Page 17 of The Scandal of the Deceived Duchess
“Yeah, them. I don’t think Anna will leave her mistress alone…do you? Anyway, what does it matter? I will arrange for them to be accommodated in Richmond while we await news of the ransom.”
“It matters to me. I love Anna,” said Jake who had stopped eating. He stared at his friend and superior with a hostile glare.
Jonathan took a large swig of wine, promptly refilling his glass. “Come on, Jake. You hardly know the girl.”
“You can be a heartless bastard sometimes, Jonathan.” Jake pushed his chair back. He gave the table a remorseful look. “Ah, the hell with it.” He carved some more meat and helped himself to some vegetables, grabbed one carafe of wine and his glass and left the cabin.
Jonathan was surprised. In all of the years he had known Jake, he had never done anything like that before. He leaned back in his chair in thought.Maybe, he does love Anna,he supposed, immediately knowing what he had to do. Jake was his only family. He had sacrificed so much for him, so it was about time he returned the favor no matter how unpleasant the prospect.
Chapter 9
A New World
From the Chesapeake Bay to Virginia, United States of America, December 1813
“I thought we would be rid of him after that debacle the other night,” said Amelia to Anna.
Anna shrugged and pulled on the thick woolen shawl around her person. It was freezing outside. She had never expected an American winter to be quite as harsh. “I am happy about it. It means that I get to spend more time with Jake.” She smiled. “I think that he is going to ask me to marry him.”
Amelia moved closer to her lady’s maid who had now officially become her friend. Anna still continued to do her duties, albeit in a more familiar fashion. “I am so happy for you, Anna. ‘Tis wonderful news.” She sighed.
“Don’t you worry. That stubborn yank is bound to come ‘round. And when he does, he will make a fine husband forye. You’ll see. What I dreamt back in England is becoming a reality.”
The expression on Anna’s face was so certain and unwavering that it made Amelia shiver. “Me marry that man? Never! It’s bad enough that we have to spend Christmas on his estate. We should be in Canada by now,” she hissed. Vapor accompanied her words as the heat of her breath came into contact with the icy cold air.
“And what do you have there. A sister who will act as your jailor and a betrothed you despise. Trust me, Amelia, you are far better off down here.”
Amelia didn’t want to hear any more on the topic. When theTritonhad landed at Baltimore, she had hoped to be set free. However, Captain Mitchell had insisted that both of them spend Christmas with him and Jake. He had said that once the weather improved, he would arrange passage to Canada for them. She did not trust him in the least. In her view, Mitchell was nothing more than a pirate who sought the greatest gain for himself.
The clomping of the horses’ hooves against the hard-frozen ground filled the airwaves. The carriage taking them to Mitchell’s Virginia estate pulled them forward at great speed. Amelia was grateful for the fact that Mitchell had decided on riding himself so that she did not have to constantly be near him.
She looked out of the window. Her view opened upon a long vista of forest, through which was seen the rich coloring of the approaching evening, melting by imperceptible gradations into the solemn grey of the upper air. Dark hills, whose outline appeared distinct upon the vivid glow of the horizon, closed the perspective perfectly.
The surrounding snow-covered countryside was breathtaking. It seemed to nod at every murmur of the cold wind. The tops of the trees swayed rhythmically to its gentle caress, dancing in a way that only trees can.
It was sweetly romantic that seductive vegetation shrouded in a hoary mantle of crisp lightness. The endless row of luxuriant woods seemed to sequester this spot from the rest of the world. Frequently, a natural vista would yield a view of the country, terminated by hills, which retiring in the distance, faded into the blue and gradually darkening horizon.
Sometimes, a stream, various and musical in its course, would add a watery element to the magic taking place before her; there it silently glided beneath the shades, feeding the icicles that throve on its banks, and diffusing dewy freshness around; there it spread in broad expanse, reflecting the sylvan scene, and the wild deer that attempted to find a hole in the ice to taste its idle waves.
Amelia observed everywhere a profusion of game; the pheasants scarcely flew from the carriage’s approach, and the deer gazed mildly at her as she passed. They seemed like strangers to man!
It was romantic, she decided, so very much so. Amelia looked at Anna who was lost in thought. The expression on her face was a happy one. How wonderful this voyage must be for her. And yet…to me…it is a jail sentence, thought Amelia.If I were in Canada, I would be at the mercy of Lord Templeton French and here…
Then, there he was, blocking her view of the pristineness that nature presented to her: Jonathan Mitchell, astride of his horse, looking resplendent in his civilian clothing. Amelia had to stifle a gulp. He was a handsome man, strong, proud and the owner of his surroundings. He looked in her direction as if he felt her gawking at him. He raised his hand to the beak of his hat in salute and galloped on ahead and out of view.
* * *
After spending the night in Washington DC, that young city that had only recently been founded in 1790 but only completed in 1800, they had moved on for the final stretch of their journey.
Amelia had been impressed by the new capital city that had taken over from Philadelphia a little over ten years ago. It surprised her that a Frenchman turned American, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, was responsible for its layout and planning. Judging by the impressiveness of the Capitol and the ‘Grand Avenue’ connecting it to ‘President’s House,’ she was certain that the town would transform into a remarkable city in the not too distant future.
There was a blue sky up above them. Off and on, a cloud or two would add specks of whiteness to the blue canvass. And like the previous day, the countryside was breathtaking. It never seemed to end no matter in which direction Amelia looked.
“Look, Amelia, I think we have arrived,” said Anna, sticking her head out of the window despite the biting cold.
Amelia followed suit. She looked ahead. “This can’t be it.” But then she thought of all of the booty Mitchell claimed when he was the captain of his ship.
“Yes, it is. It is magnificent. I have never seen anything so superb,” chirruped Anna above the cacophony of the advancing horses.
