You Promised

Chapter Five

I am in the bakery and the door bursts open and in marches John.
   'Can I help you John?' I ask in a hope that he will get the message and leave. No such luck.
    'Not really. I'm just bored.' He sits up on the counter, flips a pound into the tip box then grabs a scone.
    I sigh and return to work. Soon, I grow impatient though and tell him that if he wishes to stay in the shop, he has to go back into the kitchen. He begrudgingly obliges.
    Soon, the front bell tinkles again and in steps another local beauty. One of my best friends, Hazel Rivers, sweeps into the shop. Hazel has black hair that is dead straight then falls in gently waving curls down her shoulders and arms. Her topaz eyes shine at me as she gracefully makes her way to the counter.
   'Hello Hazel.' I say to her as she perches on the counter where my brother had been sitting just a moment ago. I'm again relieved that John is nowhere to be seen.
    'Good day Ami.' She says in that sweet voice of hers. 'You look nice.'
     'Thanks Hazel. You look beautiful too' I reply.
     'Any news?' She asks examining her perfect nails before sweeping her hair back over her shoulder. 'How are you feeling?'
   I shrug and offer her a cookie. 'Better thanks. You?'
   She smiles and accepts it. 'Very well, Thomas sends his love.'
   Suddenly, we hear a loud crash from the kitchen, and knowing it has to be made by my brother, I cringe and sigh. John soon stumbles from the kitchen and his eyes light on Hazel.
     'Why hello there.' He says in what he hopes is a suave tone. 'What's your name?'
      Hazel looks unsure but responds. 'Hazel Rivers. You must be John.'
      'Heard about me have you?' He says while resting his arm on a stack of boxes which, helpfully, falls to the ground. 'Bugge-' John stops himself from cursing just in time and bends down to pick the boxes up. Hazel and I stifle our laughter and bend to help. I pick up some boxes and leave to put them in the kitchen. I look out the window as I put the boxes away, and I see two men walking down the street. They are dressed in green jackets with brown boots. They have hats with the Royal British Crest on it. Officers. I know one of them. His name is General Turner. He must have come back to recruit. I run from the kitchen.
      'What is it Ami?' Hazel exclaims seeing my horrified face.
       'S-s-soldiers.' I manage to gasp.
       She shares a worried look with John as I fly from the bakery in a desperate race to get to Adam and in a childish moment, I wonder if hiding him somewhere would help.
    'Good day young missy.' Calls the junior officer with him.
  I force myself to came down and compose myself as I turn to feign politeness.
   'Amelia if you don't mind.' I insist to him before turning to the general. 'What brings the militia to our small village?'
  I try to ignore the young man winking at me and listen to the general speaking. 'The word has it there are some fine young soldiers-to-be in this small village.' He mocks my endearment of my home.
   I bite my tongue and focus on hurrying the conversation. 'Well, I hope you don't take them all, some of us are fond of them.'
   The general smirks and laughs loudly at me. 'There are indeed only a few young men worth recruiting in this....village.'
   I straighten my dress which amuses the younger man. 'I think all the men here are worth a hundred of wherever you came from and a thousand times better than your cause.' I retort, my eyes setting a new, hostile tone.
   His cold eyes glint with anger and his mouth contracts into a straight line. 'You would be Amelia Willson? A young man called Green mentioned you when we recruited him.'
  The young mans look of bewilderment in response to my gasp of horror settles the cold in my heart. I don't bother with a response, I just run away, hearing the general's evil cackle echo behind me.
       I race down the street, people staring as I fly past them. I have a new energy, one I never knew I had. I twist past stalls and spin around corners. I know that I'm running out of time. The men have already spoken to him. I get to his house, my heartbeat pounding in my ears and I see Mrs. Green alone in the kitchen. That doesn't matter. Where is Adam?
       I dash up to Mrs. Green. 'Hello dear' she says and I see that she is crying.
       'Where is he?' I pant. She shakes her head. I cannot believe it. I shove past her and speed up the stairs. I push his door open and see him. Packing.
   'Adam!' I shout at him, using the doorframe for support. His blue eyes dart up to my face at the sound of my voice and his face crumples into a mask of grief.