Cambridge
November, 1665
It takes nearly a week to walk from London to Cambridge. Much longer than we anticipated.
When we finally arrive, we go directly to the address Jack, the Plague Doctor, wrote down for us: “The Old Schools, Trinity Lane, Cambridge.”
Mr. Newton’s house is a grand brick house with six glass windows on the front and a big brown wooden door. We walk up to the house. Amon lowers Clove from his back. I look at the boys.
“This is it,” I say.
Cal knocks on the door.
Mr. Isaac Newton opens the door himself. He is a young man with long brown hair the color of chestnuts. He wears a white collared shirt and an apple red jacket.
“Yes?” he asks, opening the door. “Ah yes, you must be Jack’s children from London! How is your health?”
I lower my collar to show I am free of buboes and other plague symptoms. The others do the same.
“We are healthy sir,” I answer for us all.
“Excellent! Excellent. Jack wrote to me to expect you. How extraordinary your survival! Extraordinary! Extraordinary. Come in. Come in.” He stands aside and invites us into his home.
I hesitate. “Could we see your neck … please, sir?”
He seems a little surprised. “Smart. Smart,” he says, tapping his finger to the side of his head. Isaac Newton lowers his collar and shows his perfect white neck.
“Thank you, Mr. Newton,” I say. I lead our group through the doorway. His home is furnished with upholstered chairs and large wooden tables. He is of the upper class. There are heavy curtains on the windows. There are traveling bags and trunks and paper rolls here and there.
Cal looks around, investigating the place as he does.
“My name is Rose. This is Cal, Cinn, Lem, Amon, and Clove.” The dog barks. “And Dodger.”
“How do you do?” Isaac Newton says. “Please excuse the mess of the house. As you can see, we are preparing to leave shortly.”
“The Plague Doctor, Jack, said we might be able to go with you to the country,” says Cal.
“Ah yes. He did ask that I take you with me. Jack and I studied together. We both enjoy science ever so much, you see. He would have made a wonderful mathematician, but medicine is his passion.”
“Can we? Go with you?” I ask.
“Yes, of course,” says Mr. Isaac Newton. “I have several carriages ordered. How many are you? One, two, three, four, five, and six. There are six of you, and your dog. Do you have much baggage?”
“Nothing but ourselves,” Cinn says.
“Very good. Very good,” Mr. Newton says. “We will leave tomorrow. I’m eager to get out of the city. I would very much like to hear about your experiences in London. Jack was quite amazed that you children could survive the Plague all by yourselves.”
“It wasn’t easy,” Cal says.
“No doubt,” Mr. Newton says. “I will ask the cook to make us a light supper. Then, straight to bed. We have quite the journey to Woolsthorpe ahead of us.”
“Woolsthorpe?” I say with suspicion. “Jack said your country home was in Grantham.”
“Woolsthorpe Manor House. That is the name of my house, which is located in Grantham.”
“Your house has a name?” Clove giggles.
Mr. Newton laughs.
“Yes, fancy people like to give their houses fancy names. Quite silly,” he laughs.
Clove giggles in agreement.
“Your house is fancy?” she asks with innocent interest.
“Oh, quite fancy, my dear! It has many rooms … enough for all of us. Green grass for playing. Lovely gardens to enjoy. Apple trees to sit under,” Isaac Newton explains.
“Sounds like a dream,” Clove says.
“It is decided, then,” he says. “Tomorrow, we take our leave for Woolsthorpe!”
“We will earn our keep, Mr. Newton,” Cal says. He is not one to be in debt to someone else.
“Of course, of course,” Isaac Newton says, understanding Cal’s pride. “What are your skills?”
“I can haul stock,” Lem says.
“I can fish,” Amon says.
“I know how to clear rocks and sticks,” Clove chimes in.
“Cinn and I have experience working on farms,” Cal says. “We can milk cows, plant wheat, stack hay.”
“And you, miss. What can you do?” Mr. Newton asks me.
“Rose,” Lem volunteers, “is a very smart and resourceful girl. She did sums at our father’s spice shop. She is the smartest of us all.”
I look at my friends and they all smile at me in agreement with Lem’s words.
“Is that so?” says Mr. Newton. “Well, Rose, it seems you should be the one to help with my experiments.”
“What kind of experiments?” I ask.
“In my university days, I worked on all sorts of things. Motion, manners, time, place. A new mathematics I call ‘Calculus.’” His eyes twinkle and his face is animated with enthusiasm. “I have a particular interest in light and vision at the moment,” he says.
Mr. Newton stops himself and looks directly at me. “A female assistant! That would be something, wouldn’t it?!”
Mr. Newton walks us toward the staircase.
“Well, that seems settled. You boys will tend to the chores on the farm. Our housekeeper can look after the little girl. And you, my dear, will assist me in my work.”
He motions for us to follow him down the hall.
“I will show you where you can freshen up before supper.” We start walking up the staircase to the second level of the home.
“Just you wait and see,” says Isaac Newton with excitement. “I declare, this shall be a year of wonders!”
This is the first moment in a long time that I am moved from thinking in the present to considering the possibility of a future. This shall be a year of wonders. As if we aren't stuck in the Plague-filled present but moving into a future full of opportunities. Father was right: we had to steal. Steal our futures back from the great sickness.
We were Plague Thieves.