Chapter Text
Days passed in the final countdown of the Christmas season, and it seemed all of Pennsylvania was buzzing with energy. Lord Howe’s household was preparing for the stay of Lady Fairfax, his goddaughter. A large shipment of holly berries and a tree as large as life sat as main decorating elements of the house, as Adrienne preferred. The planning of the Christmas ball for the army officers and the city’s elite was moving along swiftly, invitations reaching every corner of the army’s reach. The valley bloomed briefly for moments as packages, and letters from home began to arrive to those whose families were not present at camp. The rooms of the Potts house felt lighter as even the aides seemed cheerier. Even the Rush home was wholly decked out in greenery and candlelight when Adrienne arrived upon its doorstep so that Emily Rush, Arabella Coxe, Marie Chew, Elsie Markoe, and herself could leave with Doctor Rush to spend the following day in York shopping for Christmas gifts.
Adrienne was the last to arrive, with the sun setting on the horizon as she walked across the threshold of the house. The smell of chestnuts, oranges, and cinnamon wafted through the house, and the slight hint of the wood burning in the fireplace and pine from the greenery tinted the air. The crackling of the fireplaces could be heard from every room, and the chattering of the young girls echoed slightly through the entrance hall. Adrienne entered the room where the girls all sat, drinking a seasoned cider and eating holiday treats on the couches.
Emily smiled at her upon her entrance, “Adrienne! Thank goodness, I was beginning to fear you had gotten stuck in the snow!” She moved over on the couch and patted the now empty space, “Come, join us.”
Adrienne maneuvered her way through the girls’ skirts to the seat, her red silk gown sparkling in the light of the flames which illuminated the room. A teacup decorated with a mistletoe design full of cider was handed to her by Marie Chew, and she fell right into tune with the girls’ conversation of plans for the following day.
Dinner was plentiful and pleasant, the homely feel never once leaving the room as each girl jested, laughed, and poked fun till it finally concluded at the latest hour possible. Doctor Rush stood from the table and dismissed the girls to bed, assuring them they would need rest for tomorrow’s journey. Each was shown to their room, and the house fell silent for the evening.
Breakfast the following morning was an equally energetic affair, the youth of the girls shining through in their exuberance and excitement. Each girl was well dressed in various delicate and expensive fabrics in the colors of the season, cloaks to match as they trod out into the cold to board the carriages of Doctor Rush and Arabella Coxe. Once arriving in the city, they grouped at the townhouse Doctor Rush owned, where he begged them to return before the dinner hour and sent their party on their merry way. “Where to first? I was thinking about the millinery,” Emily spoke as Marie and Elsie turned around, walking backward to face the other three girls.
“Yes!” squealed Marie, “I need some new ribbons before the ball, held in your honor, of course, Addy.”
“And I need a proper Christmas gown,” said Arabella, agreeing with a far more dignified tone.
“Yes, I think the millinery sounds like an excellent idea,” hummed Adrienne.
The group made their way down the snowy sidewalks, entering the millinery with the beginning of windburn, making their cheeks and noses pink. “Oh thank goodness,” sighed Elsie Markoe at the warmth of the shop, moving to stand beside the crackling fireplace to obtain some of its heat. Arabella went to the counter and began to place her order, Marie found delight in the ribbons and trinkets immediately, and Adrienne drifted to the felt and wools to look for a gift for a certain blonde Major. Emily walked up behind her, and she ran her hands over the fabrics, looking for one that was both thick and warm enough for him but also pleasing to the eye.
“You know, navy blue tends to be a good color to pair with a Continental blue.”
Adrienne jumped, placing a hand over her heart once she realized who had snuck up behind her, “Oh, it is only you.” She let out a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding, “Yes, I think you would be right.”
“I am sure Lieutenant Colonel Laurens would like it,” Emily hummed, reaching out to a thick dark navy blue wool, “It is a very practical gift.”
Adrienne abandoned the camel toned fabric she was looking at to run her own hands over the darker fabric, “This gift is not for the Lieutenant, but rather for an extremely kind Major who has been keeping me company when John is preoccupied with his work.”
Emily raised an eyebrow, not turning away from the fabric, “And you are sure that is wise?” Adrienne turned to her, brows furrowed, and she continued, “Not only spending time with another officer but gifting such an item?”
“It is not anything other than a kind gesture,” Adrienne swallowed, turning back to the fabric, “The valley is cold. I simply do not wish for him to freeze.”
Emily hummed, speculation evident in her tone, “If you say so.”
Adrienne cleared her throat to signify the end of the conversation. “I was thinking double lining, then this,” she placed her hand on a dark blue satin, “As the outer lining to give the wool contrast.”
“I think that is a wonderful idea,” Emily spoke, stepping back and then turning around to head towards the hat display.
Adrienne considered it for a moment before nodding and calling over the shop attendant and placing an order for a men’s cloak to be delivered to the Lafayette household upon its completion.
When the group of girls made towards the stationery and bookshop, Adrienne headed towards a German teahouse. Lafayette had mentioned that it was a favorite of his when he asked her to drop by on her visit, so she had a clue as to why she was headed there. What she did not expect, however, was to not see the Marquis at all, but rather to be directed towards a table with an incredibly wealthily dressed young woman. Who smiled at her softly as Adrienne’s chair was pulled out for her.
The beautiful young blonde spoke once Adrienne had been seated in fluent French, “Good afternoon, you must be Lady Fairfax. My husband has told me lots about you, madam, and he cares very deeply for your well-being.”
“Ah,” Adrienne spoke hesitantly, “I am afraid that I have not had the pleasure of such an introduction, Madam.”
The girl laughed sweetly before responding, “Of course, my apologies. Allow me to introduce myself, Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles, Marquise de Lafayette.”
Adrienne herself smiled and failed in her attempt to suppress the laugh that bubbled over her lips, “My apologies, madam, but it seems I was aware of who you are after all.” Adrienne poured herself a cup of tea from the pot on the table, “I was unaware you had joined us from France, though I suppose such a turn in events would explain why the Marquis took up residence outside of camp.” She paused to add sugar to the cup, “And perfectly accounts for the additional delight in his behavior, which I had attributed to the holiday season. Though from how he speaks of you, I now have no doubt that it spawns from your presence.”
The Marquise had not stopped smiling since Adrienne took her seat. “That makes me extraordinarily happy, madam, you have no idea.”
“You make him incredibly happy,” Adrienne poured the Marquise a cup of tea as well, “And he loves you very much.”
“And I him,” she spoke with a polite tone, but the sincerity of her words was bolstered by the lovesick gaze in her eyes.
A young blonde girl, not any older than perhaps three years of age, came through the doorway, running over to the young Marquise, a governess walking steadily behind them. “Mama,” shouted the youngest one, pulling slightly on her mother’s skirts before the governess took her hand in hers, eyes pleading for forgiveness, which was offered generously.
The blonde laughed with delight, “You must excuse my daughters, Lady Fairfax. They are incredibly excited by the new surroundings.”
“Oh, there is no need. I understand that it is all quite exciting for myself, and I am from the colonies.” The little girl turned her face to look up at Adrienne, and her heart melted, causing a smile similar to the Marquise to spread softly across her face. “Hello, mademoiselle, and who might you be?”
The little girl looked up at the governess, who softly nodded to her, encouraging an answer. The voice of the little girl was just as sweet as she had expected, and it caused her heart to flutter when the little girl spoke, “My name is Virginie Motier de Lafayette.”
Adrienne gasped dramatically, asking the girl, “Virginie? Not possibly named after Virginia?” the blonde cracked a little smile as she nodded shyly. “That is where I am from, madam! Is that not very exciting?” she explained, causing Virginie to laugh gleefully and nod. “You know, your papa tells me that you are not usually this shy,” Adrienne teased.
“Papa?” the little girl’s face brightened instantly, all of the remnants of fear-driven away, “You know my papa?”
Adrienne nodded, “Yes, indeed, I do. He has told me lots about you, your mama, and your sister. He loves you all very much, my dear.”
The little girl had been inching toward Adrienne far before she looked to her mother for approval, and once it was given, she looked up at Lady Fairfax and asked, ‘May I please give you a hug?”
Adrienne’s smile split wide open, ‘Yes, my dear. You may.” She took the little girl in her arms, bringing her up to sit in her lap just seconds before Virginie threw her arms around her neck and hugged her as tight as her little frame could bear. When they separated, the Marquise was looking on approvingly, and the girl made no move to remove herself from Adrienne’s lap, so she continued to speak to her. “Has anyone ever told you that you hug like your papa?”
The girl’s blonde wispy curls bounded as she shook her head, “No because no one gives better hugs than papa!”
“Well,” Adrienne dropped her voice into a fake whisper, causing the little girl to laugh, “Then we will just have to not tell him that he has some competition then.”
The Marquise cleared her throat, and the governess stepped forward to take the little girl but halted when her mistress called her back, “She can stay, Marie. Why don’t you go and explore the city on your own for a while?” The governess smiled brightly and nodded, giving her mistress a curtsey before excusing herself from the shop. “Now, back to business.”
Adrienne cleared her throat and wrapped her arms around Virginie as she made herself comfortable in Adrienne’s lap, “Yes, let’s.”
“As delighted as I have been so far by your presence, I do meet you upon a request from my husband,” she said, bringing the delicate porcelain cup to her lips. “About your intended, Lieutenant Colonel Laurens, if I am correct?”
Adrienne was hesitant to bring her own cup to her lips as she responded, “You would be correct, though I must question what it is about him that your husband could not speak to me about himself.”
“Well, he knows far less about making a miserable, but suitably arranged, match tolerable than I,” she spoke nonchalantly as if she was not openly speaking about Adrienne’s discontent with her very future.
“Oh,” she said, deciding to place the teacup entirely back on the table. “Perhaps the Marquis misunderstood me, madam, but I do not believe that I could find any contentment in my person with the Lieutenant Colonel. To no fault of his own,” she quickly added.
“Well, I will confess I have not met the man, but I do not doubt you one bit, Lady Fairfax,” she assured her. “I will also confess that if my husband was aware of the advice I intend to give you, he would not have sent me.”
Adrienne raised an eyebrow, “And that is?”
“Find another,” The Marquise spoke bluntly, “Find another who can make you content, or dare I say, happy.”
“You are suggesting that I call off my engagement entirely?”
“No,” she said, “Not in the slightest. I am implying that you look for fulfillment outside of the constraints of marriage.”
Adrienne swore that she must have choked on something that caused her to pass out because there was no way that the woman before her had just said what Adrienne had heard.
The Marquis laughed, “I understand for the English the idea of marital infidelity stretches to lying with any man besides your husband, but I assure you, with some discretion, no one would be any the wiser.” Adrienne nodded silently and, though she would never admit it, accepted the Marquise’s advice as a probability for her future.
Adrienne met back up with the girls for their final shops, purchasing a gift for the Marquis before they were to leave. Elsie Markoe and Emily stayed in the city with Doctor Rush, but the other three girls climbed into Arabella Coxe’s carriage and headed back to the countryside home where they would rest for the evening then return to their respective houses. Adrienne was the first to leave the following morning, the ride to the valley being far and cold. When she finally arrived, she was escorted inside the house, and her belongings were carried in. Lafayette looked up from his desk as she entered the hallway and waved her over to him.
“I trust your day went well, madam?”
“Yes, indeed. Though I believe a warning about our,” Adrienne hesitated, “Friends, would have been nice.”
His brow furrowed, and he straightened up in his chair, “Friends, plural?”
Adrienne nodded to the Marquis, smiling back at him “Yes, Motier. I met with our friend and another rather amiable and sweet young blonde.”
Realization dawned on him, his features falling into a resigned humor, a little snort escaping him as he ran a hand down his face, “Of course, she has been dying to see York for weeks. You must excuse her enthusiasm. She is just barely four and not old enough to properly understand her actions.”
Adrienne laughed, “Nonsense, she was incredibly well-behaved for a girl so young.”
Lafayette sighed, “I suppose it is natural to be so attached to one’s parents at her age.”
She nodded and sat in the chair beside him, “Well, she actually seemed fairly uninterested in her mother.” He turned to her, confused, but allowed her to finish, “Considering I spent the whole of our proceedings with her sitting upon my lap.”
A defeated laugh escaped The Marquis’ lips, and he hunched over dejectedly, his lips pulled into a smile and his eyes filled with humor as he placed his head in his hands. “Tell me she did not,” he looked over to her from his hands only to get a nod, confirming Adrienne’s previous statement. “Oh no,” he groaned into his hands.
Adrienne laughed at his expense, “I must say she reminds me a lot of you, even if she looks like the spitting image of her mother.”
“I know. That is why I am worried,” the words came out, muffled by his hands as he held his head. He lifted his head, “God knows I have given her enough stress already; she certainly does not need more. Especially at my hands.”
Adrienne stood, placing a hand comfortingly on his shoulder, “It will be okay. She seemed to adore the girl just as equally as she so adored you.”
He looked up at her with puppy-dog like eyes, “That is still open for debate and not at all as comforting as you intended it to be, dear.”
The following day was dull for Adrienne as she waited till she would be permitted to leave the camp in favor of her godfather’s home in Philadelphia. She had very little on her schedule leading up to the day. She had made sure of that. It was because of this that Adrienne found herself in the foreign offices once again, turning her head from her perch on the side of Lafayette’s desk at the sound of Colonel Hamilton and Lieutenant Colonel Laurens heading out the front door, talking amongst each other. Adrienne hummed and spoke aloud seemingly to no one in particular, but really to the Marquis working in front of her, “Where in the world could they be going with such enthusiasm?”
He reached around her to dip his quill in the inkpot behind her, “To see our friend.”
“Without you?” she questioned innocently, surveying the room.
Lafayette sighed, the quill scribbling across the parchment, “I would be going with them if my work for today was done.” He glanced up at her as he spoke, “I wonder how it could have been done any quicker.”
She laughed and made to slide off the side of the small desk, “Very well then, if you wish me to go, then I shall oblige.”
She slid off the desk only for her hand to be caught in the Marquis’, “Stay, please. It is far too late now for your absence to be useful.”
Adrienne smiled and lifted herself back onto the desk, “Right, because if you cannot have one blonde named Adrienne, you surely must capitalize on your time with the other?”
Lafayette huffed with a light laugh to accompany it as he continued once more with his writing. “I suppose you would not believe me if I said it was pure happenstance?”
“No,” she replied, “I would not.”
He spoke without looking up from his work, “Well, luckily for you, my wife agreed with you.”
“Agreed?’ she questioned, playing with the curl rested over her shoulder.
“Yes, when I first told her of you, she kneed me so hard I am afraid we might not be able to have another child.”
Adrienne laughed, “I knew she had some fire in her.”
“So do you.”
She cleared her throat and fidgeted slightly. “I was thinking we could go for a ride once you finish?” Adrienne spoke impassively in an attempt to avoid his statement.
“Yes, I noticed that when you came down in a riding habit and sat on my desk.”
“Was that a yes then?”
He sighed and shook his head in agreement, “Of course, what harm could it do. I think I will stay until John and Alexander return to be sure that when I arrive home, there will be nothing to interrupt.” Adrienne smiled at him and looked to survey the room again, still not seeing the face she was searching for before the Marquis began to speak again. “Have you talked to Thaddeus recently?”
“I have,” she affirmed, “We spoke briefly when the snow-covered the roads in and out of camp. It was miserable being trapped here without you.”
“So I have heard,” he replied, still not looking up.
She sighed before declaring, “Well, this time, I am going to leave.”
He nodded as she slid off the desk and made to move into the hall. “It is on the northwest side of the camp. I will come to find you for our ride once I finish,” he called after her, stopping her in her tracks.
Adrienne nodded quickly to him, both agreeing and thanking him before grabbing the yellow winter cloak that matched her quilted jacket and petticoat and rushing out the door to the stables.
Christmas was this Wednesday, and Adrienne could tell that the soldiers were undoubtedly taking advantage of the holiday season to cease doing many of their tasks as she rode through the camp in search of Thaddeus’ cabin. Eventually, she decided to ask a group of officers that sat around a fire, pulling the greyish brown horse to a stop in front of them, drawing their attention. “Gentlemen, have you knowledge of where Colonel Kościuszko is?”
One of them looked up at her, running his eyes from her face to the hooves of the horse before grunting, “Usually we don’t allow English lasses in camp. Do we, Will?”
The man he was speaking to a Colonel by the looks of his uniform, ran his eyes over her too, before standing to clap the brash man on the shoulder, “Leave her be, Tom. The poor thing just wants guidance, and lucky for us, the place she seeks is outside of camp.” He walked over to her, looking up as he spoke, “The Colonel is staying with Brigadier General Pulaski at the house he is renting. You will be looking for a Brookmeadow Farm, madam. If you give me a moment to collect my cloak, I will join you. As protection.”
Adrienne nodded, “Of course, sir. Might I ask your name?”
He nodded, “Yes ma’am, Colonel William Bradford, at your service.” The Colonel reached out for her hand with his own, now leather-gloved hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it politely. “Might I ask yours?”
“It is a pleasure,” she nodded, “to meet your acquaintance, sir. My name is Lady Adrienne Fairfax, of Virginia. I am the-”
“Ward of General Washington,” he spoke, cutting her off. “I had my suspicions,” he shrugged, “Tom was speaking true when he said that we do not often get such polite ladies in camp.”
She smiled at him as he retreated to retrieve his horse. When he joined back with her, they rode off at a relatively faster place than she was used to, but she did not complain, considering how soon they arrived. The sun had set just minutes before they had arrived.
“Here you are, madam,” he spoke as he dismounted, heading over to her and lifted her off her own horse by her waist with ease.
She squealed with surprise at his actions, straightening her gown once placed on her own two feet. “Thank you,” Adrienne spoke as he offered his arm to her and led her up the stairs of the house.
She released her arm from his when he stepped towards the door, pounding heavily on the painted wood. The door creaked open to reveal a Moravian girl, clearly a housemaid, and the Colonel spoke to her, “Is Colonel Kosciuszko in? I have a Lady Adrienne Fairfax to see him.” She nodded and stepped aside, allowing Adrienne to enter. The Colonel helped her inside and then turned to return to his horse, “I must leave you here, ma’am. Do you wish for me to inform the General of your whereabouts?”
She shook her head, “No, but if you would please notify the Marquis de Lafayette, he will notify the General.” The Colonel nodded and hurried down the stairs, mounting his horse and riding off.
The maid closed the door and ushered her into a parlor, then rushing up the stairs to retrieve Thaddeus. She heard his heavy steps coming down the stairs of the house and turned to the entryway of the room. He was completely dressed in his officer’s uniform, minus his hair, which sat free from a cue, the curls resting freely on his shoulders like they were that night at the Rush house. “Adrienne,” a smile spread across his face, and he moved quickly to sit beside her on the couch at the same time she moved to stand, causing them both to laugh. “Standing it is,” he agreed, “I must confess I must have missed your letter asking for a call.”
“I did not send one.”
“Oh,” he swallowed, “Is there something you needed?”
“No,” she struggled to get out, “I just wished to see you before I left for my godfather’s tomorrow.”
“Oh,” he repeated, “Well then, I am glad for your visit.” He looked around the room, “I am afraid I don’t have a gift to give you.”
She smiled and stepped closer to him, grabbing his callous hand in her own soft one, “I did not ask for one. Nor did I purchase one for you. Yet, I feel as if there is still something that we could give each other.”
His heart was pounding as much as hers was, “I am afraid that it is I who misses the meaning this time, Adrienne.”
“Addy,” she smiled up at him, “Call me Addy. Please.” He nodded and swallowed as she stepped closer to him, “And I am afraid I do not think it would be appropriate for me to speak my meaning out loud, sir.”
He swallowed and furrowed his brow, “But I thought you and John-”
“What about us?” Adrienne interrupted, “You knew about us back at the Rush house, and it did not matter then.”
“But, it mattered to you.”
“No, it did not,” she confessed, “That was why I excused myself. Because I found that I wanted you to kiss me, even though I have never wished for John to do so.”
He looked at her, amazed, with relief taking over his features, “You do not love him then? Your whole arrangement is just that, an arrangement, not a relationship? I thought that after the night with John and I, you two were-”
“No, not a relationship, Colonel. Especially not since that night at the Rush house. How could I even attempt one when the man who has maintained full control of my heart is you.”
He smiled, laughing breathily, taking her face gently into his hands, “And you mine, Addy.” She smiled up at him, and he moved closer, and this time she did not run from him as he took her lips in his, kissing her softly, passionately, gently, and rough all at the same time. His hands drifted from cupping her cheeks to rest on her waist, backing her up against the side table on the wall, lifting her to sit on the table.
Adrienne wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back with equal vigor, letting a few noises slip from her mouth and into his. Thaddeus pulled back slightly, panting and smiling adoringly at her, “Hush, my dear. It would not do well for Pulaski to hear us.”
Her cheeks were rosy, but not from the cold this time, and her chest heaved up and down as she panted for air. “I was under the impression that men enjoyed the encouragement,” she replied, lips pulled into a mischievous smile.
“And as soon as I can get you entirely alone, I assure you, it will be impossible to hold yourself back,” he teased, taking her lips in his once more.
“Oh, I will expect to be utterly debauched, Colonel,” she said, rolling one of the curls near her hands in her hands as she gave in to his demand for more kisses in the firelight.