Your Interest At Heart

Chapter 4

My father is standing on the front patio with his gun. When he saw us, he walked to the center and waited for us to approach.

"Samuel Seabury?" He asked threateningly.

"Yes, sir." Samuel spoke up, hiding the tremble in his voice. My father cocked the gun and walked over, meeting us halfway.

"Bianca, get over here." My father ordered. I hesitated before scampering to him. "Go inside."

"No." I shook my head.

"Excuse me?" He turned to me. "Go inside."

"I can't let you shoot Samuel. He's my friend." I explained, voice small. "Even if you just shoot him in the foot."

Samuel flinched. York was sitting beside him.

"Just friends?" My father asked, tone terrifying. "You can't be friends with a man and not marry him."

"So, marry me." Samuel piped up.

"What?" I snapped my focus to him. My father did the same thing. Samuel turned to my father.

"If I married Bianca, would you allow me to be around her?" He asked.

"You are not marrying my daughter." Father told Samuel tightly. "I will not have a loyalist son in-law."

"I can change." Samuel reasoned.

"But you won't." Father sneered, whereas I was still observing.

"Please, sir, just give me a chance." Samuel pleaded.

"You will not be anywhere near my daughter." My father ordered, patting the barrel of his gun. Samuel's face fell and he caught my eye. I mouthed I'm sorry. "Leave."

"Yes, sir." Samuel nodded, he and York retreating back to his house. My father turned towards me.

~Time skip for three hours, it is now midnight.~

Father had been lecturing me about everything I'd done wrong in the past few months. But it was mainely about Samuel. He'd finally sent me away to my room at midnight. I'm only seventeen, so I'm technically still a child, a bit too young to marry. Then it hit me: I'll write him a letter.

Dear Samuel Seabury,
My father doesn't support loyalists in our family. Maybe he'll come around.

I will do my best to convince him otherwise.

I then slipped it into an envelope to give to the delivery man, or if I'm not allowed out, I'd give it to Eliza. No doubt she's writing to Alexander Hamilton. Afterwards, I changed into my pajamas and went to sleep.

I woke up at the crack of dawn and snuck to Eliza's room. She was already awake and in her day dress. Her head turned when she saw me.

"Bianca." She greeted. "I heard that you had fun last night."

"I met his dog." I informed her.

"Is that what you call it?" Her eyes widened.

"Eliza!" I cursed. "I met his actual dog last night. His name is York and he's very well behaved."

"This is a real dog, yeah?" She checked, sliding a page into an envelope.

"Yes." I nodded and handed her the letter. "If I can't go out, can you please give this to the delivery man as well?"

"For Samuel?" She asked, although she had just read the front heading. "What did he tell Father?"

My mind went back to the night before. "Father said that you can't be friends with—"

"A lady and not marry her." Eliza finished for me.

"Then Samuel asked Father if he could marry me—"

"What?" She slammed the envelope on her desk.

"Stop interrupting!" I snapped. "Father said no—"

"Naturally." She cut in. "Sorry!"

"And now I'm not allowed to see him." I concluded.

"I can help with that!" She exclaimed excitedly. "I'll get you an opening."

"Really?" I grinned.

"Yes!" She nodded.

It was a month before she found an opening.