William was on the edge of tears as well.  What had been going through his mind as he plotted, then carried out the assassination of a [i]then-[/i]loyal Patriot General?  Keziah was right, of course: Benedict Arnold may [i]not[/i] have turned traitor after all.  William was [i]entirely[/i] educated on the reasons behind Arnold's betrayal, but what if the changes for which William himself had been responsible -- changes which led to the great victories at Boston and then Quebec City -- had changed Arnold's view of the Revolution enough to prevent him from turning his back on the Cause?

"You're right," he murmured, his eyes on the floor near his wife's feet.  "You're right.  I may have made a mistake."  He hesitated, then looked up into Keziah's eyes and corrected, "No ... I [i]made[/i] a mistake.  Whether or not the General betrayed America or not ... I made a mistake.  Because you're right.  I put my family in danger."

Keziah had finished with the last bandage, so William stood and began pacing about the cabin slowly, working his mind hard and fast yet coming up with no other answer than the need to run.  But Keziah was right about that again: she was with child -- [i]seriously[/i] so -- and running wasn't a very good option at this time.  

He was about to tell Keziah that they'd stay put until the baby was born.  After all, no one knew he'd returned yet.  No one ... but an excited 12 year old boy who had just been relieved of his duties taking care of the pregnant neighbor lady.  Gabriel had surely begun telling his family about the return of Missus Kutcher's husband.  And those people would soon be telling their neighbors and their fellow church goers.  And then, it was only a matter of time before someone hunting William -- whether Redcoat or Rebel -- came looking for him.

"I have to leave," he said bluntly.  He turned to look to Keziah, his eyes filled with tears.  He wiped them away as she had hers, then continued, "You'll be safe here.  No one's going to harm you for what I did.  I mean ... it wasn't like I killed General George Washington himself.  Hell, it was only Benedict Arnold."

Of course, at this time in history -- particularly after Canada -- that was like saying [i]it wasn't like I killed Cher herself.  Hell, it was only Sonny.[/i]  William had killed a man who was beloved by enough people that he'd soon have all sorts of soldiers and bounty hunters after his head.

"I'll go east," he continued, his mind racing.  "I'll find us a place.  Some place safe.  And I'll come back and get you."

It wasn't the best plan in the world, but it certainly wasn't the worst.  Of course, the worst part of it was that William likely wouldn't be here for the birth of his first child.  How could he not be here for the birth of his first child.  Suddenly, his mind was racing on other thoughts.  He moved back to Keziah and fell to his knees before her.  He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his cheek to [i]his[/i] baby's current residence and began to sob at the many thoughts he wouldn't have expected to be having a year ago when he was preparing for the annual Siege reenactment.