The Hands of Time by Irina Shapiro Read Free Book Online Page B

when possible .  Cook hung the kettle on an iron arm extending from the hearth and pushed it toward the flames to boil , while taking some loose tea out of a tin.  She selected several buns and arranged them on a plate, setting this in front of me with great ceremony. 
    “I don’t mean to be rude, but what is your name?”  I couldn’t just call the woman Cook.
    “Everyone just calls me Cook, love, but m e name is Mary.  Mary Dobbs.  I am married to John, the overseer. ”   Mrs. Dobbs made the tea and sat down across from me at the table taking a mug for herself as well.  I could see she was eager for a chat , and I had some questions to ask.  I started from afar .
    “Where is everyone this morning?”  Mrs. Dobbs was alone in the kitchen and I had seen neither Betty nor Nell this morning.
    “The girls went down to the farm.  I sent Nell for some butter and eggs , and Betty has reasons of her own for wanting to go.  Said she fancied a walk, but I know better.”  She gave me a conspiratorial smile.  “That girl is sweet on Toby, Nell’s brother, or m e name ain’t Mary Dobbs.  Finds any excuse to go to the farm to catch a glimpse of the lad.”
    “Does he like her?”  I hoped he did.  Betty was a sweet girl , and I couldn’t imagine that she would have too many young men to pick from in her current position.
    “That he does.  I reckon there’ll be wedding bells before Christmas .”  Now that the small talk was out of the way, I got around to more prying questions.
    “Mrs. Dobbs,” I began carefully, “Betty said that there were more people living at the castle before.  Where did they go?”  This obviously was a painful question, since the Cook’s eyes teared up , and she looked away for a moment before answering , needing a moment to compose herself . 
    “It was five years ago that it happened.  July of 1600.  The Mistress’s brother, Mr. Albert, stopped by to visit on ‘ is way from London.  Going to Truro, he was.  He was just going to stay the one night, but by morning , ‘ is coachman, Gregory had taken ill.  He was a good man, Gregory, but very fond of the brothels, if y e ’ll pardon m e bluntness.  Must have picked up the illness when he’d gone wenching.  Mr. Albert postponed ‘ is departure until Gregory improved , but he only got worse.  It was the bloody flux , y e see .”  Mrs. Dobbs whispered that last bit , and I could see the horror in her face as she recalled the events of that week.  I thought that bloody flux was probably dysentery and could be fatal in this day and age . 
    “Mr. Alec and Mr. Finn were away at the time, seeing to their ship as they do.  The Mistress forbade anyone to summon them home.  Did not want them to take ill as well.  Gregory was the first to die, followed by Mr. Albert , and then by Mistress Julia and Master Henry .  Betty and Robbie’s mother died as well , and the groom , Will, who shared the room with Gregory while he was here.  Mr. Charles and Mistress Violet were the last to get ill.  Mr. Charles recovered, being young and strong, but Mistress Violet suffered the most.  She was six months gone with her first babe and the sickness brought on her pains early.  She was in agony, poor lamb.  The baby was a boy and lived for a few minutes before dying in ‘ is mother’s arms.  She died the next day.”  Mrs. Dobbs wiped a tear from her plump cheek and took a long pull of tea. 
    “Who were Mistress Violet and Mr. Charles?”  I asked, feeling a little guilty for being so nosy.
    “Mr. Charles is the younger brother of Mr. Alec and Mr. Finn.  Six he was at the time , and Mistress Violet was Mr. Alec’s wife.  Mad with grief he was when he got back.  We thought he’d do himself an injury, poor man.  He was that in love with her.  They had been wed less th a n a year.”   She reached for another bun , and I analyzed what she told me.  It must have been a terrible tragedy to come back to find their