Eric was listening and said, “We be at ye command Ahab. We will only travel where ye say it be safe.
I would not put my wife and children in harms way.”
The African Queen sat in port for five days. One night they were invited to the home of friends of Ahab and Omer’s. Once again, the sexes were separated. By now the custom was accepted and seemed natural. Shane and Brandon teased their sisters that perhaps they would continue the custom when they returned home. Of course, that brought on a race around the deck with the twins after their brothers
with fishing poles in hand. There antics brought on much laughter from the crew.
The next port was Tunis, but only for three days. Stacey told her family the story of Hannibal of Carthage and how he and the Cartagena people fought against the Romans but eventually they were defeated and now the city is named Tunis. Shane listened to the story, but as soon as his mother finished, he turned to his father and said, “Let us go touring Father, I remember ye telling us this story and how this Hannibal took his elephants across the Alps to attack the Romans.”
The girls were tired from the oppressive heat and did not want too bother to cover themselves or go riding in a carriage. They could hardly wait to return to the open sea where it was cooler. When Eric and his sons returned to the ship they were so excited about what they had seen and the food they had eaten. The English passengers were all on deck the next morning, when Captain Ahab steered the great ship from the port and out into the open sea. The girls stood uncovered to let the wind blow through their hair. Cassandra said, “I do believe I shall welcome being back in the cold winds of Yorkshire. Should I ever complain please remind me of North Africa.”
In Algiers, the African Queen made port in El Jazair. As always, the Earl and his family toured the city with Omer as their guide. Their next port was Oran, however, the family stayed aboard the ship. The last port in Algiers was Gazaouet where Captain Ahab took on more supplies, cargo, special orders for France, Belgium and Germany. The next port of entry was Tetouan in the country of Morocco. They were only in port a few days there. The next port was Tangier; this would be their last port in North Africa. Ahab and Omer had good friends there and the earl and his family were included in the invitation. The Moroccan people were very hospitable and the food was delicious. The women of the family escorted Stacey and the girls to the bazaar for Moroccan jewelry and beautiful silk material.
A few days later, they were at sea once again. The air had turned cooler and the earl and family were on deck as they sailed through the Pillars of Hercules and left the Mediterranean Sea behind. Eric and his sons were standing together when they noticed their Mother and sisters were crying. They stood and quietly waited because they too felt a sadness leaving this beautiful sea and the people behind that they had met. Time for reminiscing was cut short as the Atlantic Ocean started rolling, churning and the sky was turning a dusty red.
Eric was concerned and said, “Sweetheart, I think it best ye take the girls below.”
“You and the boys come below too,” Stacey said.
“Yes, we will, but first I must ask Ahab if our help be needed.”
“No, Eric, you and our sons know nothing of ships. Come below.” Stacey could not believe they had come so far and now to take a chance of losing her husband or sons.
“Go below my love, we will join ye shortly,” Eric said, but he could see the stubborn look she was giving him as she turned and followed her daughters below deck.
Stacey was walking back and forth when Eric and the boys finally came below. She grabbed each one at a time to hug and kiss them. “Do not ever do that to me again. We are too close to home to scare me like that,” Stacey said with tears in her eyes.
“Mother, do not worry; Captain Ahab told us how to read a storm. It be like a poem. ‘Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.’ See, we be quite safe as the sky is red tonight,” Brandon said, full of seamen’s lore.
The countess was anxious to get her family home. They had sailed through the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea with no mishaps and now she hoped they would make it safely home.
The sailing journey, with Captain Ahab had been a magnificent experience for her children, her husband and herself. Now she was ready to settle down to their quiet life at Dun-Raven. The countess had memories of another life and she knew there were no guarantees of a peaceful life at this time in history. A fanciful part of her wished they could sail west to the United States and miraculously sail through the time warp with her husband and her children into the safe harbor of the modern world where she had grown up. Stacey smiled to herself knowing the impossibility of such a dream.
As the countess and her family sailed nearer to their home, the children started talking and remembering the wonderful things and people, they had seen and met on their voyage. Eric, as well as the children still had many questions about the wonderful and sometimes strange worlds and people they had encountered. The children noticed that their mother never seemed surprised by customs or the magnificence of these countries. The children were amazed at their mother’s knowledge of the world. They often wondered where she came from and how she knew so much about the world. When they asked her questions, Stacey could often feel their pride and respect for her, as she would explain her answers to them. She always took her time to evaluate and answer as much as she thought, safe to do.
Chapter 26
Home
Everyone was on deck the day Captain Ahab sailed into Liverpool harbor. As much as they had enjoyed the journey, it was wonderful to be back in England again. In no, time at all the earl sent a messenger to Dun-Raven to summon transportation to transport goods to the castle. The countess had returned with gifts of maps and spices for the school, recipes with herbs, spices and dried fruits from the East for the castle, olives and oils from Greece and Italy, beautiful glass plates and containers from Venice and cotton and silk fabrics from Egypt.
It did not take long for everyone to fall back into their routines. The trip was over but still very much in the minds of he children, who wanted to discuss it repeatedly. One afternoon in the late summer Cassie and Brandon came running in with a parchment in hand. Out of breath they both spoke at the same time, “Mother, the fair is coming to Leeds, may we attend? We have been nowhere since our return from our journey.”
Stacey smiled at her children and said, “Mayhap, I will speak with your father.”
The children were accustomed to their tall lithe father and their elegant beautiful mother. Stacey was now forty-one, but was still straight and healthy. The children were in their teens, all except Cassandra, the youngest. Their father was fifty-three, however, there was no doubt in the children’s minds that their mother and father were still very much in love with each other. Knowing this gave them a secure feeling. Marriage for love was a rarity in their day.
The fairs were always a joyous occasion. Eric and Stacey always tried to made time to take the children to the ones in Leeds and York. The children loved the county fairs most of all. Stacey felt they were lucky to have such healthy, strong children in a time when children were vulnerable to diseases and sickness. Stacey used her twenty-first century knowledge as much as possible. Her children thought her strange but were always grateful for the comfort she brought to them. The children went through their childhood diseases of mumps, measles, whooping cough and chicken pox. Stacey knew how to handle those and to make the children more comfortable. There were times, when she was called upon to administer her healing powers and knowledge to help the village children. One afternoon, Stacey and the girls had just left the village on their way back to the castle when Stacey heard a noise like the drone of an airplane. She stopped and put her hand above her eyes to shade them from the sun as she looked up into the blue sky. “What is it, Mother? What made that noise?” Cassie asked.
Surprised by the noise, Stacey said without thinking, “I don’t know, it sounded like a
n airplane.”
“What be an airplane Mother?” Jessie asked.
Stacey, realizing what she had said and tried to cover it up and said, “Oh, it’s a big bird that crosses the ocean. I haven’t seen one in years.”
Wanting to get the girls minds off what she had let slip, she suggested they stop by Janet’s school and visit for a bit. She was nervous over her slip of the tongue and wanted to replace it in her daughter’s minds.
Janet was always happy to have her ladyship stop by for a visit. She was very proud of her students. At the school, the girls were taught hygiene as well as reading and numbers. Stacey learned early she could not push cleanliness and hygiene on the adults in the villages, but children were eager to learn.
There was a class for girls to learn how to make scented soaps. They would be the mothers of the future, therefore their knowledge would spear the way for coming generations.
Stacey was still concerned about her slip and that night in Eric’s arms, she confided her worry to him and the mystery of the noise. “Eric, I know it’s impossible, but when I heard the drone and looked up I was so sure I would see a plane and the strange thing was Cassie heard it too.” “Don’t worry sweetheart, I think you covered the incident well. The children have not mentioned it to me.”
Stacey lay quietly in Eric arms, but the incident was still on her mind. Reluctantly she asked, “Eric have you ever run into anyone strange, other than me of course, what I mean is do you think there could be a parallel universe or an opening or a time warp of some kind where people can, fall through time?”
“I’m sorry sweetheart; it be very difficult for me to rap my mind around this parallel universe ye mention. Ye learned people have no proof of this place, so let us not borrow trouble.”
“Okay, we won’t borrow trouble, but how do we know there are not more people caught in the past like me that may be masquerading the same as I am.”
Stacey was thinking of the Tinker and his wife that had sold their wares that spring so long ago. She wondered why they never came back to Dun-Raven.
“God’s teeth, I don’t know Stacey. We will be very careful and keep a close vigil on our children. We have been very careful not to include them in this strangeness.”
Eric and Stacey kept their family as close as possible. The children always enjoyed the adventure of riding to the coast to meet their friend Captain Ahab. The children still talk about the wonderful journey aboard the African Queen. They loved the smell of his boat and the wonderful spices, fruits, dried and fresh, carpets, silks and china from the Far East, crystal and glassware from Syria and Venice as well as many other beautiful things that he brought from the Middle East and India. Brandon had talked of little else. He most of all the children wanted to go sailing again.
In the winter of thirteen-ninety, the family rode to Hampton Hall when Lord Thomas died. He was seventy-three and Lady Margaret was sixty-nine. Rodric and Callie wanted her to come to Hampton keep and live with them and the children. Eric and Stacey also offered for her to live with them. She thanked them both but preferred to stay at Hampton hall that was her home.
One afternoon in the early fall of the following year, Stacey and the girls were visiting the Bennett family manor a few miles from Dun-Raven. Adult conversation and boredom had set in so the twins went riding, under the close supervision of Sir Gellman. They were riding down by the river when they heard a commotion of screaming, cursing and ridicule laughter. The sight they rode upon staggered the girls. Half a dozen men were standing around watching two other men that were ducking a woman in the river with her hands bound to a long board. Jessie yelled at them to stop their torment of this defenseless woman.
One of the bedraggled, a toothless excuses of a man turned from tormenting the poor woman and said, “Ye best be getting along home little missy as this be none-a-ye business.”
“Well, we are making it our business,” Jessie said. “What has this poor creature done for ye to treat her so shabbily?”
“She be a fishwife, young miss,” the brute said, as if that alone was an answer.
Jackie had been quiet until now. She moved her horse next to Jessie’s and said, “Ye sir, will release this woman immediately or ye will answer to our father.”
With a cocky attitude the rogue said, “Be that right and who be ye father, girl?”
Sir Gellman, who was the twins chaperone for the day mover his horse forward and informed the
riffraff, “These young ladies be the daughters of the Earl of Dun-Raven and they be under my protection.”
“Well, now that be fine with me as we don’t plan on accosting the young ladies, but the hag here ain’t under ye protection and she be the law breaker,” the naive said.
The woman on the board was trembling in fright of further ducking in the cold river water again. “Help me please, young miss,” the woman pleaded.
With a nod from Jessie, Jackie turned her horse and galloped away. Jessie hoped to keep the vigilante group occupied until help arrived. “Sir, what law has this poor woman broken? I doubt it could warrant this treatment.”
“Now that be where ye be mistaken miss. This hag be a fishwife,” a man from the crowd said.
“That’s neither here nor there,” Jessie said. “Release this woman immediately. Can ye not see she be freezing?”
Jessie and Sir Gellman kept the group talking until Jackie brought her mother from the manor house. When Stacey arrived and saw the atrocity of what was happening she told the men to unbound the woman post hast.
The other man holding the board said, “Ye ladyship, this woman has broke the law and she must be punished.”
Stacey looked the mob over and asked, “Which of ye men be the sheriff?”
Most of the men hung their heads low and shuffled their feet. The lout said, “The sheriff ain’t rightly here, ye ladyship. He be in his sickbed and we be dispensing justice.”
Stacey was appalled at the injustice of the situation and said, “Release the woman. My husband will settle this matter.”
The big mouth lout didn’t want to lose his moment of glory, but when he saw riders approaching, he lost his nerve. When some of the men started moving away and grumbling, Stacey said, “Stay where ye be, we not be finished here yet.”
When riders from the manor house arrived, the Squire looked the situation over and asked, “Who be in charge here?” The lout with the big mouth kept quiet. “Well, speak up men, I am sure ye were all full of fire and brimstone before the countess arrived.”
After the woman was untied, she spoke up for the first time and said, “I surely be grateful to ye master. I am a poor widowed wretch with three sons. My oldest be sick and cannot ply the trade so I have no choice, I must sell me fish if I am to feed me bairns.”
She looked at the group of men with disgust and pointed her boney finger at them, “This scum be span of the devil, they have no Christian soul in them to want to drown a poor widow for trying to feed her family.”
The Squire turned to the countess and asked, “Well, countess, what do ye think would be fair justice for these brave, upright, law abiding citizens?”
“Well, Thomas, I’ve always heard what’s good for the goose be good for the gander. A good bath might be just the thing to cool their furor down and baptize their pagan souls.”
As the countess, the twins and Sir Gellman rode away, they could hear the yells and cursing of the perpetrators as they were dunked three times each in the cold river water. Later at the manor house the countess of Dun-Raven arranged for the widow and her three sons to move to Dun-Raven where there was always work for willing hands.
The next year, thirteen-ninety-one, Shane was knighted. The whole family trooped to London to see the ceremony. First, they went to Hampton hall to see the children’s grandmother. Eric and his mother were still very close. She was delighted to see her son, along with Stacey and the grandchildren. They were all so grown up now. Shane was twenty, the twins seventeen, Brandon was fourteen and C
assandra was eleven. Stacey had an understanding with Jessie and Jackie that they were to wait until they were at least eighteen before thinking of getting married. They would not be betrothed to a much older man nor someone they didn’t know. Stacey wanted them to marry for love. The girls complained that they were going to be old maids.
“Old maids my foot, I was twenty-one when I married your father,” their mother told them.
Jessie and Jackie were identical twins. They had their father’s dark hair and eyes. They were mischievous and liked to play tricks on people. They were tall, slim and vivacious. Many young knights looked their way, but were more excited about following their king to fight in Ireland.
After the knighting ceremony, they were all at Hampton hall when Shane broke the news that he was going to Ireland to fight the Irish. “Why Shane?” his mother asked. “What has the Irish ever done to you?”
“Mother, ye are a woman, what do ye know of warfare?” Shane said.
Stacey was ready to let loose. She stood up, walked towards her son and said, “Let me tell you of warfare my darling. Warfare, you could not even begin to imagine in your most horrible dreams.”
Eric knew hell was about to break loose. He walked over to Stacey, took her in his arms and said, “Don’t sweetheart, not after all these years. Please don’t.” Eric, using her English helped Stacey to calm down. Of course, he was right. After all these years, one slip could be fatal.
Stacey said to her son, “Yes, you’re a man of your time. I can see the house of York has had more influence on you than I have.” Stacey went to her son, put her arms around him kissed him and said, “Stay safe my darling, because the Irish are gonna’ whip your arse.”
She told everyone goodnight and went to bed. Once again, Shane turned to his father looking for answers and understanding. “Papa, why can not Mother understand I have an obligation to my king, therefore I must serve him when I am summoned?”
“Ye mother understands this Shane, however, she hates war and be fearful of losing ye,” Eric said, as he put his arm around his son’s shoulder. “Ye be a man now my son. Ye must make ye own decisions, but always remember that mine and ye mother’s love rides with ye.”
A Fall Through Time (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #1) Page 14