“Nay, I... I’m not. He is... he is a very good man, truly, but he tried too hard to impress me with his money, his status and relations—things that matter so little. And he pressed his attentions upon me too quickly for my comfort.”
Nathaniel’s jaw muscles flexed and he shifted in his seat, sharing a pointed look with Thomas.
Thomas wriggled in his collar as if trying to calm a rising emotion. “Did he act without propriety?”
“Nay,” Kitty said, “never anything like that. He was a perfect gentleman. He simply shared his affections more openly than I cared to do.”
“Did he kiss you?” Eliza’s giddy smile matched the sparkle in her voice.
“Liza!” Kitty jerked back.
“Oh forgive me, I shouldn’t have asked such.” Eliza’s expression softened. “We can speak of this later.”
Eliza’s confession was well meant, but the damage was done. A sheet of humiliation dropped over Kitty’s head and draped her frame until she thought she might droop under the weight of it. She darted a quick look at Thomas before daring a glance at Nathaniel. His elbow rested on the arm of the chair with his chin perched in his palm. Eyes round, his eyebrows shot upward as if repeating the question Eliza had just asked.
“Well, did he?” Thomas said, dropping his hands to his sides.
Kitty pulled her shoulders bac
k and opened her mouth to defend herself, but Eliza spoke first.
“Don’t press her, Thomas. I should never have asked such a personal question.” Eliza took Kitty’s hand and lowered her voice. “Don’t be distressed. We are family here and we care for you, that is all.”
Nathaniel certainly wasn’t family. And he certainly didn’t need to participate in such a personal exposition of her affairs. A splash of irritation coated her heated skin.
Thomas’s accusatory stare hardened, but he let the embarrassing question fade. After releasing a long breath, he shifted his feet. “So, who were the relations this man hoped to impress you with? Thomas Hutchinson and family?”
The former governor of Massachusetts would be a noble relation indeed. At least in the mind of a Tory. However, Thomas and Nathaniel certainly wouldn’t think it any sort of honor. Had he intended to tease her or did he ask to extract more serious information about James?
Kitty tried to take a deep inhale, but her stays pulled tighter as the conversation progressed. She lifted her chin, trying to summon the courage behind her heart. “He is the nephew of General Thomas Gage and a lieutenant in His Majesty’s Army.”
A tremendous silence owned the room. Thomas and Nathaniel shared shocked expressions before Thomas’s face coiled in disgust. “You can’t be serious.”
“I most certainly am.” Kitty tried to breathe, but the task grew ever more daunting. “Do you think that’s something about which I would jest?”
Eliza shifted her feet and looked between the two men, demanding with her eyes that they remain silent. “Kitty, do you know who General Gage is?”
Kitty flinched and scowled before regaining composure. Why did everyone insist on speaking to her as if she were completely unaware of the political goings on? “I am perfectly aware of who General Gage is, and it seems as though you are more impressed by him than I.”
“Impressed? Hardly.” Nathaniel pushed out of the chair and paced the length of the room. “That man is as repulsive as they come, Kitty. He’s King George’s personal puppet and more eager than any to smear the colony with the blood of his own countrymen.” He shook his head, pounding his feet harder with every step. Suddenly he stopped and pointed at Thomas, his voice raw and deep. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Gage is somehow coordinating the robbing of our powder.”
The powder.
Suddenly the room swayed. Kitty grasped the seat beside her. Was Gage the one giving orders to Cyprian? She breathed through her mouth to try and keep herself from fainting. Though she would never agree with the patriot’s cause, how could she possibly be involved in something so horribly wrong—by force or no?
Yet, how could she not with such threats against those she loved? Lord, what am I to do?
Thomas stepped back and dropped into his seat, rubbing his forehead. “All I can say is I am grateful beyond my ability to express that you are no longer smitten with this James Higley.”
The malice in Thomas’s voice snapped Kitty back to the present. “Why? Because if I were you would be forced to refuse my staying with you? Are my political sentiments equally repulsive?”
Fists clenched, Nathaniel pulled his broad shoulders back. “The matters at hand are much more grave than you think they are, Kitty.”
An unpleasant spinning sensation turned her stomach to rock. How dare Nathaniel speak to her that way? He had no idea how much she knew and how it pained her. “I know more than you think, I simply choose to recognize my place and honor the way I was raised.”
“Nay. By ignoring what is happening around you, you release yourself from having to accept something you might actually believe, because if you believe it you would be forced to acknowledge your mistakes and change your position.”
“Nathaniel, I—”