A World Apart (The Hands of Time: Book 3)
Read A World Apart (The Hands of Time: Book 3) Online
Authors: Irina Shapiro
A World Apart
The Hands of Time: Book 3
By
Irina Shapiro
© 2013 by Irina Shapiro
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the author.
All characters are fictional. Any resemblances to actual people (except those who are actual historical figures) are purely coincidental.
October 2012
Weak rays of autumn sunshine filtered through the shop windows, dust motes twirling lazily in the shafts of light, settling onto the scuffed floor. The wooden counter reflected the sun, being the only object left in the empty room. Just yesterday, Hugh Sanders had his men crate up the inventory and remove it to his own shop in Plymouth.
Hugh rubbed his hands with pleasure, congratulating himself on the low price he paid for the lot. Only patches of unfaded wallpaper remained where paintings had hung for years, and scratches on the floor bore testament to pieces of antique furniture that crowded the small showroom.
Frederick Taylor looked around the empty room before closing the door behind him for the last time. By next week, this place would be an internet café, or yet another gift shop. He’d stop by the estate agent’s and drop off the keys before taking himself out for a leisurely breakfast. After that, he’d be on his way. He’d spend a few days in London, as planned, then catch a flight to the States. He had some unfinished business in
colonial Virginia; business that he’d put off for far too long.
Virginia
October 1622
Valerie bolted out of bed at the sound of the closing door. Finn’s footsteps creeping down the hall toward the stairs a few moments ago chased away the last remnants of sleep, so she threw on her dressing gown, pulled aside the curtain, and opened the window. She knew she should just let him go, but as a mother, she simply couldn’t. The sun was just rising above the treetops, long shafts of weak light dispelling the gloom of the bedroom. Valerie hoped that Finn wouldn’t turn around and catch her watching him. He wouldn’t like that. At sixteen, he fancied himself a grown man, and having his mother fuss over him was cause for an argument –- one they’d had many times.
Finn looked around stealthily before disappearing into the shed and re
-emerging a few minutes later with a bulging sack. He locked the shed behind him, slung the sack over his shoulder, and strode purposefully away from the house, melting into the still-dark woods. Valerie watched him until he disappeared from view, sighed, and turned from the window to find Alec watching her, his hands behind his head, hair fanned on the pillow.
“What’s troubling you, sweetheart? Why don’t you come back to bed and tell me about it?” Alec pulled the coverlet
aside in invitation, but Valerie crossed her arms and began pacing the room. “Is it Finn?” Alec sat up in bed, his amorous ideas forgotten for the moment.
“I
’m worried about him, Alec. He’s off again, and he took a large sack with him. I can only guess what’s in it -- skins and tobacco. I think he’s trading with the Indians. I saw him hiding a tomahawk in his room the other day. There is only one place he could’ve gotten that.” Valerie continued to pace in her agitation, oblivious to the haze of morning sunshine creeping into the shadowy recesses of the room. She briefly noticed that Alec’s eyes looked golden in the light, and that his hair had copper highlights from spending so much time outdoors, but she ignored her husband’s charms and continued with her tirade.
“
I cannot believe that he would trade with them after what happened barely six months ago. So many people massacred; crops burned. Just because we were spared doesn’t mean we’re safe. How can he be so naïve? What’s to keep them from killing him as well? He thinks that just because they share an interest in hunting that makes them friends.
He
’s sixteen, Alec. He should be interested in something other than hunting. If he were living in the twenty-first century, he’d be looking at colleges, choosing a career, and making plans for a life filled with choices and opportunities. What opportunities does he have here? What will he do with his life?” Valerie turned to Alec, daring him to answer her.
“Valerie, I realize you can’t help comparing this life to the life you’ve known, but Finn doesn’t miss something he’s not aware of. This is the only reality he understands.
Besides, he’s not trading with the Indians. He would have told me. Stop worrying. In time, he’ll marry and inherit the estate, becoming a landowner. The tobacco business is very lucrative, so I have every confidence that he will prosper and be able to provide for the family.”
Alec tried to sound reasonable, but Valerie wasn’t ready to capitulate.
She was too agitated. The March massacre was still fresh in everyone’s mind. Hundreds of people were butchered by the Indians; homes burned, crops destroyed. Many people would be struggling this winter, with not enough supplies to carry them through to spring. King James promised help and extra supplies, but would they get to the colonists in time? Valerie had been terrified when she heard of the slaughter. Many of the nearby settlements had been attacked, leaving Rosewood Manor miraculously untouched. The Indians never troubled them, since they were somewhat remote and kept to themselves, but other plantations had not been so lucky. People they knew had been killed, including two of the three Catholic families in the area.
“And who will he marry exactly? There is only one Catholic family
that we know of within miles of here, and Finn would rather marry a goat than Susan Selby.” She watched Alec, her foot tapping anxiously on the wooden floor.
“I can’t say I blame him. Given the choice, I’d probably opt for the goat myself, although a sheep might be more practical for intimate purposes.” Alec tried to stifle a grin, infuriating Valerie further.
“This is no laughing matter. We are talking about our son’s future.”
“I realize that, darling. Your stories of the future have captured my heart and fired my imagination, but despite all that, our life is here and now. I know it must be difficult for you to accept the limitations our children will be faced with, but there’s no other choice. There are many people who would give their
eye teeth to be in the position we’re in. We must be grateful for what the good Lord has seen fit to bestow on us. Now, come here and let me kiss that frown away. Being angry with me won’t help Finn avoid copulating with livestock.”
Valerie finally
exhausted herself and climbed into bed next to Alec, allowing him to pull her into his embrace, his intentions clear. A wail pierced the silence, eliciting another sigh from Valerie.
“I think that baby has only two sound settings –
- loud, and louder.” She snuggled next to Alec, grateful not to have a hungry newborn.
“You
’re worried they’ll leave, aren’t you?” Alec asked, kissing her brow. He knew his wife well enough to sense her fear.
Valerie nodded miserably. “They won’t go anywhere now, but come spring, I think Kit will want to go home. He
’s restless, Alec. I can see it in his eyes. By springtime, they would have been here nearly three years, and he misses home.” Valerie angrily wiped away the stray tear gliding down her cheek. The idea of losing Louisa again caused her indescribable pain.
“Valerie, Kit has estates
in England, and responsibilities. His nephew can’t be expected to see to Kit’s interests forever. Robin’s got his own life to lead. Isn’t he getting married soon?”
“Yes, and Caroline has been unwell. I know Kit worries that she might take a turn for the worse. She is his only sibling, and he misses her.” Valerie didn’t protest as Alec’s hand slid into her nightdress, cupping her breast. She was still upset, but he always knew how to make her feel better.
“Sweetheart, forget all that for now. No one is going anywhere for the time being, and it’s only England, not the moon. Ships sail back and forth all the time. Now come here.”
Alec flipped Valerie onto her stomach, pushing up her nightdress and spreading her legs
as he pinned her down with his own body. He held down her wrists as he entered her, moving slowly and deliberately, until she forgot her worries and began to move her hips in time with his. Sometimes she liked the feeling of being taken, rather than made love to. There was something deliciously primal about surrendering herself to a man and letting him have his way with her. Alec knew her well enough to recognize that by relinquishing control of her body, she was also relinquishing control of the situation that had been tormenting her. Sometimes life had its own plan, and it was wise to remember that, rather than attempting to fight the unstoppable march of destiny. Valerie shuddered beneath Alec as her body reached its climax. She sighed with pleasure as Alec rolled off her, satisfied. He kissed her shoulder and closed his eyes, signaling his refusal to get up and start the day.
Valerie pushed down her nightgown
and rolled over onto her back, her mind returning to the problems at hand. Alec was right. She was just winding herself up. Finn was very lucky for a boy of this time. He would inherit a profitable estate, which would ensure a comfortable life for himself and his family. And if Kit decided to return to England, Valerie would just have to go for an extended visit and enjoy all that England had to offer.
Another wail filled the house as Lady Evangeline Sheridan protested getting her clout changed, no doubt. For a one-month-old, she
certainly had very definite ideas of what she didn’t like.