Coming to Wilmington to get supplies is always a welcome break from the peace of the mountains, but tiring. The busy sounds and sometimes horrible smells of a town are good for the mind to reboot but only if the visit is short. Four days ago Jaime, Ian, Rachelle, Roger, Brianna, Jenny, the kids and I arrived at Wilmington to visit Marsali and Ferguson and restock for the winter. Traveling with the whole family is an enterprise by itself and I was beyond fatigued and longing for my bed and some alone time with Jaime.
My only remaining purchase was some herbs. Jesuit Bark for Lizzie's malaria attacks, was surprisingly scarce in the trade markets nearby the ridge. Consequences of the ongoing war I guess. Thank God nobody wanted to accompany me in this shopping visit since they all thought that I took too long walking around the apothecary nit picking my purchases.
I was walking through the back streets of the town to cut some distance in my way to what was Mr. Bogues' apothecary when I heard three voices arguing. This was not unusual, specially during the times the we were living, but what was disconcerting is that two of the voices sounded familiar. I stopped and took a turn to an alleyway following the voices with my heart pounding. I looked up and was shocked when I saw Captain Richardson with a small knife held in William's throat and another man, which appeared to be accompanying the captain, just observing the attack. My anxiety spiked, but it was when I heard William –in a menacing tone– say to the captain "get on with it you evil arschloch, I will not be a pawn in your games", that I felt I was going to faint. Before the captain could present his rebuttal I made a non-descriptive sound that came from the pit of my stomach and all of their eyes looked up at me. Captain Richardson's expression was priceless and I would have laughed if I wasn't scared to death. I gather I was the last person he expected in an alleyway at Wilmington. "Take your filthy hands off my son this instant you doubled faced man" I said, in a voice that I didn't recognize. William's eyes opened and looked at me with fear and surprise, "Mother Claire, get out of here!" he shouted. Captain Richardson, apparently regaining himself, in a mocking tone said looking at me "Taking your role as an erstwhile stepmother a little too far my dear, don't you think? I was only having an amiable conversation with this young man. No harm done, yet." I had a fleeting thought that by the Grace of God, Captain Richardson didn't yet know William's true sire.
I could smell his evil, if that is a thing. Something in my heart told me that his plan was to harm William in a play to get Hal's political position to change. The palms of my hand were sweating and in a desperate move I took the pistol that Jaime had given me this morning from my basket and pointed it to the captain. The other man's eyes grew two times their size, but didn't move. "Let him go or I will shoot you" I said. Looking to the captain's face and to the other man, William knew I was at a disadvantage and fighting the captain's hold said "No, no no, leave. Let her go, she has nothing to do with this. Let her go." I could not let them take William. Taking a deep breath and with a little more grasp on the situation I said looking at the captain "Let him go and I will do for you whatever that you wanted him to do, just let him go".
Captain Richardson face changed. Apparently he thought the exchange was not a bad one. After what I felt was an hour of silent pause which really was three or five seconds Captain Richardson said "Even your body? Well that could be arranged. Except that I know that in the instant that I take my dagger off his throat he is going to attack me or you are going to shoot." I dropped the gun to the dusty ground to indicate good faith. The other man, ran to me and took the gun and pointed it to me. William enraged continued to fight the hold "Let her go, let her go, do not shoot." I put my hands up in surrender and said with a sense of calm "Let William go." Looking at William I continued "This is what I want to do. Please just go and be safe." Captain Richardson, apparently bored with the drama, took the knife off William's throat and hit him in the head with the back of it, knocking him out. William's body dropped to the ground and I ran to him crouching to verify if he was breathing, forgetting that the man was pointing a gun to me. I took his wrist and felt his pulse strong. Thank you God. Captain Richardson pulled me to by feet and said "Let's go my dear, we have things to discuss."
-o-
I woke up disoriented, with a horrible headache and beyond parched. I opened my eyes and noticed it was getting dark and I was laying down in a dirty dusty ground. I felt a sharp tug in my stomach and then I remembered… Mother Claire, Captain Richardson, the gun… "Scheisse!" What should I do? Where did he took her? What is he going to do with her? I heard the echo of what the captain had said "Even your body?..." "No, no, no!" I knew I had to get to get moving. I raised, dusted the dirty from my breeches and started walking.
After making what felt as twenty inquiries, I arrived to Mr. Fraser's Print Shop. I knocked on the door and a few seconds later a Frenchman opened the door looking at me with surprise and curiosity "Bonsoir Monsieur". "I am looking for Mr. James Fraser, sir. I am-". The big Scott appeared at the door before I finished talking and let me in shop looking surprised as well at my presence. "William, good evening" saying it with an interrogative tone. I was not disposed for pleasantries, "Mother Claire…they took her". Fraser opened his eyes with a passionate fear, squared his shoulders and said "What?! Please tell everything." By this time, the Frenchman had joined us and I told them everything that happened. Fraser was looking distraught and fierce ready for battle and the Frenchman said "I'll go and get Ian and Roger, milord. We will need all the help we can get to retrieve her." Then he left running without waiting for an answer, leaving me alone with my father. Even now recognizing that hurt, but not as much as before. I pushed that feeling away. I didn't have time to analyze it now. Fraser looked at me again and said "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?". "I'm fine. I want you to know that I tried to stop them from taking her but she wouldn't have it. I don't know why she sacrificed herself." With his eyes on the floor, Fraser said in a whisper "Aye, well isn't obvious? She loves you as her own." That chocked me and left me without breath, but before I could think about it Fraser said "We got to get moving. Let me get the guns and my knife and leave a note for when the others come back to the store. They will be worried."
We were loading the guns when the Frenchman came back accompanied with Ian Murray and a man I think I already met…Mr. Mackenzie? He presented himself and indeed he was the husband of that redhead I met some years ago with Papa. Where was she? I would like to meet her again. Ian Murray asked taking one of the guns "does someone ken where the captain would have taken my auntie?" "Oui, I think he may have taken her to the house up Graham Street. I heard a rumor that the good captain had taken residence there in his time in town" said the Frenchman. Well that was I start I thought. Fraser, Mackenzie and Ian nodded and took off. In our way there Mr. Mackenzie said "we didn't tell Brianna where we where going and when she comes back and doesn't see us at the Print shop she will be mad we didn't tell her". "Aye, well I left a note. We couldn't tell her without wasting time convincing her to not come with us" said Fraser.
It was dark when we arrived to Graham Street. We searched the street for a while with no luck. I felt a kind of kinship going on a rescue mission with these men. I guess that is what they were, my kinsman. At least Ian Murray and Fraser to the best of my knowledge. This distracted me from the horror I felt for Mother Claire. Is she ok? God let her be ok. She was nothing but nice with me in her time as wife to Papa, she took Franny to care when I asked her without hesitation and she had sacrificed herself today. Maybe it was only for the sake of Fraser, her husband. But I knew that was not entirely true.
At last we arrived to a non-descriptive house. Small and not luxurious at all. Exactly what a low life Captain would rent. We could hear from the window the voice of her shouting "do not touch me you evil man!". Fraser took a deep breath and without any particular discussion of a plan just said "cover me", as if he couldn't waste a second more without his wife. He took a hard kick to the door and shouted "take your hands off my wife" and entered the house with us behind. After that entrance, things went on pretty fast. I took my knife and stabbed the man who was in the alleyway. He fell on the floor instantly. Fraser attacked Captain Richardson with a ferocity I had never seen before. Ian went to search the house to see if there were any others. The Frenchman was taking Mother Claire out of the ropes that bounded her wrists and ankles and Mackenzie, which I had learned on our way here was named Roger, was guarding the door. Ian came back and took a hold of Fraser, who was still punching Captain Richardson to death. "We have to get going before the neighbors come to see what is happening here" said Murray. At last Fraser conceded and went to pick up his wife. "You are safe, Sassenach." said Fraser to Mother Claire in a whisper kissing her head. The moment was so intimate that I turned away.
We went back to the Print shop. I stopped on the porch. I didn't want to enter and make acquaintances with the family I was supposed to have but didn't know they existed until recently. "I better take my leave" I said. Fraser and Mother Claire where the only ones outside since the others had entered before. "Aye, thank you for helping retrieve my wife" said Fraser. I just nodded and he entered the shop apparently noticing that I wanted to have a word with her.
-o-
We were in the porch of the Print shop. The night not as dark because there was a full moon. I felt exhausted and a little shaken from the events of today. I really wasn't looking forward to all the inquiries the family would have when I entered the shop. "William are you hurt? He hit you pretty hard in the head. Please let me check you." He nodded and we sat down in the porch and I started prodding lightly his head. "This is the second time you get hit in head that I know of, but you will be fine. You have a pretty thick skull, as has Jaime" I said. "Thank you for what you did today. I don't know why you did it, but thank you nonetheless" he said". "Oh William! You You really don't know what I did it?." He looked at me with expectant eyes and I continued "The first time I saw you at the ridge I was shocked, you looked just as your sister when she was your age. After the shock diminished I felt possessive of you. I thought it was just because you looked like her and her father. Then when I was married to John I got to meet you and became fond of you for your own sake. You are one special young man. Then I kept thinking that when I wed Jaime thirty five years ago we made an oath 'blood of my blood, bone of my bone…' so maybe in a way you are part of me or you have something of me. You may think that's sounds crazy. Saying it out loud sounded crazy to me. I have lived with highlanders too long." "No. It doesn't sound that crazy to me" he said with laugh in his eyes. Then he became serious again and said "would you take the oat with me?". I felt my eyes burning with tears "Of course, nothing would make me happier. Please give me your knife."
He then produced a beautiful dirk and gave it to me. I took his right thumb and made a small cut and did the same to mine. I was going to touch his bloodied thumb with mine when I asked "Are you sure? You might start taking a liking to suture people and ask them about their bowel movement." He laughed and said "I'll take my chances." "Ok, then repeat after me 'You are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone, I give you my Body, that we Two might be One. I give ye my Spirit, 'til our Life shall be Done.'" After we finished the oath he embraced me and said "I love you Mama Claire". "And I you my sweet man." He then took his leave and I entered the shop feeling full of love.
When I entered the store I was surprised that Jaime was right behind the door. "Oh, Jaime you scared me." "Come here Sassenach" he said and pulled me to his arms. "You did good, mo Nighean Donn. But, never do it again I was so scared that something could happen to you". "I'm fine. Don't worry. I just need something to eat and sleep and I'll be as good as new". "I heard your conversation with my son" he said taking my thumb and kissing it lightly. He then continued "I didn't ken I could love you more, but then you always surprise me." He kissed me with such passion that stunned me and said "come, let me take care of you".