“Yes, of course, but wait until the morrow. Let our people choose first.”
Stacey knew she was nervous, but didn’t know why. She walked upstairs and watched the Tinker from her window as she wondered what there was about him that seemed so familiar. Whatever is was it was eerie. After Langston finished the financial transaction with the Tinker, the countess waited for him and asked, “Langston, how well do you know this Tinker?”
“Not at all, m’lady,” he said with a frown. “This be his first time on the castle grounds. If ye find some fault with him m’lady, I will send him packing.”
“No, no, Langston, leave him be. I was merely curious about...I’m not sure what. He and his wife seem to be honest people.”
“Yes, m’lady, we would tolerate no less at Dun-Raven,” he said with a smile.
The next morning, after breaking the fast, the Tinker’s wife brought a few things in for the countess to see. While inspecting the merchandise Stacey asked a few innocent questions, “Do you enjoy the traveling life?”
“Aye, m’lady, tis the only life I have ever known. Me dad was a tinker a’fore he died and my John took his place.”
“Were you born here in Yorkshire and John is your husband?”
“Aye, m’lady, we be wed most three summers now and no, I not be from Yorkshire, I be from the south. I don’t rightly know the name of the place, as we never stayed long in one place or the other. John says one day we’ll settle and have a nice little shop in town.”
“I hope you do, I’m sorry, I don’t know your name,” Stacey said.
“Gretchen, that be me name, m’lady. Do you fancy more than the lace, m’lady?”
“This lace is beautiful, Gretchen. Is it Irish lace? Do you think you’ll be back this way next spring, my babe should almost be walking by then,” Stacey said as she laid her hand protectively on her stomach.
“Aye, m’lady, tis lovely Irish lace and I have no way of knowing where we’ll be next spring. I must go m’lady, John will be waiting.”
“Yes, of course. I didn’t mean to hold you up,” Stacey said as she paid for the lace. “I hope to see you again next spring.” Stacey watched her walk out the door, still wondering what was there about her and her husband John that held her interest. She was putting the lace in her sewing box when it dawned on her. Oh, my god, she thought, to herself; it can’t possibly be. Well, why not, you’re here a voice in her head said. She was up and to the stairs when she met Eric coming up. As soon as Eric saw her face, he asked, “What be wrong, sweetheart, ye look as if ye have seen a ghost?”
Stacey wasn’t sure if she should tell him or not. He had enough to cope with trying to understand her world and protect her in his world. “Sorry, my love, I had a cramp and I thought it was the babe. I was just being over cautious,” Stacey said. She thought, it might be best for them and for her not to pursue it any further. However, she told herself; I am almost positive when they spoke English they contracted their verbs the same as I do. That was what I recognized, but couldn’t put my finger on it. Stacey wanted to tell Eric, but didn’t want to cause the couple trouble or put them in danger. She knew Eric could or would send soldiers after them if she asked him to, but she didn’t want that. She knew how hard it was to keep secrets in a castle full of people. Finally, she decided it would be best to let sleeping dogs lie. If the couple came back next spring, she would talk to them in private.
Chapter 18
The New Viscount
Stacey’s pregnancy had been very easy with very little morning sickness. She knew she was healthy
and she hoped and prayed the baby would be healthy too. She was now living in a time when life expectancy for children left much to be desired. There were no antibiotics and no immunization, nothing but good care and love. Stacey felt she was ahead of the game, because she had knowledge from the future. Over the months, she had been telling Eric that he was to deliver their baby. Eric almost went crazy when she told him her plan. “I will find ye a midwife my love. I know nothing of birthing a child.”
“If I can go through the pain of delivery, surely you can catch it when it comes out,” Stacey informed him. She explained to Eric that she didn’t trust other people to have germ free hands. If dirty hands touched her or the baby, they could get an infection and die. Considering the alternative, Eric agreed. Stacey had miscounted the months; she thought the baby would be born in September. When she woke up with pains on August sixteenth, thirteen-seventy- one, she new she had miscalculated the time. She woke Eric and told him to get Alice and Nicole. She told Alice to boil lots of water just as she had been telling her.
“We’ll need boiled water, clean sheets and cloths, the oil cloth, vinegar string and scissors,” Stacey told Nicole. “We will do this just as we have been practicing.”
Stacey spent the time pacing the floor. Eric was pale and tried to get Stacey to sit down, but she insisted it was better for her to walk. She told Eric to go eat.
“No, love, I do not want to leave ye.”
“You’re so sweet and I love you, but please go, Eric,” Stacey insisted. “It will be awhile yet. If I need you, I will call. I need you strong; I don’t want you to pass out on me.”
Eric felt affronted, so he said with some indignation, “I am not a weakling, Stacey. I have seen blood before.” However, he went to eat just the same. Stacey made sure the scissors and string were boiled in a water and vinegar solution. Around two in the afternoon Stacey’s water broke. Then a pain came that was so severe she had to sit down on the floor and could not get up. Eric picked her up and laid her on the bed; her contractions were coming hard and fast. Her gown and hair were soaking wet. Eric wiped her face with a cool cloth, Stacey had another hard contraction, and said, “Look Eric, what do you see?”
“The head I think,” he said.
“Listen to me Eric; when I contract again, if the head is out, bend the little shoulders and help him out.”
“Him?” Eric said. “How do ye know he be a lad?”
When Stacey had another hard contraction she said, “For god’s sake Eric, just do it.”
Therefore, he did and with the next contraction out slid a beautiful dark haired baby boy. Eric tied and cut the cord, then laid the baby in his mother’s arms and took care of the placenta. Eric washed and padded her then brought a pan of water to wash the baby. The baby was lying quietly in his mother’s arms blinking and looking at his parents. Stacey laughed at him and said, “Do you suppose he is trying to decide if he wants us for parents or not.”
Eric touched his tiny hand and said, “If that be the case, he be stuck with us my love. He be a most handsome lad, I would not trade him.”
Eric brought the pan of water for Stacey to bathe the baby that was when he started to cry. When she heard the baby’s cry, Stacey said with a laugh, “Well, he’s a real boy, he doesn’t wanna’ wash.”
Eric laughed too, but confessed he had never been so frightened in his entire life.”
When Stacey had the baby clean and in a thin blanket, she handed him to Eric. He leaned over, gave her a kiss and said, “Thank ye my love; this be a wonderful gift ye have given me.”
Stacey smiled and said, “Well, it was only fair, you gave him to me first.” She had explained to Eric about the male sperm determining the sex of the child. Eric was amazed by all the scientific
information the future held. He never tired of asking Stacey questions.
Stacey and Eric named their son Geoffrey Shane FitzMorgan. After he fed at his mother’s breast, he slept. Stacey was up the next day, but she and the baby stayed in their solar. Stacey wanted him strong before people were touching him and getting too close. She knew that people in the middle ages didn’t understand about germs, therefore she tried to be very careful.
Eric would try to finish his business each day, so that he could be there for the six o’clock feeding. He never realized how much a father could love and want to protect someone so tiny. He loved Stacey and knew she could
take care of herself, if need be; but this tiny little person was his to protect. Most of all he loved watching him with Stacey. He did not want to leave them in the mornings and could hardly wait to get back to them at eventide.
Stacey had drawn diagrams of a cradle, a highchair and a crib. The carpenter had done an excellent job. Stacey took the baby outside almost everyday for sunshine and fresh air. When the six weeks of abstaining was up, Eric and Stacey were starved for one another. Shane had pretty much put himself on his own schedule. He would nurse at six and sleep until two in the morning.
Stacey told Eric, “We have from six until two to make love.”
As Eric was kissing and caressing her, he said, “I am not sure that will be enough time. It has been weeks and I am a hungry man.”
By the time they were finished making love, he was a well-satisfied man.
Chapter 19
The Knighting
At yuletide season, Shane was four and a half months old. His grandparents came to see the new viscount. Of course, Lord Hampton had grandchildren, but Shane was Lady Margaret’s first grandchild. She could not get over how much Shane favored Eric. Lady Margaret was very content to be with both of her sons and her grandson as well as Stacey and Callie.
She told Eric, “It be considerate of Hugh to die before he caused more havoc. Of course, Agnes the girls have no blame in this.”
The winter, spring and summer seasons rolled by. Stacey and Eric knew they could not change things too fast. They had opened schools in three villages with brothers to teach in them. Of course, many of the villeins refused to let their children attend. When they heard that girls were welcome also; this was looked upon with suspicion. His lordship told them, “It be up to ye. If ye need them more to work than to learn, it will be a missed opportunity.” They stood with their hats in their hands. “Well, ye think on it. It makes no difference to me,” Eric told them and rode on.
Stacey wanted to scream from frustration. “Sweetheart, ye are dealing with people of my time not ye time. Rome was not built in a day.”
Stacey started laughing and said, “I can’t believe that old adage is that old. It’s still quoted in my time.”
Stacey was appalled at the ignorance of men that called themselves physicians. She had stood by and watched as a physician bled and leeched villeins and aristocracy alike. Stacey was not a doctor, but her father was and she had heard medical talk most of her life. To her, common sense should have prevailed over some of the horrendous cures these self-acclaimed physicians prescribed. She felt they contributed to the demise of more patients than they helped, but Eric disagreed with her on that. He had seen men on the battlefield where physicians saved their lives by cauterizing a wound, removing a limb or stitching a deep cut.
Stacey didn’t agree, but said, “That’s all well and good but keep them away from my castle folk.”
Eric was smiling and said, “Just as I thought all along. Ye have taken over my people.” Stacey looked at him questionably. “Oh yes, I told Mother, first my dog, then my horse; what next, my castle folk? I prophesied this.”
Stacey looked at him with love and adoration and said, “But my love, you tell me what is yours is mine too.”
Eric threw his head back and laughed heartily. Well, once again she had out-maneuvered him. He was getting used to it by now. Shane turned two in august. Rodric would be twenty-one on September first, thirteen-seventy-three. He was to be knighted by King Edward III. A group from Dun-Raven, Finwick and Hampton keep would be trooping to London for the occasion. Eric had asked Stacey days before if she wanted to leave Shane with Nicole; that it would be a long trip for a child. They had had this discussion before and Stacey’s answer was still, ‘no.’ “I’ve told you before, Shane goes where I go. He’ll ride with you and me. He has done so before, so it’ll be no hardship,” Stacey said.
Eric knew not to argue with Stacey about Shane. When she made up her mind she was like a rock, unmovable. Eric often wondered if Stacey was afraid, she might be pulled back into that time warp again. He had noticed that when there was a storm brewing, Stacey would not go outside and she kept him and Shane as close as possible. She and Eric never talked about it but Stacey lived in fear of the possibility of her being pulled back into that vortex that had brought her there.
He remembered a few weeks back when Stacey had taken Shane with her to visit the sheriff’s wife, Matilda. When she left the castle, it was a bright sun shinny day but later dark clouds gathered in the afternoon. On their way, back to the castle thunder and lightning filled the sky. Stacey became so
panic-stricken she hid with Shane under a shed at the charcoal makers shack. The two soldiers that had escorted her ladyship tried in vain to urge her to continue their journey to the castle before the rain started. She would not budge for fear of disappearing with her son back into the time warp. One of the soldiers rode to Dun-Raven to tell the earl of the situation. Eric understood her fears and came for her and his son. They continued on to the castle with the knowledge that should she disappear so would Eric and Shane with her.
On their journey to London, Shane was a good little traveler. He rode on the saddle in front of Stacey, Eric, Rodric or Callie. The trip to him was like one big picnic. Rolf never let him out of his sight. He had taken over guard duty the day Shane was born and they had been inseparable ever since. A weary group of travelers arrived at Hampton hall. It was so good to have a bed to sleep in again.
Lady Margaret had a quiet dinner party for Rodric’s twenty-first birthday. On the morrow, the king would knight him. Prince Edward would be there with his wife Joan and son, Richard. He was back from France for a few weeks.
Stacey knew he wasn’t well. When she had a chance to talk with him, she invited him and his family to Dun-Raven. He thanked her and said that he had much to do in London before returning to France. The prince invited Eric and Stacey to a gathering that was to be held after the knighting. The king would bestow knighthood; on ten young men that were invited as well. Neither Stacey nor Callie had been to a function such as this. At the ceremony, Callie and Stacey stuck close to Lady Margaret. Somehow, Stacey knew she didn’t belong here. She was introduced to some of the ladies’ of the court.
She could sense their inquisitiveness. Stacey knew she had been sheltered at Dun-Raven and had forgotten how spiteful some women could be. She wasn’t concerned about herself, but she didn’t want to embarrass Eric. Stacey knew herself and knew she would not put up with too much of their meowing.
As they were dressing and getting ready to go to the gathering, Stacey said, “I really don’t wanna’ go to this thing.”
“I want ye to accompany me,” Eric said. “Edward invited us. Just be yeself that is one of the many reasons I love ye.” Lady Margaret was looking forward to having her grandson all to herself. She told Stacey, “Should that pack of backbiters get too nosey tell them like ye did Isabelle.” That was so long ago that Stacey had almost forgotten Isabelle.
When Eric and Stacey reached the palace, they were escorted to a big reception room. There was a
large group of people and the smell was strong. Men came over and clasped hands with Eric and Rodric. Stacey and Callie were introduced and then they were escorted over to the women.
“Is this a segregated party?” Stacey asked.
Eric kissed her temple and said, “Mind yeself sweetheart.”
Eric and Rodric were across the room. Callie and Stacey were offered wine. They both took a goblet. They were standing around listening to the meowing gossip when an elderly woman came over and introduced herself as the Duchess of Wryneck. She was very nice and introduced them to a man of about thirty years of age. When the duchess said his name was Geoffrey Chaucer, Stacey almost lost it. Of course, Callie had never heard of him before, but Stacey had. Stacey hung on his every word. She wanted to ask about his writing, but wasn’t sure if he’d been published yet. He did look at her strangely a time or two when she talked about a book of poetry. Everything Stac
ey wanted to say was coming out wrong, so she said very little. Stacey could hardly wait to tell Eric of her meeting Geoffrey Chaucer and what a famous writer he would be someday and would still be famous in her time.
After standing around talking for a while, everyone gathered in a large dining room. Eric and Stacey were seated three and four seats down from the prince, while Rodric and Callie were seated farther down. Stacey waved to them, and then noticed she and Eric was seated across and to the left of two of the chatty, gossipy women. The wine steward came around and filled their goblets. Stacey took notice of these young women. Under their tons of make-up they were little more than teenagers. They were all privileged young women married too young to mostly older men. Their days were long, boring and filled with malicious gossip. Stacey felt a bit sorry for them until they turned loose on her.
One of the young women two seats down from Stacey said, “Countess Dun-Raven, I understand you are referred to as the maid from across the sea. Can you tell us which sea that is?”
“Oh, really?” Stacey asked. “I have not heard that particular round of gossip. Tell me, are ye acquainted with all the world seas?”
“Yes, I believe so,” she said.
“It must be so gratifying to be a geographer in these enlightened times. Can ye name all the seas for me?” Stacey asked.
“Well, yes, I believe so,” she said. “There is of course, the North sea, the Irish and the Mediterranean sea, the Red sea, and the Dead sea...”
While one was thinking, the other one sitting beside her with the questionable red hair said, “Don’t forget the sea of Galilee.”
“Is that it?” Stacey asked. “Well, I’m sure I’m not from any of those.” Eric took Stacey’s hand, kissed it and winked at her.
The food was served and that diverted the young women’s attention away from Stacey. The duchess; who Stacey and Callie met earlier was sitting beside Joan, the wife of Prince Edward. She looked at Stacey and smiled. The wine steward came around again and filled Stacey’s goblet. Eric was speaking with the prince, therefore he didn’t notice.
A Fall Through Time (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #1) Page 10
