Riverbreeze: Part 3 (5 page)

“You surprised me when you sashayed up to him and taunted him that way! Why did you do that?”

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. “I was curious how he would react.”

“Well, you certainly found out, as we all did! Are you happy now?” She asked, a distinct tone of disapproval in her voice. She stared at Elizabeth, the fabric forgotten in her hands.

Elizabeth sighed again. “No, I’m not. I’m sorry you had to hear that; I didn’t want you to, but there is still something in me that wants to test him, to see what he’ll do if I act too spoiled.”

“Well, please do it when you’re alone.” Evelyn said quietly.

“I will.” Elizabeth said with a little smile.

Evelyn smiled too, an impish smile. “Then let me know!”

“Evelyn!”

Evelyn’s face turned pink. “I’m sorry. This is between you and Robert.”

“Thank you.” Elizabeth said pointedly.

At that point they heard the Captain yelling at the first mate through the hatch. “Groot, the Bassett brothers are waiting for their wives! Where are they?”

“They are looking at more fabric!” Groot yelled back.

“Enough! They’ve gotten enough!”

Elizabeth gasped and looked at Evelyn with wide eyes. That was Robert yelling. “We’re coming.” She said quickly, dropping the fabric like it was on fire and heading towards the ladder. Evelyn followed without hesitation.

On the main deck, two couples were waiting to descend, the Kinsales and the Ellisons. The women chatted excitedly for a few minutes while the men groaned to themselves. Robert and Jamie had the same defeated look when the sailors carried everything up to the main deck, including the five extra ells of cambric for Abigail. The captain chuckled delightedly.

At that point Elizabeth hated Van Dijk for laughing in Robert’s and Jamie’s faces and she tried to return the Delftware serving bowl she had chosen. She would have liked to return everything and teach that devil a lesson, but there was no denying that she and Evelyn did need new clothes.

Surprisingly Robert wasn’t offended by the captain’s behavior, or he didn’t show it, and despite his earlier outburst, he wouldn’t let her return the bowl. Elizabeth tried to protest but Robert wouldn’t hear it. So in the end, Elizabeth left with enough material for a new skirt, a new bodice, three new chemises and three pairs of drawers, and a beautiful blue and white bowl, hand-painted with flowers and birds and curlicues.

How could she remain angry at him?

She couldn’t, but she still hadn’t forgotten those words that stuck in her brain:
Later, my spoiled one.

* * *

For the rest of the afternoon, Elizabeth didn’t have much time to think about being spoiled or what Robert thought about spoiled women. There were men to watch and women to talk to and children and dogs to tend.

They returned to shore to find the entire place swarming with people. While they had been on the ship many more colonists had arrived. The tent had been fully erected—it was a good size, big enough for twenty or so men—and a large fire had been built in front of the doorflap. Two big black pots had been set over the fire and the smell of venison stew, heavy on the onions, filled the air. A single shabbily-dressed black man tended to the pots while smoking a long clay pipe.

All the men but three were gathered around Captain Neale, most of them with swords at their sides and holding their muskets. Neale was handing out little pouches of musket balls to each man and filling up their powder horns with black powder. All were dressed in the clothes they came in; there were no uniforms or armor for this militia although many of the men had thick leather jerkins on substituting for a breast plate.

The first man who was not with the group was Robert Boyle. He had built a campfire close to the quay and his wife was sitting on the ground in front of it, their quilt wrapped snuggly around her. She had been crying profusely and was clearly exhausted. Her husband was still trying to comfort her, but whether he was successful or not was not apparent. At least she was no longer screaming and yelling. Perhaps it was due to the display of her lovely, but ruined light blue gown and coordinating navy cloak where they had been laid out over two sturdy bushes to dry like advertisements of her shameful behavior.

How embarrassing
, Elizabeth thought. She still felt sorry for the woman no matter how Evelyn or Robert felt. She had a thought that after they deposited their bundles at their quilt, she would go visit with Helen and maybe invite her back to join them. She would ask Evelyn what she thought of that idea before doing it though.

However, that wouldn’t happen just yet.

The second man who was not with Captain Neale was Nathan. He was dutifully keeping the dogs on their leashes and walking them at the edge of the field close to a copse of trees. When he saw the Bassetts returning, he started back towards their quilt where the third man not with Captain Neale could be found. It was Roger Wentworth and when Robert saw him and his wife at their quilt, chatting with Abigail, Emily and Alison, his smile went from ear to ear.

He took Elizabeth’s arm and hurried them along, eager to visit with his best friend and introduce Elizabeth to Nicole and their children, including the new baby.

“You’ll love Nicole.” He exclaimed. “She’s like no other woman you’ve ever met.”

Well, that was high praise
, Elizabeth thought, frowning to herself. Another saint, along with Maureen. Would she ever live up to these women in his eyes?

When Roger saw them, he separated himself from the ladies and with a friendly wave and a ‘Hallo!’ he jogged forward to meet them.

The men greeted each other first with great enthusiasm, embracing and pounding each other’s backs as if they hadn’t seen each other in decades.

Then Roger kissed Elizabeth’s hand, then Evelyn’s. “Ladies, how wonderful to see you again.” Then with a waggish twinkle in his eyes, he added, “I see you’ve done a bit of shopping. ‘Tis about time your husbands opened their wallets.”

Elizabeth was certain that that comment was meant to rile up Robert and Jamie, and she was right.

“What do you mean by that!” Robert snapped before she could say anything. Jamie looked equally insulted, but let Robert do the talking.

Roger laughed delightedly. “Nicole has already visited Van Dijk’s ship, twice.” He stopped short, realizing that the joke was on him. “Five weeks ago.” He muttered unhappily.

Now it was Robert’s turn to let out a guffaw. “Twice! Five weeks ago?”

“Yes.” Roger mumbled grudgingly. “When he came to pick up my tobacco.”

“Were you his first stop?”

“Yes.”

“Oh Roger, he knew.” Robert’s voice turned sympathetic, but he was still smiling in amusement. “He knows you and Nicole and how Nicole is a stickler for fashion. He was smart, giving Nicole the first look.”

“Mmph.” Roger grunted, but then he turned to look at his wife, still surrounded by Alison, Emily and Abigail. His face went soft with love and he spoke with the softest of tones. “Look at her though. She’s a vision in her new gown, even after giving birth only a month ago.”

Indeed she was a vision in her fashionable new gown of plum silk. Elizabeth frowned and exchanged a look with Evelyn. They hadn’t seen any plum silk. Obviously Nicole had bought all of it.

“Do come and meet our newest daughter.” Roger continued, as proud as a new papa could be.

They followed Roger to their quilt and Nicole stepped forward, her little swaddled and blanketed daughter held comfortably in her arms. She smiled warmly and dipped marginally in a little curtsy.

Elizabeth and Evelyn were pleased to meet her and naturally made a fuss over the peacefully sleeping baby. She was the cutest thing, with little tufts of sable hair peeking out from her bonnet and the perfect cupid mouth, button nose and long lashes. Elizabeth felt a tug in her womb which convinced her that she was pregnant, no matter how early it was.

Then when they learned that the baby’s name was Grace, there was an awkward moment when Evelyn choked back a noise that could have been a laugh of embarrassment, but turned into a cough. Elizabeth caught her exchanging a wide-eyed glance with Jamie; obviously sharing a secret between them.

Nicole didn’t take offense at Evelyn’s
faux pas
. Instead she asked Evelyn if she was all right. Evelyn croaked out a ‘yes’ and quietly slipped back to stand next to Abigail as Elizabeth gave her a long look.

Now Elizabeth could understand why Robert held Nicole in such high esteem. She was truly a stunning woman. Not beautiful in the classical sense, but there was something about her, a peaceful look to her face and a confidence in who she was. She had a square-ish face with a broad forehead and wide jaw. But her hazel eyes, small straight nose and full-lipped mouth were all perfectly in proportion. Her light brown hair was pulled back and tucked into a linen coif daintily embroidered with little pansies in purple and yellow. No wonder she wanted the plum silk, Elizabeth thought.

“I’m sorry we haven’t been to visit.” Robert said after some time. “We just haven’t had a chance to get away.”

“I understand.” Roger said. “I’ve been rather busy myself, and of course, we waited until Nicki’s confinement period was over to take the baby out. But you will come to our annual twelfth night party, won’t you?”

Elizabeth perked up at that. She held her breath as she waited for Robert’s answer. It would be so wonderful to go to a real twelfth night party again, for she was certain the Wentworths would do it up right.

“Of course, we’ll come.” Robert said. He looked at Elizabeth. “Right? Would you like that?”

“I would love to go.” Elizabeth answered excitedly. “I haven’t been to a good party in years!” She exaggerated a little; it had actually only been three years.

Both the Wentworths laughed at her enthusiasm, but it was Nicole who said, “Well, I hope we can live up to your expectations. We do not have the same resources here as in London, but we do our best.”

“Oh…” Elizabeth blushed in embarrassment. “I would never deem to compare…”

Again, Nicole laughed softly. “I am glad to hear that, dear.” She said, gently touching Elizabeth’s cheek with a gloved hand. “But you will enjoy yourself. I promise you that.”

“I look forward to it.” Elizabeth said politely.

At that point they were interrupted by a shrill whistle piercing the air. Captain Neale was calling the men to attention. Nathan arrived just in time to hand over the dogs and then join Robert, Jamie, and Roger as they jogged across the field toward the assembled men. Robert Boyle also left his wife after placing a consoling kiss on her forehead.

It looked like the men were going to practice shooting while advancing. With their backs to the women and facing into the woods, they formed into six lines, ten men in each line, thereabouts. Together they loaded and primed their muskets. Then the first line knelt while the second line crouched and the third, fourth, fifth and sixth lines stood. Elizabeth knew all about this formation, how the first three rows would shoot off their muskets, then retire to the back to reload while the next three lines quickly got into position and fired their muskets. By the time the second three lines fired, the first three lines of men were supposed to have reloaded and be ready to shoot. This did not always happen. There were always slowpokes in every militia: inexperienced ones and older ones whose fingers had become stiff with age. And then, even if one got his gun reloaded and it was an older matchlock, if he couldn’t keep his match cord lit, he couldn’t even fire his gun!

Elizabeth didn’t care if any of them could load and reload within a certain amount of time or if their guns misfired! She wasn’t particularly interested in watching the men drill so she turned her attention to the dogs sitting at her feet, panting with tongues hanging out of their mouths, clearly thirsty.

Even though she wasn’t watching the men any more, she could still hear them. Captain Neale was shouting more orders and then the two boys starting playing a particular rhythm on the drums. And then, surprising her enough to make her head snap up, she heard Emily Crockett’s voice calling out to the children. “Stay close now, children. They’re getting ready to fire.”

Elizabeth suddenly felt ashamed of herself. She hadn’t thought to warn the children. They had been playing so well together, tossing and kicking a leather ball between them, she hadn’t seen the necessity to interrupt them.

But Emily was correct. The children did need warning from their mothers. Since they weren’t paying attention, they may not have heard Captain Neale’s order to fire.

As it was, they were prepared, putting their hands over their ears. Nevertheless, the resulting explosion of shots startled the children. A flock of pigeons was also startled from their perches and they burst from the treetops in a flurry of feathers. Robin came running to her and she caught him in her arms just as the Crockett boys and the Wentworth girls ran to their mothers.

Stroking Robin’s soft curls, she prayed that he would never know the violence of war. She hated war and had hated going along with her father to watch Cromwell’s army practice and drill in the various parks in London. For some unexplained reason her father had taken to watching and studying the troops and several times he had insisted that Elizabeth and Evelyn join him. Why? Was he hoping they would find husbands among the officers who were made up from the noble class? Perhaps, but whatever the reason, the twins did not enjoy it one bit.