I think Master John had been watching out of the corner of his eye, because when Father started back to the altar, he nudged Mistress and they came back up the aisle. Dorothea followed right behind them.

When we got home, I went straight to the parlor to hang my musket up. And I wanted to check something, too. Sure enough! There was a nice carbine style musket with a curly maple stock, hanging over the mantle. I did not have to look and see if it was loaded, I knew the answer to that. I was surprised to see a second pair of hooks just below it. Then I realized they were the hooks my musket had always hung on. Master John had made a set for his new carbine. I hung my musket where it belonged, and the powder horn as well. Then I took off my cartridge box and sat it on the mantle next to the powder horn. My other accouterments I hung over a chair back.

When I returned to the kitchen, Mistress and Dorothea were bustling about the fire place, and Master John was sitting at the table with a cup of COFFEE. I was surprised and said so.

"Well the price of tea has gotten very high so we talked it over and decided that we would save what tea we had left and switch to coffee. It took a little while to get used to it, but we have done so, and we all three enjoy it."

I admitted that I had been saving my tea as well and drinking an occasional cup of coffee. When I told them how strong the coffee the teamsters made was, Master John laughed and said, " Well, THAT hasn't changed!"

We spent our day just being together. We talked a lot, laughed a lot, and tried to catch up on all that had happened to us while we were apart. At one point I asked Master John how the work was going in the shop. He replied that he had found a freedman that wanted to apprentice. So he had made an arrangement with him. He is an apprentice, but since he is already married and living with his wife, Master John pays him a small wage, about half of a journeyman's rate, and teaches him as he would an apprentice. I said that sounded like a sensible arrangement and asked if he was in the shop now.

Master said that he didn't know. He had not yet gone to the shop when the regiment marched in and he had completely forgotten to go. I had to laugh at him, he looked so flustered. I suggested that we walk down and see, and Dorothea insisted on going with us. I looked at Master John for guidance, but he just laughed and said, "Your problem, son. But Tommy is as much of a gentleman as you are for all that he's a freedman."

I could see that I was not likely to win an argument with Dorothea at the moment so I consented.

Mistress decided to walk with us and we strolled down to the shop. Sure enough, Tommy was in the shop. He had a fire going in my old forge and was making nails. He was working rather slowly, but he was working very steadily. When he saw us coming in the door of the shop, he straightened up and smiled.

"Master John! I didn't know what else to do, so I's just been makin' a few nails."

"Tommy, that's fine! I hadn't told you to do anything special, because I didn't know that our boys were coming home this morning. I didn't even know if you were here."

"Sposed to be here, Master John! So I is."

Master John introduced me as Sergeant Dunagen. When Tommy called me that, I quickly told him to just call me Will. I said that when I saw him making nails without being told to do so, that I knew he was the man I wanted to be working with Master John while I was gone.

He looked at me and said, "Sergeant, you and Master John are the first people to treat me like a man in a long time. I thanks you and I promises you that this shop will be here with me working in it when you return."

All I could do was shake his hand. He looked stunned that a white man would take his hand, then shook my hand very solemnly. Now I can relax about the shop and Master John.

Dorothea and I left to walk home with Mistress Prudence. Master John stayed behind to talk with Tommy for a bit. When we got to the house, Mistress went inside, but Dorothea pulled me toward the hillside, asking to see the spot where master and I had talked about putting the house. We went there, and sat on a log where we could see and be seen from the house. We sat there for at least two hours, holding hands and talking. We talked of many things. Her fears for my safety, my fears for her and myself as well. We talked about our dreams for the future. Ways that we would like to build the house and our lives together. We talked of children. She wants a houseful, and I'll admit that I like that idea as well. I even got a kiss or two.

When Master got home, he saw us sitting on the log. He smiled and waved, then went into the house.

Finally when the sun was high in the sky, I said I was hungry, and we returned to the house.

Master and Mistress were sitting in the kitchen. Mistress was sewing something and Master was drinking a cup of coffee. When they heard us at the door they both looked up. Master chuckled and asked, "Who got hungry first?"

"She did," I said quickly.

Dorothea looked at me with a twinkle, and said, "Every fib will cost you a kiss, Sergeant!"

I wondered aloud how many times I could fib in the next hour, while they all laughed with me.

Mistress and Dorothea fixed a light lunch, and we ate a slow meal together. After lunch, I asked Master if he would like to walk with me to the muster ground. I wanted to check on the wagons, and make sure everything was all right. He said he would, and then Dorothea asked if she might go. I told her, "Not this time, miss. Tis time for some man talk."

"Oh all right then," she pouted, but her eyes were dancing.

"I mean it, love! You are not to follow us, do you hear?"

She looked a little surprised at the sternness of my tone, but quickly agreed. "Very well, I will stay here with mother and we will plot our revenge!"

After I picked up my musket and other accouterments, Master and I walked to the muster ground. As we walked, I told him more about the duty around Boston than I had wanted to mention in front of the ladies. He asked for details about how the land lay, how the British approached, how our men were deployed, and things like that.

He also asked if we had any camp followers. I told him that yes, there were some. When I explained our cooking arrangements, he said that was a better arrangement than they had been able to make while he was serving. When I told him that I usually asked Robert to carry my laundry to the laundress, he grinned and asked if I was not interested. I said that I'd rather wait for Dorothea, he just nodded and said, "I well know the feeling."

All was in order at the wagons. Each company had a guard, and they were doing the guard duty in turns. Jenkins, the teamster who had remained behind, was sitting at Cookie's table drinking a cup of coffee. Cookie had put a large pot on the fire so the guards would have a place to rest. Jenkins had stowed everything in its place for all of us. He had even stowed my things and Robert's as well. I told him that I had not expected him to do that, and he just said, "Well I was a little bored just sitting here, so decided to pack up. It gave me something to do."

All of the teamsters are like that. I consider myself most fortunate in the men that I try to lead. Even the colonel's driver, who is new to our group, is like the others. He blended in immediately. He asked questions about how we do things, how we arranged things, and he remembered the answers.

I got my shaving things and a set of regular clothing from my trunk to carry back to the house. That way I will not have to wear my uniform and be "on parade" all the time. And now that we have uniforms, I will not need all of my regular clothing. Then Master John and I started for the house. When we got to the shop, Master said that he would stop and work for a couple of hours. I told him that I would go home, change clothes and return. He tried to talk me out of that, saying that I should spend my time with Dorothea. I just told him that I wanted to work for a bit.

I went home, put my musket and accouterments in the parlor, then went to my old room to change. Everything was just as I had left it and it felt very good to be home. When I finished changing, I carefully hung my uniform so that it would not get wrinkled, and went back down stairs.

Going to the kitchen, I told the ladies that I was going back to the shop for a bit. Dorothea looked none too happy with me over that, but did not argue.

When I got to the shop, Master John and Tommy were working on a musket barrel. I took the bellows handle from Tommy and motioned for him to help Master John. He did and I could see that they must have made a few at least, for he knew exactly what he was doing, and was thinking each step through. When they finished the barrel, Master John showed me several stacked in the corner, ready to go to the gunsmith. I commented on how many they had done, and Master John said that Tommy was a good helper, he learned almost as quickly as I did.

You should have seen the look on Tommy's face! It positively glowed with pride. Well, maybe it was sweat, but it LOOKED like pride.

The afternoon passed quickly after that. It didn't take long for me to fall into the rhythm of working. My only problem was that I had left my hammer in the wagon and was using a shop hammer. It took me a little while to get used to it. Once when I started to go out back to get charcoal, Tommy stopped me. He said that was HIS job now.

When the light started to fade we quit, put everything away and left for home. I mentioned to Master John that I intended to work tomorrow, but would take time to go talk to Father during the day.

At supper I told Dorothea that I wanted to work tomorrow, to help train Tommy. But I promised to take a long lunch and to spend the evening with her. She didn't look pleased but agreed that she could see my reasons.

We spent the evening together, walked to the print shop to see if there were any broadsides posted that I had not read, and slowly walked home.

When we got home, Dorothea and I sat in the kitchen. We sat on opposite sides of the table just talking, Dorothea was holding both of my hands. I had to ask if I could take a drink of my coffee! Master John came into the room once, saw us holding hands, and grinned.

When we started to yawn, I kissed her good night, held her in my arms for a bit, then we went to our separate rooms.