Surrender the Wind (7 page)

“Bring tea, Winkle, and bread and cheese.”

Banes wore an old burgundy dressing gown over a linen shirt and breeches. Upon his head, he wore a cap with a gold tassel that dangled from the top.

“Winkle says you claim to be Seth Braxton.”

“I am he, Mr. Banes. I’m sorry to disturb you, but you asked that I see you straightaway upon my arrival.”

“Have you proof of your identity?”

From his breast pocket, Seth retrieved a letter and handed it over. Banes put on his spectacles and took it in hand. He moved to inspect it in the light and nodded.

“Yes, this is the letter I sent. But anyone could come by it.”

“I’ve another addressed to you from Mr. Stowefield, since you are in doubt.”

Banes glanced over the missive from his colleague. He raised his brows and folded the note. “I believe you are who you say you are.”

“It took some convincing to get me here, Mr. Banes. As you probably know, my grandfather and I were not on the best of terms.”

“I know something of it.”

Slices of brown bread and a hunk of good English cheese were brought in. Banes poured Seth a mug of ale and handed it to him. Seth lifted the mug and drank. The ale tasted bitter and he set it aside.

“Ten Width is a few miles from here?”

“Five and one-half, I believe. Possibly more. I’ve never taken the time to notice.” Banes dug his knife into the cheese.

Seth picked up his hat to leave. “I’ll not intrude upon you any longer. You can find me at Ten Width if you should need to speak to me.”

“I’ll see to it you have a mount. Take this note of introduction with you.” Banes scratched a line across a sheet of paper.

A light smile moved from a corner of Seth's mouth. He took the note and tucked it inside his waistcoat pocket. “I’m used to living rough, sir. I can walk.”

“A horse will get you there in better time. Will you be settling here for good?”

“I have land of my own in Virginia.”

“I hear it is a swampy place, full of a rabble of veterans of your revolution.”

“Veterans, yes. You’ve been misinformed as far as rabble.”

“Perhaps. The question is how you’ll convince Englishmen otherwise.” Banes rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and sloshed his bread through the butter. “Thousands of loyalists left America to resettle in Britain. Have you heard that Sir William Hershel discovered a new planet? He named it Georgium Sidus, meaning George's Star in honor of our king.”

“The ancients also named the stars, Mr. Banes. But they did it for God's glory and not for the glory of any earthly king. I’m sure King George is pleased, though, and doesn’t flaunt the honor.”

Seth was not surprised at the reaction to his comment, the frown, the rapid blink of the eyes, and the hard setting of the lips.

“A comment I would expect from a revolutionary.” Banes tossed his bread down on the plate. He stood and tightened the sash of his dressing gown. He tugged on the bell cord and within a moment, Winkle appeared in the doorway. “Winkle,
be a good woman and go around the back to Finley. Tell him to bring my horse for this gentleman.”

Winkle dipped and went her way, the gloom of the hallway swallowing her up in its dark cavernous hole. Banes shuffled out into the hallway. “Take care of footpads along the road. Have you a pistol?”

“I do, sir.”

“Good. Stay to the high road and you’ll have no problems.” Banes stepped out into his narrow hallway and turned back to Seth. “I must warn you that a fever has spread through the county. Keep your loved ones safe at Ten Width, for I hear it is a strong contagion.”

He ushered Seth to the front door and closed it as soon as Seth stepped foot outside. It had been a cool meeting, but Seth put it behind him. He mounted the horse and it sighed under him. The man, Finley, stood back and stared at Seth. He brushed his hands over his shirt and walked off. Seth kicked the horse's sides and it cantered down the road, one side lined with stately trees, the other open to the sea below. The breeze strengthened, churned up the dry leaves scattered over the ground, and rustled the bracken that grew alongside the road.

Near his destination, with less than a mile left to go, Seth slowed his mount and reined in atop a hill. The horse shook its hairy mane, snorted, and flicked its ears. It paced uneasily, and Seth tried to soothe it with a touch of his hand, roping the reins around his fist.

Through the gloom, he could see the great old house, standing on the opposite hillside. Tall poplars grew to the left and cast long spiky shadows across the lawn as the breeze twisted and turned their waxy leaves. So this was it, the ancestral home of the Braxtons. If it were not for Caroline, he would not have come. He would have let this place rot.

Seth nudged the horse on. Outside the gates, he brought it to a halt. Wind whispered forlornly through the trees. The horse paced, turned round, and with a click of his tongue, Seth moved it slowly down the drive. When he reached the door, he dismounted, looped the reins over the post, and glanced over brick and mortar, ivy and window.

He scraped the mud off his boots along the stone step and climbed it. No one greeted him as he had hoped, and he had no key.

He drew in a long breath, raised his fist, and knocked upon the door.

I
n those moments when Seth rode toward Ten Width, Juleah sat at Caroline's sickbed. She rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand, sighed, and pushed back the tendrils of hair that had fallen over her face. Normally, it was fixed in a mass of long tresses that hung about her throat and down the nape of her neck. Tonight her hair hung loose along her back, dark as the chestnuts in the bowl near the fire.

She bit her lower lip. Would Seth Braxton ever come to Ten Width? Caroline told her what she remembered of him, that he was everything good and amiable. After Caroline had written to Seth, Juleah advised patience. Caroline needed her brother, yet Juleah had a certain aversion toward a man who had taken up arms against England and killed her countrymen on the battlefield. What kind of subversive attitudes would he bring? Would not the gentry snub Caroline for having such a relation? Were not all Americans wild and ill-mannered?

Caroline refused to believe anything other than Seth being a kinsman who would redeem their legacy. And so, Juleah refused to say anything that would dampen her friend's vision of her estranged brother. Tucked up in bed, Caroline moaned
and Juleah turned back to soothe her. She lifted the cool rag off the girl's forehead and with the back of her hand touched her skin. The fever had broken.

Caroline gazed up at Juleah with misty eyes. “Will you bring my son to me?”

Juleah brushed back Caroline's hair. “Yes, soon.”

The bedchamber door opened. Candlelight shot across the floor, over the fawn counterpane. Claire crept up to Juleah and motioned her aside. “Mave Proctor waits to speak to you.”

“Did she say why?” Juleah moved with her to the door and out into the hall. Claire replied by the direction of her eyes. In the dim light stood an older woman.

Mave stepped forward and grazed her hands across the front of her outdated frock.

“Miss Juleah, I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I came as quickly as my old limbs could carry me. The child has died. Hetty said she woke this morning and he was burning up, died in her arms.”

Blood rushed cold from Juleah's face and sank to her soles. Her chest tightened. Her throat constricted. “How could this be? He should have been safe there by the sea.”

Mave bit her lower lip. “You would think so. Hetty is beside herself. Mind, she is not to blame.”

“It's unbelievable.” Juleah's eyes filled. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob. “Poor Nathaniel.” She took in a ragged breath. “Poor Caroline.” Rallying her wits, she reached out and took hold of Mave's sleeve. “Why did you not come and tell me he was sick? Why did you wait?”

Mave let out a squawk. “I didn’t. I came to Ten Width after I got word from Hetty Shanks. Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise. Miss Caroline's young and to have lost her husband would’ve made bringing up a child hard.”

Shocked by such icy words, Juleah let go of Mave. “To have lost both husband and child is harder.”

“They’ve taken the young master to the church. He’ll be taken care of proper and put beside his grandfather. When Miss Caroline is better, she can go there, but for now she should stay put, being so sick.”

“You’re not lying, are you?” Juleah desperately wanted to hear a different truth.

Mave's mouth fell open and her brows arched. “I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“You swear?”

“On my late husband's grave and the Bible.”

“Where is Hetty? Why didn’t she come and tell us instead of you?”

Mave lifted her chin. “Does it matter?” She then held out a grimy hand, nails yellow with ridges, skin thin and blue with age.

Juleah stared down at the fingers that wiggled greedily. “You want money?”

Mave placed her hands upon her ample hips. “I had to trek all the way out here risking life and limb in the glooming to bring the news. Hetty was too afraid to risk the dark. A farmer was good enough to give me a lift in his wagon. I got to give him something for his good deed, now don’t I?”

Juleah took the black satin ribbon from around her throat and handed it to Mave. “Is that enough?”

Beneath the glare of candlelight, Mave examined the ivory cameo attached to it. “It’ll do.” Then she slipped away down the servants’ staircase.

Heartbroken, Juleah leaned against the wall and wept. The sound of a rider coming down the lane toward the house caused her to hurry to the window. Had Dr. Yates returned? She drew
back the heavy drape and searched the road. Darkness cloaked the rider.

“Whoever is it now?” said Claire, as she stepped out into the hall. “I’ll slap the bolt across the door. He’ll soon weary of his knocking.”

Juleah glanced up at the moon. Its light touched her face, softened the contour of her mouth, and widened her pupils in the glass. “You best answer. It may be Yates.”

“I doubt that, Miss Juleah. He told me he would not be back.”

Juleah let the edge of the drape fall. “What if it's your new master? You wouldn’t want him angry with you.”

Claire's eyes widened and the thin line of her mouth parted. “I hadn’t thought of that.” She hurried away, down to the door.

Juleah turned back inside Caroline's bedchamber. She left the door open and listened to the echo of the rider's knock. Settling down at the edge of the bed, Juleah picked up Caroline's hand and squeezed it.

“I have something to tell you,” she said. “You must promise to be strong.”

Caroline stared up at her with eyes full with fear.

After waiting some time, Seth lifted his fist again but did not strike, for someone pulled on the handle. The heavy oak door opened and a pair of brown eyes peered out.

“What is it you want, sir?” When Claire moved closer under the glare of candlelight coming from a sconce on the wall, caution flickered in her eyes. He drew off his hat and stepped forward.

“Is Caroline Braxton at home?”

Claire knit her brows. “Yes, sir. But she ain’t takin’ any visitors.”

Claire's beau, Will, hurried around the side of the house to take the saddled horse. At first he set down the lantern he carried. By its light, Seth saw how young Will was. He had to be no more than nineteen.

“Open the door and let the gentleman in, Claire. Can’t you see who stands on the threshold?”

“No, I can’t see, Will.” She shook her head at him and pursed her lips. “Don’t order me about, neither. I ain’t your wife. And until I am, I’ll …”

Despite her reproof, Will smiled. “He's Seth Braxton. Let him in, Claire. He's the new master and wishes to see his sister.”

Claire blinked her eyes at Seth and let out a slow breath. “Beg your pardon, sir.” With a curtsey, she moved back to allow him entrance.

Seeing her embarrassment by the blush upon her cheeks, Seth handed her his hat and gently smiled. “It's all right, Claire. How were you to know?”

She glanced down at the mud on Seth's boots. “You must be tired and hungry, sir, after riding long.”

“Yes. Didn’t the household receive word I was coming? I sent two letters.”

Claire shook her head. “No letters came into my hand, sir. They always do, and I give them to my mistress.”

“Is there no one else who would have come by them?”

“No, sir, but not to worry. I’ll tell Miss Caroline you’re here.”

“You have my thanks, Claire or soon to be Mrs.—?”

She lowered her brown eyes. “Just Claire, sir.”

“Well, Claire. You’ll have to show me many things here, you and Will.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get your room ready right away, and bring you supper.”

“Please tell my sister I’m here first.”

Claire stepped forward. “Yes, sir. If you go into the library, there's a good fire to warm you.”

“I’ll wait here,” he said, disturbed by the look of worry in Claire's eyes.

Claire nodded and left him to stand in the foyer. Seth pulled off his gloves. Uneasy and alone for the first time in his grandfather's house, a strange sense came over him, as if many pairs of eyes from the past watched him.