When he saw Henri leave the soldiers and move toward the kitchen with empty cups in hand, he nodded to him, then followed him into the storeroom.

"Are you finding everything?" Nathaniel asked.

Henri took up the quill and tore a piece of parchment from the papers Nathaniel kept on a small desk in the corner to record inventory. Only after he had scrawled a short note did he look up at Nathaniel.

"The soldiers won't be as restrained the next time anything occurs such as last night," he said quietly. "It's likely no more officers will be coming here, so that any situation that does arise isn't their responsibility to control."

"They are concerned with me, then?" Nathaniel questioned, though he dreaded the answer.

Henri shook his head. "It's the others who visit the house they are concerned with. They fear your actions have caused the rebellious thinkers to consider this place a safe one in which to plot and scheme. The soldiers' presence here is as much to deter such actions as to have their time to relax and drink. And gamble," he added with a hint of a smile.

Nathaniel was a bit relieved. He wasn't happy to know the soldiers would act however they saw fit in a difficult situation, but he was happy to know he was not being watched any more closely than anyone else in the establishment.

Marie appeared then on her way into the kitchen. "They've nearly eaten all the sweets I made today," she declared as she passed them with a newly filled plate. "Sugar is the best way to show no lasting offense was taken in events such as last night."

Nathaniel was certain the look on her face was not the look of a woman who took no lasting offense to being roughly handled by drunken soldiers too ready to take up their guns in defense of their rude behavior.

Henri attracted his attention by pressing his folded note into Nathaniel's hand. He had moved very close to Nathaniel while he had been distracted by Marie. "Show me where the rum is so they think I've still not learned my way about the place," he murmured.

Nathaniel cleared his throat and stepped back, taking the note and hiding it in his own hand. "Right. You're right," he said more loudly, "I suppose I never showed you. I have an open rum here by the bar, with many other drinks. Allow me to show you."

He took a moment to explain the array of alcohols at the bar to Henri and teach him the house's particular rum and cider drink. Henri, of course, had already been told it all that day, but Nathaniel repeated the training for the soldiers' benefit. He wondered how long Henri would plan to forget things to explain away the time he took to write notes for John or Samuel.

Passing the note to John was easy enough. He merely placed his hand on the top of the bar, turned so only John could see the note beneath it. John took a drink from his cup, then rested his hand beside it on the bar top. Nathaniel moved his hand with the note quite close, then removed his hand and left the note. John had the note in his own hand and in his lap in less time than it took Nathaniel to blink his eyes. Certainly, this was something John was quite used to doing.

After the tavern closed, Nathaniel met briefly with Marie and Henri. Though the house was shuttered and closed tight, he still insisted they speak quietly lest someone with suspicions attempted to listen to what they had to say to each other.

"John's group already suspected that what you said was happening," Nathaniel told Henri. "He told me  after."

"What did you learn?" Marie asked. When Henri told her what the soldiers had said she nodded. "That would be a sensible thing for them to do, watching that nothing they dislike happens here. I was unable to learn anything myself."

"It was only the first day," Nathaniel assured her. "We had nothing to pass on during the day and only some information tonight. John still dropped an extra coin for the confirmation of their suspicions."

"Now that no officers are here the soldiers will talk more freely," Henri reminded them. "They certainly did already. But take care," he added, giving a nod to the bar under which the musket was hidden. "There is no one to stop them from firing on any man who draws a weapon here. You know how to use it?"

"I wouldn't have it or point it at a British soldier if I didn't know how to use it, even if I hadn't taken the time to load it," Nathaniel declared, a bit surprised. "My mind had decided for me that the soldiers wouldn't shoot first, I suppose. Being seen to load it certainly would have made the situation worse. They would have known I meant them harm. I learned as a child how to shoot. Last night I meant only to surprise them into having better behavior."

"I meant no offense," Henri told him, looking like someone who had been chastised. "I wanted to know the kind of man I am employed to."

"One who will do as he must," Nathaniel replied. "Now, if you'd like to rise early with Marie to prepare the coffeehouse, you can retire when she does at night. If you'd rather only rise on your own terms, though before noon, you can help me to tidy things while she retires."

Henri motioned to the tavern room. "Teach me."

Nathaniel nodded. "Very well."

"Goodnight then." Marie hugged them both, then went upstairs to her room.

Henri did everything Nathaniel asked of him, gathering discarded mugs, sweeping the floor, and straightening tables. Nathaniel was glad to have someone else to help him, someone who seemed to be happy keeping everything neat and tidy. He also seemed to take the same care with himself, which couldn't be said for many of the other men who visited the house. As a man who strove for cleanliness and order, he could appreciate that in Henri, even if he had only known the man two days.

"I truly meant no offense," Henri finally said as he set his broom aside.

"You're still on about that?" Nathaniel asked with a chuckle. "I know you didn't. I apologize if you thought I was very offended. I'm a quiet man by nature."

Henri seemed relieved. "I'm glad to hear that."

Nathaniel smiled at him. "Don't worry much about me. I can shoot quite well."

Henri smiled in return. "Then perhaps we are saved."