Chains Chapter 14 Summary

Saturday, June 22, 1776

  • Lockton has Very Important Guests in the library, including the mayor of New York himself. He's given his wife specific instructions not to disturb them, but in Madam's eyes, it's rude to not offer refreshments to their celebrity visitor. Knowing Anne Lockton, this is probably code for wanting to meddle in their business and get a glimpse of the mayor.
  • Madam escorts Isabel, loaded down with a tray of wine and goodies, to the library. She tries to get a good look around, but her husband ultimately tells her to leave, allowing Isabel to stay and serve. 
  • One of Lockton's guests explains that their plan to bribe the Patriots hasn't gone over very well, as the land offered by the King is too far away from their current profitable farms. This isn't good news for their side, especially since the Continental Congress in Philadelphia is close to declaring independence. The only logical way to wipe out the cry for freedom is to cut New York off from the other colonies, causing the rebellion to die out. And there's only one way to do that: assassinate General George Washington (dun dun dun…).
  • Obviously, this is kind of a big decision for the Lockton Gang to make. With the colonies and Britain about to erupt into war, they could be executed, so as an insurance policy, Lockton orders that they write down the names of everyone who knows of the plot on a piece of paper, to guarantee that the others will come to his aid if the plot is uncovered. Isabel pretends to be unaware of the conversation, but secretly, she's taking notes and naming names.
  • At least until a deathly scream comes from the kitchen.