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“It seems that you, Mr. Rucks,” Reverend Basset continued, “have gotten engaged and have yet to inform any of us of such a fact.”
The men at the table burst into laughter while Mr. Rucks’s boyish face turned a dark shade of pink. Congratulations bounced around the table while Thomas tried to find his breath. They hadn’t been talking about him. Thank the Lord.
He sat next to Daniel and closed his eyes. His recent past had to be laid to rest. In two weeks time, after his last meeting with Martin, he would escape Boston and start anew in a place where no painful memories could haunt him—ever again.
Chapter Two
“Stay with me, Liza, until I sleep.” Kitty tried to appear brave, but the sheen in her eyes told Eliza more than Kitty would ever admit.
“Of course I’ll stay with you.”
Eliza tucked the heavy blue and white quilt around her sister’s slim body. The fire crackled, casting gloomy shadows across the walls. The weight of her new responsibilities pressed upon her like a snow-capped mountain and the helplessness that shadowed Kitty’s once bright features deepened the heaviness.
“Liza? What do we do now?”
Eliza shook her head. She’d been contemplating the same question since Father’s death four days ago.
“God will help us, Kitty. I know He will.” She brushed a few strands of dark auburn hair from her sister’s porcelain face. “Aunt Grace will continue to check on us from time to time, and we can always turn to her for help now that Bess and Jed are gone. We don’t need servants anymore, we know how to run this home.”
“I suppose we do.”
“I know we do. I haven’t the least bit of concern in that respect. However, we will have to rely on Providence now more than ever I believe.”
“Aren’t we supposed to feel His strength in times of trial? I don’t feel anything but sadness. Where is He, Liza?” Kitty’s tears brimmed again, begging for an answer.
Eliza tried to smile. “He’s with us, Kitty. He’s with us.” She wiped Kitty’s tears. “He will not leave us comfortless. He’s promised us that. We must do as Father always taught us to do. We must trust Him.”
Kitty’s mouth lifted in a tight half-smile, then she turned away on her side. Eliza massaged Kitty’s shoulder and stroked her arm, praying.
Lord, I am lost. Carry me through my grief.
When Kitty’s breathing slowed and her face at last was peaceful, Eliza got up and tip-toed down the stairs. The sun drifted downward and although weary in both body and mind, Eliza couldn’t sleep.
Once in the parlor, Eliza paused and swept her gaze across the lonely room. The furniture and modest decorations within the sturdy two-story home were the same, yet they lacked luster and their usual welcoming nature. The dwindling fire in the fireplace pleaded for stoking, and Eliza complied, occupying her fatigued mind for at least a moment.
While she poked at the charred wood, a whisper warmed her ears. The note.
Eliza straightened and a trickle of shivers spread over her. She turned around, half expecting Father to be standing there, his eyes twinkling. But the room remained vacant. She inhaled through open lips. Aye, the note. Thank you, Father. With the funeral and all the visitors they’d had since Father’s passing she had yet to experience a moment of quiet. Until now.
She opened the small wooden box on the table next to Father’s favorite chair and retrieved it for the first time since the evening he died.
Pressing it to her chest, she turned and stared with longing at the small family portrait above the mantel. Of the five happy faces gazing back at her, only two still lived—she and Kitty. A shudder rattled down her back and she moved her tearful eyes away.
If not for me, one more would still be living.
Her body chilled. She had to escape before the memories devoured her. Stepping through the cozy parlor toward the backdoor, Eliza passed Father’s study. The entry to his favorite space enticed her to come and surround herself with happier memories. She reached for the handle, then froze. Her fingers lingered only a breath from the cold brass. What was she thinking? She couldn’t do this. The joyful memories would only remind her of all she’d lost.
Eliza tried to swallow, but the rock in her throat thickened. A storm within her chest released its thundering power and she ran to the backdoor, out of the house and down the meadow behind her home. Slumping into the tall grass, Eliza wept. Her chest and limbs tightened as she buried her face into her skirt and wailed, a long hollow cry.
When her tears turned to hiccups, she wiped her cheeks and broke the seal of the letter. Surely Father’s words would comfort her.
Dearest Eliza,
I have not energy to write much, but a few lines will suffice.
Here is the truth; I am not a Tory as I was believed to be. I am a member of the Sons of Liberty and have been acting as a spy for these four years and was not free to speak of it to anyone.
Forgive me for not disclosing the truth. However, this must remain a secret, so as to keep the other spies in safety. Do not tell Kitty. I fear that she is not yet ready to know such things. Let it come to her in God’s time. But I could not die without you knowing the truth of my actions and beliefs.
