Chapter 40: Chapter Forty

Darius awoke from an absurd dream he couldn’t remember now. His head was fuzzy. He didn’t recall getting to the cabin, but was on the front porch. He shook his head; never feeling this hungover before. He stood, though his head throbbed. No fire burned in the kitchen. Maybe Arianna was asleep. The dreams she’d been experiencing left her weary. He went to their bedchamber. She wasn’t there and her hairbrush wasn’t on the bed table. He looked in the wardrobe and his heart constricted. None of her garments remained. He vaguely remembered Arianna showing up at the gathering. She’d been angry but he couldn’t remember why.

Had she been so upset, she’d left him? He went down the stairs two at a time, opened the door to her healing chamber and staggered. Nothing remained. There wasn’t the usually strong scent of herbs; it was like she’d never been here.

Maybe she’d used her magic to erase all trace of her. Why was she so displeased and why couldn’t he remember? An image flashed of Elizabeth seductively touching him and Arianna’s face clouding with jealous disappointment. Christ, maybe she had left, but he knew he hadn’t bedded Elizabeth.

He’d go to Grandmother’s cottage; perhaps Arianna would be there. He saddled King, but stared at Queen. Her belly wasn’t swollen. He searched her stall thinking she’d foaled early, but nothing. He was increasingly perplexed. Riding toward Grandmother’s cottage, he saw Samuel.

“Have you seen Arianna?”

“Who?” Samuel asked.

“Arianna.”

Samuel shrugged. “I don’t know who you mean.”

“That’s not amusing, Samuel.”

“I’m not tryin’ to be amusing. I’ve no notion who you’re talkin’ about. I thought you’d left for Wickshire. You said you’d be leavin’ early and asked if I’d feed the horses.”

“Wickshire?”

“For horseshoes,” Samuel said.

He’d been in Wickshire for that purpose the day before he’d met Arianna. Darius looked around. It wasn’t early summer, but autumn. Leaves had begun to turn.

“Are you well, Darius?”

“I drank too much,” Darius replied.

“I’ll get back to Kat. She’s ripe with child and weary. She’s been wishin’ Bessie and Patrick might move back.”

“I’m certain they will,” Darius said, not actually feeling certain of anything.

“Safe journey, Darius. Avoid bein’ accused of witchcraft. There’s loads bein’ held in village jails.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Darius rode off wholly confused. He’d clearly been taken back in time and must get to Wyndham Village.

Darius went straight there hoping he’d find Arianna before she was placed in the pillory. He arrived, the day bright and sunny, not stormy as when he’d found Arianna. But he was a day early. Someone was in the pillory. His hopes rose, then fell when he saw it was Elizabeth. She lifted her head but didn’t seem to recognize him.

“Elizabeth, have you seen Arianna?”

“Stay away from me!” she spat. “I don’t know how you know my name or who you speak of.”

“Arianna, she looked out for you and Sarah.”

“You’re a cruel man,” she said. “My sister Sarah and my parents died before we reached this horrid land.”

Darius stared at Elizabeth when Johnathan Smythe approached, with both of his arms.

“Why art thou here, Mr. Wyndham?”

Darius saw Elizabeth cringe when he drew near.

“I’m searching for a woman with long red hair.”

“I’ve seen no one like that.”

Now what? Could Darius leave Elizabeth at Smythe’s mercy? Maybe after last night, Arianna believed he wanted Elizabeth or thought he might save her from a promiscuous life. When an older man approached, Smythe spoke.

“Thy wife has served time in the pillory. Take her now.”

Smythe released Elizabeth. The man took her arm and they left together. But where was Arianna? Had she arrived on another ship? Darius was heartsick. Was he never meant to meet her? But her mother said they were destined to be together.

He rode hard to where he’d seen her mother’s spirit, hoping the day would turn blustery and she’d come to him. He waited through the night and the next day, but the spirit didn’t appear.

“Eirann, tell me what I’m to do now!” he hollered.

Only the sound of the waves against the shore replied. How did he know the spirit’s name if Arianna hadn’t been in his life? How would he retain memories if Arianna went back and erased their time together?

Should he find a ship to England or Ireland? He was startled when he saw a wolf. He whistled and the animal came. He stared at Darius accusingly like this was his fault. In truth, it was. He should have held her tighter, made certain she knew how dear she was to him. Arianna said the animal was her guardian. She said she always felt Jean-Claude was her guardian, too.

Would he be in Massachusetts Bay Colony? When he’d attended Thanksgiving meal, Jean-Claude said he’d been in the colony for weeks; he was likely here now. Darius would go to Boston.

When he walked into a tavern-brothel, several women greeted him.

“I’m looking for a man,” Darius said.

“You’ve come to the wrong place,” a woman said.

“Maybe one of us could change your mind,” a buxom-breasted woman in a low gown, suggested.

“I’m looking for a Frenchman, he has dark hair and…”

“He’s stayin’ at the inn next door.”

“Thank you,” Darius said.

“Are you certain you won’t come upstairs? I could take that worried look off your face,” another woman said, but he ignored her.

Darius burst into the inn, relieved when he spotted Jean-Claude though he didn’t recognize Darius.

“May I speak with you?” Darius said.

Jean-Claude shrugged and they stepped outside.

“Pardon me, but you appear distressed.”

“That would be one word for it.”

“How may I assist you?” Jean-Claude asked.

“Do you know Arianna O’Sullivan?”

“I know a lot of women, but don’t recall that name.”

Darius’s heart sunk. He’d hoped Arianna simply hadn’t taken the ship to the colonies. This could mean she’d never been to England. Maybe she and her mother remained in Ireland where she’d been happy.

“Thank you for your time,” Darius said.

“Wait,” Jean-Claude called. “Did this woman have deep red hair?”

“Aye.” Darius felt hopeful.

“You won’t find her; she died years ago. The witch-hunter brothers Charles and Edward Mendenhall burned her at the stake.”

“That can’t be.”

“I remember she had an Irish name. I was there when it was done and it’ll sound callous, but it happened so frequently I didn’t really take notice. However, when led to the stake, she called to me predicting I’d go to the colonies. It profoundly impacted me. She told me to give this to a man in Boston,” he said pulling something from his pocket.

It was Arianna’s Celtic pendant. Darius’s knees buckled. Could she really have died? Why would she go back in time only to be burned at the stake? She feared fire and she’d loved him.

“Take it; I sense you’re the man she spoke of.”

Darius nodded. “Thank you.”

Darius held it tightly. He couldn’t accept the likelihood he wouldn’t see Arianna again, or the absurdity that maybe he hadn’t actually met her.

He was pulled from his thoughts passing a small shop that seemed out of place somehow. He pushed the door open, smelling herbs—an apothecary shop. Glancing at the bottles, the herbs and candles, it was the books that caught his eye. A man with unusually short dark hair and a crooked grin greeted him.

“Looking for a book?”

“Not unless there’s a book with a spell to take me back in time?” Darius whispered.

“Do you know how to cast spells?”

“No,” Darius said.

“The old woman might,” the man said.

“What old woman?”

“I think you know. If you want your wife back, take the book and find the old woman.”

The book looked ancient; the leather-bound cover worn. Darius gently touched the curled yellowed pages. He couldn’t read the language, but was drawn to it.

“How much?” Darius asked.

“No charge. You’d need magic to understand it.” The man winked.

Darius stepped outside. Although everything was peculiar, he tucked the book inside his saddlebag, the pendant in his pocket, when the shop simply disappeared. Overcome with dizziness again, he was suddenly back at the settlement. There must be powerful magic at work today.

He met Samuel again. This time Sammy, Katie and Rachel accompanied him. Samuel looked disheveled. The children were ragged, too, their clothes soiled, hair unkempt. Sammy’s face was badly burned; it was clear he couldn’t move one arm. Rachel, almost always pristine, was also neglected.

“Hello, Uncle Darius,” Katie said, lacking her usual cheerfulness.

“Samuel, what’s happened to Sammy? Why are the bairns so untidy? Are Kathleen and Charlotte unwell?”

Samuel stared, clearly tortured.

“I don’t know what you’re playin’ at, Darius, but that’s cruel.”

“Ma died,” Sammy said.

“Ben, too,” Katie forlornly added.

“That’s not somethin’ anyone could forget, Darius. It happened when people here became ill with the wretched stomach affliction. Wee Ben and my Kat died and the bairn she carried.”

Darius remembered Arianna saying she believed Kathleen and Ben would have died if they hadn’t been given the wild ginger. If she’d never been here, they would have died.

“I fell in the fire helpin’ Da cook,” Sammy said.

“Why hasn’t Bessie come to help?”

“Darius, I don’t know what you’re up to, but I don’t appreciate it. Katie and Sammy, take Rachel to pick wildflowers.”

The children each took one of Rachel’s hands and moved to the meadow.

Samuel looked at Darius with uncommon displeasure. “Were you knocked on the bloody head, Darius? Bessie died not long after, Kat. I suppose her heart couldn’t take more loss. Patrick drank himself into the grave and young Patrick hanged himself in their barn.”

“Christ!” Darius said, feeling shattered.

“I haven’t felt him here in a while. I suppose you’re tellin’ me you don’t remember what happened to Ethan, Charlotte and Michael either, or the others here?”

Darius wasn’t sure he wanted to hear.

“I know you’ve found yourself in the bottle lately, Darius, but you’re behavin’ like you’ve lost your mind completely.”

“Maybe I want to forget. You must help me remember,” he said surely sounding like he had lost his mind.

“Charlotte apparently stabbed and killed Ethan while he slept. It was after you came back from your time at sea. Rachel must have seen it happen for she hasn’t spoken since. Charlotte went entirely mad, claimed she was haunted by Liza’s spirit then drowned in the river, found in the same spot as Liza.”

Samuel kept speaking in a tone so morose, Darius knew he didn’t want to hear more.

“You were in Wickshire when several settlers died when natives attacked. Soldiers convinced us to retaliate. We killed the natives in the nearby villages, then were devastated to discover those who attacked were really soldiers disguised as natives. Michael was killed trying to defend Chenoa. The few settlers left, moved away thinkin’ the place must be cursed.

“We’ve been livin’ in your cabin, the only one not burned. Olathe, who suffers wild bouts of lunacy, says it’s because a witch with hair of blood-fire placed a spell of magical protection on your cabin.

“So that’s that. It’s you and me, and three Wyndham children. Sammy’s scarred, can barely see and can’t move his arm. Rachel doesn’t talk and Katie thinks she sees spirits includin’ a red-haired woman she calls Auntie.”

Darius inhaled deeply. “I pray I can do somethin’ about that, Samuel.”

Samuel waved dismissively and Darius galloped through the woods.