Smugglers
Meanwhile Octavia had taken a few more pupils, others wanted to wait for school to open this winter after harvest. Some of the children had no idea how to write their names.
But she did her best coming to their homes in the afternoon, the Swensens, Martins, and Tamberlanes. She had expected to have Landers as well but Lewis nor Astrid had asked for her and she had enough to do. Maggie had lent her Bow, which was better to ride then Bess.
"I have asked Kate to marry me, but we need a home," Jack said, "I found a small deserted farm and I am talking a deal with Mr. Timberlane, seems as he owns it. I want you to go look at it with me I know nothing about land. Chester says it will be quiet this morning and we can walk it is a good day and I need some exercise."
So off they went leaving Quentin with Maggie, Jamie hadn’t seen Piper, and thought the dog had gone with Octavia, had Piper gone with them things might have turned out differently.
The place was not much more then a hovel, but a well built one, and it had a cellar.
"This is old, probably built by Timberlane’s grandfather, look there is a cellar," Jack said excitedly.
"Maybe we shouldn’t go down there." Jamie said thinking he heard something or someone.
"Rats," Jack said grinning, "a good fiest or cat will rid the place of them."
They looked down and surprised to see light emitting from the cellar.
There was a man down there and lots of barrels, carefully Jack shut the trap door.
"Shhh," he hissed, and again they heard a groan this time louder.
"What do we do?" Jamie asked whispering, after they both looked out the window, then heard a thump that sounded as if it were coming from outside the door.
Jack motioned and Jamie, and made a move to the ladder, Jamie thought up was a bad idea but what other did they have. Obviously someone was out there, and even though they had a right to be here the man in the cellar had a muzzle loader and a dagger. They had no such weapons, as servants they had no need for weapons.
The loft was small and the ladder nailed on there was some hay up there old and long forgotten, but their was no rat smell only a slightly musty smell, the two men hid it the hay.
Someone was downstairs talking.
"Look you idiot there is no one up here," a voice said.
"I swore I heard someone boss," an apologetic softer voice said.
"Come on fool the wagon will not unload it’s self, no one knows of this place, my horse has been here a week," a reedy high voice, almost that of a woman, but Jamie didn’t think so. He new that voice it was the preacher. Linde.
Jamie tried to creep back to the ladder, but the fat man, Morris Sherry was standing and looking out the window.
Somehow Jamie and Jack waited out what seemed like hours, then they were gone.
Once they looked out the window, and saw Morris himself unloading a covered top wagon.
Jack wanted to run back to the inn, but Jamie’s curiosity won him over, what were those barrels.
He went below and found one that had been tapped.
Rum. He knew now what the men were doing smuggling rum.
"What will we do?" Jack said as they walked back to the village.
Jamie sighed, somehow he knew if they told constable Martin, that somehow they would not be believed.
"I say nothing for now, not until we have more information." Jamie said.
"But surely . . ." Jack started.
"Quiet," Jamie hissed.
Jack looked around and saw Linde’s bag of bones horse tied to the railing behind the stable and looked at Jamie, and said, "What ever you think is best.
That night Octavia and Jamie were eating in their dinner the public room was empty, discussing the school, when Jamie interrupted and told her about what had happened to them today. He wondered what they should do.
"Well you know Seth is the new constable, perhaps I could have a word with Clarise tomorrow she invited me to tea, I could see what she thinks. Beneath that giggling facade is a real woman who is intelligent and shrewd, the school was actually her idea, but she made the men feel that they had thought of it. The same way she convinced Seth Martin was the right man for her. Even though the Martins are not elite society, Seth’s father was a great stone mason and helped build this town." Octavia explained.
"When are men going to stop their thinking that women are inferior creatures?" Jamie asked with a sigh but he was smiling.
"I am afraid I will never live to see it my darling," she said smiling.
"I suppose none of us will," Jamie said.
"But knowing you know it is not true, at least not in the case of an educated woman, and Clarise is educated, she was sent to boarding school for young ladies," Octavia said.
Jamie nodded, and thought if Octavia trusted Clarise it was good enough for him. Octavia had a sense about people and she did not like Linde.
The next evening Octavia was in the stable checking on Bess and Bow, when she heard a man say something. She thought it was Jack even thought he was now using Jamie’s old room, he liked to come out and sit in the hay pile and think.
He said the first time he knew he was going to live the smell of hay calmed him. Octavia smiled and turned but it was not Jack, it was a bigger man, and with him was a smaller man, they both wore hats, neither Jamie or Jack could afford a hat.
She gave Bess a carrot bit, and the men were quite.
"No one here but horses," the man said, she could make out in the darkness of the barn, Morris Sherry but not the other man.
"All right this is the deal we want two per barrel, the innkeeper here won’t buy the old fool is loyal to the crown," Sherry said.
"Two pounds per barrel," the man said, then silence spinning out and if Octavia could not see them she would have thought they had gone, then Bess stamped and let out a soft snort.
"I can go that if you throw in one free barrel for five I buy," the man said.
"Surely sir . . ." Sherry said.
"That is my offer how many barrels of rum can you deliver?" the man asked.
"Eighteen, you pay for fifteen . . ." Sherry started.
"I can do math," the man snapped.
Octavia thought she knew that voice but not sure she knew it was no one she new well, not Seth Martin, Mr. Coates, Lewis, Mr. Dutcher the miller, Mr. Amberly. The voice was that of a man with a little education, he had said deliver not bring as a labourer would have said. "All right when do you want us to bring it, and where," Sherry said.
"I can pick it up near that old place that burned." The man said, "Midnight on the morrow be good."
"Ye pay half now half when we bring the rum," Sherry said.
"No I pay all on delivery," the man said.
They argued about this for a while then the man left. Sherry counted the money she imagined. Then he left, Octavia climbed the ladder to their quarters, Quentin was asleep on his cot. Jamie was writing at the little table, he looked up at her and cleared away the papers as she put his dinner before him.
"Jamie, that Morris Sherry was just down in the stable selling rum to someone, I am going to see Clarise now," Octavia said.
"Jack will be here soon I will get my cloak and come with you." Jamie said glancing at Quentin who was still sleeping.
"Maybe that is best." Octavia sighed, "I must change out of this house dress first."
They went to the Martin house, and were greeted by Clarise herself answered the door, and Octavia thought she must really love Seth Martin to give up having servants, although Clarise had a cook and a day maid, it was nothing like she had at home but she seemed very pleased with her life.
Octavia noticed the furniture didn’t really match, and that was all right. She wondered what Clarise would think if she knew what Jamie and her background really was.
"What a surprise, I was just telling Seth we should invite you and James over," Clarise said smiling.
"I am afraid we didn’t come for a visit," Octavia said and saw Seth and another man in the sitting area of the great room. She wished she could recall his name.
"Well you both look a bit tired, come in and have some tea," Seth said.
"Our good friend Neil Swensen, Niel please meet James and Octavia Warwick," Clarise said.
"Aw yes good to meet you, you live at the Inn, some relative of Dawsons," Neil Swensen said.
Jamie nodded slightly, no one in town knew that Jamie was an indentured servant, it was what Chester wanted, and Chester while did not lie, did not correct people when they assumed Jamie was a distant relative who Chester had hired. And had they not became family at least in their hearts?
Jamie went to the men while Octavia quickly told Clarise what they had witnessed and suspected.
"It is all right to talk before Neils, he and Seth are good friends." Clarise said.
"What is it?" Seth asked, seeing the worry on Jamie and Octavia’s face.
They told what they had seen, each telling their own stories in more detail then Octavia’s quick explanation to Clarise.
"We need to stop these men, I am empowered by the crown to be a peace keeper, I just have one question, how many men have you seen?" Seth asked.
"Sherry, that reverend Linde character, and another guy with a beard," Jamie said.
"Then there was the buyer, I don’t know who he was other then he was educated somewhat, he said deliver not bring, and it was dee-liver, not duh-liver," Octivia said.
"Hmm, sounds like someone who is native born, not British," Neil said speaking for the first time.
"Right, that is four, I can count on Neil, but we don’t know who is buying this rum. I could swear you in as a temporary constable, we need another man as well." Seth said.
"Can't think of anyone, Timberlane has gone down to Boston," Neil added.
"James do you know another man we could trust? Usually I would ask Jacob, but he hurt his leg on that colt of his, we need four able bodied men," Seth said.
"Jack," Jamie said.
"Jack," Octavia agreed.
"Who is he?" Neil asked.
"The cook at Dawsons, you met him at the dance darling," Clarise said smiling.
"Oh the red headed man who is calling on Edmond Coates’ maid," Neil said smiling, "He looks like a sturdy fellow and you must trust him."
"With my life," Jamie said.
"So be it, is there somewhere we can meet at the inn," Seth said, and Neil nodded, excitement in his eyes.
"I will arrange one," Octavia said, speaking for the first time since she described what she had seen.
"Good," Neils said.
"We will meet after dark." Seth added.
"Thank you sirs," Jamie said and bowed.
After they were gone Neils looked at his boyhood friend, and said, "I have seen bows like that in the courts of England, I think our young Mr. Warwick is more then a simple public room server."
Neils had gone to Europe with his father when he had been a little younger then Jamie, and although the bow was nice, Seth wouldn’t have recognized it, after all he was just a farmer, a well to do one, but still a farmer. The Swensens and Amberlys were the cultured once of the village. His wife was better educated then he was and he often consulted her, she was nodding now.
"A lot of aristocracy down on their luck these days, and the Dawsons came from England long ago. Who knows they could be related to some earl or count," Clarise said.
"Fascinating," Seth said, he had liked Jamie since meeting him.
"I find the Warwicks very interesting, I guess he sent for her, neither of them seem to belong where they are, yet they are humble in a way that is unusual for aristocracy to act," Neils said smiling, he too liked them, and he envied Seth not for the first time for his unique position in society, he could rub elbows with everyone in the village without getting retribution from his family.
Seth Martin’s mother had died bearing his baby sister and his father had died only a couple of winters ago with the consumption leaving Seth to raise his younger siblings and manage the farm.