“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Miss Woods smiled and took me by the arm and led me upstairs, like we were college friends. “Anna, please bring clean water for Mistress Murray,” she called down the stairs.
“This is your room. Anna will bring you up some hot water to clean.” She opened the door wide for me to enter. It had a four-poster bed with matching floral curtains and bedspread, a dressing table, a chair that sat next to the fireplace, and a wool rug on the floor. “While you clean, I will find something for you to wear. It looks as though you need everything. My shoes may fit you. You look close to my size.” I thought she was being generous by saying that I looked close to her size. She was young, thin, and taller than me.
A young, enslaved woman entered the room. She looked about the same age as Miss Woods. Dressed in a plain brown dress, with a white scarf to cover her chest, and her hair pulled back into a bun, she was beautiful and well put together. She placed a large pitcher of steaming water near a basin. “Anna will help you clean up, and I’ll bring you something to wear.”
“I can wash myself.”
“Oh, nonsense. Anna enjoys helping,” she said as she waved me off and left the room.
Enjoys helping. More like no choice but to help.
I looked at Anna sympathetically. “You really don’t need to help me. I can do this by myself.”
“Please, mistress. I can help.”
“What if I refuse? What would happen?” I wanted to scream. She had no choice but to help me. She had no choice but to listen to do what Miss Woods tells her to do. “Apologies,” I said as I put my right hand over my heart, in a signal of apology. “I will not ask for you to disobey Miss Woods, but I could ask for something to drink.”
I felt terrible having her help me. That went against everything I believed in and held to be true. I could not ask her to disobey Miss Woods, but I thought sending her on a smaller task would somehow hold me less responsible for my participation in her oppression. It was a lie I told myself to get me through the night. Tomorrow I would be on my way to Williamsburg, to Henry’s house, where he did not have enslaved people. I just had to keep my cool one night. I could do it at the Lovett’s home, I could do it at Elizabeth’s home.
As I got undressed, I tucked my notebook under the stack of dirty clothes. I cleaned up, dried with a linen towel, and wrapped myself in the blanket that was laid over the back of the chair. My hair was wet and would not dry by the time we had supper, but I could pull it back in some sort of bun. I had been using a thin strip of leather to hold my hair back, but thought I might find something less rough, like a ribbon.
“Mistress Murray,” Miss Woods announced as she entered the room. “I have a couple of dresses for you. You can take your pick.” She handed me a shift that I slipped over my head. I felt so free and comfortable compared to the scratchy wool trousers I had worn for the past couple of weeks. I chose a soft blue satin dress, with lace trim, to wear. To my surprise, it fit and fit nicely. I must have lost some weight in my travels. If I was going to wear this for the evening, then I might as well go all out. I pulled on the silk stockings above my knees and tied a ribbon around each leg to keep them up. The entire ensemble was beautiful and heavy. In the past couple of weeks, I had forgotten the weight of the layers of clothing that women were required to wear. The shoes she offered to me to wear were slightly snug on my feet, but not enough to keep me from wearing them.
Elizabeth’s green satin dress highlighted the tiny flecks of gold that highlighted her green eyes. With her fair skin, she looked as though she had never worked a hard day in her life. Poised, proper, and absolutely beautiful.
“I will have Anna help you with your hair. She does my hair so beautiful.” She looked around the room and only then did she realize Anna had not been in there to help. “Where is Anna? She was supposed to help you.”
“Oh, I asked her to bring me some tea.” I tried to change the subject as quick as possible. “I was just going to pull it back in a bun or something simple. Is there is a ribbon that I could use? I’ve only had this worn-out piece of leather.”
Elizabeth moved over to a small box that sat on the table. She rummaged through it pulling out a ribbon and put it back. “You are going to have to tell me how you came to be with George. He is never here. Did you go on any adventures with him? What is he like commanding all those men?” She found one that she was happy with.
She was young enough to be my daughter, and she was the first woman that I met here that didn’t make me feel always on edge. The fact that she looked like my dear friend Beth didn’t hurt. I wondered if they were related. They must be. The family resemblance was uncanny.
“Oh, The French abducted me.” I said as though it happened every day.
“Did he rescue you from them?” She came over to help me pin my hair into place.
“No. Henry.” I paused before continuing. “Captain Spencer did. I escaped the French, and he has helped take care of me ever since.”
“He seems like he would be the romantic type,” she said with a swoony look in her eyes.
I might have been on edge, but it was like having a conversation with Hannah. I needed to get off the men subject. “Who lives here with you? I would think a young woman would live with her parents or husband.” And straight back to the men holding the power. Great job, Amelia.
“Father is a merchant and is always off at sea. Mother died after my birth. She came down with the birthing fever.” She fidgeted with a ribbon.
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.” I knew during this time, many women died from infection during childbirth. It didn’t make it any easier to deal with the aftermath.
“I am the mistress of the house and have Anna, Moses, and Mary to take care of my needs.” A knock at the door interrupted our conversation. “If you would like, you may call me Elizabeth. I think we are friends now.”
“And you may call me Amelia, if you would like.”
“Miss Elizabeth,” Anna had come to the door with my tea. “Captain Spencer has arrived for supper.”
“Let us go have supper with the man that rescued you from the terrible French. I want to hear his brave story.” Oh, geez. She laid it on thick. She might be good for some conversation, but if I was stuck in 1754, then I would need to find women my age to befriend.
“Thank you for my tea, Anna,” I said apologetically. I didn’t realize how long it would take her to bring me tea and the time we would have supper. “Please leave it on the table. I will drink it after supper.” I was determined not to let her hard work go to waste and hoped the caffeine wouldn’t keep me up all night. We were to leave for Williamsburg early in the morning.
As we descended the stairs, Henry stood at the bottom, waiting for us. He gave a sweeping bow.
“May I escort you to supper, my lady?” He said as he offered me his arm.
Oh, geez. Speaking of it being laid on thick. However cheesy as I thought it was, it made me blush. I gave a deep curtsy to mimic his bow.
“I would be honored, my lord.” I looked up and gave him a smile. Elizabeth smirked and giggled.
As we walked to the table, he leaned over to me and whispered, “If I may be so bold, you look beautiful.”
“I clean up nice. Don’t I?” I gave him a teasing smile. “If I stay here much longer, I could get used to this. I hope you’re rich enough to buy me dresses.” What was I saying? I was inserting myself into his life, as if he didn’t have a choice. Whoa! I can be bold.
He leaned close to my ear and whispered, “It would honor me to dress you.”
I gulped and was desperate to look unaffected by his comment. The crimson blush that spread to my ears and down my chest gave me away. “I thought you mentioned something about getting me out of my clothes?” That time, I think I saw him blush.
We sat down at the formal set dining table. I panicked. If I thought I was out of my element before, I certainly was now. I took a deep breath and realized a couple of things. First, Elizabeth tied my stays a bit too snug for my liking. Second, I would just watch what Henry and Elizabeth did and imitate them. I was thankful it was just the three of us. I really needed to find a book on etiquette.
“Those wretched filthy clothes are the only clothes you own?” Elizabeth exclaimed. The look of shock on her face amused me. I almost shot the wine out of my nose from trying to hold in the laughter. “Am I missing something? Where are the rest of your clothes? Surely, Captain Spencer, you have not left the lady without proper attire,” she teased him.
“I have my dress, but it is in just as terrible condition. The battlefield can make clothes a bit, um, dirty.” Dirty clothes were the least of my concern during a battle. I had a feeling she wouldn’t understand what it was like on a battlefield. Until a couple of months ago, I could not comprehend the chaos, and what we went through was only the beginning. “I lost all of my belongings in a fire.”
“Is that how you lost your husband?” She looked down at my wedding ring. “In a fire?”
“My husband was killed, and I have nothing left.” It was the truth. I needed to remember to be careful of the stories I tell in order to keep them straight. They killed my husband two hundred sixty-five years in the future, and I truly had nothing to my name in 1754. “And then, of course, I was held captive by the French.” I looked over at Henry, who sat across the table from me. “Captain Spencer has been more than generous, but it is difficult to get clothes when we were constantly moving with the regiment. I’m sure when things settle down, we will figure out how to get me clean clothes.”
“Oh, nonsense. I cannot let a friend staying in my house not have something proper to wear.” She reached over the table, grabbed my hand, and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll have Anna lay out clothes for you to take with you.”
“That is most generous of you, Miss Woods.” Henry interjected into the conversation. “I will, of course, compensate you for your generosity.”
“I appreciate your generosity, however,” Elizabeth had a determined look on her face. She went from playful to serious in a split second. “Instead of money, you can invite me to your wedding.”
“Wedding?” I exclaimed and choked on my wine. “What wedding? Our wedding?” I shot a panicked look to Henry. “We’re not getting married.”
I looked at Henry in terror and confusion. He was a wonderful friend. I wanted to tease the idea of a relationship with him. But, married? We were nowhere near getting married. We hadn’t even kissed.
“Oh, I beg your pardon,” Elizabeth looked dejected. “I had assumed that you were engaged and to be married when you got to Williamsburg. I thought that was the reason for the expedited travel.”
“I’m so sorry, Elizabeth.” I grabbed her hand to try to ease the tension. “Henry, I mean Captain Spencer, and I are just really good friends. But, if we do get married, I will let you know.” I gave her had a squeeze and took a drink of my wine.
I didn’t know what else to say to ease the room. Henry sat there and drank a couple glasses of wine in the attempt to stifle his laughter and to hide the pink in his cheeks. I think he liked to see me squirm over the conversation of a relationship. I raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. Laugh it up, jerk.
We moved to the sitting room and had a couple of drinks after dinner. It was late and we had an early departure. Henry retired to the inn, and Elizabeth and I went upstairs to look at the clothes Anna had set out for me.
A beautiful dark green petticoat and gown made of cotton, stays, a clean shift, bum roll, stockings, a pair of black shoes, and pockets. The cotton would be light weight enough to help keep me cool during the heat of the day.
“You should take what you are wearing tonight. You will need something to meet Governor Dinwiddie.” Elizabeth held up the dark green gown and glanced over to me. I gave her a confused look. I hadn’t thought about what we were going to do when we got to Williamsburg. Supper with the governor? Where is that book on etiquette? “George mentioned meeting with the governor. I assumed he would have a ball or at least a supper to celebrate the battle.”
“We lost. I’m not sure that is grounds for celebration.” My eyebrows and nose scrunched in confusion.
“You will need it. Trust me. Every time I visit my friend Charlotte in Williamsburg, the governor is always hosting something. I’ll have Anna bundle it for you in the morn.”
“Thank you, truly.”