January, 1775 - Boston

The sun was setting, which meant the coffeehouse Nathaniel had acquired for a bargain price was about to be filled with townspeople as well as soldiers looking for something stronger than coffee. Unlike some, he wasn't concerned about offering alcohol to soldiers, and the soldiers hadn't noticed when he'd raised his prices in the last month. Business was business, even if the crowd might be a tad rowdy by the end of the night.

"What kind of night do you suppose it will be?" Marie asked in her heavy French accent, leaning against the bar beside him.

Nathaniel had been scoffed at many a time for having a woman serving in his coffeehouse, but he hadn't given those men a second thought. Marie was a lovely young woman as happy to turn away from the usual demands of society as he was. Some had asked him if she did more to serve the men who frequented his establishment than provide them food and drink, and he'd nearly laughed. He'd seen her slap a man off his chair for an inappropriate touch, and he was prepared to assist her in such responses if the need arose.

"An uneventful night, I hope," he replied, wiping the bar.

She laughed. "This is Boston. Move to the countryside and take up farming if uneventful is what you want."

He smiled at her. "Business is better here."

Their first nightly patron arrived then, a nondescript man who sat at the bar every evening and quietly sipped his drinks until they closed for the night. At times he left sooner, but usually he stayed as long as the soldiers. He'd been frequenting the house almost nightly since it had opened and Nathaniel still didn't know the man's name. Not that one was required for a drink unless paying on credit.

"Good evening," he said as he seated himself.

Marie fetched him his usual drink. "Good evening," she told him with a smile.

Nathaniel greeted the man, then moved across the tavern room to stoke the fire in the hearth. He paid no attention to the next man entering the building until Marie let out a shriek the likes of which he'd never heard before. He spun around and found her jumping into the arms of a lean, very handsome man while speaking excitedly in French. The man wore a dark cloak and a dark cocked hat now knocked askew by Marie. At his booted feet were two decently sized traveling bags.

"Oh, how undignified of me!" Marie finally declared, stepping away and brushing her skirt and apron as if to straighten them. But she quickly grabbed the man's hands and pulled him away from the doorway. "What are you doing here? You didn't say you were planning to visit! Nat, come meet my dear brother, Henri," she said, motioning Nathaniel closer. She was smiling more brightly than he had ever seen before.

Marie had spoken of Henri a time or two, but never in great detail. She often claimed it pained her to have left him behind when she'd chosen to leave her family and France. She had often told Nathaniel he was wonderfully handsome and an actor in Paris. His appearance was certainly not something she had exaggerated. Under his dark cloak he wore a suit and cravat of coordinated greens that seemed to make him look taller and leaner. He removed his hat from his blond head and smiled at Nathaniel. His eyes were a darker shade than Marie's pale blue ones.

Nathaniel pushed his thoughts away from Henri's appearance. "I'm glad to meet you," he said.

"I'm glad to meet you at last," he replied, smiling as brightly as his sister. His accent was almost musical on his voice, despite it being so similar to Marie's. "I hope you don't mind my intrusion. I found the desire to leave Paris rather quickly and couldn't write first to ask permission."

"What trouble did you find this time?" Marie demanded, hands on her hips.

"I found no trouble," he told her. "Other than being betrayed and cast aside for someone with less experience. I don't wish to speak about it yet, just know my career has come to its end, I believe."

She frowned and asked him something in French. Nathaniel wished he'd been more attentive when his tutor had tried to teach him French all those years ago. Then he'd have known what was happening in his house.

Henri sighed and waved a hand. "Not now." He turned back to Nathaniel. "It took me some time to locate this house, especially as I had to disembark outside the city harbor. I hadn't heard how difficult it would be to get into the city by ship."

"Oh yes, because of the tea," Marie said. "I didn't tell you about that because I didn't want you to worry. I knew you would never learn of it in Paris because you never concerned yourself with any gossip outside your extravagant company." She patted his arm when he gave her a rather confused look. "It was nothing to concern you with. I'll tell you all that's been happening here, later. Don't fret yourself."

Henri seemed to accept that and looked back to Nathaniel. "Would you allow me to stay here? Even if just for one night, I would appreciate it. I could share Marie's room if needed and find other lodgings tomorrow. It seems I have much to learn about Boston."

"Nat, don't you have several unused rooms upstairs?" Marie asked, though she knew it was the truth. "I'm sure Henri would work for his room until he finds what it was he came here for. If he even knows," she added, giving her brother a sharp look.

Nathaniel nodded. He'd certainly do that to keep the handsome man around, even just to look at. "Certainly."

Henri smiled. "Thank you."