Free Emily's Vow by Betty Bolte

standing there was as appealing as when she had a baby tooth yanked from her mouth when but a child. The memory of the resulting ache caused her jaw to tense. She wished he would move away.
    As if he read her mind, Frank crossed from the hearth to sit on the stuffed divan in front of the shuttered window. Shivering, Emily started for the fireplace. Her father noticed her trembling.
    "You're soaked through," he said gruffly. "How dare Lucille permit you to venture out into this storm? What was she thinking?"
    "It was not her fault." Emily couldn't stop the glance at Frank. "The good captain was concerned about getting wet, because I slowed him down. That was not my intention, of course."
    "What do you mean?"
    "I was surprised to learn that Frank will stay with us." Emily searched her father's expression. Only curiosity and traces of annoyance lingered in his eyes. "He said you invited him?"
    "Yes, once I learned he had nowhere else to stay." He tugged on his waistcoat to smooth it in place. "He will ensure your welfare when I cannot."
    "Father." Emily placed her clasped hands before her. "Please, you must allow me to do what I can for the cause. Let me contribute something meaningful to show my support." And receive support in turn from Amy and Samantha.
    Her father shook his head slowly. "You do not realize. With events such as they are, I cannot allow you to leave the house alone. I will not risk losing my only daughter. Your safety is my primary concern."
    His scowl warned her not to argue. He tugged on the pointed edge of his vest, straining the bone buttons neatly aligned down the front. His dark blue coat with gold piping on the cuffs and lapel edges indicated his intention to leave the house. He had arranged his hair into a simple queue, so his agenda did not include town business.
    Frustration churned inside. How unfair he might venture out and about, but she could not. Anger burned her throat. Thunder rumbled in the distance, signifying that the storm now hurtled past Ft. Moultrie which was situated in the middle of the harbor, and on out to sea.
    "But Father—" Emily couldn't bear it. She simply could not stay cooped up in the house every day. She must make him understand. She grasped for anything plausible to convince him not to restrict her in her own home unless escorted. "Who will go to the market?"
    "I can." Frank inclined his head as he winked at her. "I pass by the market on my way to and from the printing office."
    His lopsided grin ignited a fire inside her. Why did he not comprehend how trapped she felt? The household and its accompanying responsibilities surrounded her, memories of fun and laughter suffocating her.
    "You wish me to not attend church then?" Frantic, Emily glanced from her father's stony face to Frank.
    "Of course you shall attend church, but I or Frank will be with you. Otherwise you're to find something to do here until an escort is available. Enough. This conversation is over. Jasmine!" He strode to the writing desk. Removing a small bundle of papers, he studied the pages in his hand, ignoring her.
    She could not let him. This was not over. Not yet. She hurried to him, her damp skirts still clinging to her legs. She brushed a wet clump of hair back from her face, grimacing at the sight she imagined she presented.
    "Father, please. You must hear me. I feel so trapped by being forced to stay at home unless some man can walk with me. I've walked alone through town all my adult life until the blasted British invaded. But you must know that I'll not live in fear."
    Her father slammed his massive hand onto the richly embellished mahogany desk before him, its echo a gunshot in the room. Emily jumped and stepped backward, one hand flying to her mouth to stifle the cry threatening to escape. She was startled but not afraid. He would never harm her.
    "Emily, you're trying my patience with this foolhardy notion of yours. The times have become much more dangerous and you do not comprehend all that