Free Sophia's War by Avi Page B

help?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œBut, lieutenant, you pledged to—”
    â€œMiss Calderwood, I cannot.”
    To hear that was as much to say “There shall be no more daylight.”
    Struggling for words, I said, “Lieutenant André, may I, may I remind you what you said to me, ‘I give you my pledge. If there is anything I can do for you, you need only ask.’”
    He was silent for a moment. Then, no longer smiling, he replied, “Miss Calderwood, can I in turn remind you of your age, which, I believe, is merely twelve. A promise to a girl is not a pledge to a lady. You are not yet a lady.”
    Then he made a curt bow and left the house, leaving me alone with profound humiliation and rage.
    Immediately, I made a pledge: lady or no, I would rescue William.

23
    FIRST, HOWEVER, I needed to visit him. Since I had already gained some knowledge of what amount of bribe it would take to accomplish that, I believed it good fortune—in every sense—that Mr. Gaine had employed me. So it was that I went to his shop each day. It meant money in hand, highly valued British coin. That said, it was going to take time to earn what I thought would be required. Fortunately, while I worked, I also brought home advertisements for Father to edit.
    On a number of occasions after my day’s work, I went to the sugarhouse situated near Crown and Nassau Streets. It was close to a Dutch church and its adjacent graveyard. Until recently it had been used for the refining of Jamaican sugar; hence its name. Having been built like a fortress, with large stones to make it fireproof, it is hardly a wonder that the British converted it to a prison. Five stories high, it had small, deep-set windows covered with gratings, and but one entryway, a small, barred door on the Crown Street side.
    Though there was no light within, I stood before it. Futile, of course. Yet I wanted to think that William’sface was one of those pressing at a window and that he saw me.
    I remained for a while, then left.
    At home Father continued to mend, if poorly. He got out of bed. He walked about. Though his arm and hand remained stiff and awkward in their movements, he made no complaint. Nonetheless, he stayed at home. While he did not say as much, I believed he thought that if he was seen and his wound noticed, there was the chance of his being arrested.
    General Washington, as much as anyone knew, had hidden his small army somewhere in Pennsylvania. It’s no wonder the British were convinced the war was all but over. Indeed, our Congress, anticipating an attack on Philadelphia, fled to the city of Baltimore. Nevertheless, a confident Lord Howe chose to stay in New York and settled into winter quarters.
    I’ll not deny I wished the war would end too, so William would be released. As for John André, I took satisfaction that I did not think of him, but prided myself on not thinking.
    Then, three days after Christmas, we heard the astonishing news that General Washington had captured the town of Trenton from German troops and went on to defeat British troops at Princeton. The patriot cause was alive. Among the few with whom we still communicated, there was elation.
    A confession: I was not so delighted. I knew what it meant: The war would continue. William was not goingto be free. Then I realized I was thinking that the freedom of my country was something less important than the freedom of my brother.
    Ashamed of myself, but ever more desperate, I convinced my parents that I should take whatever money we had in hand and make an effort to see William. They agreed to let me try.
    I went back to the sugarhouse. As I stood before the building, I watched two armed redcoat guards pass back and forth in front of the door. What a stronghold it was that it took so few guards to secure it!
    Filled with apprehension, I gripped my money tightly in hand and stepped forward, waiting until one of the guards drew near.
    â€œSir!” I