What Happens By Candlelight

Chapter One: Return of the Lost

~~Three Years Later~~

"Amanda, it doesn't matter which tavern they drink at, all you're going to do is cause a bar fight." Amanda pouted as her hands studied the teacup, her fingers tracing the floral patterns. 

"I'm sorry Christy, but ever since John came, and we started courting, and now we're engaged-"

"I know, you have to keep up appearances. I understand to an extent." Amanda let out a sigh. She knew that I didn't understand, how could I? I was nineteen and had yet to accept any suitors because of my brothers, my dear imbeciles, haven't written to me at all. I don't even know if they're alive.

Amanda began to talk about the town gossip again, different things that she heard from unreliable sources, to fill the silence. I used to be like that, talking about whatever so that there was never any silence, but I lived in silence. The silence was my entire existence.

I got tired of listening to it, so I turned my gaze to the window and tuned her out as best as I could manage. Outside, was quite lovely today. There wasn't a cloud in sight, a nice breeze was blowing through the hot South Carolina air, and the sufficient rain made the trees a beautiful lush green.

I could imagine the children in town, playing games in the street, while women wore fewer layers to keep cool. Men would be lazing around, hardly working as they lay in the shade under the trees. It was summer now, all the strains of winter were gone and replaced with the freedom of summer.

"Are you listening?" My thoughts disappeared as my eyes switched from the window to a frantic Amanda. "What?"

She panicked. That was my first sign that something was wrong. Amanda was always carefree, for something to make her panic, it had to be catastrophic. "I hear hooves, a lot of them. Could be a battalion."

I jumped out of my chair and pushed a table out of the way of a window and leaned against it, squinting my eyes to look in the distance. I could feel the vibrations echoing through my heart from both the horses' hooves and the marching drums.

I could just barely make out red blurs on horses, but it was enough to make me panic as well. Either they knew what we were, or they chose a new house to quarter in. Neither of the options sounded appealing.

"Outside, we need to greet them-" Amanda shook her head fervently, trying to run, but I grabbed her arm and forced her to face me. "Hiding makes us suspicious. Running makes us guilty. Greeting them makes us look innocent."

Her breathing began to calm, her eyes not straying from my own. I silently tugged her forward, bringing her to stand outside. We silently stood on the steps as the red blurs gained body parts, their horses gaining reins and a saddle. I stood tall as they neared us, I couldn't shrink away now.

Finally, after a few minutes of standing in the heat, the men scattered into a rectangle. Twenty men across and fifteen men deep. Roughly three hundred men were before us, seated on horses of all variations. "Good afternoon ladies, are one of you a current resident in the household?"

Amanda's grip became tighter, begging me to not fess up. "I am the keeper of the plantation while my brothers are away." My voice carried far better than I ever remember it, carrying far enough back for most of the men to hear.

The lead man, a Lieutenant Colonel based on the size of his followers, was studying the two of us with a harsh gaze. His striking blue eyes weren't helping the situation at hand, but his glare made it worse. "Are they patriots or loyalist?"

There was no honest way for me to answer. Well, no honest way for my brothers' positions to answer for me. "My kin didn't tell me, Sir. I was only told to stay neutral and nothing else." 

His eyes didn't leave mine, he was probably trying to see if I was telling the truth or not. I felt that no matter what I said, what I did, I was fighting a battle that was already lost.

"Search the house." A few men jumped off of their horses and brushed past us. I wasn't worried. I kept all of the information gathered close to me at all times- they won't find anything inside.

The silence stretched out. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen. Amanda's grip didn't loosen, but I could tell by the way she was breathing that she had calmed down tremendously. The men waited in anticipation, prepared to do whatever they were ordered. 

Finally, the search party came out shaking their heads. "We found nothing, Sir. They appear to be telling the truth. There is no proof of them being patriots or loyalists."

Again the man's piercing eyes found mine. He wanted to challenge me, but he had nothing to do so on. I kept my gaze level with his own, refusing to back away from any battle. "Have you ever sewn a man's wound shut?"

The question was random and unexpected. I considered remarking on how rude it was to ask such a thing, but deep down I felt a sense of urgency in him. He cared for his men, whether he'll admit it or not, he cared.

"Once or twice." My words were slightly false, I had to give sutures to many men when there was a battle nearby. I was usually nice enough to help men on both sides. Usually.

The man nodded his head to another, and before I knew it a cart pulled up beside him. "Come on out, this woman has agreed to assist your brother."

A few men stepped forward to take a cot out of the cart with a man on it, clutching his abdomen to stop the blood. I couldn't see his face since he was turned away from me, but I was fairly sure that he was unconscious. "Thank you so much, ma'am!"

I turned my head as the final person stepped out of the cart. My eyes studied the familiar face in awe. "Edward!"

It couldn't be! They hadn't talked to me in three years! They had to be dead!

"Christina?"

It was him. He looked the same, only his body had a more muscular form from his years in service and his cheeks has lost the rest of the childish fat he used to have. For a moment, I was excited to see my brothers, but the injured man came to mind. I rushed away from Amanda and over to the cot, inspecting the man. It was, as I expected, Thomas.

"Thomas!" What an idiot! He disappears for three years! And then what did it get him?! A bullet to the gut! 

"Take him inside! First door on the right!" The men seemed uncertain, but after a glare, they hurried off. "I hope they drop you."

My gaze returned to Edward, who was trying to greet Amanda. "You," He gulped, realizing for the first time that I was NOT happy to see him. "When I finish sewing him up, I expect an explanation. Am I understood?"

I watched him gulp in anticipation. Good, guilt was good. My eyes glanced over to Amanda, who was still shell-shocked at the surrounding events, but she seemed well enough now. Perhaps she was more worried about Thomas, but I could see the change of disposition after my bossy side kicked in.

"Amanda, you should go on home now. I'll take care of everything here." She nodded eagerly, rushing inside to grab her bonnet and tying it around her head. I began my journey inside while she avoided the British soldiers, who were now unpacking on my front lawn.

What a fun reunion this had become.