The Hands of Time

by Irina Shapiro

  By the time I came to again, Betty was sitting in the chair in place of Alec and the doctor was bending over me, listening to my chest and palpating my stomach. It still felt as if someone had scoured it with steel wool, but I didn’t feel as nauseous, and my eyes did not tear up at the light. I saw the doctor taking out the fleam again and tried to sit up.

  “Please, no more bleeding,” I begged. “I feel better.”

  “Now, Mistress Crane, you will either let me do my job, or I will call Mr. Whitfield to restrain you, which he will gladly do since he wants to see you get better. Shall I summon him now?”

  “No, I mumbled. Where is Mr. Whitfield anyway?”

  “He went down to get washed and have something to eat, Miss. He sat with you all night.” Betty looked tired as well, and I felt terrible for all the trouble I caused.

  “Betty, would you open the window, please. It smells horrible in here.” Betty rose to open the window, but the doctor ordered her to sit back down.

  “Woman, are you daft? Opening the window will let germs in. You are ill enough as is.” Right, I thought. I would open the window as soon as he left. That took another half an hour, and I was blissfully happy to feel a gentle breeze on my face once Betty opened up the casement window to let in some fresh air.

  “You can go now, Betty,” Alec said, walking into the room and taking a seat on the side of the bed. He looked at me closely, and seemed satisfied with what he saw, giving me a light kiss on the forehead. “You look much better, Valerie. I was so afraid we were going to lose you yesterday. You were so pale, and you seemed to be looking at me, but not really seeing anything.” He held my limp hand in his, and I felt much better.

  “Alec, I am sorry. I have no idea what happened.”

  “The physician says that you have been poisoned.” So it wasn’t a hallucination. “The baby is fine.” And that wasn’t either.

  “Am I really pregnant?” I whispered not believing that it could be true.

  “Six weeks along, according to Dr. Marsh. He does not think the baby was harmed by the poison. Finn will be so happy that you are well and with child. May I?” Alec put his warm hand over my belly, which was still totally flat. He looked wistful, as I put my hand over his. “You will have a child too, Alec. You’ll see.” He just nodded, not looking at me.

  “Now, tell me everything you did from the moment you woke up yesterday. I need to know what happened.”

  “I didn’t really do anything. I woke up, and Nell brought me a breakfast tray that Mrs. Dobbs sent up. There was tea and blueberry scones, which tasted perfectly normal. After that I fell back asleep for a while, then I came to find you in the study. That’s all.”

  “Was the tea sweet? Do you normally take it with sugar?” Alec looked at me intently and I tried to think.

  “Yes, it was sweet. I don’t normally drink it very sweet, but it was good.” What did that have anything to do with it?

  “Betty,” Alec called out, “fetch Cook to me right away.”

  “Aye, sir.” I heard Betty call out from the hallway, her steps fading as she went down the stairs.

  Mrs. Dobbs arrived a few minutes later, looking flushed and confused, slightly out of breath from climbing the stairs. “I did not do it, Mr. Alec. I swear it.” She looked genuinely scared, as Alec asked her to take a seat in the chair, closing the door to my room.

  “Mrs. Dobbs, did you bake the scones yourself?”

  “Aye, sir, I did. I was alone in the kitchen. No one came or went.” Her face got redder, forcing Alec to modify his tone so as not to scare her further.

  “What about the tea? Did you brew that yourself?”

  “Why, yes, sir. Mistress Valerie likes tea in the morning instead of small ale, so I ‘ave it ready for her when she wakes.” Her hands were trembling, making me feel sorry for the poor woman. I had no doubt that she didn’t do anything to harm me.

  “Did you put sugar in the tea?” Alec wasn’t giving up.

  “Nay, sir. I never do. The Mistress does not like sugar in ‘er tea. She never takes it when she comes down to visit me in the kitchen.”

  “Where was Betty? Does she not she usually take up the breakfast tray?”

  “She does, but I sent her to bring me some milk from the spring house, and Nell came by and offered to take the tray up.” I saw the expression change on Alec’s face.

  “Thank you, Cook. You have been very helpful. Would you be so kind as to make some beef tea for Mistress Crane? She will need something to help her regain her strength. Is Nell about?”

  “Nay, sir. She did not come today. I have the beef tea all ready. Shall I bring some up with a slice of freshly baked bread? Surely that will settle the Mistress’s belly.”

  “Yes, please.” Alec opened the door for Cook, who dashed out of the room with more energy than I would expect. The poor woman must have been scared out of her wits, although I could see that Alec did not suspect her for a moment. He had other ideas. “Valerie, I need to go out for a little while. Will you be all right? Shall I send Betty to sit with you?”

  “I’m all right. Don’t worry.” I really did feel better and was ready to eat something light.

  “Make sure you drink all the beef tea and eat the bread. It will settle your stomach. I will be back shortly.”

  Chapter 26

  Alec did not return for a while after I heard him galloping through the gate. Betty insisted on spooning broth into my mouth and feeding me bits of bread, clucking all the while about how I needed to feel better for Mr. Finlay’s sake, so I complied with no complaint. The hot broth felt good on my tortured stomach, and the bread helped to absorb whatever bile was still there, making me feel much better.

  Dr. Marsh left after luncheon, and I fell back asleep, my dreams fragmented and frightening. By the time I woke up it was near dark. I heard a commotion as something was dragged, screeching up the stairs. Alec opened the door, pushing Nell inside roughly and forcing her to her knees. I sat up against the pillows, trying to understand what was happening.

  “Speak. Now.” Nell was white as a sheet, her eyes and nose red from crying. She looked terrified, and for a moment I felt sorry for her, until I realized that she must have confessed to Alec.

  “I am sorry, Mistress. I did it. I took the poison from me Da. He uses it to kill the rats in the barn. I put it into your tea with the sugar, so ye would not notice nothing.” She was shaking like a leaf, and Alec looked as if he would have liked to tear her apart limb from limb very slowly. “Go on.”

  Nell was sobbing so hard now that I had a hard time making out the words. “I wanted to kill ye. I hate ye. I tried to put a charm under yer pillow that would make you barren, but heard a noise and ran away,” she continued.

  “Why, Nell? What did I ever do to you?” I was bewildered. I had never known anyone who hated me, especially enough to actually do me harm. It was surreal to look at this young girl and know that she had plotted my death.

  “Ye took Mr. Finn. He loves ye and wants to marry ye. I could not stand that. I wanted to see ye dead rather than be ‘is wife. Ye are not worthy of ‘im. He would have married me if ye did not come along!” She was screaming now and I could see the venom in her face. I cringed as Alec slapped her hard, making her fall to the floor.

  “Did Finlay ever make any promises to you?” Alec growled, hauling her to her feet. “Did he tell you he loved you, you silly bitch?”

  “Nay, but ‘e would ‘ave in time. I know it. He would ‘ave married me if ‘twasn’t for this whore, spreading her legs for ‘im in the woods and bewitching ‘im with ‘er charms. I wish ye’d died, ye bitch!” she screamed, as Alec dragged her out of the room. I was shaking uncontrollably, unable to believe that the girl could be so deranged. She must have seen us that time by the Abbey, and felt as if Finn had betrayed her somehow. Had she followed us?

  I closed my eyes, wondering what Alec was going to do with her. Was there a court he could turn her over to, or would he deal with her by himself? I was af
raid to ask. I heard her screaming as he dragged her outside, and put my hands over my ears to muffle the sounds. It sounded as if he was taking her to the stables. Maybe he would take her to a magistrate and accuse her of attempted murder. Would they hang her?

  No matter how scared I felt, I wouldn’t want her to be executed. She was just a girl, no older than fourteen. Surely there was hope for her. I wondered if Finlay had innocently led her on. I never saw him pay her any attention, and I would have noticed if he found her even the least bit attractive. She might have read something into his actions, convincing herself that he was suppressing feelings for her. Having me come on the scene and turn his head, was not something she could forgive, and she obviously believed that if I was out of the way, Finlay would turn to her. It must have been Nell outside of my room, her charm in hand, ready to put it under my pillow as I slept.

  I froze as I heard a horrible shriek come out of the stables. The screaming went on and on, so I forced myself to get out of the bed and close the window. What was he doing, I wondered? I crawled back into bed and closed my eyes trying to block out the noise. Obviously, Alec has decided to take matters into his own hands rather than turn her over to the authorities, and by the sound of it; he was doing a very thorough job.

  It wasn’t until much later that Alec came back into the room. He sat down in the chair looking tired and worn. This had not been an easy day for him. “Finn should be back tomorrow. I sent Robbie to Plymouth to fetch him back. He should be here with you.”

  “Alec, what did you do to her?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, but I had to ask.

  “I gave her a choice, being turned over to the magistrate, or taking a whipping from me. She wisely chose the whipping. The magistrate would have her hanged, so this way she still has her life and her liberty. She will leave tomorrow at dawn, and never come back here. That was the condition I put to her.”

  “You beat her?” I asked, incredulous. “You actually whipped her?”

  “And enjoyed every minute of it. She will not be sitting down for a long while without remembering my name. Dodo not look so horrified. I didn’t cause her any permanent damage. She needed to be punished for what she had done. She got off pretty easy, if you ask me. She tried to kill you, remember? You and your child. She seemed to know you were carrying a baby.”

  How could she have known when even I didn’t suspect? I was glad she was leaving. Having her around me after what happened would have been unbearable, and I was glad she would be gone by the time Finn came home. If Alec gave her a whipping, Finlay would have likely gutted her and skinned her alive, especially when he found out about the baby. I put my hand protectively over my stomach. Was it really possible? Was there a little life growing in there, oblivious to everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours? What if the doctor had been wrong? I felt a moment of panic before remembering his words. He said that the baby’s heartbeat was strong. He might be ignorant compared to the doctors of my time, but I was sure he could tell when someone was pregnant. I love you, little one, I thought, smiling to myself.

  Alec reached out and took my hand without saying anything. We remained that way for a while until I drifted off to sleep, still feeling the strength of his hand keeping me safe.

  Chapter 27

  Finlay dug his heels into the flanks of his poor stallion urging it to go faster. He knew the horse was exhausted, but it wasn’t far now, and he was anxious to get home. He left Robbie behind miles ago, his horse not being able to keep up. He would get there when he got there. Finn could not wait for him. The lad had found Finlay aboard Lady Violet, having a drink with the captain and sharing the latest news. Finlay had been in good spirits, having located the priest and unloaded the cargo in good time. He was still waiting for a delivery from Lord Weston to be loaded for shipment back to Virginia, but Captain Wally would have to supervise that for him now, since he had to leave so abruptly. Robbie was not meant to tell him everything, but the lad spilled the story at the first opportunity, and Finn took off immediately, only stopping by the inn to collect his things and pay his bill.

  He had to admit that he was glad Alec had dealt with Nell. No matter what he did to her, it was not nearly as bad as what he himself would have done. He would have gladly broken that scrawny neck of hers and enjoyed it. To think that she nearly killed Valerie and their child because of him. He would have never forgiven himself if they died. The thought made his heart constrict with sudden pain, and he took a deep breath reminding himself that they both survived, Thank You Oh Lord in Heaven. He had never even looked at the girl, much less promised her anything. He noticed her looking at him and blushing. She always volunteered to mend his clothes and bring him breakfast in bed, but he didn’t think anything of it. She was just a servant, nothing more. How could she think that he would marry her? Surely, the girl was mad. And how did she know about the baby? Had Valerie known she was with child? She would have told him.

  The thought of the baby made him smile. He imagined holding his son in his arms, and his heart gave a leap of joy. He would have a legitimate son to carry on his name. A daughter would be nice too, provided she was followed by a son. It is quite possible that he was already a father, given his history, but no one had every presented him with a bastard, so he assumed this would be his first offspring.

  He wished he had time to pick up a gift for his bride in Plymouth, but getting to her quickly was more important than buying her a trinket. There was time for that. He was grateful to his brother for being there and nursing her back to health. It should have been him, and he didn’t need Alec sharing such intimacy with his future wife. He knew perfectly well that his brother was in love with her, and didn’t want the situation to get any more difficult than necessary. Alec would get over it in time and hopefully remarry. It was time he found himself a woman as long as it wasn’t Finn’s. He was pretty sure he tumbled some woman at the ball. That was a start. He just needed to follow his instincts more.

  Thinking of the ball reminded Finn of his conversation with Fawkes. He had become so absorbed in the argument, that he hadn’t realized he left Valerie alone for two hours. There had been two other men as well, Robert Catesby and Thomas Wintour. They joined in later, trying to feel him out, drawing him into their plans. The men were seeking devout Catholics, who were willing to carry out a mission of faith.

  They did not tell him the details, but he got the impression they were planning something huge. He had been invited to a meeting in London in a month’s time to learn more. At first he wasn’t sure he cared to attend, but once he found out about Valerie’s near death, he changed his mind. It would be nice to take her to London, buy her something nice, and take in a play at one of the theaters. He had some friends in London, and it would be nice to see them again and introduce them to Valerie. She would enjoy the trip, and he could leave her at the inn and go listen to what these men proposed. It did not obligate him to anything, and he was disgusted enough with King James to want to cause some mischief.

  The castle came into view, and Finlay put the King out of his mind desperate to see his bride. He erupted through the gates and tossed the reins to John Dobbs, running inside. Valerie was sitting in the drawing room, a book in her hand. She was a trifle pale and thinner than before, but otherwise she looked well enough. He pulled her into his arms, feeling her heart beating against him steady and strong. “I am sorry I was not here, my love. Are you all right now?” He held her away from himself, looking down at her belly and smiling. “How is my son?”

  “You realize, of course, it could be a girl,” she said giving him a disapproving look.

  “Aye, I do, but a man can dream. I cannot believe I nearly lost you,” he said hoarsely, as Valerie walked into his arms, burying her face in his chest and wrapping her arms around him. He felt her sobbing and stroked her hair, whispering endearments until she calmed down. London would definitely be a good idea. She could use a distraction, he thought, and he would enjoy having her all to himself. />
  Chapter 28

  Present Day

  Luisa stared out of the tiny window of the airplane, not quite seeing the fluffy white clouds sailing past. It was almost the end of July, and she was finally returning home to New York, having completed her assignment at the manor. There was no reason to stay any longer, and she had to admit she was glad to be going back. She missed her parents and her boyfriend, Doug, who came to England to visit her shortly after Val’s disappearance.

  Last week, Plymouth police officially closed the investigation into the disappearance of Valerie Crane. Louisa had to grudgingly admit that they’d done everything they could. Every inch within a ten mile radius of the village had been searched, first by officers, then by cadaver dogs. The river had been dragged, and the current had been followed to see if the body might have washed up somewhere downstream, but there was nothing. Nothing at all.

  Lou’s parents were planning a memorial service for next Saturday, and mom said that Michael asked for permission to come. He felt the need to express his condolences, so mom had given him the O.K. to attend. Louisa would have liked to strangle the bastard, but she would be civil out of respect for Valerie. At least he wasn’t bringing his new wife. She hoped that the service would give her some kind of closure, but she doubted it. There wasn’t a day that she didn’t think of Valerie, missing her as one misses an amputated limb. Life would never be the same, and not knowing what happened to her made it even worse. At least if they had some answers, they might be able to put her to rest. As it is, she would always walk among them, silent and sad.

  Chapter 29

  August 1605