“You never take walks.”
She shrugged. “I have decided to take up a new hobby.”
Lydia turned the sampler. The scene was emerging of the river with trees on each side. Eventually she would add Caswell Hall on the bank of her picture and then she would hang it in her bedchamber.
Father rushed into the room. “I have more news.”
“What is it?” Mother demanded of him.
“The British—” he began and then stopped to take a deep breath. “They have taken Richmond.”
The women all stared back at him.
“This is good news,” he prompted as he sat in the chair across from them.
Mother spoke first. “Why, of course it is, dear. I am glad they are close.”
Lydia swallowed hard. “What happened?”
“Governor Jefferson refused to meet their demands, so they took over the town.”
“Where is the governor?” Lydia asked.
“He fled,” Father replied. “Somehow the rebels managed to flee with a good bit of gunpowder and food supplies before the British claimed the town.”
“The British will find their stash,” Mother said confidently.
Father nodded. “I am told that Solomon’s son is among them.”
“If they are so close—” Mother placed the embroidered pillowcase on the table. “It would be beneficial to remind a British officer that we have remained loyal.”
“Indeed,” Father replied.
“But we must be cautious,” Mother continued.
There had been rumors of British soldiers carousing and wrecking the houses where they lodged. Entertaining a host of soldiers might compromise their daughters’ virtue, and if they decided to cause trouble, it would leave the entire plantation in disarray.
“I believe I shall send an invitation for Reed alone.”
“Please do,” Hannah said with a clap.
Lydia didn’t clap, but neither was she opposed to the idea of a visit.She had no intention of marrying this man, but it had been so long since they’d entertained. They would all welcome the company.
Father turned toward Lady Caswell. “The servants must prepare Grayson’s room.”
She secured her needle in her pincushion. “I do not know—”
He took his wife’s hand in his. “It is time. We must provide Major Reed with hospitality meant for a loyal subject of the king.”
Lydia’s mind raced. Surely her mother wouldn’t notice the few items of clothing that had gone missing.
Mother sighed. “None of us must tell our neighbors that we are entertaining the British.”
Hannah didn’t seem to hear her. “I wonder if he is dashing.” “You are too young to be thinking such thoughts,” Father replied. “But Lydia—”
She shook her head. “I am not interested.”
Father didn’t seem to hear her. “You and Solomon’s son played well together when we visited London.”
She did not remember him; she’d played with dozens of children on their trip to England. “That does not mean we are suited for one another.”
“Once you make his acquaintance again, that will change,” Father said.
Lydia pushed the thread through her sampler again. “You and Seth will make amends when this war is over.”
“I will never make amends with that man,” Father said. “I will shoot him if he tries to step on my property.”
Mother reached for Father’s arm, resting her hand lightly on his sleeve. “Let us not talk of shooting, Charles.”
“But I want an Englishman to take over the care of Caswell Hall!”
Mother patted his arm. “We can discuss it later.”
“This war will be finished soon,” Father declared. “And then we shall have a wedding.”
Lydia groaned. At least he had stopped talking about shooting.
Nathan clung to the windowsill as he looked out at moonlight spread across the rugged brick buildings on the plantation. He had been stranded in this room for a good week now, failing miserably in his job as a courier.
From the moment he heard about the planned attack on Virginia’s capital, he’d wanted to deliver his message and then ride into Richmond,
She shrugged. “I have decided to take up a new hobby.”
Lydia turned the sampler. The scene was emerging of the river with trees on each side. Eventually she would add Caswell Hall on the bank of her picture and then she would hang it in her bedchamber.
Father rushed into the room. “I have more news.”
“What is it?” Mother demanded of him.
“The British—” he began and then stopped to take a deep breath. “They have taken Richmond.”
The women all stared back at him.
“This is good news,” he prompted as he sat in the chair across from them.
Mother spoke first. “Why, of course it is, dear. I am glad they are close.”
Lydia swallowed hard. “What happened?”
“Governor Jefferson refused to meet their demands, so they took over the town.”
“Where is the governor?” Lydia asked.
“He fled,” Father replied. “Somehow the rebels managed to flee with a good bit of gunpowder and food supplies before the British claimed the town.”
“The British will find their stash,” Mother said confidently.
Father nodded. “I am told that Solomon’s son is among them.”
“If they are so close—” Mother placed the embroidered pillowcase on the table. “It would be beneficial to remind a British officer that we have remained loyal.”
“Indeed,” Father replied.
“But we must be cautious,” Mother continued.
There had been rumors of British soldiers carousing and wrecking the houses where they lodged. Entertaining a host of soldiers might compromise their daughters’ virtue, and if they decided to cause trouble, it would leave the entire plantation in disarray.
“I believe I shall send an invitation for Reed alone.”
“Please do,” Hannah said with a clap.
Lydia didn’t clap, but neither was she opposed to the idea of a visit.She had no intention of marrying this man, but it had been so long since they’d entertained. They would all welcome the company.
Father turned toward Lady Caswell. “The servants must prepare Grayson’s room.”
She secured her needle in her pincushion. “I do not know—”
He took his wife’s hand in his. “It is time. We must provide Major Reed with hospitality meant for a loyal subject of the king.”
Lydia’s mind raced. Surely her mother wouldn’t notice the few items of clothing that had gone missing.
Mother sighed. “None of us must tell our neighbors that we are entertaining the British.”
Hannah didn’t seem to hear her. “I wonder if he is dashing.” “You are too young to be thinking such thoughts,” Father replied. “But Lydia—”
She shook her head. “I am not interested.”
Father didn’t seem to hear her. “You and Solomon’s son played well together when we visited London.”
She did not remember him; she’d played with dozens of children on their trip to England. “That does not mean we are suited for one another.”
“Once you make his acquaintance again, that will change,” Father said.
Lydia pushed the thread through her sampler again. “You and Seth will make amends when this war is over.”
“I will never make amends with that man,” Father said. “I will shoot him if he tries to step on my property.”
Mother reached for Father’s arm, resting her hand lightly on his sleeve. “Let us not talk of shooting, Charles.”
“But I want an Englishman to take over the care of Caswell Hall!”
Mother patted his arm. “We can discuss it later.”
“This war will be finished soon,” Father declared. “And then we shall have a wedding.”
Lydia groaned. At least he had stopped talking about shooting.
Nathan clung to the windowsill as he looked out at moonlight spread across the rugged brick buildings on the plantation. He had been stranded in this room for a good week now, failing miserably in his job as a courier.
From the moment he heard about the planned attack on Virginia’s capital, he’d wanted to deliver his message and then ride into Richmond,
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