Daughter of the Revolution
Chapter XI
Nathan pushed his chair back from the breakfast table and stood up.
"Abby, may I see you privately in your father's office, please?" he asked in a friendly tone.
"Of course, Uncle. I'll be right in."
She met him there and he held a chair for her as she settled in. He sat across from her and looked at her appraisingly.
"I've been hoping for the right moment to debrief you on your activities over the last few months. I hope you don't mind?" he asked.
"I thought you've pretty much heard our story. Isn't that sufficient?" she returned.
"Well, I'd like to dig more in depth and ask the Major to take notes. It may help out our war effort considerably."
"I've got lots of maps and letters that we've taken from the redcoats and you're welcome to them. They're locked in a room down the hall." she volunteered.
"Along with the payroll money?" he asked carefully.
"Yes, Uncle Nathan, along with the payroll money," she said a bit testily. She wasn't really enjoying the turn their conversation was taking and was beginning to get irritated.
He stood and went to the door and opened it. "Major! Please assist Miss Durham with bringing some documentation to the office," he ordered.
"Does the poor Major not have a name?" Abby asked tersely.
"Yes. His name is James Moore. Please, Abby. I'm not trying to be confrontational with you. I just need solid information on our enemy and the only way to get it is to question you thoroughly. I'm sorry, but it will take several hours, maybe even into tomorrow. Believe me, debriefing people is one of my least favorite things to do. It always seems to stir resentment with one or both parties involved."
Major Moore appeared and held his arm out for Abby to take. She led him down the hall and over the next half hour they sorted through her piles of plunder and picked out all the intelligence documents she could find. He carried them back to the office where Nathan was reading correspondence from a recent messenger.
Maddy was leaning over his shoulder while serving him a cup of steaming coffee. Abby watched how Maddy fluttered over him and gave him her big doe eyes while she touched his shoulder. Her irritation abated somewhat when she realized how hard Maddy had fallen for the General.
"Mistress Abby, would you care for a coffee?" Massy asked politely.
"Yes, please, Maddy, with a drop of whiskey as well. I may need it."
Nathan laughed uproariously and winked at a surprised Abby. "A girl after my own heart!" he guffawed. "Dear Maddy, I'll take the same, along with the Major."
"Yes, Sir."
When the three had settled in, the General dismissed Maddy and locked the door behind her. Abby's eyebrows raised in surprise and Nathan noticed immediately.
"You can't imagine how hard it is to keep a secret," Nathan said quietly. "The walls truly do have ears."
"I'm not too sure what's secret, Uncle. Almost everything I've been doing lately involved loud gunshots and explosions," Abby offered a bit sarcastically, but tempered it with a small smile. James sniggered softly, which earned him a quick wink from a beautiful blue eye.
Nathan pinned her with a sober stare. "Are you aware that Alec is a spy for the Colonial Army?"
Abby looked at him in total amazement. "Excuse me? My Alec is a spy?" she sputtered in shock.
"Yes he is, and one of our best ones. He's never mentioned a word to you about it?"
"No. He hasn't told me what his billet was in the army and I never asked. I just assumed he was an infantry soldier."
"Perfect. Exactly what I was hoping you'd say," Nathan answered in satisfaction. "You're a very intelligent woman, didn't you notice anything odd about his behavior?"
"Well, he could read a map and navigate quite well for a plain soldier. He also knows his way around weapons, including loading and firing cannon. He was patient with me and seemed to pick up on my tactics quickly and never complained about how long I'd keep him waiting to spring an ambush. Oh, and when I found him he'd been whipped horribly. His skin was nearly flayed from his back."
Nathan's eyes widened quickly, but he said nothing about that last disturbing bit.
"Did you two take any prisoners other than the recent Colonel while you were working together? They can be an excellent trove of information if treated properly, as you might imagine."
"Um, oh that. Prisoners...well, we did have one but I killed him. He would've slowed us down I reckon," she admitted shamefacedly.
The Major sniggered again while Nathan fought back a smile. "And how did you kill him, shoot him?"
"I stabbed him in the heart with my rapier. I was rather in a hurry at the time."
"Your rapier, hmm. I recently heard a story about a young lass that used one to save the life of my nephew. Apparently she challenged a more than dangerous redcoat to a duel and won quite handily. A parry, then a riposte, then a thrust to the neck was enough to send him to Hades. Three movements to best a professional swordsman, quite remarkable indeed."
Abby colored a bit and sipped her coffee, still awkward at receiving compliments even at her age. She looked at James and noticed he was watching her with more respect in his eyes than earlier. Nathan came over and sat beside her, then took her hands in his.
"Abby, will you please assist us? I realize it'll be somewhat painful, and at times boring, but I'll do my best to keep it short. We're not here to question or criticize your actions in any way, we just need solid information."
"Then why isn't Alec here with me? He knows quite a lot as well."
"Because he may positively or negatively influence your answers. I don't want either, just the unvarnished truth."
She looked in his eyes, seeing nothing but sincerity and decided to soften her heart a bit. "As you wish, just keep the coffee coming."
For remainder of the day and up until lunchtime the following day, the two men grilled her over her activities, using her maps and letters to piece together an idea of what the British had been up to in the south.
Alec hadn't inquired of her what Nathan had been asking, which she thought was odd until she realized that he already knew. She still couldn't wrap her mind around Alec being a spy, but as she thought more about it some of his past behavior made sense. Especially when she remembered he'd said he was to be hanged. He hadn't volunteered what the reason was and she hadn't asked, but she knew that most spies were typically hung as a punishment for their deeds.
Finally, the General asked a last, but delicate question. "What did you plan on doing with the money you took from the redcoats?"
She'd figured the question was coming and told him her truth.
"I want to use every penny for the war effort. I want it to help us win and build our new nation. I gave 200 pounds in gold to Mr Yates for the use of his cabin. That's all I've used of it," she said a touch defiantly.
"You realize I have to confiscate it from you. Legally, it's the spoils of war and I must see it used responsibly," he said gently.
She hung her head and nodded. "I thought you'd say something like that and I understand why, but it rankles me," she said softly. Every time she walked through the plantation and saw the poor widows and children, her heart had gone out to them and she'd desperately wished she could help in a meaningful way, the money was always utmost in her mind.
"Is that it? Are we done?" she asked tiredly.
"Yes, dear. We're finished. You've been a trove of information at the least and a true sweetheart at the most. Thanks for being patient with us."
Abby stood, and the men rose to their feet to see her out. She went to Nathan and hugged him. "I didn't enjoy your questions at all but I feel like a great weight has been lifted from me. I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you, Uncle Nathan."
She pulled him down and kissed his cheek, then went to James and hugged him as well.
"Thank you, James. Its truly been nice getting to know you better."