✔️| Becoming Lady Washington

Chapter Six: News

Nobody's POV

Over the course of the week, the trio and their new friends grew closer and closer to each other. Washington developed more feelings for Alice, and she did the same for him. Though, he still suffered some  confusion when it came to Martha, his current wife. He couldn't exactly remarry when she was still his wife, could he? And a harem couldn't work either. Even though he worked hard to remain faithful to his wife, he still harbored romantic feelings for Alice.

Benjamin Tallmadge, meanwhile, started to bond more with Mandy. They found out that they shared many of the same beliefs, and Ben realized that she was someone he could go to if he ever had a problem. Confiding in one another, they slowly became the best of friends. And, Ben hoped, one day they could become something more.

It was on one fateful day, just before the crossing of the Delaware River happened, that George received some distressing news that would change the course of the war, forever.

Washington's POV

"General Washington, an urgent letter for you." Hamilton walked into the tent, straightening his jacket. I looked up at my surrogate son as he entered, giving him a tiny smile that tugged at the corners of my cheek. I had a foreboding feeling that something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Thank you, Colonel Hamilton. You are dismissed." I said, taking the letter from him. He nodded and bowed to me, exiting the tent. Shakily, I opened the letter, the feeling of ominous foreboding settling in my chest.

Dear General Washington,

We regret to inform you that a terrible loss has occurred to your family. My hands began to shake, but I put on a brave face and continued to read the letter. Late last night, a group of Redcoats broke into your home at Mt. Vernon in order to search for information about your recent plans, in the hope that they would find something that would aid their war effort. To put it bluntly, they did not find anything worth their time, but they did find your wife, whom they believed was privy to your plans. Not finding anything useful out from her, they- Oh no. This can't be happening. Please God, don't let my wife be dead because of me! I thought, feeling a spasm of anger and sadness course through me. I didn't even bother to read the rest of the letter, crumbling it up and tossing it in the fireplace. Sitting down at my desk, I put my head in my hands and let all the emotions flow over me.

Just then, Alice bounced into the room, a ray of hope in a sea of darkness. I only hoped Martha would forgive me. She probably would; after all, if she had lived and Alice had met her, the two would be like two peas in a pod. There was no time to grieve. I had an army to command. War waits for no man.