Flowers Amongst the Garden | John Laurens Love Story

Two Years Later

-

"Francias-Eleanor Laurens! Get back her right now!" Her Mother yelled from the bottom of the stairs. Calling out for her young two year-old daughter.

"Catch me!" She giggled, rushing inside her room, hiding from her Mother.

"Fran-Elle." Betty sighed as she rushed up the stairs, holding a small green dress in her hands. "Please come down here."

She rushed into her children's room and saw her son looking at a picture book, his eyes looked up at his Mother, pointing in the direction of the closet.

"Henry you tattle-tail!" She heard her daughter say. Betty walked in the direction of the closet and opened it, looking at her daughter who sat, giggling.

"Fran-Elle. Come on, we have to go out. I can't leave you, Ethel can't handle it."

"I can handle it Miss Bethany. Maybe I can go out to the market instead of all of us going together."

"It's fine Ethel. I'll go to the market myself. Just take care of the kids." Betty said to Ethel. "Fran-Elle, just put your dress on. Your in your underwear."

"Fine Mommy." Francias-Eleanor got out of the closet and went towards her Mother to get changed.

"Your Father told you to listen sweetheart. Now, Mommy is off to the market, just stay safe and listen to Ethel. Take care of your Brother, and I love you." Betty said to her daughter, planting a kiss on her forehead. Henry then got up and wobbled towards his Mother, still holding the picture book.

He stared at his Mother before hugging her legs.

"I'll miss you too Henry. I'm just going to the market." Betty chuckled as her son gripped her legs tighter.

"I wove you." He quietly said and Betty smiled.

"I love you to, Tiny." Betty kissed his forehead and left their room, grabbing her bag and leaving out through the front door.

-

Betty made her way to the market place, it was filled with many different people, from maidens to Wives, to the shopkeepers. Betty on the other hand, was circling around the market, finding out on what to buy. She approached the vegetable stall first, buying some tomatoes and lettuce, she paid the man and went off around the market. Stopping by the bread stall and the meat stall.

Still looking around the market, she could see maidens knitting and selling scarfs and men riding around some carriages, transporting hay bails and animals. Men shouting around and yelling at each other, and women chatting amongst themselves. Betty sighed and began making her way to the fruit stall.

"Bethany Laurens. Thought I saw you Hun." She heard a voice say from behind her. A southern Belle with the looks of a goddess. Her brown curls reaching down to her shoulders and her lips painted with a smile.

"Barbra. It's good to see you. How is Frank?"

"He got a bit of the flu. I'm just gettin' some ingredients for his favorite soup. How bout you?" 

"The kids are fine, Henry is slowly starting to read books, his favorite is the picture book you got him." Betty smiled at Barbra. "Fran-Elle, well... She's a handful." Betty chuckled slightly before walking with Barbra around the market, both of them stopping at the fruit stall, Betty then began picking up and checking some apples from the crate.

"Isn't she always? But she is a beauty." Barbra said. "When's your next child gonna be here?"

"I'm not pregnant Barb."

"Should be, god there would be more Laurens angels runnin' around. How swell would that be?" Barbra grinned, imagining more children of Betty and John.

"Well, I-"

"Oh shoot, I gotta go hun, Frank can't be left alone without me." Barbra interrupted Betty and sighed, looking all worried. "How do you handle John not around though?"

"As long as he comes home. That's fine. I know he's not stupid to die out there." Betty said and smiled. "I'll see you, be sure to send Frank our regards."

"I will Hun, safe travels."

"Safe travels." Betty said to Barbra and continued to shop around the market, holding a heavy bag of food.

-

Betty walked back home, the night was nearing and creeping closer every step she took, she held a heavy bag with both arms. Her footsteps echoing across the street with the stone pavement. Betty passed a nearby bar that she would often go to, not many people were there, the owls were starting to come out from their nests, beginning to hoot away like the birds chirping in the morning. Her eyes trailed towards her feet, watching as she took every step, and her dress flowing softly behind her, against the wind. 

But, as she heard a door open from behind her, she merely brushed it off and kept going.

"What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" A man asked her. She paused, right dead in her tracks  and looked up, not turning around to face the man that spoke to her. 

"I was heading back home." She calmly said.

"Now why don't you turn so I can see your pretty face?" He continued and gave a little hiccup.

"I'm married for your information, and my husband is a soldier. So I think you better leave before he beats your ass up." Betty softly growled, but she felt someone touch her and breathe down her neck, sending chills down her spine. "I would suggest you let me go."

"Now, now. Not to be nasty or anything." He purred in her ear

"Let. Me. Go." Betty then tried kicking him away from her. The man winced in pain and Betty began to run from him. Pulling her dress and running into an alleyway.

"SHE'S ESCAPING!" She heard the man say and more footsteps were heard as he said that.

She panted as she took a sharp turn to the left, leading her to the main road once more, she looked to her left and found more men chasing after her. She would turn back but footsteps were heard once more. She sighed and began running out into the main road. 

"She's there! Somebody catch her!" She heard that same man say to the other. Someone grabbed her by the arm and she stumbled backwards, landing onto the ground. She growled and looked around her, she was surrounded by them. She turned around, seeing the redcoats around her. Not until she felt a sharp pain hit her head and everything went dark.

-

Betty groaned and sat up, rubbing her eye and immediately feeling a certain headache hit her.

"Ugh. Where am I?"

"Your in British Admiral Howe's camp. The British Camp, your still in New York." A voice of a woman filled Betty's ears. Betty looked up and saw a ragged woman with dirty clothes, staring right at her.