The Hands of Time (20 page)

Alec found Bridget on the docks, cold and hungry, desperate for work.  She was an Irish Catholic, two things that made her an undesirable candidate for any position
,
save prostitution where no one cared about your religious beliefs
,
as long as you opened your legs and gave the pleasure you were paid for.  Bridget was around my age
,
with hair the color of fresh carrots
,
and blue eyes that were
merry despite all the hardship she’d suffered.  Her husband
was
a fisherman who drowned one day
,
not due to the elements
,
but to the drink he
’
d consumed while on the boat.  He simply fell overboard and went to his death
,
still senseless with gin.  Bridget had left her two girls with her mother
,
setting off in search of work.  She
’
d been on the road for the past few months doing odd jobs and sleeping rough
,
not having enough money to pay for a bed.  I was glad Alec took her in.  She
wouldn’t
have survived the winter.

Bridget learned the work very quickly
,
and went about her tasks singing quietly in that Irish lilt of hers.  I loved listening to her
,
and often asked her to sing to me while we sat sewing in the drawing room
after lunch
.  Bridget’s presence calmed me.  She was a no
-
nonsense girl with a lot of practical knowledge
,
born of being the eldest of eleven children and a mother of two.  I asked her questions about pregnancy and birth and she was happy to answer, although I thought she
withheld
some details for
f
ear of frightening me. 

Betty was wed right before All Hallows Eve
,
and we all went to the church to witness the ceremony
,
th
e
n had the bridal couple and Toby’s parents over for a wedding lunch.  Mr. and Mrs. Higgins kept to themselves
,
and wouldn
’
t meet my eye
,
given the fact that their daughter
t
ried to kill me.
The memory was still fresh in all our minds
and no one mentioned Nell, who as far as I knew
,
was working as a maid for a wealthy family in Truro
. 
I made attempts to make them feel
welcome
, but gave up after a time.  What did it matter?  This was actually the first time I
’
d met them and probably wouldn
’
t be seeing them again anytime soon unless I went to the farm to visit Betty,
which was unlikely.  Finn would
n
’
t like that.  Betty would still come to the castle several times a week to bring fresh milk, butter and eggs for Mrs. Dobbs, so I would see her then. 

             
Betty and Toby left earlier
,
going to the farm to begin their wedding night
,
while the Higgins
’
stayed behind to allow the newlyweds some
much
-
needed
privacy.  They were still downstairs having a drink with Finn and Alec after I made my excuses and went up to bed.  I was tired and longed to take off my corset and lie down.  I hoped Finlay would
come up soon and rub the tension from my back and
shoulders
.  He was leaving for London in the morning on some business
,
and I felt a little uneasy seeing the secretive look in his eyes
when he told me
.  What was he up to?  I tried to ask, but he simply laughed it off
,
telling me not to play the jealous wife.  He kissed and caressed me until I forgot what I was so concerned about
,
and
I
let the matter drop. 
He said he would only be gone about a week
,
and I knew the time would go by quickly with Bridget to keep me company.  She was the closest thing to a friend I had at the castle
,
and I was grateful to Alec for finding her.

Chapter
3
4

October turned into November
,
bringing with it a few sunny, mild days that I was eager to take advantage of before the snows of winter came.  I sat out in the garden soaking up the weak warmth of the sun
,
and savoring the aroma of the rose
blooms
that still clung stubbornly to their bushes, not ready to surrender to the coming cold.  The baby had begun to kick, first
lightly
, like the brush of butterfly wings
,
and then stronger and harder.  I was overcome with wonder every time I got a swift kick in the ribs
,
and talked to my belly whenever no one was around to hear.  I knew that Finn hoped for a boy, but I would be equally happy with
a girl
.  Having a little girl had always been a dream of mine
,
and I imagined brushing out her hair and dressing her in some elaborate gown that her uncle had brought her from town. 
I knew that once Finlay got over his
disappointment
,
he would love his daughter with all his heart.

Alec was away as well as Finlay, making arrangements for the coming winter.  The ships wouldn
’
t be sailing the Atlantic during the winter months
,
due to the storms and squalls that sank more ships than they spared. 
The crews would be paid and dismissed until
s
pring
,
when it was deemed safe to make the voyage once more
,
the
cargo
stored
in the warehouse
un
till then, preparing to load as soon as possible come March.  I wished that Finn would come back from London.  He
’
d been gone a week now
,
and I missed him
terribly.  Maybe he would be back tonight, in time to join me in bed
.  I longed to put his hands on my belly and watch his face as the baby
kicked,
surprising him.

The afternoon came and went, but there was no sign of anyone
. 
I ate a lonely supper
, then
settled in the drawing room to reread my book of poetry
,
not ready to go up to bed.  Bridget
sat
sewing in the corner, humming under her breath
,
and I was grateful for her company in the lonely castle.  If it wasn’t for her
,
I would be all alone and the thought frightened me.  She heard the hoofbeats before I did, raising her head and listening to the night.  I looked out of the window, seeing the light of the lantern move from the stable to the gate. 
Someone
galloped into the yard
,
and there was a brief exchange before the lantern moved back toward the stable
s
,
and the shadowy figure walked toward the castle.  I thought it was Alec, but couldn’t hear the voice clearly since the wind was blowing in the other direction, carrying the words with it toward the distant woods. 

I heard the door slam
,
the sound of boots taking the steps two at a time
,
and Alec appeared in the doorway.  I gasped when I saw him, but he didn’t seem to hear. 

“Leave us, now!” he said to Bridget, who scampered out of the room seeing the fury on Alec’s face.  His hair was wild
,
and his usually immaculate clothes were splattered with mud and dust.  I noticed the scrapes and dried blood on his knuckles
,
and my eyes went to the fresh bruises on his face, livid and crusted with blood.  Alec strode to the decanter and poured himself a full glass of brandy, tossing it down in one gulp and hurling the empty glass into the
flames.  The glass shattered, drops of brandy hissing on the flames as Alec stared into the fire with empty eyes. 

“Alec what is it?  What’s happened?”  I wanted to go to him, but I was suddenly afraid.  I’d never seen him look this way before.  He looked manic
and scared at the same time
,
and I hung back waiting for him to explain.  He dropped into a chair, covering his face with his bruised hands, his shoulders shaking. 
I put aside my fears and came up behind him, wrapping my arms
around
him and kissing the top of his head.

“Alec, please, tell me what’s wrong.”  His hands left his face to cover mine and he leaned back against my swollen belly, his cheeks still wet with tears.  He finally disentangled my arms and rose, turning to face me.  I could see that he was looking for the words to explain and I felt more scared with every passing moment.  I took his hand, looking up at him.  “Alec?”

“Valerie, I do
not
even know how to tell you this.  Sit down,
s
weeting.”  He paced in front of the fireplace, shadows playing on his face and flames reflected in his
anguished
eyes. 

“Two days ago
,
a plot had been uncovered to blow up Parliament when it reopened for Session.  The blast was meant to kill the King
,
as well as
all the
M
embers of Parliament
present.
  The conspirators hired premises beneath the building
,
and were apprehended storing kegs o
f
gunpowder
ready to be deployed at the appropriate time.
  It seems that someone had sent an anonymous letter alerting authorities to the danger.
”

I looked at Alec
,
not qui
te
understanding why he was so upset
,
or what
prompted
the fight he had obviously been in
.  I knew he didn’t want the King dead
despite his policies
,
or condone acts of violence, but why
such fierce emotion?  “Did they apprehend them?”  I asked
,
hoping to understand.

“They did.  All of them were hunted down and taken to the Tower to be questioned and tried.  Finlay was one of them, Valerie.”  I felt my heart plummet to the floor in shock and fear.  So that’s what he was doing when he went out in London
,
and then again this time.  No wonder he hadn’t come back. 
Oh Finn, what have you done
, I thought
,
as I wrapped my arms around myself trying to keep myself from falling to pieces.  Alec was at my side, pulling me into his arms and holding me hard enough to make me gasp for air.  “Valerie, we need to go to London tonight.  We
do not
have much time.  Tell Bridget to pack you a case.  We
will
leave within the hour.”

“So you think we can help him?”  I felt a surge of hope well up in my chest.  Alec obvious
ly
had a plan.  I looked up at him
for confirmation, but he just shook his head in denial
.  His eyes were full of pity at my
naiveté
.  “We
cannot
help him, but we can at least say goodbye.”

Chapter 3
5

The ride to London was almost silent
,
and I managed to do
z
e off a few times while Alec just sat there staring into space.  It took two full days to get there
,
and we only stopped for food and a few moments of privacy before setting out again with fresh horses.  Alec and Robbie took turns driving the carriage
,
giving each other a chance to rest.  I was exhausted and sore, but I kept quiet, my needs not being important right now. 

We finally entered the outskirts of London
,
and I thought wistfully of how happy I was only two months ago when I came this way with Finn.  The streets looked dark and sinister as the carriage made its way toward the dark silhouette of the Tower
, thick yellow fog filling every nook and cranny
,
making it almost impossible to see anything more than a few feet away
.  Alec wanted to stay as close as possible
,
and finally found a room in a small inn
,
located on a narrow street a few blocks
from the prison
.  I could
just make out the outline of
the fortress from the window
,
and it made me shiver with fear.