Read Online Riverbreeze: Part 1 by Ellen E. Johnson - Free Book Online Page A

discussed
arrangements past that point, she supposed she could marry again,
although that thought repulsed her, or she could try sending
another letter to her sister. But for now she would isolate herself
from society once again.
    Of course she had been invited to the social
affair; she was an eligible, free woman, not a servant. But she was
too sorrow-stricken to face all those gay people. She knew that
Jamie and Robert wanted her to go with them; they didn’t like the
idea of leaving her alone with their new indentured servant, but
she had insisted she didn’t want to go and she could take care of
herself. After all, the boy was only sixteen and still small for
his age.
    Before the men left with little Robin, Robert
had a few final words for Abigail and then the new boy who had come
to the house for his breakfast. Working at the fireplace she
listened covertly as Robert warned the boy to behave and then
reminded him of the penalties for running away; whipping, branding
on the cheek or shoulder with the letter R, and extension of
servitude. She didn’t know if hearing about the penalties was
enough to deter him; she didn’t know him well enough yet, but from
what she had seen so far he seemed to be a good lad. He had always
shown her nothing but respect and cooperation and she was positive
she would have no trouble with him.
    Even so, she had her late husband’s flintlock
pistol which she knew how to prime, load and shoot like a militia
captain. And if the pistol was not enough protection, she always
carried a little dagger tucked into a pocket she had sewn into the
seam of her skirt.
    Outside, she said her goodbye’s to the
brothers and to Robin. Once Robert and Robin were settled onto
their horse and Jamie had mounted Pisador, she handed Jamie a sack
full of dried apples, leftover corncakes, walnuts and dried
venison. They thanked her and she watched them as they rode towards
the back of the property. A feeling of relief washed over her; once
Connelly had eaten and started on the chores Robert had given him,
she could finally be alone in the house where she could do
absolutely nothing if she wanted to, but most likely she would sit
and read her Bible and grieve for her dear friend.
     
     

Chapter Two: The Twins’ Story
October 30, 1643, Aileen Plantation, Colony of Virginia

    It happened again last night. Elizabeth Tyler
had another one of her predictive dreams. It didn’t frighten her,
not like the first one she had had when she was four years old; it
only intrigued her, let’s just say that this one had been the most…
personal and revealing, showing her a clearer picture of the man
she would marry.
    Standing by the window in the bedchamber she
shared with her twin sister, Evelyn, she watched all the activity
happening below in the front yard of her Uncle Francis’ plantation.
Anxiously she studied the faces of every man she saw. So far she
hadn’t seen anyone who resembled the man in her dream but this
didn’t worry her because none of them appealed to her anyway; not
the mariners who were working hard at repairing the ship she had
arrived on, or the Captain, or any of the other planters. Thank God
none of them would be her husband!
    Today she and Evelyn were being introduced to
Virginia society, a mere three days after arriving in the colony.
Even though she and her sister were in no mood to socialize, she
understood that her Uncle Francis had planned this gathering a
month ago and had handed out invitations at the last meeting of the
county court. He hadn’t foreseen the late-season hurricane that had
crippled their ship and delayed their arrival by two weeks and
neither had she! No dream about that! But then her dreams hadn’t
shown her much of anything in the past six months.
    Six months ago she would have never believed
she would find herself in this strange land. She would have never
believed that she and her sister would be here alone without their
father or without their governess, who had taken