Curzon and Isabel’s kiss is interrupted by a knock at the door. John Laurens—a famed member of Washington’s cabinet—comes striding in, along with Bellingham, and announces that the French have joined the war. The following days are a blur of bustle and action, with clerks and generals flooding in and out of their home. One night, Curzon helps Bellingham into a tub, and while the washes, Curzon surreptitiously makes a wax mold of the key to Isabel’s collar.

At a parade to celebrate the inclusion of the French in the war, Curzon notes the Washingtons, both their love for one another, and the slaves they had with them at the party. He also notes how the American forces, now stronger and more precise following the winter at Valley Forge, fire a choreographed cannonade in celebration. To Curzon, they seem like a proper army. As his own company marches past, Curzon sees that they’ve left a space empty for him in the formation. They announce that there will always be a space for him there. Intending to flee along with the Army when it marches out of Valley Forge, Curzon and

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