Riverbreeze: Part 2 (8 page)

And he did, but with a disdainful look. “What is spi..cy cream ra…bbit?” He asked. “You cook?”

“Well...” Elizabeth drew the word out. She paused, wanting to cry all of a sudden. Finally she blurted out, “I’m afraid I do not know how to cook. I do not even know how to start a fire.” She finally admitted.

If she had been expecting sympathy or even help from him, she was sorely mistaken. But she didn’t know that male Indians like him scorned women’s work and preparing and cooking food was definitely women’s work.

Owasewas grunted again. “Robert stupid English man.” He commented, looking at her, and then Evelyn, with contempt.

“I beg your pardon!” Elizabeth gasped. She was totally confused and angered by that statement. At first she had been thrilled to meet an actual, live savage and had thought that they would become fast friends like he and Robert were. But now she doubted that they could form a mutually respectful relationship. She even wondered if he really was a true friend of Robert’s. “How dare you say something like that! Robert is not a stupid man!”

“You know not make fire; you know not cook. Robert stupid man to take you for wife.”

Elizabeth was so taken aback she didn’t know how to respond to this. Everything he said was true. She didn’t know how to make a fire or how to cook, but she was determined to learn.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down. She grabbed the plate from Evelyn, set it down on the table with more force than was necessary and then went to the sideboard to get a knife.

“What are you doing?” Evelyn leaned into Elizabeth to whisper in her ear.

“I’m going to skin these things and then cook them for our supper!”

Evelyn looked horrified. “But…” She started to protest.

However, at that moment, the front door opened and Dolnick came into the kitchen, carrying the two crates that protected the silver trays. He started to ask, “Where do you want…?” But stopped short when he saw Owasewas. He froze in the doorway, quite wary of the Indian.

“I go now.” Owasewas said, moving quickly backwards toward the door. He didn’t know this new Englishman and new Englishmen always made him nervous. It didn’t matter that this man was Robert’s servant and had to obey Robert’s orders. Owasewas couldn’t allow himself to trust any new settler.

He slipped out through the door, silent as the fog lifting from the river.

Coolly, Elizabeth watched him go.

Finally, breaking the silence and eyeing the plump animals with his belly growling, Dolnick asked, “Are those rabbits our supper? Did he bring those?” He had placed the crates on the floor next to the wall and had walked over to the table.

Elizabeth only nodded, her mind still on Owasewas. Evelyn was the one to answer. “Yes, he did bring them, but…”

Once again, Dolnick interrupted. “Beg pardon, Mistress.” He said, noticing the knife in Elizabeth’s hand and how awkwardly she held it. “If I may be so bold, Mistress, I would be pleased to skin those for you and cut them into collops. They’ll make a fine stew, Mistress.”

“Do you know how to make a stew, Mr. Cocke?” Evelyn asked with hope in her eyes.

“Yes, Mistress, I can make a fine stew if there are carrots and turnips and some onion perhaps.” He started looking around the kitchen, opening lids on barrels and sniffing the contents of several crocks on the sideboard. He found salt, a cone of sugar, (which he would not use for the stew) some dried parsley and dried rosemary.

The girls watched him, their mouths hanging open a little. He was more comfortable in this kitchen than they were!

Elizabeth finally realized what a godsend he was and all her previous thoughts of doing everything herself fled her mind. “Mr. Cocke.” She called.

He stopped poking around to give her his full attention.

“Mr. Cocke,” Elizabeth said again, standing tall and clasping her hands in front of her. She remembered that this was the way her governess stood when she spoke to their servants. “Will you start a fire, please? We need to heat the water in the kettle. Then I need you to clean out this pot before making the stew. My sister and I will look for any vegetables you need.”

“Yes, Mistress.” Dolnick said, with a nod of his head.

Evelyn was now gaping at Elizabeth.

“May I suggest that you look for a root cellar.” Dolnick added. “For the vegetables.”

“Thank you, Mr. Cocke.” Elizabeth said formally. Then she grabbed Evelyn’s hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and into the hall.

There, she let out a huge sigh and hugged Evelyn. What a relief it was not to have to worry about trying to start a fire or cook supper when she had no idea how to do any of it. This was really how they were meant to live, ordering servants about to do the dirty work and not getting their own hands dirty.

But as it was, they ended up doing more than just finding vegetables in the root cellar underneath the house. They helped to wash them and cut them up as well. Dolnick had a certain easy-going manner to him and a voice so deep and smooth and deceptively commanding, that the girls responded to him like children responding to a gentle father. Dolnick also instructed them in how to make corn cakes, measuring out the corn meal, a couple pinches of salt, some pig lard and finally the goat’s milk that they first had to milk the goat for! Once again, Dolnick was the teacher and the girls, feeling so awkward and out of their element, but eager to learn, followed his instructions as if they were under a spell. And after milking the goat, Evelyn put her into the barn for the night at Dolnick’s mild suggestion!

The water for Abigail finally heated up and Elizabeth took a pitcher to her in the keeping room. She then closed all the shutters and the doors and stood by discreetly while Abby washed herself. Finally she helped Abby don clean clothes. But there was very little conversation between them because Elizabeth didn’t know how to respond to a woman who had just been raped or to a woman who surreptitiously watched every move she made.

In the meantime, Evelyn set the table for six people with a mixture of good pewter plates and cups and pottery dishes and bowls with a marbled red glaze. She could only find three table knives with bone handles so they would have to share those, but luckily there were ten pewter spoons of various sizes and one small silver spoon that must have been Robin’s baptismal gift. She also placed two candlesticks on the table, one at either end and lit the candles with a taper lit from the cracking fire in the fireplace.

Finally, Elizabeth and Evelyn washed their hands and faces using some of the warm water and then collapsed onto the bench at the table. They were tired and hungry, but they felt rather proud of themselves. Water had been heated and supper would be served soon. Dolnick had brought up a small keg of beer that had been down in the root cellar and had placed it on the side board. And now he was going to fetch Nathan and the dogs.

Sitting with her sister, Elizabeth wondered when Robert would return home and how he would feel if they started dinner without him. But she was very hungry and most likely everyone else was too, and they had no idea when he would return. And perhaps when he visited his neighbors they would offer him refreshments. Whenever she had visited friends with her father and her sister, they had always been offered food and drink.

So with that thought, it was decided that they would start supper without Robert, and even Jamie who was still fast asleep, and hope that they didn’t mind.

* * *

Robert arrived back at Riverbreeze, exhausted, cold and famished. He let out a huge sigh, glad to be home for the night. Telling his neighbors about his runaway servant was only a start. Tomorrow he would have to report the incident to the sheriff who would then issue a warrant for the runaway’s arrest. The warrant, which acted like a hue and a cry, would command all people in the community to assist the sheriff in capturing the runaway. Robert had no doubt that Connelly would be captured. It would only take two or three days for word to spread up and down the river, and all planters were always eager to help each other out.

He only wished that finding the man who had raped Abby would be so easy.

As he neared the house, he was glad to see smoke coming from the kitchen chimney. He wasn’t sure if Elizabeth knew how to light a fire and he had worried constantly while he had been out. He also saw smoke coming from the chimney at the small house which didn’t surprise him at all.

Instead of entering the house through the front door, he decided to go in through the side kitchen door. His clothes and moccasins were soaked through and standing in front of a warm fire sounded awfully good to him right now. Rounding the corner of the house he was shocked to see Owasewas squatting idly by the door and whittling a stick with the small knife that Robert had given him when they had first met.

Owasewas stood easily upon seeing Robert approach.

“Hello! What are you doing there?” Robert greeted him, raising his hand. Right before he had left to go to his neighbors, he had spoken briefly to Owasewas about Elizabeth and the reason why he had married, and naturally the conversation included Robert’s Indian lover, Makki. He had made it perfectly clear that he didn’t want Owasewas mentioning her at all in front of Elizabeth. While Owasewas had different views on this subject, he understood Robert’s situation and had agreed to keep Robert’s secret.

Owasewas tossed the stick off to the side. “Nothing.” He said, keeping his expression neutral.

Robert clapped him on the shoulder, causing Owasewas to stiffen. “I wish you would come into the house with me, Owas.” Robert said, using the nickname he had given the Indian. “I’m certain ‘twill be warmer in the house.”

“I not cold.” Owasewas said.

Robert sighed. “I know, but I was hoping.”

“I bring ra…bbits. Give them to…” He paused, trying to remember how to pronounce Elizabeth’s name.

“Elizabeth.” Robert prompted him. “My wife.”

Owasewas nodded. “Yes, E…liz…a…beth.”

“Good! Very good.” Robert clasped his shoulder again. “I know her name is a mouth full, just like yours is.” He teased Owasewas with a friendly poke to his ribs.

Owasewas didn’t smile and when Robert saw the serious look on his face, his own smile faded away. “What is it, Owas? You look like you’ve swallowed a stinkbug.”

Owasewas lowered his eyes, but then brought them up to meet Robert’s. “I call you stupid to E…liz…a…beth.”

Robert’s mouth dropped open; then he started to chuckle. “You called me stupid? Why?”

“Your wife not know how to cook ra…bbits. You stupid to want her. Makki know how.”

“Now, Owasewas, I’ve already explained to you why I married Elizabeth.” Robert gently chided the Indian.

“She yell at me.” Owasewas added, gravely.

Robert asked. “What did she say?”

In stilted English, Owasewas explained how Elizabeth had defended Robert, saying that he wasn’t stupid.

Hearing how Elizabeth had corrected Owasewas on his behalf warmed Robert’s heart. He smiled, imagining the scene in his mind. He would have to explain to Elizabeth that Owasewas was only expressing his point of view. He hadn’t meant to be disrespectful. “Come inside, Owas.” Robert urged him again, putting his arm around Owasewas’ shoulder. The wolf-skin felt thick and luxurious under his hand despite how wet it was. “Maybe those rabbits got cooked somehow.”

Owasewas started to shake his head, but Robert wouldn’t take no for an answer this time. Before he had always let Owasewas slip away, respecting his need to keep his distant from Robert’s English trappings.

When they stepped through the doorway, everyone stopped what they were doing to look at them. Robert was amazed at the homey scene before him. Everyone was sitting around the table, the three women on one side, Elizabeth and Evelyn, and Abigail between them; and the two men on the other side, Nathan and Dolnick. Even the dogs were curled up on a towel in front of the fire, their bellies distended from their share of the dinner. They were so sated they only lifted their heads to let out a single bark each at his intrusion.

Everyone had bowls and plates of food in front of them along with cups and tankards. Surprisingly whatever they were eating smelled especially good. Robert’s stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten since morning.

“Good evening, everyone. I hope there’s some of that left for me and my friend. I assume whatever has been prepared includes the rabbits he provided?” Robert asked, removing his buckskin shirt and hanging it on a peg by the door.

The servants stood up so fast, the bench was in danger of being knocked over.

Nervously, Nathan said, “Welcome back, sir. May I get you some supper?”

“That would be nice, Nathan.” Robert said, stepping up to the side of the table where Elizabeth was now standing. She hadn’t spoken yet and was eyeing Owasewas as if he were the enemy.

Uh oh, she’s still angry at him
, Robert thought. He greeted Evelyn and Abigail with a cordial nod, then tenderly cupped Elizabeth’s chin while giving her a light kiss on her tight lips. “No welcoming words for your new husband?” He asked in a near whisper.

She looked at him. “You are welcome, but he isn’t!” And she crossed her arms across her chest.

Robert sighed. With much patience, he said, “Elizabeth, he is my guest; he brought the rabbits and he is entitled to a portion of dinner. He didn’t mean what he said, you know.” He shook his head then, changing his mind. “Well, he did, but ‘tis only because of the way his people are. I’m not angry with him, and you shouldn’t be either.”