In the early morning the weeping Comfort was brought from the buttery, and put into the wagon. Kevin would go with his master to St. Mary's Town. As the vehicle moved off from the house, however, Comfort shrieked irrationally, "He's taking me away, you bitch! We're going to be together, and yer going to be left alone! I knew he wanted me. I knew he loved me, and not you!"
"Bitch!" Rois muttered.
"I feel sorry for her," Fortune replied. "Not so much that I want her about, but I still have pity for her."
In the evening when the men returned, and they were all, servant and master, settled about the trestle in the keeping room, Kieran Devers explained that they had all had a narrow escape. He and Kevin had reached St. Mary's in good time. He had brought the bondwoman before the governor, requesting that she be put in the stocks and whipped for her misbehavior. He was prepared to afterward give her into the keeping of Captain O'Flaherty, to be returned to England.
Comfort was forced screaming into the stocks in the public square, her blouse ripped down its back, and then given ten lashes for her immoral and lewd behavior, as well as her disobedience to her master and mistress. She would remain the day in the stocks, going aboard the ship in late afternoon before the evening tide. Kieran and Kevin having seen the bondwoman properly punished went about the business of seeing the hogsheads of tobacco loaded aboard the Cardiff Rose. Then they went to see Aaron Kira, pleased to learn he had been accepted in St. Mary's, and his money-lending establishment was thriving.
"What do I do with the wench when we get back to England?" Ualtar O'Flaherty asked his cousin's husband when the cargo had been finally loaded, and the three men sat in the captain's cabin eating a meal.
"Give her the purse I gave you, and send her on her way. She doesn't dare go back to her old haunts lest she be caught, and rearrested. She's only served two years of her bond, but we can't sell her bond to anyone, her reputation is so foul. I don't want her around my family. She lured Fortune into the forest, and then left her there, lost. My wife was rescued by one of our Indian allies. Frankly I wouldn't care if you threw her overboard in midocean, Ualtar. It's no more than she deserves, the conniving bitch. Keep her shackled, and under lock and key lest you find her spreading her legs for your crew, and have a mutiny on your hands. She's a wicked bit of goods."
There was a knock on the cabin door, and it opened to reveal the cabin boy. "Gentleman to see Master Devers, sir," he said, and stepped aside to allow the man with him to enter the cabin.
"I am Kieran Devers," and he arose, holding out his hand.
"Anthony Sharpe, Master Devers. You have in your possession a bondwoman named Comfort Rogers?"
"I do, but not for long," Kieran replied.
"I have a warrant for her arrest, sir. She is an impostor, a convicted felon who was due to hang for murder. She switched places with a dead woman in Newgate who was to be transported. No one would have known but that she angered another woman who was also about to be transported. Lay with her man, the bold wench did. Quite a randy lass, I am told," Anthony Sharpe said with a small grin.
"I purchased her bond over two years ago," Kieran said. "Why has it taken so long for her to be claimed by the government?"
"The woman she angered could get no one to listen to her until she got here to the New World. She came later on a different vessel. This woman's master heard the story, believed his bondwoman, and notified the authorities. Then word was sent back to London. A small reward was offered amongst the felons in Newgate, for many of the same people there for debt were still there, for any information as to what had happened to Comfort Rogers. Money do be an excellent restorative of memory, sir. We learned that Comfort Rogers had died, and her identity had been taken by one Jane Gale."
"What did this woman do?" Kieran asked.
"Killed her mistress, she did. Was convinced that her master was mad in love with her, and killed the wife to get at him," came the reply.
"Was he? Did he lead the girl on?" Kieran inquired.
"Nay, sir, 'twas all in the lass's head," Anthony Sharpe said.
"My God, Kieran, you are fortunate she did not kill your wife," Ualtar O'Flaherty said, and then turning to Master Sharpe explained what had happened to his cousin only the day before.
"Aye, sir, your lady is indeed a lucky lass," was the observation.
"The wench is in the stocks," Kieran said. "We were just going to fetch her now." He did not say that he had been planning to return Comfort Rogers, or Jane Gale, or whatever her name was, back to England simply to be rid of her. "What will you do with her?"
"Take her back to England," was the answer. "I'll have to find a ship that will have room for me, and my prisoner."
"I will be leaving tonight with the tide, and I have room for you," Captain O'Flaherty said quickly. "Yer passage will be a free one, Master Sharpe, for my cousin, who is distantly related to the king, would expect me to aid his royal authorities. I'll send some men to fetch the wench from the stocks."
"We'll go with them," Kieran said. "I would, however, like to see your warrant before I leave the ship, Master Sharpe."
"Of course, sir," came the response, and reaching into his doublet he drew forth the parchment, handing it to Kieran.
Accepting the official-looking document, Kieran opened it and read it. It was indeed a warrant for the arrest of the convicted felon, Jane Gale, also known as Comfort Rogers, female, aged sixteen, hair flaxen, eyes blue. Folding the warrant back up Kieran returned it to Master Sharpe, and turned to Captain O'Flaherty. "You have my wife's letter for her mother, the duchess. We will see you in the spring. I hope the tobacco sells well on the London market. Godspeed."
The two men shook hands.
"The family will be delighted to learn of the new bairn," the captain said. "God bless you all Kieran, and my love to Fortune."
***
"So Ualtar has sailed for England with Comfort Rogers in chains," Fortune said as her husband finished his tale. "God help her."
"You can say that after all the trouble she caused?" he said wonderingly. "Your heart is much too good, sweetheart." The others about the trestle murmured their agreement.
"I am no fool, Kieran, as you know, but see how auspiciously fate has dealt with us. Until we came to Mary's Land each of us was besieged in our own passage through life, and yet we kept moving forward. That was what Comfort Rogers was trying to do. Move forward. Be loved. But, alas, she did not know how. I have been loved my whole life, and you, despite your mother's death knew that your father and siblings loved you, even if your stepmother did not. What kind of a life did that poor creature have, I wonder, that caused her to become so wicked? Babies are born innocent. It takes terrible deeds to turn them into evil people. Aye, she tried to kill me, and to steal my husband, but tonight I am safe at Fortune's Fancy with you by my side, while she is on her way back to England to be hanged. God help her, Kieran. God help her!"
He looked at her with his dark green eyes filled with love and admiration for this woman he had found to be his wife. Lady Fortune Mary Lindley Devers was truly amazing. "I love you," he said. "I loved you yesterday. I love you today, and I will love you forever though time itself ceases to exist. We are home, Fortune. Home in our Mary's Land. Home, and besieged no more!" He stood, drawing her up, and took her into his arms. Then he kissed her with all the passion in his Celtic soul, and Fortune knew he was right. They were home. Home, and besieged no more. It was a good feeling!
Author's Note
Mary's Land is, of course, the state we know today as Maryland, and its founder, George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, was a man so far in advance of his time that we haven't yet caught up with him. He dreamed of a world where all people could worship as they chose to worship. Freely, and without being constantly besieged by intolerance. Human nature being what it is, we aren't there yet, but like George Calvert, I have hope, because I believe that with God, or the Creator, Yahweh, Allah, or whatever you choose to call the Celestial Actuary, all things are possible.
Bertrice Small
***
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