The grand Pullman train chugged towards Philadelphia at full speed, leaving a light-grey puff of smoke behind as it sped ahead. The trees sped past the train, leaving blurs of evergreen and shrubs to the passengers' delight.

Inside the compartment, the commuters kept their conversations to themselves. Each group would chat merrily until their discussions ended, leaving a heavy, awkward silence between the lot. None of the passengers dared to talk to the people outside of their groups.

Angelica determined that she had enough of the gatekeeping nonsense, deciding to strike up a conversation with the nearby presidential candidate.

"So, Mr. Burr..." she began, unsure how to approach the distant man, "How has campaigning been?"

Burr looked away from his red-headed counterpart and at the lady, giving a cold stare.

"It's been fine, thank you. A bit draining, but fine." He replied, starting to turn back to Jefferson.

"So you're the presidential candidate?" John Laurens looked back towards Burr and Jefferson. "I was expecting someone with your reputation and views to be a bit more mature."

"You're afraid of someone with views that are different from yours, Mr...?" He trailed off, raising an eyebrow and awaiting an answer.

"Mr. Laurens, sir. John Laurens. To answer your questionnaire, no I am not."

"Laurens? The factory owner?" Alexander Hamilton chimed in, looking towards Laurens. He nodded.

"So you're the man who believes in 'ending racism'?" Jefferson snorted. "I don't know how you're still in business."

"You'll find that controversial views pay well, Mr. Senator." Laurens narrowed his eyes towards Burr and Jefferson. "But you wouldn't know that, hm?"

Burr gave him a glare that could kill, for Laurens had just subtly referenced his always-changing views on problems in New York. The two representatives went back to their conspiring, ignoring everyone else in the compartment.

"That's who's running for president, hm?" Peggy glanced back towards the man. "I assumed that Jefferson would be the one running for president. At least he stands up for his views."

Burr seemed to perk up a tiny bit after Peggy's comment, his twisted frown began to show more resentment towards the others.

"Jefferson does seem well-suited for it," Eliza chimed in. "He has a nicer aura then Burr at least. But I do agree, Jefferson does seem like the smarter candidate."

"I don't understand why Burr wants to run for president. I've been reading about him in the paper, he doesn't seem to have the right schooling!" Peggy added. "A Princeton drop out!"

Neither girl could see the despicable glare that Burr was giving them.

"Mr. Laurens, how is business?" Lafayette turned towards John, who was reading his book. John bookmarked his page and turned towards the Frenchman.

"It's going quite well, if I do say so myself." John responded, cleaning his glasses. "What about you, sir? Are you a businessman too?"

Lafayette chuckled, "No monsieur. I do not do business in America. My wife and I are seeking land here to build upon for a house. We are nobles in France."

Laurens nodded, albeit a little more respectively after hearing about his noble status.

"May I be one of the first people to welcome you to America, then."

The Frenchman smiled at Laurens, who grinned in return. Laurens turned to Hercules Mulligan, who was sitting across from Lafayette.

"And you, sir?" He asked, intrigued.

"I'm a tailor. I just immigrated from Ireland a few days ago. My wife and I are planning to move here." Hercules responded, relaxing back. "But that's interesting, though. Your equal pay business, I mean. I wish more people would do that."

"I'm glad someone respects it." John grumbled, shooting a glare towards Burr and Jefferson.

"Not many do." Angelica Schuyler chimed in, turning back towards the men. "I, for one, appreciate your equal pay. I've known a few ladies who have worked in your businesses, and they all have nicer lives now."

Laurens smiled at the comment, proud to know that his business happened to be helping others less fortunate than him, or everyone on this train as a matter of fact.

"Where are you from, madame?" He asked.

"Albany. But I currently reside in London with my husband and three children." She replied, fiddling with the locket that hung around her neck. "I'm here visiting my sister."

Angelica pointed towards Peggy, who was conversing with her other older sister and her sister's husband.

"That's nice. When do you go back to London?" Hercules asked, now in the conversation.

"A month. I just got in this morning, and I'm relieved to be on land." She said, now fanning herself.

"I know that feeling.." Lafayette admitted.

"You can bear to be away from your family for that long?" John asked, incredulous. Angelica momentarily looked uncomfortable, before regaining her vain and prim posture.

"It's hard, but can be manageable. I don't leave often, and sometimes it's nice to get away. You understand?" Angelica chucked a bit at the end.

"I do, more than I let on." John replied, understanding how she felt completely. His wife and him didn't exactly get along well, and he assumed that she felt the same way. They exchanged a sympathetic, understanding glance at each other.

Behind them, the compartment door which led to the front of the steam train jiggled open, revealing the conductor of the train. The unexpected visit startled a few people, including Eliza, who jumped back in surprise and hit her head on the top as a result.

"Sorry, ma'am," The conductor apologized to Eliza, who was vigorously rubbing the back of her head.

"I just wanted to let you all know that food will be served sharply at eight p.m, so you all have another four hours until you eat. Snacks will not be served until tomorrow, unfortunately

"Also, we are nearing a tunnel, so if everything seems to get dark for a while, that's the reason why. That is all." He walked through the hallway, straightening pillows as he went. The conductor checked his pocket watch, before giving a curt nod to everyone in the carriage and opening the door which led to the second carriage.

Once the conductor left the carriage, everyone resumed their conversations with each other. The tone was lighter, and less awkward than it was when they first boarded, and everyone seemed to get along merrily now.

"Burr," Peggy began, looking at the brooding candidate over her sister, "What made you decide to run for president? What are your plans if you do happen to become president?"

"Are you a reporter, miss?" Burr asked, giving Peggy a disparaging glare. Peggy shook her head, but kept her firm look towards him.

"I'm just curious. If a candidate can't even answer a question as simple as that, is he even fit to be president?" She raised her eyebrow.

"Miss..." Jefferson began, shooting an ugly glare at Burr. "What my counterpart is trying to convey is that it's been a long day of traveling. We haven't slept in a few days, and he's not usually like this.

"But to answer your question, William McKinley's time is up. We need a new president who can lead us into a new century with passion. Burr and I believe that we are the most fit for the job. As for your other question, however, we both agree that ch-" he was cut off by the conductor entering from the second carriage.

"We're nearing the tunnel, friends." He announced, speeding towards the front entrance.

Jefferson and Peggy watched as he promptly shut the door with a thud. Jefferson turned back towards the young Schuyler.

"Anyways, as I was saying, child labor should be promptly eliminated. Similarly, the amount of hours that a woman works should be lowered. Both are detrimental to their lives. We also need to clean up the slums of the cities, and improve the conditions of factory buildings."

Peggy smiled at Jefferson after he finished and turned to Eliza.

"Well, there's our evidence. Thank you, Mr. Jefferson. Looks like Stephen knows who the vote for now. Peggy said, giving a small smile to the two candidates.

"Well said, sir." Eliza smiled at Jefferson. Her husband, however, looked a tad skeptical at Thomas's response to his sister-in-law's question.

"I-" he was cut off by the train entering the darkened tunnel. The only light in the carriage was the oil lamps, which were illuminated above the sitting areas. Nobody batted an eye at the sudden darkness, for the conductor warned them beforehand.

What they did bat an eye at was the fact that suddenly, the oil lamps flickered out, encasing the entire carriage with darkness. Angelica and Peggy let out surprised screams, and with that there was a thud—presumably someone had fainted.

"Someone turn those damn lights back on!" Someone who sounded like Alexander yelled.

"I'm trying!" Burr's voice yelled back, his hand groping the side of the carriage for the lights.

"Where are the light switches?" A voice that belonged to Hercules Mulligan cried, doing the same thing Burr was doing.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Eliza's feminine voice called out. In one hand she was clutching onto her husband's arm, in the other she was attempting to find the light switches like the others.

"Found it!" Jefferson yelled out, turning on the oil lamps. The lights slowly illuminated the carriage, revealing everyone's frantic faces and Peggy's body slumped in her seat.

"Oh thank goodness." Angelica said, catching her breath. She glanced at Peggy next to her, whose face was even paler than usual.

Her head was slumped to the left, and her back was hunched over. Her lips were blue, and her body was convulsing madly. Her breathing was shallow, and her mouth was open wide and foaming.

"Is she okay?" Jefferson asked, concerned. Burr quickly got up and felt around her neck and wrists for a pulse.

"Her pulse seems to be weak," He replied to her sisters and brother-in-law's horror, "Is anyone here a doctor? Quickly!"

Eliza frantically glanced around, but nobody got up. Tears stung her eyes "Nobody?"

"What the hell happened to my sister?" Angelica asked everyone and nobody at the same time, clutching onto her sister.

"If I know anything, that seems like poisoning." Laurens said, getting up to inspect the dying girl.

"I was going to say, look at her pupils. Are they dilated or red?" Jefferson asked, getting up next to Laurens and Burr.

Laurens gently opened her eyelids, revealing the white of her eyes to be an irritated red and her pupils to be dilated. He shut them just as gently as he opened them.

"They're both.." he replied, looking at Jefferson, who let out a shaky exhale.

Lafayette stood up to go and look at Peggy, who was slowly dying and now jolting around in her seat.

"Stop crowding her!" Alexander shouted, glaring at the three men surrounding her. The men backed away a bit promptly, giving a glare towards the esteemed New York lawyer.

"She couldn't have been poisoned, food and drink hasn't been served yet." Lafayette told the carriage quietly.

"Someone could have a flask aboard," Jefferson said, looking around shakily.

Eliza looked as white as Peggy, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. She was shaking quite a bit, and she was cradling herself.

"Is she going to make it?" She looked up at Laurens, a shred of hope was found in her eyes. Laurens looked back at Eliza with a somber glare.

"I don't know.." he admitted softly, looking at the carpeted floor.

She let out a small, disbelieving squeak and continued to rock herself. Angelica looked as if she were about to faint, her hands were trembling greatly.

"No, no, no, no. Someone fix her. Someone bring her back! Now! Please.." Angelica cried, still clutching onto her sister. The carriage somberly watched as the young Schuyler took her last small, shuddery breath. The passengers went quiet for a second, a few on the verge of tears.

It took Angelica's loud, pained scream for the realization to sink in.

A passenger just died. In cold blood. Margarita Schuyler was murdered.

And the murderer was in the exact same carriage as everyone was in now.

»that's right, I finally updated. it's been like what, a month? I wrote this a long time ago, but I wanted to finish the third chapter before I published this.

I hope y'all enjoyed. when I'm finished with the fourth chapter I'll publish the next one.

ooh also, can you predict who the murderer is? I would love to hear your thoughts!! thanks for all the support ❤️