So Fair a Lady (Daughters of His Kingdom 1)

He tried to squelch his growing worry upon finding only Kitty.

She looked at him and smiled, before moving back to her work at the small table.

He peered around, his fingers tapping his leg. “Smells delicious, Kitty.”

Another grin moved across her face, but she didn’t lift her head. “Thank you. Liza asked me to make apple tansy again.”

Thomas nodded and inhaled the fresh scent of tart apples and nutmeg that billowed through the small kitchen. “Speaking of Eliza, where is she?” He fingered a few bits of peel, then snuck a piece in his mouth, trying to swallow the nerves that choked him.

Kitty wiped her hands on her well-loved apron. “She called down to me earlier. I believe she’s already in bed.”

“Really?”

She cracked a few eggs and began to beat them. “I noticed she acted a bit anxious today. I hope she’s not unwell.”

Thomas had noticed the same thing. “I’ll go see if she needs anything.”

Kitty looked up to give him a quick smile. “Alright.”

His blood pumped quicker as he passed Eliza’s empty chair. Something was amiss—she hadn’t skipped a single evening of discussion since they’d begun, and she never went to bed early. He grabbed a candle and started upstairs.

Eliza’s door was closed and no light peeped from beneath the door. Maybe she retired early. He hated the thought of waking her, but his nervous stomach would never allow him to rest until he knew she was well.

He tapped on the door with the backs of his knuckles and kept his voice quiet. “Eliza?”

Nothing.

He knocked harder. “Eliza?”

Still nothing.

He knocked again, then turned the knob and pushed the door open, peering cautiously into the room.

Her small form lay peaceful and still under the blankets.

She must be sleeping. His shoulders dropped and he released a harbored breath, yet his concern remained healthy. Was she ill? He fought the temptation to go to her, to hear the soft whisper of her breath, to feel her brow and check for fever.

Reason reigned and he left the room, closing the door behind him. If he were to be that close to her again, the pull of her nearness might prove too much to resist. He promised himself that if she didn’t emerge by morning he would check on her again.

Once downstairs, he picked up the latest Gazette that Nathaniel had brought that morning, dropped into his favorite chair and tried to read.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

Nathaniel raised his hand to silence the cheering crowd. Eliza teetered back and forth on her feet, trying to see between the swaying heads of the taller men surrounding her.

“My good countrymen! We gather together this winter eve to show our collective displeasure.” He raised his voice to be heard over the consistent hum. “Those of us here feel the constant and ever expanding oppression of King George.”

A thunderous applause erupted. The men around her shook their raised fists and waved their towering flags. All the while, tender white flakes dusted their hats and coats, senseless of the excitement.

“While the king luxuriates on his opulent throne, we strive to live day-to-day, barely able to pay the excessive taxes he presses upon us!”

Again the group exploded into a thrilling cacophony of shouts and cheers. Eliza marveled at the strength and composure of those who had gathered. They were a powerful, even foreboding presence, yet none exhibited anger or unneeded hostility. The nervous feathers that had coated her stomach since sunrise floated away as she grew ever more relaxed.

“His Majesty treats us as foreigners—with disdain and even with brutality! We are a part of England’s great and noble empire, yet he seems to think otherwise. So, I would remind you my fellow patriots, Massachusetts is our country!”

Shouts of consensus rang wild through the air, and Eliza couldn’t hold back the smile that bloomed on her frozen cheeks.

“We have gathered in this peaceful protest to unite in our noble cause, to give strength and courage to one another as we strive to show our local government we refuse to be so oppressed. Remember, brethren, we serve but one King, and He reigns in the heavens.”