Snuggling close to each other Jamie and Eddie strolled towards the center of the town. Near one of the museums they could see a small gathering of people most in regular clothing, some in period dress. One of the older ladies, a rotund woman in her fifties approached Jamie and Eddie, "Did ye hear?"
"Uh, no," said Jamie, a little bit confused.
"Oh ye haven't!" she squawked. "Well they've finally done it. Bridget Bishop is about to be arrested for witchcraft. The devil is lurking in Salem."
"Really?" said Eddie. "That's a frightening thought."
"Come this way...there's the magistrate now!" the woman said and began to walk towards the center where indeed a man dressed in 17th Century Puritan clothing was binding the hands of a woman in her fifties and announcing to all that she, Bridget Bishop, had been named a witch.
Eddie snuggled closer to Jamie as the watched this take place.
"This looks interesting," said Jamie. "Think so?"
"Uh huh, what are we supposed to do?" Eddie asked watching the cattle cart begin to roll down the cobblestone street. "Follow?"
Eddie and Jamie followed the crowd listening as the costumed actors cackled and belittled the prisoner. As they walked Eddie looked about taking in the surroundings, she gave a small shiver and her step faltered on one of the stones.
"You okay, babe?" he asked, helping her catch her balance.
"I think so" Eddie replied. "I'm not used to these kinds of streets in sandals."
"Yeah" he said "Not exactly easy to walk on."
"You doing okay?" she asked as the continued to follow the crowd.
"Mm-hmm," he answered. "That little nap did me good."
"I'm glad," Eddie whispered as they approached a restored building and one of the costumed interpreters began to explain what was about to take place. "Welcome to 1692. It is April and Goody Bishop of Salem has been accused of witchcraft and the affliction of Mercy Lewis and Anne Putnam. As we step inside, her accusers will give evidence and she will be tried by a jury according to English law and the laws of Massachusetts Bay Colony. If she is found guilty, she will be hanged. If she is found innocent, she will be set free. Ladies and Gentlemen, you are Goody Bishop's jury, her lawyers, and her accusers. You may in an orderly fashion question Goody Bishop and those who give evidence against her. Once the examination is concluded, you will be asked to vote and determine Bridget Bishop's fate."
"Oh boy," whispered Jamie to Eddie. "This should be very enlightening."
"You want to go in or just walk around?" Eddie asked. She didn't want him to do anything he didn't want to, but this whole idea intrigued her.
"Let's go in," he said. "We're in law enforcement, it'll be very interesting to see how different things are now versus then."
Eddie and Jamie followed the crowd up a long winding staircase. The large room was set up like a 17th century English courtroom. There was the witness box and a roped in area for the accused to "stand" trial. There was a bench for three judges and seats where the "afflicted" girls should be seated. "Can you sit on these benches?" Eddie asked seeing the long white backless seating in the room.
"Yeah," he replied. "For a little while anyway; if I get to hurting, I'll just stand up in the back."
Eddie nodded and the pair took seats near the back so if he did have to stand, he wouldn't be far off from her. Once everyone was settled the woman they'd seen arrested in the square was brought inside. As soon as she was visible to the girls they began to writhe and act out, screeching and yelling and moaning. "Sounds like some of Nikki's friends."
Jamie chuckled. "Right."
The magistrate pounded his long gavel on the floor and called the court to order. The charges were read aloud to the assembly and the accused was asked to respond.
"Bishop what do you say as you here stand charged with sundry acts of witchcraft by you done or committed upon the bodies of Mercy Lewis and Ann Putnam and others?" the man portraying one Mr. Hathorne queried.
"I am innocent I know nothing of it I have done no witchcraft" the accused proclaimed.
"Look upon this woman and see if this be the woman that you have seen hurting you. Mercy Lewis and Ann Putnam and others do now charge her to her face with hurting of them. What do you say now you see they charge you to your face?" asked the judge.
Bishop replied. "I never did hurt them in my life. I did never see these persons before I am as innocent as the child unborn."
"Is not your coat cut?" the judge asked.
Jamie and Eddie studied the accused as she denied her coat was torn, but when the magistrate took it to examine it was indeed torn in two ways, one consistent with a scabbard cut made at the good woman by one of her accusers, Mr. Jonathan Walcoate.
"I'd love to get that Mr. Walcoate in the box," Eddie whispered.
"Me too," replied Jamie. "We'd break him for sure."
"Oh Goody Bishop, did you not come to our house the last night and did you not tell me that your master made you tell more than you were willing to tell?" asked one of the torment girls, Mercy Lewis.
"Tell us the truth in this matter how comes these persons to be thus tormented and to charge you with doing?" the judge pressed.
As the trial continued Eddie and Jamie listened to the outrageous testimony and accusations. The actress portraying Bridget Bishop kept denying she was a witch. Judge Hathorne asked, "Who is that doth it if you do not they say it is your likeness that comes and torments them and tempts them to write in the book? What book is that you tempt them with?"
"I know nothing of it I am innocent!" Bishop declared again looking about the courtroom, eyes seeming to fall on Jamie's as she did so.
"She's innocent," he whispered to Eddie.
"And you know that how?" Eddie challenged in an equal tone.
"I can see it in her eyes." he answered. "Plus these charges are completely crazy. There's nowhere near enough proof let alone probable cause, not that they needed."
One of the cast members heard Jamie's comment. "Ah, the good gentlemen calls for proof!" the woman challenged. "And what say you to this as proof? Goody Bishop wedded three times, buried two husbands, and has never produced a single child. What say that? I say, a midwife, it is the devils hand at work."
Jamie rose from his seat. "It could very easily be that the accused has a medical condition which prevented her from conceiving. The fact that she has no children can hardly be called proof that she's a witch."
"And what of her presence in my bed chamber then?" asked man in the far corner. "What of my scabbard's marks on her coat?"
Jamie addressed his reply to the accused. "Goody Bishop, can you account for your whereabouts on the evening in question?"
"I was in bed of course," she replied. "In bed with my husband beside me."
"Can your husband offer testimony to back you up?" he asked, really getting into the role.
"He tends the farm, Sir." Bridget replied.
"What can you say in your own defense with regard to the cuts in your coat?" he asked, needing to go at it from a different angle with the husband being absent.
"I have no answer, Sir," Bridget replied. "A catch perhaps. Or perhaps it was done on purpose as I worked in the taverns two days passed."
Jamie continued to question Goody Bishop about her daily activities and to her credit the actress who portrayed her handled every one. Finally though, the afflicted girls began again, claiming the "specter" of Goody Bishop was afflicting them.
"Do you not see how they are tormented? You are acting witchcraft before us. What do you say to this? Why have you not a heart to confess the truth?" the judge badgered.
"I am innocent. I know nothing of it. I am no witch; I know not what a witch is" Bishop cried.
"Have you not given consent that some evil spirit should do this in your likeness?" the judge asked.
Bishop denied it again. "No, I am innocent of being a witch. I know no man, woman or child here."
"And do you have comment to that, Sir?" the judge asked Jamie. "The specter of Goody Bishop, that is the same as she herself doing evil for she allowed her likeness to be used to the Devil's work."
"That still has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt," said Jamie.
"And what cause have you to doubt the testimony of the good Reverend's own niece?" the judge asked.
"That she's the Reverend's niece doesn't make her testimony infallible" replied Jamie. "Not one of the accusers can show, with more certainty than doubt, that this woman is guilty of anything."
"She bears a witches mark and her specter was seen by several witnesses" the judge argued.
"Spectral evidence does not stand in His majesty's court" Jamie replied. "This is a royal colonial court, not an inquisitors court."
This continued for a few more moments until the cross examination of other witnesses was permitted. Jamie thundered at them as he would perp on the street trying to get information. Finally it was time to vote on the verdict. "All those who believe that Goody Bridget Bishop is guilty of the crime of witchcraft say I" the magistrate proclaimed.
The actors said "I" but no one else. "All those who believe her to be innocent" the magistrate presented, "say I". The votes were overwhelming from the crowd leaving the magistrate no choice. "Bridget Bishop, you have been tried and thusly acquitted by a jury of your peers of the charge of witchcraft. You are free to go."
The judge banged the gavel, and Eddie rose and offered her hand to Jamie.
"That was a real rush," he said as he took her hand. "Did you like it?"
"Yes!" Eddie smiled. "You really got into that."
Before Jamie could reply he was approached by an older gentleman. "Lawyer?"
Jamie smiled. "No, police officer, NYPD but I went to Harvard law school. Was it that obvious?"
"Cop, no. Lawyer yes. No one else would know the spectral evidence did not hold up in an English court" the man smiled. "And this lovely woman would be?"
"This is my girlfriend, Eddie" answered Jamie. "She's also a police officer. I'm Jamie." He offered his hand to the gentleman.
"It's nice to meet you, enjoy the city," he smiled and turned away.
Eddie looked up at Jamie, her face straight. She wanted something; that he knew, but she didn't say what.
"Something on your mind, babe?" he asked.
Eddie held her arms up to him but still said nothing.
He opened his arms to her. "Come here."
Eddie buried her face in his chest a moment inhaling his scent. "I love you," she whispered rocking back and forth a bit.
He pulled her in even closer. "Are you okay? You seem upset."
"I'm okay," Eddie replied. "I just want to be held. Nothing wrong with that, right?"
"No" he said, "except this is me you're talking to and I know something's on your mind, sweetie. You wanna go back to the room?"
"Yeah," Eddie replied. "Its getting late and I'm starting to get a headache."
"Okay" he said, giving her one last squeeze before letting go and reaching for her hand. "Let's go."
They strolled through the streets once again, passing several of the museums they would tour the next day before they reached the car. "How you doing? Good?" she asked him.
"Fine," he said. "Getting tired though, it's been a long day."
Eddie smiled. "Want me to drive back?"
"No, I can get us a half mile, sweetie," he said. "But thanks."
Jamie drove the rental car back to the hotel. Eddie remained quiet as they rode and went into their room.
Eddie quickly changed into her nightgown, Jamie smiled at her then changed himself. Something was bothering Eddie; he knew that. And he wanted to know what. Once she was in his arms, he'd press her and then he'd show her how much he loved her and make her smile. "Yes," he thought. "Perfect."
"Feel better?" he asked when she emerged from the bathroom.
"I'm good," Eddie replied sliding into bed and snuggling close. "You were amazing tonight. Jamison Reagan single handedly changed history."
"I don't know about that", he replied as he pulled her near. "It sure was fun though."
"Yes it was," Eddie agreed. "This is going to be a really nice vacation."
"I know it will," he said. "But not if you're going to be hurting in silence, sweetheart. I know something is on your mind."
She mumbled something so softly and close to his chest he couldn't hear her.
"I can't hear you, Eddie," he said gently.
"I missed a period," she said again. "All the talk about babies and midwives I realized."
Jamie sighed. "I wondered if that might not be what was bothering you," he said, caressing her arm. "I realized that you hadn't had any tampons in the garbage this month."
"It's not bothering me," Eddie replied. "I mean I'm not stewing over it...it's just I can't help but think, if I am pregnant, what am I going to do?"
"You mean, what are we going to do? What are we…" Jamie replied. "The answer is come clean and do the right thing by each other. Don't let it worry you. If you are then you are and it's a miracle. If you aren't, one day, we'll have a family."
"We will," Eddie smiled. "Did I tell you I love you yet today?"
"You did," he said, leaning in closer to her. "But I'd love to hear it again."
Eddie placed a tiny kiss on his chest where he head lay. "I love you."
He reached down and placed his fingers beneath her chin, moving it up to where their lips were inches apart. "I love you, too" he said before giving her a long, gentle kiss.
Eddie accepted Jamie's kiss but soon pulled back. "Do you want to eat the breakfast here or go somewhere else tomorrow?"
"We can eat here," he said, moving a few stray locks of hair behind her ear.
"I'll go down then and get it," Eddie told him. "We'll be walking a lot and I want you to rest your back as much as you can. I'm glad you've got those sexy legs up by the way, saves me from scolding you about it."
He smiled. "I'm learning." He reached up and caressed her cheek with his thumb.
"Mm," Eddie sighed. "I'm tired. I want to try to sleep okay?"
"We will," he said softly as he moved to tuck another lock of hair behind her ear.
Eddie was not in the mood to even entertain the notion, but Jamie's voice was so gentle, as was his touch, so she let him begin to love her without protest.
He started with a long, tender kiss, knowing she wasn't truly in the mood and hoping he could change that.
Eddie let Jamie kiss her and returned his loving kiss with one of her own. She let him touch her, she let him run his hands down her arms, up her chest, she wanted this as much as he did in her heart, but her mind and her body just wasn't into it.
He noticed how detached she was compared to normal, Jamie propped himself up on one elbow, "We don't have to do this. I can tell you aren't ready for this right now." Jamie wanted to be with her, to love her, to make her feel safe and secure when her mind was spinning with what ifs. He knew the fear that he would leave her to raise the baby on her own, if there was a baby was realy to her, even though he would never in a million years think of such a thing.
"I…" Eddie sighed. "I want to be."
Taking that as encouragement, Jamie tried a few more of her secret places to get her body to catch up with her heart. He reached around himself with one arm and pulled his shirt off, tossing it into a corner. He then reached down and gently pulled her sleep shorts off. Tossing the shorts in the same direction as his shirt, he lifted her T-shirt up a few inches and began placing feather soft kisses against her tummy.
Eddie shivered at his lips on her tummy and weakly moved her hands in to touch the warm skin of his back gently in minimal response to his ministrations. What was wrong with her? This was her Jamie in her arms…
As suddenly as Eddie began to touch him, she stopped, letting her arms fall back. She felt him move for her breasts, touching them softly with his hands, studying them, adoring them with his eyes and his mouth.
He took care to be extra gentle, knowing that this was something she usually adored, but it could sometimes be a bit painful for her, and that would surely destroy any progress they'd made that evening. She was lying still beneath him, still and silent. "Does this feel okay, baby?" he whispered.
Eddie didn't know how to reply. There was nothing bad or discomforting about what Jamie was doing, but nothing wonderful about it either, at least not to her. "Mmhmm" she replied, on the side of neutrality.
"Jamie" she sighed. "Stop…I…I just can't tonight Everything is so jumbled up." She began to cry just a little, she knew she was letting him down. "I..." she sniffled. "I didn't want…I don't feel like doing this and I didn't want to tell you…I…"
"Eddie, I'm so sorry. I was...I didn't mean to push you, baby."
"You didn't. I really wanted to try," Eddie sniffled. "Everything is sore right now, I don't…"
He pulled her into his arms and let her cry. "I'm sorry...Shh...It's okay...I love you, and I'll give you as much time as you need, okay?" He knew he had no choice but to offer her that olive branch, but inside he was hurting. Eddie had never rejected him like this, and he longed to know the reason behind it. Was it just the feminine problem she professed or was it worse than that?
For the first time that night, Eddie responded to his touch and burrowed deeper in his arms. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I love you, you know that?"
"I do know that," he whispered in reply. "I wish I could help you with this, sweetheart."
"You can't," she replied. "I don't know what it is. It's just since I didn't get my cycle, I don't want to…things hurt. I don't know why. I don't understand why," she cried. "All I want is to be held tight in your arms, nothing else. I can't stand anything else right now."
"Shh..." he soothed, pulling her in as close as he possibly could.
"Anything I can do" he said, rubbing her arm. "You just name it."
"You're doing it," she whispered and curled up harder trying to disappear inside of Jamie. "Is it okay if you just hold me, and don't let go?"
"That's okay, sure," he said, giving her one more gentle hug. "Let's get some sleep, we have a lot to do this week, and I want to be rested enough to enjoy it. I love you, baby."
"I love you too" she whispered, closing her eyes and snuggling against him, feeling more secure in his arms that she could remember.
A/N: So what did you think of Eddie's news? Is she or isn't she? If she is, what will that do to their secret. If she's not…is the idea of a family something that Jamie and Eddie will embrace someday? Hope you all liked Jamie's foray into the colonial legal system…he has to take that big brain out for a spin sometimes. The dialogue used by the actors during the trial is transcribed from the actual trial transcript of Bridget Bishop housed in the Peabody Essex museum in Salam.