At the end of the week, Mary Margaret sat in the courtroom with Max. Hazel was there, and observing her, Mary Margaret was surprised at how the woman had aged. Max held Mary Margaret’s hand when the sentence was read. Andy was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. A gasp escaped Mary Margaret’s lips. Hazel shrieked in shock, immediately grabbing the solicitor’s coat. He turned toward her with a defeated look on his face.
When she left the courtroom, Mary Margaret was filled with strange emotions. She thought that she would find closure, but it didn’t happen. Charles was still dead and James was still missing; nothing had changed except her sister would finally be free. In a way, she was disappointed with the lack of satisfaction she got from the trial.
She visited Elana and found it very difficult to stay silent. The solicitor had given strict instructions not to say anything to Elana and she was going to do whatever she had to. She wanted Elana out of this horrible place, at any cost. They chatted about the jail, Elana’s work and the manor sitting empty. Mary Margaret had to try very hard not to say anything to her sister about her being released, but she managed to restrain herself. Time seemed to stand still as they waited for the solicitor to make the final arrangements. Mary Margaret was upset when she learned the Governor of the prison was insisting on a fee to release Elana. The solicitor explained that it was common practice for prison Governors to be paid before releasing prisoners.
Now she had to figure out where the money would come from. Max assured her that he would help her raise the money and sold two of his best mares immediately. Mary Margaret was very grateful. “We will repay you, Max. You have been a Godsend to both of us.” Between the two of them they managed to raise the money needed, but the process was very slow.
Max visited when the next visiting day came, and he too had difficulty not telling Elana about her pending release.
“That was torture, Mary Margaret. The poor woman is telling me about the horrible job she has, her hands are all calloused and swollen and I couldn’t tell her it would be just a few more weeks and she would be free.” Max had trouble with deceit, but in this case it was for the best. If Elana had her hopes raised and then something happened and she was not released, it would kill her.
It took most of the money that Mary Margaret had left and three more months, but Mr. Hanson visited the cottage and informed Mary Margaret that Elana’s case had received the final order, and she could be released from prison. “Dear God in heaven, thank you.” Mary Margaret fell to the floor and thanked God.
“I will go to the prison tomorrow. You can meet us there and bring your sister home.” Mary Margaret thanked Mr. Hanson and went to tell Max. He was overjoyed.
Elana was in her cell when the guard came to get her. “The prison Governor wants to see you.” Elana was frightened. Had she done something wrong? She had managed to get through the past five years without a trip to the crank or the treadmill. She followed the guard hesitantly.
Stepping into the tiny office, she noted the warden was sitting at his desk with several papers in his hand. She waited silently, every part of her body trembling with fear.
“Elana Madison Dryfess?” The warden looked up over the top of his spectacles.
“Yes, Sir.” She stood hands together in front of him, her head down. She was shaking.
“You have been pardoned. You will be released tomorrow morning at eight o’clock. Be ready to go.” That was it. He dismissed her. She didn’t move. He repeated impatiently, “You may go.” She was trying to understand what he had said. She was being released?
“Did you hear me, woman? You are being released! Now go back to your cell and pack your personal belongings.” Elana turned, sucked in her breath and walked in disbelief, back to her cell for the last time. She could not believe it was true. The entire thing was surreal. That night she lay in her hammock and thought of Daniel far away in some foreign land. I am going to be free Daniel, at long last. I am going to be free. She didn’t know how or why, but she knew she was ready to leave.
The next morning, Mr. Hanson came to escort her from the building. They stood in her cell as he explained what had taken place over the past few months. Elana was angry at first that no one had told her, but Mr. Hanson assured her it was under his strict orders that they remained silent. Elana knew that it must have taken every penny her sister had left and she was very grateful to Mary Margaret. He opened the door and she stepped out into the corridor clutching her bag of worldly possessions to her chest. It felt strange. Walking out of the prison, one door at a time, she tried to believe it was really happening. She was free, after five long years. She was dressed in the clothes that she wore when she arrived years earlier, but they hung loosely on her now thinner frame. As Mr. Hanson opened the final door to the outside, she turned back. She had spent five years of her life in this horrible place. She never wanted to see it again. Never again will I take my freedom for granted.
Straightening her back, she walked out into the world, feeling free at last. Elana looked at the blue sky and laughed out loud. She squinted her eyes, staring at the sun. Even after she looked away from the sun, the warmth pulled her in and embraced her. She felt comforted, as if the sun were a huge blanket. She had missed the hours in the sun for so long.
Mary Margaret and Max were waiting for her in the carriage. Climbing in, she smiled at them. All the way back to the cottage, she held her sister tightly and cried. She cried for her freedom. She cried for her mother who was gone and she cried for all the years she had lost. Max was upset to see the two women crying, but he was very thankful that Elana was free.
Back in the cottage, she looked around thinking how long it had been since she was home. She and Daniel had spent their last few days here together. Now she just wanted him home with her. He was on his second two-year commission and could not come home until it was over. She wrote him a letter telling him she was free and mailed it to the port. Letters were delivered to ships by other ships traveling to similar destinations. Sometimes it took months for them to arrive.
Elana was so grateful to be out of prison. She stood in her herb garden. It was overgrown and wild. Winter was coming and a cold wind blew across the moors. As anxious as she was, she would have to wait until spring to start working in the garden. I shall spend the time getting acquainted with my niece and my sister. She hugged herself tightly, and wait for my husband to return from the sea.
The Destiny pulled into the Liverpool harbor three months later, in the dead of winter. A cold January wind blew across the dock. Daniel had Elana’s letter in his bag and he ran down the gangplank trembling with excitement. He was only in port for one week, but he was going to finally see his wife. She was free from prison and that was all that mattered. He wished he didn’t have to leave her so soon, but he could not leave the ship until his current commission was up, the following year.
She waited for him at the train station. Bundled against the cold in a fur-lined cape that belonged to Mary Margaret and a stout pair of boots, she could hardly wait to see him again. When he stepped off the train, she ran into his arms. She kissed his face, his neck, and his face again. She couldn’t get enough of him. His arms closed around her tightly. He was afraid of crushing her, but he could not hold her close enough. Caught up in the excitement, it was the most wonderful moment of their life together. She was free and he was in her arms again, even for a short time. They relished the feeling of togetherness for as long as they could before separating and walking to the waiting horse and cart.
Max was thrilled to see Daniel again and they spent many happy hours talking about the farm and the sea. Max let the couple have his cottage for the week and he slept in the outbuilding at Mary Margaret’s.
It was a happy week for Elana and Daniel getting to know each other again. One thing Daniel noticed was that Elana was nervous in crowds. She appeared timid and anxious around other people. Loud noises bothered her and she was much better in the quiet, sanctity of the cottage with just t
he two of them. He knew it was a result of her long incarceration, but it broke his heart to see the vivacious, outgoing woman he had married, now so timid and shy.
Elana found Daniel to be more muscular, his skin was tanned and he was more mature and worldly than she remembered him. It was very appealing. He told her of his many adventures with great detail and excitement. She felt safe in his arms.
He asked her about prison and how she felt to be free. Elana avoided talking about the time she spent in that horrible place, but she did tell him how she had been released, all thanks to Max.
“So it was Andy, all the time. That rotten bastard killed Lord Birmingham and walked around free, while you were in that horrible place! It is a good thing he’s locked up because I could kill him with my bare hands!” Daniel was pacing back and forth, growing angrier by the minute.
“Don’t think about it now, Daniel, because we only have a short time together. Come here and hold me, I just want to forget about Andy and prison.” He looked at her and could not resist her open arms. Andy was soon forgotten. Elana and Daniel dissolved into each other like no time had passed and they had been together that way every night. They would never take their love for granted. There were no guarantees in this life.
“Elana, I wish I could stay with you. I don’t want to go back to sea now that you are free.” He held her close in his arms as they lay together on the bed.
“I know, Daniel, but you must fulfill your duty and then we will be together.”
“Elana, you are the reason I went to sea in the first place. You with your wonderful unselfish love, told me to go to sea to fulfill my dreams, even though you were in prison. I will never forget that, my Darling. I am so lucky to have you for my wife.”
“Have you enjoyed the sea, Daniel?” All she wanted was to know he had been happy at sea. That the visits with him had ended for a good reason. She had been right to insist he go to sea, and she was filled with happiness for him.
“Oh yes, very much, it’s such a great adventure.” She watched his eyes light up as he spoke of the ship and his crewmates. He told her of the exotic places he had seen and some of the strange people he had met, and she realized that the sea was his other love, but she didn’t care. She loved him with all her heart and wanted him to be happy. She would wait for him to come home.
“I worry about you, Elana. Will you be all right, here in the cottage?”
“Mary Margaret and Max are close by. I just need some time to get used to other people and the hustle and bustle of life. Things are very different inside those walls, Daniel, very different indeed.” He kissed her lovingly. My poor darling, will you ever recover?
It was a happy and love filled week for Elana and Daniel. They made love with abandon every night. During the day, they went to the cliffs and watched the gulls. They walked and talked and shared their love. Max fitted them with two of the horses he had purchased, and they went riding. They stopped at the top of the hill, where they could survey the entire valley. The snow covered the hills and the trees were capped with white. Daniel dismounted and tied the stallion to a small tree. Elana swung her leg over her horse’s rump, then, fastening the bridle to a clump of gorse, she moved to stand beside Daniel. They stood looking out over the white valley. His arm was around her shoulders and he held her tight. She inhaled the cold, fresh air, “It’s beautiful in winter, isn’t it?”
“Are you warm enough, Elana?” She turned toward him and kissed his lips.
“I am with you and I am free, Daniel. I don’t even feel the cold now. Every minute outside is like heaven to me.” He looked at her trying to understand how she must have suffered and how she could have come away from the experience with so much love and gratitude for life.
The time passed so quickly.
Neither of them wanted it to end, but it was time for him to return to the ship. She traveled to the port with him by train. Together they stood on the dock and neither of them wanted to let go. After a few moments in each other’s arms, they knew they would have to part. She pressed her lips to his, trying to seal the feeling, forever in her heart. Daniel kissed her farewell, and she watched him climb the gangplank. She stood on the dock for more than an hour, until the ship sailed out of the port. It was cold, but she didn’t care. She would not leave until he disappeared, and he waved to her from the deck, until she was out of sight. It was a lonely train ride back to the village, but she was grateful for the time they had together. Elana sat in the back of the compartment, away from the other passengers. She listened to the clickety-clack of the train and thought of Daniel. I thought I would never hold you again and feel your lips on mine, my love. God has blessed us with this week and one day we will be together forever. I am very thankful.
Max and Mary Margaret were happy that Elana and Daniel had been able to be together, even for a short time. The couple had been through so much. Max commented to Mary Margaret, “She is so grateful for every small thing. Most women would be upset that their man was gone to sea, especially now that she is free. But Elana is grateful. She is full of love that one.” Mary Margaret agreed with him.
“Life in prison was horrible and yet she emerged full of love and gratitude. My sister is a very special person. She put Daniel’s happiness before her own. The only happiness she had was one visit a month and yet she talked him into going to sea. That is true love, Max, and now she is free and he is gone. Life is very strange sometimes, very strange indeed.”
“I only wish I had found a woman that would love me like that.” She patted his hand.
“I found a man that loved me like that and Andy killed him,” she commented bitterly. “Do you think we will ever know why he did it?” Mary Margaret was glad he had been given a death sentence but something was not right. Why did he kill Charles? There were so many unanswered questions.
Max shrugged. “The good news is that he got drunk and confessed and now Elana is free. That’s all I care about.”
“Bringing my son home one day is what I care about, Max.”
“You will see him again, Mary Margaret, and don’t forget you have a beautiful, little girl that needs you. Spring is coming and with the spring is a new beginning.”
Chapter Seventeen 1860
Spring arrived at last. Elana was anxious to work outside. The garden grows wild without tending; how tall the herbs have grown. Oh Lord, I have missed this. The fragrance, the soil, the sun on my face; how glorious it is to be alive. Never again will I take my freedom for granted.
Elana busied herself with the cutting of the tender shoots, placing them in a large willow basket. Carefully she trimmed the rosemary, the aromatic scent filling her nostrils with each cut of the blade. She paused, allowing the fragrance to soothe her. Cautiously she moved to the left. Her hands rested for a moment on the warm brown earth connecting to all that is nature. Memories of a dark, damp cell filled her mind. The faint smell of mildew and urine assaulted her senses and fear gripped her heart. Stop, I will not remember those days. I will not. Kneeling in the garden connecting to the God of Nature, she felt humble and peaceful. Basil, thyme, sage and lavender quickly filled her basket as the morning hours drifted away. Soon her garden was restored to its former order and she leaned wearily against the cool stonewall admiring her handiwork. A soil covered hand pushed the long auburn hair back from her face leaving dark streaks against the perspiring, alabaster skin. The faint bleating of the sheep could be heard in the distance. I must go and see the new lambs this afternoon before I go to the cliffs, she thought to herself as she lifted the overflowing basket and made her way to the stone cottage with the thatched roof.
The melodic sound of singing filled her ears as she approached. She stopped to listen. As sweet as the bird’s song are the sounds from your lips; you are happy at last, my sister.
Stopping at the well she slowly turned the crank and watched as the bucket of cold fresh water made its way to the top of the well. Unhooking the wooden vessel, she set it on the ground and washed he
r hands and face, drying them on her apron. Two small wrens began to twitter on the rhododendron bush as if joining her sister in song. A smile graced Elana’s face and her eyes sparkled with happiness as she lifted the iron latch on the large oak door. It had been a long time since she had heard any sound of joy from Mary Margaret, a long time indeed.
The inside of the tiny cottage could only be described as spotless. A huge hearth filled the far wall, the flames flickering under a cast iron pot and a colorful tied rag rug lay on the plank floor, in front of the fire between two wooden rocking chairs. The aroma of lamb,vegetables and mint filled the small area making it a most welcome setting.
Mary Margaret was setting the long wooden table. A starched white linen cloth covered the table. The lace trim had been lovingly repaired in places; the material grew thin with age. The fine china plates were out of place in the tiny cottage, but the gentleness of the hands that placed them on the table, reflected a refinement and grace befitting the elegant dinnerware. The woman turned and smiled at Elana. “I see you have been taking care of that overgrown mess at long last, my sister. We shall add some rosemary to the stew. It is almost ready and Max will be bringing Emily home soon.” Elana noticed the far away longing in the other woman’s face, as she turned back to the table, her fingers caressing the white china plate just a second longer than necessary. You will never forget those days long ago; Charles haunts you still, my sister.
Many times Elana had been tempted to smash the china into a thousand pieces, seeing them only as a constant reminder of a painful past. But she knew in her heart how important those memories were to Mary Margaret, memories of pain and terror, but also memories of a sweeter time when love of Charles filled her heart. No, Elana would never do anything to hurt her sister; they had both experienced enough pain and agony for a lifetime.
Mary Margaret looked up, how wonderful to have you back in my life, Elana. You are finally getting used to your freedom. Her sister’s laughter mingled with hers and the cottage was filled with tinkling joy and a sense of deep and enduring love that only two women who have been to Hell and back can share.
When Fate Steps In Page 18