“Just give me a moment, Seth.” The doctor came fully awake upon hearing the news of his old friend.
When they reached the Larkin home, the doctor hurried to the room where his friend lay. The boys followed him in. Mary Larkin stood by her husband’s bedside, pale with worry. James Larkin’s face looked as if it burned with fever.
“Boys, please wait outside,” the doctor ordered.
By the time the door opened again, the two boys who waited outside the bedroom were nodding with exhaustion.
“Seth,” the doctor said, gently shaking the boy’s shoulder. “Your father has the same symptoms I’ve seen among the soldiers. He will recover, but it will take time and care. I’ve given him something to make him comfortable and break the fever. You must assume his duties for a time, but for now I want both you boys to get some sleep. You mother will sit with him the rest of the night, then tomorrow you must make ready to take over the running of this place for as long as it takes.”
Seth slipped into the sickroom to comfort his mother for a moment. As he climbed the stairs to his room, Caleb had a thought. Since Mr. Larkin had fallen ill, what would it mean to Major Hunt and his men? Would the vicious “Bloody Ban” Tarleton sentence them all to death? Caleb prayed that he had not already issued the order.
ELEVEN
With only a few hours of sleep behind him, Caleb woke to a wind that bent saplings and a rain that sounded like pebbles thrown at windowpanes.
As the storm raged, the family gathered in the morning room. Few words were exchanged. Worry etched lines in Mary Larkin’s face. Candlelight threw strange shadows on the ceiling.
“Mother, as soon as the rain stops, Caleb and I can see to the chores,” Seth announced.
“And I will help you here in the house,” Elizabeth chimed in. “Just tell me what you need.”
“Thank you, children. Your father wants us to go about our daily routine. The doctor will come by later, but we must eat something now to keep up our strength.”
Even Charity, who always had kind words for all, served breakfast silently.
Everyone ate quietly, and by the time the meal ended, the rain had stopped and a weak sun broke through the clouds.
“Will you excuse us, Mother? Caleb and I will see what needs doing outside.”
Elizabeth fidgeted, gazing at her brother and Caleb. Seth threw a warning glance at his sister. “Mother needs your help here, Bess. Be a good girl, won’t you?”
Caleb stifled a laugh when the girl stuck out her tongue at her brother.
“Stop, you two! Elizabeth, you know your father wouldn’t approve of that. He wants you to act like a lady, and ladies don’t stick out their tongues.”
Caleb saw that Elizabeth had the grace to look embarrassed. He gave the dejected girl a smile and followed his friend outdoors.
When they reached the barn, Seth pulled Caleb inside and looked around to see if they were alone. No one was close enough to overhear his words. The men who worked for Mr. Larkin had already left for the fields, just as they had yesterday before the thieves arrived.
Caleb lifted one eyebrow and looked at the older boy.
“I’ve come up with a plan to help Major Hunt, Caleb. Since father’s illness, you and I will have to step forward. Elizabeth will help too.” He clearly didn’t relish this last decision. “She’s a pretty good rider.”
Caleb thought this an understatement. He remembered the wild moonlit trip and readily agreed to her excellent skills as a horsewoman. “What do you have in mind, Seth? Your father told us the jail is almost impossible to breech. How could we get in, and what about the guards?”
“That’s where Elizabeth comes in.”
Caleb listened wide-eyed as Seth outlined his plan. Elizabeth did indeed have a part in the scheme. A very big part.
“What do you think, Caleb? Will it work?”
“Let’s give it a try. Major Hunt needs our help.” Caleb swallowed, not nearly as brave as his words sounded.
After the noon meal, Mrs. Larkin went to sit at her husband’s side. Elizabeth quickly agreed when Seth asked her to take a walk through the orchard.
Fifteen minutes later, her eyes grew as wide as Caleb’s had when he first heard Seth’s plan.
“I can do it, Seth. I know I can.” Elizabeth said. “We’ll make father proud of us.”
They chose the following night to carry out the scheme.
Seth looked at the younger boy and girl standing before him and swallowed. “We need to have an ally in case we fail or…get captured,” he finished.
Doctor Baines was enlisted and agreed to help. “Your father will no doubt take me to task when he recovers and learns of this, but I hope your plan succeeds. I wish you all Godspeed.”
* * * *
Charleston lay an hour’s ride away. If all went well, the three planned to leave about ten o’clock that evening and return before dawn. Seth hoped his father would sleep through the evening. The doctor helped with this part of the plan. He gave Seth a sleeping potion to administer to his father before they left. Seth sneaked a few drops into the hot drink his father requested that evening. After serving his father the herbal tea, he slipped the remaining liquid in the small glass vial into his pocket. The rest of the amber tonic was enough to put a grown man to sleep quickly and soundly for hours.
“Goodnight, Father, I’ll see you in the morning.”
James Larkin smiled weakly and settled in for the night.
Mary Larkin bid her children goodnight, warning them not to stay up too late. “Nor you either, Caleb.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Caleb smiled at the motherly admonition. He wished Caleb’s mother a good night in return, even as he felt guilty knowing that he and her children would have no sleep at all that night.
When the house fell still, Elizabeth went to the kitchen and filled a basket with food. The rest of Charity’s apple cake went in as well as corn pudding and sliced turkey. She then took a bottle of elderberry wine her father had made.
The young people let themselves out quietly. Elizabeth pulled a cloak over her Sunday dress. When they reached the magnolia tree, the journey began in earnest. They each sat astride a horse and led an extra one from the Larkin stable.
Within the hour they reached Charleston. Remembering his last night there, Caleb looked at Elizabeth, but the cloak’s hood hid much of her face.
Pausing to review the plan, Seth drew a deep breath. “God bless us all tonight.”
They rode within a short distance of the waterfront, then tied the horses to trees and walked to the few buildings the Red Coats had left standing. The Royal George had sailed and the dock area looked deserted. At this late hour, only the glow of lanterns came from the tavern. The Red Coats had also left the blacksmith’s shop and the gunsmith undamaged. The owners would be of use to them, even under duress.
As they took stock, light spilled from the tavern doors when several of the king’s soldiers emerged. The men headed for the tents they had erected for the duration.
The young trio melted into the shadows.
When the men settled down, the three crept to the smith’s shop and looked toward the jail. A burst of laugher from the tavern told them that still more Red Coats were about.
As Caleb and Elizabeth stood watch, Seth leaned against a rail fence and took the elderberry wine from the basket. Removing the cork, he poured the rest of the sleeping potion into the bottle and corked it again.
With that done, it became Elizabeth’s turn. She pulled the hood even closer around her face. Handing her the basket, Seth squeezed her hand. “Be careful, won’t you, Bess? You too, Caleb.”
As he watched them walk away, Seth called softly. “I’ll whistle if I see anything suspicious.”
While Caleb and Elizabeth walked toward the prison, Seth stood sentry. When they reached their destination, Caleb stepped to the side of the dark building. Elizabeth, holding the basket in one hand, knocked. Moments later, the heavy jail door swung open and Seth saw his sister vanish inside.
TWELVE
Elizabeth stepped into a small room, bare with the exception of a chair and table. A lighted candle, anchored in its own wax drippings, cast eerie shadows on the wall. A musty odor pervaded the area. It seemed to come from everywhere. Perhaps for many years the walls had soaked up the scent of suffering from those locked in the cells beyond this room.
“Well, miss, what do you want this time of night?” The burly figure, dressed in the uniform of the enemy, confronted her.
“I am here at my mother’s request. I have food for the prisoners.” Elizabeth held up her basket for the man to see.
“Am I to understand from this gesture that your mother’s sympathies lie with those who take up arms against the king?”
“No, sir. On my oath, rest assured we pay homage to good King George. My mother, however, also believes in the brotherhood of man. Friend or foe, she says all are God’s children and need not starve while awaiting their fate. She provides what she can, happy to share with all.”
“So, she feels sorry for the enemy too? That does not win wars, miss, nor does it sound agreeable with the loyalist’s creed.”
“Surely you know my father? Doctor Parrish?”
“Oh…oh, yes.” The guard’s manner changed with her imperious tone and upon hearing a familiar name. “He tends our men, but why did your family send you out alone at this hour?”
“I’m not alone. Our houseboy waits outside. As you most likely know, my father just left. He was summoned to care for a group caught in a skirmish nearby and my mother fell ill. I am taking her place so she will not have to leave her sick bed. Even though the hour is late, she pressed me to come, saying she knew the guards would act as gentlemen and see that I stayed safe.”
Elizabeth saw the conflict in the man’s eyes. “However, Sergeant, if we stand here talking, morning will come and she will worry. That certainly will not help her condition. If I am not allowed to do her bidding, it will cause my father displeasure. He encourages her charity. Oh, by the way, before he left he asked that you give his regards to your commanding officer. I’m sure you know they are close friends.”
“To be sure, miss.” The guard looked anxious now. “Please, let me assist you with your basket.”
“Thank you. That’s not necessary. Just point the way. Oh, I almost forgot. Father asked that I bring a gift, a token of his appreciation for those who have the task of guarding our enemies.”
With that, Elizabeth withdrew the bottle of wine from her basket and presented it to the guard. “I also have some apple cake. We hope you enjoy it. You’ve earned a special treat.”
“My thanks to your father. I have heard him speak highly of his daughter. Priscilla, isn’t it?”
He’s testing me, Elizabeth thought. “No, you must have misunderstood. I am Nancy.”
Seth had chosen the family his sister was to portray. The two families had been good friends until the war came. The Parrish family had sworn fealty to the king, while the Larkins remained staunch colonists. Elizabeth and Nancy Parrish were of the same age and coloring.
“Of course, Mistress Nancy. Now, you just walk down that hall to the door at the end. There you’ll find another hallway that leads to the cells. Be careful, though. You know these loyalists, especially the military, cannot be trusted.”
“I am aware of that, sergeant. Thank you.”
Elizabeth breathed a small sigh of relief. She had made it past the first hurdle. Now, if the guard did what she expected, he should soon be fast asleep.
Opening the door to the cell area, Elizabeth found herself in a narrow walkway between the cells. Only a sliver of moonlight came through a small window set high in the wall.
Not knowing which cell the major occupied, she whispered his name. “Major Hunt? Where are you? I’ve come…”
A hand shot through the bars and grasped her wrist. “Who calls me?”
“Please lower your voice, Major. I am here on behalf of General Marion and my father. If you release me, I will help you and your men get out of here.”
“If you don’t mind, miss, I think I’ll hold on until I have a name. How do I know this isn’t a trick?”
“You don’t seem to be in a position to argue, Major,” she replied as she struggled to free herself. “I am Elizabeth Larkin, Corporal Seth Larkin’s sister. And, as I said, we’ve come to rescue you, although it seems you’d rather discuss my identity.”
“Corporal Larkin? Yes, he’s one of my men. I sent him home with a shoulder wound. Is he well?”
“He is, and now waits outside. The shoulder still pains him now and then, but when we received General Marion’s message of your capture, Seth devised a plan to rescue you. My father intended to come, but fell ill, so it’s just the three of us.”
“Three of you?”
“Yes. My brother, myself and Private Caleb Fields. We have horses, too.”
“Fields. He’s a good man. So the whole Larkin family got involved. But, how do you propose to get the keys? And how did a young lady colonist get into this place?”
“All in due time, major. For now, just know the guard sleeps soundly. I will get the keys and we’ll be on our way. We will take you back with us. I’m sure there will be an outcry when your escape is discovered. You can hide out at our home until you’re ready to move on.”
“It seems you have things well in hand, Mistress Larkin.” Elizabeth heard the admiration in his voice.
“Thank you, Major. Now, will you take this food and pass it through the bars to your men while I get the keys?”
Elizabeth retraced her steps and eased the door open. Walking carefully into the main room, she listened the steady breathing of the guard, slumped over the table. She lifted the candle and searched the room for the keys. She spotted them on a wall hook. She reached for them and froze. Voices came from outside and heavy footsteps accompanied them. At the same time came Seth’s low whistle, the signal they had agreed upon.
Grabbing the keys, Elizabeth blew out the candle. She gathered the empty bottle, the remains of the cake, and hurriedly retraced her steps. “Someone’s coming, Major. What must I do if they find me?” For all her bravado, Elizabeth suddenly turned into a frightened young girl.