The Lost Schuyler

Chapter 16

August 31st, 1800

    Today was the day. Angela looked in the mirror at her white victorian dress decorated with lavender flowers then looked down at the engagement ring that Thomas proposed to her with. Who knew that this day would come so soon? Just as Angela turned her back towards the mirror, her three sisters, Angelica, Eliza, and Margarita barged into the room. "It's your big day! How are you feeling?" Angelica asked, hugging her younger sister in the process. Angela smiled "It's just crazy how it came so fast..." Margarita cut in, jumping on Angela's back. "The wedding is about to begin, let's go!" The other three sisters laughed before making their way downstairs to the backdoor leading to the garden where the wedding is being held.

    Near the backdoor waited Philip Schuyler ready to escort his second oldest daughter to the altar and the kids ready to throw the flowers as Eliza showed them. Angela's sisters scurried out into the garden to the altar where the bride's maids are supposed to be. There was a little flower where John would stand if he was still alive. Angela saw Thomas panicking and looking at the best men, James Madison, Alexander, Hercules, and Lafayette, for help and they just turned him back towards the altar.

    Angela hooked her arm around her father's before they opened the door and started to walk down the aisle. Thomas turned towards the aisle and the two lovers caught eye contact, cheeks flushing in embarrassment and astonishment. Angela hears her dad sniffle from next to her and she turns to see that tears were forming. Angela smiled as she heard the cheers of her friends, family, and people.

    Angela makes it to the altar and everything is quiet for a moment. The preacher began to read his scripted speech as Angela and Thomas stared lovingly at each other. The I do's were said and the newlyweds shared a passionate kiss. Angela couldn't help but remember John's reaction from Eliza's wedding. "Alright, Alright, that's what I'm talking about!" Angela smiled at the memory. John would have been proud that Angela got with Thomas Jefferson. Angela then realized that all the men she met during the war didn't know that she was Thomas Allen. Honestly, She planned to keep it that way.

    The party soon slowed down and the hype was worn out. The band played slow music and all the couples made their way to the dance floor. Angela and Thomas shared a dance just like they did at the ball. There was one point where Angela tripped over her dress and landed right in Thomas' arms. The couple shared a laugh and continued their dance into a night of laughs, cheers, and yells that will soon lead to sore feet and sleeping in.

    A year went by and it was a nice morning in March. Angela and Thomas had bought a new mansion near the one in Manhattan. Thomas was in his office working while Angela was with Sally hanging clothes. Moments later, there was frantic knocking at the door. Angela rushed to the door and opened it to see a crying Eliza. Angela was swiftly pulled away from the house when she reached out to comfort Eliza. They got in a carriage and drove away to somewhere Angela wasn't even sure of. Angela decided not to ask questions until they got there.

    Angela realized once the carriage stopped that they were at the Schuyler Mansion, their dad's house. Angela was confused but followed a sprinting Eliza into the mansion and up the stairs until they reached Peggy's room. Margarita? What happened? Eliza and Angela walked in to see Angelica and her dad crying and holding onto someone's hand. Angela walked over and saw that the someone that they were holding was Margarita, Peggy, Schuyler. Her youngest sister.

    Angela panicked, what was wrong with Margarita? She couldn't even ask, she couldn't even speak. Angela always thought about what she would say if she was around at John or Goerge's death. She realized that the answer was nothing because she could barely make a sound at her own sister's deathbed. The room was silent. Margarita's eyes closed and Angela tried to scream for her to keep them open but she couldn't even open her mouth. The room was silent and then all hell broke loose. Screams. Cries. She didn't even get to say goodbye.

    Months went passed and Peggy's funeral wasn't until November 24th, five days after Angela's birthday. Angela wasn't as excited about her birthday as she was when she was younger. One by one the people who used to celebrate with her are leaving and never coming back. It sounded selfish and that's why Angela decided to keep her feelings inside. She knew she wasn't the only one hurting so she couldn't be the one to complain.

    Angela had a hard time getting over her sister's death, probably worse than the only two left. Margarita was the one to make her laugh. Margarita was the only one who would stick around and listen to Angela's crazy ideas even if they weren't that interesting. Although Angela wasn't around to yell at her, Peggy would still go out of her way to fold clothes and pick up after herself so Angela wouldn't get mad. Angela was going to miss that. Angela was going to miss her. Angela was going to miss Margarita, Peggy, Schuyler because she didn't even get to say goodbye.

    Angela finally decided to get out of the house with a lot of convincing from Thomas. She felt like seeing Philip so she rode the carriage to the Hamilton residence. Philip had graduated a year ago from college and Angela hadn't had any one on one time with him since. When she arrived, she knocked only to have the one and only answer the door.

    "Auntie!" Philip cried, hugging Angela close. Angela laughed while examining her nephew. He was getting quite tall, muscles developing and hair getting longer. Damn, Angela didn't know genetics could come from aunts too. Once Angela was finally let inside, she sat down with Philip and started catching up on his life.

    "I heard this man named George Eacker talking about dad and how he's a scoundrel!" Philip complained. Angela knew how Philip was feeling. Alexander and Philip's whole thing was their bond over legacies. "Well, what happened?" Angela asked, knowing Philip did something in response to Eacker's act.

    Philip smiled sheepishly, playing with his fingers and not really answering. He was trying to avoid the subject. Angela pushed again "What happened?" Philip looked up before muttering something Angela couldn't understand so she gestured for him to repeat himself and speak up.

    "I may have challenged him to a duel since he refused to apologize..." Angela gasped before grabbing Philip's shoulders. "I forbid you to go to that duel, you hear me? You're nineteen Philip! George Eacker is twenty-seven! Pip, you have so much ahead of you and you could be throwing it all away." Angela rambled, she was worried. Can you blame her? Her nephew could get shot! Philip just shrugged "Dad said: if Eacker was a nobleman, he would shoot at the sky with me." Angela was so ready to slap some sense into Alexander.