Once Upon Another Time

Chapter Three: The Interrogation

Hamilton woke at first light. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust, and his mind to catch up to the events that had transpired the night before. His gaze wondered around the room and settled on the sleeping girl in his cot. Her arms were dangling off the edge as she laid on her side, they were completely exposed. It was at this point he realized she must have taken off her outer garment in the middle of the night. She lay there now wearing what only could be described as half of a dress, and that was being generous. The color was blue, and the shade did wonders for her skin. Her shoulders were lean and bare for all the world to see. Hamilton blushed slightly as his eyes lingered on the naked skin for longer than what would be considered proper.

As he moved in the most uncomfortable chair in the world, he noticed a soft weight on his body. It was her outer garment. Draped over him to keep him warm. He smiled as he took hold of the cream colored clothing. It smelt of her. He brought the garment up to his face, inhaling deeply as his senses were overtaken by the smell of lavender. He took this time to examine the makeshift blanket that he had been gifted. It appeared to be a coat of some sort. Very soft to the touch, but warm. He saw a small tag sticking out of the inner neckline.

"Calvin Klein." He whispered, perplexed at what he was looking at. The writing was so small and incredibly neat, as if it had been printed, but how was that possible?

Hamilton looked to the shoes discarded on the floor. He stood up carefully, trying not to wake her, and picked up the strange item. He had never seen a shoe like this. How was she supposed to walk in these things? The toe of the shoes were exceedingly pointy, and the heal was at least four inches. The craftsmanship though was commendable. Recalling the jewelry adorning her ears and neck, she must be a woman of wealthy means, but who was she in society? He had never heard of the Mores, at least not in New York.

The sleeping girl began to stir. Hamilton set the shoe down as if he were about to be caught with fire. She did not wake though, merely adjusting. She laid on her back now, looking even more angelic. It probably wasn't the right thing to do for him to fall asleep instead of watching her through the night, but he was exhausted. Not only that, but he also had a deep trust in her - which caught him off guard. He didn't know this girl, even so, he knew she wouldn't run or attack him.

"Elise More, who are you?" He asked to no one in particular.

Laurens and Lafayette made their way into Hamilton's tent. They noticed his tired frame before they examined the girl in his cot. Lafayette smirked. "So, Alexander, you did manage to get the woman into your bed." He joked.

Hamilton got up, bidding the men to be quiet. "She is still asleep."

"Well, she is going to have to wake soon enough. We need to discuss this with the General. We need answers." Laurens said, straight to the point.

Hearing the voices of the men, Elise began to wake up. She looked up and saw the three men staring at her. She sat up on the cot. The moment she did, Hamilton's face went bright red. Elise was confused until she looked down and saw her exposed shoulders. She rolled her eyes. "They're just shoulders. They won't bite."

Lafayette laughed at the girl, while Hamilton and Laurens adverted their eyes.

Elise uncovered herself and stood up from the cot. Straightening out her dress, she hoped that they would at least provide her with some additional clothing. She didn't know how long this dress would last.

"Could you please cover yourself?" Laurens snipped.

"What about the female body offends you so Mr. Laurens?" Elise chuckled, having a laugh at the uncomfortable man.

Lafayette busted out laughing. "She has fire. I love it!"

Hamilton rolled his eyes at his friends. "Leave her be gentlemen." Hamilton walked towards her, his heart rate picking up as he neared her. She was stunning. "Laurens does make a point though. You can't leave this tent looking like that. Every man in this camp would be tearing down this tent to get to you."