Shades of War Read Online Free Page B

sons from the Dark Continent!

    (GUSS
picks up the wig.)

    GUSS: Mr.
Fraunces, do you want me to put back...

    (SAM
snatches the wig out of GUSS’ hand and tosses it across the
floor.)

    SAM: Never mind
it! Guss, go to the cellar there and get me some Bordeaux... I'm in
terrible need of another drink...

    GUSS: Mr.
Fraunces, I think you've had...

    SAM: Go, young
lad! Get my wine!

    (GUSS
hesitantly exits to the kitchen.)

    (SAM
starts to close his eyes and humming the French song to himself.)

    (A glass
smashes to the ground and breaks offstage.)

    GUSS (O.S.): I’m
so sorry, Mr. Fraunces. I’m gonna clean it up, sir.

    (SAM is
continues to hum, drunk and oblivious.)

    (PHOEBE
enters holding a candle.)

    PHOEBE: Father!

    (PHOEBE
puts the candle down and rushes to his side.)

    PHOEBE: Dear God!

    (SAM
mumbles something.)

    (PHOEBE
tries to help him to sit upright. SAM continues to slouch in the
rocking chair.)

    PHOEBE: Father,
perhaps I should go and make you some coffee...

    SAM: Not coffee,
my dear. Wine is what this old man needs.

    (GUSS
enters with a glass of wine.)

    PHOEBE: You
cannot give that to him!

    GUSS: Ma’am, he
asked me...

    SAM: Don't worry,
dear... we're not drunk.

    GUSS: He might've
taken too hard to the spirits, but I'm not drunk.

    (SAM
reaches out for the wine with both hands.)

    SAM: Hand it
over, young lad.

    (GUSS
attempts to hand the glass to SAM but PHOEBE intervenes and snatches
it away.)

    (PHOEBE
exits to the kitchen with the wine glass.)

    (SAM
tries to get up but almost falls in the process.)

    SAM: Curses!

    (GUSS
helps SAM back into the rocking chair.)

    GUSS: Now, Mr.
Fraunces, I hope you ain’t mad at me, your daughter got a strong
way about her...

    (SAM
looks at him for a moment and then starts singing in French again.)

    (PHOEBE
enters with a cup of coffee.)

    PHOEBE: Drink
this.

    (SAM
takes the cup, looks inside and frowns. He puts the cup down on the
floor and starts to mumble to himself.)

    PHOEBE: Heavens,
I am so embarrassed for my father.

    GUSS: He was just
celebrating how you saved General Washington's life. That's really
something.

    PHOEBE: I was
only doing what was right. That's no cause to celebrate.

    GUSS: Did you see
the hangin'? It was thousands of people out there watching Thomas
die...

    PHOEBE: I could
never watch something like that.

    GUSS: Musta broke
his wife's heart...

    PHOEBE: He was
married?

    GUSS: Yeah, I
forget her name. She lived back in London, all I know is he loved her
strong. He was just fixin' to send for her before all of this
happened.

    PHOEBE: Oh God.

    GUSS: I know Mr.
Fraunces is awful proud of you. All night, at the party, he had this
great big smile when he say the name “Phoebe.”

    PHOEBE: Well, at
least I gave him something to be proud of.

    GUSS: You sure is
lucky to have such good kinfolk and all. I never known what it’s
like to have a family myself.

    PHOEBE: None at
all?

    GUSS: They sold
my mama away when I was real young and I never even seen my father.

    PHOEBE: Any
brothers or sisters?

    GUSS: Yeah but...
I ran away from Master Porter’s plantation when I was fourteen. I
guess they still live there.

    PHOEBE: How did
you manage to escape?

    GUSS: I made
friends with this cabin boy and he helped me stole away on a ship
bound for Boston. When we got to Massachusetts, I thought them bounty
hunters would be waiting for me at the pier with rifles, but I was
surprised to see something else... snow! And as cold as I was, I
ain’t never been so happy. Boston sure looked like heaven to me.

    SAM: Heaven...

    GUSS: I better
help get Mr. Fraunces to bed. Where’s his room?

    PHOEBE: It’s
best that he sleep down here. Mother will not want to be near him in
this state.

    GUSS: Well, Miss
Fraunces, I best get goin’ then.

    PHOEBE: It’s
quite alright if you call me Phoebe.

    GUSS: I was gonna
keep it to myself, but... you sure got some beautiful eyes, Phoebe.

    PHOEBE: Thank
you.

    GUSS: And you
talk real pretty too, educated