They had breakfast with their hosts, who were told immediately by Levi that Bethiah knew of their true relationships and that they might be themselves around her without concern of what she might say to them.

"I believed she would be good to us," Amalie declared, smiling.

They all embraced her, as well as Levi, when they stepped into the carriage to continue their journey to Boston. Bethiah believed the driver looked rather refreshed despite sleeping in the barn. Levi assured her hired coachmen were accustomed to such arrangements and that he had been well provided for regardless.

"Do come visit again," Brendan requested. "We were happy to meet you."

"Keep Levi from trouble," Philip told her. "Jasper will need your help with that."

Levi chuckled and shook his head.

"And I know you'll take care of Mopsie," Anna said, smiling at her. "I can see you adore her."

Bethiah smiled and held the small dog a bit closer. "I do," she agreed.

"If you'd like you may write to us about her," Amalie told her. She appeared rather saddened to see the dog leave.

Bethiah patted her arm. "I will write to you about her, I promise you. I will care for her well, also."

Amalie nodded, smiling sadly. "Thank you." She offered Bethiah a basket she had been holding. It was fairly wide in circumference, but had short sides. Inside was a blanket. "This is for Mopsie," she explained. "It will give her something to lay on during the drive."

Philip placed a large stick in the basket. "So she has something to amuse herself with on the long drives. Dogs do love to chew on all manner of things. Stay watchful over your items at home."

Bethiah nodded. She'd never had a dog before, but she knew they enjoyed chewing on nearly anything they could find. "Of course."

Anna offered Bethiah a leather collar and leash. "So she can't run from you when you stop on the road."

Bethiah took everything and thanked them. She set the items in the carriage and embraced them all again, though with one arm as she still held Mopsie in the other. Only after she had thanked each of them did she enter the carriage and set Mopsie down. She and Levi waved to their friends as the coach rattled away.

When the farm was some distance behind them, Bethiah picked Mopsie up again to place the collar around her neck. Once back on the floor, Mopsie immediately found her stick and settled down on the bed to chew it. The rhythmic sound of her chewing blended with the creaking of the carriage and the beat of the horses' hooves.

The remainder of their four-day journey passed happily for Bethiah. They made excellent progress by day and spent their nights at inns along the road. The countryside they drove through showed signs of the war, though it was worse closer to towns and the cities of Philadelphia and Boston. At times they passed what were surely abandoned defensive works of earth and timber. Once Bethiah took notice of a burned farm. As they neared Boston the reminders of the war were fewer, the people there having had more time to rebuild and repair after the occupation of that city and the siege without. There were certainly more ships in the bay than there had been in Philadelphia. 

The city itself reminded her much of Philadelphia, though she supposed many cities in America were much the same. There were more people in the streets, bustling about their business. Philadelphia was quieter, with shops still kept closed by General Arnold and the Congress. Daily business had not yet begun to recover from the occupation, but the daily business in Boston seemed to be recovering by the day. She spied notices along the street encouraging young men to join the war, along with others that advertised wares for sale. One advertisement announced the auction of a prize cargo brought in by a privateer. Another was a call to assist in providing clothing for the soldiers.

They arrived at Levi's establishment in the evening. After settling things with the driver, Levi brought her inside through the shop entrance, assisting with her luggage as he did so. Within the shop were many types of goods for sale, many of which were near enough to the floor on lower shelves for Mopsie to find them worthy of her investigation.

"This is only where you sell your legally acquired goods, then," Bethiah said in a murmur, though no one was in the room with them and Levi had locked the door the moment they had entered.

Levi chuckled. "A worthy assumption. I have an attic storage room for the more profitable stock."

"How do your customers know what to ask for?" she questioned.

Levi shrugged. "They have learned to simply ask me if I have something they are looking for but don't see on these shelves. Those who would report my activities believe it to be stock I have acquired from prize auctions that I simply haven't the space for."

"I hope that lie continues to be believed."

Unsurprised by the voice, Bethiah looked across the shop to the black man who stood in the doorway behind the shop's counter. He smiled at her.

Levi walked over to him, grinning, and they shared what appeared to be a tight embrace, then a quick kiss. It made Bethiah quite happy to see the man. She hadn't seen him since he and Levi had endured nearly a year of living with Levi's father during the British occupation of Boston. She embraced him when Levi finally released him.

"It's good to see you, Jasper," she declared.

He grinned. "And you, Beth. Or, I should say, Mrs. Finley."

She chuckled. "Thank you, but Beth will remain just fine between us."

Levi put his arm around each of their shoulders and asked, "How faired the business while I was away?"

Jasper placed his hand over Levi's and nodded toward the doorway behind him. "I can tell you, but shouldn't we allow Beth to settle here before we discuss business? Don't leave her to wander the house alone."

"If it's small enough, I'm certain I could find my way," she assured them. "Though, I would also be interested to hear about the business. Levi told me much during our journey, though I am ever eager to learn more."

Levi nodded. "I value your thoughts as much as I do Jasper's. Perhaps it would be quite good to have another partner in the business."

Jasper smiled and nodded. "I agree to that. I recall you being quite adept at posing the questions we didn't know needed to be posed," he said, directing his attention to Bethiah. "This will be quite good for all of us."

Bethiah looked at each of them, still smiling. "I do hope so."