Riverbreeze: Part 2 (37 page)

By this time, the other couple had arrived.

George and Hetta Turner walked at a slower pace due to Hetta’s pregnancy. George stayed protectively at her side, his arm around her waist. The last time Robert had seen her, she hadn’t been showing—or at least he hadn’t noticed—but now her large stomach was clearly visible.

The couple was about the same age as the Crocketts, twenty four years or so. George was equally as friendly as Charles, but more handsome. He was also strong and healthy, and Robert assumed he had also brought in a profitable crop this year although the Turners weren’t as extravagant as the Crocketts. Their clothes were not new this year but were of good quality and were clean and well-mended.

Hetta was an attractive woman, but with a perpetually sad expression and Robert couldn’t blame her. She would do her best and smile when socializing, but the smile never reached her eyes. This was her third pregnancy, but she would not allow herself to be happy about it. Sadly she had lost her first two children, the first baby at childbirth, the second child had died at a year old from a fever.

“Robert has gotten married!” Charles announced enthusiastically to George and Hetta. “This is his wife, Elizabeth.”

“Married!” George exclaimed with delight. “What wonderful news!” He turned to Elizabeth. “A pleasure to meet you, Mistress. This is my wife, Hetta.”

“I’m very pleased to meet you, Hetta.” Elizabeth said in an eager voice, offering her hand.

The woman reached out and barely grasped Elizabeth’s fingertips. Her smile was forced when she said softly. “A pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth wasn’t put off by her coolness. She continued excitedly. “Congratulations on your pregnancy. When is the baby due?”

“In about a month or so.” Hetta answered indifferently.

“Oh.” Elizabeth said quietly, perplexed by the woman’s lack of any feeling. “Well, I shall say a prayer for you and your bebe in church today.”

“Thank you.” Hetta whispered.

“Elizabeth…” Emily spoke up then, interrupting the awkwardness of the moment. “Shall the three of us proceed to the churchyard and allow our husbands a few minutes to talk business?”

Elizabeth turned to Robert, her eyebrows raised slightly in question. Robert felt bad that he hadn’t warned her about Hetta. She had no idea why the woman was so listless.

“Go with the ladies.” He urged softly with an apologetic look. He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. “We’ll be there shortly.”

She nodded and Robert ordered the servants to accompany the women and the boys to the churchyard. Nathan led the way, the boys followed, kicking a stone back and forth between them, the ladies walked slowly behind them and Dolnick took up the rear, keeping an eye out for any sneaky savages.

* * *

“Where is Jamie?” Charles asked as the men headed up the path at a leisurely pace.

“He should be here somewhere.” Robert answered casually. With the women gone, he could have some fun with his companions. “He and Evelyn came earlier on his horses.”

“Evelyn, hmm?” George asked, grinning. “Don’t tell me. His wife?”

Robert answered in the affirmative, smiling gleefully to himself. “And Elizabeth’s twin sister.” Robert added, imagining their reaction. He wasn’t disappointed.

“Twin sister!” Charles exclaimed, his eyes huge with shock.

“Oh ho ho!” George chortled. “You two are in trouble. Have there been any
incidents
yet?”

Robert knew exactly what George meant. “No.” He answered, acting insulted. “And there aren’t going to be any either. Elizabeth has a mole on her neck and Evelyn doesn’t. And there are other ways…” Robert added mysteriously, leaving the men to imagine what they wanted.

“Oh, you devil…” Charles said, sticking his elbow into Robert’s side.

Robert just laughed, enjoying the moment. He really didn’t know if there were other ways to tell the twins apart. He had never seen Evelyn naked.

“Where are your wives from? Jamie never mentioned them last week.”

Robert explained the whole sad story: how the girls’ father had committed suicide, leaving them penniless, and then how they had been sent here to live with their uncle. Then he had to relate how Francis had died, which brought words of shock and condolences from the men, and then how Francis had put it into his will that Robert and Jamie marry them.

Charles and George nodded their heads in understanding. Rarely did people choose their mates or know them for any length of time before they married. Their own wives had come to Virginia on a ship filled with single women for the sole purpose of providing the numerous single men with wives. Both of them had been lucky in that they had felt a mutual attraction from the very beginning with their wives and soon that attraction had grown into love.

They expressed their hopes for the same to Robert and Robert admitted that all was well in his marriage so far. He didn’t mention the little incident with Elizabeth that had occurred earlier.

By this time, they emerged from the stand of trees and out into a cleared space. The church and churchyard came into view, and the place was alive with people and activity.

* * *

The wooden church sat in the middle of the one hundred square-foot churchyard which was enclosed by a post and rail fence with a simple picket gate. There were numerous graves off to one side of the yard with plenty of space for more. The church itself was a simple, rectangular structure, fifty-five feet in length and twenty-five feet broad, set with its gabled ends east-west. The front door, where notices were posted, was set in the west end of the building, and a second door on the south wall was used by the pastor and the county’s elite gentlemen. Four leaded, diamond-paned windows lined each side of the building, letting in sufficient light and cross breezes for comfort.

Robert quickly scanned the scene ahead of him. The first thing he noticed was that old Clement Miller was in the pillory again. Robert shook his head. Probably for drunkenness, the pitiful sot. Then he saw Nathan and Dolnick standing on either side of the gate, guarding the yard. Robert thought they were taking their job a little too seriously, but on second thought, approved of their vigilance. About a dozen other plainly-clothed servants, including four Negroes, stood with them engaging them in conversation. Dolnick listened with one ear, but it was obvious to see that he was more interested in watching out for any savages.

Robert saw Elizabeth, Evelyn and Abigail with the ladies under the shade of a large Locust tree, and young boys and girls ran around chasing each other in a game of tag. A member of the Burgesses was surrounded by a small group of Justices and other officials. Edward Huett was among this group and so was Roger Wentworth. But neither Adam Cooke nor Peter Burnett was anywhere to be seen. He sighed in disappointment.

There was another large group of men on one side of the fence towards the back where the horses had been tied up. Suddenly he espied Jamie who had moved out from the middle of them. No doubt he was showing off his horses and reveling in their jealousy.

“There he is.” Robert said to Charles and George, pointing in Jamie’s direction.

“Are those his horses?” George asked, sounding impressed.

“The bays? Yes.” Robert answered.

“They’re magnificent!” Charles exclaimed, sighing with envy.

“If you do not mind, Rob, we’d like to go see them before the service begins.” George spoke for both himself and Charles.

“Sure. Go ahead.” Robert waved them off and they took off at a jog.

Actually Robert was glad they had left him alone. He wanted to take some time to read the notices on the door and to look for Burnett. He headed for the gate, but when he noticed that Clement was bleeding from a small cut on his forehead, he veered off to the side where the pillory and a set of stocks, now empty, stood outside the churchyard about ten feet from the fence.

Clement hung limply in the pillory, nearly unconscious in the morning sun. He looked shabby in his stained and frayed clothes and Robert couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man. At his age, he should be enjoying an easier life with sons and daughters running his farm and household for him, but unfortunately, the man was an ornery ole cuss with no family to speak of.

“Oy, Clement.” Robert said in greeting. He stepped up to him and surveyed the damage to the old man’s face. It looked a lot worse than it was. Blood had run down into one eye, causing Clement to keep his eyes closed, but the bleeding had stopped now. Still, Clement appeared to be in some pain.

“Who’s there?” The old man barked. He opened one, clear blue eye and fixed it on Robert.

“Me. Bassett.” Robert said, ignoring the man’s grouchiness. He gingerly moved Clement’s greasy, graying hair out of his face. “How did this happen?”

“Are you Robert or Jamie?” He asked, squinting at Robert.

“Robert. Who did this?” Robert tried again although he could probably guess.

“Damn boys.” Clement complained. “They hit me with a pretty good-sized one this time.”

Robert looked down at the ground and saw numerous stones and pebbles scattered about. He kicked them away, disgusted, and worried. It could be him next week locked in this pillory, a target for all the little children, no matter how many times they’d been scolded by their parents.

“I’m going to clean you up, all right?” He said, pulling out his handkerchief. He started to wet a corner of his handkerchief with his saliva. “Hold still now.” He lifted the handkerchief to Clement’s face.

Clement let out a bark of laughter. “I’m not going anywhere!”

“No, I guess you’re not.” First Robert pressed the cloth to the wound, then gently wiped the blood from the old man’s freckled forehead. Even more carefully, he wiped around his eye, under the unruly eyebrow and down along the side of the bulbous nose. Finally he wiped the handkerchief over the eyelid and along the clumpy eyelashes.

“Ah, you’re a good man, Robert.” Clement sighed, blinking rapidly. “I thank you. No one else had the decency to come to my aid.”

“Someday I might need your help.” Robert said with a faint smile. He wadded up the handkerchief and stuffed it back into his doublet.

Clement let out another bark of laughter. “You! Needing my help! Look at you. A young, healthy, virile man. And a virtuous one too.” He pointed at Robert with a gnarled finger, or at least he tried to since his wrists were locked in the holes on either side of his head.

Now it was Robert’s turn to let out a bark of laughter. “You have me confused with Jamie. He’s the virtuous one.”

Clement frowned. “Is he the one that got elected to the vestry last month?”

“That’s him.”

Clement suddenly looked around, his eyes shifting back and forth. His expression turned hopeful. “Hey.” He whispered. “By chance, you happen to have a wee nip on you?

“God’s bones, Clement!” Robert gasped, laughing out loud. He quickly quieted though when his laugher attracted some attention. “No, I do not have a wee nip.” Robert declared in a low, stern voice.

“Damn!”

“Shh! Somebody will hear!”

Clement let out a cackle. “I’m already locked up. What else are they going t’do to me?”

Robert sighed, exasperated. The old man would never learn! “I’m leaving now. I want to read the notices before church starts.”

“Oh yes.” He sneered, getting nasty. “Go listen to that pontificating, inflated, asinine pastor. Listen to his righteous words.” His voice got louder and louder as Robert walked away. “Listen to his sanctimonious blather! Jesus turned water into wine, didn’t He?” He shouted to no one in particular.

Someone shouted back, “Shut up, old man!”

Robert hastened away from Clement, sorry now that he had stopped to help him. Everyone in the churchyard was glaring at him with disapproving eyes.

“He’s crazy!” He shouted to the crowd, throwing his hands up and shaking his head. “Crazy as a bloody loon! I tried to help him and look what happens!”

They understood that and their attitude changed. They nodded in agreement, reiterating what Robert said to each other and passing on his words to the ones who hadn’t heard what he’d said.

As he came through the gate, he nodded to Nathan and Dolnick who nodded respectfully in return, their expressions carefully composed. But Robert sensed that they were ready to burst out laughing at any minute. They probably would, right after he turned his back on them.

Elizabeth rushed up to him, Evelyn close behind. “What did you say to him?” She asked in a loud whisper, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

“Nothing!” He declared in an exasperated voice. “I said nothing. He was bleeding and I cleaned him up, then he asked me for a drink! I told him I didn’t have any. And then he started ranting and raving.”

Elizabeth tsked tsked and shook her head, just like a priggish old maid. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. “What a vulgar man, to disrupt the peace on the Sabbath!” She complained.

Robert laughed. “Well, he’s a drunk and a degenerate. That’s what they do.”

“Hmph!” Elizabeth huffed, sticking her nose in the air.

Robert smiled at her, grabbed her shoulders and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I want to read the notices before church starts. Stay with your new friends and I shall be right back.”