Riverbreeze: Part 3 (40 page)

“Good. But what I have heard recently has deeply disturbed me.”

“What have you heard, governor?” Robert asked carefully. How could he have heard of the murder? Burcher was still here, recuperating in the small house. Nick wouldn’t have told anyone and neither would have Owasewas. Then he thought of those savages, Match and Pan. Had they snitched on him? No. He thought he was safe.

“Sheriff Huett paid me an official visit this morning. He told me about the complaints you made against your brother and a man named Peter Burnett.”

“They were legitimate complaints, sir.” Robert declared. “Wesley and Burnett did break several windows in my house, as you can see.” He pointed out the boarded up windows. “And they burned down my barn and most recently they abducted Elizabeth.”

“Obviously you have Elizabeth back. You just mentioned she was in bed with a minor illness.”

Robert’s lips tightened in anger. “Yes, sir.” He said through his teeth. It sounded like the governor didn’t believe the abduction story, but he was still not ready to confess.

“Normally it is the sheriff’s responsibility to question all parties in cases such as this; however, Sheriff Huett had other pressing business today and couldn’t be here. I feel I have a special interest in you and your family and therefore decided to take on the job of questioning you myself. I do have the authority, you know.”

“Yes, sir.” Robert muttered, but he thought that it was rather interesting that the governor decided to come himself—he could have ordered another sheriff to interrogate him—however, he was flattered that the governor had taken a personal interest in this situation. Of course that could also backfire. The governor was the highest authority in the colony.

Governor Berkeley continued, “Do you have any witnesses to prove that they did indeed break your windows?”

“I have a Powhatan friend who saw them in the act. Owasewas, my friend, shot Peter Burnett in the arm, and they ran away after that.”

“I see.” He said, taking a deep breath. He drummed his fingers on his knee. “And do you have any witnesses who saw them burn your barn?”

Robert pressed his lips together in frustration. “No, sir. Pardon me, sir, but I’ve already gone over all this with Sheriff Huett.”

“But he is not here. I am, and I am asking the questions.”

Robert was duly chastened. He clamped his mouth shut.

The governor continued, “Now about your wife, do you have any witnesses who saw her abducted?”

“No, sir, but I found her myself and Wesley was holding a gun to her head!” He blurted out, his anger taking over. The governor was drilling him as if he were the perpetrator!

The governor looked shocked. “Indeed! How did you find her?”

Robert hesitated. He couldn’t tell the governor about Evelyn’s dream. Berkeley would never believe him. He glanced at Jamie and they exchanged an indecisive look.

The governor lost patience. “Tell me how!” He ordered, standing up. He was very angry at Robert. “Sheriff Huett told me he had put together a search party and then yesterday morning you and Jamie and Nick Bannister and your savage friend sailed past his property as calm as you please, not even having the decency to inform Ned of your plans, taking the law into your own hands—“

Robert reacted to Berkeley’s anger with his own. “I found out where Wesley was holding Elizabeth and I thought I would spare everyone the trouble of looking for her!” He defended himself.

“But you neglected to inform the sheriff that you were going without him and the search party. If it hadn’t been for Charles Crockett seeing you pass, they would have wasted their time searching for nothing!”

So that was why Ned was so angry and made a formal complaint against Robert to the governor, he thought. Robert said, “We sent our servant, Dolnick, to tell the sheriff that the search party was no longer needed.”

“How did you know where to look for her?” Berkeley persisted.

Suddenly Robert recalled when Wesley had mentioned that he had left a note. He quickly said, “Wesley left a note.” Robert wondered what had happened to it. He never found it.

“The sheriff never mentioned a note! Where is your brother now?” Berkeley demanded.

Robert hesitated. What should he say? Should he tell the truth? Tell the governor that he had killed Wesley with his own hands?

At that critical time when Robert had followed his instincts and shot Wesley and then choked him to death, he hadn’t thought of the consequences. He hadn’t thought that he might be charged with murder; he hadn’t thought that they might throw him in jail while waiting for his trial; he hadn’t thought that the General Assembly might find him guilty and sentence him to death by hanging. None of that had mattered at the time; the only thing that mattered was rescuing Elizabeth and keeping her safe.

And now that the governor was facing him, a man personally chosen by the king to rule Virginia, how could Robert lie to him? It would be like lying to King Charles himself.

“Where is your brother, Robert?” Berkeley demanded, his voice sharp. “You must know where he is. If he is to be arrested for the crimes he committed against you, Sheriff Huett needs to know where he is.”

The governor’s eyes were intense upon Robert. Several minutes passed in silence. Finally Berkeley turned his attention to Jamie. “Jamie? What have you got to say about this?”

Finally Robert spoke. “Leave Jamie out of this.”

Berkeley’s head snapped back to Robert. “Are you ready to speak then?”

What was the use of remaining silent? If he lied now and told the governor Wesley had left the colony or some other fabricated story, eventually the truth would come out and everyone would know that he had lied from the beginning. And that would certainly discredit him forever. It was better to tell the truth now. Besides it was Wesley who had committed the crimes, not him. “Yes.” He spoke very softly, barely above a whisper. “Wesley is dead, sir.”

Beside him Jamie gasped and stared at him, but didn’t speak.

The governor, however, was completely stunned. “Dead?!” He exclaimed. Clearly he hadn’t been expecting that. “How did he die?”

“I killed him.” Robert said quietly, but clear enough for the governor to hear.

“You killed him?” The governor gaped at him. He was totally shocked.

Jamie gaped at him too. But then his expression changed. He was proud of Robert for his honesty.

“Yes, sir.” Robert kept his head high.

The governor turned to Jamie. “Were you with him? Did you see him do it?”

“Yes, sir.” Jamie said righteously.

“Were there any other witnesses?”

“Only Elizabeth.” Robert said. “Nick Bannister and William Burcher were outside the cabin.”

The governor turned back to Robert. He was highly upset. “Do you know what this means? With this confession, you will be arrested and put on trial for murder. You could hang, Robert.”

Robert stood up now and faced the governor squarely. “No, I was defending my life, Elizabeth’s life and Jamie’s life. He would have killed us all if he had the chance.”

“So you’re claiming you killed him in self-defense.”

“Yes, sir, and if that doesn’t work, I would plead benefit of clergy.”

Berkeley looked disgusted. “Yes, you would, wouldn’t you? And you would prevail because our court system protects men like you.” He took another long breath. “Oh, Robert, Robert. What am I going to do?” He started pacing around the room.

Jamie smiled at his brother. He spoke softly as he said, “I’m proud of you. I wasn’t sure what you were going to say, but I’m glad you told the truth. I’ll defend you all the way.”

“Thank you, Jamie. I realized I had to confess. It was the right thing to do.”

Presently, the governor returned to stand in front of Robert. He shook his head at him. “I understand that a few months back you received fifteen stripes for slandering Doctor Harris.”

“Yes, sir.” Robert answered, wondering what that had to do with this situation. “Otherwise you’ve been a law-abiding citizen, an exemplary citizen.” He emphasized.

“Thank you, sir.”

“You pay your taxes on time; you attend church regularly; you’re not a drunk; you help your neighbors when they’re in need, and you, Jamie, you’re a member of the vestry.”

“I am, sir.”

“He must have surely provoked you.”

“He abducted my wife!” Robert exploded. “He took her hostage; he tried to rape her and she lost our first child because of him! He broke our windows; he burned our barn along with our tobacco; he’s been torturing Jamie and me since we were little boys!”

“Easy, Robert. I understand.” Berkeley said, putting his hand on Robert’s shoulder.

Robert took control of himself. Nevertheless, he grumbled, “I don’t think you do.”

“I understand that you’re the Earl of Pennington now.”

That took Robert by surprise. His mouth dropped open. “Do you believe that’s why I did it? That title means nothing to me! Besides, from what I’ve gathered, the estate was lost to the Roundheads. There’s nothing left there for Jamie or me.”

“Yes, unfortunately that’s the way it is in England now.” Berkeley said thoughtfully. “I, myself, decided to leave the court when my prospects declined.”

“But the king named you governor and captain-general of Virginia! Surely you were held in high esteem.”

“Thank you.” The governor said humbly, bowing his head. But then he straightened. “But we are not discussing me. We are discussing your unexpected confession. I cannot allow the murder of a citizen of my colony to go unpunished.”

“I did not murder him!” Robert objected. “And he was not a citizen of your colony. He was a..a…transient and a scoundrel, a man not worthy of settling in your colony.” Robert began to worry. The governor could arrest him and throw him in jail until the General Assembly met in two weeks and heard his case. “Please, Governor Berkeley, I admit I have a temper and I know I say the wrong thing sometimes, but I had to protect my wife at all costs, including killing my half-brother.”

“Hmm.” The governor looked at Robert, contemplating.

Finally Jamie stood up and said, “Governor, I was with Robert when we rescued Elizabeth. We didn’t plan on killing Wesley. We tried to avoid it, but he threatened to kill Elizabeth. He had a gun to her head! He gave us no other choice.”

“You keep saying ‘we’ as if you’re equally responsible.”

“Of course I am. Whatever my brother decided to do, I would have done the same. I would have gladly killed Wesley to save my wife and to save Elizabeth.”

The governor looked at both brothers, standing side by side. It was clear what he was thinking: these two will always stand together; they will always stick up for each other.

And that was the real truth. Robert so appreciated Jamie’s support; in fact he loved his brother because of that.

Finally the governor shook his head. “Where is his body?”

“We buried him deep in the woods close to William Burcher’s cabin. Peter Burnett is also buried there.” Robert said.

“How did he die?” Berkeley asked suspiciously.

“He died from that arrow wound. Burcher had already buried him before Jamie and I had even gotten there.”

The governor took a deep breath. “Well, this situation does appear to be a case of self-defense.”

“I swear to you, Sir Berkeley, that it is.” Robert declared.

Berkeley stroked his mustache in contemplation. Robert stood anxiously, waiting for the governor to make up his mind. He was going to make him sweat, the bastard. Finally Berkeley started as if he suddenly remembered something. “Did you say earlier that Elizabeth lost her child?”

Robert was getting tired of this questioning. “Yes.” He said wearily.

“Oh my poor lad, I am deeply sorry.” He said, clasping Robert’s arm. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?” Now the governor seemed quite sympathetic.

Robert took a deep breath. “Honestly, I know not.”

“Tsk. Tsk.” The governor clicked his tongue in commiseration while shaking his head.

“Evelyn lost her child too.” Jamie said sadly.

The governor looked at him. “Evelyn too? Oh, you poor young people. And the girls were so happy at Christmastime. Well, they’re young and strong. God will bless them again, I’m sure.”

“That is our hope.” Robert said quietly. Of course he couldn’t say that Elizabeth had a dream that forecast that they would be blessed with five children…or would it be four now? He frowned, wondering if this lost child had been the first of the five. He would have to discuss it with Elizabeth later.

“Well, I see that you have all suffered great loses, however, I cannot dismiss this case just yet. I would like to speak to Mr. Bannister and to Mr. Burcher before I make a decision regarding your fate, Robert.”

“I understand, sir.” Robert said, even though he really didn’t. The governor had just said that he thought this was a case of self-defense. Why did he need to question Nick and Billy Burcher? Nevertheless, he continued, “Billy Burcher is staying in my servants’ quarters if you would like to speak with him now.”

“He is staying with you?”

“He suffered an injury and I felt he should come here where Abigail could tend to his wound. She is very good with herbs and such.”