The House On Market Street
Captain Peanut Butter • Chapter 20
New to Baron Britpop Blastfurnace? You can read Books 1 & 2 starting here:
In the previous chapter, Captain Peanut Butter, Ana, and Lafayette arrived in Havre de Grace, where they managed to rent a wagon from a local farmer. Upon nearing Philadelphia, they happened upon Ben Franklin, who was flying a kite in the rain. He invited them to his home.
We arrived at Franklin’s home, a fine, two-story brick house situated in a quiet garden courtyard just off Market Street. Entering the house, we were met by a sturdy woman in her later years.
“Friends, this is my dear wife, Deborah,” Franklin said.
We all exchanged greetings.
“My Dear, Lafayette and the Captain have come to offer their services to the Continental Congress. Will you kindly entertain Ana while we discuss these matters in my study?” Franklin asked his wife.
“Of course,” Deborah replied. Then she turned to Ana. “Ana, would you care for tea?”
“That would be nice. Thank you,” Ana replied.
Franklin showed Lafayette and me to his study while the women went to the kitchen.
Ana will take the telling of this portion of the story.
Mrs. Franklin seemed a confident, no-nonsense woman, as was soon evident by her direct questions.
“Tell me about yourself, Dear,” Deborah asked.
“That is quite a tale. I am not sure how much I should reveal,” I replied.
“Now I am quite intrigued. You must share it all. I will keep it in strictest confidence.”
“Very well. Until recently, I was a simple farmer in Spain. My sister and I inherited the farm from my father. My sister is a free spirit who spends most of her time in town, which suited me. I was content to stay home and look after the farm. Then, one day, she brought a man home for lunch—Jacques, the Captain, who is currently sitting in your study. My heart jumped at the sight of him, and we immediately felt a connection.”
“It was much the same for me and Benjamin. Continue, please.”
“My sister generously stepped aside, and our courtship began. Here is the part you must hold in confidence.”
“You have my word,” Deborah replied.
“Soon, Jacques revealed to me that he was a pirate.”
“Oh, my,” Deborah said, leaning back.
“In his defense, he is unlike other pirates. He only takes ten percent of a ship’s cargo and never harms anyone. But I told him I would never marry a pirate.”
“A wise course of action, to be sure,” Deborah commented.
“He promised that one day, he would quit pirating and make me his wife. And, together, we would farm and raise a family. The years passed, and he visited when he could, but I began to doubt he would ever stop sailing. Then, a few months ago, he showed up at my door and asked me to marry him. He said he had no choice but to quit pirating and that he wanted to start a new life with me. I accepted. Unfortunately, his fame ruled out his staying on my farm, so we sailed for the United States.
“When we arrived, we encountered another ship. It was Lafayette’s ship. Lafayette convinced Britpop to offer his services to the Continental Congress. I admit I was quite cross with him when he told me.”
“Quite understandable, my Dear.”
“But Jacques is a man of strong convictions, and as I had no other choice, I made peace with the decision. We sailed up the Chesapeake Bay and rented a wagon to make our way to Philadelphia. As fate would have it, we encountered your husband, and here we are.”
“How fascinating,” Deborah replied.
“I am quite anxious, though, as Jacques plans to sail in the war for a year. I fear for his safety, and I have no idea what I shall do during that time.”
“You shall stay with me. That is what you shall do,” Deborah replied.
“That is an incredibly generous offer, but I couldn’t accept. You barely know me.”
“I know enough. Besides, my husband will soon be sailing for France. God only knows if I will ever see him again. I welcome the company.”
“I will certainly consider your offer.”
“Please do.”
“Now tell me about yourself,” I said.
Deborah laughed. “Where to begin? I met Benjamin when he was seventeen years of age and came to live at our boarding house. We hit it off immediately. A year later, he proposed. My mother thought it imprudent, as Benjamin was soon to sail for London to purchase printing equipment with financial aid from the Deputy Mayor. Benjamin agreed that marriage would be better left until he returned and established himself in business.
“In a cruel twist of fate, the promised support for the purchase of equipment turned out to be a falsehood, and Benjamin was forced to go to work at a printing house in London. He fell in with a scoundrel of a poet named James Ralph, who left his wife and children and poisoned Benjamin’s mind against marriage. I received a letter from Benjamin stating that he was not likely to return anytime soon.
“I was devastated. Eventually, my mother and friends convinced me to allow suitors. I met a man named John Rogers, and we wed. I soon found out that he was already married, and I left him. He spent my dowry, amassed large debts, and ran off to the West Indies.”
“My heavens,” I replied.
“When Benjamin returned after two years, he learned of my misfortune and contacted my family. My mother had acquired several properties from my Father’s estate, and Benjamin helped us with financial affairs. I assume out of guilt. But I was still very despondent and had little interest in Benjamin. He courted several women but was rejected by their fathers.
“Benjamin eventually established his own printing business and bought a store and a newspaper. He confessed his feelings of guilt to my Mother, who also expressed guilt for encouraging me to marry John Rogers. Benjamin began courting me again. My marital status was undeterminable, and if Benjamin had married me in church, he would have been responsible for John Roger’s debts. So we began living together, and I became his common-law wife.”
“Incredible,” I replied.
“Oh, that is just the start, my Dear,” Deborah said and laughed. “But we will have plenty of time for the whole sordid story if you agree to stay.”
Captain Peanut Butter will tell of the events in the study.
As we sat in the study, Lafayette discussed his desire to aid in the fight for independence, and I revealed my experiences as a pirate.
“Your time as a pirate is little deterrent to me. In fact, I see it as a fine recommendation of your skills as a Captain. I am quite sure Congress will agree and offer you a position as a naval Captain.”
“I appreciate your confidence. But I have no interest in becoming a naval officer. I wish only to raid British supply ships and hamper their war efforts.”
“I see. This is something we can discuss with members of Congress. I am sure they would be accommodating of any help from an experienced sea Captain. As fortune would have it, Congress is meeting tomorrow. I propose we attend.”
“Perfect,” Lafayette said.
“Yes, I agree,” I added.
We returned to the parlor, where Ana and Deborah were seated, drinking tea.
“My Dear, I have fascinating news. We are in the presence of Captain Peanut Butter, a pirate of considerable renown,” Franklin said.
“I am aware, good Sir,” Deborah replied.
Franklin looked at Ana and smiled. “Ah, but of course. Men talk of politics, and women talk of the heart.”
Historically, Deborah Read (Ben Franklin’s common-law wife) had died the previous year of a stroke. But I felt she was too interesting to leave out, so I nudged the timeline (again.) I am more interested in a compelling story and characters than historical accuracy. For that very reason, I don’t call this “Historical Fiction.” It is simply fiction set in a historical setting—a fascinating time when the world literally changed, transitioning from Monarchy to Democracy.
Mark
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I welcome your thoughts, questions, suggestions, corrections, typo catches, etc. Thank you.
Mark
Very clever the way you told this story from two points of view, Mark. The saga continues...