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Post by Susannah Frey on Jun 12, 2014 4:23:34 GMT
It was quite early in the morning. The sun was shining brightly although it had hardly cleared the horizon. The birds were singing. And Susannah was about to have a wonderful day. It had taken a good month of pleading and reasoning but, finally, her mother was letting her walk to a friend's in Bergen, New Jersey. And as it was a six hour walk, they were to start early and then stay there the night before walking home the next day. All in all, she had been looking forward to it immensely. Her mother's one condition was that she not go alone. She was to take Rebekah with her. Susannah didn't mind. She had known Rebekah since she was a child. They practically grew up together. Going with her might even be fun. It certainly was better than going with her mother, which was her other option. ”Keep up, Rebekah,” she called even though Rebekah was keeping up just fine. She was very conscious of the eyes on them as they walked down the street. She had dressed with particular care that morning in a deep maroon robe a la francaise. Her red hair was gathered up under a wide-brimmed straw hat, adorned with white flowers. Susannah smiled at a passerby. Oh, what would mother say about the attention she was receiving? |
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Post by Rebekah on Jun 13, 2014 18:47:28 GMT
"I'm keepin' up as fast as I can, Miss Susannah!" Of course, that didn't bear repeating, she had kept up with Susie just fine. But it wouldn't hurt to remind her, either, with respect. Rebekah wasn't too surprised to be assigned to her current task, since she knew Susannah throughout their girlhood. But what she didn't anticipate was the distance of their journey. "I've never been to Jersey, Susannah," she said as she ambled aside her friend, admiring her dress. Rebekah dressed rather plainly in a muted blue cotton dress with buttons sewn along her chest
She held her raven locks tightly in a bun, but every so often a strand would fall to touch her cheek. It was no surprise to her to know that Susannah was the one that made passerbys smile and farm boys turn red, but she would give a simper of a smile once she saw
the attention her friend would have.
It was no secret: Susannah was a classic beauty.
"So, Susie," she quipped,"Who, exactly, are you visiting?"
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Post by Susannah Frey on Jun 15, 2014 14:20:31 GMT
"It is much like New York but Bergen is certainly smaller." She glanced down at her own dress. "The dresses are usually a bit out of date too but you pay that no mind. They find it harder to keep up with such things in Jersey."
Rebekah was going to find out soon enough so she might as well have told her. Susannah glanced around before answering. She had ulterior motives to her little visit that if her mother were to know them, there would be hell to pay. In all likelihood she would never be allowed to set foot outside the house ever again. At least not until she was old.
"My friend Mary. I've known her since I was a little girl, though we mostly write to each other, on occasion."
She stopped suddenly and grabbed Rebekah's arm. Susannah had a mischievous look in her eyes. "Now you must not tell mother what I'm about to tell you. I cannot stand Mary. She's self-righteous and weak. Always carrying on and on about fainting and poor her. It's dreadful to be in the same room with her for more than two minutes without wishing to break something." She lowered her voice. "But the last time I saw her, she was with her brother, Joseph. Oh, he's handsome, Rebekah. He had just sailed over from England and should be returning soon. I wish him to remember me so it's important that I see him one more time."
She resumed walking again. "And if I have to put up with a night of Mary's company for that to be so then so be it."
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Post by Rebekah on Jun 22, 2014 20:53:54 GMT
She tried to smile. Susannah always seemed to place a smile on her face at the right moment. But she was a bit a surprised by her friend's answer, "You think he'll court ya' if he comes back?" She could imagine how Susannah's mother felt about her being around menfolk. And she couldn't even count on her hands how many times she's been introduced to prospects, only to, gently turn them back.
Joseph must've been some guy, huh?
"Well, your secret's safe wit' me, girl." She gave her a pointed look, "Just let me know if there's trouble."
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Post by Susannah Frey on Jun 25, 2014 17:57:17 GMT
Susannah smiled. "I would hope so though I daresay my parents wouldn't approve. They don't support the King, you know. Mary's family, I mean. Or at least her brother doesn't. That's what Mary said in her last letter and why he's coming back. He might be staying back for good which, as you know, could prove beneficial for me. Though it would all have to be in secret." She grabbed Rebekah's arm. "Wouldn't that be exciting? You would help me, of course."
That had finally reached the edge of town and the road continued on straight, winding it's way along a line of dark trees. A small path, hardly the width of a handcart delved its way into the forest. A mischievous gleam came across her face. "Oh, let's take a short cut!" Without waiting for an answer, she took Rebekah's arm and pulled her down the pathway behind her.
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Post by Wyler Munroe on Jun 26, 2014 1:46:22 GMT
Wyler was sure they were lost. Of course he was, he'd never been in this area before and was really only comfortable in the city of his birth, Boston, of which they were very far away. But the man he was with had claimed just that morning he knew this locality like the back of his hand. Yet here they were wandering about, first going in one direction then the other. Both of them had been detached from the main body of troops to try and do some foraging. His fellow soldier, Simpkins, had promised the officer he could find food. Well, so far, nothing.
From their hiding place in the woods, they watched the small town within sight. There was no way however they could risk actually walking into that place. Might be Loyalist, even worse might have some redcoats in garrison, not that they could see any from this distance. But in their blue uniform coats they could not take the chance. However sitting in a woods was doing no one any good either. Simpkins no longer blustered about his familiarity with the locale, though he had yet to admit fully he had been lying from the start. Wyler was just plain disgusted.
"Say, who's that comin' down the trail?" Simpkins hefted his musket on the alert.
Wyler looked down the narrow dirt road, two figures were slowly coming their way....those were not soldiers or even menfolk. Two women!
"Just two ladies is all," Wyler muttered.
"They might be carryin' food on 'em?" wondered Simpkins aloud.
Wyler looked again, "No, don't see any baskets or anything thrown over their shoulders."
"Well, if nothin' else they might have money on 'em," Simpkins continued.
"You mean rob'em? Thought we were soldiers not outlaws," Wyler frowned.
"We're desperate, is what we are. Shuddup, lad. Let me handle this, just wait til they get closer," Simpkins had a rather evil smile on his scruffy face.
"I don't want no part of hurtin' any womenfolk," Wyler muttered, not liking where this was going, not at all. |
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Post by Susannah Frey on Jul 22, 2014 18:47:39 GMT
They walked on in silence for a few moments. The trees closed in around them but it was hardly the forbidding place that she had read about in books. Squirrels darted up and down branches. Birds sang in the trees. And an abundance of wild flowers grew in the undergrowth. She paused to look at a particularly beautiful white flower and had just made up her mind to pick a handful when she heard the sound of voices from somewhere up ahead.
Susannah looked up in time to see two men coming their way. Well, one man and a boy, she thought, sizing them up. They were soldiers, they moved and dressed like it, their bright blue coats stood out in the brown and green of the forest. And they held muskets. Susannah eyed those long brown guns suspiciously.
"Good day, gentlemen." She smiled her most charming smile. "It is such a wonderful morning for a walk, isn't it? And have you ever seen such beautiful flowers in all your life? I am sure I have not."
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Post by Wyler Munroe on Jul 24, 2014 14:36:33 GMT
No longer were the two rebels trying to conceal themselves but walked out onto the path. The women of course spotted them. The well dressed white woman seemed quite unafraid, even openly friendly. Or....she was putting on an act, Wyler wondered. His fellow soldier did the talking for the moment.
"Good day, ladies," Simpkins smiled showing a few missing teeth, "We haven't been lookin' at flowers, not when there is such a fine young miss as yerself about."
Wyler just nodded and smiled at Susannah.
"So then what you doing out on this road? You do know there is a war on don't you?" Simpkins questioned her as they drew closer to the women. |
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