The Traitor's Stain (wattys 2019)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Norwalk, Connecticut

"You still spooked about what happened with Peggy?"

Ben ignored Caleb for a moment: he didn't want to deal with it at the moment. He had more important things to deal with than dealing with... whatever it was that happened with Peggy the other night. It did still bother him: he hated thinking of what had happened, hated thinking about what the implications might be. He didn't respond, until he realized something.

He looked up at Caleb. "How in the world do you know about that?"

Caleb smirked. "Because Alexander can't keep his damned mouth shut. Probably the worst possible person we can trust with this whole secret network, thing."

Ben sighed. "Of course. I knew I shouldn't have explained any of it to him."

"I think he was mostly angry about you interrupting his time with one of the Schuylers," Caleb said. "That's what he kept talking about: how he was having such a great conversation with Eliza Schyler, and you came in and ruined it with your drama with Peggy."

"You sound like a gossiping spinster," Ben said.

"Except far better, because I'm cute," Caleb said. "Wanna talk about it? Did she grab your buttocks too hard?"

Ben gawked. "What?!"

"Major Tallmadge," a soldier said as he poked his head in, before Caleb could say anything else that Ben wouldn't be able to get out of his head for a long time. "General Washington wants to see you as soon as possible."

Well, thank God for that! Of course, though, he didn't say that. Instead, he stood up and organized his papers on his desk a little more: he had the feeling that he knew what this would be about, and he wanted to make sure he ha the proper papers on him for it. "Caleb, as much as I've enjoyed this conversation, we're going to have to stop it here. I'll be back in a minute."

"Don't think we're done with this," Caleb said. "I plan on knowing every detail of what happened, and I'm sure you'd rather I didn't go to Alexander for it-"

"Bye, Caleb." Ben walked out with the soldier, leaving Caleb alone in his tent.

Ordinarily, he would've been worried about that, but not then: he was just happy to have him out of his sight for the moment.

"Thank you," Ben said as he and the soldier walked to the general's tent. "You have no way of knowing this, but you've just saved me from the worst conversation of my life."

"I'll bet it had something to do with Peggy Arnold," the soldier said, much to Ben's horror.

His face grew cold with pallor. "I... how do you..."

"Alexander and Caleb can't seem to keep their mouths shut about things that don't matter," the soldier said. "If it makes you feel any better, I haven't told a soul: I think what happens between a man and a woman is a private matter. Doubt it matters, though: I think most of the men in camp have heard about it, at this point. Like a bunch of old women, they are, Major."

Ben was only half-listening to what the soldier was saying: he was more focused on the horror that filled his chest. The whole camp knew? The whole camp knew? And, from the sounds of it, they all believed that both parties had been flirting. Or, at the very least, that it had been welcomed. And that it might have gone farther than it actually had.

I'm dead, Ben thought to himself as they arrived at the General's tent. I'm dead, and it's just a matter of when Benedict hears the rumors and assumes the worst.

"The General's inside, sir," the soldier said.

"Thank you," Ben said.

He took a deep breath and walked into the tent.