Riverbreeze: Part 2 (38 page)

He left her where she was, striding purposefully towards the church steps. He felt like it was taking him forever to get to the door. All these interruptions were getting on his nerves!

“Rob!” Jamie called out, interrupting him again. Jamie rushed through the gate and up the path to the church.

Robert reluctantly stopped at the bottom step and turned around. He had almost made it.

“Rob.” Jamie panted, stopping short. One corner of his mouth lifted up in a wry smile. “I didn’t really think you’d come today even after you promised Elizabeth you would bring her. I’m glad you did.”

Robert smiled crookedly in return. “Even though I aggravated old Clement?”

“Aah!” Jamie waved him off. “You should have heard him earlier when the boys were tossing stones at him. We yelled at them to leave him alone, and they did, but I guess one stone hit him before they stopped.”

Robert sobered. “It could be me next week.” He said quietly.

“Nay.” Jamie disagreed. “Doctor Harris will be reasonable.”

“I can only hope.”

“The notice for the meeting of court is on the door.” Jamie nodded his head in the direction of the church door. Both brothers stepped up closer to the door. “Next Thursday, November 9, 1643, just like Huett said.”

“I’m thrilled.” Robert said sarcastically. He scanned the notice and then others on the door. There were reports of runaways, and he thought of poor Connelly. Lynden Kinsale wanted to hire a man to help him dig a well and Martin Blear needed three men to help him build a tobacco barn. And then there were numerous items for sale or for trade: Paul Ellison had a heifer for sale, Gerald Warden was selling eggs, John Cooper was selling or trading barrels; The Newtons were selling their small farm and everything along with it. The notice said they were going back to England.

Robert pulled that notice off the door. “What do you think about this?” He asked his brother. “Do you think we should buy it?” Robert had often spoken to his brother about buying more land. Even though he and Jamie had just inherited a sizable piece of property, Robert still thought it prudent to invest in as much land as they could manage.

Jamie looked shocked. “The whole farm? We can’t afford that. I still have to build a house and expand my stables.”

“’Tis a small place. And you and Evelyn could live on it until we get your house built.”

Jamie shook his head. “The girls will never agree.”

Robert sighed. “I suppose you’re right. It is rather far away, but I’m still going to ask what he wants for it.”

“Have it your way, but I---.”

Jamie was interrupted by Adam Cooke showing up. Robert felt a hand land on his shoulder. He turned quickly to see Adam’s grinning face. “Hey!” Robert greeted him heartily. Then men embraced, pounding each other’s backs.

Finally Adam said to Robert while winking to Jamie. “So, I hear you need my assistance.”

Robert threw Jamie a dirty look, but replied good-naturedly, “I do. By Thursday, I need to be able to…” He stopped suddenly, having caught a glimpse of Burnett over Cooke’s shoulder. It was not difficult to recognize him; he was wearing his usual black coat, breeches, and broad-brimmed hat. And he appeared to be heading straight towards Abigail. “Sorry, man.” He said quickly, turning to take a step. “I have to see someone. ‘Tis very important.”

Adam and Jamie looked perplexed and shrugged their shoulders, but they didn’t question Robert. Unfortunately, he didn’t get very far. At that moment, the clerk pulled open the door and called everyone into the church.

* * *

Bloody hell
! Robert muttered to himself. Now he would have to wait until the service was over to approach Burnett. He would be like a little boy with ants in his pants, trying to be patient and sit still.

The crowd surged forward like a herd of cattle except for the group of elite gentlemen; three members of the Burgesses, the Sheriff, the Justices and so forth. Following the tradition of the ranked procession, they hung back until everyone else was in their seats. Robert, Jamie and Adam stepped out of the way to allow the women and girls to enter first. Elizabeth, Evelyn and Abigail were walking with Hetta and Emily and proceeded into the church after exchanging a few quick words with their husbands.

The men followed like obedient sheep, and Robert, Jamie and Adam joined them, shuffling along slowly and quietly through the church door and down the aisle. Robert tried to get another glimpse of Burnett and saw him at the back of the pack. As soon as the service was over, he planned to seek him out.

Nathan and Dolnick also stayed at the back of the church, standing on either side of the door. The other servants in attendance, along with the Negroes, remained standing as well.

The women and girls found their seats on public benches on one side of the church and then the men and boys slid onto benches on the opposite side. The men’s side was much fuller than the women’s side; almost every bench was taken. Robert sat next to Jamie and Adam; George, Charles and Charles’ boys also shared their bench. As the last of the commoners filed in and sat down, Robert twisted in his seat to keep an eagle eye on Burnett.

“What are you doing?” Jamie scolded him in a whisper.

“I’m watching Burnett.”

“You can talk to him later. Turn around and quit staring.” Jamie hissed.

He did, only because several women and men were starting to glare at him, including his wife. He threw her a faint smile, shrugging his shoulders. She just shook her head at him and went back to whispering with Evelyn who had been showing her some features of the church, in particular the table at the head of the church which was draped with a fine velvet cloth that served as an altar and the altarpiece which was two boards nailed together and framed with molding. The Ten Commandments were lettered on them.

Robert needed to calm himself. Everyone else had already quieted while they waited for the pastor to enter, including Charles’ boys; and if the boys could behave, Robert could too. He lifted his eyes to the timber trussed ceiling and took in a few long breaths, smelling the scent of freshly cut pine boughs. The inside of the church had been cleaned and then decorated with fresh evergreens and holly branches by Mistress Matthews. Every week she made the church as welcoming as she could, collecting whatever wildflowers or greenery was available at the time. Everyone appreciated her efforts, even the time she had brought in several stalks of marsh mallow, which had attracted some bees and Mistress Beadle had gotten stung on the nose!

At the memory, he started to chuckle silently to himself, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Of course, Jamie shoved his elbow into Robert’s side and hissed, “What are you laughing at?”

“Do you remember when Mistress Beadle got stung on the nose?” Robert whispered back, almost laughing out loud.

Jamie screwed his face up at Robert. “What made you think of that?” He hissed back.

Robert just shrugged his shoulders. “I know not, but it sure was funny.” He chuckled again attracting the attention of others around him.

“Shh.” Jamie finally shushed him, giving him a stern look.

“Yes, sir.” Robert whispered mockingly, wiping the smile off his face. But as soon as Jamie turned his attention elsewhere, Robert started chuckling to himself again, instinctively rubbing his nose.

Finally, the pastor came through the side door and Robert settled down.

“Good morning, everyone.” The pastor said cordially, bowing his head to his congregation. Everyone responded in kind. Then he walked slowly across the church, around the chancel and towards the pulpit which was located about a quarter of the way from the far-end of the church. When he arrived he positioned himself behind the reading platform where a large leather-bound prayer book was already open to the pages he had selected to read from. He also had a Bible tucked under the platform on a shelf.

Robert had always liked Reverend Gowan. He was a jovial kind of man with rosy cheeks and twinkling blue eyes, was in his early thirties, was friendly, generous, and well-fed, unlike Thomas Harrison in Jamestown. He wore his ordinary coat and breeches in brown wool, and fine linen preaching bands in the form of a wide collar, spreading horizontally from side to side across his shoulders with band strings tied at his throat. He didn’t wear a surplice in deference to the men who continued to hold a suspicion of popery in the Anglican Church.

A few feet from the pulpit, Roy Wright, the lay reader, sat at a simple desk. He also had a large prayer book in front of him. He was a small man with much energy, fastidiously neat and proper, but he loved to eat sticky gingerbread when he could get his hands on it, which wasn’t too often. Robert remembered visiting him and his wife, Mary, last Christmas and Mary had made several gingerbread cakes to give to friends as gifts, and she was going to give one to Robert and Jamie, but much to her embarrassment, when she went to fetch one, there were none left! Roy shamefacedly admitted he had eaten the last one for his breakfast that morning. After Robert had left their home, he had had a good laugh over that. But this year he was expecting that gingerbread cake!

The pastor and the lay reader exchanged a silent communication and then the pastor cleared his throat to gain everyone’s attention, which really wasn’t necessary because everyone was already waiting for him to begin.

Reverend Gowan began to read a passage from his prayer book in his deep, melodious voice, even though the gentlemen hadn’t come in yet. It was the same way every week. Robert thought it rude of the men, but his opinion didn’t count. And it was tradition. It had always been that way. In Jamestown, the governor made a formal processional entry accompanied by a guard of liveried halberdiers!

When Reverend Gowan finished reading the passage, the lay reader read a response from his prayer book. A few people who had memorized the passage or who had prayer books of their own, joined in, but there were very few of them. Robert noticed that Elizabeth and Evelyn had been able to respond. He wasn’t surprised. Jamie, also, responded, his voice clear and reverent.

The gentlemen came in then—there were a dozen of them, including Roger—catching everyone’s attention. Roger stayed humbly behind his companions, but the others knew they were being watched. However, they didn’t acknowledge anyone other than the pastor. Robert sneered at them as the gentlemen bowed briefly to Reverend Gowan whose mouth went tight in irritation; nevertheless he nodded his head once in return. Then half of the gentlemen went to the opposite side of the church while the other half stayed on the side they came in on. Almost in unison they sat in their private pews in the chancel.

Elizabeth looked over at Robert, her expression derisive. He rolled his eyes in turn, completely in agreement.

At that moment the pastor moved from the pulpit to the altar and knelt to recite a prayer he had memorized from the book. As he returned to the pulpit, the lay reader called out the number of the psalm and led the parishioners in singing it in unison.

Elizabeth and Evelyn knew every word even before the reader relayed it. Actually Robert did too. The service was almost the same every week; a reading of a series of set prayers and biblical passages, interspersed with responsive readings and sung psalms. A sermon, of course, or a homily. It could be quite boring, but today they were in for a treat.

After a zealous sermon on the foul sins of fornication and bastardy, the door opened and two church wardens escorted a young woman and a young man up the aisle. Both looked wretched; both were clothed in white sheets and carried a white wand. Their feet were bare. The couple was Jocelyn Trussell and Jacob Bailey, servants of Christopher Woodward, and their crime was fornication. Jocelyn had also been tried and found guilty of bastardy. They had already received their punishment of 15 lashes on their bare backs after their trials; now they were to ask for forgiveness and repent their sins.

There was a lot of whispering and fidgeting and looks of disdain as they were ushered up the aisle until they reached the front pews. The poor woman was trembling, or shivering, Robert couldn’t tell which, and she had tears in her eyes. The man looked sufficiently remorseful and most embarrassed. He kept his eyes downcast and avoided everyone’s looks of condemnation.

Robert knew of Christopher Woodward, but had only met him in passing, so he couldn’t pass judgment on his management of his servants. The servants, Robert had never met, but he did feel some sympathy for them. They had probably fallen in love, but since they were both still indented to Woodward, it was forbidden for them to marry; and unable to behave themselves, the inevitable had happened.

The couple was made to stand in front of the pulpit where they received harsh words of condemnation from the pastor. He urged them to confess and to repent their sins.

Jocelyn went first, kneeling on the hard, cold floor and reciting in a soft, wavering voice: “I, Jocelyn Trussell, do here acknowledge and confess in the presence of the whole congregation that I have grievously sinned and offended against the divine Majesty of Almighty God and all Christian People in committing a foul and detestable crime, and am heartily sorry and truly penitent for the same and do unfeignedly beseech Almighty God of his infinite goodness to be merciful unto me and forgive this my heinous offence, and I do heartily desire the congregation and all good people to forgive and pray for me.”