Family Life
Meanwhile Kate had decided she must speak to Jack. Afraid she would encounter Jamie, she cut through the meadow, and the common to the back of the inn and the stable.
Jack was laying on the hay, he could have had a bed in the inn, Chester had offered it, but he liked the fresher air of the barn and the smell of Bess and Bow, the team, something about that made him feel free.
"Jack I must speak to you." Kate said seriously.
"Pull up a hay pile and relax girl you look as if a goose had walked your grave," Jack joked.
She turned to go, but then did as he bid her.
"Jack I love you," Kate said.
"Kate I love you as well, you and Jamie worked so hard to save my wretched life when no one else gave it any hope." Jack said.
Kate sighed, and said, "You don’t understand I love you as one might love her husband."
"Oh I see, but we can not go beyond loving each others as sister and brother, because Jamie . . ." Jack said.
"Jamie has asked for my hand but it is you I love Jack, Jamie is the one who is like my brother" Kate cried.
"Please do not cry beloved Kate, I can not take from Jamie his only love," Jack sighed, "Although I wish I could for Kate I love you as well."
Meanwhile on the main road another drama was unfolding.
It had been Piper who had brought both Jamie and Octavia back to reality jumping on Jamie and licking his face.
Piper was watchful and distrusted any man but George, so this convinced Octavia it was really Jamie.
"Jamie, is that really you?" she asked, knowing of course it was.
"Yes, my darling Octavia," Jamie said, as she sat down the infant.
They hugged and kissed. It was like they had never parted.
"Oh my darling, I have looked hard and long for you, but with fall upon us, I decided to take a position," Octavia said.
Who is the infant?" Jamie asked, finally noticing the baby.
"Why our son of course, I named him Quentin James Warwick," Octavia said
"Our son but we only . . . ." Jamie said looking at the beautiful boy closely, he had that Warwick look, those blue eyes like the sea on a sunny day going to twilight his grandmother had always said.
Jamie held the boy, he was not walking yet, so not yet a year.
"My son," he said amazed he at seventeen was a father of this beautiful child, "Quentin."
The boy turned his head to his father, as if noticing him for the first time. Then he stuck a plump thumb into his mouth and fell asleep.
"You must be exhausted, come I will take you home with me." Jamie said.
Octavia was exhausted and too stunned to argue.
Jamie changed into his every day suit, he had some chores such as caring for the horses, and cleaning the pub up, and he needed to talk to Chester about Octavia and their son.
Downstairs Maggie confronted Chester.
"Jamie has a woman in his quarters," Maggie said.
"Good," Chester cackled.
"You old heathen, we will not have that carrying on here," Maggie said.
"Look old woman how do we know half the people who came through here had marriage papers, most could not read, besides one is only young once," Chester said, "So leave them be."
"Why you are the one who warned me not to spoil the boy and spoiling him is what you be doing," Maggie sighed.
Jamie went down the back way, he had decided to check on the horses first, they would be thirsty. Jack liked the horses but he was still timid of them after Bow had kicked at a fly when Jack was close.
Well there was Kate and Jack hugging, and Jamie was both shocked and pleased.
In all the excitement he had not thought of Kate at all or what he would tell her.
"Kate and Jack this is wonderful the first two people I wanted to tell important news," Jamie said.
"Jamie please allow me to speak first," Kate said trying not to cry.
"Sorry I can not for this is too important to keep. Octavia is here," Jamie said.
"Octavia," Kate said suddenly she was overjoyed, he was right this was too important to keep.
"You know the new governess for the Coates family, it is she my beloved Octavia," Jamie said.
"Can this be true, oh Jamie it is wonderful," Kate said.
"It is the best of news," Jack said, thinking now Jamie would be happy and so would he and Kate.
"You are not upset?" Jamie asked looking at her with amazement. He had expected tears and maybe anger.
"No for what I wanted to tell you is I love Jack, I love you too Jamie, but that love is like one has for a brother. Jack refused me, because he is loyal to you. But I knew you could never love me like you love Octavia, I was going to plead you allow me to go," Kate laughed, she wanted to dance home. But Jack walked her instead.
"You love Jack it is wonderful," Jamie called after them and then went to see to the horses.
Afterwards he found Chester and took him aside, and told him what had happened.
"It is wonderful, but what of the baby won’t he bother the guests?" Chester said, wondering if they would have any room with Jamie bringing home others as he did.
"I have been working on the barn as you know, and I could build an place for us in the loft, you don’t use it anyway not with Swensen bringing you hay every month to pay their spirits tab.
Chester laughed and nodded, "All right build your home there for now, but you should buy your own land and build your own home for your family."
"I have thought of this and I know the land I wish, but know nothing about purchasing it or if I may being a servant," Jamie sighed.
"I will help you out my boy, but bring me no more people or dogs," he laughed, "When your place is made we will let Jack have your room. That barn is too cold in winter."
"Good," Jamie said.
"Now go up to your bride," Chester said gently.
Jamie went grateful and happier then he had ever been.
When he arrived at the room Octavia had bathed and bathed Quentin as well and it looked as if they were dancing.
"Did you find everything you needed?" Jamie asked, watching her and his son.
"Yes fine," she said her hair was coming free of its stern hairdo.
"Octavia how did you get here?"
"I took a coach from Boston, stopping in each town looking for you, I found your ship had landed in Portland, so I would work and . . ." she started.
"No I mean to the new world." Jamie said, looking at her and not believing his eyes still.
"Oh, well I demanded that George take me or I would scream to the constable and he would be in a cell with you, he brought me." Octavia laughed. It was a tired exhaused laugh.
"Please lie down, but I want to hear this storie."Jamie sighed, then hugged her one armed freeing her hair the rest of the way.
"Thats better," She said.
"I went as a man worked the sails, slept on a bloody hammock with George on one side and Piper on the other, I learned to be a seaman, I enjoyed it, if it hadn’t been for my belly showing and me changing back to women’s dress I might have taken a job on the sea. But I had to find you." she said smiling.
"Lie down I will tend to Quentin," Jamie said taking the boy.
"What happened to George?" Jamie asked a little irritated the man had abandoned his wife.
"I will get to that. George and I employed ourselves at an inn much like this in Boston, as man and wife, because with my belly I couldn’t say I was without a husband. George was a true gentleman, and he wished to stay with me, because I had saved his life, twice on the ship." Octavia explained, and Jamie could tell she rather enjoyed her adventure as a seaman.
"Do go on love," he said. putting Quentin on a pallet he had made for the child.
The child fell asleep almost immediately.
"Quentin was born, George helped him into the world one cold late October night, and he was in love as soon as he held him. He is the one who said, dear Octavia, you must name him Quentin after the dear man that was the grandfather of Jamie, how could I say no." Octavia laughed.
Jamie nodded, it was a good name, one of a steadfast man and a good son.
"Well as soon as Quentin was old enough to travel we were going to look for you. We found your ship had docked in Portland before going to Boston, and you had not been offered in Boston, we were here before you, we left the very next night after seeing there was nothing we could do. Your ship did not dock until a month later." Octavia said.
"Everything was going well then a press gang got George, about two months ago, then Quentin, Piper, and I set out to search for you." she explained.
"A press gang, what is that?" Jamie asked worriedly.
She explained that a press gang, or impressment is the act of conscripting men to serve in the military or navy, usually by force and without notice. Jamie shook his head they must have thought George a good sailor.
"George did not have the proper papers and so he got pressed into service on a British ship, they were also looking for Jeremiah Collins, but did not find him."
"Who is that," Jamie asked.
"Why me of course, but when they saw me they saw a frightened woman with a baby pleading them to leave George go, not a young lad of thirteen or fourteen who had ran away from a poor house to serve on a ship." She sighed, glancing at her sleeping son.
"Poor George," Jamie sighed.
Piper whined as if he knew about what they spoke.
"But George will be fine, he will run away at the first chance," Octavia hoped aloud.
Jamie nodded, he wished George Godspeed and goodness.
"Now my love I want to talk about happier things, I wish to talk about our future." Jamie said feeling sad for George who had been a true friend in the end."
"Sounds good to me I am tired of traveling and not knowing where we will sleep next, worrying about Piper and Quentin while I work.
Octavia went the next morning to the Coates house, they were happy to see her and had put aside a room for the children to have lessons in.
"Where is your baby?" Jenny asked.
"He is with his father, it would be less distracting without him.
"Your not going to stay with us?" Madolyn asked.
"No I will stay with my husband," Octavia said smiling at the children, "Now let us get down to lessons.
"Great, I have learned all my letters and numbers," Eddie said eagerly.
The children were eager to learn even Jenny, they were all about on the same level, learning to read, learning sums, and writing letters. Octavia had seen their mother had done her best but she could really read or write not much better then her children. Kate seemed to know a bit more but not much as she had taught herself.
Kate would slip in and learn when she could and she and Octavia became friends almost at once.
Meanwhile back at the inn, Jamie worked on their rooms any spare moment he could get he wanted out of the inn, so if Quentin cried it would disturb no one. He had left Quentin in Jack’s care long enough to get Octavia’s things from the freight and coach station.
He also went to Timberlane’s to buy some wood. Jack had offered to help him with the renovations. Jack was a better cook then carpenter, but with help the work went faster.
By the end of October the new living area was moved into, and finally Jamie felt comfortable with his wife, child, and good Piper, who had once held an angry sailor at bay and kept Octavia and Quentin safe. They were ready for the snow that was sure to come soon
