In Loving Memory by Jenny Telfer Chaplin Read Free Book Online Page A

turned to Fergus and said, “Fergus, from what I know of your Radical activities, and I admit there’s still plenty of which I am in the dark, but even so, what with your spreading the message, with your platform speechifying, you are already deeply involved as a Radical leader. So much so, that God help us all, had you been unlucky enough to get caught, that could as easily have been you on the gallows this day, instead of Weaver Wilson who was captured at the Radical skirmish.”
    Her husband looked at her. “Tell me something Ah don’t already know, Maggie. Fine well Ah realise, Ah’d be stupid no to know, yes, it could have been me condemned to death on the scaffold.”
    Maggie could feel her face turn an angry red as she yelled at Fergus, “You know that, do you? You appreciate that so far you’ve been lucky to escape with your life? And yet, here you are today at the very hanging, risking even greater chance being captured, and what are you doing? Only handing out to all and sundry seditious leaflets. My God, man are your entirely mad? Have you no thought for me and your bairns? Handing out seditious pamphlets, Uch, Fergus, I despair.”
    He stared at her and was about to speak, but Maggie interrupted, “Uch, Fergus Bell, I’ve supported you all these years, borne your children, worried myself sick about you when you’re in hiding from the authorities. Well, no more, why in God’s name should I worry another moment about you? It has to end here and now.”
    He nodded silently, as if by now bereft of speech.
    Maggie seizing the advantage said, “Fergus, listen well, It seems to me the sooner you quit the shores of Scotland, the better.”
    He looked up. “Ye speak true, Maggie, for it’s only going to get worse. The other two Radicals they captured, Hardie and Baird, they’re awaiting trial... mark my words, come the Autumn, those two brave men, they’ll be next on the gallows. And other men they’ve captured, they’ve already been transported to the Colonies. But for Hardie and Baird, it’ll be the gallows.”
    Maggie put a hand to her brow. “Fergus, escape now while you still can, or if you’re not careful, it’ll be you hanging from the gallows. Surely ye can see that, man?”
    Late November 1820
    Maggie could feel her eyes open wide in utter amazement as she stared and went on staring at her husband.
    “You’ve done what, Fergus? Good heavens above, this goes beyond all belief. Please, please do tell me that I’ve misunderstood you... that I really have grasped the wrong end of the stick.”
    Giving her stare for stare, finally he allowed himself a heartfelt sigh and in the voice of one who was bone-weary, said, “Listen, woman, suppose you get off your high horse, sit down, pay attention and Ah’ll go through my master-plan yet again.”
    Although obeying her husband to the point of sitting down at the table, even so, Maggie knew she was still very far removed from any state of relaxed composure. Plunking her arms on the edge of the table, she leant forward, looked up at Fergus and waited for him to start speaking.
    Fixing her with an unblinking stare, he said, “This is the way of it, Maggie... as a hunted Radical, Ah need to flee the country and sooner rather than later, before my luck runs out. As ye well know, already Ah’ve had a few narrow escapes and it’s just a question of time now before the bastard law-enforcers catch up with me. And Sheena, poor widow-woman that she now is, she needs a man to be her protector on the voyage out to Canada, not forgetting that without a husband to her name she wouldnae be eligible for a grant of free land out on the Prairies. So, one way and another, my plan makes sense for all concerned. Surely ye can see that?”
    Maggie could feel her lips tighten into a thin hard line.
    “What I can see, since ye ask, is that you and Sheena, ye’d suit each other’s needs fine well. I’d be blind and downright stupid if I couldnae see that. But what I