Riverbreeze: Part 2 (15 page)

He nodded, a slight frown on his face. “They were.” He answered.

Then much to Elizabeth’s irritation, he continued. “How was she not feeling well? What was she making here?” He leaned down over the mortar and drew in a long breath through his nose, smelling the mash. “Mmmm, comfrey.” He said thoughtfully, then looked at Elizabeth in question. “What would she be doing with comfrey?”

“Oh, she was making some kind of poultice…and she was also making a tonic.” The words slipped out before Elizabeth realized what she had said. She gasped a little, her eyes worried. How stupid could she be?

Robert tilted his head a little, eyeing Elizabeth, but he spoke to the servants. “Dolnick, Nathan, go to the root cellar, please. There are a few smoked hams hanging from the rafters towards the back. Get one for us and bring up some more cornmeal also.”

“Yes, sir.” Both servants said at once and left the kitchen, their eyes respectfully averted from Elizabeth. She didn’t like the way Robert had ordered them away and she certainly didn’t like the way they had purposely avoided her, almost as if she had done something wrong and Robert was going to punish her for it.

“She was making a tonic?” Robert narrowed his eyes at her, breaking into her thoughts. He leaned a hip against the table and crossed his arms over his chest. “What kind of tonic?”

“Why did you send them away?” Elizabeth asked, nervously fingering her skirt.

“I didn’t send them away. We need food for breakfast. Now what kind of tonic was she making?”

He was certainly being persistent. Elizabeth became most uncomfortable. “Why do you need to know?”

Robert spoke very slow and plainly. “Because Abigail is like an older sister to me. She’s very important to me and yesterday she suffered through a horrible attack.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth said softly. She twisted her hands together and bit her lip in thought. “Well, um, she said something about…um…birthwort…”

“Birthwort!” Robert exclaimed. “What would she be doing with birthwort? She didn’t get bitten by a rattlesnake, did she?”

“No!” Elizabeth was quick to answer, surprised that Robert would ask about a snakebite. And then that distracted her. “There are rattlesnakes here?” Her voice was very high.

“No! I mean, yes!” Robert shook his head. “But we’ll talk about that later. I want to know why Abigail is making a tonic out of birthwort.”

Usually Elizabeth was better than this at keeping secrets. She had to compose herself. “Ohh, not birthwort.” She said, clicking her tongue and pretending she had made a mistake. “I meant…ah…” She hesitated, trying to think fast. “Bir…birrr…birch! Birch bark! That’s it! Birch bark.” But then she remembered exactly what Abigail had told her. “No, wait a minute. ‘Twas willow bark, that’s what it was. Willow bark.” She declared, a smile on her face, satisfied with herself.

Robert frowned at her. “Did she have a headache?” He asked, his voice deeper than before.

“Yes, she had a headache.” Elizabeth answered with conviction, nodding her head once.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” Elizabeth declared, exasperated at Robert’s persistence. “Really, Robert, just leave the woman alone.”

Robert raised his eyebrows, surprised by her behavior.

Elizabeth turned away, avoiding his suspicious stare. “Oh look, the water is boiling. I promised Abigail that I would bring her a cup.”

“I’ll get it.” Robert said, eyeing Elizabeth one last time, letting her know he didn’t quite believe her.

Elizabeth kept her head up, refusing to squirm under his scrutiny.

Finally he turned away and retrieved a glazed, earthenware pitcher off of a shelf.

Elizabeth watched him dip out the boiling water—after he picked up the dipper from the floor and giving her another raised-eyebrow look—her heart pounding. She knew that Robert didn’t believe her, and she hated to lie to him, but she had made a promise to Abigail and she would keep it. She hoped this wouldn’t put a strain on their new marriage. But what was more important? Her marriage or her promise to Abigail? When Elizabeth considered that, she realized her marriage was more important. If at a later time Robert insisted on the truth, she would tell him. Robert had already accepted her ability to dream of future events; he would most likely not say anything about the tonic either. But for now, Abigail was waiting for the water.

Robert never said another word as he filled the pitcher and gave it to Elizabeth. She thanked him, taking it by the handle and balancing it on her other hand, protected with a cloth against the heat. She glanced briefly at his face, then let her eyes slide away. She was so conflicted; she wished she could speak with her sister, but Evelyn was upstairs enjoying her ‘wedding night’ with Jamie. Why did this have to happen now? She needed some advice; she needed guidance. And there was no one she could go to.

Finally she walked out of the kitchen, feeling Robert’s eyes on her. She really was falling in love with him and she didn’t want to lie to him. Perhaps she could speak with Abigail; perhaps Abigail would understand and tell her it would be all right to tell Robert about the tonic. Elizabeth hoped so; and she hoped with all her heart that this tension between her and Robert could be settled. He was a forgiving man and Elizabeth had only to remember her dream to bring her peace of mind. Otherwise she would have to face her fears and insecurities like any other person, and that would be too much for her to handle.

* * *

After Elizabeth left the kitchen, Robert pulled the bench out from under the table and sat down. He bent over and held his head in his hands, groaning and digging his fingertips into his scalp.
Women
, he thought. In a thousand years he would never be able to understand them. He knew Elizabeth had deliberately lied to him. He didn’t like it and he didn’t understand why she would do it. In fact, he remembered her words from two nights ago when she promised him she would never lie to him. There was something suspicious about that tonic but what could be so secret about it that she was compelled to forget her declaration to him.

On further thought though, the tonic was most likely for a female problem that he probably didn’t even want to know about. Perhaps he had been too aggressive in his questioning; perhaps it was none of his business what Abigail did or took for her particular malady. But he had been concerned; like he said, he thought of Abigail as an older sister and she had suffered a terrible attack.

On the other hand, he admitted to himself that she would be the one to know how to treat herself; she had spent more time with Beatrice Warren than he had, learning far more about herbs and potions and tonics.

Robert sighed and looked over at the dogs. They were watching him as if they had never seen anyone hold their head in their hands before. He smiled. “’Tis all right.” He said. “Daddy is all right.”

The dogs scrambled up and ran to him, and he laughed and petted their heads and bodies, feeling their soft fur. “I cannot believe I said that.” He snorted and shook his head. “Daddy. I’m your daddy now. What is she doing to me?” He sat up and raked his hair back from his face.

“I hope I’m not doing anything.” Elizabeth said from behind him.

Robert whirled around, startled. “Elizabeth!” He gasped. He felt heat rush to his face, embarrassed at being caught off guard and having been caught talking to the dogs. He stood up too quickly, knocking the bench over. It landed with a crash and he flinched while the dogs let out yelps and ran back to the corner, scared by the loud noise.

“Sorry about that.” He muttered, stooping to right the bench and pushing it back under the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Elizabeth. He thought it odd that she hadn’t even reacted to the bench falling over.

“No, I’m sorry.” She said softly, standing demurely, her eyes downcast.

He slowly stood up, studying her. He didn’t know if she was sorry for lying to him, for startling him or for ‘doing’ something to him, so he said the first thing that came to his mind. “Sorry for lying to me?”

Her eyes opened wide and her gaze flew up to his. “How did you…” She hesitated a second. “…know?”

He snorted. “The way you stammered over the birthwort. ‘Twas quite obvious, Elizabeth.”

“I made a promise to Abigail.” She explained, twisting her fingers in her skirt. “And when you started asking so many questions…”

He knew he shouldn’t have been so aggressive. He gently pried her fingers from her skirt and took her hands into his. “And I’m sorry for that.” He said. “Perhaps I was a little too forward.”

“Truly?” She asked, her face alight.

Robert nodded once, his features still set in serious lines. “Truly, but I still do not like the fact that you lied to me.”

“I know; I hated doing it.” She said, her eyes tearing up. “Abigail put me in a terrible position. I thought I would talk to her when I brought her the water, but…” She hesitated, sniffling and taking a halting breath.

Robert hated to see her upset. He gathered her into his arms. “I wish you wouldn’t cry.” He said, pressing a kiss on top of her head.

She sniffled against his shoulder. “I’ve failed you as a wife, on our second day of marriage.”

Robert gently released her so that he could look into her eyes. Her face was blotchy with crying and smiling tenderly at her, he wiped a tear from her cheek. “You haven’t failed me; you’ve only faltered.”

“I won’t do it again.” She said quickly.

He didn’t believe that she wouldn’t do it again; he didn’t even know if he could always be completely honest with her about everything, but he could try and he would also try to be more understanding. Even with that thought in his mind, he said, “A new start then. Truth between us always.”

“Always.” She said.

They sealed their promise with a kiss.

* * *

Elizabeth was just settling into their lingering make-up kiss, thankful that Robert had given her a second chance, when he suddenly pulled back. She had also heard the footsteps on the cellar stairs and the droning of the servants’ conversation, but estimated they had a few more moments to smooch before the men returned.

“The servants.” Robert said needlessly, cocking his head and listening.

“We still have time.” She said quickly, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair.

He smiled at her. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I’d rather not have them see us so intimate.”

He gently removed her hands from around his neck and Elizabeth sighed. He was right, of course; it wouldn’t be proper for them to be demonstrating their affection for each other in front of the servants.

Right
, Elizabeth thought,
‘Tis time for me to help with breakfast anyway
. She started smoothing her clothes, then let out a cry when she noticed a small stain close to the hemline of her bodice.

“What’s wrong?” Robert asked, glancing at her. He was poking at the fire, sending a shower of sparks up the chimney.

“There’s a stain on my bodice!” Elizabeth cried, scratching at the spot with her fingernail. It was crusty and broke away in little crumbs. It must have happened last night when she had helped with dinner despite the apron she had been wearing.

“Oh.” Robert said, unconcerned. “I never even noticed it.” He threw another log on the fire.

Elizabeth glared at him for a moment, then sighed, realizing she wasn’t going to get any sympathy from him. And from what she had seen of his clothes so far, stains were the least of his concerns. She dropped the hem of her bodice into place, another reminder that her old life was gone for good.

Dolnick and Nathan returned then, coming through the door with a good-sized smoked ham and a sack of cornmeal. “One ham, sir.” Dolnick said. “And one sack of cornmeal.” Nathan added.

“Good. Put them right here on the table.” Robert said, moving the bowls to the other end of the table. When he moved the mortar with the macerating comfrey, he wrinkled his nose and made a noise of disgust. “This we’re going to have to get rid of. What was she teaching you anyway?”

Elizabeth just shrugged, feigning ignorance and keeping silent. With the servants there she didn’t want to get into
that
conversation again.

Robert snorted, and Dolnick and Nathan dropped their goods onto the table with a thud.

“It seems we’re going to need your cooking skills again this morning, Nick.” Robert said.

“’Twill be my pleasure, sir.” Dolnick said formally. “And if I may be so bold, master, it would be my pleasure to cook for you always. In fact I would be honored, sir.”

Elizabeth snorted quietly to herself. If that wasn’t a blatant display of currying favor, she didn’t know what was! The man was probably trying to get out of working in the fields and other outside chores. She didn’t understand why; he was big and sturdy enough for heavy work. Nathan was the one who looked like he would snap in two at the slightest breeze, yet he would never presume to overstep his bounds…she didn’t think. And even Robert hadn’t been fooled by the look on his face. She had even seen him flinch slightly when Dolnick had called him ‘master’.

“Mmmm.” Robert regarded the man for a moment. “We’ll see.” He said vaguely. “Carry on with breakfast for now.”