“Need to sell to Case. It will also help my marriage suit.”
Faith didn’t know what to say. She was both angry and hurt that he hadn’t revealed the true nature of their finances and that he didn’t seem to care that she’d be left penniless when he married this mysterious new wife. Had she known, she could have taken in wash or sold bread to help make ends meet. Now it appeared to be too late. “I wish you had told me.”
“And that’s why I want you to secure your future by getting married.”
“I’ll not marry Will Case.”
“And if your choice is the almshouse?”
Almshouses held the poor and indigent. “I’ll take in wash, sell fresh bread. I’ll do whatever need be to make my way, but I will not sell myself and especially not to him.”
“You’re a stubborn woman.”
“I come from stubborn stock.”
He placed his hand atop hers and squeezed it until she winced. “Either find yourself a husband, or I’ll have to include your hand in the contract I have with Will. He’s anxious to marry you. You should be grateful that he wants a woman of your age.” Getting to his feet, he left her sitting at the table and walked away.
She crossed her arms and sighed furiously.
Her fury turned to alarm as she saw a group of British soldiers enter. They were not accompanied by General Gage and she worried who they were and why they’d come. To her surprise one was Black. She knew there were many men of color serving the crown but she’d not seen any since the occupation began. She saw him glance over at her and then smoothly away as her father moved to greet them.
“Welcome to the Kingston Inn, gentlemen. I’m Stuart Kingston. What may I do for you?”
The Black man, who appeared to outrank the others, replied, “We hear your fare is honest and good.”
“Yes it is. This way, please.”
Faith was relieved that they were only after food.
Her father steered them to one of the three tables set up in the otherwise unoccupied room and Faith got to her feet and walked over. He introduced her. “This is my daughter, Faith.”
“Pleased to meet you,” she said.
The soldier bowed gallantly. “Honored to make your acquaintance, Miss Kingston. I’m Lieutenant Henri Giles.” And he took a moment to introduce his companions.
“There’s steak and ale on the fire in the kitchen. Would you care for some?”
They indicated they would, so she offered a quick curtsy and left the room.
She returned with their plates and added a loaf of bread. She was aware of Giles’s interested eyes, but she stayed focused on her task and then left them to their meal.
Her father entered the kitchen a short while later. “He seems like a gentleman.”
Faith checked the skillets on the fire. “Who?”
“Henri Giles.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose.”
“He’s unmarried.”
She slowly turned his way. “You’ve asked him?”
“I did.”
“Are you going to troll the Great Road next?”
He didn’t appear to appreciate her humor. “You need a husband.”
She shook her head with amusement and turned back to the fire. “I know nothing about him.”
“To remedy that, I’ve invited him to supper on Sunday.”
Startled, she faced him. From the serious set of his features she knew he was not going to let this go, so she sighed. “That’s fine.”
“You will be pleasant?”
“I will be pleasant.”
Seemingly satisfied, he left her alone.
Although Henri Giles impressed Faith as being a true gentleman, she doubted he’d be interested in the hand of a woman her age, but to satisfy her father she would go through the motions. For reasons unknown, thinking about Giles made the face of Nicholas Grey float across her mind’s eye. She hadn’t seen him since the night in Boston. He had a way of showing up out of thin air and playing havoc with all she considered herself to be and that included her senses. Her naturally curious nature made her want to know why that was, and what else his potent kisses might make her feel, but well-brought-up women weren’t supposed to contemplate such things. Besides, she had no plans to offer herself as a dalliance while he combed the countryside in search of his mythical Judas. Knowing she might have to deal with him as Lady Midnight in the near future was worrisome enough.
Blythe’s husband had been an English earl when he arrived in the colonies in the late 1730s. He’d hired her, a free Black woman, to be his housekeeper and they immediately fell in love. When he passed away a decade later, Blythe inherited all he owned, including one of the largest and grandest homes in the colony. Usually the large formal front parlor was kept closed, but for special occasions like Nicholas’s gathering, it was opened and the table outfitted with her finest china, crystal, and cutlery.
Faith’s job was to oversee the kitchen and the two women Blythe had hired to help with the serving. They were Irish, a mother and daughter named Patricia and Laine O’Hara. They were neighbors who lived up the road, and their men were rumored to be strong rebel supporters. Faith had known them all her life and liked them because they were kind people and didn’t mind a hard day’s work.
By the time the guests began arriving late that afternoon, the food was ready and the buffet table set. While Blythe was ushering the guests into the parlor, Faith came out of the kitchen to make sure there was nothing else the buffet needed. When she looked up, Nicholas Grey was standing on the other side of the table. Memories of being in his arms flooded her like water rolling over a dam.
He said to her, “You never told me if you enjoyed the fish?”
“They were very good.” Her heart was pounding as it always seemed to do whenever he came near, but this time, the kisses they’d shared added themselves to the pot. She could see the curious looks on the faces of some of the women in the room who were watching him speak with her, but she did her best to ignore them.
“Thank you for the help with the food.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Did your father approve of my price for your services?”
Her chin rose. “Yes, he did.”
“Good.”
He was the best-dressed man in the room and wore his clothing as if the current fashion had been designed with him in mind. The coat and breeches were of the highest quality and the shirt beneath was showy but tasteful. The neck cloth appeared to be made from silk, and his snow white hose as well. However, he’d eschewed the wigs favored by the men, nor had he powdered his hair.
Faith knew she should return to the kitchen but she couldn’t seem to move. He seemed to be having the same problem but didn’t appear bothered by it.
They were interrupted by the arrival of Blythe, who had with her shy, twenty-year-old Winnie Potts and her overbearing mother, Eva. Eva was one of the women in the community who couldn’t tolerate Faith because of her education and unorthodox ways. Faith didn’t like her any better and hoped Grey was prepared for Mrs. Potts’s overbearing manner.
Blythe said, “Nicholas. I want to introduce Mrs. Eva Potts and her daughter Winifred.”
He inclined his head.
Eva Potts smiled up at him as if he were something good to eat. Noticing Faith standing on the other side of the table, her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you have duties in the kitchen, Faith?”
Faith knew it was Eva’s way of trying to put her in her place. Eva’s husband owned a large tract of land and she never let anyone forget how wealthy and important she considered her family to be. Faith raised an angry eyebrow but before she could respond, Nicholas asked coolly, “Are you always so rude, Mrs. Potts?”
Eva’s eyes widened. Winnie looked down at her slippers.
There was really no good reply to such an incriminating question, so with that said, he turned away from the woman’s tight face and extended his arm to Blythe. “Is there someone else you wish me to me
et?”
Beaming, Blythe placed her hand on his arm. “Yes, I do.”
Nicholas bowed in Faith’s direction. “Thank you again, Miss Kingston.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Grey.”
He escorted Blythe away. A satisfied Faith went back to her duties in the kitchen. The fuming Eva was left standing at the table with her teary-eyed daughter.
As Blythe walked with Nick, she said softly, “Let Prince know that Gage will be moving against the rebels come mid April.”
He kept his face bland at the surprising words.
She added, “Prince should alert his contacts as soon as he can. You may wish to let Artemis know as well.”
Raising her voice and tone as a friend entered, she trilled, “Mrs. Carstairs. Let me introduce you to Nicholas.”
For the rest of the afternoon, the parlor filled up with old acquaintances of the Grey family and others unfamiliar to him. A few of the acquaintances were men he’d been seeking in order to ask them about his father’s arrest. He quizzed them discreetly while making the rounds of the parlor but none was able to offer him any information that might shed new light on the matter.
Prince Hall arrived at the height of the affair along with some of the minutemen under his command. Nick planned to tell him Blythe’s news before he departed.
Blyth had invited a few of the eligible women so that he could make their acquaintance, but truthfully, they left him unmoved. Eighteen-year-old Hazel Carstairs was a giggler who couldn’t seem to do anything else. At first he thought she might simply be nervous, but the more he engaged her in conversation, the more she giggled, so he gave up and smoothly excused himself from her and her grandmother. The second potential candidate was a sly-eyed beauty named Elizabeth Sutter. Her mother kept praising the seventeen-year-old Elizabeth’s chaste character but the flirty look in the daughter’s eyes told him an entirely different story, as did her clothing. Her gown, though fashionable, had a lower cut than those of the other women in attendance, offering any man who cared to see a good view of the tops of her young breasts. Were he in the market for a dalliance she’d be on the list, but after a short conversation, he bowed gracefully and moved on.
Throughout it all, his eyes kept straying back to the buffet table in hopes of catching another glimpse of Faith, but no matter how many times he glanced that way she was never there.
While the guests mingled, ate, and conversed, he did the same, picking up snippets of conversations here and there about planting, relatives in England, and the anticipated war. Most of the twenty-five guests seemed to favor the rebels, but there were Tory supporters in the room as well. One in particular, a tall, pock-faced man named William Case, was a late arrival, who upon entering the parlor made a beeline for Nick, who was speaking with Hall and minuteman George Middleton, a commander of a group of Black patriots calling themselves the Bucks of America.
“Mr. Grey. My name is William Case. We met at the church.”
Nick excused himself from Prince. Truthfully, he didn’t remember meeting the thin, dour-looking man, but he played along. “Nice to see you again.”
“Have you settled into your father’s home?”
“I have.”
“I’m a successful businessman and I’m wondering if I could speak with you about an investment opportunity.”
Nick studied him. “What sort of investment?”
He looked around as if to make sure they weren’t being overheard. “There’s a business I’d like to acquire, but I may need additional coin.”
Nicholas could see Eva Potts shooting daggers his way but he ignored her. “And this business is?”
“It’s the inn owned by Stuart Kingston. Like everyone else, I know he and your father shared a grudge, but he’s thinking of selling.”
Nick’s mind immediately went to Faith. “May I ask why?”
“He’s a bit in debt, shall we say,” he explained with a satisfied grin. “Needs the money.”
At that moment Faith appeared behind the buffet table to replenish one of the dishes. Apparently Case saw her, too. “Lovely girl, isn’t she?” he said.
Nick turned back to the man, but before he could respond, Case added, “Stubborn little bitch though. Prideful, too. Never understood why Kingston wasted perfectly good coin educating her but he said it had something to do with his late wife’s estate. Who cares what a woman has in her head. It’s what’s between her legs that matters to a man. Don’t you agree?”
It took all Nick had to hang on to his composure. “Never heard it put in such a crude and succinct manner, Mr. Case.”
Nick’s rebuke seemed to go right over the man’s head.
“I’ve asked for her hand, but her father is allowing her to make her own choice.”
“I see.” Nick found this one of the most interesting conversations of the afternoon. “And has she agreed?”
“No.”
“Ah.” Nicholas felt better. “Some women can be quite stubborn.”
“Too stubborn, but I’ll have her, whether she wants me or not. She’s the main reason I wish to buy the inn. I’ll take Kingston’s debts and his daughter. No right-thinking man would refuse such an offer.”
Nick kept his distaste for Case hidden. “You certainly have it all well thought out.”
“Indeed. I’m a success for a reason.”
Prince Hall walked up. “Nicholas, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
Nicholas nodded. “It’s been a pleasure speaking with you, Mr. Case. I’ll think over your proposal.”
As he and Prince made their way to the other side of the room, Nick said with genuine feeling, “Thank you.”
“He’s a Tory toad. You looked like you needed rescuing.”
“And I did. He was telling me of his coarse plans for Faith Kingston.”
“Really. He and her father are fast friends.”
Nick kept his voice down. “Her father’s deep in debt. Case wants to buy the inn and expects Kingston to throw her in as a condition of the sale.”
Prince shook his head. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I know. Women, especially daughters, have few rights.”
Prince studied Nick’s face. “And what are you planning?”
“How do you know that I am?”
“Because your father often had that same look in his eye when he was plotting.”
Nick shrugged. “She’s a beautiful woman. Hate to have all that wasted on a rube like Case.”
And he said no more. “Do you think any of the women here are the Lady Midnight?”
Prince sipped his ale. “You are determined to find her, aren’t you?”
“I am, but in the meantime alert the Sons that General Gage plans to move on the rebels mid April.”
Prince kept his poise. “I’ll let them know. This will mean war.”
Nick agreed.
“All right. I hadn’t planned on being here long but am glad I stayed long enough for you to pass along this news.”
“I am as well.”
“Thank you, Nicholas.”
“You’re welcome. One last thing, I was in town a few nights ago and saw soldiers posted in front of a home.” He gave Prince the street and address of the home Faith had visited. “Do you know who lives there?”
“Mr. John Hancock.”
“I see. I was simply curious.”
“I’ll see you later. I’ll be riding back to Boston to share your news as soon as I give my regards to our hostess.”
“Godspeed.”
Prince inclined his head and Nick watched him make his way over to Blythe. A few moments later he’d retrieved his coat and gone out the door.
Chapter 9
As the affair came to an end, Faith sighed wearily. She always worked from sunup to sundown so the exhaustion was familiar, but still her shoulders ached from lifting the heavy pots on and off the rods in hot ash-filled grate. She was perspiring, her clothing spotted with dust from the ash, and the tiny burns on
her left hand, caused by an ember that sparked when she was moving a gridiron farther into the heat, were letting her know they were there. She wiped her hand across her damp brow and continued washing Blythe’s delicate china. The two hired women were done for the day and were putting on coats and leaving by the back entrance. She called out her thanks and they called back in kind.
And now the kitchen was quiet. The silence let her exhale and relax. She washed up the last of the plates and dried her hands. She wanted to go back out to the parlor and make certain there was nothing left to be washed before dumping the barrel of water outside. She saw that there were still a few people in the parlor, particularly Nicholas and Will Case but she focused on her task. Seeing nothing that needed to be returned to the kitchen, she started back when she heard Case call from behind her, “Miss Kingston, may I speak with you?”
She sighed and walked over to where he and Nicholas were standing. “Yes?”
“The food was very good. I’ll be looking forward to your skills when we marry.”
She had no time for his arrogance. “Is there anything else? I have duties to finish.”
He turned to Nicholas and grumbled, “This is what I mean. Have you ever witnessed such a disrespectful female?”
Nicholas didn’t respond.
Faith was in no mood to be dressed down and so walked away, but Case grabbed her wrist and held on painfully. “I didn’t dismiss you.”
Angry, Faith tried to pull away.
“Let her go.”
The menace in Nicholas’s tone brought Case up short.
“How dare you intercede in—”
Employing an icy calm voice that only they could hear, he echoed, “Let her go, or I will kill you where you stand.”
Case’s eyes grew large as pumpkins and he released his hold.
Nicholas added, “Now, I believe it is time for you to give the widow your regards and leave here.”
Case eyed him for a silent moment, then sneered malevolently at both of them before he walked off in a huff. Moments later, he exited the premises.
Nicholas turned his eyes back to Faith. “Now, where were we?”
Midnight Page 10