a respectful distance, and forever seemed to pass with no words spoken at all.
“You didn’t have to wait for me,” I finally offered.
“I know,” he said without glancing my way. “But I wanted to.”
“Why?”
“Let’s just say these are large woods, and I’d rather you not have any more encounters with, you know…”
The reference to Samuel brought me barreling back to reality. “Why was he out here anyway? Was he following me?”
“I think he was. But he follows every lady he sees. You could say he bores easily and is always looking for trouble.”
The thought made me shudder. It was then I realized that nothing about being beside William felt uneasy at all. In fact, it made me entirely curious about the tall soldier, shy but confident, walking next to me.
“How old are you?” I asked
He looked at me with his soft smile still lingering. “Twenty.”
Suddenly I became nervous again. All that experience he’d had traveling the ocean and the Americas on foot. Women? I wondered if he had experience with them too, and an odd sense of jealousy crept up my spine. I looked away in hopes of shielding my thoughts, when something else occurred to me.
“Do you have a special someone back home?”
“No.” I kept my head down, but his next reply pulled my gaze back to his. “I wouldn’t be out here with you like this if I did.”
My lips were surely parted, dumbfounded, as I tried to think of something to say.
Sure, looking at him was pure pleasure, and the closeness of his shoulder as we walked felt undoubtedly electric. But my father didn’t raise a fool, even if I was blushing. There was a war brewing, and even though he didn’t know it, we were entirely on opposite sides.
After one more long glance to remember his perfect face, I turned my gaze forward and didn’t release it from our destination. Nor did I speak again, all the way home.
Dinner was on the table when I got home. A fire was raging, and mother appeared to be in good spirits. Confirmation that the soldiers would be leaving tomorrow was certainly cause for that.
Surprisingly, Samuel was quiet but cordial through dinner and slipped out shortly after. William made his way up to their room, and, as I passed it on the way to mine, I saw that his door was ajar. Lying there, he was reading a book. Upon hearing my passing, he glanced my way, but I kept walking.
That night there was no conversation to listen to for a long time. Only my own recollections and lingering sensations of being alone with William in the woods.
I could’ve pictured him for hours, but some time, late into the night, my thoughts were interrupted by footsteps making their way from below. They were heavy and invasive and could have only belonged to Samuel. Once they passed my room, the door next to us creaked open.
“Have you been drinking?” I heard William ask.
“Yes I have,” Samuel slurred.
“You have no shame, do you?”
“No. I do not.”
“And to think you serve the king.”
“I serve myself. I’m only in this God-awful army so I can please myself with this great land. Heaven knows it’s not for the pay.”
“Is that all you think about—yourself?”
“Not everyone is like you, William. Honored to serve. Honored to be right all the time.”
“Honor is something you should try having. Now, I’m going to bed, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll sleep it off. We march tomorrow.”
Samuel slurred something else I couldn’t quite understand and then plopped onto the bed. Trying to drown out irritating thoughts of him, my focus settled back on William. Of our walk, and then of his words about leaving the next day. Strange, mixed feelings swirled around my stomach. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, and eventually gave way to sleep.
A short time later, I heard a knocking at our front door. My eyes peeled open and my ears perked toward the door. I couldn’t tell who it was, but I heard men’s voices. They sounded
“You didn’t have to wait for me,” I finally offered.
“I know,” he said without glancing my way. “But I wanted to.”
“Why?”
“Let’s just say these are large woods, and I’d rather you not have any more encounters with, you know…”
The reference to Samuel brought me barreling back to reality. “Why was he out here anyway? Was he following me?”
“I think he was. But he follows every lady he sees. You could say he bores easily and is always looking for trouble.”
The thought made me shudder. It was then I realized that nothing about being beside William felt uneasy at all. In fact, it made me entirely curious about the tall soldier, shy but confident, walking next to me.
“How old are you?” I asked
He looked at me with his soft smile still lingering. “Twenty.”
Suddenly I became nervous again. All that experience he’d had traveling the ocean and the Americas on foot. Women? I wondered if he had experience with them too, and an odd sense of jealousy crept up my spine. I looked away in hopes of shielding my thoughts, when something else occurred to me.
“Do you have a special someone back home?”
“No.” I kept my head down, but his next reply pulled my gaze back to his. “I wouldn’t be out here with you like this if I did.”
My lips were surely parted, dumbfounded, as I tried to think of something to say.
Sure, looking at him was pure pleasure, and the closeness of his shoulder as we walked felt undoubtedly electric. But my father didn’t raise a fool, even if I was blushing. There was a war brewing, and even though he didn’t know it, we were entirely on opposite sides.
After one more long glance to remember his perfect face, I turned my gaze forward and didn’t release it from our destination. Nor did I speak again, all the way home.
Dinner was on the table when I got home. A fire was raging, and mother appeared to be in good spirits. Confirmation that the soldiers would be leaving tomorrow was certainly cause for that.
Surprisingly, Samuel was quiet but cordial through dinner and slipped out shortly after. William made his way up to their room, and, as I passed it on the way to mine, I saw that his door was ajar. Lying there, he was reading a book. Upon hearing my passing, he glanced my way, but I kept walking.
That night there was no conversation to listen to for a long time. Only my own recollections and lingering sensations of being alone with William in the woods.
I could’ve pictured him for hours, but some time, late into the night, my thoughts were interrupted by footsteps making their way from below. They were heavy and invasive and could have only belonged to Samuel. Once they passed my room, the door next to us creaked open.
“Have you been drinking?” I heard William ask.
“Yes I have,” Samuel slurred.
“You have no shame, do you?”
“No. I do not.”
“And to think you serve the king.”
“I serve myself. I’m only in this God-awful army so I can please myself with this great land. Heaven knows it’s not for the pay.”
“Is that all you think about—yourself?”
“Not everyone is like you, William. Honored to serve. Honored to be right all the time.”
“Honor is something you should try having. Now, I’m going to bed, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll sleep it off. We march tomorrow.”
Samuel slurred something else I couldn’t quite understand and then plopped onto the bed. Trying to drown out irritating thoughts of him, my focus settled back on William. Of our walk, and then of his words about leaving the next day. Strange, mixed feelings swirled around my stomach. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, and eventually gave way to sleep.
A short time later, I heard a knocking at our front door. My eyes peeled open and my ears perked toward the door. I couldn’t tell who it was, but I heard men’s voices. They sounded
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