Riverbreeze: Part 2 (49 page)

She ran to it, giddy with hope. She could possibly follow it to the river and then someone would find her. She ran and ran, panting and gasping for breath, almost laughing hysterically.

And then, finally, the forest ended; she came out of the shelter of the trees and onto a meadow. She ran to the creek, almost tripping over her own tired feet. She fell to the ground, heedless of the wet grass and the rain. For several moments, she just sat there, sobbing. The hood of her cloak had fallen back exposing her head to the rain, but she didn’t seem to notice. Hair plastered to her head and cold drizzle dripping down her neck, she thanked God for bringing her to this place of hope. There was the possibility now that she could find her way back to the river.

She started to look around her to see in which direction the creek came from and where it went. She also looked behind her to study her surroundings and that’s when she saw it. A small, dilapidated cabin.

It was situated right at the edge of the woods. It was closed up tight; all the shutters were tightly secured over the windows. But there was smoke coming out of the chimney and she felt her heart leap for joy.

Scrambling up, not caring what she looked like or who was living in that cabin, she ran to the front door.

“Help! Help me, please!” She cried, as she pounded on the rough wooden door with new found strength. “Help! Help me!”

The door opened; a man appeared. She looked. She screamed. And then she fainted.

* * *

She woke up to a small, tow-headed boy standing over her. As far as she could tell, she was on a bed, covered in faded, musty-smelling patchwork quilts, presumably in the cabin at the edge of the woods.

“Hello.” The boy chirped.

“Hello.” Elizabeth whispered back.

Then the boy called back to someone behind him. “She’s awake!”

Elizabeth moved her eyes to look past the boy. The room was quite dark; there was a fire burning in the small fireplace and there was one lit candle on the table in the center of the room. She was able to see a figure of a man standing by the fireplace, but she couldn’t see his face. If this was the same man who had answered the door, she didn’t know if she ever wanted to see him again. He had had a horribly, grotesque face.

He came forward a few steps, boots scraping on the plank floor, a slouch hat pulled low over his face. Elizabeth’s hands moved to shield herself, even under the quilts, and that’s when she realized she had been divested of her clothes. She still had on her chemise and drawers, but still…

“Stay away from me!” She said, clutching the quilt to her chin.

“She ascared of you.” The boy said in a surprised tone.

“That’s only natural.” The man said quietly. His voice was deep and smooth. To Elizabeth he said, “I’m glad you’re finally awake. We were worried about you.”

“What happened? Where am I? Who are you?” Elizabeth asked in quick succession.

The man chuckled a little, but stayed back a few steps. “Slow down now. You fainted and you’re in my cabin—“

“Ja
!” The boy added, trying to sound grown up. “You wet and asleep. He help you like he help me.”

Elizabeth looked at the boy again. There was a slight resemblance to Isaac around the small nose and mouth. “Are you Pieter?”

“Ja
!” He broke into a big smile. He jumped up a down a few times and looked back at the man. “She know my name!”

Excited by this discovery, Elizabeth started to sit up, but then she remembered her state of undress and slithered back down under the quilt. “We’ve been looking for you, young man.” She said in a stern tone meant for a child. “Your parents are sick with worry.”

Pieter frowned and he looked anxiously back at the man. The man moved to stand at the side of the bed. He pulled the boy against his leg and gently caressed his head. “I do apologize, Mistress.” He said to Elizabeth. “That is my fault. When I found him wandering in the woods, I took him here instead of taking him home.”

“You mean he’s been here all along!” Elizabeth cried, outraged. “You should be ashamed, sir!” She scolded him. “His parents are worried sick and they’ve been searching for him since yesterday morning, along with several other people, including me!” The man chuckled again at her outburst. Elizabeth was not amused. The man said, “She certainly has recovered! Maybe ‘twould have been better if she stayed asleep!” He joked to the little boy, winking at him, but then he sobered. “No, I’m truly sorry, Mistress. I am glad you have recovered; and I’m very sorry for your trouble and the trouble to Pieter’s parents. I know I should have taken him home, but I’ve been so very lonely lately.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth calmed down. The man’s deep voice and piteous words tugged at her heart. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that, sir, but you still should have returned the boy to his home.”

“I know, and I shall apologize to his parents when I meet them.”

Elizabeth suddenly felt very self-conscious talking to this stranger while she was nearly naked in his bed. She clutched the quilt to her chin. “Where are my clothes, sir?

“Your cloak and your…uh…” He cleared his throat. “…your breeches and shirt are drying by the fire. Do not worry. There is nothing to be afeared of. I won’t hurt you. I only removed your clothes because they were wet and seemed uncomfortable.” He ended lamely.

That was doubtful, she thought. Only her cloak had been soaked and the old leather boots she had been wearing, although, on second thought, she had gotten her breeches wet when she had dropped down onto the grass and surely he knew that men’s clothing was more comfortable than layers and layers of women’s clothing. But she did believe him when he said he wouldn’t hurt her. “I suppose I should thank you, Mr…umm.” She prompted him to introduce himself, which he did.

“I am William Burcher, Mistress, and you are?”

“Elizabeth Bassett, sir—“

“Elizabeth Bassett?” He exclaimed. “Are you related to either of the Bassett brothers?”

“Yes, Robert is my husband. Do you know him?”

“Not personally, but I know of him. I am pleased to meet you, Mistress Bassett.” He said formally, automatically taking off his hat and bowing.

Elizabeth got a look at his face then and gasped. The poor man’s face and neck were severely distorted by ugly-looking burn scars. She almost screamed again, but stifled herself, disguising her shock by coughing.

He tutted like an old woman. “Now listen to you. You’ve caught cold.” He scolded her as if she were a child. He started to reach for her and Elizabeth cringed, trying to sink down into the mattress, afraid of what he planned to do. But all he did was briskly tuck the quilts tighter around her. “Why were you out in that storm all alone?” He demanded. “You said Pieter’s parents were looking for their son, but you were alone, a little slip of a girl like you! I question your husband’s judgment in allowing you to go out on your own.”

That riled her up. She was not a little slip of a girl and as for Robert! “How dare you, sir! How dare you judge my husband! I wasn’t alone, at first. I was with my servant, my dog and Pieter’s mother. But we became separated and now I do not know where they are.” Her anger was subsiding as she related the situation. “Pieter’s mother returned back home, I hope, but my servant and my dog….” She stopped short, suddenly wanting to cry again. She hoped they weren’t lost forever. She would miss her little Fleurette terribly as would Evelyn and Papillon. Tears welled in her eyes and she sniffled, rubbing her nose against the quilt.

“Please, do not cry.” He said softly. Then he turned to the little boy. “Well, son, I guess ‘tis time to take you home.”

He sounded very, very sad.

Chapter Thirty Two: A Trying Day

Robert woke up especially early, dreading this day. Today he would be facing Dr. Harris and his peers for his trial and sentencing, and then later on, the duel with Sparshott.

Last night, while lying in bed, he had thought long and hard about his character and how he would present himself at court. He could go as his impudent self with a devil-may-care attitude, thumbing his nose at everyone and the hell with all of them. A large part of him wanted to do that, to yell at Harris again, to blame him for Tyler’s death, and then embracing that anger, fence with Sparshott until one of them was slashed and bloody. (Preferably Sparshott.) But the responsible part of him told him he must behave. He did not want to disappoint Elizabeth; (he had already embarrassed her enough): he did not want to disappoint his adoptive father, his birth father and his grandfather, (not that they would know anyway, he didn’t believe, but one could never be sure) and mostly he didn’t want Robin to be known as the son of a hotheaded jackass! So he had decided that he would settle down, rein in his temper and face and accept his punishment with the grace of an English gentleman. He had been raised to be a gentleman; he should behave like one. And even though dueling was a violent and a ridiculous way to settle differences, wasn’t that part of being a gentleman?

Robert couldn’t recall the last time a duel had been fought in the colony. In fact, now that he thought about it more, he didn’t believe any duels had ever taken place. Or perhaps they had been kept private, so private that no one knew of them, but he sincerely doubted that. Triumphant men were prone to boast and people in general were prone to gossip.

Was he to be a participant in the first duel ever to be fought in Virginia? For the hundredth time since Sparshott had challenged him, Robert wondered why he had done it and what was his motive? Did Sparshott really think he could best Robert? Robert was less than half Sparshott’s age; he had youth and strength and agility on his side, although his injured hands could be a problem now. But at the time of the challenge his hands had been perfectly fine…although his leg had been a little lame. Perhaps Sparshott had been counting on that. Maybe take advantage of his disability.

Well, he would show him that he was no milksop; that he was no suckling attached to his brother. He would keep his word and act the part of gentleman and face Sparshott with his head held high and his shoulders square despite the fact that he hadn’t had a chance to practice with his sword these past three days.

Monday he had missed Adam Cooke when Cooke had visited with the purpose of practicing with him, but he had been away at Maureen’s, saving his son. Jamie had practiced with Adam instead, not wanting Adam’s visit to be for nothing, and Jamie had then given some tips to Robert, but that was not the same as actual practice. He truly wondered how he would manage, being so out of form and injured the way he was.

Nevertheless, the duel would take place whether he liked it or not.

He stretched carefully, not wanting to disturb Elizabeth and the dogs which were sleeping by her feet. Who would have ever thought that he would have dogs sleeping on his bed, he thought with a shake of his head. But they were quiet and not too big and mostly they stayed on Elizabeth’s side.

Sleeping soundly, she looked small and fragile. She was breathing through her mouth, snoring faintly to be truthful. He felt bad for her; she had picked up a cold at some point yesterday. Last night she had come back victorious—he had been shocked that she had been successful at finding the boy even if it had been an accident—but sneezing and with the sniffles. Evelyn had the sniffles too, but not Jamie or Nathan, although they had been exhausted. How strange the twins were. All four of them had been in the same situation, out in the cold and rain and only the girls had taken a chill. Perhaps it was their delicate nature.

He rolled out of bed, and on his knees groped for the chamber pot under the bed. After relieving himself, he placed the cover back on the pot with the intention of emptying it after he dressed. Then he crept to the fireplace and stoked up the fire, adding a log or two. He lit a single candle using a taper, then went around the bed to check on Robin.

The dogs lifted their heads to watch him, but they remained quiet. He acknowledged them with a quick pet to their heads, then lowered the candle to get a better look at his son. Thankfully Robin was sleeping soundly, his arm tight around his cloth beagle and his mouth slack around his thumb. He felt guilty about having to leave Robin today, but it couldn’t be helped and he was secure in the knowledge that the women would take good care of him.

Originally the twins were to go to court with him even though women were not normally allowed to attend, but they had been witnesses to the incident and in that case, exceptions were made. But since he had already written his confession and planned to confess and apologize again in court today, he didn’t believe it was necessary for the girls to be there. And Huett had already taken down Evelyn’s deposition and as for Elizabeth, well, they would just have to do without her. She was too sick to go out.