Sirens | An AMC'S Turn: Washington's Spies Fan Fiction

Four

Liza stood in the middle of a field as rain began to pelt the ground. Thick raindrops landed on her nose and eyelashes, causing her vision to go blurry in the failing daylight. The only item on her person that wasn't soaking wet by the time she started to walk back to Whitehall was her worn copy of Macbeth, which was safely hidden in her cloak. It was the most important thing, if Liza were to be honest. Maneuvering through the wet grass, Liza thought of Ben and Caleb, who likely would've completed their mission days ago. She still hadn't heard if her and Abe's letter had arrived to them in time. She despised the wait, fearing that her friends were laying dead in a field somewhere in Connecticut, and there was nothing she could do to save them.

Whitehall looked particularly dreary as Liza knocked on the front door. Her frizzy blonde locks did nothing to hide the redness of fever that showed on her cheeks and she even attempted to hide a sneeze into the crook of her elbow, but the moment Aberdeen's eyes met the girl, it was evident that Liza would not escape unscathed.

"Miss Liza, you gone and catched a cold! My Lord, come inside," the older woman ordered, grabbing Liza's elbow to steer her into the foyer. Liza sighed in relief as her shivering body met the warmth of Whitehall. Although the late summer rains still threatened to flood Setauket, the air had become increasingly chillier and Liza, so consumed with worry for the whereabouts of her friends, hadn't given it any thought before leaving that morning.

Aberdeen led Liza to her room where she was immediately stripped of her soaking garments, dressed in a dry, overly-frilly nightgown, and ushered into bed. Liza's bones ached, but she sat up in bed and retrieved her Bible, which sat on the nightstand parallel to her. Flipping to the Gospel of Matthew, Liza began to scan the first chapter in boredom. When the Scriptures failed to entertain her, Liza turned to the older woman who kept an ever-present eye on her.

"Aberdeen, do you think it possible for someone to find love twice in their life?" Liza asked as she watched Aberdeen hang her clothes to dry next to the fireplace. Having grown up without a mother, Liza had heavily relied on Aberdeen to teach her about womanhood. She was a surrogate mother when Liza needed it most during her visits to Setauket.

Aberdeen stopped her work and glared at Liza. "That fever of yours is making you say some odd things, Miss Liza, even for you."

Liza sighed and put away her Bible, frustrated and feeling unwell. She was truly not as ridiculous as everyone seemed to think she was, and Liza hated that no one took her seriously, even Aberdeen who had never made jest at her insatiable curiosity.

"But whatever the reason for your question may be, I think it is possible, but very rare."

Liza thought on Aberdeen's answer, covering herself with her quilt until it she was well underneath the covers, her blonde curls crushed by her pillow. Ever since she was a little girl, she would hide in her covers and pretend she was on a ship, sailing to some faraway land to explore. Although she was twenty, nearly twenty one years old, her mind still drifted to Asia and Europe. As she imagined daring sword fights and restless seas, Liza fell into a fitful sleep.

Selah was in Liza's dreams the moment her eyes closed. His black hair was tied back and Liza could see how kind his eyes were as they stared into her own. She had always believed them to be the best part about Selah. She had fallen in love with his compassion and gentle spirit; the one that fought for what was right, even if he stood alone. The one that pushed aside his own hurt to ensure that everyone around him was taken care of first. However, Selah's eyes became sullen and his body hunched over in exhaustion, like he was holding onto a burden and needed to unload it. Liza whispered his name, urging him to tell her what was wrong. His fingertips brushed her cheek, and she leaned into his touch.