Callie abruptly gasped and came to a stop, halting Richard because she held his hand. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Sorry.” Callie scanned the people ahead, then started walking again. “I caught a glimpse of a man who looked like my stepson, Henry. That happened a lot when I first came to the United States. Not as much lately, but all the uncertainty is making me jumpy.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t him?”
She nodded her head. “He lives in Jamaica and I can’t imagine him coming here in the middle of a war. I’m just on edge because of all that’s going on.”
They reached Newell’s and Richard unlocked the door. Callie asked, “What will you do with yourself while we wait for the war to come to us? I can’t imagine that you want to join one of the Maryland militia units.”
“I won’t fight my own people. Nor would I fire on Americans if I was with British troops.” He grinned at her. “But I can dig ditches.”
“So you’ll work on defense but not offense,” she said thoughtfully as she headed up the stairs. “Fair enough.”
“If the defenses are good enough, the British forces may choose not to try to invade the city. They haven’t a huge number of troops and Ross isn’t fool enough to throw lives away by attacking entrenched forces that won’t run this time.”
“A British retreat is possible?” she asked hopefully.
“Yes, but I don’t know how likely it is. We can ask Josh how the earthworks are coming.” They reached the top of the stairs and he held the door open for her.
When they entered the main living space, Richard announced, “I’m going to be staying here for the duration. I’ll try not to be too much trouble.”
Josh was setting a table with Trey’s assistance, but he cocked a quizzical brow at Richard. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. Need something to do?”
“I told Callie I’d volunteer to dig trenches east of the city if idle hands are still needed,” Richard said.
Josh looked shocked that a man so obviously aristocratic would do such work, but recovered quickly. “You look like you have a strong back, so I expect you’ll be welcome. If you don’t want to ruin your London tailoring, I can lend you some clothes. We’re near the same size.”
“That would be welcome.” Richard indicated his satchel. “I’ve been traveling with very little.”
“Rather than digging ditches, you should join the militia.” Trey grinned. “It’s more fun and the uniform is better. Do you know how to shoot?”
“I’m a tolerable shot, but I don’t want to kill either British or American soldiers,” Richard explained. “Digging ditches should keep me out of trouble.”
Callie knew that he was a superb shot, so all the more reason to avoid active military duty. From the murmur of voices in Sarah’s room, she knew that Molly was tending her grandmother, but she was surprised to see a young, blond militiaman enter from the balcony. She smiled at him. “You must be a friend of Trey’s?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said shyly. “I’m Peter Carroll. Usually I read law, but this week I’m a soldier. Trey said I could come for supper and gawp at his sister.”
He was a nice-looking young man a couple of years older than Trey, and he blushed charmingly when Molly emerged from Sarah’s room. Interestingly, Molly seemed equally taken with him. “Hello, Peter! I’m so glad you could join us. The guest list is expanding so it’s lucky I bought a loaf of bread to go with the pork pie and salad!”
Molly looked tired, but she was taking on the duties of cook and lady of the house very well. Callie realized that she herself wasn’t really needed, not anymore. With a mental sigh, she tucked that knowledge away with all the other realizations that her life was changing.
They sat down to their supper a few minutes later. The meal was one of the most enjoyable Callie had ever experienced even though the food was plain and the people sitting around the table were very diverse. Perhaps imminent danger made such moments of shared pleasure special.
Trey and Peter returned to their regiment when the meal was over. It didn’t take long to sort out their new living arrangements. Josh and Sarah had slept together until she became ill, but then they’d split the two bedrooms into male and female quarters. Molly slept on a pallet by her grandmother to look after her while Josh and Trey had turned the other bedroom into a male dormitory. That way Molly was on call for nursing duty and Sarah wasn’t disturbed when her husband left early to work on the city’s fortifications.
Since it was summer, a blanket and an improvised pillow sufficed to make up a pallet for Callie on the other side of Sarah’s bed, with the same for Richard beside Josh. Josh tried to give him the bed, but Richard cheerfully pointed out that he wasn’t the one with the old bones. Trey would sleep in that room if he had an overnight visit home.
Despite her disquiet over the way things were changing, Callie slept well and happily. Except for Trey, all the people she loved best were under this rough-beamed roof. She prayed that a month from now, they’d all be equally hale and happy.
Chapter 18
Digging ditches was extremely hard work. Gordon had known that, of course, and he was not unfamiliar with heavy labor. But building earthworks was its own particular form of exhausting.
By the end of the day, he was covered with mud and had sore muscles in places where he hadn’t known he had muscles. Josh noticed, but had the tact not to point out that Gordon looked as if a field of derby horses had raced over him. Several times.
By the time they reached Newell’s, he barely had the energy to eat a few mouthfuls of bread and cheese before he headed for his pallet, stripped off his muddy garments, and collapsed. Before consciousness slipped away entirely, he heard Josh say with a chuckle, “Gotta give that white boy credit. He knows how to work.”
“Oh?” Callie’s voice had a tart edge.
