Riverbreeze: Part 2 (23 page)

God be with you always, Your Auntie Louise

Surrounded by all the contents of the trunk, the girls sat stunned. They never knew their governess was their aunt and they never knew their mother’s background. They were descended from people who were common street performers; they were the daughters of a man who had committed suicide. Their aunt most likely lived in sin with their father.

While Robert may not have wanted to reveal his family background because he was too modest, the girls would have loved a background like that. In fact while their father lived and gained respect and fame as a notable goldsmith, serving the King and other royals, they had all lived like the nobility or at least pretended to live like them.

It appeared the pretense would have to continue, but that wouldn’t be difficult in this land so far from London. Their past must never be revealed; no one need ever know that their mother had been a fortune teller, that their aunt and father had lived in sin. But the girls were good at keeping secrets and with an unspoken agreement between them, they folded the letter back up, placed it back in the envelope and back in the box. They would remember it but they would never speak of it again.

Straightening their shoulders, they started to repack the trunk, the box first, then the fabric which eventually would be sewn into clothing as needed, then the jewelry pouches. They couldn’t wear the unfinished pendants, they wouldn’t wear the ring only because it was too precious, and the pocket watches would be kept to hand down to their firstborn sons. The miniature and the locket were also put back in for safekeeping. The books were left out and the girls would take turns reading them. The cosmetics, gloves and handkerchiefs they would split up and put in their rooms, after all a lady must have these sorts of things.

When they were finished, they embraced one more time. They stayed like that for a long time, thinking their own thoughts and coming to terms with this new knowledge. Maybe in years to come they would be able to reveal the truth, but for now the shock and the humiliation was too new. When they heard Abigail come back into the house and call up to them, they tidied each other’s clothes and wiped each other’s tears and went down to face their present lives, lives as prominent planter’s wives.

Chapter Twenty-Four: A Second Confession

For any burning: for any burning, take six new laid eggs and roast them very hard, and take out the yolks thereof, and put them into an earthen pot, and set it over the fire on hot embers, and then whilst the eggs look black, stir them with a slice till they come to an oil, which oil take and clarify and put into a glass by itself, and therewith anoint any burning, and it will cure it.

Hmm. Very interesting, Elizabeth thought. She had never heard of this remedy for a burning. Fortunately she had never been burned anywhere, but she did remember the time when one of the kitchen staff had gotten badly burned and how horrible it had been. The poor maid’s screams could be heard throughout the entire house and everyone had come running, including Elizabeth, Evelyn and their governess. They had all crowded around. The maid continued crying and wailing and holding her ruined hand out. Elizabeth remembered how hideous the palm looked—the maid must have tried to pick up a hot pot or something because the skin was bright red and blistered. And then old Mistress Linton, the head cook, with an air of command, parted the crowd and slathered the palm with a white ointment that seemed to soothe the maid. Elizabeth had never learned what the ointment was made of but she doubted it had come from the oil of roasted eggs!

Anyway, she glanced over at Evelyn to see if her sister had sensed her thoughts, but while Evelyn did return her look, Evelyn only smiled warmly at Elizabeth making Elizabeth realize there hadn’t been any connection this time.

Oh well, back to her reading but first she glanced up at the brass lantern clock on the wall, approximately two minutes to seven o’clock.

The next part read:
Privy parts burned: If any man have his privy parts burned, take the ashes of a fine linen cloth in good quantity, and put it into the former oil of eggs, and
anoint the sore member therewith, and it will cure it
. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at this next receipt and wondered if Robert would ever need this cure. She hoped not because just thinking about the ‘anointing of his sore member’ made her giggle to herself.

For the past hour she had been skimming through the hundreds of recipes in the book, The English Housewife, while Evelyn and Abigail sewed. The three of them were in the parlor, waiting for Robert and Jamie to return from their trip to the Indian village. The dogs had just been taken out for a walk by Nathan.

The clock struck the hour of seven and Elizabeth looked up again. Two hours past sunset and the brothers were still not home. “Where are they?” She asked no one in particular.

“They’ll be along.” Abigail said, sounding unconcerned, taking another stitch on the stocking she was mending.

Elizabeth glanced at her, resenting her calm attitude. “But ‘tis getting late!” She pointed out. “Shouldn’t we be worried?”

Abigail finally looked up at her and smiled indulgently. “No, Robert has been to the village many times in the past two years; Jamie not as much, but they both know their way.”

“Why has Robert gone to the village more than Jamie?” Elizabeth asked, exchanging a brief look with Evelyn. Evelyn had now stopped mending the tear in Jamie’s breeches and appeared quite interested.

Abigail hesitated in answering and looked back down at her sewing. She seemed to be considering something and Elizabeth wondered what the secret could be. She opened her mouth to start to question her again, but was interrupted by the back door banging open.

Abigail’s head came up. “There they are now.” She said quickly. “You see, there was nothing to worry about.”

Elizabeth threw her an annoyed look before standing and dropping the book on her chair. Evelyn did the same with her sewing and together the two girls scurried out of the room and into the hallway where three candles had been left burning in wall sconces.

It was indeed Robert and Jamie returning from the Indian village and they looked positively exhausted. They stumbled through the doorway, barely able to support each other. In the glow of the candlelight, Jamie’s face was drawn with fatigue and as pale as a freshwater pearl while Robert’s face was twisted with pain. He wasn’t putting any weight on the leg that he had previously injured and nearly fell when he let go of Jamie to lean against the wall.

“Thank God you’re home!” Elizabeth exclaimed, running to Robert’s side. “We were so worried.” She wanted to throw her arms around him but refrained, knowing he wouldn’t be able to support her weight.

“The walk back took us longer than usual.” Robert said. He let his head drop back to rest against the wall, closed his eyes and just breathed for a moment.

Evelyn approached Jamie, gasping, “Look at you! Upon my life, I knew I shouldn’t have let you go.”

The expression on Jamie’s face turned cruel. “Why?” He demanded nastily. “Did you have a dream about me? Did you dream that Rob and I would go to Wasee’s village? Did your witch’s ability show you Connelly’s death? Could you have stopped it, but you didn’t?”

Evelyn’s mouth dropped open at the barrage of accusations. She looked like she had been slapped. Where had this hostility come from? Elizabeth put her arm around her and glared at the two brothers with disbelief and disapproval in her eyes.

“Stop it, Jamie!” Robert scolded. “If they had known they would have told us. We’ve discussed this; I thought you had accepted it.” Robert gave Elizabeth an apologetic look.

“I thought I had too, but…” Jamie sounded frustrated. He rubbed both hands over his face and then through his hair, clutching handfuls at the back of his head.

“What do you mean, you thought you had accepted it?” Elizabeth eyed Jamie. Then she turned to her sister. “Did he react like this when you told him about us?”

“I didn’t tell him about us.” Evelyn said in a small voice.

“You didn’t tell him!” Elizabeth hissed, highly upset.

“I never had the chance.”

“You should have told him.” Elizabeth scolded Evelyn. “He should have heard this from you, not from his brother. I’m ashamed of you, Evelyn.”

“I’m sorry.” Evelyn whispered, ready to cry. She stared at the floor.

Elizabeth turned back to Jamie. “Will you listen to her if she explains everything?” She feared that if Jamie didn’t come to terms with this, she and Evelyn could be in big trouble.

“Perhaps.” Jamie said quietly. He eyed Evelyn as if he didn’t know who she was anymore.

“We are not witches.” Elizabeth declared in a firm whisper, grabbing his sleeve to bring his attention back to her. She didn’t want Abigail to hear any of this conversation. “Robert knows that. And you’ve seen Evelyn’s naked body. She doesn’t have any of the devil’s marks, does she?”

Jamie shook his head, but still looked uncomfortable. “No, but….” “Then, what else do we have to do to prove to you that we are not witches?” Elizabeth cried.

“I do not know. I do not know what to think anymore!” Jamie’s voice got loud as he threw his hands up into the air. “I’m confused, I’m tired and I’m hungry.”

Abigail appeared in the doorway of the parlor. “Is everything all right?” She asked.

Elizabeth spun around. “Everything is fine, Abigail.” She said quickly, her voice unusually high.

“Everything’s fine, Abby.” Robert repeated in a tired voice. Elizabeth sighed, sending him a grateful look. “Is there anything to eat?” He asked Abigail.

“There are leftovers in the kitchen. We’ve been keeping them warm for you.” Abigail answered, coming forward. She smiled suddenly. “I’m glad you two are home safely although you do look the worse for wear. Was there trouble at the village?”

Elizabeth jerked to look at Abigail. What would have made her say a thing like that? Elizabeth knew why Robert and Jamie had gone to the village—to retrieve their servant—but she never thought there might have been trouble. She thought it would just be a simple matter to go there and tell the chief that he had their servant and to give him back. Could it have been more complicated than that?

“I would rather not talk about it right now.” Robert said. Elizabeth turned to stare at him now. So, there had been trouble! What could have happened? “But Jamie is starved and needs to eat.”

“Oh, of course.” Abigail said, trying to hide her disappointment. Maybe if Elizabeth and Evelyn had not been here, Robert would have been more willing to speak of their adventure.

“I’ll get Jamie his dinner.” Evelyn spoke up. She looked at Jamie in silent entreaty. She held out her hand. “Will you come with me?”

Elizabeth stood tensely. Would Jamie refuse her in front of everybody? God help them if he did.

“Go, Jamie.” Robert ordered, weary of this situation. “Go eat; talk with your wife.”

After a few anxious seconds, Jamie finally relented. He nodded to Evelyn and placed his hand in hers. Elizabeth sighed and threw Evelyn a look of relief as she and Jamie left for the kitchen.

Abigail stood awkwardly with Elizabeth and Robert. “Well, I…um…” She stammered, looking down at her fingernails. “I suppose I shall go back to my mending…unless you need me for anything?” She looked back up at them with a hint of hope in her eyes, but Elizabeth wasn’t going to explain anything.

Robert didn’t explain the situation, but he did say, “No, but thank you, Abby. Elizabeth can tend to my leg now, though I do appreciate your offer.”

“Yes, sir.” She bowed her head as if her feelings had been hurt. Elizabeth almost felt sorry for her; the woman’s position in this household was now rather precarious.

They watched her walk slowly back to the parlor.

Once she had disappeared through the door, Elizabeth turned back to Robert, her face anxious. “Do you think she heard anything?”

“She heard something.”

“I’m serious!” Elizabeth responded angrily to Robert’s casual remark.

Robert raised his eyebrows. “So am I. But I doubt we have to worry.”

“Why do you say that?”

“She’s a little strange herself.”

Elizabeth frowned at Robert, thinking that over.
What did he mean by that
?