Alex and Eliza: A Love Story(53)
“Oranges!” Aunt Gertrude almost shrieked. “Oh, what a blessed sight. We ate the last soft apples from the cellar just after Candlemas and haven’t seen a rind of fruit since. Oh, I feel healthier just looking at these. Eight of them! My stars, these must have cost as much as a good mule!” She leaned in close, and as she did, Alex got a good whiff of perry on her breath: Aunt Gertrude, it seemed, was tipsy. “Dr. Cochran is away until Monday. I’ll split his with you, and it’ll be our little secret.”
“It’s a deal,” Alex said. He handed the sack over and turned toward Eliza, only to have Mrs. Cochran grab him with her free hand and turn him toward Van Rensselaer and Church.
“We’re too small a party to segregate into separate parlors,” she said as she led him to the pair of men, “and wood is so dear to heat a second room as well, so just pretend that you gentlemen are in your own chamber and we ladies are in ours. Mr. Van Rensselaer, I believe you know Colonel Hamilton. Colonel Hamilton, this is Mr. John Barker Church, an Englishman, I’m afraid,” she added mischievously, “but one who aids our side at no inconsiderable risk to his own person. Dinner should be ready in a half hour or so,” she said, retreating to the far side of the parlor.
Alex shook the men’s hands and took a seat on his own cane chair. The chair had its back to the women and he didn’t want to appear rude by turning it, so he sat at somewhat of an angle so he could at least glance at Eliza out of the corner of his eye. At least her sofa faced his side of the room, and he could make occasional, if brief, eye contact.
“Colonel Hamilton,” John Church said now. “You honor us with your presence. It is well that we should have at least one soldier among us.”
“I’ll join up next year as soon as I’m seventeen. I wanted to join this year,” said Stephen, “but Papa wouldn’t let me.”
“I’m sure you’ll make a fine soldier,” Alex agreed. “And it’s not too late for you to join our side, Mr. Church.”
John Church sat up straighter in his chair. “I think you will agree that I have done much for the Americans, Colonel Hamilton. One out of every four bullets fired by an American rifle was procured through me. Yet I remain an Englishman and will not commit treason against my country.”
“But the bullets we fire are against British soldiers,” Alex replied. “Does that not distress you?”
“Of course it does,” Church replied. “As it should distress you, and all people with an open heart. To see so many of my fellow countrymen cut down in defense of an unjust policy grieves me, yet neither will my conscience allow me to support continued colonial domination. War is a degrading business all around. Thank God, it’s profitable or it would have no use whatsoever.”
Alex chuckled along with Church and Stephen, though he was not sure if he should be offended. Angelica’s beau was either a shrewd man or a buffoon, he wasn’t sure which.
“I make light of a foul situation,” Church parried, “but I cannot wait for this war to be over, and to return to England. It is my hope that we can bring a bit of American-style democracy to our side of the pond.”
“And Angelica?” Alex responded. “Does she want to bring some American-style democracy to your side of the pond?”
“It is my fondest wish,” he said, glancing over Alex’s shoulder. Alex turned, but it was Eliza who caught his eye. For the first time that evening she was able to smile directly at him. Alex felt the sudden need to loosen the buttons of his waistcoat; his heart was full to bursting.
The door opened, Ulysses entered with Loewes, the young footman, and after conferring briefly with Mrs. Cochran, pulled a table out from a wall and set it in the center of the room. Louisa and a chambermaid appeared with china, plate, and linens and set it quickly, as the men stood and allowed their chairs to be pressed into service, while chairs were brought for the women’s side as well. Mrs. Cochran’s wing chair was pushed to the head of the table, and soon enough, everyone was seated in front of steaming bowls of stew.
To Alex’s dismay, though, he was seated directly across from Peggy, with Angelica in the middle and Eliza at the far end. Church was seated next to him, and Stephen across from Eliza.
“Colonel Hamilton,” Angelica said, almost before they had begun eating, “we have been seeing a great deal of you lately. Or should I say, my sister Eliza has been seeing a great deal of you.”
Alex felt his cheeks warm. “Not nearly as much as I would like,” he said quietly, and dipped his spoon into his stew.
“Is that so? Then are we to conclude that you have proper intentions toward our sister?”
Alex struggled to keep his spoon steady as he brought it to his mouth. He chewed and swallowed slowly, hoping that someone would speak, but the table remained silent save for the occasional clink of metal and china.
“I would not like to characterize my feelings toward Miss Schuyler in public, if that is all right with you?”
“Dear me, Eliza,” Angelica continued, turning to her sister, “I hope he has more gumption on the battlefield than he does with females, or the war is doomed.”
Eliza didn’t meet her sister’s eye or Alex’s.
“Like I said, I hope Colonel Hamilton has more gumption on the battlefield than in courtship if he is hesitant to publicly announce his affection. Why, I told Mr. Church he was too old and too short for me the first time we met, and he still told everyone that he was going to marry me!”