me.
"Marietta
Danver, I have here evidence that you are guilty of a most grave offense."
His voice was like ice splintering. "These are sworn statements—from Lord
Robert Mallory and his wife, Lady Agatha, from Patrick Clancy and Bernard
Higgins, two men in my employ. They testify that you—"
The
room seemed to spin, and I gripped the railing tightly, losing track of his
words. All at once I knew that the hope I had been nourishing had been sheer
folly. The three of them had probably taken tea together, discussed my fate,
and decided upon it. There would be no trial; I would have no chance to defend
myself. This parody of justice was a mere formality. I was doomed, had been
doomed since the moment I first defied Lord Mallory. He and his wife and her
uncle were merely using the law as an instrument of vengeance. The magistrate's
voice went on and on, hard, unyielding, and I shook my head, knowing I had no
way to protect myself.
"—my
duty to pass sentence upon you," he concluded, "but before I do, is
there anything you wish to say for yourself?"
"I'm
innocent," I whispered.
"Speak
up!"
"I'm
innocent! I—the jewelry was not stolen. You know that. This—this is a mockery!
I want a trial! I—"
"Enough!"
"You—you're
part of it. She's your niece. You can't—"
"Silence!"
I continued
to shake my head, and tears spilled down my cheeks despite my efforts to check
them. I felt faint, and had I not been gripping the railing I would probably
have crumpled to the floor. The room seemed to be filled with a fine mist now, a
mist that thickened, gradually enveloping me. It stung my cheeks, stung my
eyes, and I lowered my lids, moving my lips in a silent prayer. His voice
seemed to come from a great distance.
"It
is my duty... Newgate Prison, to be confined until... public execution on the
gallows at Tyburn Fields... to swing from your neck until dead..."
A
cloud of black wings rushed over me, closing everything else out, and I heard
him shout for the bailiff. The door behind me flew open, and strong arms seized
me before I could fall. The bailiff held me tightly, and gradually the wings
vanished. I was in a state of shock, and through the mist I could see the man
who had just condemned me. He tapped his long fingers impatiently on the
desktop, eager to be done with it.
"Is
she all right now?" he asked querulously.
"I
think so, your lordship," the bailiff replied. "I'd best 'old to 'er,
though, just in case she 'as another spell."
"It
is my duty to send you to Newgate and thence to the gallows," the
magistrate continued in a bored voice, "but as you have no previous
criminal record and as your employers asked the court to show mercy, that
sentence shall not be passed. Instead of hanging, you shall be transported to
His Majesty's colonies in North America. An article of indenture shall be
issued, and you shall be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, to serve
no less than seven years..."
The
rest of his words seemed to fade away, and the next thing I knew, the bailiff
was leading me back down the corridors to my cell.
"You're
lucky," he told me. "Most thieves'd 'ang. Not you, luv. 'Is lordship
gave you a break. You oughta be thankful. You oughta get down on your knees 'n'
thank th' Lord that Roderick Mann 'as such a kind, merciful 'eart—"
PART ONE: Carolina
CHAPTER 5
I 'll never forget
my first sight of the new land, America, the wild and tumultuous country where
fate had brought me. I was standing on the ship's deck, surrounded by coils of
rope and wooden lifeboats, the clutter concealing me. I spent much of my time
there—anything to escape the foul atmosphere below with its filth, congestion,
and horrible odors. I wasn't supposed to be on deck, of course. It was
forbidden. We were given our "exercise" once a day, closely
supervised, and the rest of the time we were to remain below. This secret place
was my haven, shown to me by the strapping blond sailor who had befriended me
only a few days after the
"Marietta
Danver, I have here evidence that you are guilty of a most grave offense."
His voice was like ice splintering. "These are sworn statements—from Lord
Robert Mallory and his wife, Lady Agatha, from Patrick Clancy and Bernard
Higgins, two men in my employ. They testify that you—"
The
room seemed to spin, and I gripped the railing tightly, losing track of his
words. All at once I knew that the hope I had been nourishing had been sheer
folly. The three of them had probably taken tea together, discussed my fate,
and decided upon it. There would be no trial; I would have no chance to defend
myself. This parody of justice was a mere formality. I was doomed, had been
doomed since the moment I first defied Lord Mallory. He and his wife and her
uncle were merely using the law as an instrument of vengeance. The magistrate's
voice went on and on, hard, unyielding, and I shook my head, knowing I had no
way to protect myself.
"—my
duty to pass sentence upon you," he concluded, "but before I do, is
there anything you wish to say for yourself?"
"I'm
innocent," I whispered.
"Speak
up!"
"I'm
innocent! I—the jewelry was not stolen. You know that. This—this is a mockery!
I want a trial! I—"
"Enough!"
"You—you're
part of it. She's your niece. You can't—"
"Silence!"
I continued
to shake my head, and tears spilled down my cheeks despite my efforts to check
them. I felt faint, and had I not been gripping the railing I would probably
have crumpled to the floor. The room seemed to be filled with a fine mist now, a
mist that thickened, gradually enveloping me. It stung my cheeks, stung my
eyes, and I lowered my lids, moving my lips in a silent prayer. His voice
seemed to come from a great distance.
"It
is my duty... Newgate Prison, to be confined until... public execution on the
gallows at Tyburn Fields... to swing from your neck until dead..."
A
cloud of black wings rushed over me, closing everything else out, and I heard
him shout for the bailiff. The door behind me flew open, and strong arms seized
me before I could fall. The bailiff held me tightly, and gradually the wings
vanished. I was in a state of shock, and through the mist I could see the man
who had just condemned me. He tapped his long fingers impatiently on the
desktop, eager to be done with it.
"Is
she all right now?" he asked querulously.
"I
think so, your lordship," the bailiff replied. "I'd best 'old to 'er,
though, just in case she 'as another spell."
"It
is my duty to send you to Newgate and thence to the gallows," the
magistrate continued in a bored voice, "but as you have no previous
criminal record and as your employers asked the court to show mercy, that
sentence shall not be passed. Instead of hanging, you shall be transported to
His Majesty's colonies in North America. An article of indenture shall be
issued, and you shall be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, to serve
no less than seven years..."
The
rest of his words seemed to fade away, and the next thing I knew, the bailiff
was leading me back down the corridors to my cell.
"You're
lucky," he told me. "Most thieves'd 'ang. Not you, luv. 'Is lordship
gave you a break. You oughta be thankful. You oughta get down on your knees 'n'
thank th' Lord that Roderick Mann 'as such a kind, merciful 'eart—"
PART ONE: Carolina
CHAPTER 5
I 'll never forget
my first sight of the new land, America, the wild and tumultuous country where
fate had brought me. I was standing on the ship's deck, surrounded by coils of
rope and wooden lifeboats, the clutter concealing me. I spent much of my time
there—anything to escape the foul atmosphere below with its filth, congestion,
and horrible odors. I wasn't supposed to be on deck, of course. It was
forbidden. We were given our "exercise" once a day, closely
supervised, and the rest of the time we were to remain below. This secret place
was my haven, shown to me by the strapping blond sailor who had befriended me
only a few days after the
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