‘There are few men with money to buy half a ship, my friend,’ he said to Zander, ‘except the three powerful traders who expect to own a man’s life and soul, as well as all the profits. We did well to unload our cargo in London, well away from the markets they try to control. I was looking forward to our next journey together.’
‘I have a more precious cargo awaiting my return,’ Zander said with a grin.
‘A woman! It has to be a woman to make your blue eyes sparkle like that,’ Captain Murray groaned. ‘What else could tempt a man like you to give up a life of adventure almost before it has begun. Why is she so special, this temptress?’
‘She was the wife of my cousin, at least in name, but I wanted her from the moment I set eyes on her.’
‘Yet you left her behind?’
‘Her husband was a good man. I needed to get far away to avoid temptation. As you know I hadn’t intended to return for some years. Fate guided my footsteps.’
‘’Twas more like the wind drove us to England,’ Murray said drily.
‘I learned that Isabella is a widow and she loves me as I love her.’
‘So now you sell your share in our ship to keep a wife.’
‘Yes. She is under my uncle’s protection. I may need all the money I can raise if I need to fight him for her.’ Zander’s mouth tightened and his blue eyes glittered. ‘I want to be with her night and day. I need to be there to protect her when I make her my wife.’
‘Humph, it will not be easy to find a trustworthy man who can bargain like you and with enough money to buy your share.’ The captain pushed back his hat and rubbed his brow. ‘I promised my nephew, Karel Gersen, he could sail with us on our next voyage to the east. He would have made the best partner to take your place, my friend, but he is young and he has yet to make his fortune.’
‘Gersen? Is that your widowed sister’s son? You talked of him often.’
‘He is like a son to me. He and my sister are all the family I have left.’
‘I see,’ Zander said slowly. Captain Murray had taken him to visit his sister before they sailed for the east. She had made them welcome and fed them well. Her house had been the finest Zander had ever seen, with fine wood furniture gleaming in the lamplight and curtains and cushions of silk. There were even painted pictures hung on the walls in scrolled gilt frames. Zander remembered how much he had longed to describe such things to Isabella.
‘I remember your nephew,’ he said. ‘He had been working all day unloading a large cargo and checking it into the warehouse.’
‘He has had good experience in that side of things. The owner is a formidable man, with wide influence, but Karel is good at his job. He has…’ he tapped his temple, ‘he has a good memory and he thinks for himself.’
‘I understand,’ Zander said. ‘The owner will not want to lose him. You think he could not raise the money to buy my share in the ship? Or even half of it?’
‘Half of it?’ The captain eyed him shrewdly.’ You would sell a part of your share if he could borrow the money from his mother?’ He frowned thoughtfully. ‘You would be content to sell a quarter of the ship and own a quarter?’
‘Something like that,’ Zander replied cautiously. ‘Perhaps for a time, until your nephew could repay his mother and make his own fortune to buy the rest of my share.’ It was not something he had considered but it was the best suggestion either of them had conceived so far. ‘There would be conditions though…’ Zander added. ‘I should need the profit from a quarter of the cargo too, and you might not like the cargo I suggest. It is one which might make money for your nephew in the future.’
‘Now you talk in riddles,’ Captain Murray sighed. ‘Give me twenty four hours to talk with Margarita and Karl. If they can raise the money we will talk again, eh?’
Captain Murray was back before nightfall of the next day to invite Zander to his sister’s house.
‘Margarita invites you to eat with us tonight, and to stay overnight. I warn you my friend, she is a shrewd woman and protective of her only son, both his safety and his fortune. She wants time to consider and to ask questions.’ Zander was pleased to accept. He looked forward to seeing the home of the Gersens again. He would ask Margarita’s advice on materials and anything else she could recommend him to take back for Isabella to furnish the home he planned to share with her. He knew he was as possessive by nature as the man who had sired him. Almost the only thing they did not share was their name. Always Zander felt a bitterness in his heart when he considered he had been robbed of his true status.
That evening they ate at a polished wooden table, quite different from the pine trestle back at Moyenstane Tower. On it stood two gold coloured stands holding several candles in each and the flickering flames gleamed in the shining surface of the table. They also had silver spoons and porcelain plates, instead of the metal or wooden platters they used back home. Although his hostess was small in stature and a little plump she was beautifully dressed in a gown of blue silk overlaid by a bodice and skirt richly embroidered in gold thread. Her head dress was also embroidered in gold and it almost covered her thick fair hair. She had a gracious manner and still retained a slightly Scottish accent although she had lived in Holland since she was a young bride of seventeen.
‘We shall eat first and then retire to discuss business,’ she said firmly, with a quelling glance at her son, Karel. The young man was impatient to get on with discussions but he bowed his head in acquiescence and gave a slight smile towards Zander. He was a handsome looking young man with his mother’s fair skin and blue twinkling eyes, but he had the same reddish gold hair as his uncle. There were only the four of them at the table but several servants were on hand to keep the dishes filled with a plentiful supply of stew containing tender lamb and vegetables. Zander had never seen bread so light in colour it was almost white, a sign that only the very best wheaten flour had been used. There was a plentiful supply of fresh fruits, as well as cheese and sweetmeats and a very fine brandy. Zander drank sparingly though. Although he trusted his friend, he knew he must keep all his wits about him if he wanted to complete a deal for the sale of the ship and get back to Isabella. He needed a sharp mind to negotiate some of the profits from cargoes if he left part of his fortune in the venture.
After the meal they retired to another room. The door was firmly closed and the servants instructed not to disturb them until Mistress Gersen rang for refreshments. Zander has not seen this room on his last visit and the furnishings almost took his breath away. The windows were much wider than any he had seen before and they were covered now by long curtains in dark blue velvet. There were several chairs with fixed cushions upholstered to the polished wooden frames, something else Zander had not seen before. Various treasures were displayed on small tables around the room.
‘If we reach an agreement you will not be carrying home the sort of cargo your sister will welcome as gifts for display,’ he said wryly.
‘My main concern will be the safe return of Karel,’ Margarita Gersen said crisply. ‘He is my greatest treasure. He has good employment handling and dispatching cargos. I wish he did not want to go to sea, but his father and grandfather were sea captains. It is in his blood. If he must go I would prefer that he went with a captain I can trust.’ She smiled warmly at her brother. Murray winked at Zander and replenished their brandy. Zander picked up his glass and held it to the candle light, admiring the workmanship.
‘I would like to take back some glasses like these as a gift,’ he said.
‘Karel will help you find them,’ Margarita said at once. ‘He knows all the traders who bring things into the Netherlands as well as the things they take out.’
‘His contacts may be a help to us,’ his uncle mused, ‘if you can agree a deal to buy a quarter of the ship.’
‘I think Karel will be able to find the money to buy half of your share in my brother’s ship,’ Margarita said slowly. They fell to discussing the value of the ship plus the money to cover maintenance whi
ch Captain Murray and Zander had agreed must be set aside from the beginning of their partnership. Zander soon realised all this had been discussed within the family but the subsequent offer was more generous than he had expected.
Before he agreed however he said firmly, ‘If I am still to own a quarter of the ship I would like to have some say in the cargoes she carries, and her destination. We were fortunate on our last voyage. We did not get blown too far off course, nor were we becalmed too long through lack of wind.’
‘Aah yes, you mentioned a mysterious cargo,’ Captain Murray said. ‘If it is your Scottish wool you are thinking of I would be happy to handle it. It is in great demand in France, and in Germany, but it would not be enough to keep us busy all year…’
‘But that would be much better than sailing round Africa with all the risks of a long sea voyage to India or China,’ Margarita interrupted eagerly, looking from her son to Zander.
‘Wool was not the only cargo I had in mind,’ Zander said. He turned to Captain Murray. ‘Have you seen the shiny black rock they call coal? It is found in the ground in parts of Scotland and the North of England, and maybe other places too, but for our trade we need it near a northern port. I’m told it is good for use with iron working and in demand in Germany and here in the Netherlands, also in Italy.’
‘Yes, that is true,’ Karel agreed, sitting up straight, very alert. ‘I have not seen many cargoes yet, and the company I work for has never handled it, but ships belonging to Mr Bockholt and Mr Opperman have come into port loaded with it.’
‘If old Opperman considers it is worth carrying across the North Sea there must be money to be made,’ John Murray said.
‘And you would not be away so long each voyage,’ Margarita said, her eyes pleading with her brother. He knew how much she dreaded Karel being away at sea and not seeing him for months, even years, but it was what his nephew longed to do and neither of them could hold him back for ever.
‘It could be worth trying,’ he said at last. ‘But I also have a condition, Zander. If we are to try something so new I would ask that you make the first journey with us, help us find and bargain for this coal, and sail with us to Germany or France until we see how it will sell.’
‘I see…’ Zander frowned. He longed to return to Moyenstane Tower and Isabella, although he knew she would not expect him to return until the spring. ‘I suppose I could do that,’ he agreed reluctantly, ‘but when I have found contacts in Newcastle and delivered the first cargo, I must leave you both to deal with the cargoes.’
‘That would be all right, wouldn’t it, Uncle?’ Karel said eagerly. ‘When we land in England I could mingle with the other drunken sailors and listen and ask questions to find out where they sell their cargoes.
‘Drunken sailors…’
‘It’s all right, Mama,’ Karel grinned. ‘I shall only pretend to be drunk, or stupid, or whatever it takes to gain knowledge.’ His eyes sparkled at the thought of the adventures ahead.
‘I think you’ll find the life a lot harder than you think, my boy,’ his uncle warned.
‘At least there will be some excitement, and who knows?’ he added with a grin at his mother, ‘I may be like my father and find the prettiest girl in port for my wife.’
‘Don’t talk nonsense,’ his mother said, but she blushed prettily.
Zander knew he would not have as large a fortune as he had expected, but he still owned a quarter of the ship and both Captain Murray and his nephew were happy with the arrangement. He was convinced he could trust them to deal fairly in his absence and he would still have a small income if he and Isabella were forced to leave Moyenstane Tower. His heart sank at the prospect of leaving the land of his birth and all his friends, but Isabella and their children meant more to him than anything else in the world. Sir William would lose too if he let his stubborn pride drive them away.
Meanwhile he negotiated directly with two of the owners of coalmines instead of going through merchants. Captain Murray was pleased with the deals.
‘I wish we could persuade you to stay with us, my friend,’ he said with a sigh. ‘Your handsome face and youthful charm struck the deal for the second cargo.’
‘It was a fair bargain,’ Zander protested, laughing.
‘Maybe, but it was the wife who favoured us. She is hoping to see you again, I think.’
‘It is young Karel you’ll need to watch,’ Zander chuckled. ‘The first merchant had a very pretty daughter.’ His face sobered. ‘He made a good job as a drunken sailor. He’s young but he’s shrewd. He has discovered all we needed to know about our destination to sell the cargo.’ He sighed. ‘I suppose you still want me to accompany you to Germany and France, instead of returning to claim my wife?’
‘We would benefit from your skills for our first trip, Zander,’ Captain Murray said seriously. He prided himself on being first class as ship’s captain but Zander had a clear head and a fair mind when it came to buying and selling. He seemed to have an inborn charm too, which both men and women found pleasing. ‘Never mind, my friend, your lovely Isabella will forgive your delay when she sees all the pretty trinkets and materials Margarita is buying for you to take back to her. You will need to hire six donkeys to carry it all.’ He chuckled and slapped Zander on the back.
Sixteen
In spite of Father Barron’s company Isabella had found the long dark days of winter dragging slowly. She yearned for Zander’s return and the feel of his arms around her. In her room at the top of the tower she had asked Duncan to help her move her heavy clothes chest so that it stood in front of the oak panel hiding the entrance to the secret tunnel. She was convinced Sir William must know about it even though Zander had told her Henry had found the entrance by chance while searching for birds’ nests. He said the steps were worn and the passage very narrow. She tried to believe Sir William would be unable to squeeze his broad figure along the last few yards but her tension increased when Sir William asked twice more if she would be his wife.
She knew her father-in-law believed Father Barron had too much influence on her and the children but she was genuinely sorry when he decided it was time to leave.
‘The weather does seem set to improve this time so I must make plans to return to the monastery,’ he said towards the end of March.
‘It’s about time too,’ Sir William said abruptly.
‘Did the stranger bring word you are needed back at the monastery?’ Isabella asked.
‘No. I believe the letter he brought was for Walter Nixon and his wife.’
‘Who was this stranger and why did the man not come to me if he brought a letter?’ Sir William demanded. ‘Where is he now?’
‘He was merely passing through.’ Father Barron knew the stranger had spent the night at Walter’s house and that he had left this morning at dawn but he kept the information to himself. Walter had waylaid him to ask if he would postpone his own departure for five more days.
Two nights later Isabella was wakened by scratching behind the wooden panel.
The night was still dark. She sat up, her heart thumping with fear. Was it her father-in-law? She lit her candle stub. There was more fumbling. Someone was trying to get into her room.
‘Who – who is there?’ she called in a hoarse whisper.
‘Isabella? It is me – Zander. I can’t open the panel. What the…’
‘Zander! Oh Zander, can it really be you?’
‘Are you expecting someone else?’
‘Yes. No. I can’t believe it’s really you?’
‘It is, if only I could…’
‘Wait! My clothes chest is against the wall. She tried to move the heavy box, first barely an inch at one end and then at the other, almost sobbing with frustration, but it was enough to let the panel slide open. Zanders stepped out onto the chest, and almost danced from it into the room, grinning triumphantly as he seized Isabella’s trembling figure in his arms, lifting her up to hold her close to his heart. Many breathless kisses later he asked. ‘Wh
y did you move the chest? Didn’t you want me to visit , my love?’
‘Duncan helped me move it. I-I was afraid Sir William might c-come to me.’
‘Aah, dearest Isabella, even if he knows of the tunnel he could never squeeze through there.’ He held her away from him to look into her face, his eyes no longer laughing. ‘Has he …?’
‘He has asked me to b-be his wife. Three times.’
‘Ah, I knew he wanted you for himself. So, I was right to return in secret. Only Walter and Anna know I am here. Is Father Barron still here?’ he asked urgently.
‘Yes. He had intended to leave a few days ago but he changed his mind.’
‘That’s good. Will you marry me Isabella? Tomorrow? If you agree we shall ask him to marry us in the village church. The local priest is old now and dependent on Sir William, but Father Barron is not afraid of him, nor dependent on him for his daily bread. Only Walter and Anna will know of our plans. Once we are married in the eyes of God, and the world, even Sir William can never come between us.’
‘Oh Zander I can’t believe you’re really here, or that we shall soon be together. I’ve missed you so much.’
‘As I have missed you, my love. Tomorrow we shall be married. Must I wait until then to make you mine?’ His voice throbbed with passion.
‘Oh Zander,’ she whispered. ‘I love you so much.’ He lifted her in his arms and laid her gently on the bed.
‘You will always belong to me, and only me, from this night on,’ he said hoarsely.
Zander left Isabella before dawn so that he could get to Walter’s house unseen, but he promised to meet her at the church in the village with Father Barron. Isabella could not hide her happiness. It showed in her bright eyes and the smile hovering constantly on her lips. Sir William noticed a new spring in her step. Lizzie raised her brows in question.
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