‘Thank you for telling me, Mr Judson.’
‘I trade with Cuba, where they have slaves under Spanish rule. I cannot see it doing me much good to follow your example in this country. Many people have their own slaves, and if I refused to do business with anyone who owned a slave, I’d be out of business within a week.’
‘Thank you for your honesty.’
‘Ah, tea!’
Elijah placed a tray on the table between two armchairs and held the teapot, an unspoken question in his eyes.
‘Milk or lemon, William?’
‘Lemon, thank you.’
‘Pity we don’t have limes, what?’
‘Lemon is fine, Mr Judson.’
‘Please call me Abraham. My humour seems to have fallen flat.’
‘Thank you, Abraham, and I did understood your humour,’ smiled William.
The ice now broken put them both as ease.
‘When do you think we will complete unloading the Albatross?’ asked William.
‘I am hoping you will be ready for sea within a week, with a full cargo for England. As I said, I will have to search for a cargo, but at least you can load ballast and return via the West Indies, where you can pick up sugar or tobacco. I know you would prefer not to carry this cargo, but you may not have a choice, my friend. In the meantime, is this your first visit to our fair shores?’
‘Yes it is. I have traded around the Mediterranean, and the Baltic, but never to America.’
‘Then I must make sure you enjoy your stay! You must come to dinner at my home, Mamre, and meet my family. Please bring your first mate.’
‘Thank you, I will look forward to it.’
‘I will arrange to have you collected this evening, let’s say about six o’clock?’
Chapter Twenty
Mamre
Boston
The journey to Mamre, home of Abraham Judson, took a little over an hour. The sky was clear and the moon, high above the horizon, allowed the coachman to keep a fast speed as he skilfully negotiated the numerous potholes.
William looked down upon a part-frozen river as the coach rattled over a covered bridge. He pulled his boat cloak a little tighter.
‘It appears we are about there, Captain. I can see a large house lit up about two points to starboard,’ commented James Austin.
William leaned out of his window and peered over the backs of the horses.
‘Aye, I’ll not be sorry to be indoors. This evening is cold, even without a wind.’
‘Mamre ahead, Captain,’ shouted the driver, ‘’bout five more minutes.’
‘Thank you,’ replied William, and bowed his head to regain the inside of the coach.
The coach pulled to a stop at the front of a large colonial home. William could see Abraham Judson and a young woman waiting to greet them.
‘Welcome, my friends, welcome to Mamre,’ called Abraham, holding his hand out in greeting as Elijah opened the coach door. ‘Mr Austin, a pleasure to meet you,’ he said, pumping the first mate’s hand.
‘Thank you, Sir, the pleasure is all mine.’
‘William, I see you made the journey all in one piece.’
‘A very comfortable ride, Abraham, thank you for the use of your coach.’
The young girl held back from joining in the enthusiastic greeting. She wore a dark blue dress with a light shawl draped across her shoulders. Her hair shone in the light cast by the lamps of the house. Her nose appeared long and sharp, but William put this down to a trick of the light.
She offered her hand to William as he climbed the few steps to the front door. He kissed it in the Continental fashion.
‘Captain King, welcome to our home.’ Her voice reminded William of a light breeze through the ship’s rigging.
‘Thank you.’
‘I am Ruth, Abraham’s daughter. Are you English?’
‘Yes, why do you ask?’
‘No reason, other than the few Englishmen I have met don’t kiss one’s hand, but you did.’
‘What do they do?’
‘They just shake it, as they would a man’s.’
‘I learned a lot when I traded in the Mediterranean.’
‘This must be your first officer?’ said Ruth, turning to James Austin, who was chatting with her father.
‘My daughter Ruth,’ said Abraham to James.
Ruth offered her hand. James shook it. ‘I am English, and not one for the Continental ways.’
‘How do you do, Lieutenant Austin?’
‘I am well, Ma’am, but I do not hold the king’s commission. I am only the first mate of a merchant ship, not a naval ship. Please call me James.’
‘Well, thank you, I will be pleased to call you James. Surely you can call me Ruth?’
‘Thank you, it will be my pleasure.’
William watched his first mate escort the beautiful woman into the house.
‘William, are you listening to me?’
‘Pardon? Oh, sorry, Abraham, I was in a world of my own.’
‘So I see. Perhaps you should have been a bit quicker?’
‘Quicker? I never knew James could charm a lady so fast.’
‘He is different from the other young men she meets.’
‘How so?’
‘Most of them are very flowery and kiss her hand.’
‘As I did a few minutes ago?’
‘As you did, William, many of the young men are very polite and treat her like a piece of china. She has helped me run the business since her mother died some years ago and prefers the straightforward approach rather than the Continental, if you know what I mean?’
‘I do now.’
‘Shall we go in and join them for drinks?’
In the warm and friendly room, a large open fire blazed in the hearth. William listened to Ruth and James as they talked about the dress mode of fashionable men in London. James was struggling as he had little interest in such things, but he was trying to be entertaining.
William sat near the fire and offered his hands to the heat.
‘What can Elijah get for you?’ enquired Abraham.
‘I’ll have the same as you, Abraham, thank you,’ replied William.
‘Sherry for me, please,’ chimed Ruth. ‘James, what can we get you?’
‘Brandy, please.’
‘With ice?’ asked Ruth.
‘With ice?’ queried James.
‘Yes, some people like it cooled by the ice, others take water.’
‘A small brandy, without ice, will be fine, thank you.’
Abraham turned to William. ‘I have taken the liberty of inviting a couple of friends for dinner, so that you can meet them. Dinner will be just the five of us plus, of course, Ruth.’
‘Are they also traders?’
‘One has a lumberyard and supplies cut lumber to the town. He also sends logged timber to the southern states.’
‘The other guest?’
‘He trades in peppercorn. You may not be aware but Salem, which is north of Boston, is a major port for peppercorn. They bring it in from the East and resell it around the world.’
‘I have heard pepper can be used as a preservative in a similar manner to the way we, in England, use salt.’
‘Some say it preserves meat, but I am not sure.’
‘I need a cargo to take us home. Do you think your peppercorn friend may have cause to use us?’
‘I doubt it. He has ships on charter and he’d be reluctant to change these arrangements for a single shipment.’
‘I understand, but what will we carry? Perhaps I will have to load ballast. Is there gravel around Boston?’
‘It is mined from the seabed, and then bagged. It can be expensive, but if I can’t find a cargo, then we will have to pay for ballast. Perhaps you can sell it in the West Indies.’
‘Who will want gravel for ballast when they can use sugar? I doubt any ship would sail from those islands in ballast. I’ll just have to dump it, but doing that will be a drain on our profi
ts.’
‘Father!’ interjected Ruth. ‘Please, can we talk about something else other than trade in this or trade in that. I want to hear from William all about England.’
‘I have been told, William,’ said Abraham, and smiled. ‘Perhaps you can entertain us with news of England?’
‘I doubt I can entertain anyone about England, having spent nearly two years in the Navy, on patrol off the coasts of France and Spain.’
‘We heard of the great battle off Cape Trafalgar. Were you there?’ Ruth’s eyes were bright with interest as she waited for William to speak.
William picked up his drink and sipped the golden liquid. As he tipped the glass, a piece of ice knocked against his lips. ‘No, but I hear it was a bloody day. We lost Nelson, our “Nel”, the seaman’s admiral. A great man.’
‘Did you meet him?’
‘No, I never met him.’
‘Now, now, Ruth, enough of Trafalgar, no more questions about battles.’
‘Perhaps later,’ said William in an effort to placate Ruth, yet not to lose her interest.
Jacob Perkins apologised once more to William. He was very sorry he could not offer his peppercorns to the Albatross because he had contracts with a number of ship owners who operated from Salem. He would be happy to discuss a regular trade between America and England if Captain King could guarantee a schedule. William thanked him and said he would discuss the proposal with his partners on his return to Liverpool.
Throughout the evening William’s greatest pleasure was to sit next to Ruth during the meal. Afterwards, they all drifted towards the sitting room. William couldn’t understand why she made such a point of favouring James. Had he offended her? Should he ask, or just let it pass and hope for an opportunity of becoming friendlier?
William felt strange being jealous of his first mate. He knew he was being childish. Perhaps Ruth preferred older men. She was used to older men through business and knew how to handle them.
The men sat around the fire and helped themselves from the box of cigars that Abraham placed on a small table. Ruth took this as a sign that she should leave.
The talk drifted. Richard Savage, the timber merchant, complained about the amount of sawdust he had to get rid of each day. After a while Abraham said, ‘William, Jacob is staying the night. It is late. Would you and James also care to stay the night?’
‘Thank you, Abraham, but we cannot leave the ship overnight. At least one of us should be on board.’
‘I understand, but the weather is good and Albatross is discharging rather than loading. Will you not reconsider?’
James Austin turned and said quietly to William, ‘Perhaps, Captain, you can stay, if Mr Judson would furnish me with the means to get back to the ship.’
Abraham heard James’s comment and said, ‘If Mr Austin has been kind enough to offer to return, then perhaps this is the solution. I would like to discuss our options further, and if we travel together back to Boston tomorrow, we will not waste time.’
William hesitated, ‘Well …’
‘It is settled then. I will have Elijah take James back to the ship while you and I have a nightcap. Richard lives on the other side of Mamre Lake and his horse knows its own way home, even if Richard is asleep!’
William slid into the warm bed and pushed the bed-warmer aside. He felt overwhelmed with tiredness. The strain of the voyage and the lack of outbound cargo worried him. His mind drifted to the thought of ballast.
Had he been right in accepting the captaincy of the Albatross? Was he arrogant, trying to prove to his father that trading to the Americas would work without the African trade? Would he be forced to carry sugar and tobacco so that the voyage could break even?
Eventually his mind slowed and his body gave way to a disturbed sleep.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mamre Lake
A strong aroma of coffee welcomed William to the dining room.
‘Ah, William, I do hope you slept well?’ enquired Abraham, who was seated at the table.
‘Like a log, Abraham. Good morning.’
‘What would you like to do this morning? I thought we might leave for Boston after lunch, perhaps about two o’clock. Hot food is on the sideboard. Help yourself. Just tell Noah what you want. He will serve you and bring the plate to your seat. Make yourself at home.’
‘Noah?’
‘Oh, yes, all of my black employees have biblical names.’
‘Old and New Testament?’
‘I am a Jew so we don’t have much call for the New Testament,’ responded Abraham, smiling.
‘I am sorry, Abraham, I didn’t mean to be rude.’
‘Don’t apologise, we have the same God. I presume you are Christian?’
‘I am sorry to say it has been a long time since the Lord saw me in His church.’
‘We both have that problem. At least I am accepted here in Boston for what I am, rather than being a Jew or a Christian. We do not have the same restrictive laws, which are current in England, concerning religion. Although when I lived in England everyone treated me well, and it is where I met your friend, Mr Wilberforce, and Owen. Both Jew and Gentile can object to slavery.’
‘Amen,’ said William as he pointed to some of the food for the servant to serve. He joined Abraham at the table.
‘When I built this house I named it after the place Abraham from the Bible settled, after the Lord gave him the Promised Land of Canaan. Abraham lived near the great trees of Mamre, near Hebron, which is why my home is called Mamre. At the rear of the house is a row of giant trees that can be seen for miles. They act as a landmark. When I saw the trees I just had to call the estate Mamre. My family had wandered enough, and America seemed like the Promised Land to me, so I settled here some years ago. My Ruth was born here, but unfortunately my wife died from the fever.’
‘I am sorry to hear about your wife.’
‘No matter, I am over the sadness now.’ A sudden change came over Abraham. He spoke as if a door had closed on the past. ‘If you are fit enough, Ruth will be happy to show you around our small estate. Do you ride?’
‘Not for a number of years. There aren’t many horses in the Navy. Can you furnish me with riding gear?’
‘I’ll have Elijah lay out some clothes for you.’
‘Will Ruth join us for breakfast?’
‘She will eat in her rooms, and join us a little later.’
Ruth, her maid Lydia and William rode over the brow of the hill and viewed the frozen lake in the valley. The cloudless sky and the clear sharp air refreshed William’s mind and body. Every so often he remembered the lack of cargo to the West Indies, and the cost of ballast. He gazed out across the large lake.
‘Is this a fresh water lake or is it attached to the sea?’
‘It is fresh water, and part of Father’s estate.’
‘How thick is the ice?’
‘At this time of the year, about two feet.’
‘I had ice in my drink last night. Is this where it came from?’
‘We harvest some of the ice each winter and pack it into ice houses. It is then used throughout the summer. In some years we even have ice left over from the previous year. It all depends on how well it keeps.’
‘Fascinating. Will the ice be thick enough for us to skate on?’
‘I am sure it will, but we don’t have any skates.’
‘No, but we can slide! Come on, I’ll show you.’
William dismounted and secured his horse. He offered his hand to Ruth, who slid down the side of her mount with practised ease.
Ruth held his hand as he tentatively placed his right foot on the solid ice and eased his weight from the land to the frozen water. It held. He then placed his left foot on the ice and realised the whole of the lake must be solid. He slid his feet in a skating motion across the ice and turned to see Ruth watching him.
‘Come on in, the water is lovely!’ he called and headed back to the bank to take Ruth’s hand and to guide her onto the ice.
Time passed quickly as William pulled Ruth across the ice by the use of a strap from his horse. Their laughter carried across the frozen water. Back on solid ground, Ruth smiled a sad smile as if she didn’t want to leave. It wasn’t long before the large trees that marked Mamre came into view. William wished the ride would last forever. He could not remember the last time he had felt so happy and free.
‘Thank you, William, I had a lovely time.’
‘Ruth, it has been my pleasure. I haven’t laughed so much since I was a child.’
He fell silent as his mind suddenly found the solution to the problem of the ballast to the West Indies.
It was a wild idea, but it would be cheaper than paying money for ballast. The fear of failing his partners in Liverpool began to fade. Unconsciously he pressed his legs to his horse to encourage it to walk faster. He wanted to discuss his idea with Abraham. If it worked, he’d found a profitable cargo – and ballast.
‘You must be in a hurry to leave Mamre,’ called Ruth.
‘Not leave. I have had an idea about an outbound cargo and wish to discuss it with your father.’
‘You have the journey back to Boston to discuss business. I have you for such a short time.’
‘I am sorry, Ruth. How thoughtless of me.’
‘I’ll forgive you,’ she said gently, and added in a near whisper, ‘if you will promise to come back to Mamre.’
‘It is a promise I am happy to make. It is such a beautiful place and so quiet.’
They stopped their horses and, resting in their saddles, studied the house on the small rise framed by the large trees. The fields around the house were a patchwork of snow and green, as grass tried to push the snow aside.
‘What a difference to Liverpool,’ William whispered, more to himself than to Ruth.
Ruth gazed at him.
‘Race you the last few yards?’ shouted William, kicking his horse into a slow trot.
Ruth let him gain a good lead before she kicked her horse into a gallop. She streaked past William as he attempted to get his horse to trot faster.
‘See you in the dining room for drinks and lunch. Bye!’
Triangle Trade Page 19
