Chapter 1. 1694
Young Tabitha Lennox, walked along the waggon path that led to Harmony village with a basket of freshly picked herbs. Her golden hair, loose and lovely fell over her shoulders and down her back. There was a light step in her gait, happy to be in this new country, free of the turmoil of the old country in England.
Her blue eyes gazed dreamily over the freshly tilled fields of the Silas Russell farm, where Maizie Russell waved to her over the hillock. She raised her arm and waved back to her friend, with a smile on her face enjoying the pleasantness of the summer day. Maizie and Tabitha were friends, they had shared their secrets of the healing arts and medicinal plants. Maizie had quite a talent for healing the sick, gathered from the local Abnakie tribe and was not wont to use the town physician's quack methods of Blood-letting and leeches.
When she set her eyes back to the road, she found she had run smack into the austere personage of Master Alistar Crane. He had grasped her by the shoulders with his long bony fingers. Where had he come from so suddenly? The road was empty just a few moments ago. Master Crane's shadow towered over her, enveloping her in an eerie chill. He was a tall man, thin whisps of gray hair, his age somewhere about five and forty. Master Crane owned the mill by the woods, and the locals were not fond of him and usually stayed away from his company.
"Tabitha Lennox" he said.
She gazed at his cold dark eyes, wondering what he wanted of her. She shoved his hands away, took a step back and held her basket tighter. Master Crane produced a rose bud out of nowhere, reached forward and tucked it into the top button hole of her bodice.
"Master Crane!" Tabitha was shocked at his boldness.
"I wish to be acquainted with such a wild English Rose as yourself." Alistar's eyes admired the rosebud, which set off a pink blush to her neck, and then his eyes rose to her face.
From behind Alistar, a woman whose hair was as red as a new penny cackled. "Must you dally with this silly wench, Alistar?"
Tabitha closed her eyes tightly, having recognized the frazzle of hair, her deep brown eyes, the look of contempt upon her face as she scowled down at her and placed her arms upon her hips.
"Perhaps Mistress Lennox would enjoin us with a glass of claret this fine day?" Alistar said.
Tabitha threw her chin up in air. "Indeed, I would not."
The red-haired woman pushed Alistar aside. "Who needs such an incompetant.!"
"I do not care for the company you keep, Master Crane. I will be on my way." Tabitha said.
"You are just envious of my powers." The red haired woman smiled. "I excelled in the dark arts, while you fumbled along with your miserable plants and powders-trying to heal the worthless inhabitants of London. Ha! A waste of training."
"Hecuba, thy wicked ways nearly got me burned in England! Why didst thou follow me to the colonies?"
Hecuba tossed her red hair over her shoulder. "For the fun of it. It was me who helped you escape the flames! But are you grateful?"
Tabitha shook her head. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had to leave..."
"I would prefer that you two lovely ladies desist your bickering and join me at my house." Alistar commanded.
"I have plants to tend to."
Alistar side-glanced Hecuba with a knowing look. "Perhaps the village of Harmony would find your past history of infinate interest, my dear. Accused of witchcraft? I'm sure the Reverend Strout will want to hear all."
"Twas her, who burned the house down in London! Not I!" Tabitha said defensively.
"She can't seem to abide taking responsibility for her actions." Hecuba grinned.
"I want nothing to do with Hecuba or Witchcraft!" Tabitha railed.
Hecuba grabbed on to Alistar's arm, shaking it. "You should see her work with the magnetick needle, dear Alistar. She can conjure up the powers of the Telluric currents...you don't want to let her walk off like that...."
"Telluric currents?" Alistar grabbed hold of Tabitha's shoulder.
Hecuba nodded. "Yes, the invisible lines on the earth that the birds and animals migrate by...This little lady inspired Isaac Newton toward his universal law of gravity by bonking him on the head with an apple."
"Holy Lucifer!"
"Leave me be! That was scientifick methods, nothing magical, no dark arts! The natural world has many untapped powers on its own merit without having to conjure up the Devil!" Tabitha said.
"Oh, that's right. I forgot to mention, Alistar. Tabitha considers herself a naturalist. She prefers the natural powers of the unseen world, rather than seek help from THE MASTER. I first ran into her at Salisbury Plain, at Stonehenge...watching the rising sun on the equinox." Hecuba seemed pleased. "It was a good place to find recruits to the dark side."
Alistar thought about everything that was said, concerning Tabitha's discomfort with the dark arts. He whispered to Hecuba's ear. "It would be wickedly delicious to persuade the maiden over to the dark side."
Hecuba shrugged, eyeing her competition. "And no doubt, you will enjoy corrupting the maiden."
Alistar's eyebrows raised up wickedly. He broke out a slight grin.
"Tabitha Lennox, I am obliged, as head of the Town Council to inform the congregation of Harmony of any wicked misdeeds from our villagers. Shall I call them to a meeting tonight?"
Tabitha stared at Master Crane, noting his implacable aloofness, his sense of power and control. He had obviously joined with Hecuba in some sort of evil business, was part of it. Was Master Crane a witch also? A warlock? What if she were to point him out as a warlock? Would anyone believe the herbalist who troubled no one? Or would they believe Harmony's most prominent and wealthiest citizen, like Master Alistar Crane over her?
"All right, I go with ee" Tabitha said begrudgingly. "But none of your evil business for me!" Tabitha walked aside Master Crane, who was stealing glances down the front of her cotton frock.
Young Tabitha Lennox, walked along the waggon path that led to Harmony village with a basket of freshly picked herbs. Her golden hair, loose and lovely fell over her shoulders and down her back. There was a light step in her gait, happy to be in this new country, free of the turmoil of the old country in England.
Her blue eyes gazed dreamily over the freshly tilled fields of the Silas Russell farm, where Maizie Russell waved to her over the hillock. She raised her arm and waved back to her friend, with a smile on her face enjoying the pleasantness of the summer day. Maizie and Tabitha were friends, they had shared their secrets of the healing arts and medicinal plants. Maizie had quite a talent for healing the sick, gathered from the local Abnakie tribe and was not wont to use the town physician's quack methods of Blood-letting and leeches.
When she set her eyes back to the road, she found she had run smack into the austere personage of Master Alistar Crane. He had grasped her by the shoulders with his long bony fingers. Where had he come from so suddenly? The road was empty just a few moments ago. Master Crane's shadow towered over her, enveloping her in an eerie chill. He was a tall man, thin whisps of gray hair, his age somewhere about five and forty. Master Crane owned the mill by the woods, and the locals were not fond of him and usually stayed away from his company.
"Tabitha Lennox" he said.
She gazed at his cold dark eyes, wondering what he wanted of her. She shoved his hands away, took a step back and held her basket tighter. Master Crane produced a rose bud out of nowhere, reached forward and tucked it into the top button hole of her bodice.
"Master Crane!" Tabitha was shocked at his boldness.
"I wish to be acquainted with such a wild English Rose as yourself." Alistar's eyes admired the rosebud, which set off a pink blush to her neck, and then his eyes rose to her face.
From behind Alistar, a woman whose hair was as red as a new penny cackled. "Must you dally with this silly wench, Alistar?"
Tabitha closed her eyes tightly, having recognized the frazzle of hair, her deep brown eyes, the look of contempt upon her face as she scowled down at her and placed her arms upon her hips.
"Perhaps Mistress Lennox would enjoin us with a glass of claret this fine day?" Alistar said.
Tabitha threw her chin up in air. "Indeed, I would not."
The red-haired woman pushed Alistar aside. "Who needs such an incompetant.!"
"I do not care for the company you keep, Master Crane. I will be on my way." Tabitha said.
"You are just envious of my powers." The red haired woman smiled. "I excelled in the dark arts, while you fumbled along with your miserable plants and powders-trying to heal the worthless inhabitants of London. Ha! A waste of training."
"Hecuba, thy wicked ways nearly got me burned in England! Why didst thou follow me to the colonies?"
Hecuba tossed her red hair over her shoulder. "For the fun of it. It was me who helped you escape the flames! But are you grateful?"
Tabitha shook her head. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had to leave..."
"I would prefer that you two lovely ladies desist your bickering and join me at my house." Alistar commanded.
"I have plants to tend to."
Alistar side-glanced Hecuba with a knowing look. "Perhaps the village of Harmony would find your past history of infinate interest, my dear. Accused of witchcraft? I'm sure the Reverend Strout will want to hear all."
"Twas her, who burned the house down in London! Not I!" Tabitha said defensively.
"She can't seem to abide taking responsibility for her actions." Hecuba grinned.
"I want nothing to do with Hecuba or Witchcraft!" Tabitha railed.
Hecuba grabbed on to Alistar's arm, shaking it. "You should see her work with the magnetick needle, dear Alistar. She can conjure up the powers of the Telluric currents...you don't want to let her walk off like that...."
"Telluric currents?" Alistar grabbed hold of Tabitha's shoulder.
Hecuba nodded. "Yes, the invisible lines on the earth that the birds and animals migrate by...This little lady inspired Isaac Newton toward his universal law of gravity by bonking him on the head with an apple."
"Holy Lucifer!"
"Leave me be! That was scientifick methods, nothing magical, no dark arts! The natural world has many untapped powers on its own merit without having to conjure up the Devil!" Tabitha said.
"Oh, that's right. I forgot to mention, Alistar. Tabitha considers herself a naturalist. She prefers the natural powers of the unseen world, rather than seek help from THE MASTER. I first ran into her at Salisbury Plain, at Stonehenge...watching the rising sun on the equinox." Hecuba seemed pleased. "It was a good place to find recruits to the dark side."
Alistar thought about everything that was said, concerning Tabitha's discomfort with the dark arts. He whispered to Hecuba's ear. "It would be wickedly delicious to persuade the maiden over to the dark side."
Hecuba shrugged, eyeing her competition. "And no doubt, you will enjoy corrupting the maiden."
Alistar's eyebrows raised up wickedly. He broke out a slight grin.
"Tabitha Lennox, I am obliged, as head of the Town Council to inform the congregation of Harmony of any wicked misdeeds from our villagers. Shall I call them to a meeting tonight?"
Tabitha stared at Master Crane, noting his implacable aloofness, his sense of power and control. He had obviously joined with Hecuba in some sort of evil business, was part of it. Was Master Crane a witch also? A warlock? What if she were to point him out as a warlock? Would anyone believe the herbalist who troubled no one? Or would they believe Harmony's most prominent and wealthiest citizen, like Master Alistar Crane over her?
"All right, I go with ee" Tabitha said begrudgingly. "But none of your evil business for me!" Tabitha walked aside Master Crane, who was stealing glances down the front of her cotton frock.