by Jenna Stone
“Serves ye right,” Malcolm said, shaking his head. He was already on his feet, prepared to flee the scene if need be. Rowan was known for his reckless temper when he was provoked.
“What’s going on?” she asked, stretching her arms languidly above her head. Rowan was glad that at least one of them had gotten a restful night of sleep.
“Nothing,” Rowan said, eyes darting towards Malcolm to give him a glare. “Did ye sleep well?”
“Like the dead,” Anna smiled, suddenly embarrassed by just how much she had enjoyed sleeping next to Rowan. She had felt so safe, so protected by the warmth and the strength of his body. “Thanks,” she whispered, looking down at the sand as she tucked a stray length of hair behind her ear. She scooted a little farther away from Rowan, heart racing as she felt his gaze settle on her.
Their eyes locked for a split second, and Anna felt as though she had looked right into Rowan’s soul. The yearning that she saw there sped up her heart beat, and she tore her eyes away from Rowan. Her hand brushed the warm skin of his arm and it was as if fire had burned her skin, causing her skin to shiver in response to his slightest touch. What scared Anna the most was she knew that Rowan had felt the energy that flowed between them too.
Quinn ambled up to the group and sat down in the sand next to Malcolm. He had tied his hair back, and Anna noticed that Quinn was also quite handsome, especially when he didn’t have his usual look of disdain heavy on his rugged face. She wondered what tormented Quinn.
“I walked the beach this morning while yer lazy asses were sleeping, didna find much of use. Everything must have gone down with the ship or been swept out tae sea,” Quinn said, brushing the sand off his pants.
“Did ye see any other survivors?” Rowan asked, distancing himself from Anna and standing as he bound his hair at the nape of his neck.
“Not a one. Either we are the only ones who made it, or the other survivors washed up further down the shore.”
“Did ye find anything that we could eat?” asked Malcolm eagerly, his stomach letting lose a timely growl.
“Nay,” Quinn responded. “That’s my next priority, but I think that we should figure out a plan of action before we set off in search of food.”
“I don’t even know where you were headed,” said Anna, looking between the faces of the brothers, slightly embarrassed that she had not thought to ask them earlier.
Rowan looked at Quinn, eyebrows raised, asking the silent question of just how much they should divulge to Anna. They had only just met her, and it might be unwise to divulge too much about their situation. Quinn shook his head slightly, reading his brother’s signal. Better not to tell her that their voyage to the New World had not been a matter of choice.
“Coincidentally enough, we’re headed to Williamsburg too!” Malcolm jumped in, eyes darting at Quinn who was already shaking his head in disapproval. “It would be our pleasure tae make sure that ye get tae yer Uncle safely,” Malcolm smiled at Anna, eyes reminiscent of a lovesick puppy.
“I couldn’t ask that of you, you’ve been kind enough already,” said Anna in mock protest as a wave of relief swept over her. The Murray brothers were all that she had at present, and she could not fathom the idea of making her way to Williamsburg alone.
“No, Anna, we want tae help ye get there, tae make sure that yer safe. Don’t we Rowan,” Malcolm said persuasively, raising his eyebrow suggestively at his brother.
“Aye, we can hardly just leave ye here, and bein’ that we’re going tae the same place, ye might as well tag along,” Rowan said, knowing that they should be heading in the opposite direction of Williamsburg if they wanted to capitalize on the stroke of luck provided by the shipwreck. “We Murray’s are not in the habit of neglecting womenfolk in need, ye may find this quite contrary tae yer beloved Uncle,” Rowan chided sarcastically, drawing a swift glare from Anna.
“Well, now that that’s settled, let’s go find some breakfast,” Malcolm chirped enthusiastically, and stood up, starting down the beach.
Quinn rolled his eyes and trudged after Malcolm. Quinn was eager to take advantage of the unlikely chance at freedom that the shipwreck had provided, and he was wary of losing this freedom by escorting Anna to the very place that said ship should have arrived. Malcolm’s puppy love for the lass showed explicitly across his face, and was evident in every action that the boy made in Anna’s presence.
Quinn stopped abruptly, abandoning his pursuit of Malcolm, and spun about face. It was Rowan that Quinn was worried about. He watched as his brother worked with every shred of his composure to fight his attraction to the lass. This needed to stop before it got out of hand, hell, Quinn knew that it had already gotten out of hand as he watched Rowan’s eyes follow Anna as she walked down the beach.
“I need tae talk tae ye, brother. Now,” he growled at Rowan, who sat still as a statue, eyes trained on Anna as she walked down the beach after Malcolm.
“It was Malcolm’s idea tae take her tae Williamsburg, not mine,” Rowan said defensively.
“Williamsburg isna the issue,” Quinn said sternly as he towered above his brother who was still seated in the sand. Quinn dropped down into a squat and looked straight into Rowan’s eyes. “Ye canna have her,” he said with a tone of warning in his voice, knowing that he was taking a great risk in telling Rowan what he could not have. Rowan Murray was nothing if not determined.
“And what makes ye think that I want her?” Rowan asked, now avoiding eye contact and shifting his gaze away from Quinn’s glare out to the crashing waves of the Atlantic.
“Yer desire for the lass plays so openly across yer face that I’m surprised she hasna slapped ye for it!”
Rowan chuckled, accepting defeat as he raked his hand through his chestnut hair as he often did when uncomfortable. “I ken that I canna have her brother,” Rowan said coolly as he drew his gaze back to his older brother. “I’ve not a pot tae piss in, nor a shirt tae cover my back. I ken that I canna have her well enough, brother.”
“I hope that knowledge stops ye from tryin’ tae woo her. Nae good will come of it Rowan. Mark my word, nae good will come of it,” Quinn’s voice shook with warning as he stood and stalked off down the beach.
***
As dusk fell, they came upon a sleepy fishing village set up on a crest that overlooked the ocean.
“Let’s hope that it’s big enough so as tae have an inn,” Quinn said hopefully as they walked into the village, which was really just a cluster of small wood cottages, centered around a courtyard.
“But we don’t have any money, how are we going to pay for a room?” Anna asked.
“Nay, we don’t have any money, at least not yet,” Rowan said, smiling devilishly at Quinn, reading his brother’s intentions. “Malcolm, why don’t ye take Anna tae see if the Kirk is unlocked?” he said, motioning to the small stone chapel situated in the center of the courtyard. “Mayhap she can pray for our souls?”
Malcolm gladly took Anna’s elbow and steered her towards the stone chapel, grateful to finally have some time alone with her. He threaded her hand into the crook of his arm and walked slowly, savoring the feel of her hand against his skin.
“What are they going to do, Malcolm?”
“Their going tae get us a place to stay, and hopefully some supper,” Malcolm chuckled, reaching for the handle on the simple wooden door of the chapel. Finding it unlocked, he opened the door and let Anna go through first, then followed her into the small room. The last visitor to the chapel had left the stubs of a few candles burning on the alter, and Malcolm led Anna up to the first pew.
“I’m not as naive as you think, Malcolm. What are they up to?” Anna prodded, reclaiming her hand from Malcolm and sitting on the wooden pew.
“Ye look real pretty in the candle light,” Malcolm said, awestruck as he watched the candlelight flicker across Anna’s skin.
“What are they doing?” Anna insisted, annoyance heavy in her voice.
“Generally, if there’s an inn in a
village, it will have a tavern, and if there’s a tavern, there are most likely cards or …” Malcolm trailed off.
“So their gambling!” Anna exclaimed, rolling her eyes. “I knew that they were up to no good!” she said, shaking her head and crossing her arms.
“How else do ye expect tae get supper?” Malcolm said, finding gambling a perfectly logical way to earn a meal.
“Well, I hadn’t thought about it, I guess. Shouldn’t you and your brothers be able to hunt?”
“We can hunt, we’re great at it, especially Quinn, mind ye. But what do ye expect us tae hunt with, our bare hands?” Malcolm laughed at the ridiculousness of her suggestion.
“I guess not,” Anna said, realizing that they had few options given that everything that they owned had gone down with the ship.
She walked quietly up to the front of the small church, drawn like a moth to the candlelight. Anna had never been overly religious, despite years of religious training at the insistence of her mother. She sighed deeply and sank to her knees in front of the flickering candles. If there was ever a time when she needed a miracle, that time was now. She felt so alone, adrift in this uncertain New World. Anna wasn’t used to being at the mercy of others, and at this point, she would take whatever help she could get; divine or not.
An hour passed quietly as Anna knelt in front of the flickering candles, lost in her thoughts, questioning the righteousness of her decision to come to the New World. The flame of the last candle sputtered and then failed, cloaking the small chapel in darkness. Anna’s faith had been bolstered, and she rose slowly to a standing position, again certain that she had made the right choice in sacrificing her own future to save her Mother and revive Stanton Place to its former glory.
“Sorry, Malcolm,” Anna said softly as she turned around. “I got lost in my thoughts, how long has it been?”
“Not too long,” Malcolm lied coolly. The truth was that he had been lost in his own thoughts, watching Anna contently. The flickering candlelight accentuated her honey blonde hair, and he savored the alluring curve of her spine and the distinctly feminine way that she rested the curves of her bum on the arches of her feet as she knelt at the alter. The truth was he could watch Anna contently for the rest of his life.
“Should we worry about your brothers? Do you think that they’re alright?” Anna asked, suddenly concerned that Rowan and Quinn had not returned.
“Doona fash yerself about them, they’ll be fine. Mayhap this is a good chance for us tae get to know one another better,” Malcolm said, smiling softly as he invited Anna to sit down next to him on the pew by patting the place next to him on the bench.
Anna couldn’t help noticing how young he looked in the candlelight. His rounded face still had the glow of childhood, yet the first traces facial hair were beginning to show as fuzz along the lines of his jaw. He couldn’t be more than fifteen years old, and what an adventurous life he had led so far! Surviving a ship wreck, and coming to the New World with his older brothers.
“How old are you, Malcolm?” she asked.
“Old enough,” he responded, squaring his shoulders and knitting together his eyebrows as if insulted.
Anna chuckled at his attempt to look more grown up. She had a quick flashback to her own teenage years, remembering vividly what it felt like to yearn to be all grown up.
“Fifteen?” she asked, deciding to guess if he wouldn’t tell her his age.
“Sixteen and a half,” he huffed, dismayed by her badgering. “I had to grow up fast,” he added for extra measure, “After Mam and Da passed, I wasn’t given much choice,” he said, eyes downcast.
“I’m sorry,” Anna offered and reached out to pat him reassuringly on his knee.
“I’m no a child,” Malcolm spoke sternly, green eyes lifting up to hold her gaze intently. Malcolm grabbed hold of her hand; she was still patting his knee. “I’ll show ye that I’m no a child if ye give me the chance, Anna,” he said, squeezing her hand and leaning closer to her on the pew.
Anna squeezed his hand in return, “I know that your not a child, Malcolm,” she whispered, treading carefully so as not to hurt the boy further.
“Give me a chance tae love ye, give me a chance tae show ye…”
“How could you possibly love me? You just met me!” Anna exclaimed, taken aback by the boy’s proposal.
“It’s just that yer sae beautiful, and I…”
The door to the chapel swung open noisily, and Quinn and Rowan romped jovially up the aisle.
“Still hungry, Malcolm?” Rowan asked, voice brimming with enthusiasm.
“More than ye can imagine,” Malcolm looked longingly at Anna and gave her hand a final squeeze before releasing it.
Anna knew that Malcolm was not talking about the needs of his stomach, and swallowed hard, not wishing to hurt the sweet boy further with her rejection of his attentions.
“Did ye pray for our souls?” Rowan asked Anna as she stood from the pew and smoothed the fabric of his shirt, which she was still wearing to cover her shift.
“Not yet, but I have a feeling that I’ll need to pray for all three of your souls regularly,” she responded, chuckling slightly. “I understand why you had to gamble, but it sure looks like maybe you enjoyed it just a little too much,” Anna said, appraising the victorious smiles that reigned on Quinn and Rowan’s faces.
“Aye, there are few things better in life than removing a man’s hard earned money from his purse over a good game of cards,” Quinn smiled, playfully socking Rowan in the arm.
Rowan laughed. “There are a few men who will not soon forget the night when the Murray brothers came tae town!”
“Aye, it was rather costly for them,” Quinn responded, still reveling in their victory.
“Welcome tae North Carolina!” Rowan exclaimed, and tossed a purse heavy with coins to Anna. “Let’s go get something tae eat, and buy ye a dress so that I can have my shirt back.”
***
“I told them that you’re our sister,” Rowan whispered, eyes sparkling devilishly over his bowl of steaming stew. “I wasn’t sure what you would want me to tell them, or if ye had decided tae go forward with getting’ married, or…”
“At this point, I don’t care what you told them,” Anna answered wryly, the toll of their adventure beginning to wear on her. She was tired to the bone, and ravenous with hunger. Never in her life had she tasted such delicious food. She took another deep sip of ale, and enjoyed the warm feeling of the alcohol spreading through her body.
The innkeeper’s wife approached their table in the small tavern, carrying a bundle of cloth.
“I hope it fits, it was all that I could find given the late hour,” the elderly woman said, pushing the bundle into Anna’s hands.
“I’m sure that it will be perfect, thank you,” Anna smiled, excited by the prospect of being properly clothed.
“Can I show you the way up to your room so that you can change?” the woman offered.
“Yes, please,” Anna said, pushing away from the table and following behind the woman. “And don’t you dare touch my supper,” she called over her shoulder; freezing Malcolm’s had mid-reach towards her bread.
The woman laughed heartily as she bid Anna to follow her up the stairs. “I grew up with a houseful of brother’s myself…loved them dearly, but they sure can be a pain in the arse!”
Anna snorted in surprise, and giggled as she followed the woman up the stairs, never having heard a woman speak in such an open fashion in England. She just might like this New World after all.
“Is there anything else that you might need?” the kind woman asked as they stood inside of Anna’s room.
“Actually, there is,” Anna said, eyes scanning the room and noticing the small writing desk the corner. “I need to write my… my Uncle a letter, to let him know that we made it safely and will be at his residence in a matter of weeks,” Anna said, the words catching in her throat. Calling Murdock her Uncle made her skin crawl.
“
I’ll bring some paper and an ink well up directly,” the woman nodded, and closed the door behind her.
She returned a few minutes later with a sheet of paper, an ink well, a quill and an envelope. “Just drop it by the desk when ye come down to the tavern, and we’ll make sure that it gets to your Uncle,” the innkeeper’s wife said kindly, closing the door again so that Anna could write her letter in peace.
Murdock, 17 April, 1756
I surmise that by the time this letter reaches you, you will have heard of the sinking of the Mary Catherine. Miraculously enough, I survived the shipwreck unscathed, and I have found myself in a place called North Carolina.
I have made the acquaintance of some other survivors of the shipwreck. They have graciously agreed to escort me on my journey north to Williamsburg, and have been quite accommodating and attentive to my needs. I trust that they will be compensated for their efforts upon my safe arrival into your care.
Please tell Jonathon that I fully intend to carry forth with our betrothal, and although my present circumstances have delayed my arrival, I want no further delay in our marriage. I expect that my Mother has received the first installment of the funds that were promised upon my departure to the New World, and I wish to see documentation confirming her receipt of said funds upon my arrival in Williamsburg.
Sincerely,
Miss Anna Stanton
***
Anna walked down the stairs feeling like a new woman. Surprisingly, the homespun dress fit her perfectly, accentuating her small waist and allowing just the right amount of skin to show about her neckline. She had brushed her hair, and it floated in loose golden waves about her shoulders, cascading down her back.
The Murray brothers had certainly wasted no time in her absence; they were laughing robustly, moods substantially repaired after a few mugs of ale and a warm supper.
“Thank you,” Anna said, tossing Rowan his shirt, which he immediately shrugged on over his shoulders and tucked into his pants. Her senses were heightened as she felt Rowan’s eyes lock with her own for just a moment longer than was proper. Even though the room was crowded and bustling with people, her eyes only saw Rowan, and when she felt his gaze linger on her, her skin felt hot and her chest began to tighten.
