Work Text:
Williamsburg, 1780
“Ouch,” Felicity Merriman yelped as her younger sister, Nan, tugged the brush through her hair. “Nan, you’re hurting me.”
“You need to hold still, Lissie,” twelve-year-old Nan told her. “I’m nearly finished.” She arranged another pomaded curl in the high roll of Felicity’s hair and teased in another pin. Felicity bit back another yelp as the pin seemed to jab straight into her scalp.
“I am holding still,” she replied, but she couldn’t help fidgeting a little as she thought of the night ahead. Though she was no longer the lanky, gawky girl who stumbled through dance practice with Miss Manderly, the thought of dancing with the young officers who were bound to be in attendance at the Governor’s New Year’s ball made her slightly nervous. Nan, at twelve, had no such qualms and hadn’t stopped chattering about the ball since Felicity’s invitation had come.
“I wish I were going with you,” Nan said wistfully. “Governor Jefferson’s New Year’s ball will be so elegant.”
Felicity smiled at her younger sister in the looking glass. “Maybe next year,” she said fondly. “Remember, Elizabeth and I were about your age when we went to the Governor’s palace the first time.”
“I remember,” Nan replied. “You looked so pretty in that blue gown. But this new one is even prettier.” She stabbed in one final pin and stood back, admiring her handiwork in the looking glass. “There, all finished. Come, time for the dress.”
Felicity stood from the dressing table and raised her arms to allow Nan to slip the new gown over her head. Just like the gown from that first dancing lesson, this one was blue, but a lighter shade that shimmered slightly grey in the dim light of the bedroom. The silk whispered around her, cool and slippery against her skin. The fine lace trim on the cuffs felt snug and trim on her wrists, and as Nan made fast work of the buttons up the back, the folds of the skirt shook out, glimmering softly in the firelight. Felicity had to agree with her younger sister that this was the prettiest gown she had ever owned.
“Oh, Lissie,” Nan sighed as she finished fastening the gown. “You look beautiful. You really do. You’ll be the finest lady in all of Williamsburg tonight.”
Felicity drew Nan into a hug and kissed the top of her sister’s head. “Thank you, Nan. You make me feel beautiful.”
“I still wish I were going with you.”
“You will someday,” Felicity assured her. “For tonight, you stay here with William and Polly and I’ll tell you all about it in the morning.”
In spite of Nan’s confidence, Felicity had to breathe deeply to calm the nervous butterflies as she entered the ballroom. For one terrifying instant, she could remember none of what she’d been taught in years of lessons with Miss Manderly. Felicity had been in the ballroom of the Governor’s mansion once before, when she was ten years old and Miss Manderly had gotten her and Elizabeth and Annabelle an invitation to a dance lesson. That night seemed a lifetime ago. Tonight, the ballroom seemed even more elegant and cavernous than before. Candles sparkled in wall sconces and overhead chandeliers. Fine ladies bloomed like flowers in every color of silk and brocade, and candlelight gleamed off the brass buttons of buff-and-blue uniforms. In spite of the chill outside, the room was warm and stuffy. She wished Elizabeth were here, but the Cole family had gone back to England the year before. Not that Mr. Cole would have allowed his daughters to dance at a ball with Continental officers anyway. Accepting a dance card from a servant, she shrank back against a wall to watch the people.
…and ran smack into a warm, solid form covered in wool.
“Your pardon, Miss,” said a vaguely familiar voice. “Are you all right?”
Blushing furiously, Felicity turned to face the stranger and found herself looking into a familiar pair of brown eyes. They were older now, sadder than she remembered, but still, there was no mistaking…
“Ben? Ben Davidson, is that you?” she asked, a little incredulous. Apart from Miss Manderly, she hadn’t expected to see any familiar faces here.
“Why, Felicity Merriman! I didn’t recognize you!” Ben’s smile chased the butterflies from Felicity’s chest. The sleek uniform of Continental buff and blue made him seem taller, and older than she remembered. But he would be older now, she realized…nearly twenty-one now. If he hadn’t left to join the Continental Army just weeks after his eighteenth birthday, he would have already finished his apprenticeship to Felicity’s father.
“Ben, it’s so wonderful to see you. I didn’t expect to know anyone here.”
“And you, Lissie. May I still call you Lissie? You’ve grown up since I saw you last.”
“Of course! Are you well, Ben? It’s ever so long since we last heard from you”
“I’m afraid the Army keeps me quite busy these days. I’m glad to have a reason to slow down for an evening and celebrate the New Year. It’s wonderful to see you, Lissie. Are your parents well? What about Nan and William and Polly?”
“They’re all well. Nan is disappointed that she wasn’t invited tonight. She’s so grown up now, Ben. You wouldn’t recognize her. She’s even going to lessons with Miss Manderly. How long will you be in WIlliamsburg? If you’re able, you should come by our house, or the store. They would all love to see you.”
“I’m afraid I have to rejoin my regiment the day after the New Year, but please give them my regards. And do tell Mr. Merriman that I still intend to keep my promise. When the war is over, I will be back to finish my apprenticeship.”
“I’m sure he’ll be glad to hear it. We do so look forward to your letters.”
“Do you have some room on your dance card for an old friend?”
“If you’ll do me the honor.” Grinning at him, butterflies forgotten, she handed over her dance card and he signed his name.
“I’ll find you in a little while, for the minuet. Enjoy yourself tonight, Lissie.” He took her hand and gallantly raised it to his lips, then disappeared into the crowd.
Years of lessons with Miss Manderly had taught Felicity a few things: She could brew a perfect cup of tea and serve it with grace. Her penmanship was passable and nearly flawless when she bothered to concentrate on it, and she was perfectly capable of dancing any of the dances the orchestra was playing, though she’d still prefer to ride than dance. Felicity was still hopeless with young men. Ben was an old friend, of course, but she still couldn’t make conversation with men she didn’t know, especially as it wasn’t considered proper for a young lady to discuss horses. Try as she might, she just couldn’t play the coquette the way the other young women could. Nan would be in her element here, but so far Felicity had only really attracted the attention of one young man who seemed to be following her around. Seeing him approaching her for the fourth time, she hastily ducked through an open door to avoid his overtures.
The door led into a hallway that was dark and quiet, and much cooler than the crowded ballroom. Felicity leaned against a pillar, grateful to be away from the crowd. She stood for awhile, watching the dancers, but soon she grew bored. Nan had laced her stays so tightly that even in the relative cool of the hallway, Felicity could barely breathe. Her shoes pinched her feet. Still, it was rude to stand in the hallway. Steeling herself, Felicity took two steps back toward the party, but froze in place when she saw the young man she’d been trying to avoid heading in her direction. She shrank back into the hallway, looking for another means of escape, and followed the glow of a single lamp through a door she hadn’t noticed before.
This room proved to be a spectacularly well-appointed library. A comfortable-looking wingback chair sat behind the biggest writing desk she had ever seen, and the walls were lined with shelves and shelves of books. She probably shouldn’t be in such a private place in the Governor’s Palace, but Felicity had never been able to resist books. Unable to stop herself, she approached one shelf behind the desk for a closer look. The single lamp burning on the desk gave her just enough light to read the titles. They were in Greek, but Felicity had been teaching herself the language with an old book that Ben had left in his room above the stable when he went to join the Continentals. Curious, she pulled one volume down and flipped the cover open.
The book proved to be The Odyssey, and her Greek proved good enough to pick out a few phrases, and soon, Felicity was lost in the story. Some indeterminate amount of time later, a single sheet of paper slipped from between the pages and fluttered to the floor, snapping her out of her reverie. It made almost no sound, but the motion out of the corner of her eye set Felicity’s heart racing. As her mind came back to the library, she heard the distant sound of the orchestra and remembered the party.
The minuet. Ben would be looking for her. Heart still pounding, Felicity picked up the paper–it seemed to be some kind of ledger–and folded it between the pages, setting the book carefully back on the shelf. Then she left the library behind and returned to the ball.
Back in the main ballroom, the orchestra was just beginning to play the minuet. It was the only place on Felicity’s dance card that was filled, and she looked around for Ben, but he was nowhere to be found. To her chagrin, instead of her father’s handsome apprentice, she found herself face to face with the young man she’d tried to avoid earlier. Up close, the uneasiness Felicity had felt earlier deepened. The young man’s suit fit poorly and he was perspiring in the heat of the ballroom, his face shining in the light.
“Lost your partner?” he asked. “Bad luck for him, but I’d love to fill in.”
His tone was teasing, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. Felicity’s uneasiness deepened to dislike. This was incredibly bad form. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m afraid we haven’t met.”
“Forgive my bad manners. Nathaniel Wilkins. And I’ve been wanting to make your acquaintance all evening, Miss–...” he trailed off, looking at her expectantly.
“Felicity Merriman.”
“Would you care to dance, Felicity Merriman?”
She truly didn’t, but it would be impolite to refuse. “Certainly, Mr. Wilkins.”
He took her proffered hand and led her to the dance floor. She had to admit he was a good dancer, and his confidence rubbed off as they danced. “Is this your first ball, Miss Merriman? Nathaniel Wilkins asked.
“Not my first, but I’ve never been to one so fine,” Felicity responded.
“Are you from Williamsburg? Who are your family?”
“Aye. My father is Edward Merriman. He owns Merriman’s Store.”
Nathaniel Wilkins dropped her hand. “I didn’t come here to dance with some shopkeep’s chit of a daughter.”
Felicity felt her cheeks flame hot with anger. “And I came here to dance with gentlemen, which I can see you are not. Good evening, Mr. Wilkins.”
“Why I never–” Mr. Wilkins spluttered, but Felicity didn’t wait for his response. She turned on her heel and fled the ballroom, back down the hallway into which she had escaped earlier, not stopping until her lungs filled with fresh night air outside the Palace.
The night was frigid, cutting through the fine silk of her gown. She hadn’t gotten her cloak in her mad rush to get away from Mr. Wilkins. The wind whipped her flaming cheeks, drying tears she hadn’t realized she’d been crying.
Now what? She had no desire to return to the party, and Mother wouldn’t send Marcus with the carriage to bring her home for at least two more hours. Taking another deep breath of fresh night air, Felicity looked around for a solution. Spying the stable, she turned in that direction. The stable would at least be warmer.
Once inside, Felicity made herself comfortable in a pile of straw, pulling up her knees to her chest. The warm, horsey smell of the stable was comforting, cooling the last of her anger. She tried to think of how she would tell Nan about the evening, picturing the fine ladies in their colorful gowns and the gentlemen in their finery. It was unfortunate that Mr. WIlkins had been her only dancing partner, because the memory of his touch made her want to squirm. It certainly wasn’t something she wanted to tell her little sister about. She wondered again what had kept Ben from turning up for their minuet.
Footsteps snapped Felicity out of her thoughts, and a low hiss of whispering made her shrink into her pile of hay as two figures appeared at the other end of the stable, silhouetted against the glow of a lantern. She listened hard to make out a few words.
“...wasn’t…couldn’t find…” A man’s voice, unfamiliar, pitched low.
“What do you mean you didn’t get it?” The second voice was louder.
“I’m sorry, Ben, but we couldn’t find it. He must have given it to someone or hidden it somewhere.”
“We don’t have all night, Jenkins. I promised an old friend a dance, so you’d better tell me how you intend to retrieve the ledger. General Washington needs it.”
Ben? What on earth…? Ben Davidson was supposed to be dancing the minuet with her, but instead, he was here, having a secret meeting with this strange man. She went back to listening.
“The ledger was supposed to be in the desk in the library. Our man in the house told me where to find it. But it wasn’t there.”
“General Washington needs it. I can’t leave here without it. You’re sure it’s gone?”
“It wasn’t there. It could be anywhere.”
Felicity scrambled to her feet and stepped out of the shadows. “Like in a book?”
Ben gasped. “Felicity, what…what are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same of you.”
“It’s army business. None of your concern. You shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous.” He paused. “Why are you out here, anyway?”
“It’s a long story. And it doesn’t matter. But I need to know what you’re talking about. Maybe I can help you.”
“You can’t help, Lissie. You should go back and enjoy the ball before you get caught.”
“But you’re looking for a ledger?”
“Felicity…”
“Wait. Ben, who is this girl and why does she seem to think she knows so much?” Jenkins demanded.
Ben sighed and turned to the other man. “She’s an old friend. I was apprenticed to her father before the war and…it doesn’t matter. Felicity will be going back to the party now, and she won’t say a word to anyone about any of this. Then you and I are going to go in and find the ledger.”
“But Ben…” Felicity tried again.
“Felicity, go back to the party or I’ll—“
But Felicity wasn’t going to be deterred. Without thinking, she reached up and slapped her father’s former apprentice across the cheek. He reeled back in shock, eyes wide in the lantern light.
“Ben. I know where the ledger is.”
Ben’s eyes grew wider, his mouth gaping open. “You…are you sure? Why? How?”
“I found it earlier when I was… well, that doesn’t matter now, does it? It’s behind the desk in the library. It’s folded up in a Greek copy of The Odyssey. The library is just down the hall in that alcove off the main ballroom. So all you need to do is sneak out of the main room and…”
Ben grabbed her arm. “Are you positive, Felicity?”
She nodded. “Absolutely positive.”
He turned to the other man. “Jenkins, you know what to do. Get into the library and get that ledger.”
But Jenkins was shaking his head. “I don’t read Greek. Governor Jefferson’s library is huge. It could take me days to–”
“I’ll go,” Felicity said. “I know which book it is. I read some of it earlier when I was avoiding…well, never mind. I’ll get it.”
Ben looked like he was about to protest, but thought better of it. “I’ll go inside with you. You’re too likely to be seen trying to get out here again. Now listen, when we go in, we’re going to have to pretend to be a couple, or it won’t be seemly. And…oh, hell, what are you going to tell people about the state of your gown?”
“If anyone asks, I’ll say I tripped while I was taking some air in the garden.”
Ben nodded. “Jenkins, you cover us in case there’s trouble.”
But Felicity was already shaking her head. “No. Mr. Jenkins needs to come with me and pretend to be my dance partner for a moment.”
Jenkins looked doubtful. “I don’t know as I’d trust a girl with this mission, but you seem sure of yourself.”
“You’ve no reason to trust me, just as I’ve no reason to trust you,” Felicity countered. “But all I need you to do is dance with me for one moment. Ben, you wait in the back garden.”
“I’m ready. When we get inside, Mr. Jenkins, join the dance and get us as close as you can to the door in the corner. I’m going to flounce away from you as if you’ve offended me. Then I’ll go and get the ledger and sneak out the back door. Ben, you meet me in the back garden.”
“It’s as good a plan as any,” Ben agreed. She took his arm and allowed him to lead her back inside.
Thirty minutes later, Felicity slipped out the back door, the ledger secured in her reticule. In the garden, Ben pulled her into the shadow of a large oak tree, and she handed it to him while Jenkins stood watch from a safe distance. Ben took the paper and slipped it into his boot, then pulled Felicity into a hug.
“Thank you, Lissie. You may have just saved the fate of our nation,” he told her solemnly. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”
“It was my pleasure to help, Ben,” she replied, “But you still owe me a dance. Or else what shall I tell Nan when she asks me about the ball in the morning?”
“Very well.” The ledger safely concealed, he took her arm again and led her back into the ballroom, where the orchestra was just beginning to play another minuet. Just as they were about to join the dance, Nathaniel Wilkins appeared at Felicity’s side. The man looked terrible, perspiring heavily, cheeks florid with too much drink. When he spoke, his breath reeked of rum.
“Miss Merriman,” he slurred, “You really must allow me to apologize…”
“I told you, Mr. Wilkins,” Felicity said coldly. “I only dance with gentlemen.” With that, she allowed Ben to lead her into the dance.