The Mayflower Bride

by Kimberley Woodhouse

  Many trials were sure to be ahead, but most of the colony was beginning to rest in the fact that the worst finally seemed to be behind them. Tisquantum had stayed in their little town and taught them about planting corn and using fish as fertilizer to help it grow. Word traveled quickly around the native peoples, and Tisquantum was a wonderful asset to have as a translator. It didn’t take long for the people of Plimouth to come up with a nickname for the tall and strong native man in their midst—Squanto.

  He’d also been very handy teaching everyone—women included—how to fish in the brook. Mary Elizabeth thought of her conversation with Mrs. Hopkins aboard the ship—and no matter how much fish she ate, she would be grateful.

  When she reached the sandbar about a mile down from their settlement, Mary saw David and William already there. She placed her hands on her hips. “Are you two plotting against me?”

  “Us?” William put a hand to his chest and looked down at David. “We would never do that.”

  “Are you ready to race, Mary Elizabeth?”

  “I just walked all the way down here. You could at least be a gentleman and let me catch my breath.”

  “You’re just worried because you’re going to lose.”

  She eyed her little brother. “I may be ‘old’ and a girl, but I’m still fast.”

  “How do you know? It’s not like you ever run anywhere.” David shook his head like she was out of her mind.

  Mary Elizabeth laughed. It was true. She hadn’t run in a very long time. But this was for David, and she’d do anything for the little imp. “All right. Do we have any rules?”

  William stepped forward. “I’m so glad you asked, milady.” He bowed. “This log right here marks the start line. There’s another one way down there for the finish line. That’s where I’ll be waiting to see who crosses it first.” He winked at her. “Now there will be no pushing, no shoving, no tripping, no biting—”

  David started giggling.

  “Honestly, William.” Mary Elizabeth shook her head but couldn’t resist smiling up at him.

  “All right, there will be no cheating. How’s that?”

  “Run in a straight line. Win. I think I’ve got it.” She nodded.

  “Are you ready for me to head down to the finish line?”

  “Yes!” David jumped up and down.

  “Good. You’ll know when to start when you see my arm lower, like this.” William raised his arm high and dropped it down.

  “Well, you need to hurry before anyone sees what we’re doing. I don’t think I want to be seen the day before my wedding in a footrace. I’m supposed to be a proper young lady, you know.”

  William’s laugh was his response as he ran down the sandy bar.

  David and Mary crouched down a little as they waited for the signal.

  William dropped his arm.

  She took off. Halfway to William she realized she should have made David wear a heavy skirt to make the race fair. But she pressed on.

  William held out his two hands as they drew near.

  Her feet pounded the sand, and she crossed the line of finish.

  “Mary Elizabeth wins!” The shout made her laugh and raise her arms in triumph.

  As she turned around, David barreled into her and tackled her to the ground. “You’re pretty fast for a girl.”

  Breathing hard, she hugged her little brother. He wouldn’t be little for much longer, and she would treasure every moment she had with him. “You’re getting pretty fast yourself, little man.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “I guess you’re not as old as you look.”

  William’s laughter followed them the entire walk home.

  Wednesday, 4 April 1621

  The deck of the Mayflower no longer held crates of chickens and pigs or other animals. It had been swept clean for the festivities of the day and now held the survivors of their first winter. As she looked around at the faces, she realized how wonderful it was to be a part of this group. Through joy and sorrow, they had triumphed. They were here today for a very special reason.

  Mary Elizabeth’s heart thumped in her chest. Today she would marry William.

  Dressed in her finest dress of red wool, she checked her sleeves and the tucks of her skirt. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed a prayer for peace and calmness for her spirit. She hoped that Mother, Father, and Dorothy knew that God had brought her a wonderful husband.

  A tug at her arm made her open her eyes. “Are you ready, Mary Elizabeth?”

  “I am.” She looked at her younger brother. So handsome in his blue breeches and coat. “I’m so proud of you, David.”

  “As I am of you. I’m glad you’re marrying William. He’s a Godly man and he loves you. And he’s a lot of fun.”

  “He is fun, isn’t he?” The smile that stretched across her face felt like it might reach her ears. “And you’re correct: he loves me. I love him too.”

  “As long as you’re happy.” Such grown-up words from little David. Time was moving far too fast. If she blinked, he might be grown and gone.

  “Very much so.”

  “Well then, let’s get you married.” David took her arm and walked her to the center of the main deck.

  Mr. Bradford stood there with William and smiled. “You look lovely, Mary Elizabeth.”

  “I agree.” William winked at her.

  Mary Elizabeth’s stomach tumbled over itself as Mr. Bradford talked about the holy union of marriage and how it represented Christ and His bride—the church.

  William’s eyes were riveting. She could spend the rest of her life just gazing into their blue depths.

  After reading some scripture, Mr. Bradford looked at her. “Are you ready?”

  “Oh, yes.” She determined to stay focused this time. Of course, who could blame her for being focused on her husband-to-be?

  Mr. Bradford had them repeat some simple vows and then took William’s hand and her hand and raised them in the air. He placed them together and quoted Matthew 19:6 in a loud, booming voice, “ ‘Let not man therefore put a sunder that, which God hathe coupled together!’ ”

  Cheers broke out around the small crowd, and William took her hands in his. They walked to the longboat together where two sailors would row them ashore while the rest would return in the shallop.

  William climbed down into the boat first, and he reached up for her. She couldn’t take her eyes off his as she found her way in the small craft.

  When he placed his hands on her waist, she placed her hands on the side of his face. This man was hers. And she loved him with all her heart.

  He leaned in with a twinkle in his eye. “I love you, Mrs. Lytton.” Before she could respond, he captured her lips with his own, and Mary Elizabeth didn’t think anything in the world could be better than that.

  EPILOGUE

  1 August 1665

  The wildflowers in William’s hand put off a heady scent as he looked out to the harbor. Mary Elizabeth was sure to love the bouquet he’d brought her. In his old age, he was getting to be quite the romantic. The thought made him chuckle. Twelve children and forty-two grandchildren might get a kick out of hearing William Lytton was a softy.

  A massive ship in the distance showed off her great sails as she entered their beautiful bay. Forty-five years ago today, he’d left England. For where and to what was uncertain at the time, but he was ever so thankful he had climbed the gangway to the Mayflower.

  They’d suffered great losses, and it had taken much more than the original contracted seven years to pay off their debts, but they’d survived through all the ups and downs of life. He’d come out victorious with his God and his bride.

  He snuck in the door to their kitchen and crept up behind Mary Elizabeth. Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered in her ear, “I love you.”

  Mary Elizabeth turned around and gasped. “Flowers! You dear man.” She hugged him and whispered back. “I love you too.”

  Her eyes were still that beloved shad
e of deep brown, but her hair had turned gray under her cap. It was very becoming.

  Taking her hand, William led her to the door and then out onto the path where they could see the harbor. “Forty-five years ago, I started a journey. It hasn’t been easy, but I feel very blessed. I found God. And I found you.”

  “Aye, my love. We are very blessed.” She sent him a wink.

  All around them, life bustled and bloomed. What had started out as eight meager buildings became a town full of buildings and activity.

  Their congregation had grown, and so had their family.

  Mary Elizabeth had been faithful at his side through it all.

  And whatever the future held for their little colony and this brave New World, he couldn’t wait to share it with her.

  His Mayflower bride.

  What could now sustain them, but the Spirit of God and His grace?

  May not, and ought not the children of these fathers rightly say, “Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness, but they cried unto the Lord and He heard their voice, and looked on their adversity,” etc.

  “Let them therefore praise the Lord, because He is good; and His mercies endure forever. Yea, let them which have been redeemed of the Lord, show how He hath delivered them, from the hand of the oppressor.

  When they wandered in the desert wilderness out of the way, and found no city to dwell in; both hungry, and thirsty, their soul was overwhelmed in them.”

  “Let them confess before the Lord His loving kindness, and His wonderful works before the sons of men.”

  –William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation

  NOTE TO THE READER

  It’s exciting to trace our lineages back. Many people are able to trace their family history all the way back to the Mayflower—I’ve had fun tracing my roots to 1659, Virginia, Colonial America.

  I found it interesting in my research that the majority of Americans think of the Mayflower as the actual beginning of our great country. And it’s true. The settlers that landed at Plymouth Rock and established Plymouth Colony are the foundations of this great land.

  Take for instance, John Howland. His escapade falling overboard really did happen. How he managed to grab the topsail halyard is truly a miracle in and of itself. The most interesting tidbit to me about his whole story is that he ended up having ten children, eighty-eight grandchildren, and now almost two million of his descendants live in the United States. (Several presidents of this great country are in his line—including Franklin D. Roosevelt, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush—as well as many famous people, such as Alec Baldwin, Humphrey Bogart, Christopher Lloyd, and Sarah Palin.) That’s incredible. Imagine what would have happened if he had been lost to sea that day.

  Then there’s John Alden—hired as the cooper on the ship and given the option to stay in the colony or return to England. He chose to stay and marry Priscilla Mullins. His line extends down to Dick Van Dyke, Orson Welles, Marilyn Monroe, former Vice President Dan Quayle, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The lines of William Brewster and William Bradford are just as fascinating, as well as the lines of all the other passengers who lived through the great ordeal that was the Mayflower and her journey.

  It was shocking to me to discover that out of all of the Mayflower passengers, only five adult women survived that first winter. Only five. Astounding, isn’t it?

  While we know the dates the Speedwell and the Mayflower left Leyden, Southampton, Dartmouth, and Plymouth, the rest of the dates for the voyage aren’t exact. When dates weren’t known, I used my own discretion and creativity with the time stamps. It’s also important to note that during this time period, the Julian calendar was still in use—unlike the Gregorian calendar we use today. This makes for about a ten-day difference. The new year didn’t start until March 25 (instead of January 1 like it does now). But to keep this consistent with history and to keep from confusing you as a reader, I’ve shown the year as 1620/1 starting in January.

  It may be shocking to know that these strict Separatists—so staunch in their faith—drank beer for their staple beverage and considered it good for their health. During this time, beer was a brew watered down so that the alcoholic level was 0.05–1.0 percent. Strong enough to kill any bacteria in the water but drinkable by all—including infants and children.

  The profane sailor’s torment of the Separatists and his subsequent death are true events, although we don’t know exactly when it happened, nor is he named (the nickname I gave him is purely fictional). According to William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, “There was a proud and very profane young man, one of the seamen, of a lusty able body, which made him the more haughty; he would always be contemning the poor people in their sickness, and cursing them daily with grievous execrations, and did not let to tell them, that he hoped to help to cast half of them overboard before they came to their journey’s end, and to make merry with what they had; and if he were gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner; and so was himself the first that was thrown overboard; thus his curses light on his own head; and it was an astonishment to all his fellows, for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him.” So this unnamed man went down in history as the first to die on the Mayflower.

  The story of the four More children is tragic, but how fascinating that Samuel More paid for their passage to give them a chance at a new life away from their mother’s reputation and their own as illegitimate children.

  Several sources state that Mr. Reynolds—the master of the Speedwell—sabotaged the ship so he wouldn’t have to make the trip to America and potentially starve to death. A couple of sources state that the ship began leaking immediately (or that Reynolds complained of it leaking) after departing Holland, while others show that the leaking began after their departure from Southampton. Since the Speedwell after this adventure was “trimmed” and made many other voyages, it was believed that she was “overmasted and too much pressed with sail.” William Bradford wrote in his journal, Of Plymouth Plantation, that once they returned to Plymouth, England, the leaks were never verified or truly found, but they kept taking on water. “No special leak could be found, but it was judged to be the general weakness of the ship, and that she would not prove equal to the voyage.” He also wrote, “But it was partly due to the cunning and deceit of the master and his crew, who had been hired to stay a whole year at the Settlement, and now, fearing want of victuals, they plotted this stratagem to free themselves, as was afterwards confessed by some of them.” How different would our history be if both ships—the Speedwell and the Mayflower—had journeyed to America on time with all the people who set out? Would they have reached their intended destination earlier in the year (which would be the area of modern-day Manhattan)? Would there have been as much death that first winter? We will never know, but the Saints and their expedition to the New World is indeed fascinating—not only for the beginnings of our great country, but also for the beginning of democracy because of the Mayflower Compact’s impact on government over the years. Its influence on the framers of the Constitution alone is astounding.

  Since our hero—William Lytton—is a fictional character, please note that he was not historically one of the forty-one signers of the Mayflower Compact, but for the sake of the story, I had him sign. There also was obviously no espionage—there’s no record of anyone being hired by the company to keep a journal or records or to spy on the Planters.

  While there are many resources on the history surrounding the Mayflower, the best source I found was through Caleb Johnson and his fabulous website: www.Mayflowerhistory.com. You can find a complete list of the passengers and the crew (the ones that we know the names of) on his site, as well as much other information about this historic event. Mr. Johnson also granted us permission to quote from his edited version of William Bradford’s
Of Plymouth Plantation.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  No book ever just happens. So I’d like to thank those who have been so instrumental in bringing this novel to fruition.

  First and foremost to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is all for You.

  Second, my amazing husband, Jeremy, who puts up with crazy author research and deadlines. I love you more than I could ever express. After more than a quarter of a century of marriage, it just keeps getting better, and I’m looking forward to spending decades and decades more with you. You are amazing.

  Third, Becky Germany. What fun to be a part of this series! You are wonderful. Thank you. And to my agent, Karen Ball—what a journey we’ve been on! Thank you for your wisdom and guidance. Becky Fish, you were a joy to work with! Thank you for your diligent work even in the midst of wedding and eclipse craziness!

  Fourth, my beloved crit partners: Kayla Woodhouse, Becca Whitham, and Darcie Gudger. You’re all so brilliant and very unique in your insight—each book has been better because of you.

  Fifth, to all the team at Barbour. Thank you!

  Sixth, to Caleb Johnson, Mayflower historian and an incredible help during the writing of this book. Thank you so much. www.Mayflowerhistory.com

  Last, but definitely not least, my readers. Thank you for journeying with me on yet another wonderful historical novel. I couldn’t do this without you!

  Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifteen fiction and nonfiction books. A popular speaker and teacher, she’s shared her theme of “Joy Through Trials” with more than half a million people across the country at more than two thousand events. Kim and her husband of twenty-five-plus years have two adult children. She is passionate about music and Bible study and loves the gift of story.