A Royal Rebellion

Chapter fourteen

The next morning I woke up feeling more refreshed then I had in years. Maybe it was that I'd been sleeping on a boat for a month or that I was finally back at the place I'd been wishing for for years; but whatever it was I was feeling like a million euros.

I woke to weak sunlight filtering through the windows and the beautiful, gorgeous silk of sheets. As I climbed out of bed my body groaned with restfulness, and I made sure to make the bed nicely, and lovingly caressed my pillow before putting it to rest. Then I got ready for the day and slipped into something much more comfortable than my usual clothes I wore at the palace; a dusky blue work dress with a white apron.

And I couldn't help but smile to myself as I brushed and braided my hair into a long braid down my back; it felt so good to not curl my hair every morning. Then with a slip of my coffee colored shoes I walked down the stairs to see Josie making breakfast and Oliver talking to her between sips of coffee. "Washington's desperate; he needs supplies, soldiers and a miracle if he's going to make it out there." Oliver said, stifling a yawn.

Josie was half-listening and just nodded. "That's nice dear. Oh good morning Rose! I have breakfast for you." She said, handing me a plate of eggs and bacon. I thanked her and devoured the food, listening intently as Oliver continued to speak. His words had reminded me why I was really here; too deliver the trunk full of supplies that currently rested in my room upstairs to Washington's army.

Maybe Oliver could help me I thought as he continued to ramble on about the colonies, using his hands to gesture a point. "Arnold Benedict's suspicious to me; everyone loves him but I think there's something fishy going on." He mused. Before I could help myself I dropped my fork to my plate with a clatter and stood up excitedly. "Maybe Washington should have a solider spy one day, report any suspicious behavior." I suggested, and Oliver looked at me in surprise.

"You like politics Rose?" He said, and I blushed. "I-I'm sorry. I know I was out of place to speak, but it was just a suggestion." I mumbled, feeling embarrassed at my outburst. I expected Oliver to roll his eyes and disregard me like most of the men from England would, but instead he turned to me with a look of interest etched across his face. "That's a very interesting idea. I'll remember that." He said, pulling out the same pad of paper from last night and scribbling something down.

"You have a smart friend love," Oliver said to Josie, giving me a friendly wink. I felt my insides glow with pride, and I ate the rest of my breakfast with a smile on my face. No one had payed me a compliment like that for a while. After breakfast I stood up to help Josie with the dishes, and as we scrubbed them I couldn't help but wonder what Josie's normal day was like.

"So what's on the agenda for you today?" I asked, and Josie let out a small sigh. "Well, Oliver doesn't have any work today, and I was hoping we could all go tour the town since you haven't been in so long, but I just received a letter that my Women of the Revolution meet was rescheduled too today."

"Women of the Revolution?" I asked, and Josie blushed. "Well, it's sort of like your Shadow Group, but it's not as dangerous. Me and some other women come together every Monday to sew and create care packages for the soldiers in the war. We always meet on Monday's because it's seems to be the less busiest, but of course today is the day it's rescheduled." She said as we dried the plates and stacked them.

"Josie, I'm so proud of you! You're truly helping the revolution." I said, and watched as my friend smiled, which warmed me even more than Oliver's compliment. "Thanks Rose. It's the least I can do while you risk your life everyday in England." She said, and now it was my time to blush. If only she knew how little I did risk and how much I really had.

I tsked and patted her hand, pushing my guilty thoughts away. "Oh stop it Josie. While you're gone I can get some chores done around the house and we can go 'explore' tomorrow. I also have to deliver a letter to the Shadow Group that I arrived safely, so we can do that tomorrow as well." I said, when Oliver stood up and put his coffee mug in the sink.