Forever Young Birth Of A Nation (8 page)

Yvonne and Stefan sat idly, each nursing a
tankard of ale, listening to the flow of conversation at the
Piccadilly Inn and Tavern. They both saw the man with whom they
wanted to speak when he entered. Unaware he was being keenly
observed the constable sat at a vacant table and ordered a tankard
of ale. By the time the serving wench had returned with it, Yvonne
had walked to his table and just as the wench sat the drink down,
she offered to pay for it.

Looking up at the red headed beauty standing
before him, Constable Connors smiled affably and nodded to the
empty chair across from him. Yvonne put her tankard down on the
scarred table top and sat, folding her hands demurely as she sat
staring at Connors with a slight smile.

“Frederick Connors, ma’am. How may I help
you” he said as he imagined how she could help him. Connors was
good looking in a rugged sort of way, with a good sense of humor
and had no small success with the local tavern wenches and other
assorted women who might be found in such a place. But he had never
in his life seen one as exciting as this one.

Yvonne demurely nodded and extended her hand
saying “Yvonne Devrie, Mr. Connors. I am searching for something
and you might be able to help me in that regard.”

Raising his bushy eyebrows, Connors bowed
his head as his lips brushed the back of her extended hand. He sat
back then and sipped his ale, nodding for her to proceed.

“I heard of a kidnapping of a youngster that
happened last year in London. It seems that the Constabulary was
marshaled quickly and in large numbers to apprehend the
perpetrator. I was wondering if you can recall anything at all
about that, sir.”

Taking another sip Connors nodded, saying
“Indeed there was such an incident. We even blocked all seven roads
leading from London in the hopes of apprehending the
perpetrators.”

“And?”

“And what does a lovely woman such as you
want with such information?”

Tossing a gold sovereign onto the table
Yvonne said “I am willing to pay for the information, Constable
Connors.”

Not reaching for the money, Connors said
“Please call me Fred, Yvonne.”

Smiling while seductively tipping her head
to one side a bit, Yvonne said “Frederick is a strong name; one
that I like very much.” Mindful that Stefan was watching from
nearby, she continued “Now that we have met, we need not be
strangers any more, Fred. I have need of information from time to
time and I supply gratitude as well as money for such.”

“There is nothing that can warm my heart
more than gratitude” he said as he took her hand in his.

“That will not be possible this night, Fred.
I came here with the man you now see looking at you from over my
right shoulder, the one who has a silver hook in place of his
hand.”

Fondling her hand in his, Frederick looked
and indeed a dark man with such a hook sat staring at him as if he
could see through him.

“I do not always have him with me, but
tonight I just happened to come here with him. For my sake, please
do not insist, Fred. I like you, but he is quite jealous and I have
to be discreet regarding him. You do understand, don’t you?”

Frederick sighed and took the gold
sovereign, saying “There was a child of about six years age
kidnapped at that time. Every constable in London and even in
surrounding villages was rousted at one time. You’d have thought
that one of the royals themselves had been taken. No name was ever
given, but she was described as being a well-dressed French girl,
blue-eyed with golden-colored hair, around six years old. She was
allegedly found unharmed early the following day, wandering the
streets of London.”

“That is it?”

“Well, yes. However no one I know in the
Constabulary found her. They were all told the same thing; just
that she had been found as I just said.”

“Can you be found here often, Fred?”

“For you, I could be found most anywhere,
Yvonne.”

“There is double that amount for a name to
go with this story. For two names or three, who knows what
gratitude I might show?”

“I am here every Friday at this time. I have
no doubt that I can supply your needs, Yvonne” he said, pleased
with his double entrende.

Birds chirped merrily and two children
laughed as they played around the liberty pole at Grover’s Square
in New York City. Ian and James strolled north toward the square,
looking like two young gentlemen merely taking a turn about the
neighborhood. Three carriages approached from the east, discharging
their occupants at the entrance as the two arrived. Besides Colonel
Grundy, there was the banker, Willard Wellington, four Officers of
His Majesty’s Army, three officers of the Royal Navy, and two
wealthy merchants. All had been present at the gala the night
before and all had seen what transpired there.

Grundy walked confidently then towards Ian
and James, his entourage behind him. “Mr. McCloud. I doubted you
would be here. Is that your second” he said, nodding to James.

“This is my good friend James Barrows,
recently of London, and why would I not be here?”

“I thought that you might have better sense
today without a young lady to impress.”

“You thought wrong, as usual, and I have no
designs on Rebecca.”

Ian could easily see some color rising from
Grundy’s collar, beginning to turn his face red. “So you do not
take back anything you said last evening?”

“You were a coward then and you are still
one today, Grundy.”

“By God, you will pay for that remark sir!
You chose sabers and I have brought them! Choose one now or run
away like the peacock you really are.”

Ian stepped forward as Wellington presented
a case which he opened, facing the contents toward Ian. Ian chose
one, and lifting it to level with his shoulders, he put his other
hand near the tip and caused the blade to flex some two inches, and
turning it over he flexed it likewise again. “This will do.”
Handing it to James he removed his waistcoat and took the blade,
nodding to the group and then to the two children playing around
the pole. “What of the children?”

Grundy turned to the officers, saying “See
to those children.” The officers went to the two and walked them to
their mother and talked briefly with her. She quickly took them,
walking as fast as she could away from the park.

A horse drawing a small carriage clattered
to a halt on the cobblestone street at the park entrance. The
driver assisted a lady from the coach and waited while she made her
way to the group. Ian saw immediately that it was Rebecca, and that
she was quite upset. She walked into the midst of the group and
said “Surely you two are not going through with this thing!”

Grundy spoke then, saying “Go home Rebecca.
This does not concern you.”

“Oh really? I beg to differ, sir. Did you
know that it was I who asked Ian to take me to the Gala?”

Grundy could not hide the surprise in his
face as she continued. “I told him that you had been sent to New
Jersey by General Gage and that I wanted to go to the Gala. I asked
him in front of the church yesterday morning after the service, and
I asked him in front of three people so that he could hardly refuse
without looking bad. You are out of line sir” she said and turning
to Grundy’s entourage she continued “And the lot of you should be
ashamed at yourselves. You asked Ian, a guest of General Gage to
give an opinion of the economy and when he did as you asked, you
turned on him like a pack of hyenas. And now here you are today
hoping to see him hurt or killed. If people like you represent the
cream of British society in America, God help us all!”

They were all dumbfounded and speechless at
the fire in the eyes of this angry young lady and they were stung
by her words as well. She came to Ian then, reached toward him and
took his hand in both of hers, drawing it to her breast as she
stepped very close to him. Lowering her voice she said “Dear Ian.
Do not let this thing go a bit further than it already has.”

“Well well, McCloud. The young lady comes
just in time to save her peacock.”

Ian drew her away several paces and in a low
voice answered her saying “I fear it has gone too far, Rebecca.
This has been done in such a way that I can’t succeed here in
business if I walk away from this thing. I will be denigrated
throughout New York City, called a coward by these so-called
witnesses. The very people I need to do business with will have
nothing to do with the bank I am starting. I promise that I won’t
hurt him seriously. I’ll wound his pride, but I won’t kill
him.”

“But Ian, He killed a man in a duel last
year. He is the finest swordsman in the Colonies!”

“No he’s not.” Turning to the group Ian said
“I await your pleasure, sir.”

A wealthy merchant then brought a case
containing two pistols for the seconds. James and a British naval
officer each took one, waiting for the rule of quarter to be
decided.

Wellington then said “Shall the rule of
quarter be observed here this day Mr. McCloud?”

“I don’t care either way.”

“Colonel Grundy?”

“I don’t wish to seek quarter.”

Mr. McCloud?”

“Very well Grundy. No quarter.”

James and the navy officer each handed their
pistols back to the merchant as Ian stepped away from the group
toward an open area near the liberty pole. Grundy took off his
waistcoat and followed, swooshing his sword impressively several
times and raising it above his head horizontally, drawing it
downward behind his head to touch his shoulders as he loosened his
muscles. Ian merely stood by as if bored, looking about the
neighborhood as Grundy continued his exercise. Nodding to
Wellington then, Grundy signified that he was ready.

“Gentlemen, are you ready?”

Both nodded and Wellington raised his voice
as he said “On guard!”

Grundy came at Ian with a vicious onslaught
which Ian parried brilliantly, backing only two or three steps away
and then suddenly he countered, backing Grundy up for some six
steps and cutting one of the suspenders for his trousers, and
cutting his shirt as well. Grundy backed up three more paces with a
look of surprise on his face.

Ian stood silently, sword down at his side,
relaxed. Grundy bored in rapidly again with a brilliant display of
swordsmanship which Ian merely parried without giving any ground at
all. This exchange lasted some two minutes and suddenly Ian pressed
forward, forcing Grundy to retreat some eight steps, and then Ian’s
attack faltered a bit. Grundy again bored in as rapidly as he could
but Ian ducked like lightning and whirled past him. Reaching out
with the flat of his sword, he whacked Grundy really hard across
his buttocks. The blow was hard enough that it made a loud whacking
sound and Grundy grunted in pain, clutching his buttocks with his
left hand.

Ian again bored in rapidly forcing Grundy
back some six steps and again his attack faltered. Again Grundy
bored in rapidly and again Ian ducked, whirled and whacked him
solidly across the buttocks. Grundy could not help but grunt at the
pain and again clutched at his buttocks.

Ian closed rapidly and forced Grundy back
some twelve paces and then like lightning lunged in with a raised
foot and kicked Grundy straight in the chest, toppling him onto his
back. To his credit, Grundy rolled rapidly to recover but before he
could do so, Ian had stepped up and whacked him twice across his
buttocks again, followed by a kick in the rump to sprawl him on his
face. Before Grundy could recover Ian again struck him two mighty
blows across his buttocks. Both blows smacked loudly and Grundy
cried out at the pain. Ian merely turned his back and walked slowly
toward the liberty pole, flexing his sword. The group was hushed
and astonished. James smiled amusedly as Rebecca looked on in
astonishment, her mouth hanging open.

Grundy scrambled to his feet, his face
purple with rage and ran toward Ian with his sword drawn back to
decapitate him. Rebecca screamed “Ian watch out!”

He merely spun and gave ground, parrying
every stroke skillfully, when suddenly he ducked low to one side
and like lightning he passed by and cut Grundy along his left side
and following through he whacked him once more across his buttocks.
Grundy continued well past Ian, and putting his hand to his side,
he drew it back bloody. It was a flesh wound, but not a serious
one. Ian stood relaxed, his sword down, its tip in the grass. He
faked some heavy breathing, but in no way looked as tired as his
opponent did.

Grundy stood glaring with rage at Ian,
breathing deeply and gathering his strength. He lunged again,
bearing in rapidly with great force and fine technique. Ian merely
retreated some six steps and faking an attack where he hacked
downward against Grundy’s guard he suddenly ducked and opened up
another cut on his other side as he passed, and again turned his
blade to deliver yet another resounding ‘whack’ to his buttocks.
Grundy went berserk then, roaring in rage, pain, and frustration
and attacked with abandon, hacking viciously with great power. Ian
merely gave a bit of ground while opening two cuts on Grundy’s
face; one on each cheek. As Grundy gave pause at the sudden
sensation of being cut so near his eyes, Ian bored in and again
like lightning planted his foot in his chest, sprawling him on his
back. As he rolled to regain his feet Ian again gave him two
resounding whacks on his buttocks.

Roaring with rage and frustration Grundy
again came at Ian who merely parried his every stroke and cut his
other suspender. His trousers began to slip bit by bit as he
pressed the attack on Ian, who faked an attack and then backed away
drawing his opponent forward only to duck and pivot once again to
whack him across his buttocks. Boring in, Ian wounded him lightly
in his right shoulder and then in under a minute wounding him in
the much harder to reach left shoulder, followed again by a
resounding whack across the buttocks.