The Heavens Shall Fall (25 page)

“Did you believe that refusing me entrance into your house would stop me? But to defy my guards as well?”

“
You sent soldiers to take me to your headquarters.” She flung her words at him. “How could you? Have you not humiliated me enough?”

“
Humiliate you? I believe you did that when you threw up on Captain Farrell.”

She wanted to scream at Andre that she had warned the despicable man she was sick. He was the one
who did not listen, but Andre hadn’t come to reprimand her for becoming ill.

“
Let go of me, you hateful man!” she cried. “What have I done to you that you hate me so? I told you I want nothing more to do with you.” She pushed against him. “Go. Go do whatever you do.”

His eyes raked over her, and then
he said with a deadly coldness, “I had questions…have questions. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I need.”

“
You’re mad.” Her voice shook. “Are you questioning whether the child is yours? You…you know it is. But if you worry I will make a claim upon you…”

“
No, you silly fool,” he interrupted. “My questions held to the dinner the other night. I suspect there was a breach that night. It was not that I questioned I was the father, but whether you were with child at all.”

Her head snapped back. His words slapped her worse than if he had hit her. How wrong Rupert had been! She was endangered.

“You thought I made up I am with child?” she questioned. Her instincts warned her she walked on eggs.

“
Indeed. Why would I not? I thought you barren.”

Her jaw dropped and astonishment swept across her face. His sneer stung.
She lashed out to hurt him as he hurt her. “Why? Why would you believe that? I never said I was. I never cared to have a child…never wanted one…and…and I can assure you I don’t want this one any more than you!”

He released her abruptly and took a step back. He burst into laughter, a terrible laugh. Confusion reigned in her. His manner scared her. She backed toward the wall until she found herself against it.

“Madam, you are good. Quite good.”

She had never thought herself brave. No, not like Hannah who had gone headlong into this game with a conviction of her purpose—the courage of doing the right thing because it meant the betterment for others.

As she looked into the face of danger, Susanna found her legs weakened, her body stiffened, but belief in her cause swept through her and gave her the resolution not to crumble in front of his man.

“
Then, Andre, forget the child. Ask me now your questions. Then be gone.”

He came toward her and put his hands heavily upon her shoulders. For a time his expression didn
’t change, but finally he smiled with his lips, but his eyes…his eyes burned into hers.

“
I suppose it is a waste of time other than being direct,” he said. “The other night when Stansbury stumbled, you offered help. I have witnesses say when you stood after he regained his footing, you held letters against your skirt. It is those letters I seek.”

His words hung in the air. She had been seen. How stupid she had been to have allowed herself to be caught in this situation! Andre was no fool. He would not be pressing in this manner if the witnesses weren
’t trustworthy.

Somehow she had to convince him of her innocence. Her mind raced back to that moment. Who was around her, the room, her exit…her exit when she waited for her carriage! She had stood by the fire
, for she had been shivering.

“
Dammit! Susanna, say something.”

She couldn
’t take her eyes from him. Despite that she could no longer feel her blood run through her veins, she must still live, for she stood before him. She drew her night robe close about her body and confessed.

“
If you want to hear that I had the letters you seem so interested in, then yes I did.” She drew in a deep breath. “I was walking by when that man stumbled and fell into me. He smelled awful, so unpleasant. It was only after I pushed him off me that I realized something had fallen out of his pocket.”

“
You have the letters.”

She shook her head.
“No. What was I supposed to do? He had already disappeared out of my sight. There were so many eyes upon him. I wanted none of that attention. I had this drunken man’s correspondence in my hand. I was ill. Embarrassed he had fallen into me. I wanted only to go home.” She paused, and then concluded, “After I called for my carriage, I threw them into the fire.”

His hands gripped her so tightly that her shoulders ached. He leaned so close to her she felt his breath against her cheek.

“You burnt them,” he repeated. “Then why did you not tell me immediately?”

She twisted away. Tears welled in her eyes. She had a sudden urge to sob, but she forced herself to contain her emotions. She gripped her night robe tightly at the collar with her hands.

“I was coming to terms with the news of my expectancy. Those letters weren’t of importance to
me
. When you appeared, I had only one thought on my mind. Obviously, you had another. I have no more answers for you. Now, please leave. I have my own issues to deal with…unless you are going to arrest me, which has seemed to be your intent.”

He quieted
and studied her. “Of course, I will take my leave,” he said finally. “This would have been a simple matter if you had told the truth at the time.”

Her laugh
turned into a hysterical cry. “I do beg your pardon. I’m sorry to have been so difficult. But remember, Andre, it was not I who came to you. You were the one to seduce me. Now, you question me as a common criminal.

“
You…you touched me in the most offensive manner in front of your men…as if I were nothing but a back alley whore. Know I will not forgive you. It may mean nothing to you, but know I abhor you.”

“
It means more than you know,” he said in a low voice. “But my own feelings have little to do with my duty. Nothing comes before my country and king, but I allowed myself you. Foolish. Even now, I hold doubts to your words, but I will accept them.”

For a time, neither said a word. The anger he held inside his eyes extinguished
, replaced with…was it sadness?

“
I do not have to explain my actions to you, Susanna, and will not do so. But the arrangement between us, I thought it more. I thought I had broken through that icy layer you present to others. Perhaps I was wrong. I confess I had known you had a previous husband before Millbury, but I did not realize that you were still so devoted to the man that you visit his grave in the middle of the night.”

“
Do not talk of Walter,” she replied warningly. She had known Durham would have told him, but the thought bothered her. Walter was hers and no one else’s.

He stared at her, his dark gaze on
the pallor of her cheeks. He said in a quiet voice, in counterpoint to harshness he had inflicted only moments earlier, “I loved once. She would not have me, but she haunts me. So I understand the loss of a loved one. Perhaps it was the bond that we shared.”

“
Don’t do this,” she whispered. She fought back emotions that flooded her. “I can’t handle you trying to maneuver me in this manner.”

“
I’m not trying to maneuver you into anything. I’m trying to tell you that there was a connection between us.” He reached over and touched her face. “But whereas my love held my heart, has yours reached across the barrier of death to hold you to the Patriot cause? Does his memory spur you to doing the unthinkable?”

She took his meaning at once.
“You are quite mad. I was young and in love. I cared not for politics, only him. But you are correct,
Major Andre
: he is the only person I have cared about.”

His features hardened.
“It seems you care about little. Even the child? Perhaps it is because you don’t know who the father is.”

She slapped him, hard. Stunned, he reached up and held his cheek.

“Get out,” she hissed. “I have been with no one but you since the first time you made love to me, not even my husband. I told you I expect nothing from you. Leave and never worry about the child again.”

He grabbed her
shoulders; she had no option but to look at him. “I will not shirk my responsibility if it is indeed mine. Tell me this. Why did you go see Arnett?”

He looked through her and beyond. It frightened her. He had had her followed.
Susanna’s face stiffened. She couldn’t confess the reason for her visit. She could only stare speechless at his threatening face. She hadn’t another option. She lied.

“
I have no one else to talk to in New York.” She lowered her gaze to hide her welling tears. “He used to love me, or so he said. I went to him to see if he could help me leave New York to get away from you!” She swallowed hard. “He would not. He said I made my own bed. I had only myself to blame. He would do nothing. He is nothing but a coward. Afraid to get on the wrong side of you British!”

“
It seems you aren’t.”

“
Should I be afraid?”

“
I believe that you have had a false sense of security with having me in your bed. It was a mistake.” His eerily calm voice sent shivers down her back.

“
So you are deserting me. I should have expected nothing less,” she said sharply. “I believe this whole accusation nothing but a farce to be rid of me! You need not to have gone to all the trouble.”

He ignored her outburst. Instead, he turned again to the bab
e. “The child is mine.”

She lifted her chin up in defiance. She needed not say anything more. She realized he knew well the child was his, but he also suspected she had spied on him. He was not a man to forgive that transgression.

He drew a short breath and took a step back. “You look pale, my dear. You need to rest.”

“
You are leaving?”

“
This conversation is done. I have other pressing business to address. Do not be disturbed if I’m not around for a time. When I return, we will talk further about the future of my child.”

“
Do what you will, but I will not be here. I told you I have decided the best course of action for me is to go to England. I have no one else except my mother.”

He smiled mockingly at her.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible at the moment. You, my dear, are under house arrest.”

She felt her face drain of color.
“You can’t! I have done nothing!”

“
If that is the truth, then it won’t be a long duration. I need time to decipher the situation. I do have a responsibility to my country and to…my child. We will continue this discussion on my return.”

His eyes fixed on her face
; he turned and walked out. Dumbfounded, she heard him order a guard outside of her door. She clutched her stomach. Her legs weakened and she collapsed on the floor with the bitterness of his voice echoing around her.

Our cause is noble; it is the cause of mankind!~George Washington

Rolling green hills lay behind Jonathan, the ocean before him. His body was so stiff and sore from the long miles of riding. The idleness of the last three months had worn on him. To say nothing of the drinking he had done the last week. He winced
with every turn of his head.

He breathed in deeply and smelled the ocean. It reminded him of Charles Town, but little else. This was not his Southern home.

Gone was the heat and humidity. Soon fall would turn the trees a brilliant assortment of color here in New England. It had been a long while since he had last set foot in Connecticut, before the British occupied New York.

Now he was far away from Charles Town and Rebekah…

God! Whatever was he going to do!
Time hadn’t eased the pain. Despite his anger…hurt…oh, God, he missed her! Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her. It was as if his heart had been ripped from him. Never would he have had thought she would betray him! It was worse than if she had stabbed him in the heart.

Catherine had been different. Her mind was disturbed. He wanted Catherine to be different than who she was…but Rebekah…Rebekah knew well what she had done! He told himself she had done so to save him, but he would have rather have died than to forsake his sister. To save his life and destroy hers was a thought that gnawed at his soul.

Frustration plagued him on his every turn since he had been detained by the British. His transfer had been delayed; no doubt a deliberate ploy of Durham’s. Jonathan had wanted nothing more than to be allowed to get a message to Hannah, for that matter to anyone, but he hadn’t been permitted.

Part of his incarceration included being isolated from his fellow American companions
. On his release, he had feared the worst, but to his great surprise, he received news his sister was safe with her children and living outside of Fairfield, Connecticut.

In those first days after his release, he had met with Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge of th
e
 
Second Regiment Light Dragoons. Jonathan had first met Tallmadge shortly after the loss of New York. Jonathan didn’t have to be told that Tallmadge headed Washington’s intelligence.

Colonel Tallmadge, much the same age as Jonathan, was quite young to be in the position he held, one of confidence with General Washington. Jonathan recognized he was quite a shrewd man, having negotiated for Hannah
’s release and safety when she was extracted from the network.

Jonathan sat quietly listening to the colonel apprise him of the current situation…his situation…yet again. A distinguished man, but not one
who would call attention to himself, Tallmadge was an intelligent sort with the general air of one who recognized the precarious situation the Continental Army found itself.

“
You do surprise me, Doctor Corbett,” Tallmadge admitted. “Most times we do not have to intercede for one of our physicians, but given your history, I suppose it should not come as a shock.”

“
The situation was not of my own choosing, I can assure you.”

“
I understand. It was also my understanding that you have been kept from our other men, including General Lincoln. Unfortunately, he is still under the British authority. We hope to soon have his exchange arranged, but it is you who holds my interest at the moment. What do you know of the arrangement that saved your life?”

“
The arrangement?”

“
Of course, you may not know all the details being detained, but do you know Colonel Cutler well?”

“
He is a friend. I don’t believe he was captured in the siege.”

“
He wasn’t,” Tallmadge said. “It is he who sent me a message through your brother-in-law, Daniel Morse.”

“
Daniel? Daniel was here in Philadelphia?”

“
For a time. He had to return. He met with me on several occasions before he departed. We devised a method of communications. He has become an essential link between us and what is left of our counterparts in Charles Town, but it is important that it still exists. Exists because of Cutler and Morse’s actions.”

“
You have me confused. I thought the ships were the price for my life.” Jonathan said the words with difficulty. The knowledge that the cost for his own safety hurt his cause bothered him beyond measure.

“
It would seem so, except it was a ploy that has worked to this point. The man hired to oversee the management, Ralph Deane, is a Patriot. Along with a good portion of the sailors on board the ships. It gives us eyes and ears into Charles Town that will be used to our advantage. With patience, we will prevail.”

Jonathan took a deep breath. His next question caused him to pause.
“What of my sister, Hannah? I have feared for her.”

“
That issue also was diverted. Your sister was warned before Durham could react. She and her children are safe with a family friend of her husband’s and mine as well, Judge Beckett.”

Safe. The thought gave him comfort, but he could not avoid his other concern.

“My wife?”

Tallmadge lowered his head.
“The British have blocked her exit from Charles Town. I would imagine it would have to do with the arrangement made for your release, but I gather she has been unharmed.”

Jonathan said nothing else about Rebekah. He hadn
’t the courage. A million thoughts ran rampant in his mind, none more so than a picture of Black Rory with his wife! Devil be all! Doubts crept within his soul. Was she in his arms?

Good Gawd! He had to stop torturing himself. He could do nothing about his marriage until he had settled immediate issues that surrounded him. Jonathan had accepted the pardon on the condition that he would not take up arms again against the British.

“Your pardon does not specifically say that you cannot use your physician’s skills. It is General Washington’s wish that you find another assignment. A show of commitment to the cause.”

“
I don’t believe my commitment should be questioned,” Jonathan said, angered.

“
It isn’t.” Tallmadge gestured for Jonathan to contain his emotions. “The hardships you have endured are recognized. I fear that each of us has had to endure many sufferings, but it is times like these that it is pivotal to uphold our pledge.”

“
What is it that you would have me do?”

Tallmadge answered quietly,
“I believe committing to one of our outposts would be appropriate. Take time until a suitable position is found. I believe your sister is anxious to see you. She resides not far from my home. Go for a visit.”

He had done so. He needed the time to contemplate his life. So he rode to Connecticut.

Fairfield was a notorious Patriot stronghold. It had felt the wrath of the British for such a stance only a year before. The British had come ashore with the sole intent of destroying Rebel property. The Redcoats had burnt much of Fairfield and attacked the town with a vengeance.

“
Not much farther now.”

Jonathan glanced over at his companion. Lieutenant Percy Walker had fared with him since Charles Town. Walker
, too, had been pardoned at the same time as Jonathan. He headed back to his home in Massachusetts. He knew the area and had agreed to ride with Jonathan.

The two had stopped at the Wayside Tavern awhile back and had gotten directions to Judge
 S
elia
h
 
B
ec
k
ett
’s home. As they rode through the town, Jonathan observed it had a long way to go to recover from the raid. Disheartening to see most everything had been burnt to the ground; chimneys of the burnt houses gave visible evidence of the widespread destruction.

A short
way outside of Fairfield, Jonathan rounded a bend. According to their directions, this was the place, a large farm surrounded by a railing fence with a winding lane leading up to a white saltbox house.

A
young lad waved frantically at them and whistled from under a huge oak tree in the front lawn. Immediately, the door swung open and a scurry of occupants exited. He had been expected. His eyes, though, caught sight of the one he had come to see.

Holding a little one in her arms, she stood in the doorway and smiled. Hannah!

Her eyes met his. Gone was the spark, the one that had gotten her into trouble on every turn. In its stead, he saw a serenity he had not expected.

Dismounting, he watched Hannah hand the little one to a young girl beside her and race toward him.
As he embraced his sister, the past years flashed before him.

Williamsburg. Their home. Father. Mother Agnes. William. So much lost. The fire that burned within their family for the cry for freedom had held a high price. Yet, somehow they both had survived and the fire still burned.

* * * *

The aroma of tobacco loomed in a cloud of swirling smoke above Judge Seliah Beckett
, an older, plain spoken, but well-respected gentleman. The rather portly man with a large nose and luminous eyes took another puff on his pipe.

“
We will run those damn Redcoats out of New York. Mark my word.” Judge Beckett paused. He threw his head back, released the smoke, and then pointed to Jonathan. “I tell you. It’s their arrogance. Said it more than once. Do you know what one of those Redcoats told me while I was on the
Jersey
?”

In
a chair across from the good judge, Jonathan shook his head. He gave no reply. He hadn’t a chance. Judge Beckett answered himself. Jonathan swore he believed the man could hold a conversation with himself.

“
The ignorant scoundrel said he didn’t understand why we were upset about being taxed without representation. Said he was from Manchester in northern England. He swore they had no one representing them in Parliament. I told him it was not my fault they were too senseless to recognize the injustice.”

Jonathan swirled
the wine in his glass and then drank down its contents. He had listened to tales woven by the good man for most of the evening. Highly entertaining. Jonathan couldn’t remember enjoying himself in this manner for quite a while.

Good conversation.
Good wine. Good food. Surprisingly, Hannah had prepared the dinner. The Hannah he had known had spent the least amount of time in the kitchen she could manage, much to the chagrin of Mother Agnes. For some reason, the memory brought a smile to his face.

He, also, had to admit, he was comforted with the picture of Hannah
’s life he glimpsed. Judge Beckett assured him numerous times of the character and good standing of the brother-in-law he had not met. He need not be told. He saw it on Hannah’s face.

Light footsteps along the wooden floor made him glance up. His sister stood in the doorway. She smiled broadly.

“The children are sleeping. I wanted to make sure of your comfort before I retired.”

Jonathan stood along with Judge Beckett. Beckett gestured for Jonathan to sit.
“Stay. You both need time alone. I’m sure you have much to talk of…I will leave you both.”

Jonathan watched the judge withdraw as Hannah eased into the chair beside him.
She slipped her feet underneath her, reached over and held his hand.

“
It’s so good to see you. I’m so glad you are here.”

“
So am I,” Jonathan admitted. “So am I.”

*
* * *

The years melted. No matter the time passed, the bond held between the siblings had not weakened. His heart swelled as she told her story…the time with their grandfather, Georgie Boy, Gannon…Durham.

“I’m not proud of what I have done, Jonathan, but at one point, I was caught in a web of deception and nowhere to turn. Marcus saved me.”

“
Saved you! Devil be had, Hannah! How could you have turned to him? He is one of the most powerful British officers in America. You realize he had a hand in labeling Father and William as spies. He might as well have hung them himself!”

His sharp words
hurtled through the air and hit his sister harder than if he had slapped her. Her breathing quickened and she rose.

“
Hannah, I’m sorry,” Jonathan’s voice softened. “Please sit. I have no right to judge.”

“
No, no, you are not wrong.” Her gaze flickered away, and then back again. “I have much to be forgiven and you do not know all of it.”

Jonathan shook his head.
“I should have said nothing. It is only my own guilt, Hannah. I’m not innocent. I live with the knowledge that I did nothing to stop Catherine. I was not there for you.”

“
Do not compare our actions. You had no control of circumstance. I chose to go to New York with only one motive in mind—revenge.”

“
Do you not know that revenge lives in me also? It was my father-in-law who betrayed so many, including our father and brother.”