Drew made a fist.
“You stay away from Jenny Matthews!”
“She’s a pretty little doe, isn’t she?”
Eliot’s grin turned wicked.
“I’m warning you, Eliot, stay away from her!”
“Or what? You’ll hit me? You would hit your brother in the Lord? And how would you explain it to all your fine Christian neighbors? They think I’m wonderful.”
Drew began to back away.
“I’ll find a way to stop you,” he said.
“You can’t stop me,” Eliot laughed. “You know that. Christians want to believe the best in a person. They want to believe that their precious God can save someone like me! You know how the plan works. That’s the beauty of it! It works every time … and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“I’ll find a way!” Drew shouted. “Just stay away from Nell and Jenny. I mean it, Eliot. Stay away!”
“And blessings on you, too, my brother!” Eliot shouted after him.
Drew remained awake all night. He had to think of a way to expose Eliot Venner. He reviewed everything Eliot taught him about infiltrating Puritan communities. Somehow he had to beat his teacher at his own game. The problem was that the colonists didn’t know Eliot like he did. They would believe Eliot until it was too late.
How can I warn them? How can I stop people from believing something they want to believe?
Drew prayed for wisdom. He prayed for Nell and Jenny’s safety. He prayed his longest prayer for Eliot. Drew had concluded there were only two sure ways of stopping Eliot: either God would change him, or Drew would have to kill him.
The following Sunday Reverend Higginson preached an exceptional sermon about God’s unrelenting love, using Hosea as his text. He explained that even though the prophet’s wife had played the harlot and been unfaithful, Hosea ransomed her from destruction. Higginson concluded that Hosea loved his wife in the same way that God loves His church.
Drew barely heard any of it. He stood on the fringes of the gathering and kept an eye on Eliot who was sitting near the front. Drew prayed that somehow God would reach him, but that didn’t seem likely. Several times he saw Eliot stare back at Jenny Matthews. When their eyes met, Eliot would smile and wink. Jenny would smile and wrinkle her nose back at him. It infuriated Drew.
He remembered when Jenny used to look at him that way.
Eliot was giving him no choice.
Drew had come to the service prepared to expose Eliot as the murderer of Shubal Elkins. He’d considered going to Winthrop and made the charge privately. Of course, Eliot would deny it.
It would take nearly six months for correspondence to travel back and forth to England, to confirm Drew’s allegations. In the meantime, Eliot would be free to work his evil. Drew couldn’t let him have that much time. However, if the accusation was made publicly, even though Eliot would still be given the benefit of the doubt, everyone would have been warned. They would be more cautious in any dealings with him.
The Reverend Higginson was about to conclude the service. Drew stepped forward to expose his former teacher.
“Reverend, may I say something?”
Eliot stood. He beat Drew to it.
Smoothing down his uncontrollable red hair, Eliot stood before the congregation.
“Is it something that would be profitable for everyone?” the pastor asked.
“I have a confession to make,” Eliot said. “There’s something you should know about me, since I’m living among you now.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’m a murderer,” Eliot said.
The congregation gasped.
Eliot was working his script and they were playing along. Step one: Get their attention by confessing the worst thing you can think of.
“I killed a man last year on the road from Tiverton to Edenford. I didn’t mean to kill him. He attacked me and I defended myself. No one knows I did it.”
Eliot began to weep. Real tears.
“If I may!”
David Cooper was on his feet.
“I’m from Edenford. I knew the man who was killed. And the killing was brutal, sadistic. Certainly not an act of self-defense.”
Eliot looked horrified. His bulging eyes were white with fear. He looked as if he was about to lose control.
“I don’t know anything about that! Honest, I don’t!”
He was weeping profusely now.
“He came at me with a knife and knocked me to the ground. Just as he was about to stab me, I hit him in the face with a rock. No one else was around! I left him there in the middle of the road. You’ve got to believe me!”
John Winthrop stood in front now. He addressed David Cooper.
“Could someone else have brutalized the body?”
Cooper thought for a moment. He was a fair man.
“Possibly. Elkins, the man who was killed, had been dead for several days when his body was found.”
Winthrop: “Is there any evidence of which you are aware that would discredit this man’s testimony? Was this Elkins known as a highwayman?”
Cooper: “He was a groundskeeper for Lord Chesterfield.”
Winthrop: “Can you attest to the good character of the man?”
Cooper: “No. He was a crude, disreputable man.”
Winthrop to Eliot: “If no one knew this, why tell us now?”
There were several moments of sniffing and nose wiping before Eliot continued.
“Dreams of that horrible day have been haunting me.”
The Reverend Higginson entered the conversation.
“Have you confessed this to God?”
Eliot nodded weakly and wiped his nose again.
“Oh yes,” he said. “In fact, if there was anything good to come from that day, it was my salvation. I wouldn’t have thought it possible. If it weren’t for—”
At this point Eliot deliberately looked toward the back of the congregation, directly at Drew.
“—for that man. Drew Morgan. He was my inspiration.”
All eyes turned to Drew.
“You see, both of us were Laud’s boys,” Eliot continued. “I saw how the execution of Christopher Matthews changed Drew. He had everything the king and the bishop could offer him laid at his feet. And he threw it all away! I couldn’t understand it! Then I saw the change in Drew Morgan’s life, and I knew… I knew I wanted to be like him. And so I ran away. Even now Bishop Laud is hunting me. If he finds me, he’ll kill me.”
He paused for effect.
“I know I’m not worthy to live among good people like you. I just had to let you know why I’m… why I’m going back to England. I’ll just have to trust God to protect me from Bishop Laud.”
Drew was seething. This was textbook procedure. Confess to them, then tell them you’re not worthy to live with them, promise to leave, and they’ll beg you to stay. And that’s exactly what was going to happen. Drew could see it in the eyes of the congregation.
“He’s lying!” Drew shouted. “He murdered Shubal Elkins in cold blood. He’s still working with Bishop Laud. And he’s here to destroy the colony!”
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Drew knew he’d made a mistake. He’d played right into Eliot’s hands.
Once you confess, they’ll defend you, Eliot had told him. They’ll defend you to the death, which is exactly what you want.
Winthrop: “Do you have any evidence to support your claims, Master Morgan?”
Drew: “Eliot told me himself, just yesterday, that he’d come to destroy the colony.”
Eliot: “Drew, why are you doing this? Why would you say something untrue like that? I thought you were my friend. I’m a changed man today because of you!”
Winthrop: “Did anyone else hear your conversation?”
Drew: “No.”
Eliot: “As God is my witness, I don’t know why Drew would falsely accuse me. Drew, have I injured you in some way? Is it because I’ve been seeing Miss Jenny Matthews? If
it hurts you, I’ll stop seeing her.”
Winthrop: “The question remains, what are we to do with Master Venner until we can verify his innocence?”
Roger Williams stood. “I’ve done this once privately, now I’ll do it publicly. I can attest to Master Venner’s character. Having journeyed with him aboard the Lyon, I found him to be a decent fellow with an interest in spiritual matters. In my opinion, unless there is someone who can attest to criminal acts since his arrival in the colonies, it would be unjust for us to detain him for the duration of the time it will take to verify the facts of these matters. Truth is, we need every available healthy man at work if we are to survive.”
The broken Eliot Venner who stood before them appeared to be anything but a threat.
Another man who Drew didn’t know, stood.
“This wouldn’t be the first time God took a rascal and changed him into a godly man,” he said. “Have we forgotten our Bible lessons? Moses was a murderer, yet God used him to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. King David was not only a murderer but an adulterer; yet the most precious of the psalms flowed from his pen, and he was called a man after God’s own heart! I say we should let the grace of God do its work in this man, and when we get the facts from England, then we can deal with any outstanding criminal issues.”
To Drew’s horror, the people were nodding in agreement.
It was decided that Eliot would remain free.
Upon dismissal, the congregation flocked to him. They told him how they admired his courage for making his confession and urged him to stay in Boston. They promised to pray with him for Drew, that God would forgive his jealous spirit. Jenny Matthews stood by Eliot’s side, holding his hand.
Drew stood alone. Those who were crowded around Eliot steered a wide course around him as they left.
He turned to leave. Someone called his name.
Eliot Venner approached him with an entourage trailing behind. Arms widespread, he embraced Drew.
“I forgive you, brother,” he said. “I only pray that some day we can be close friends again.” Leaning close to Drew’s ear, he whispered, “Didn’t I tell you? There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
Someone matched his stride.
Drew looked up and saw the face of David Cooper.
“A familiar performance,” he said. “Seems like I witnessed a similar one in Edenford not long ago.”
“He taught me.” Drew looked at the cobbler. “Do you believe him?”
“Let’s just say I’ve learned to trust you.”
Drew stopped. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“Eliot told you he came here to destroy the colony?”
“Yesterday, when I warned him to stay away from Jenny.”
“What’s his plan?”
“I don’t know.”
The cobbler let out a sigh. “Then we’ve got a problem.”
“There’s one thing I’m counting on,” Drew said.
“What’s that?”
“Eliot’s true nature. He’s wild. It strains him to act civilized. He can’t do it for long. There comes a point when he has to drink and go wild. He goes after women and—” Drew paused. “—he kills things. He likes to kill things. Insects. Animals. And—”
“Shubal Elkins,” the cobbler said.
Drew nodded. “He likes killing humans most.”
As Drew expected, Jenny was furious.
“How could you stand there and say things like that about him?” she screamed.
It was the afternoon of Eliot’s “confession.” Knowing this conversation couldn’t be avoided, Drew had walked up the hill to Nell and Jenny’s house. Somehow he had to convince Jenny to stay away from Eliot.
“You don’t know him like I do!” Drew insisted.
He was standing by the hearth. Jenny was standing opposite him, her cheeks streaked with tears. Nell sat on the bench, her back against the table.
“You’re talking about the old Eliot! He’s changed!”
“Jenny, I’m asking you to believe me. Eliot told me he only wants to hurt you to get back at me. That’s what he’s here for. His confession, his behavior, it’s all a lie! He’s a dangerous man!”
“He’s a good, gentle man,” she said softly. “All his life he’s been mistreated because he was poor, because of the way he looks; but none of that matters now. The old has gone. This is a new Eliot.”
“Nothing’s changed! It’s an act!” Drew shouted.
“That’s exactly what everyone in Edenford said about you!” Jenny shouted back at him. “I was the only one who believed in you! And now I feel the same way about Eliot. You’re wrong about him, and I’ll prove it to you!”
Drew was stymied. How could he argue with her? If it weren’t for her faith in him, he would never have regained the trust of the Edenford Puritans. But she was wrong about Eliot. Dangerously wrong.
Memories of Jenny and Edenford flashed in his mind.
The first time he saw her she flew down the stairs and leaped into her father’s arms, peeking at him from around her father’s shoulder with that pixie grin of hers. He remembered the way she giggled to the point of tears when he read aloud the Song of Solomon, her tender kiss under the canopy of hair when he was recuperating, her fierce commitment to Nell’s wellbeing on the voyage over. She was so full of life, so caring. She deserved happiness. Drew ached for her. There had to be some way to save her from her own innocence.
“I agree with Drew,” Nell said.
She rose from the bench, her hands folded delicately in front of her. The tone of her voice was low, motherly.
“It wouldn’t hurt to stay away from him for a while. If what Drew says is true, it will become evident soon enough.”
Jenny recoiled. Her chin quivered and she began to weep.
“Stop treating me like a child!” she cried, “All these years I’ve loved you, listened to you, supported you. When everyone expected you to marry James, I was there for you! When Poppa was arrested and you had nightmares, I was there to comfort you!” Her tears flowed freely. Her voice trembled, at times failing her. “Of all people, I thought at least you … at least you would know what it was like … for no one … to understand.”
Nell was crying with her now.
“Jenny, I only want the best for you. I don’t want you to get hurt!”
“You just don’t want me to be happy!” Jenny screamed.
“That’s not true!”
“It is true! You will always have Drew! Who do I have?”
Drew couldn’t help but take pleasure in Jenny’s statement, even if only for an instant. You will always have Drew. Was she revealing a bit of confidence passed between two sisters?
“Jenny, dear. We have each other. We always will.”
Jenny laughed mockingly.
“Well, that’s great for you! You have me and you have Drew, and what am I supposed to do? Stand to the side and be content while the two of you finally admit you love each other, get married, and have children? Well, that’s not good enough! I want a husband and a family too! And if the man I marry doesn’t measure up to your standards, so be it! It’s my decision, not yours!”
She ran from the house.
Nell looked hopelessly at Drew, then ran upstairs.
Drew found himself alone in the sitting room. For a long time he waited, hoping Nell would come back downstairs. She didn’t, so he went home.
With every step Eliot’s boast haunted him.
There’s nothing you can do to stop me!
The next day Drew began tracking Eliot’s activities.
On the second day, Drew lost him.
For two weeks Eliot Venner was seen by no one in Boston. When he returned, he was buried under a load of furs and pelts. He’d been out trapping, he said. He sold his catch and went back out for more. He brought back good quality furs and fast gained a reputation for being one of the best trappers in the colony. Traders loved him. He became one of their regular suppliers. Work
ing together they were getting rich.
Sassacus and Drew sat in Drew’s wigwam. So many people in the colony were still upset with Drew for the way he’d treated Eliot that it felt good to spend an evening with someone who accepted him as a friend. They’d eaten a meal of clams that Sassacus brought and Drew cooked.
After the meal, Sassacus told Drew that there was dissension in the Pequot tribe. Some were unhappy with the British settlers—each year more colonists came wanting more land. Already the Pequots were squeezed between Narragansett Bay and the Connecticut River. Now the colonists were squeezing them from the east. Also there was unrest between the Pequots and the Mohegans. For years they had lived under joint rule, but a faction among the Mohegans wanted independence.
“These are troubled times,” he concluded.
“For us too,” Drew added.
“And for the forest animals,” said Sassacus. “A demon haunts the forest. Our braves have found rabbits and raccoons and other animals staked to trees, their bellies slit, their eyes gouged out.”
“You’ve seen them?”
“I have seen only the animals, but others have talked to Dutch and French traders. Someone is killing their trappers, stealing their furs and pelts. They blame us, but we don’t do it.”
Eliot.
It strains him to conform.
He has to run wild.
He likes to kill.
The report from Sassacus explained Eliot’s absences and how a London city boy could become a successful trapper in such a short time. Drew sighed a heavy sigh. There was no consolation in being right when no one would listen to him. Eliot was loose. The killing had begun.
Chapter 27
Eliot Venner and Jenny Matthews were married on the second week of November, two weeks before the first heavy snow of the season.
The wedding was held under the meeting tree. The bride and groom were all smiles as they exchanged vows. Rings were not exchanged. It was a papist symbol, and they no longer had to live under the invisible hand of Anglican influence.
The Puritans (American Family Portrait #1) Page 43