Broken Soldier ~ Assassin's Creed 4

Chapter Seven

I stayed for a while at Edward's parents' home. I wrote letters with them, mentioning how much they missed him. However, I left them in their hands for them to send. After all, those words had come directly from them, as should the letter. They simply found it easier to speak their words instead of write them.

I went home with my own letter clutched in my hands. My basket now held only the other letters and a little bit of the remaining bread. My coin purse was empty, the little soldier in the palm of my hand. It gave me a sense of being at home, even if I wasn't exactly home. Only, I wished I was even farther from home. Maybe...in Jamaica with Edward.

My feet scraped along the cobblestones on the path to the house. Dave greeted me with a smile, and I gave him the rest of the bread for lending me some money. He tried to refuse, but I insisted, and he let me use his tool shed to change back into my old clothes. He knew I had a habit of sneaking out in the middle of the night so we kept a spare dress in a small chest. I was good at sneaking out - maybe too good.

After changing, I shoved the other dress into my basket to whisk it off into the washing room. I was certain that Edith would be angry with me, but she would never tell my step-father, for the sake of her job. As I stepped into the room, she glared at me with a fiery stare.

"Stealing my clothes now, are we?"

"I'm sorry, Edith, truly I am. I wanted - no, needed - to see the Kenways. I had to catch up with them." She rolled her eyes and hauled the basket of dirty clothes and dropped each item into the soapy water. Her face grew a little smirk as she scrubbed at the clothes.

"You're such a troublemaker, mistress."

"No change, then?" She shook her head.

"None at all." I grinned back.

"Edith, could you tell me something?" She looked up from her position at the water. "It is alright for me to speak with Edward and his parents, isn't it? I don't want to impose or anything."

"What on Earth do you mean? They all love speaking to you, as do most people." I raised an eyebrow. "Fine, most people have to love speaking with you, but the Kenways aren't like that at all, dear. Now, your parents will be wondering where you are. Your mother is in the library and your step-father is in his office, or they were last I checked."

First, I made my way to my step-father's office. He didn't look up from his papers when I knocked, simply grunting for me to come in. I stepped forward a few inches. A maid brushed past me, holding a teapot.

"Mistress Elisa. Master Dawson." She set down the pot.

"Don't just stand there, Elisa." He looked up to pour tea into two cups. "Sit." I took a seat on a slightly worn chair which groaned under my weight. "I wanted to show you something." He slipped over a large book and a cup of tea. He sipped his own tea as I flipped through the pages. "That book is full of clients and orders and other such business."

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"I won't live forever, neither will your mother, and you are the eldest, therefore the most trusted. I wouldn't trust any of your sisters with even the air they breathe." I smiled.

"I'm honored but what do I do with all of this?"

"Simply keep a record of all the dispatches we send or receive, have visitors sign themselves in and out, keep track of money, things like that. If you scan through, you should find exactly what you need to track now and what is already dealt with." His hand rested on top of mine. "Do not worry, you're a smart girl, you'll figure it out." I nodded and stood to take my leave. "Oh, and Elisa?" I turned back. "Not a word to your mother until later. I'll give you the book properly this evening once the girls are asleep." He gave a little wink. I giggled and shut the door as I left.

Next, I found mother in the library, just as Edith had said. She was reading, as always, with a maid sat close by. She too had two cups beside her, however both were stained and empty, clearly having been drunk from earlier.

"Come, Elisa." I sat next to the maid. "You may leave, Tara." Tara curtsied and left quickly. "I must speak with you."

"What about, mother?" She sighed, placing down her book.

"You're getting older now and it is time for you to begin thinking about what you would like to do in the future."

"I would like to teach people how to read and write."

"But, we will find you a perfect suitor so you won't have to work." I frowned.

"I suppose I don't get a say in this, then."

"Don't give me that tone, Elisa. All women in our family go through this. I did, you will and so will your sisters. I know you wish to help people, but with a wealthy husband, you will not need to work."

"Well, I will most likely do it anyway."

"That's fine, but you still need a husband to carry on our family." She smiled.

"Mother-"

"No, no. It is done."

"What if I don't wish to marry a wealthy man? What then?"

"We won't allow the marriage, it is as simple as that."

"So you would rather I marry for money instead of love? Oh, mother, I feel so very blessed by the fact that you are willing to go out of your way to make me incredibly unhappy." I stood up with a frown. "Don't expect me down for dinner, I have lost my appetite."

I took to the comfort of my room for the rest of the night. Of course, mother told the maids not to bring me any food, but Dave hadn't been given that warning and brought me some apples from the orchard. Some of them were rancid, but my stomach growled like a storm. All the while, I had been writing short letters. By short, I mean a few sentences long and then I had given up. All were to Edward or a few to his parents. None would ever be seen, having been set alight and used as extra fuel for my lantern.

Dear Edward,

My parents are currently trying to find me a suitor. I think I may run away. How ever did you and Caroline marry, if you don't mind my asking? Were her parents just as stubborn as mine? Of course, I'm not getting married, no, not yet at least. It's a matter of time, however, before they spring a wedding on me.

Mother knows about my distaste for the idea, though she does nothing at all to stop it. In fact, I believe it is her who wants me to be wed more than my step-father. I've also been trusted with the family's accounting, I suppose. I have to keep track of everything and everyone who comes and goes from these walls.

I'm sorry that I have to come back to the topic of marriage, but it is all I can think of. I think my mother believes marriage to just be a way of securing your finances. Before she married my father, she was the daughter of rich parents, though they didn't show it. Her thoughts on poor people marrying wealthy people were looser before my father passed. I remember for possibly the first eight years of my life being raised to treat everyone as equal. Then, after mother remarried, everything changed. My step-father has strong views on people with less money than ourselves. My mind would not be changed, though, and so I still see everyone as equal. My father taught me well, and I intend not to disappoint him. I believe he would allow me to choose my own husband. I'm not sure. I'd like to get a second opinion from someone I trust - that would be you.

Elisa

That was the letter I settled on sending. It was the only one worth sending. Also, shortly after finishing it, I found out that I would have to meet some of the girls from the school in which I was to finish my education. Dave had overheard my parents and passed on the knowledge to me. Within the week, a meeting was to be planned. I was dreading it.