When the children went to sleep, the house was quiet.
The few servants the couple had agreed to have had already retired to their rooms to consume their well-deserved hours of rest, and Elizabeth would certainly have done the same if her husband hadn't stayed so late in the living room.
-Hercules?- she asked as the old solid wooden door opened with a low squeaking. Her husband was sitting in his armchair, the one in which he always sat looking at the flames of the fireplace before the war began. -Hercules.- she called him again, coming behind him and placing her hand on his shoulder to attract his attention. -Hercules, it's late, come to sleep...- her husband didn't say a word. He limited himself to handing her a crumpled envelope, inside which there was folded a letter certainly not put better. -What is it? - asked the woman, taking it in her hands and turning it around to read the sender. -Henry Laurens... is John's father, right? That companion of yours who left for South Carolina some time ago...- Mulligan nodded slowly. It seemed that every movement cost him a great deal of effort. -His father is very kind to send you his news, we should arrange for something to send to him for the disturbance- he watched the woman pulling out the contents of the envelope and unfolding the paper to read the contents. -On Tuesday 27th, my son...- Elizabeth's voice dropped as she continued to read, turning the last few lines into a whisper without sound. She raised her eyes from the letter to look at the figure of her husband, who was usually proud and impetuous, and who was now leaning down with his arms resting on his knees. Since she entered, he hadn't even looked at her. -Great Lord, Hercules...- slowly, Betty left the letter and the envelope on a table next to the armchair where her husband was sitting, circumvented it and, slowly so as not to stumble into the skirt, bent down before him lifting her head to be able to look him in the eyes. -Hercules, I am so dismayed...- she said slowly as she gently laid her little hand on the imposing one of her husband. -If there's one thing, anything I can do for you, say it and I'll make it to the moon to please you.- she said, looking at him intensely as he brought his other hand to caress his untreated beard.
He remained to observe her in silence for a while; his gaze betrayed nothing, no positive or negative emotion whatsoever. In her eyes, at that moment there was such emptiness that Betty almost felt overwhelmed.
When he spoke, he did so in a harsh voice, but not enough to show sadness or anything else.
-Bring me my flask.- And she stood up to obey him.