Dear, Hamilton

What year is it?

Lafayette's horse slows to a trot as we ride our way through the narrow cobblestone streets. One thing I've discovered since being here is how much easier it is to breathe. The air feels cleaner and fresher. No pollutants here yet.

It starts to rain as we suddenly stop at the front of a quaint, little house, and Lafayette swings off of the horse before extending a hand to help me down. I take his hand gratefully, and my feet hit the cobblestones with a solid thud as I scan the house curiously. 

"Whose house is this?" I ask Lafayette. 

Lafayette smiles and replies, "This is General Washington's house. All of his aides-de-camp live here too, so I suppose you could call it their house as well."

"You are one of Washington's aides-de-camp?" I ask with widening eyes. 

Lafayette shakes his head with a laugh. "I am not." He pauses before adding with a wink, "But the aides still require my assistance every once in a while." He stares at the house fondly as he continues, "But I stay here every so often to help General Washington."  

Lafayette suddenly turns towards me and states as if mildly affronted, "You never told me your name." 

I smile sheepishly. "Sorry, I must have forgotten in the spur of the moment. My name is Eliza."

"Your last name?"

"Schuyler." 

Lafayette blinks as if in surprise before nodding and saying, "Well, nice to meet you, Eliza Schuyler." He brings my hand to his mouth and presses a brief kiss to my knuckles before asking with a slight smile, "Shall we proceed inside?" 

I nod, a smile beginning to tug at my lips. This is all so strange. 

When we walk inside, Lafayette calls out loudly, "Angelica!" 

I hear footsteps on the stairs and look up to see a beautiful young woman descending the dark wood stairs. She wears a dark pink dress that looks positively painful to wear, and her dark hair is pulled up into an intricate looking bun. 

"Lafayette," she greets. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to say hello to Colonel Hamilton," Lafayette answers with a laugh. 

Angelica lifts an eyebrow, and something in the smooth gesture comes across as elegant. "Colonel Hamilton is off running dispatches with all the other aides-de-camp. That's all they do these days." She tosses her eyes playfully at this before adding, "I'm here to say my goodbyes since I leave for France in two weeks." 

The way she says this last part implies she feels the need to explain her presence in the house, though I don't know why exactly. 

Lafayette laughs joyfully. "Ah, you're going to France. Lucky you."

Angelica gives him a bright smile before she turns her brown eyes, so similar to my own, towards me in silent question. Her eyes widen slightly as she takes in my appearance, and I can only guess she's staring at my strange clothes. 

 I take the chance to introduce myself. "I'm Eliza Schuyler," I tell her and a flash of surprise crosses her face before it vanishes in a split second. It's so quick, I almost believe I never saw it.

"Well, as my dear friend Lafayette said earlier, I am Angelica," she says with a smile towards Lafayette. She holds out a hand for me. "Here, let me give you some new clothes. Those simply won't do. Mine should fit you."

We both head upstairs to Angelica's room where she instructs me to make myself comfortable while she finds me a suitable dress. Everywhere I look in her room, I find flashy, expensive things. A jeweled necklace, a lacy handkerchief, a grand mirror, and a large queen bed with plush, colorful blankets atop it.