Well, folks, I thought that it was time we went back and visited Shepperton, so here goes...
Book Four, Chapter Three
The man listened for a while, but
could hear nothing but the waves crashing against the rocks. He then peered out
from his hiding place, and saw the people dragging the sailor away. He was
curious to find out who they were, and to see if there was anything that could
be useful, but did not want to go up and ask, for he did not want to be
seen. So, following at a safe
distance, noticed them turn in the direction of the town.
As he followed their lamp, he was not able to see clearly who it was
ahead, but he knew that this was important because of the light. The man had
seen it. He had seen the blue light that enveloped the stranger, had watched
from a distance as the light came closer to the shore. He had watched in
fascination, because years ago he had actually seen something very much like
this, when another ship had been lost, and then, too, there was a survivor, who
had turned out to be the earl of Derrymoor.
Thinking back to that time, which
was more than fifteen years ago, he had been a hunter and a trapper. So,
observing without being seen was second nature to him. And one day, while on
this very stretch of coastline, he had looked out toward the storm at sea, and
noticed that faint blue light. As the time passed, he noticed that the light
became fainter, and then went out shortly before the earl was washed ashore.
Tempted as he was to help, he noticed there were persons down at the shoreline
helping the earl, and took him with them into the village. So, he merely kept
watch, day after day. He noticed that the earl was being tended by the people
of the village, as well as a guardsman. Then he also saw her, that lovely
creature. No person that he had ever seen was as beautiful as she.
But those memories had been
burned away, or so he thought until he saw again that faint blue light.
Now, it seemed, there was nothing
to do but to follow.
Up ahead he noticed that they
turned in to one of the better houses in the village.
“So, this is where they be takin’
him, the house o’ the bailiff,” he thought. “Well, could be interestin’, but
who be the two young ‘uns?”
He watched as they took the
sailor inside. Then in a short while the two children came back out, and walked
down the way they had come, and then turned down another lane, carrying the
lantern between them. He followed at a safe distance, and noticed with a start
whose house it was where they stopped. It was the house of the Forest Guard!
“Hmm,” he thought, “this be quite
interestin’ if I do say. Simeon, indeed! I wonder what he knows, if aught.”
Then the man left the scene for
the moment, thinking to himself that things were going to get interesting again
very soon here in Champour.
“By the saints, where have you
two been?”
Surprisingly, there was only a
hint of worry in her voice this time.
“Oh, mama, we’ve been down to the
shore, where the man was. And Rupert went and got uncle Malcolm, and he’s now
at his house!”
“Well, enough, my little ones.
Why don’t you two come and sit down, and then tell me all about your evening
adventures. Then maybe you can go on back to bed.”
So they sat down, and told their
mother the tale, or enough of it that she could reasonably piece things
together.
“And you say that the man is now
at your uncle’s house? Well, I imagine that he’ll be safe there, as anywhere.”
The next day, the three children
and Peggy headed over to Malcolm’s house. The household was alive with
activity, with the scurrying of the maids, and the quiet intensity of the lady
of the house, who managed to keep everyone busy.
“Well, look who comes now. Peggy,
it’d be a good thing ye came, for I was just about to send for ye.” Sheila
said, as Peggy and her brood descended on her abode. “I imagine that ye’d like
to see what the children brought in last night, eh? Well come this way. We’ve
kept him in the spare room, where he could get some rest at least. Now
Malcolm’s gone off to work, but he wasn’t sure if he should tell anyone about
our newest arrival, at least not yet.”
Before Peggy could answer, Alex
took off at a run, and entered the spare room, down the hallway. As they caught
up to her, she could be seen at his side, with her arms draped around his neck.
“Oh, Mama, here is my man from
the sea. Isn’t he comely?”
“Now, Alex…”
And they all came into the room,
and saw. In the middle of the room
was a simple bed, with simple sheets. In the bed was a man, swarthy from the
seas. His gaze was far off, as though watching something in the distance. His
curly black hair, and his rough beard told of his youth, but there was the
sense of weight upon his shoulders, and there was about him a feeling of
resignation.
Peggy and the others came into
the room, and she approached rather timidly.
“Oh, sir, let me apologize for me
daughter. She knows no stranger.”
The man said nothing, simply
stared into the distance.
“D’ye speak English?”
He continued staring.
“Oh, Mama,” said Alex. “He does
understand ye. He just does not speak.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Oh, aye, Mama, it is.”
“And how do you know this?”
“When I sang to him, I could
tell, he understood.”
A subtle smile appeared on his
lips, and then vanished.
“Excuse my daughter, sir. For
she’s but a young thing, and she’s apt to say anything to anyone.”
He next moved slightly so that
Alex could reach around him more easily.
“D’ye want me to sing t’ye again?
All right, then, I’ll sing ye a song that I learned from me mama.”
And she sang, in that little girl
voice, of the fishes in the sea, the birds in the air, and the lambs on the land.
In response, the man closed his eyes in contentment, and seemed visibly to
relax.
When she was done with her song,
she turned to him and asked if he’d like anything to drink or to eat. The man
nodded, but said nothing.
So Sheila went off to the kitchen,
and soon she came back with one of the maids, who brought in a tray, laden with
fruit, bread, cheese, as well as cider. The servant laid down the tray in front
of the man, who ate and drank as though starving.
Peggy took Sheila aside, and
spoke to her in the hallway. The children stayed in the room, and watched as
the man ate and drank.
“Now, Sheila. He doesn’t seem
right to me. I think that he should see a physician, and there be none here,
but in the castle you have the best, in the clinic.”
“But, Peggy, just look at what
your daughter has done. She, at the very least understands him, and can seem to
communicate with him, which is more than we were able to do all night.”
“Oh, aye. I shall speak to her.
But I agree wi’ ye. He seems not to be right at all. Now if ye can arrange fer
to get a wagon and a horse, we could take him up to the castle. Now can he
walk?”
“That I know not, for he was
carried in here last night.”
“Very well, then. Now do ye think
that we should have Alex come along?”
“Oh, I think, absolutely she
should go along.”
They got a couple of servants,
who stood on either side of the man, and were able to get him to shuffle his
feet. He seemed weak, and barely able to walk, but with the servants’ help they
got him to the waiting cart. Then Alex got in beside him, as well as Peggy.
Sheila turned toward Peggy, and whispered, “Now mind ye, when ye get to the
castle, that ye ask after Clarice.” She then reached into her bag of coins,
handed Peggy a couple of pieces of silver. “This is for Clarice, I do know that
she needs it.”
“Very well, I shall seek her out,
and give her these.” Then Peggy kissed Sheila, and bade her farewell.
“Tell me how it goes with the
physician.”
“Oh, aye, I shall.”
With that the cart lurched
forward, and Peggy, Alexandra and the man were off toward Shepperton Castle.
Rupert stayed behind with Ian.
Soon the boys were back at it,
fishing from the pier. While they were fishing, they were approached by the man
who had seen them that night. They paid him no heed. For a while he just stood
on the pier next to them, looking out toward the horizon.
Eventually, the man spoke. “Now
ye be Simeon’s boys, is that not right?”
Rupert answered, “Oh, aye, that’s
me father, but this is me cousin, Ian. Now yer name is Master Gilbert. Am I
right?”
The man nodded. “Aye, that be me
name. But tell me lad, how d’ye know me?”
“Well, me father has spoken of
ye, and I’ve often seen ye about, always off by yerself. Now, me father says
that yer a guardian of the village. Is that right?”
“Aye, laddie. But tell me, who
was that stranger that ye brought out o’ the sea?”
“I know not, as he doesn’t speak.
But let me tell ye, he’s a man of some renown, that I can tell ye.”
“And just what makes ye say that,
if I might ask?”
“Well, the rings on his fingers,
the gold chain about his neck, and his clothes – they all tell of a man of some
importance, to my mind.”
“So, can ye tell me, where is he
now?”
“Oh, he be on the way to the
castle by now…”
“Aye, the castle, eh? Very well
lads. Ye have a fine day.”
And with that the man walked off,
quickly striding in the direction of the castle.
“Now what did ye tell him all
that fer?” asked Ian. But Rupert was paying him no mind, as he got another bite
on the end of his line.
Judy sat down in Melchior and
Jeanne’s home, in the small rooms next to the alchemist’s shop. Little Falma
was there as well, climbing about, and into everything. A busy two year old, he
was already showing signs to Judy of great potential.
Jeanne was busying herself, looking
after the household, but stopped after putting up the last of the dishes from
the evening meal.
“You know, Jeanne, I’m not an
invalid, and I could be helping you.”
“Ah, nay, m’lady. An invalid yer
not. I know. But, tell me, have ye but sat down today? E’en during the meal,
were ye not up serving, helping, and playing with young Falma, while we do have
servants to do that? Nay, m’lady, I would suggest that ye but sit, and enjoy a
moment’s peace.”
Judy noticed that it felt really
good to be sitting down. Her day had been hectic, and now, with the men off,
conferring with Craycroft, she was again in familiar territory. Sitting down
with her friend, Jeanne, in her home. Her pregnant belly suddenly seemed to
relax as well, and she could feel the baby starting to move about. She reclined
a bit, and noticed her swollen abdomen, noticed the baby doing what felt like
summersaults. She just chuckled at that. A fragrant breeze blew into the room,
and they could all feel its peace.
Then there came a knocking at the
door. Instantly the two women sensed a voice from the past, and it was Jeanne
who answered the summons. There was a page at the door, and it was obvious that
he was out of breath from running.
“Heavens, do come in, m’lad, and
tell us what it is that sends ye to us in such a state.”
“Very well, m’lady. It is Master
Robert, he says to send for the lady Judy, and to come anon to the clinic. It
be a matter of some urgency.”
Judy was startled. Rarely did Bob
call for her, and never with such a tone of emergency.
“Well, now, lad, it certainly
sounds like he needs me there. Let me just get up, and I’ll go with you. And
Jeanne, why don’t you stay here with little Falma…”
“Oh, nonsense, I shall come as
well. I’ll just call one of the servants to but watch over him. Oh, Clarice!
Clarice, could ye but come?”
From the back rooms Clarice
hobbled out into the sitting room.
“Aye, m’lady. What d’ye wish?”
“Ah, Clarice, if ye could watch
over Falma. M’lady and I are needed at the clinic this very hour.”
“Oh, aye, m’lady. I shall watch
him, and put him to bed if ye be late.”
Judy could not help but notice
that Clarice seemed to be having some trouble. Her stooped posture, and her
limp were rather pronounced. She thought back to her training as a nurse, and
she seemed to half remember something, which she could not quite bring to the
forefront of memory.
As the two women followed the
page out the door, Judy kept trying to remember something. Jeanne noticed that
far away look in her eyes.
“What is it, m’lady? Something is
troubling ye.”
“Well, it’s hard to put into
words, Jeanne. There’s something about the urgency of this call, and something
about Clarice, and something far off in my memory. I just can’t seem to put it
all together.”
“Ah, I too, sense something is amiss,
m’lady.”
Then rather abruptly the wind
shifted, and blew hard from the north. It was a cold wind, and it told of a
storm about to blow.
Fantastic, the way you tell a story it is like being there :) well worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteIn a way, Alex, you are there!
ReplyDelete