Glory and Love Part 4
Title: Glory and Love
Author: Fab_fan
Fandom: All My Children
Pairing: Frankie/Bianca
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters (just imagine if I did)
Summary: Love and Hate. Glory and Despair. Life and Death. It all began with a single shot in 1861. An AU Historical Story.
Bianca shifted in her seat, glancing around briefly at her surroundings. The Hayward-Stone place always felt like a place of refuge for her. While she loved her home and her family, at times they could be a bit much. Whether it be her mother’s incessant need for gossip and oneupmanship or her brother and sister arguing over who her brother should court and marry, there were times Bianca felt like she needed to get away. The Hayward-Stone house became that place. She felt comfortable there. She was always accepted with grace and happiness whenever she visited. David and Anna adored her and thought of her as family. They appreciated how much she meant to both of their surrogate daughters. Bianca was a great friend to Margaret and Frances. She never once batted an eye when Margaret announced she would rather be like her cousin and study medicine instead of sitting around achieving nothing while waiting for marriage. With Frances, Bianca was able to seemingly understand her and accept her when others couldn’t. Bianca accepted and liked the way Frances didn’t let others’s thoughts dictate what she did or wanted. To Bianca, Frances was one of the bravest people she knew. The rest of the city might think Frances was insane or ignorant for the way she lived life, but Bianca could only smile in pleasure when Frances told her about the latest activity she had tried or showed her something new.
The Hayward-Stone home was a touch smaller than her own. The parlor was cozy and quaint. There was a fireplace, still unlit until winter rolled around, but no family portrait hanging above it. Bianca thought it might have been because it was nearly impossible to get Frances to sit still for that long. The furniture was a bit more worn and faded, but Bianca believed it only added to the comfortableness of it all. Bianca’s family had a girl who worked as a maid of sorts every few days and were looking into hiring another to help. David and Anna never hired anyone, and one of the family either served tea when a guest came over or did the chores.
Bianca looked down at the tea cup and saucer balanced in her hand. The liquid was a clear dark amber color. The scent wafted up to her nose, and she breathed in the familiar odor. She carefully lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip before setting it back on the saucer and then both back on the tiny tray. Her eyes wandered over to Maggie who sat in the other chair beside her. Maggie was sipping at her own tea, her eyes glazed over in thought...and worry.
“How are you feeling?” Bianca asked kindly.
Maggie blinked and looked at her. She set her tea down next to Bianca’s and sighed sorrowfully, “James is gone.”
Bianca nodded, “Joshua went with him. They are both in the same regiment.”
Maggie pinched her lips together, “I miss him already. He told me he would return, but I cannot help but be scared for him.”
Bianca leaned over and placed a warm hand on her shoulder, “They will both return. They will look out for each other, protect each other. James is a good man. He will learn how to survive.”
“I care about him so much, Bianca. I know he is smart and brave. But, I wish he had not left. I wish he was still here...with me.” she finished in a whisper.
Bianca squeezed her shoulder, “He will be. Soon. We mustn’t fret. James and Joshua will come home, and we will forget this terrible war even happened.”
Maggie sniffed and offered her friend a watery smile of thanks, “I do hope you are right, Bianca.”
Bianca smiled gently, “Of course I am.”
As Maggie turned away to pick her tea back up, the smile on Bianca’s face faltered slightly. She did believe everything would be alright. She had to. Her brother and one of her very good friends had gone off to war. The entire city assumed the war would be over within months. They would defeat the south easily. However, there was still a feeling of dread brewing in the pit of Bianca’s stomach. It had been there for weeks and weeks now. It had erupted when Frances spoke of following in the two boys’ footsteps. The dread had been like a paralyzing glacier of fear in Bianca’s body when Frances uttered those horrifying words. But, since then, the fear and dread had receded.
Unfortunately, it had not disappeared.
Maggie took a dainty sip of her steaming beverage, “At least Frances has stopped going on about her foolish idea to join the army. I know my sister has devised some outlandish plans over the years, but to want to fight in battle...sometimes I think she is too much of a dreamer for her own good.”
Bianca silently listened, the corners of her lips twitching upward at the mention of the twin. But, they dipped to a frown by the end of the statement. Frances was a dreamer. It was something Bianca found so fascinating about her. Where Maggie excelled in medicine and logical factual thought, Frances was a dreamer at heart. She was a poet, a romantic. Bianca knew that was what led to her visions of glory concerning the war. It was the first time Bianca ever thought Frances’s dreaming was too much for her own good.
The fact that Frances had stopped talking about the army was a relief to Bianca. She had never been more frightened than when Frances expounded on her dreams of dashing heroism. Now, Frances never mentioned it. Yes, she would show interest in the latest news or rumors surrounding the war, but she did not say anything about joining.
Bianca could not get the image of excitement in Frances’s hazel orbs out of her head, though.
“Where is Frances today?” Bianca peered around the room.
“I do not know.” Maggie shrugged, a flicker of exasperation mingling in her words. “She left before breakfast and has not been back since. She did not even tell us where she was going...or that she was going at all!”
Bianca bit her bottom lip. She had been rather hoping to catch even just a glimpse of the girl. She made the visit to support Maggie, but she could not remember going a day without seeing Frances in some form since they were small children. When she woke up in the morning, it was a quiet comfort to know she would be seeing Frances that day. Her stomach churned at the idea of not seeing her. Where could she have gone? And without telling anyone?
“I hate when she does this.” Maggie exhaled loudly. “With James being gone now...”
Bianca clasped her hands together in her lap, “Frances will be home soon. She more than likely went out on one of her crazy plans or went to find one of those quiet spots she likes to go to think at.”
“You are probably right, but she still should have told someone.”
“She has done this before.”
“And I said the same thing then.”
Bianca felt her hands tighten, but she didn’t let Maggie see it. The feeling of dread was bubbling again, but she tampered it down. Frances was likely only staring up at the clouds with her imagination running rampant or some such thing. The trickle of worry that started to seep into her bones was unwarranted. She could not stop it, though. Instead, she put a smile on her face and turned to Maggie, “She will be fine. How are David and Anna?”
Maggie opened her mouth, but before she could answer, the front door swung open. Both girls turned to see Frances march in, her head bent and the bonnet on her head covering her face from view. The girl closed the door and spun around, pausing as she caught sight of her sister and Bianca. She tilted her head and appraised the situation, “Hello Maggie, Ms. Bianca.” She sent a charming grin toward the brunette.
“Where have you been?” Maggie stood up, exasperation coating her question.
Bianca let her eyes focus on Frances. A wave of relief washed over her at the sight. Her mouth turned up and her heart skipped a beat. She watched Frances take off her traveling cloak and set down a rather heavy looking canvas bag that she had been carrying in one hand. Frances walked toward them, her hands swinging at her sides.
“In town.” Frances responded to her twin. She strolled into the room and looked around. “Tea, Maggie? Again?”
Maggie folded her arms, “Bianca came over to visit.”
Frances nodded, not looking at the younger girl. “You should take a walk outside. It’s a beautiful day.”
Bianca frowned. Why was Frances turning her back to her?
Maggie glared at her sister, “Be that as it may, you should have told us you were leaving this morning. Neither I nor David nor Anna knew what had become of you.”
Frances waved a hand and moved toward the fireplace. She plucked the newspaper that was hanging precariously from the mantle above it and scanned the front page, “Do not worry so much, Maggie.”
Maggie sighed, “How can I not with you as my sister?”
Frances shot her a playful smirk, “Very astute observation, Ms. Stone.” She looked back at the newspaper and began to read, “They are saying the war will still only last three months at most.”
Maggie’s arms folded closer to her body, “Yes, they are.”
“People are saying it is taking the government too long to confront the south. It is nearly the end of July and nothing has happened yet.”
“Hopefully nothing will.” Maggie muttered.
Frances looked up from the newspaper at her sister. She folded the paper and set it back on the mantle before stepping over to her, “How are you?” she lowered her voice. “With James and all?”
Maggie pursed her lips, “The same as yesterday.”
Frances nodded and patted her arm, “He will be back. All of them will. Except he’ll be wearing a shiny new uniform you can admire when he does. It will make you swoon all the more.”
Bianca watched the exchange. Frances gave Maggie another comforting pat before going back to the mantle and picking the newspaper back up. Bianca watched as Frances’s eyes took in each printed word, relishing in every sentence with unmatched vigor. There was something in those eyes, in the way Frances’s mouth would twitched and the tone of her words when she mentioned General-In-Chief Winfield Scott and the number of men who had volunteered for service.
Then, it struck her. Frances was wearing a bonnet. Frances never wore bonnets. It was another point of contention between the blonde and the rest of society. Frances hated the piece of clothing. Why was she wearing one today? Why hadn’t she taken it off when she arrived home?
The questions swirled in Bianca’s mind, and the dread only bubbled up further. Something was not right. She had known Frances long enough to see something was off. Frances might not be looking at her, which was strange unto itself, but there was more. Bianca caught glimpses of the spark in her eyes as she spoke of confronting the rebels. There were clues to a mystery Bianca had yet to identify in the way Frances moved.
“Where were you?” Bianca asked quietly.
Frances tensed at the murmured question. She didn’t look at Bianca, keeping her eyes firmly on the printed page in her hands, “In town.”
Bianca clamped her bottom lip between her teeth to stop it from trembling. The feeling of something being terribly wrong raced through her. “What did you do?”
Frances did not say anything for a long minute. Then, “I went into town.”
Bianca breathed in deeply, trying desperately to control the emotions raging inside of her. She stared at Frances with pleading eyes, “Please, Frances.”
Frances turned her head away from Bianca and stared at the empty fireplace for a few minutes. Her hands clenched the newspaper in her hands, the ink staining her palms and fingers. Bianca felt the world slipping away as she waited for an answer. The longer the silence went on, the more her chest started to ache. Frances had never kept a secret from her before. She always told Bianca, even when she could not tell anyone else. They did not keep things from each other. It was impossible for them not to confide in the other.
Then, Frances set the newspaper down and faced her. Bianca gasped at the enthusiasm and excitement barely contained in Frances’s face and eyes. Frances moved toward her, keeping her eyes on Bianca’s. “I did it, Bianca.”
Bianca felt her world plummet into oblivion.
“Did what?” Maggie questioned from her spot near her chair.
Frances kept her eyes on Bianca. She carefully reached for the bonnet and untied it, scooping it off of her head. Maggie’s eyes widened and she inhaled sharply, “Frances, what have you done?”
Where before there had been long silky blonde locks, her hair was now shorn away. The feathery locks now ended just above her ears, matted down from being hidden under the bonnet for so long.
Frances eagerly explained, “I did it. I volunteered for the cavalry. I pretended to be a man - Franklin Stone - and signed up.” arrogance shook in her voice, “It was so simple. The recruiter was happy to have another man sign up, and the doctor only checked to see if I had a serviceable trigger finger before passing me.”
Bianca stared at Frances, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. Her entire being froze. It was like the world stopped turning for a minute. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, couldn’t move or hear. She couldn’t even think.
“You did what!” Maggie yelled. She glared at her twin, “Frances, you did what?”
Frances reluctantly looked away from Bianca to her sister, “I volunteered for the cavalry, Maggie.”
“No, no you did not.” Maggie shook her head. “You did no such thing! You are smarter than that!”
“Smarter?” Frances scoffed, “This is the best thing I have ever done. I am joining the army...the cavalry. I will be riding a horse into battle. Picture it, leading a charge on a beautiful steed, defeating the rebels before returning home to you both.”
Maggie shouted, “No, Frances! Stop talking like that! What is wrong with you? You cannot even ride a horse. The last time you did you fell off and nearly killed yourself.”
“I’ll learn how. The army will train me. It can't be too difficult.”
“What about David and Anna? What were you going to tell them?”
“I’ll tell them I am visiting friends in Boston.”
“For how long?” Maggie pointed a shaky finger at her, “This is wrong, Frances. The army doesn’t even accept women! You are breaking the law.”
“To preserve our country.”
“To be some kind of hero!” Maggie screamed. “Is it not enough James went? Now you too?”
Frances sent her a heartfelt look, “I am sorry James left, and I am certain he will return. We both will, Joshua too. This is too big to let pass by. War, Maggie. A chance to...”
“To what? Get yourself killed?”
“to be something amazing.” Frances corrected. “To do something truly spectacular.”
“This isn’t a game, Frances. This isn’t one of your plans.”
“I know that. It is so much more.” Frances gestured excitedly.
Maggie scowled, “I won’t let you do this. I will not! I will tell that recruiter who you really are. I’ll tell him you are a woman.”
“What? No!” Frances’s jaw dropped.
“You are not doing this.”
Frances shook her head, “If you do that, I’ll just go somewhere else and join. You cannot stop me.”
Maggie rocked on her heels at the threat, “You are being a fool.”
Frances turned away from the angry glare and faced Bianca. She eagerly moved to her, kneeling down beside her chair, “You understand, don’t you, Bianca?”
Bianca slowly turned her head to gaze down at Frances. The blonde looked up at her with dream-filled hopeful eyes. They were almost begging her in nature. Begging her to see what she saw. Bianca couldn’t, though. She did not understand. She did not see it. She saw a bloody bullet ravaged Frances lying on an unknown cold dark field, dead.
Frances gently touched Bianca’s knee, “It will be wonderful. You can tell every person you meet how you are friends with the person who helped to put down the rebels. Imagine me on a horse with a glistening sword and a shining uniform...”
All Bianca could see was the newly cut hair covered in blood on Frances’s head. Her chest burned painfully, and the sting of tears pricked her eyes. Her stomach clenched tightly, and a lump formed in her throat.
“You will be so very proud of me. You and David, Maggie, Anna...even your family will be. I could even be one of those famous generals leading the army into battle.” Frances continued, painting a gallant picture of glory. “People will cheer my name.”
Bianca’s face began to crumble, each word like a hurtful dagger to her already breaking heart. She quickly stood up, needing to leave. She could not be there anymore. Not with Frances staring up at her with such wishful eyes, wanting her to understand something she never could. Not with Maggie hovering in the background, already upset with James and now having her sister leaving as well.
Not with the way her heart felt like she was losing the most important thing in the world.
Frances frowned at the abrupt movement, and she swiftly got to her feet as well, “Bianca?”
Bianca wordlessly shook her head. If she opened her mouth, only sobs would come out. She ducked her head, tears starting to fall down her cheeks, and walked toward the door. Frances went after her, reaching for her arm, “Bianca, wait.”
Bianca paused at the front door. She tilted her head, offering Frances a short glimpse at the pure devastation and heartbreak on her face. Frances stumbled back at the look, her face dropping at the sight.
Then, without uttering a sound, Bianca left.
Author: Fab_fan
Fandom: All My Children
Pairing: Frankie/Bianca
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters (just imagine if I did)
Summary: Love and Hate. Glory and Despair. Life and Death. It all began with a single shot in 1861. An AU Historical Story.
Bianca shifted in her seat, glancing around briefly at her surroundings. The Hayward-Stone place always felt like a place of refuge for her. While she loved her home and her family, at times they could be a bit much. Whether it be her mother’s incessant need for gossip and oneupmanship or her brother and sister arguing over who her brother should court and marry, there were times Bianca felt like she needed to get away. The Hayward-Stone house became that place. She felt comfortable there. She was always accepted with grace and happiness whenever she visited. David and Anna adored her and thought of her as family. They appreciated how much she meant to both of their surrogate daughters. Bianca was a great friend to Margaret and Frances. She never once batted an eye when Margaret announced she would rather be like her cousin and study medicine instead of sitting around achieving nothing while waiting for marriage. With Frances, Bianca was able to seemingly understand her and accept her when others couldn’t. Bianca accepted and liked the way Frances didn’t let others’s thoughts dictate what she did or wanted. To Bianca, Frances was one of the bravest people she knew. The rest of the city might think Frances was insane or ignorant for the way she lived life, but Bianca could only smile in pleasure when Frances told her about the latest activity she had tried or showed her something new.
The Hayward-Stone home was a touch smaller than her own. The parlor was cozy and quaint. There was a fireplace, still unlit until winter rolled around, but no family portrait hanging above it. Bianca thought it might have been because it was nearly impossible to get Frances to sit still for that long. The furniture was a bit more worn and faded, but Bianca believed it only added to the comfortableness of it all. Bianca’s family had a girl who worked as a maid of sorts every few days and were looking into hiring another to help. David and Anna never hired anyone, and one of the family either served tea when a guest came over or did the chores.
Bianca looked down at the tea cup and saucer balanced in her hand. The liquid was a clear dark amber color. The scent wafted up to her nose, and she breathed in the familiar odor. She carefully lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip before setting it back on the saucer and then both back on the tiny tray. Her eyes wandered over to Maggie who sat in the other chair beside her. Maggie was sipping at her own tea, her eyes glazed over in thought...and worry.
“How are you feeling?” Bianca asked kindly.
Maggie blinked and looked at her. She set her tea down next to Bianca’s and sighed sorrowfully, “James is gone.”
Bianca nodded, “Joshua went with him. They are both in the same regiment.”
Maggie pinched her lips together, “I miss him already. He told me he would return, but I cannot help but be scared for him.”
Bianca leaned over and placed a warm hand on her shoulder, “They will both return. They will look out for each other, protect each other. James is a good man. He will learn how to survive.”
“I care about him so much, Bianca. I know he is smart and brave. But, I wish he had not left. I wish he was still here...with me.” she finished in a whisper.
Bianca squeezed her shoulder, “He will be. Soon. We mustn’t fret. James and Joshua will come home, and we will forget this terrible war even happened.”
Maggie sniffed and offered her friend a watery smile of thanks, “I do hope you are right, Bianca.”
Bianca smiled gently, “Of course I am.”
As Maggie turned away to pick her tea back up, the smile on Bianca’s face faltered slightly. She did believe everything would be alright. She had to. Her brother and one of her very good friends had gone off to war. The entire city assumed the war would be over within months. They would defeat the south easily. However, there was still a feeling of dread brewing in the pit of Bianca’s stomach. It had been there for weeks and weeks now. It had erupted when Frances spoke of following in the two boys’ footsteps. The dread had been like a paralyzing glacier of fear in Bianca’s body when Frances uttered those horrifying words. But, since then, the fear and dread had receded.
Unfortunately, it had not disappeared.
Maggie took a dainty sip of her steaming beverage, “At least Frances has stopped going on about her foolish idea to join the army. I know my sister has devised some outlandish plans over the years, but to want to fight in battle...sometimes I think she is too much of a dreamer for her own good.”
Bianca silently listened, the corners of her lips twitching upward at the mention of the twin. But, they dipped to a frown by the end of the statement. Frances was a dreamer. It was something Bianca found so fascinating about her. Where Maggie excelled in medicine and logical factual thought, Frances was a dreamer at heart. She was a poet, a romantic. Bianca knew that was what led to her visions of glory concerning the war. It was the first time Bianca ever thought Frances’s dreaming was too much for her own good.
The fact that Frances had stopped talking about the army was a relief to Bianca. She had never been more frightened than when Frances expounded on her dreams of dashing heroism. Now, Frances never mentioned it. Yes, she would show interest in the latest news or rumors surrounding the war, but she did not say anything about joining.
Bianca could not get the image of excitement in Frances’s hazel orbs out of her head, though.
“Where is Frances today?” Bianca peered around the room.
“I do not know.” Maggie shrugged, a flicker of exasperation mingling in her words. “She left before breakfast and has not been back since. She did not even tell us where she was going...or that she was going at all!”
Bianca bit her bottom lip. She had been rather hoping to catch even just a glimpse of the girl. She made the visit to support Maggie, but she could not remember going a day without seeing Frances in some form since they were small children. When she woke up in the morning, it was a quiet comfort to know she would be seeing Frances that day. Her stomach churned at the idea of not seeing her. Where could she have gone? And without telling anyone?
“I hate when she does this.” Maggie exhaled loudly. “With James being gone now...”
Bianca clasped her hands together in her lap, “Frances will be home soon. She more than likely went out on one of her crazy plans or went to find one of those quiet spots she likes to go to think at.”
“You are probably right, but she still should have told someone.”
“She has done this before.”
“And I said the same thing then.”
Bianca felt her hands tighten, but she didn’t let Maggie see it. The feeling of dread was bubbling again, but she tampered it down. Frances was likely only staring up at the clouds with her imagination running rampant or some such thing. The trickle of worry that started to seep into her bones was unwarranted. She could not stop it, though. Instead, she put a smile on her face and turned to Maggie, “She will be fine. How are David and Anna?”
Maggie opened her mouth, but before she could answer, the front door swung open. Both girls turned to see Frances march in, her head bent and the bonnet on her head covering her face from view. The girl closed the door and spun around, pausing as she caught sight of her sister and Bianca. She tilted her head and appraised the situation, “Hello Maggie, Ms. Bianca.” She sent a charming grin toward the brunette.
“Where have you been?” Maggie stood up, exasperation coating her question.
Bianca let her eyes focus on Frances. A wave of relief washed over her at the sight. Her mouth turned up and her heart skipped a beat. She watched Frances take off her traveling cloak and set down a rather heavy looking canvas bag that she had been carrying in one hand. Frances walked toward them, her hands swinging at her sides.
“In town.” Frances responded to her twin. She strolled into the room and looked around. “Tea, Maggie? Again?”
Maggie folded her arms, “Bianca came over to visit.”
Frances nodded, not looking at the younger girl. “You should take a walk outside. It’s a beautiful day.”
Bianca frowned. Why was Frances turning her back to her?
Maggie glared at her sister, “Be that as it may, you should have told us you were leaving this morning. Neither I nor David nor Anna knew what had become of you.”
Frances waved a hand and moved toward the fireplace. She plucked the newspaper that was hanging precariously from the mantle above it and scanned the front page, “Do not worry so much, Maggie.”
Maggie sighed, “How can I not with you as my sister?”
Frances shot her a playful smirk, “Very astute observation, Ms. Stone.” She looked back at the newspaper and began to read, “They are saying the war will still only last three months at most.”
Maggie’s arms folded closer to her body, “Yes, they are.”
“People are saying it is taking the government too long to confront the south. It is nearly the end of July and nothing has happened yet.”
“Hopefully nothing will.” Maggie muttered.
Frances looked up from the newspaper at her sister. She folded the paper and set it back on the mantle before stepping over to her, “How are you?” she lowered her voice. “With James and all?”
Maggie pursed her lips, “The same as yesterday.”
Frances nodded and patted her arm, “He will be back. All of them will. Except he’ll be wearing a shiny new uniform you can admire when he does. It will make you swoon all the more.”
Bianca watched the exchange. Frances gave Maggie another comforting pat before going back to the mantle and picking the newspaper back up. Bianca watched as Frances’s eyes took in each printed word, relishing in every sentence with unmatched vigor. There was something in those eyes, in the way Frances’s mouth would twitched and the tone of her words when she mentioned General-In-Chief Winfield Scott and the number of men who had volunteered for service.
Then, it struck her. Frances was wearing a bonnet. Frances never wore bonnets. It was another point of contention between the blonde and the rest of society. Frances hated the piece of clothing. Why was she wearing one today? Why hadn’t she taken it off when she arrived home?
The questions swirled in Bianca’s mind, and the dread only bubbled up further. Something was not right. She had known Frances long enough to see something was off. Frances might not be looking at her, which was strange unto itself, but there was more. Bianca caught glimpses of the spark in her eyes as she spoke of confronting the rebels. There were clues to a mystery Bianca had yet to identify in the way Frances moved.
“Where were you?” Bianca asked quietly.
Frances tensed at the murmured question. She didn’t look at Bianca, keeping her eyes firmly on the printed page in her hands, “In town.”
Bianca clamped her bottom lip between her teeth to stop it from trembling. The feeling of something being terribly wrong raced through her. “What did you do?”
Frances did not say anything for a long minute. Then, “I went into town.”
Bianca breathed in deeply, trying desperately to control the emotions raging inside of her. She stared at Frances with pleading eyes, “Please, Frances.”
Frances turned her head away from Bianca and stared at the empty fireplace for a few minutes. Her hands clenched the newspaper in her hands, the ink staining her palms and fingers. Bianca felt the world slipping away as she waited for an answer. The longer the silence went on, the more her chest started to ache. Frances had never kept a secret from her before. She always told Bianca, even when she could not tell anyone else. They did not keep things from each other. It was impossible for them not to confide in the other.
Then, Frances set the newspaper down and faced her. Bianca gasped at the enthusiasm and excitement barely contained in Frances’s face and eyes. Frances moved toward her, keeping her eyes on Bianca’s. “I did it, Bianca.”
Bianca felt her world plummet into oblivion.
“Did what?” Maggie questioned from her spot near her chair.
Frances kept her eyes on Bianca. She carefully reached for the bonnet and untied it, scooping it off of her head. Maggie’s eyes widened and she inhaled sharply, “Frances, what have you done?”
Where before there had been long silky blonde locks, her hair was now shorn away. The feathery locks now ended just above her ears, matted down from being hidden under the bonnet for so long.
Frances eagerly explained, “I did it. I volunteered for the cavalry. I pretended to be a man - Franklin Stone - and signed up.” arrogance shook in her voice, “It was so simple. The recruiter was happy to have another man sign up, and the doctor only checked to see if I had a serviceable trigger finger before passing me.”
Bianca stared at Frances, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. Her entire being froze. It was like the world stopped turning for a minute. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, couldn’t move or hear. She couldn’t even think.
“You did what!” Maggie yelled. She glared at her twin, “Frances, you did what?”
Frances reluctantly looked away from Bianca to her sister, “I volunteered for the cavalry, Maggie.”
“No, no you did not.” Maggie shook her head. “You did no such thing! You are smarter than that!”
“Smarter?” Frances scoffed, “This is the best thing I have ever done. I am joining the army...the cavalry. I will be riding a horse into battle. Picture it, leading a charge on a beautiful steed, defeating the rebels before returning home to you both.”
Maggie shouted, “No, Frances! Stop talking like that! What is wrong with you? You cannot even ride a horse. The last time you did you fell off and nearly killed yourself.”
“I’ll learn how. The army will train me. It can't be too difficult.”
“What about David and Anna? What were you going to tell them?”
“I’ll tell them I am visiting friends in Boston.”
“For how long?” Maggie pointed a shaky finger at her, “This is wrong, Frances. The army doesn’t even accept women! You are breaking the law.”
“To preserve our country.”
“To be some kind of hero!” Maggie screamed. “Is it not enough James went? Now you too?”
Frances sent her a heartfelt look, “I am sorry James left, and I am certain he will return. We both will, Joshua too. This is too big to let pass by. War, Maggie. A chance to...”
“To what? Get yourself killed?”
“to be something amazing.” Frances corrected. “To do something truly spectacular.”
“This isn’t a game, Frances. This isn’t one of your plans.”
“I know that. It is so much more.” Frances gestured excitedly.
Maggie scowled, “I won’t let you do this. I will not! I will tell that recruiter who you really are. I’ll tell him you are a woman.”
“What? No!” Frances’s jaw dropped.
“You are not doing this.”
Frances shook her head, “If you do that, I’ll just go somewhere else and join. You cannot stop me.”
Maggie rocked on her heels at the threat, “You are being a fool.”
Frances turned away from the angry glare and faced Bianca. She eagerly moved to her, kneeling down beside her chair, “You understand, don’t you, Bianca?”
Bianca slowly turned her head to gaze down at Frances. The blonde looked up at her with dream-filled hopeful eyes. They were almost begging her in nature. Begging her to see what she saw. Bianca couldn’t, though. She did not understand. She did not see it. She saw a bloody bullet ravaged Frances lying on an unknown cold dark field, dead.
Frances gently touched Bianca’s knee, “It will be wonderful. You can tell every person you meet how you are friends with the person who helped to put down the rebels. Imagine me on a horse with a glistening sword and a shining uniform...”
All Bianca could see was the newly cut hair covered in blood on Frances’s head. Her chest burned painfully, and the sting of tears pricked her eyes. Her stomach clenched tightly, and a lump formed in her throat.
“You will be so very proud of me. You and David, Maggie, Anna...even your family will be. I could even be one of those famous generals leading the army into battle.” Frances continued, painting a gallant picture of glory. “People will cheer my name.”
Bianca’s face began to crumble, each word like a hurtful dagger to her already breaking heart. She quickly stood up, needing to leave. She could not be there anymore. Not with Frances staring up at her with such wishful eyes, wanting her to understand something she never could. Not with Maggie hovering in the background, already upset with James and now having her sister leaving as well.
Not with the way her heart felt like she was losing the most important thing in the world.
Frances frowned at the abrupt movement, and she swiftly got to her feet as well, “Bianca?”
Bianca wordlessly shook her head. If she opened her mouth, only sobs would come out. She ducked her head, tears starting to fall down her cheeks, and walked toward the door. Frances went after her, reaching for her arm, “Bianca, wait.”
Bianca paused at the front door. She tilted her head, offering Frances a short glimpse at the pure devastation and heartbreak on her face. Frances stumbled back at the look, her face dropping at the sight.
Then, without uttering a sound, Bianca left.