirror. “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you have changed so much in this past year, I hardly recognized you.”

  “Hardly recognized me? Nay. I haven’t changed at all.”

  Eliza giggled. “Aye, you have. You are so grown up. So much a lady now that it hardly feels proper to think of you as my little sister. But I’m afraid you will always be exactly that.” Resting her hand on Kitty’s shoulder, Eliza leaned down and placed a quick peck on Kitty’s hair. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  Reaching up, Kitty squeezed her sister’s fingers. “I should be happy all the rest of my days to be known as Eliza’s little sister.”

  “I’m thrilled to hear it, though I can assure you this evening I shall introduce you as simply, ‘my dear sister, just returned from Boston.’ And leave the ‘little’ behind.”

  Kitty’s spirit dimmed at the mention of the dreaded outing. Though she strained to keep it from her expression, Eliza missed nothing. She pursed her lips and glanced away before smiling, though perhaps not as wide as before. “I am so grateful you’ve decided to come, Kitty, though I know ‘twasn’t your first choice for the evening. You were a most welcome surprise, I find it difficult not to bring you with me.”

  Kitty lowered her chin. “’Tis true, I would prefer to stay home. But at least you will be there, and we shall have plenty of time for solitude in the coming days.” She looked up and tugged at the unruly waves that framed her face and neck. “If only I could make this mess into something fashionable, I might look well enough to stand beside someone as lovely as you.”

  Eliza batted Kitty’s hand away. “You know I promised to do that for you, and I guarantee you will have the most fashionable coiffure of any woman there tonight.” Her smile widened as she snatched the brush and several pins from the table. She placed the pins in her mouth and spoke through her teeth. “I cannot allow my sister, whom I have pined for these many months, to do any kind of work her first evening home.”

  Kitty sat straight while Eliza curled, pinned and tucked.

  “Liza, I know you’d petitioned me to stay here and not return to Boston after you and Thomas were married, and I now see your wisdom. I thought I could make things work but... it wasn’t to be. I do hope Thomas won’t feel I’m intruding upon your home by inviting myself to stay. Especially since you are so newly married.”

  “Of course I feel you’re intruding.”

  Kitty jumped and swiveled in her seat as her brother-in-law approached. He entered, pushing open the door until it met the wall, a deep scowl wrinkling his forehead. He stopped a foot from her seat, and winked. The flicker of merriment in his blue eyes pulled a smile from Kitty’s lips. She never ceased to be impressed by Thomas’s handsome features, his black hair and the distinguishing strength of character that shaped him as much as his muscular frame.

  His face softened and his voice turned calm, like a deep, steady river. “Kitty, you are always welcome in our home. I can’t tell you how pleased I am you’ve come back to stay. We count it a blessing to have you.”

  His words took shape within her. “Thank you, Thomas. Liza is very blessed to have you. As am I.”

  Thomas winked again at Kitty then gazed at his wife, his eyes soft. “’Tis been over a year now that we’ve been married, Kitty, so you may remove ‘newly’ from your description of our union. I say we have quite mastered the art of marriage, have we not, my love?” Thomas leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on his wife’s cheek.

  Emitting a quiet giggle, Eliza tugged on his cravat, her cheeks blushing. “Aye, I believe you’re right.” She trailed her hands down his waistcoat, checking his appearance one last time, then grinned in approval before turning back to Kitty. She patted Kitty’s sleeve. “You look perfect. Shall we go?”

  Kitty quirked a brow and offered a forced frown that surely showed her good humor behind it. “Must we?”

  “I have a feeling you will be very glad you joined us.” Thomas motioned to the door, a mischievous slant to his mouth. “After you, milady.”

  ***

  Once the sun finally retired after it’s doleful descent, Cyprian took one last bowl of broth upstairs with the vial of precious medicine in the pocket of his breeches. Careful not to step on the creakiest spots in the wood floor, he rested the tray on the table beside the bed and scooted a small stool closer to Camilla. He stroked her arm, pained at the thought of waking her. If only he needn’t attend the ill-timed patriot gathering he could stay by her side and read to her until she once again rested in blissful sleep. But he needed to talk to Andrew. Tonight.

  He took her hand. “Camilla, ‘tis time to take your broth.”

  She blinked her eyes open and tried to smile, though she offered no words. Somehow her eyes looked more sunken and the circles around them darker.

  His heart pinched. Why must she suffer so? He continued stroking her arm, and leaned closer, reaching for the vial in his pocket. “How are you feeling, my love?”

  Her eyes instantly misted and her voice came out in a thin whisper. “Like I’m dying.”

  Cyprian gripped her thin arm tighter as his throat thickened. “You are not dying.” He brought the vial up to the bed and uncorked the top. “Now, be a good patient and take your medicine. I don’t want to force your pretty mouth open.”

  A full grin on Camilla’s face showed him her teeth, bringing back memories of their first years together—when they both were so young and death seemed an eternity away.

  “I’ll try not to be so difficult for you,” she said.

  He clutched her hand and kissed her frail fingers. “You never are.”

  I’m doing everything I can for you. I promise.

  After spooning her the first dose of medicine, Camilla gave a weak squeeze to his hand and slipped back into a heavy sleep with her next breath.

  His eyes burned as he clutched the vial in his fingers, his knuckles white. “I will keep you alive, Camilla. I will. I promise.”

  ***

  The quick walk to the stately home on the bank of Shawme Pond seemed twice as long as it should have been, thanks to the weighty anxiousness that made Kitty’s feet stick to the muddy ground as if it were two feet thick, instead of only slightly damp from the morning’s rain.

  “Tell me again whose home we are visiting?”

  Eliza peered over her shoulder. “Andrew and Mary Cooper. Andrew is a wealthy merchantman, and strong proponent of the patriot cause. He holds these gatherings every month and invites all who are favorable to the idea of liberty to mingle with those of like minds.”

  Her voice was so mild Kitty almost thought her sister had completely forgotten their differing views until she continued. “I don’t wish for you to be uncomfortable, Kitty. There will be many guests who will be more than
delighted to discuss anything you like. And I do believe the Whitney girls will be there. I am eager for you to make their acquaintance.”

  Kitty craned her neck to take in the regal entryway with its large double doors as the three of them walked up the stone steps. An inviting orange glow radiated into the street from the expansive windows. The fine draperies and furnishings peeked out at them, as if hoping to sneak a glimpse of the outside world. From the safety of the front stoop, Kitty stared at the many silhouettes of the merry partygoers.

  Suddenly, a servant opened the tall doors even before Thomas could knock.

  “Welcome.” The thin gentleman greeted them with a slight bow and gestured for them to enter, his white wig hanging a little too low around his ears. “Forgive me for being over-quiet,” he said, a smile on his lips. “The speaker has just begun and I might say, he’s very animated. You are welcome to enter and find a place to stand near the back.”

  Kitty’s palms sweat in her lacy gloves and she licked her lips. Calm yourself. She followed Eliza inside, and inhaled the spicy aroma of cider and candle’s smoke that mingled in the air. Sighing, Kitty scanned her surroundings, determined to acquire a glass of cider and procure a quiet corner where she needn’t speak to anyone. She almost giggled as she stared at the magnificent dark-wood molding that crowned the ceiling and the large portraits and marble busts that decorated the entry. Not such a miserable place to spend an evening. She might in fact enjoy it. A mite of anxiety lifted. Scrolling bronzed sconces holding tall white candles lined the walls of the long empty hall that extended in front of them. A red and gold rug hugged the smooth wood floor. She kept her teeth together to keep her mouth from hanging open. She’d hardly seen a home in Boston to match such majesty.