Forever Young Birth Of A Nation, page 60
Ian spoke then, saying “Where is Yvonne?”
“She… she was with me and she ran so I ran too when I heard you coming. Please don’t kill me. I didn’t want to be with them. It has been horrible and I have become a disgusting thing, a blood drinker!”
“Ian, she’s a serving wench and she helps the Culpers get information.”
Ian got off of her and gently gathered her up, letting her rest in one arm as Cosette knelt and handed her a flask. In a kindly voice she said “Drink, Charlotte. We’re not going to kill you, are we Ian.”
“No, lass. I was forced to be a vampire myself. I’m sorry I hurt you so bad.”
Other than weeping a bit more from the pain of the wound she said nothing for a bit and then spoke “Who were they trying to kill, Cosette?”
“General Washington.”
“My God! Is he… is he all right? Bartholomew said something about that. I should have put it together. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself.”
“We have to get back there now. I’ll go tell Washington it is safe and you two carry off those two corpses. I have one at the edge of the camp to carry away. We’ll meet back here when we’ve picked up all three of them.”
“Y… you got all three of them?”
“Yes. We have to get them away from this camp now though. Are you better?”
“Yes. I think it is almost closed up.”
“Let’s go then. We have to hurry!”
Leaving the two to gather up the two corpses and heads, Ian went to the mess tent and called softly saying “We got them. It’s safe now.”
Washington himself parted the tent flap, whispering “How many were there, Ian?”
“Five sir. One female got away. We’ll have the bodies gone shortly. I think you may have some dead sentries though.”
“Why is that?”
“Three were wearing Continental Army uniforms, sir. Let us try to find the bodies ourselves. They may have drained them and we do not want stories of that being circulated.”
“Very well. Good work. I suspect they would have gotten me had you two not been here.”
“They think you have vampire bodyguards now, sir. I doubt they’ll try again. I need to go now.”
Washington extended his hand then saying “Well done. Thank you, and carry on.”
The three of them got the three corpses and their heads gathered and laid out on a remote rocky table rock near a stream. Charlotte looked at the corpse Ian had brought and said “This is Bartholomew. He is the one who forced me.”
Stripping them of the uniforms they split up and went looking for the three sentries that were killed and finally found two. Dressing them, they moved them to where they could be easily retrieved by the soldiers later after sunrise. Both had been killed by breaking their necks and no bite wounds were to be seen.
Ian came to Cosette and took her in his arms. “You did fine tonight. I couldn’t have stopped them without you” he said as he bent to kiss her tenderly. Pulling back he said “I’m going to that big creek we saw and take a bath.”
“Good idea. We’ll find a place to bathe too and join you at our tent.”
Later at their tent Cosette gave Charlotte one of her two linsey woolsey shirts. Her trousers were clean but damp and she had washed her hair and had it pulled back in a ponytail. Ian and Cosette were again dressed in their buckskin trousers, boots and broad-brimmed hats.
Charlotte hesitantly approached the two saying “How long have you two been together?”
Looking at Ian with a smile, Cosette said “We were married nearly fourteen years ago.”
“Are the two of you alone, I mean alone in America?”
“No. Some of our family is here.
“Really? How many of your kind, er… of our kind are in it?”
“Counting Ian and I, there are eight in America.”
“Is this what you two do all of the time?”
Laughing heartily Cosette said “Heavens no, Charlotte! This was an unusual situation.”
Laughing now too, and glad to be laughing again, she continued “Have you always had this family?”
“We started with a family in France and we only numbered four. Soon after Ian and I married we had two more join us and before I came over here we were up to eleven. We even had two human children at one time and even now our family in France has two more human children and two more vampires.”
Charlotte gaped at the two in astonishment as she said “Human children mixed with vampires?”
“Oh always human adults and human children mixed with us vampires, yes.”
“Do you mind my asking… what is it like… I mean living all together like that and everything?”
“Why it is wonderful. We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
“Then how is it you are here and the others are where, in France?”
“Yes, France; it happened because one of our humans died and we were going to start up two banks in America anyway. That was how Ian came to be here and I followed. Two others came only recently and four others joined us here.”
“Banks? You… I mean we vampires own banks?”
“Why yes, banks and many other businesses.”
“Unbelievable.”
Laughing then Ian said “Exactly what we want it to be, unbelievable. It is a world invisible to humans but we’re alongside of them everywhere in Europe, and now here too.”
She sat down then, clearly dumbfounded by this revelation. “So you’ll be a family of eight then while here in America?”
Ian spoke then saying “I think we’ll have nine, don’t you Cosette?”
“What? Oh, yes we’ll have nine; that is if Charlotte here will join us.”
Charlotte covered her mouth with both hands then as tears came into her eyes. “You would take me… take me in?”
Cosette came over to her and took both of her hands saying “Of course we will, Charlotte. You may live among us as long as you wish. You’ll work at one of our banks.”
Charlotte began to cry tears of joy then, saying “I am sorry to blubber so. Oh thank you! Thank you both so much! Oh, I don’t know what to say, I am so happy!”
“Someone helped us when we needed it. Can we do less? We’re happy to have you, aren’t we Ian?”
“That we are. I even promise not to stab you again” he said with a wink as his eyes glowed. Both women laughed uproariously together.
Chapter 118
Yvonne went through the coven house thoroughly to be sure she left nothing to show that she had been there. As she went through the place, she mentally reviewed what had happened the previous night.
Three strong male Adept vampires killed for sure. Otherwise they would have returned here by now. Was it McCloud and others, or has Washington gotten a cadre of vampires as personal bodyguards? It must have been McCloud and his wife. How could those two take down three strong male Adepts though? That wife of his seems to fight as good as a male though and he fights like a devil. How did he know we were going to try to assassinate Washington? Did they get to June Stedman some way? Do I dare even go see her? She won’t help me now. Maybe that dunce Bartholomew opened his big mouth at the tavern after I left him that night. It couldn’t have been Charlotte because I lied to her about what we would be doing. Good thing I took her along or McCloud might have followed me instead of her. That was too close for comfort! Bartholomew brought her over and I suppose that is one thing he did right.
I have to start over again somewhere else. My New York City days are numbered. I’ll empty my bank account and relocate, but where? No, I will leave a little money in the account just in case Edwards feels like depositing more money for us. He doesn’t know that I’m the only one remaining, so I could write him a letter asking for more money to be deposited in our account. All he can do is refuse so I’ll do that today when I go to the bank. I wonder if they were able to kill that Henri character they were after in France?
She sat down heavily then, as the utter completeness of her defeat settled on her palpably, like an unbearable weight. For the first time since arriving in America she began to doubt her wisdom at being so eager to come here seeking revenge.
***
To both Ian and Cosette, it was as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Knowing that it was very unlikely that Yvonne would try the same thing again, the two were able to relax for the first time since they had gotten there. They brought in game daily for the camp cooks and the time began to pass quickly. Charlotte fell into a routine of helping the two with anything they were doing, and they enjoyed her company when the three of them were together. It was decided not to tell Washington that she was a vampire too unless he asked, so her role was more that of keeping their area picked up and helping with field-dressing the game they brought in and tying it up on the game rack for the camp cooks.
It was only six days since they had killed the three vampires that Ian was looking after the three horses they had brought from New York City. He had decided that Charlotte would ride the pack horse back to New York and was looking into buying a saddle for it when he ran into Alexander Hamilton. The two exchanged pleasantries and Hamilton revealed that they had only just gotten a message from Admiral Comte de Grasse stating that he would bring the French Caribbean fleet to Chesapeake Bay to engage the British. In the letter he urged Washington to lead both the Continental Army and the French Army to where they could engage General Cornwallis’s troops in Virginia near Yorktown.
At last there was consensus among Washington’s staff to support this plan fully and Washington agreed to abandon his goal of invading New York City. Instead he devised several feints, attacks all along the countryside just north of New York City. By doing that, he hoped to make the British think that an attack on New York was imminent. This would serve to induce them to keep their naval forces there and not send additional ships to Yorktown to support Cornwallis. In fact, Rochambeau had already gotten his force of nearly six thousand French soldiers on the march from Rhode Island to Washington’s camp north of Tappan, and had sent word ahead. The Continental Army under Washington numbering nearly eight thousand was alerted to be ready to march south to Virginia.
The whole camp was buzzing with the news and everyone seemed pretty excited at the prospect of fighting the British in Virginia. Both armies would move south through the woodlands west of the Hudson River Valley in order that the British not learn that they were moving a large force to the south. Even though it would be a bit slower what with there being no roads, it was deemed to be worth it for the chance of surrounding Cornwallis by surprise.
So it was that in August of 1781, the three of them found themselves traveling south with the combined French and American forces numbering some seven thousand. The other half had been left behind to defend the Hudson River valley and prevent the British from taking that area. What had happened to make this whole thing possible was that the Spanish fleet agreed to defend French Merchant ships in the Caribbean, freeing the French fleet to sail north to Chesapeake Bay. The Spanish had even levied a tax in Cuba of five hundred thousand silver pesos for paying the American Army, assuring that there would be far fewer desertions. They had given that money to the French Caribbean fleet to take north and turn over to Washington’s forces. This cooperation between the two nations was helped by the two kings being cousins and by their common hatred of Great Britain, and a mutually supportive treaty that they had formally signed, each with the other.
Ian, Cosette, and Charlotte were in advance of the army with the scouts who were locating the best path for the two armies and their wagons and cannons through the forestland. They were easily able to slip away from the advance party and kill game for helping to feed the two armies on their march southward.
In September they had arrived in an area west of Yorktown and had united with the southern American army of General Greene. True to his word, Admiral Comte de Grasse had indeed sailed to Chesapeake Bay with his twenty-nine ships and had driven the British fleet out of those waters. It was not until shortly before the British Chesapeake fleet came limping into New York harbor that Commander of British forces in America Henry Clinton learned what had happened and that there never was going to be an attack on New York City by the American and French forces.
General Cornwallis and his army were completely surrounded with no hope of relief. The American and French forces west of Yorktown pressed the battle to take that city by digging trenches and moving mortars and cannons into place to bombard the British fortifications. Once the British had lost two key fortifications to the Americans west of Yorktown, their defeat was assured. Being outnumbered and surrounded, Cornwallis sent out a messenger with a white flag to plead for terms of surrender. In October of 1781 Cornwallis had formally surrendered his forces to Washington.
Ian and Cosette stayed the winter and helped to feed the Army by hunting game. They had stopped off in Valley Forge and retrieved James and Melissa’s tent and furnishings and their oxen and wagon. In the springtime, they returned the Oxen and wagon to the farmer and gave them to him as a gift. They then returned to New York City.
Chapter 119
Ian and Cosette sat in the parlor of the Millhouse home with everyone as a celebratory meal hosted by Thelma Millhouse was being prepared. The upcoming weddings of Stuart McCloud and Rebecca Davis as well as Laura Millhouse and sheriff’s deputy Lucas Ross were announced to congratulations by all.
The British were still in New York City until they could arrange for an orderly evacuation including loyalists and Tories who did not dare stay in America. However their occupancy was not that of any type of governing body. All hostilities had ceased and a treaty would be signed in Paris to cement the peace. New York City was again under American civilian control.
Charlotte, Priscilla, and Oliver had previously moved into the Davis home so that it not sit empty and be taken by the Crown for quartering soldiers. The rest of the family lived with the Millhouses excepting for James and Melissa who still had a leased cottage in Manhattan.
By now, Celeste and Celine could communicate with Li and Sophia nearly as well as with Ian and Cosette. Ian and James laid plans to get the bank up and running in New York City, and after that was accomplished, another bank would be started in Boston and later on, a third one in Philadelphia. James and Melissa would locate permanently in Boston where he would run that bank and Charlotte was going with them to live there. Ian and Cosette would live in New York City where Ian would run that bank, as would Cosette. Priscilla and Oliver would live in New York City too and would work at that bank. Li and Sophia were staying, and would open the bank at Philadelphia along with Ian when it was started, but Li would have to be trained by Ian before that.
The entire group was quite enthusiastic about what the future in America would hold for them. Ian and Cosette had departed from New York City the following spring in 1782 for the land of the Seneca. They were afoot, and attired in their usual frontier garb. They carried no firearms whatsoever, but each had their short sword and knife.
Ian wanted to show Cosette the American frontier and intended for her to meet Moon Owl’s people. They detoured to the Seneca tribe of Gray Wolf where Ian presented the Sachem a tomahawk pipe, which was considered to be a highly prized possession.
The former captives, both women and children all flocked to see Ian. All of the children wanted to see and touch Cosette’s hair, which she had allowed to regrow. The children were constantly hanging around Ian and asking questions, which warmed Cosette’s heart, having heard the story of their captivity and return.
Ian asked the Sachem if he could have the pipe that Moon Owl had smoked at the council when they had celebrated the return of the captives taken by the Shawnee. After spending two days with Gray Wolf’s Seneca, the two departed northward for Tall Elk’s village near the shore of Lake Erie. Ian had been teaching her the language of the Iroquois while they had been traveling, and in typical vampire fashion, she had picked it up in under a day, becoming fluent in only one more day.
They had reached the place where only one hilltop separated them from the village when Ian and Cosette heard stealthy footfalls in the forest around them. Stopping there, Ian called out saying “May a son of the Seneca and his wife come in?”
From the forest came the answer “I hear the voice of Ian the Night Stalker. Are you truly come to visit us?”
“I have Tall Elk, and I have brought my wife.”
Tall Elk himself stepped into the open then, his face split in a smile as he came to Ian and the two clasped each other’s forearm in a greeting of friendship. Ian said “Tall Elk, this is my wife, Cosette. Cosette, this is Tall Elk, Sachem of the Seneca.” She smiled warmly and nodded while with a puzzled look, Tall Elk asked “Where is Moon Owl?”
Gravely Ian said “She was killed by my enemy.”
Tall Elk’s countenance fell then. Ian said “It happened in the land of the Shawnee near the land of the Delaware two winters ago.”
Tall Elk nodded slowly, a troubled look upon his face. “Who is this enemy of Night Stalker?”
“He was an enemy of my kind who lived in the land of the Manahatta. I burned him alive for that.”
Nodding in grim approval he said “Your wife here; she is one of your kind then?”
“Yes. I have been fighting against the redcoats since then and they have been beaten.”
Others among the braves came to him then, grasping his forearm in friendship, among them Gray Fox. Their village now enjoyed great prestige among the Seneca nation because of Ian and Moon Owl rescuing and returning the captives who had been taken by the Shawnee.
As they walked to the village, he gave an account of how he and Cosette had been separated in France some fourteen years earlier and had only recently been reunited after Moon Owl’s death.
As they approached, the villagers came out to greet them, having heard that the Night Stalker and his wife had come home. Several children who Ian had befriended came smiling to greet the pair. They all had grown and at first Ian was hard put to recall who some of them were. Cosette had taken off her broad-brimmed hat once in the shade of the village trees and many of the Seneca were curious about the color of her hair and her beautiful gray eyes. She was gracious and smiled warmly at all, allowing whoever desired to touch her hair, and no small number of the women and children did just that, while marveling at her beauty and the beauty of her extraordinary eyes.
