MARINE (Agent of Time Book 1)

by Tanya Allan

  We were still staying with James and his wife, Charlotte Rose, in their house on the neighbouring plantation, as the workers struggled to rebuild ours in time. Charlotte Rose fitted her husband’s description, as a pretty, but slightly insipid creature, who rarely ventured forth from her home.

  We arrived at their home late on the third day after making landfall. A large white house with columns and a panoramic view of the countryside, welcomed us. Charlotte Rose and the three children came out to greet us, and as Katie and I had ridden in preference to riding over the rough tracks, we dismounted with some relief.

  Charlotte was a small woman, only five feet two, and of slight build. The daughter of a prominent merchant from Norfolk, Virginia, she lost little time in telling me how she would prefer to live in a town.

  She was fair and very pretty, but somewhat cold and shrew-like, in my opinion. It became very apparent that she mistrusted her husband, seeing in me extra reasons for mistrust. James persisted in flirting with me, and in such an obvious manner that Roger had occasion to call him in check.

  I guessed that my brother-in-law wasn’t averse to sowing wild oats amongst the slave girls on neighbouring plantations, and even with the occasional whore in the city, thus fuelling his wife’s jealously and probably causing her cold demeanour.

  Katie was several inches taller than her cousin Henry, who was a stocky child, the image of his father. He was a sombre boy, who was thoughtful and serious. Lucy, on the other hand was lively and bubbly, with her mother’s looks and her father’s outgoing personality. She was a year and a half younger than Katie, so I was amused at the awe in which Lucy regarded her new English cousin.

  Lastly, Jonathon was six months older than William was, and the two boys had glared at each other suspiciously for a few minutes. However, once the ice was broken, they became firm friends, benefitting more than anyone with the two families coming together.

  It was mid October when we arrived, so the leaves were beginning to change colour. Fortunately, the house was large enough to fit us all, and after such an exhausting journey, we retired very early.

  Over the next weeks, we explored the plantations, and began to get to know James and his family. Charlotte Rose never really relaxed with me. I was uncertain whether she felt jealous of me, or whether she felt insecure because Roger carried a title, in addition to appearing more confident and worldly than most people she knew.

  The fact that I arrived with my own dressmaker and a host of staff, seemed to surprise her. I believe that she had been hoping to portray herself as a gracious colonial hostess over an impoverished English family. Instead, she found me too young, too attractive and far too outgoing. The fact her husband visibly drooled whenever in close proximity to me, may also have been a factor.

  We arranged for smaller homes to be constructed for the servants, so we gradually managed to get ourselves sorted out. I really missed some of the instantaneous aspects to living that the twenty-first century offered. The one commodity that was in great supply was human resources. Most plantations had several hundred slaves, and even James, contrary to what he had led us to believe, owned sixty or so. He had, admittedly, freed double that many, most of whom continued to live in similar circumstances to those not free, on his land.

  Peer pressure made such innovative action difficult or even downright dangerous. In order to keep profits up and overheads down, freeing slaves was not good business and socially unpopular.

  “You’ll have to buy slaves if you want to set yourself up properly. What you do with them later is up to you. But you can’t hire effective labour in these parts,” James told us.

  Roger looked at me and, knowing my feeling on the subject, he smiled ruefully.

  “That’s as may be, James, but we have it in mind to have a completely free labour force. Neither Jane, nor I, agree with the principles of slavery, so will not be a party to it!”

  “Unless you have a surplus of capital, you may find it excessively hard to make a good living from your land. The last owners went broke because they tried to grow cotton this far north. You need to look carefully at all the factors,” James said.

  I looked out across the green fields, and smiled a secret smile. I knew that within less than fifty years, the entire social climate would shift. The civil war would bring a completely new way of life to so many people, despite the fact that even in the twentieth century, prejudice and discrimination was still a major factor in social unrest in America and other parts of the world. However, that was the future and we had to live in the here and now.

  The United States may have won its independence, but it was a fledgling nation with much of the land wild and uncharted. The fourteen colonies along the eastern seaboard were almost the limit of civilisation, with those few habitations further inland not really considered worthy of visiting, or so we were led to believe.

  In the world perspective, America wasn’t a nation that the European powers looked on with any great opinion. Britain pretended not to be bothered by the rebellious colonists. Politically, there was an attitude of ‘good riddance’ over their independence, as it would have been too costly to administer in any case. In reality, there was some embarrassment and deep hurt caused by the defeat at the hands of the colonists. Any opportunity to turn the tables would be seized upon, so those in power in the new nation were conscious of their vulnerability. There was also a real shortage of experienced military men in the colonies, so whilst on a business trip to the capitol, Roger was approached by some men with a view to establishing his experience and suitability for command in the new United States Army.

  The nation was viewed as a collection of territories that were loosely connected as a nation, but still as a land of opportunity that had yet to reach its potential.

  Over the next few months, after moving into our new home, we started to strive towards that potential. The children took to attending a local school, which was run in the nearby town of Middleburg. It was a half-hour buggy ride away, so Oliver was deputed to drive them over in the morning and return to collect them in the afternoon.

  James had been right. The pressures of maintaining slaves were great. However, I worked out that the cost of purchasing, housing and feeding slaves was greater than employing freed slaves and paying them a wage, from which they could pay their own way in the world. I also found that the employed free men were more productive, as we paid for end products, rather than a set wage for time spent.

  Our policy was innovative and unpopular with the other plantation owners. However, our tobacco crop was better after that first year than any other plantation, so I felt vindicated.

  Roger was well accepted by his fellow plantation owners and social equals, despite our initiatives to free and then employ our labour force. I, however, found the women a different set altogether. In England, we socialised with soldiers and their wives, or local worthies. Here, without exception, we mixed with the wealthy plantation owners, merchants and similar. There wasn’t a class system, such as in England, but a division caused by wealth or the lack of it.

  I found it equally obnoxious as I had the many layered class system in England, except the wealthy here often lacked the social graces and manners with which I had become accustomed.

  I found few friends amongst the women, as my opinions and interests were rarely shared by any of them. Their conversations were trivial to me, concerning fashion, children and their households. I could and did participate in such conversations, as my role as a wife and mother demanded it, but I rarely enjoyed a conversation with anyone other than the men. My inner core may have been female, but much of my experience and opinions were masculine by default. As a result, most of the wives viewed me with hostility and suspicion, while many of their husbands saw me as a potential sexual conquest.

  Meanwhile, James, rather than being dissuaded by my lack of response to his ardour, saw me as a challenge and doubled his efforts to seduce me, causing more than a little friction between he and Roger, as well
as his wife.

  Things came to a head one day in the summer following our arrival.

  I was at the stable, having just enjoyed a ride over to the river, next to which we were in the course of building new accommodation for our workers.

  I was wiping down my chestnut mare when I sensed someone was watching me. On turning, I saw James leaning against the door.

  “James? You startled me. Are you looking for Roger?”

  He smiled. “No, Jane, I know that Roger has gone to town. I’ve come looking for you.”

  I sighed; weary of this game. “James, I told you; I’m not interested. I love my husband and will not betray him!”

  “Oh Jane, why did you not come into my life sooner? You know, of course, that things between Charlotte Rose and I are far from happy?”

  “It’s none of my business, but it is apparent that matters are somewhat strained. Perhaps if you were to be here more often, then her attitude may improve?” I suggested.

  “Pah, I’ve tried that. I’ve tried being here and I’ve tried being away. Neither is to her satisfaction. She treats me so coldly; I cannot live with it any longer!”

  “Sir, if you were to talk to her, find out what ails her, then perchance she’d give you an inkling what the problem is.”

  “To be honest, I don’t care anymore. We are man and wife in name only. We have not been man and wife in reality for many months!”

  “That is regrettable, but hardly something I can do anything about. Your wife and I are not really friends. I fear she views me with some dislike.”

  “I know, she has remarked upon your beauty and demeanour. She fears you and is envious of you. You are a remarkable woman, Jane.”

  I smiled, but felt this was getting tricky.

  “Sir, I have never intended to give your wife reason to dislike me, I find it quite upsetting.”

  “I can’t imagine you upset by a shrew like Charlotte.”

  “It irks me that she cannot see life for what it is. She has no reason to be jealous of me.”

  “She thinks that you will steal me from her,” he said.

  “She knows I am happily married. I give her no cause to fear that, unless you do?”

  “You don’t know what you do to me!” he said, advancing towards me. He was a powerful man, so under normal circumstances, even as an above average female, I’d still be a lot weaker than he was. But then, I was not what I appeared.

  “I can imagine, yet it is not something either of us can do anything about, sir.”

  “Oh, you are so wrong. I’ve watched you for nearly a year, and I am telling you that I intend to have you. Here and now!”

  He lunged at me, catching my wrists, forcing his lips against my face. I turned my head, so he ended up slobbering all over my cheeks. My long skirts prevented me from raising my knee with the force I wanted to, so, twisting in his grip, I freed one hand and I elbowed him in the throat. He released me, clutching at his injured part, so I punched him on the temple with all my power.

  He went down, hard and dazed.

  On hearing a commotion, Oliver rushed in and saw him fall. He picked up a pitchfork, so I had to physically restrain him from stabbing my brother-in-law.

  “No, Oliver, leave him!”

  “But he tried to…”

  “No matter, he didn’t, so leave him!”

  I knelt down and checked James was breathing. This situation wasn’t going to get any better, as I knew I had to tell Roger.

  Oliver finished grooming my mare, as I sat watching for James’ recovery.

  “Shall I…?” Oliver started.

  “Oliver, don’t fret. Just put her into her stall, there’s a good fellow.”

  I must have hit James hard, for he took several moments to come round fully. He looked dazed for a moment or two, but then frowned as he recalled what happened. He struggled onto his elbows and glared at me.

  “You hit me!”

  “You will do well to remember that I am married, as are you. Should you try anything like that again, I will hit you again. Now, you will leave this plantation, as you are no longer welcome here.”

  He struggled up onto his feet, glancing at Oliver who was hovering in the background with a mean expression and the pitchfork.

  “You struck me while my guard was down, and in front of the hired help! I will have to teach you some manners. This land was mine, I made you what you are, you ungrateful wench!”

  I nodded, turning round to Oliver. “Oliver, please leave us alone. This man needs to be taught some manners.”

  “Yes, Mum,” he said, reluctantly leaving us alone. I turned back to the smouldering James.

  “You declare yourself. Please leave now, or be assured that I will make you realise just how stupid it would be to threaten me,” I said.

  Dusting himself off, he swore, but stood looking at me. Slowly he unfastened his belt, wrapping a couple of loops around his right hand.

  “I shall teach you a lesson in manners. You shall learn your station!”

  “My station? Sir, you are in danger of learning rather more than you bargained for.”

  He advanced towards me, a cruel sneer on his flushed face.

  Hampered by long skirts, I knew that high kicks would be relatively ineffective, so I adopted a casual unarmed combat stance, palms open and ready.

  Frowning slightly at my unexpected response, he continued his advance, raising his arm to strike me with the belt. Still I didn’t move, allowing him to get within six feet, before stepping rapidly in towards him.

  Successfully thwarting his action to strike, he altered his arm to try to side-swipe at me. I caught the belt, turned and pulled as he stepped towards me. I hit him with two rapid punches to the upper chest, and skipped back out of range, as he staggered backwards.

  “Come on, James, you can do better than that!”

  Angry and confused, he rushed at me, seeking to grasp me and push me to the floor. I waited until the last moment, turned, lifting my skirts, and struck with a downward kick to his knee. He screamed and fell forwards as his leg collapsed. I followed through with a knee under his falling chin.

  He went down again, this time for much longer.

  I waited for ten minutes and then got bored, so I threw a bucket of water over him.

  Looking at me fearfully, he spluttered back into consciousness. I said nothing, simply pointing at the door. He stood up, somewhat gingerly, turned and strode out of the stable. I heard the sounds of him riding away. It was then I saw Oliver hiding by the door.

  “You watched?”

  “Yes, Mum, sorry Mum, but I didn’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “”You needn’t have worried, for I’m more than capable of taking care of myself. But thank you for caring. Now, go and finish your chores, and you are to speak of this to no one, understand?”

  “Yes Mum, and Mum?”

  “Yes Oliver.”

  “You done him good and proper, Mum,” he said, chuckling.

  “Yes, I rather think I may have done.”

  Roger was not pleased when I told him. However, he wasn’t unduly surprised.

  “James told me his marriage is a loveless one and he envied our relationship. I never thought he’d seek to take you like that. I’m sorry that I wasn’t here to protect you.”

  “I looked after myself, but it can’t go on. I fear we shall have to move away, as I won’t live like this.” I then told him about my lack of friends amongst the women, as well as the attitude of some of the men.

  “We shall move nearer to Washington. I would have the children in a better school, in any case. I fear I’m not a farmer, Jane, so will you mind moving again?”

  “Can we afford to?”

  He smiled. “I have been offered a substantial sum for the plantation, so the answer has to be yes. I meant to tell you, but I’ve been offered a commission in the army.”

  “Which army?” I asked.

  “The United States Army, as my experiences in the wars
seem to be valued. I met a man who works in the government, they want me to recruit and train my own regiment of cavalry.”

  Our lives were about to change again.

  In 1817, after less than a year on this soil, we moved again, buying a large home in the township of Holmwood in Maryland, some twenty miles from Washington. I fear that Roger’s relationship with his brother was irreconcilable, so I felt annoyed that I was the cause.

  Phyllis set up her shop in Washington, so her London styles and keen needlework meant the business was an immediate success. The children went to new schools, in which they thrived amongst better competition and more friends.

  Roger, having formed his own regiment - the Maryland Dragoons, was now a full Colonel in the United States Army. Essentially, the army comprised of many such regiments, as it was more a collection of militia that came together in the face of a common enemy, than a standing army. Unlike the British and other European powers, America didn’t have the personnel or resources to have a full time professional army, relying instead on volunteers and a very small corps of professional soldiers who knew their business. Ironically, many of these had been officers or NCOs in His Britannic Majesty’s Army.

  With the children growing up, for either they were in school or being looked after in the nursery, I found myself with time to devote for my real reason for being here, as well as supporting my husband. I made a point of accompanying him when he went to his regiment, so I had become familiar with all of his officers and many of the non commissioned officers as well. Sometimes, life was too complex and involved for me to be what I should have been, but I kept a close watch in all the newspapers for anything that would give away my enemies.

  Most of the soldiers had little or no training, or experience. Some had been involved in the war with the British, and it took a strong character to deal with the mistrust that many bore ex-Britannic soldiers. Luckily Roger had such a strong character, and soon he had an excellent cadre upon which to build his regiment.