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The Escape
Over time, Isabel visited the prison where Curzon was kept, feeding him and delivering messages to the American soldiers. After Madam Lockton found out, she had a maid lock her in the potato bin, but upon escaping it, Isabel realized she needed to escape. She forged a note that said she could be out after dark. She went to the prison and said she was there to clean the cells. She pretended Curzon was dead, pushing him out in a wheelbarrow. -
Miss Mary Finch's Funeral
On Monday, May 27th, the book begins. Isabel is heading for the graveyard with the paster, Miss Mary Finch's nephew, and her sister, Ruth. Her master, Miss Mary Finch, died recently. -
Being Sold
On the same day of her master's funeral, Isabel is sold to Elihu and Anne Lockton. Her and Ruth were supposed to be granted freedom, as stated in Miss Mary Finch's will, but the will had mysteriously disappeared, giving Mr. Robert Finch the right to sell them. -
Arriving In New York
After being sold to the Locktons, the girls are shipped to New York, where the Locktons are headed. The ship takes two days to arrive. Upon arrival, the Locktons are stopped by Bellingham, a rebel. They are forced to have their luggage and crates searched, but Anne Lockton refuses to allow her chest to be searched. Putting up a huge fuss, she causes Ruth to laugh. Isabel takes a slap for Ruth's mess-up. In the end, Bellingham allows the Locktons to go without the chest being searched. -
The Tea Water Pump
After the scuffle upon arrival, Isabel is instructed to fetch water before returning to the Locktons' home. Bellingham's slave, Curzon, offers to show her the way. As they go, he tries to convince Isabel to listen in on Elihu Lockton's conversations, as a spy for the rebels. She ultimately refuses, but thinks about it for several more days. -
Slave Life Within The Locktons' Home
Over the next week, Isabel learns her responsibilities and how the housework is handled. She has several responsibilities and must get up very early to work with Becky (the servant that gets paid). Madam Lockton favors her younger sister, Ruth, and takes her on as a personal maid -
Meeting Lady Seymour
Isabel is called in to the house, where Madam Lockton introduces her to Elihu's aunt, Lady Seymour. Madam Lockton proceeds to change Isabel's name to Sal Lockton. On this day, Isabel also serves Elihu Lockton and his friends, listening in on their conversations. She finds that Madam Lockton's chest actually held the contents that the rebels were searching for: loads of money. Isabel went to Curzon that night and told him of her findings, ultimately changing her mind about helping the rebels. -
Lead Into Bullets
After sneaking out late the night before, Isabel wakes up late. Her and Becky prepare the drawing room. While they are doing this, rebels come into their house and take the windows out of their frames. They are taking the counterweights and drapery pulls out so they can make bullets out of the lead. The soldiers do not put the windows back in their frames though. The soldiers find the chest, but there is nothing inside. They do still arrest Elihu Lockton. -
Master Lockton Returns
The next morning, Master Lockton arrives and fights with Madam Lockton. Elihu Lockton did not like to be disobeyed and did not like that Anne Lockton wanted to go to Charleston. He hit her and she blamed it on the fact that Isabel "did not clean up spilled candle wax", when in truth there was never any wax on the floor in the first place. -
The Tories Form A Plan
Isabel is called upon to serve Master Lockton and his friends. As she stands to the side, ready to serve, she finds that the Tories are planning on killing General George Washington. As she is standing there, she hears Madam Lockton scream in the kitchen. She instantly knows what is happening and runs into the room. Ruth is on the floor, seizing, because of a condition of hers. Madam Lockton is sure the devil is in her and starts hitting her. Master Lockton convinces her otherwise. -
Isabel Goes To Colonel Regan
In the middle of the night, Isabel goes to the rebels' fort to find Colonel Regan, who associated with Bellingham. She took the paper that Elihu Lockton had his friends sign, titled "Committee to Preserve the King's Peace". She tells him about the Tories' plan to kill General Washington. They believe her and have her replace the paper so the Locktons' don't get suspicious. -
The Hanging of Thomas Hickey
Thomas Hickey, one of General Washington's Life Guards, spilled the secret that the Tories were planning on killing Washington. Isabel and Ruth go to the hanging, and Curzon surprises them there. Hickey is hung by the rebels because he conspired with the British. -
Ruth Is Sold
The night before, Madam Lockton baked gingerbread and made a sweet milk for Ruth and Isabel and was being suspiciously nice. The next morning, Isabel wakes to find Ruth missing. The milk she drank had a sleeping drug in it, which would keep her in a deep sleep while Madam took Ruth and sold her. -
Jail Time
Isabel confronts Madam Lockton about the selling of Ruth. Lockton hits her with a painting and Isabel runs away to Colonel Regan. He has no choice but to hand her over to Madam Lockton, as she owns her. She was taken to the dungeon beneath City Hall, where she would await her trial. -
Isabel's Trial
Isabel is taken into the courtroom, where her trial begins. Madam Lockton accuses her of destroying valuable property, attempting to run away, and violating the person of her master. The court finds Isabel guilty and allow Madam Lockton to choose her punishment. She decides that Isabel will have an "I" branded on her cheek for "insolence". -
Back to the Locktons' Home
After six days of laying on a bed in Lady Seymour's attic, Isabel wakes. Six days before, she blacked out after being branded in the stocks. She had a fever and was near death when she was transported to Lady Seymour's home. Lady Seymour allows her to bathe and eat. Then, they leave her home and walk to the Locktons' home, where Isabel enters through the back door. -
Isabel, the Puppet
For the next month, Isabel is filled with sadness. She goes about her daily tasks with the life drained from her. She simply does them, with no enthusiasm and with no thought. Curzon attempts to talk to her, but she ignores him. At one point, he says "We all have scars, Isabel." -
Isabel Goes To The British
Isabel, wanting freedom, flees to a British fort on her way to the market after several men fled New York. The British soldiers denied her, telling her they only accepted slaves from American revolutionaries. They could not take British slaves. While she argued with their commander, Elihu Lockton appeared and asked what she was doing there. Isabel ended up going to the market and back to the Locktons' home, disappointed. -
The Fire
Isabel goes to Elihu Lockton's aunt's house because she is housing a dozen Hessian soldiers. On this morning, Isabel wakes choking on smoke. The house is on fire, along with several others. Isabel started to leave the house, but she found Lady Seymour and helped her. She attempted to carry her chest, but it was heavy. Isabel carried some of Lady Seymour's items from the chest, but it was all she could carry. Once they were out, Isabel had to basically carry her because she could not walk. -
The Prisoners
Over time, Lady Seymour had become stronger and Isabel was in charge of walking with her on days it was sunny. Lady Seymour had hired three seamstresses to sew her a new wardrobe, as she had lost everything. She ordered a heavy skirt and thick woolen cloak for Isabel as "payment for saving her". On the 16th, Isabel trudged up to the Tea Water Pump and she saw them. The British were marching prisoners from war, and Curzon, having been shot, was among them.
