by Zugg, Victor
“Basically in the Far East,” Rhett repeated. He cocked his head slightly. “Very odd indeed.”
“If he has the money necessary, does it matter?” Darby asked.
“I suppose it doesn’t,” Rhett said.
Darby turned to Mason. “I may know of a boat.”
“We’d be willing to pay a finder’s fee,” Mason said.
Darby lifted his chin. He glanced at Rhett and then back to Mason. “Meet me here tomorrow morning, say eight.”
“Thank you,” Mason said. “We’ll be here.”
“In the mean time,” Rhett said, “can I recommend a clothier.”
“Please do,” Mason said.
“Two streets over,” Rhett said. “The only stone building on the street. Tell the proprietor I sent you.”
“Thank you,” Mason said.
Rhett nodded as he and Darby resumed their walk.
“Tomorrow then,” Darby said, as he and Rhett walked past Mason’s group.
“Tomorrow,” Mason said. He watched as the two men ambled along until they were well out of ear shot. “What are the chances?” he said, as he turned to John. “What about the room?”
John pointed to the top floor. “The corner facing us. Only room left. It’s small.” He looked at Dorothy.
“I’ll manage,” Dorothy said. She turned to Mason. “I think we should visit that clothier right now.”
“Agreed,” Mason said. He motioned to John. “How about if you occupy the room. We’ll check out the tailor and be back to the room as soon as possible.”
John nodded. “Only three rooms up there. We have the one on the far right.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Mason said. “We’ll see you in the room.”
Mason, Dorothy, and Nathan parted from John, crossed the street, and began walking toward the closest alley. “Tell me about this William Rhett.”
“All those things Captain Darby said. He’s a plantation owner, a colonel in the militia, and a member of the Charles Town assembly. He was instrumental in building Charles Town, and he led an effort to clear this area of pirates. Nearly two years ago he captured the pirate Stede Bonnet. Rhett’s home, here in Charles Town, is one of the few buildings that will survive to our time. He’s married; wife’s name is Sarah. And one other thing.”
Mason twisted his head.
“Rhett dies in the early seventeen-twenties, which is probably not that far in the future.”
“Of what?”
“He’s put on trial for defamation, loses, and is fined. Around that time he dies of a stroke. Apparently, he had, or has, a bit of a temper.”
“Good to know,” Mason said, as they stepped out onto a paralleling street.
A stone, two-story building stood amidst a line of frame structures a block toward the water.
“Must be the one,” Mason said, as he stepped off in that direction.
Nathan pushed the door open, and the three stepped into a dimly lit room about the size of a small, modern bedroom. One wall was lined with bolts of cloth stacked to the ceiling. The only light came from a single window next to the door.
“I was about to close for the day,” a man’s voice said, as he stepped through a doorway from a back room.
“We have cash,” Mason said, “and we’re in need of new clothes.”
“I should say so,” the short, squatty man said, as he stepped closer. “What did you have in mind?”
“Something more civilized,” Dorothy said, “but still functional. Colonel Rhett sent us.”
“Ah-ha,” the man said. A smile spread across his face. “In that case, will you need outfits for all three of you?”
“Yes,” Mason said, “and one other man whom I can send over in the morning, or later tonight if you wish.”
“In the morning will be fine,” the man said. “I’m Francois.”
“Glad to meet you Francois, I’m Mason. This is Dorothy Weiss and Nathan Sims. The other man is John Tifton.”
Francois nodded, deep in thought, as he turned toward the bolts of clothes.
“How long will this take?” Nathan asked.
Francois faced Nathan and inspected up and down. “That depends on how quickly you need them.”
“As soon as possible,” Mason said.
Francois turned his attention to Mason, retrieved a tape measure from his pocket, and spun Mason around by the elbow. He ran the measure across Mason’s shoulders and down one arm. He stood back and inspected Mason head to toe. “I may have something I could alter for you.” He turned to Dorothy. “And for the young lady as well.” He turned to Nathan. “For you I will either have to make something or order from London.”
“Make it,” Mason said. “And for me, I hope it is something light.”
“Of course,” Francois said. “Also, there is the question of payment.”
“Is half now, half when it’s done okay?” Mason asked.
“It is,” Francois said.
“Just tell me how much.”
“Shillings or dollars?” Francois asked.
“Dollars,” Dorothy said. “Spanish silver.”
Francois smiled.
◆◆◆
Mason, Dorothy, and Nathan stepped into the tavern and found John sitting at a table alone with a bowl and mug.
John had just spooned food into his mouth. “How did it go?” he asked with his mouth full.
“Dorothy and I will have something in the morning,” Mason said, as he sat at the table and peered into the bowl. “Nathan will take longer.”
“Stew,” John said after he swallowed. “Meat, potatoes, and carrots. Needs salt, but otherwise it’s pretty good.”
Mason motioned for Dorothy and Nathan to take a seat. He saw a tall man with slicked back, greasy hair, and rolled-up sleeves approaching.
“I told the owner there were four of us,” John said. “The room includes supper along with two single, rope beds with thin, straw mattresses. And that’s about it.”
“We’ll make do,” Mason said. When the proprietor was within ear shot Mason pointed to John’s bowl and mug. “Three more.”
The man pivoted without missing a beat and returned the way he had come.
“So we’re coming back then?” John asked.
“Hopefully via that boat, along with all the others.”
The proprietor sat three bowls of steaming stew on the table with three tankards of ale. He left without a word.
“He doesn’t say much,” Mason said, as he slid a bowl to Nathan and Dorothy.
“No he doesn’t,” John agreed.
Nathan and Dorothy immediately started eating.
“You need to accompany me and Dorothy to the tailor first thing,” Mason said to John. “See what he can do for you.” He took a sip of the ale. His face contorted and one eyebrow went up.
“Yeah, but at least it’s wet,” John said.
“Don’t drink the water,” Dorothy said.
“Right,” Mason said. He took another sip.
“How much for the clothes?” John asked.
“Sixteen Spanish dollars,” Dorothy said. “Had to pay a premium for the rush jobs.”
“Anybody have any thoughts on what that boat might cost us?” Mason asked.
“Not a clue,” John said. He scraped the last of his stew into his wooden spoon and shoved it into his mouth.
Dorothy shook her head as she chewed.
Mason took another sip of his ale and looked around the room.
The other three tables in the room and the short bar were full of men mostly just drinking the ale or something stronger. As they drank, they got louder.
“How did we survive three hundred more years?” Mason mumbled. “Seems like we’re always just one argument away from a full blown war.”
“Adaptation,” Dorothy said. “Man is king at adapting to his environment.”
Mason finally took a bite of the stew and chewed.
“So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” John asked.
“We’re up with the sun,” Mason said. “You, me, and Dorothy are at the tailor when he opens. Nathan needs to remain here, actually out on the street, in case Captain Darby shows up early.” He turned his head to Nathan. “When we’re back from the tailor, you will need to meet Jeremy at the dock and let him know what’s happening. Hang there until one of us shows up. I also want Jeremy to visit the tailor sometime tomorrow.”
“And if we can’t afford the boat?” Nathan asked.
“I suppose we row back to Myrtle Beach.”
“A couple of us could wait here,” Dorothy said. “I’d recommend myself and Jeremy.”
Mason cocked his head. “That’s actually not a bad idea. If all of us are going to filter in here, an advanced party could pave the way.”
“You’re talking about staying here,” Nathan said, “forever. When are we going to talk about returning to our own time?”
Mason leaned back on the bench and gazed at Nathan. “I haven’t given up on returning. We passed through that time warp, or whatever it was, maybe there’s a way to pass back through.”
“Thirty thousand feet in the air?” Dorothy asked.
“Yeah, I don’t have the answers,” Mason said. “But we know approximately where it happened.”
“That’s all we know,” John said.
Mason nodded. “One day at a time. Our first priority is survival. I think we have a better chance of doing that here than out in the swamp.”
“Uh-huh,” Nathan said. “Maybe we should buy a plantation while we wait for that blue cloud to show up.”
“One day at a time,” Mason said.
“In the mean time, where’s the head?” Nathan asked, as he swiveled his head around the room.
“You won’t find a bathroom in this time period,” Dorothy said. “Our room upstairs should have a chamber pot.”
“How does that work?” Nathan asked.
Dorothy scrunched her face. “It goes in the pot and the contents generally go out the window into the alley.”
“For everything?” Nathan asked.
“Yep.”
“We really need to concentrate on finding that blue cloud,” Nathan said.
CHAPTER 17
Mason stepped from the back room dressed in a dark-blue, long coat with gold buttons, a beige waist coat, and beige, matching breeches. White stocking covered his legs below the knees, and a white cravat wrapped around his neck. He still wore his lace up brown service boots and he carried a three-point black hat with gold trim.
Dorothy and John stared with mouths agape.
“The breeches are a little tight,” Francois said, as he plucked a bit of lent from Mason’s coat, “but I did the best I could on such short notice.”
“I like it,” Dorothy said. “But you wouldn’t want to get an erection in those pants.”
Francois gave Dorothy a stern look before turning his attention back to Mason. “Like I said, best I could do.” He turned to Dorothy.
“Looks like you’re next,” Mason said.
Dorothy followed Francois and a young lady into the back room leaving Mason and John alone.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” John said. “Is this really necessary?”
“We need to blend in,” Mason said. “This will help.”
John stared at the breeches. “Are you wearing anything under those?”
“A very long, long-sleeve shirt. The tail extends well past my waist. And what are apparently considered underwear in this time. Thin, baggy material.”
“What did he say about your boots?”
“He expressed some curiosity until I explained that the style is very popular in the Far East. But I ordered high black boots just the same. He measured my feet and said he would take care of it.”
“What about your gun?”
“Rolled up in the buckskin,” Mason said, as he lifted the bundle in his hand.
They both settled in to wait.
◆◆◆
Francois and the young lady led Dorothy straight to a rough wooden bench with several articles of clothing neatly folded and stacked.
“I’ll leave you in Maria’s hands,” Francois said, as he continued through a doorway into another room.
The stack of clothes included a number of items, several more than Dorothy thought necessary given the heat and humidity of the day.
Maria picked up the top item which turned out to be a long, white, thin shift. Maria let it unfold by its own weight. The wrinkles left by the folds indicated linen.
Dorothy was well aware that dressing in the eighteenth century was considerably more involved than in modern times, but she never expected to experience the process. She tightened her lips, let out a long exhale, and took hold of the hem of her buckskin dress. For practical reasons, she wore the buckskin with nothing underneath. Such was common for women of this period, even those in the most elegant of dresses. She was far from modest when it came to nudity, even less so now that her body was tight and muscled. But still, she hesitated for a moment before pulling the hem up over her head leaving herself fully nude.
Two women at sewing stations didn’t give it a moment’s notice, and Maria didn’t even blink. So Dorothy relaxed a bit and lowered her head when Maria reached up with the shift in her hands.
She draped the shift over Dorothy’s head and let it drop down the length of her body to just above the knees. She motioned Dorothy to a nearby stool and picked up two knitted, black stockings. Each was embroidered with a simple design at the ankle.
Dorothy put her foot in the first and pulled it up its full length to just over her knee. She already knew these would be the first to go once she was out in the heat. Nevertheless, she pulled the second stocking onto her other leg and looked at Maria.
Maria apparently expected Dorothy to take care of the next step in the process, but finally bent down and tied a small piece of knitted ribbon around each stocking just below each knee.
Maria motioned to Dorothy’s black flats indicating it was time for the shoes.
Dorothy slipped the shoes on her feet. Luckily, they didn’t look that much different from what some women of the eighteenth century wore.
Next, Maria helped Dorothy into a stiff stay that fit around her chest, over her breasts, and laced in the front. Next came a large neckerchief which Maria draped over Dorothy’s shoulders and tucked into the stay at the front.
Dorothy was already feeling stifled and there were still several articles to go. She couldn’t imagine wearing a full corset and gown at this point.
Maria tied a pair of pockets around Dorothy’s waist so they hung at each thigh. Next came a petticoat of white linen with a bit of nicely patterned cloth at the hem. Maria pulled the petticoat over Dorothy’s head and tied it around her waist. A second outer petticoat, a dark burgundy, went over the first and again tied at the waist. Both petticoats included gaps at the waist that gave access to the two pockets.
Next came a short gown, somewhat like a shirt, with elbow-length sleeves. Maria secured the front with several straight pens.
Finally, Maria tied a full-length, light linen apron around Dorothy’s waist, and then stood back to admire her work.
◆◆◆
Dorothy walked through the doorway wearing a long, dark-burgundy skirt with lots of folds down to her feet. On top she wore a simple beige shirt with a hem that extended past her waist. The sleeves stopped at the elbows. The expression on her face told Mason there was much more to the outfit, layers that would be removed at the first opportunity.
“Again, it’s all I could muster on short notice,” Francois said, as he entered the room.
“I like it,” Mason said.
Dorothy gave a weak smile but remained quiet.
Mason reached into his rucksack and handed Francois eight silver coins. “Thank you. I think you did an amazing job given the circumstances. We’ll be back in a week or so for John and Nathan’s outfits, and I may have more business for you soon.”
; “That will be fine,” Francois said. “Same payment structure as before.”
“Yes, of course,” Mason said, as he reached into the rucksack. He handed Francois an additional eight pieces of silver.
Francois smiled. “I will see you in a week then.”
Everyone exchanged pleasantries and the three of them left the shop.
“How did people wear all this stuff in the summer heat?” Dorothy asked, as they began walking down the street.
“What was that you said before, adaptation. You’ll get used to it.”
She lifted the rolled up buckskin dress in her hand. “First chance, I’m changing back into this.”
◆◆◆
Mason, Dorothy, and John met Nathan, Captain Darby, and another man on the sidewalk in front of the tavern.
“May I introduce Thomas Worthington, owner of the sloop Majestic,” Captain Darby said.
Everyone shook hands.
“I must warn you,” Captain Darby said, “the ship is a little rough for wear, but she’s still sea worthy and quite capable of enduring the waves for many more years.”
“Can you provide some history on the ship?” John asked, as everyone meandered toward the harbor.
Worthington cleared his throat. “Well, she served for a brief time in the West Indies ferrying cargo from one island to another. She was purchased for trade along the coast here. I ended up with her two years ago, but shortly after found one better suited to my needs. She does need to be careened and she could use a good scrubbing, but she’s certainly capable.”
“And the condition of the sails?” John asked.
“If you’re expecting a long voyage, they need to be replaced.”
They continued to chat until they finally stepped out on one of the eight wharfs. Worthington pointed to a small ship anchored two hundred yards out in the harbor.
“Can we see it up close?” Mason asked.
“Of course,” Worthington said. He pointed to a jolly boat already manned with oarsmen.
Mason turned to Nathan. “You should probably meet up with Jeremy and let him know what we’re doing. We’ll be along as soon a possible.”
Nathan nodded and headed off.
