Stars

Chapter Five

After about an hour, Anne had changed into her nightgown and settled into bed. "Are you not going to bed yet?" She asked.

If Isabella was to stargaze by herself without worrying Anne, she would need to be discreet about sneaking out. "I just want to do some unpacking, then I'll retire. Please don't wait up for me."

"Alright then... goodnight, Isabella."

"Goodnight, Anne."

Anne put out the flame from the candle on her side of the tent and turned over to sleep. After half an hour of not hearing anything but soft breathing from Anne, Isabella decided she was in the clear. She draped her cloak over her shoulders and exited the tent. If she had to guess, it was probably about 10 pm and, surprisingly, there were a few men lingering around dying fires. The cold December air nipped at her face but she was determined not to let it bother her.

Isabella decided to walk to a field near the edge of camp that she saw when they first arrived at camp. On her way there, she was stopped by somebody calling out her name.

"Miss Washington?"

She turned to see Ben rounding the corner. "Hello, Major. Again, please just call me Isabella."

"Isabella, what are you doing?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I could ask the same thing if you, though it is much less strange for you to walk around camp, being a soldier and all." She joked, earning a laugh from Ben. "If you must know, I am going to the nearby field to gaze upon the stars."

"You really must be careful... some of the men about at this time of night are horribly intoxicated." He warned.

"I am capable of defending myself perfectly fine," she countered, suddenly feeling a flame of defiance.

"Oh I believe you, it was just a warning. I know how these men can be," he reiterated.

"Thank you for caring, Major. I will be sure to exercise caution on my way to stargaze."

He nodded and gave her a warm smile.

"Would you like to come along?" Isabella blurted out, not fully aware of what she was saying.

He also seemed a bit shocked but his surprise was quickly replaced by a smile. "I would love to."

~~~

"That one there is Orion," Isabella explained to Ben as she pointed to the sky. The two were sat in the field just outside of camp where the air was clean and the only sounds were the distant clatters from camp and the wind.

"How did you learn all of this?" He asked her, looking at the sky with curiosity.

"Some of it from my father, the rest from books," she said. "The night sky is truly a wonderful thing."

"That it is," Ben responded, though in his head, he was saying that you are. Isabella Washington continued to amaze him every time she spoke. A woman who could not only read and write, but play chess, speak multiple languages, and who could defend herself. She was unlike any woman he had ever met. Ben couldn't help but think of what Caleb would say if he could listen to Ben's thoughts at the moment.

Sometime around midnight, when the moon was high in the sky, Isabella let out a yawn.

"Why don't we get back to camp?" Ben suggested.