Napoleon's Gift
Page 19
“Nana is ringing for supper, so you tarry in the kitchens with her, and I’ll come fetch you when the deed is done.”
“My word, I’m so anxious, I’d almost certainly just spill something anyway. On the other hand I shall be a mess of nerves until you return?” I said laughing, and Julia kissed my cheek.
“You’ll do just fine; now I shall see you in a while.” Julia grinned as she left me in her room.
Julia and I were both the same age; however, I knew there would be no ceremony for my twenty-first birthday. I was colored, and to whites it was just another day. I went in search of mother then.
I needed something sweet to eat, and I knew my mother had made a whole mess of something for supper.
One
Hour Later…
“But father it shall not cost you one extra cent!” Julia wailed.
“And please inform me as to how that shall be? I have already shelled out a months pay, which certainly could have used to pay my foreman. The dresses you ordered for this little trip of yours have nearly broken me. Absolutely not Julia.”
“Please daddy, just take note. I promise it will not cost you one extra pound note.”
“You may proceed.” Her father replied placing his fork on his plate looking very doubtful.
***
After what seemed like hours to me, Julia entered the kitchen with a somber face. I put down the cherry tart I was just about to bite.
“He had said no. Did he not?” I asked with a sigh, then grabbed for the tart once again.
“Well he just…
“Do not inform me, I know. I am colored, and who the devil would pay for me to go on holiday.”
“Abbey…”
“No Julie it is quite alright I comprehend.” I responded as I blinked back the tears now.
“Silly, he informed me that you may go!” Julie yelled laughing, and we both began to dance around the kitchen.
Nana just shook her head smiling.
Her baby, on holiday who’d a thought.
When our excited shouts subsided, Julia looked at me.
“Oh, my god, we must pack. We leave the day after the morrow!”
“Pack, what the devil do I have to pack, Ima slave remember.” I replied and we both laughed again.
In all actuality, I was not though.
Julia made her father set my mother and I free when I was twelve years old. Mr. Stevens protested so loudly, I just new the neighbors down the road heard him. He said no at first, but then Julia went on a hunger movement, and would not eat or bathe, even after he tanned her hide. Finally, fearing she would starve to death, Mr. Stevens agreed, and I have been free ever since. I smiled down on her as she took my hand and dragged me towards her bedroom.
“Well come on then, you can help me pack.”
Julia said and I laughed as she dragged me up the stairs.
We would truly have so much sport.
London
England…
Ten years had been a long time.
However, it is what an aristocrat would acquire for out and out murder. Had it not been for the pleas of his sister to the magistrate, William might have gotten more years. Nevertheless, at the same time, most people who were sent to NewGate did not last a year, let alone ten.
William looked up at the mansion, then sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time.
Gone were his childhood fantasies, he was now a man.
The ten years had appropriated a toll on him; nevertheless, what motivated him was the contemplation of his sister and brother. As he walked into the parlor his sister looked up, gasped, then threw herself into his arms.
He laughed.
“Nicky!” She yelled, and his brother appeared. He embraced them both, then kissed the top of his sister’s head as she began to sob.
“Let me just look at the both of ye.” He laughed blinking rapidly, as he drew back from them.
“My have ye grown to be a beautiful young woman. Just like mother, I might add. “He grinned, and Samantha hugged him again.
It was striking how much she looked like their mother, red hair, green eyes and all.
“And ye are quite the man Nicky.” He grinned; his brother blushed, then grinned as he embraced him again.
“And look at ye old man. Would ye like to freshen up a bit?”
“No, I am returning to my town house. Thank God for Benders, he has kept my finances in order these last ten years.”
William looked up as his father walked into the room, then reached for his bag.
He had not aged well.
William thought frowning at his father. Magnus Crantham was completely silver-headed now. The lines on his face were a bit more pronounced, and he looked ancient and bitter.
William chuckled to himself.
Although he had the money, and the title, the Ton still did not respect him, from what William learned from Benders. His father was in the same position he had been in ten years ago, and William actually felt pity for his father as he looked at him.
“Why are ye here?” His father frowned.
William grinned.
“Do not become anxious father, I was just departing.” He retorted, then turned for the door.
“Manley wait.” Samantha cried, and he looked at her smiling.
Even after ten years, she still called him that.
“It is fine Sam, ye may visit me as much as ye fancy.” He said kissing the top of her head again, and she looked up giving him a watery smile. William hugged his brother, shoved him playfully, then turned for the door again.
“I shall inform ye now, that I have cut ye off. Ye will get nothing.” His father called, and William paused.
He was not the same boy who had left there ten years ago. He closed his eyes to gather control of his temper.
“It is of no concern to me father; I desire nothing from ye anyway. To me, ye expired ten years previously. Not to mention, it is my mother’s money, ye had nothing.” He stated quietly, and his father gasped.
“It will all go to Nicholas!” He shouted after him, and William walked on shaking his head.
He would never change.
William thought sadly.
Bradbury
Square…
As William walked the square, he knew he was not the same person who had walked these same streets ten years ago. He felt restless, and discerned that he desired something novel. He glimpsed the sign that said America, then frowned.
What did he truly have here?
Nicky and Sam were mature now; Samantha married, and Nicholas soon to be as well from what he had taken notice of. They were both living decent lives; so truly, there was no reason for him to settle here.
As he walked into his home, Beverly came forward, took his bag, then his coat.
“Can ye draw me a bath Bev?” He asked, she curtsied, then left the hallway to go up the stairs. William sighed, walked into the parlor, then poured himself a drink. The bell sounded, and he looked up as Crossely came into the parlor grinning.
“Bloody hell, so tis true.” He cried as he embraced William, then drew back laughing. “Chum, ye’ve aged.” He cried, and William shoved him laughing.
“Of course I have ye arse, tis ten years now.” He said sighing as he gestured to the chair across from him and Nevel took as seat as he did.
“And what shall ye do now that ye’ve been released?” Nevel asked as he took the cup of tea from the Glenis.
“I was contemplating a bit of traveling. Ten years of being sheltered away, causes one to deliberate on considering unmarked locations.” William said as he got up to look out the window at the waterfront.
“Sincerely? Where shall ye go?”Nevel asked as he sipped his tea.
“I was meditated on America.”
“Earnestly? Ye a yank, I am just not imagining that.” Nevel laughed, and Willim turned grinning.
“At least for a bit. I have no intentions of staying there; I just fancy a gander, tis all.” He
returned sighing.
“And when shall ye sail?”
“Friday.”
“Three days from hence? So ye’ve already settle this? Ye’ve only just returned Will.”
“I recognize, nevertheless ye know father. I cannot hang about here anymore Nevy.”
“Goodness, then we shall have to make a round of it tonight; for old time’s sake.” He grinned, and William could not help the grin, which came to his own features.
“Then I shall say 7 it is.” Nevel returned as he rose to his feet, and William laughed.
“Only for ye Nevy, only for ye.” He laughed, and Nevel nodded.
They embraced; Nevel grinned, then walked out the parlor.
William looked out the window again, then sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time.
He left the parlor and went upstairs.
One
week later…
As William gazed over the rail of the ship, he considered the ocean in all its beauty; and he felt a sense of peace and calm.
Where did he perceive his life departing from here, he had no suspicion, nevertheless he knew as long as his father was alive; he could never stay in London and actually be content.
He observed the ship far off the horizon, but even from its distance, he could see that its approach was rapid. He froze as the skull and cross bones came into view, and suddenly heard the captain yelling orders.
“Sir, ye must return below!” One of the men shouted from up top, and he looked up.
“I’ll do no such thing.” William shouted back, the man grinned, then tossed the sword down to him.
“Then ye best make ready to fight fur yer life.” He stated nodding to the ship, and William’s frown deepened even more, because as the ship approached he could clearly see that it was full of pirates.
As the cannon hit, William was sent flying towards the stern. He could smell not only the fire, but burning flesh as well. He shook his head to clear it, the animalistic screams sent a sudden fear down his spine, and he looked over to observe that one of the captain’s men was missing his legs.
William had just enough time to scramble to his feet, when they charged over the side of the ship, and all hell broke lose after that.
He felt the tip of the pirate’s blade pierce his shoulder, turned then rammed him through with his sword.
If NewGate had taught him nothing else, it taught him how to survive.
As he looked at the chaos on deck, he could see they were fighting a losing battle, but he would be damned if he would die without a fight. He had not spent ten years in that shite hole, to die aboard ship!
The musket rang out, and all motions on deck ceased.
The angry looking man with the black long beard had the captain by the throat, his knife causing a tiny trail of blood to roll down the captain’s neck.
“The lot of ye shall be still, or me musket will splatter yer cap’n’s brains all over the deck.” He growled, the captain’s crew frowned, then tossed down their swords. William was a little reluctant to drop his, when the pirate pressed the knife further into the captain’s throat, and he whimpered.
“Fine, arseholes.” William muttered, then threw down the sword.
The pirate spent the next thirty minutes, rounding up the captain’s men, then having them brought aboard his ship.
“The lot of ye will fetch a fine price where we aim to go.” The pirate laughed, William turned and punched the pirate behind him in the face as he shoved William forward.
The man drew his fist back to retaliate, when William swept his feet out from under him, then pounced on him and commenced to beat the living daylights out of him. It took three men to remove William, and the lead pirate frowned. He motioned for his men to bring William forward, and they did shoving him.
“I see this one is not to be trusted.” He said pensively as he studied William.
“I daresay ye have been a kept man.” He stated grinning, as he saw the tattoo from NewGate on William’s shoulder through his tattered shirt.
William looked at him then frowning.
“Take him below with the rest.” The pirate shouted, and the men shoved William forward again.
As he was taken below, William frowned.
He needed to find some way off this ship and quick.
He was not to be sold to God only knew how, killed, maimed or worse after ten bloody years!
They pushed him into the cell, and he looked around frowning.
“Already attempted it.” The man with the hat over his face muttered as William got up and tested the bars.
“If we are going to attempt to escape, it shall have to be on deck mate.” He mumbled, and William nodded as the man put the hat back over his face and commenced to sleep.
William sighed as he sat down in the straw, then rested his head on the bar nearest to him.
Shite, he had exchange one prison for another.
He shook his head then; he did not survive that hellhole for naught.
He would not die here, this he promised himself.
Resource Page…
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Happy Reading…
Research:
Louisiana: http://louisiana.gov/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana
http://www.historywiz.com/slavery-frenchrev.htm
France: Africans in France; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans_in_France
French revolution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution
Slavery and the French Revolution: http://www.historywiz.com/slavery-frenchrev.htm
Olympe de Gouges: http://www.dadalos.org/int/menschenrechte/Grundkurs_MR3/frauenrechte/woher/portraets/olympe_de_gouges.htm
Saint Domingue Revolution: http://www.marxist.com/slave-revolution-saint-domingue151204.htm
Toussaint L’Ouverture: http://www.historywiz.com/toussaint.htm
Thomas Coleman Younger: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1138
William T Anderson, “Bloody Bill”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_T._Anderson
Pinkerton Government Agency, “Pinkertons”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkerton_Government_Services
Prostitution: http://en101song18.blogspot.com/2010/09/prostitution-19th-century-united-states.html
Brothels: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/a-brief-history-of-brothels-523962.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothel
Love Letters:
Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine: Paris, December 1795
Elizabeth Barrett Browning to Robert Browning: 1806-1861
Robert Browning to Elizabeth: 1812-1889
Lord Byron
John Keats
If you have questions, concerns, or just want to let the author know you’re a fan, you can reach her @www.alieinfante.webs.com. All correspondence and feedback is welcomed.