Dear, Hamilton

Forboding

"That's my name," Hamilton grins with a swift wink, but I can only frown in response.

"Did I somehow manage to catch up with you?" I ask, confused, but Hamilton's eyes are sliding over my shoulder, his attention clearly diverted. 

I turn around to see Jane standing there uncertainly. I hear the sound of a chair scraping on floorboards, and I turn back around to see Hamilton has pulled up a seat at our table. 

"You came here with Mrs. Hamilton?" Alexander asks Jane, and when she nods, he offers, "Here, you can sit with us." When Jane sits down in the chair, albeit a little hesitantly, he tells her in earnest, sincerity lacing his voice, "Thank you for watching over her." Jane smiles in answer.

I watch this encounter with a confused look, still hung over the fact that I've coincidentally run into him at this tavern, before I turn my inquiring gaze towards Alexander. He glances at me briefly before looking away and clearing his throat. Only then does he answer my earlier question. 

"I received a letter from your father telling me that you were headed to Philadelphia. So I, uh, agreed to meet you halfway, except we're more than halfway at this point. It's only by mere luck that we ran into each other here."

I nod in agreement, too surprised to say anything else. 

His brows lower further as he asks, "Why are you coming all the way up to Philadelphia?" 

The guarded look in his eyes pains me, knowing that I was the cause of such guardedness, that I might have lost some of his trust.

Jane suddenly gets up, bring both of our attention to her, and she says eagerly, "Mrs. Hamilton, you haven't eaten anything yet. I'll go get you some food." 

Before I can answer, she quickly excuses herself and bounds off. I can't help but be a little grateful; this conversation would be best spoken in private.

When I look back at Hamilton, I give him a little smile and reply with no small amount of embarrassment, "I'm here to support you."

He draws back in his chair in confusion, and he stares at me for a moment longer before a grin starts inching its way across his face. "My sweet Eliza," he whispers softly before he stands and, leaning across the table, kisses me. It's a soft, sweet kiss that lasts only a few precious seconds, but he lingers a moment longer as if unwilling to pull away.

It's the sound of Jane's quiet ahem that finally gets Hamilton to lean back into his seat. His cheeks are flushed as he looks up at Jane and watches as she sets down a plate of steaming soup and bread in front of me. 

I grab the bread first and break a chunk off before extending a piece of it to Hamilton and asking, "Do you want some?"

He shakes his head, though, and replies, "I already ate." 

I look to Jane next in silent offer, but she shakes her head, too, and tells me, "I'm not hungry." 

"Suit yourself," I respond with a shrug before biting into the warm bread. I wave a hand towards Jane as I tell Hamilton, "This is Jane. My father sent her with me."

Alexander nods at Jane and replies, "Nice to meet you, Jane." 

He pauses, an uncomfortable look crossing his face, and he looks about to saying something else before he stops himself short. I give him a frown in silent question, and he returns it with a look that tells me he'll talk about it to me later.

Jane thankfully doesn't notice the exchange, and she replies happily, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Colonel Hamilton. I've heard so much about you from--"