Running Out of Time (A Philip Hamilton Romance)

Struggle from Afar

Amelia's POV

Philip and Alex returned to school the day after Christmas. But those two days were so worth it.

On Christmas morning, I helped with the children and after breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton allowed Philip, Angelica, and Alex to go into town to shop with me as a chaperone. Angie and Alex broke off on their own as they usually do when we go to town, which allowed Philip and I to spend some time together. He bought me a rose and I put one of the petals in the locket he gave me.

We walked through the park together and it felt so easy, so perfect. We were sitting on a bench huddled together in the chilly December weather when Philip turned to me, "Ami, what was your family like?"

I must have tensed at the question because he followed up with, "You don't have to tell me if it's too difficult."

I took a breath and looked at him, "My mother died when I was very young, after that it was only my father, my brother and I. When the war started, my father made Monsieur LaFayette promise to keep me safe, if something happened to him and Louis. LaFayette kept his promise by sending me with Jefferson to your family."

He looked at me in a way I hadn't seen before, "I didn't know you had a brother. I can't imagine losing any of mine. Especially, in a war as young as you were... You were seven when you came to us. You lost everyone by the time you were seven." He looked down at our feet.

As I looked at him, I realized this is what Mrs. Hamilton must have seen in Mr. Hamilton when they were young. He took my hand and slipped it into his coat pocket and rubbed my hand with his thumb. I felt tears slipping down my face as I realized it would be nearly six months before I would see him again. He pulled me against his shoulder, "What is it, love?" My tears dripped onto his coat, "It will be so long before we can be together again." He turned to face me, "I'll write to you, if you'll write to me. Remember the promise, we gave up on when I left the first time? I won't give up this time," he smiled and wiped my tears away.

Philip's POV

Before Alex and I returned to school, I told Angie about what had been going on between Amelia and I. She promised to help get letters back and forth between us while I was away.

"How long do you really think you can keep this secret from Mother and Father?"

I grimaced, "We only have to hide it until I graduate. Then, I will tell them."

Angie didn't like lying to them, but she understood. She had grown up with us. She knew I had fallen for Amelia years ago and pushed my feelings down. She was my closest confidant.

I knew hiding from my parents would be hard for Amelia. She loved my mother as if she were her own. Mother raised Amelia alongside Angelica and I until we were about 12. I had already been going to boarding school for a few years at that point. After Alex joined me at school, Amelia became the governess for the house.

I hid my feelings for Amelia by involving myself with ladies while I was away, but none of them meant anything. It was just fun.

I was back at school for the last few months until I was set to graduate. Amelia would send me a few letters a week and I would respond as often as I could.

In one of the letters Angie sent along with Amelia's, she told me people were mistreating Amelia and the little ones when she and Angie took them to town because of the Reynolds Pamphlet. Amelia took the brunt of the insult since she was the adult. Angie told me she took the little ones home before it became too embarrassing or people started targeting them. Amelia didn't mention it to my parents or I. I wrote back to Angie to ask Mother and Father if she could come visit me with Amelia as chaperone.

About a week later, they arrived at the house where I stayed while I was at school. I was still in class when they got there, but Alex was there.