A Game of Shadows (7 page)

August 1624

England

Louisa Whitfield looked about furtively as she slipped from the house and made her way toward the maze.  The morning was lovely, cool and fresh, with drops of dew sparkling on the grass like stars scattered by some benevolent fairy.  Sounds of birdsong filled the air, making Louisa very happy to be alive.  She hadn’t felt as hopeful as she did this morning in a very long time.  Suddenly, life seemed full of promise and she wanted to do everything possible to see that promise fulfilled, and the first step to that goal was to catch Aunt Maud alone.  For some reason, the old lady liked to sit on a marble bench at the center of the maze every morning after breakfast, enjoying some fresh air before the heat of the day drove her indoors.  Louisa had no idea what her attachment to the maze was, but it didn’t matter.  It was a good place to talk privately, and she needed information about Lord Theodore Carew.  Her father always said that knowledge was power, and she intended to arm herself with as much ammunition as she could get.

Theo
brought a message for Uncle Kit from Court, asking him to return to London by Monday morning; it seemed some Council meeting was to take place, requiring Kit’s presence at the table.  Monday was still four days away, and thankfully, Theo had accepted Kit’s invitation to stay until Sunday, when they could ride back to London together.  It would be a hard ride back, but they preferred to go on horseback rather than taking the carriage, which would take longer and possibly require an overnight stop, delaying their arrival in London considerably.   

Louisa was thrilled that Theo accepted
the invitation.  She had an opportunity to observe him over supper the night before, and her mind was awhirl with possibilities.  She’d always found Uncle Kit to be handsome, nursing a secret passion for him when she was a little girl.  He seemed so dashing and brave; the hero of her childish dreams.  Theo bore a striking resemblance to his mother’s brother, not only in looks but in personality.  He was personable and warm, his dark eyes sparkling with humor as if he alone knew some great joke that he was keeping to himself.  What made Theo even more charming was his complete lack of arrogance.  He seemed genuinely embarrassed when her mother asked him about himself, and actually blushed when Louisa caught him looking at her across the table.  His shyness was so refreshing compared to the young men she met in Virginia, who were always boasting of their wealth and standing in the community.  Theo had no need to boast; he’d been born a lord, and his wealth needed no trumpeting.  Lord Carew Senior had been as wealthy as Croesus, and he provided well for his sons, tasking them with marrying well to consolidate their wealth and influence with other powerful English families.  The woman Theo eventually married would want for nothing, and Louisa had every intention of being that woman. 

There was no time to waste
, and Aunt Maud would be the best source of the information she needed, having known Theo from the cradle.  Aunt Lou, who was a keen observer of people and very outspoken in her views would have been her first choice, but she didn’t want to ask her for fear that she would tell her parents, who might interfere with her plans.  Aunt Maud, however, with her blunt way of putting things would surely let something important slip; something that Louisa could use to her advantage in snaring her prey.

She stepped carefully, the gravel of the path hard and uneven under the thin soles of her slippers
, and the dew on the hedges likely to leave wet stains on her skirt if she weren’t careful, but the misty shade of the narrow path was cool and pleasant, a strange hush permeating the maze as if it were a world unto itself, mysterious and full of old magic.  Louisa slowed her pace as she neared the center of the maze, strolling as if she didn’t have a care in the world and humming a wistful tune under her breath.  She stepped into the square of sunlight, feigning surprise at the sight of the old lady, seated regally on a bench, her face turned toward the sun, her walking stick leaning against the bench at a precarious angle.

“Aunt Maud, how nice to see you.  May I join you?
  I was just taking a walk before it got too hot, and the maze is so pleasant in the morning, isn’t it?”

Louisa didn’t wait for an answer as she sat down next to Maud, her face
alight with a charming smile.  She had to admit that although Aunt Maud managed to ruffle everyone’s feathers and put a few noses out of joint, she felt a sort of pity for her.  How sad it must be to be old and unwanted, with no children or grandchildren to carry on your legacy.  Who would really care once Maud died?  Louisa supposed that there would be some interest in her vast fortune, but no one would really miss the acerbic old lady, or visit her lonely grave next to a husband who never loved her in life.  She strongly suspected that Aunt Maud knew that as well, which made her only more determined to torment everyone while she still could. 

If only she could be a little kinder like Mr. and Mrs. Taylor.  Louisa had always loved Cook, but she came to know Mr. Taylor after he decided to stay with them and marry Mrs.
Dolly.  She had to admit that she learned to like the strange old man, and sometimes joined him on his walks where he happily pointed out various plants to her, glad that someone shared his interest in nature.  Louisa had always had an interest in herbs and plants, fascinated by the secrets they held.  Plants had the power to heal, but some had a darker purpose and those who knew how to use them wielded power over life and death, using nature’s cruel beauty to serve their secret purpose.  She used to follow Bridget around as she went out with her basket, collecting various items that she used in her medical arsenal.  It was useful knowledge, and Louisa liked useful things.  They came in handy when you least expected them to.

“Do you like the maze?” Louisa asked companionably, getting more comfortable and raising her face to the sun just like the old lady.

“Yes, it reminds me of the maze at our country estate when I was a girl.  My future husband followed me there one evening to inform me that my father had accepted his suit.  He kissed me then and promised to make me happy.”  Maud stared off into the distance, her eyes clouded with that old memory that obviously meant so much to her.

“Did he?” Louisa asked.

“Did he what?” asked the old lady, startled out of her reverie.

“Make you happy.”

“No child, he made my life a misery for over twenty years before he finally died with his mistress by his bedside, but at that moment in the maze, I was the happiest young girl in Christendom.”  Maud sighed and turned her attention to Louisa.  “And what are you doing here?”

“I just like to walk through the maze.  I got lost a few times, but now I know the way.  Did you know that Theodore will be staying for a few days?” Louisa asked innocently.  “He’ll be tr
aveling back to London with Uncle Kit on Sunday after church.”

“Hm
m, that’s welcome news.  He’s a good boy, Theo.  He was always Caroline’s favorite, you know.  She spoiled him if you ask me; mothered him too much since his father died when he was only a child.  A boy like him needed a firm hand to beat the nonsense out of him; that’s what I would have done.”  Aunt Maud slapped her hand against the bench for emphasis, obviously still reliving an old argument with her niece.

“What nonsense, Aunt Maud?  He seems very serious to me.” Louisa turned her face to Maud, her mouth open with curiosity.

“He was always soft-hearted that one.  Didn’t have the driving ambition of his brothers.  They will go far, just you wait and see.  They’ve already made advantageous marriages and gained the favor of His Majesty.  Theo, on the other hand, will find some damsel in distress and fall head over heels in love.  He always needed someone to rescue, and was dragging stray puppies and injured birds home to his mother.  She should have tossed them out, but she helped him take care of them, encouraging his weakness.  He fancied himself the patron saint of broken things.

For a smart woman,
Caroline was a terrible fool when it came to her youngest. I suppose she couldn’t resist his need for her.  Robin and Walter gravitated toward their father, but Theo only wanted his mother, sniveling like a girl.  He was her only comfort after his father died, until she took that young lover.  Now, that was a scandal in the making, but she wouldn’t hear a word against her new love.  Sure enough, he deserted her as soon as she became ill.  She’d outlived her usefulness.  I hear he married a girl just barely out of the nursery.  Must be a nice change after a woman nearly twenty years his senior.”  Aunt Maud sniggered, still annoyed with the niece who’d been dead for nearly two years.  Forgiveness did not come easily to her.

“
Now, make yourself useful and help me to my feet.  Time I went back inside.  It’s getting unbearably hot out here.  You may walk me back,” she announced imperiously, taking Louisa’s arm. 

“Of course, Aunt Maud.  It would be my pleasure.”  Louisa offered her arm to the old lady, smiling serenely.  She didn’t mind walking her back.  After all, she just told her exactly what she wanted to know, making her task that much easier.
  Louisa glanced away as Maud’s piercing eyes skewered her face.  Had she known all along what Louisa was after?

August 1777

New York

Abbie refolded the letter and sat wearily on the neatly-made bed of Captain Gordon.  It was barely mid-morning, but already the room was hot and stuffy, summer sun streaming through the uncurtained windows with relentless intensity.  The heat made Abbie feel faint, but that wasn’t what caused her to raise her palms to her burning cheeks.  What she felt was shame.  All her life she had thought of the British as the enemy, but she’d never actually had any dealings with them except for that horrible moment in the woods when Finn saved her from a brutal rape.  To her, all British soldiers were alike: cruel, belligerent, and intent on taking away everything and everyone she held dear. 

Now that she’d come into contact with actual people, hating them wasn’t as easy.  Some of the older officers were more
rigid and high-handed, but the younger ones just seemed lonely and homesick, eager for any human connections they could make.  They were courteous and polite to Abbie and Libby, who managed to retain her place after Millie had been dismissed in disgrace two weeks ago.  Abbie wondered whom Millie had actually been caught with, but Mrs. Cromwell forbid them to so much as mention her name, much less ask questions and Libby refused to gossip, terrified of losing the job, that helped her take care of her elderly mother.  It didn’t really matter.  Millie’s dalliances led to Abbie getting her job and in the grand scheme of things that was all that mattered.  Abbie was now ideally placed to spy on the British officers, a task that suddenly made her more ashamed than proud.

**

Abbie and Finn had been at the boarding house for over two weeks now, and although they did come across some useful tidbits which they’d passed on to Sam, most of the information Abbie uncovered in her snooping was very personal.  She now knew that Captain Gordon’s wife had given birth to a boy, their first, and Lieutenant Llewellyn’s mother sent him woolen underwear and a tonic for his bowels, and Major Weland had recently lost a brother who’d been shot during a skirmish in Canada.  What she didn’t know was what the British were planning to do next.  It seemed that any important information was kept very well-guarded.  She tried to listen as she served meals to the officers, hoping they might discuss some vital details of the upcoming invasion, but the conversation was banal, restricted to gossip, news of home, and veiled remarks about visits to Madame Mabel’s establishment, which Abbie took to be a house of ill-repute.

Abbie put the letter back into Captain Gordon’s writing desk and picked up her bucket and broom. 
Thankfully, this was the last room, and she could have a short break before starting in on the laundry.  Mrs. Cromwell offered laundry as a part of her service at the boarding house, ensuring that Abbie had a never-ending supply of unmentionables and shirts to wash.  At least she got to go outside to hang up the wet garments, giving her a few moments of fresh air and a possible peek of Finn, who was busy chopping wood, carrying pails of water, and bringing hay and oats for the horses of the officers. 

Abbie stowed the bucket and broom in
a cupboard off the scullery and looked around.  Mrs. Cromwell didn’t seem to be about; she might have gone to the market for supplies.  She liked to choose everything personally, not trusting Abbie or Libby to get the best price for the best goods.  Libby was already doing the laundry, so Abbie snuck out the back door to the garden.  All she needed were a few minutes of air.  She walked all the way to the back and sat down in the shade of an ancient maple tree, grateful to be out of the blazing sun.  She faced away from the boarding house toward the burned-out husk of Trinity Church rising over the roofline of the neighboring houses.  It had been less than a year since the fire of 1776, and many houses and businesses west of Broadway were just piles of burned beams and soot-covered bricks.  The city was slowly rebuilding, but the evidence of the disaster was still obvious. 

As Abbie looked at the ruined church
, she couldn’t help wondering if the fire had been an act of arson; its sole purpose to do as much damage to the city as possible rather than just hand it to occupying British forces.  It had started at the Fighting Cocks Tavern near Whitehall Slip, so it could have just as easily been an act of carelessness by some drunken patron.  Abbie supposed no one would ever really know the truth.  She wished the fire had done more damage, making it impossible for the British to stay, but although about a fifth of Manhattan was destroyed, New York still became a British stronghold after the withdrawal of Washington’s troops.