Anne
Anne clutched the pocket watch in her hand as she entered the drawing room. Master Drummond rarely asked to have a word with one of his staff. When he did, the person was typically dismissed. Anne’s insides flipped uncomfortably as she closed the door behind her. She wasn’t sure if she was still an employee, which made her even more anxious.
“You wished to see me, sir?” she asked, attempting to keep her voice level, pressing the pocket watch into her palm.
Master Drummond turned from the window. His sharp green eyes, so similar to Teach’s, studied her. “Yes, I did. Please, won’t you have a seat?”
Anne’s heart pounded in her chest, but she did as he requested.
He sat down across from her. “I don’t know exactly where to begin, as I have apparently made quite a mess of things. But I shall attempt to rectify the situation.” Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward and looked Anne squarely in the eyes. “I believe I owe you an apology.”
If Anne hadn’t been sitting, her legs would have given out beneath her at his words.
Master Drummond continued. “A long time ago your father asked me to look after his cook and her daughter in the event that something happened to him. When you came to this house, I had no idea who you really were. Henry Barrett merely mentioned that you’d been employed in his father’s household. If I’d known you were Andrew’s daughter, I would never have agreed to let you work for me.”
The pocket watch slipped from Anne’s hand and fell to the floor. Too stunned to move, she watched as Master Drummond picked it up and examined it, turning it over in his palm.
“I know this watch. I was with your father in London when he bought it,” he said softly. Popping it open, he read the inscription inside, which said For my Jacqueline, before handing it back to her.
“Thank you.”
Master Drummond sighed. “No. You have nothing to thank me for. At least not yet.”
Anne remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
“Looking at you, I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier. Andrew never told me he had a daughter with Jacqueline, but I should have guessed as much. He was lonely after his wife died.”
Anne did not like the insinuation that loneliness was the only reason her father had turned to her mother. “They cared for each other.”
Master Drummond’s gaze did not quite meet hers. It was clear he was uncomfortable speaking about the relationship between Anne’s parents.
“Your father sent me a letter, asking me to make sure Jacqueline and her daughter were looked after. He said he’d leave the money in a trust and I was to oversee it.”
Anne’s eyes widened in surprise, for this was the first she’d heard of such arrangements.
“When Henry brought you here, I asked after Jacqueline and her daughter. He said you’d returned to the West Indies. Clearly, that was not the case,” he said.
She shook her head. “No, it wasn’t. My mother and I were removed from the house hours after my father passed away.”
“If only I’d known,” Master Drummond said, sitting back in his chair, the wrinkles in his distinguished face more pronounced than ever, “I would have taken you in. I would have done everything for you that your father had asked of me. You have to believe me when I say that.”
Anne was shocked that the repentant man before her was the same person who hadn’t said more than ten words to her since she’d entered his household. At the moment she wasn’t sure what to believe.
“When Henry first brought you here, he asked if I wouldn’t mind giving you a job because he had enough servants. Since I hadn’t been able to fulfill your father’s request concerning Jacqueline, it was the least I could do.”
Anger curled through Anne’s chest like a snake. Henry had lied to both parties, never suspecting that the truth would come out. “Henry told me you were a friend of his, and threatened to send me away if I caused any problems for you. I didn’t know if you knew my real identity, but I decided it didn’t matter.”
Master Drummond’s mouth turned down at the corners. “Your father must have suspected that something like this would happen. I have reason to believe that part of Henry’s inheritance required you to be taken care of. And that is why he came to find you at the workhouse. I’ve sent a note to his solicitor.”
“Taken care of how?” Anne asked.
“Knowing your father as I did, I imagine he applied a stipulation that Henry would receive his portion of your father’s estate only if you lived under my roof. It didn’t matter to Henry how you lived here, so long as he could prove that you were indeed living in this household. I’m afraid we’ve both been ill used by the boy.” Master Drummond steepled his fingers, his mouth set in a flat line. “But you are not to blame yourself. Once we hear from the solicitor, we will get to the bottom of this.”
Once again Anne was stunned. Teach had clearly done as he’d said and gone to his father upon reaching the Hervey estate. She was grateful that Master Drummond would take the time to set things right.
“I would like to make amends. You will no longer work in my household. Instead you will take up residence in one of the guest rooms.”
Anne started to protest. “Sir, that won’t be necessary—”
Master Drummond cut her off with a wave of his hand. “I insist. You will be taken to one of the finest dressmakers in Bristol this week. Your father would want it this way.”
Anne felt a warmth in her chest, knowing that her father had cared enough for her and her mother to see to it that they would be looked after.
“What about Henry Barrett? Will you tell him what you’ve discovered?”
Master Drummond’s mouth grew ugly and flat at the mention of Henry’s name. “I will take care of Barrett,” he said. “He will not bother you again.”
Anne wished she could be as sure as Master Drummond, but she knew her half brother better than he did. Nevertheless, it was useless worrying about it now. She was still trying to come to terms with everything that had been said in the past half hour.
“We will move your things to another room once one can be readied.”
There weren’t many things to move. Aside from the pocket watch, Anne had only the few maid’s dresses she’d obtained when coming to work here. She couldn’t wait to see the looks on Margery’s and Mary’s faces when they discovered she was no longer subject to their every whim. Quite the contrary, they would now take their orders from her.
“I suppose I should start to look for another cook,” Master Drummond muttered, ever practical.
A sudden thought occurred to Anne. “I beg your pardon, sir, but the day your son returned, Margery brought in Ruth to help with all of the cooking. Ruth mentioned she had an older sister, Elizabeth. If she’s anywhere near as capable as Ruth, you’ll be in fine hands.”
Master Drummond studied her. “Hmm . . . I shall have to give your suggestion some consideration. In the meantime, I would like you to go and gather your belongings. Wait, no, better yet, I will have Margery bring your belongings. I intend to have a word with her. It appears some things have been happening in this house of which I was unaware, and for that I apologize. I would dismiss her, except she has been quite loyal. If I threw her out, I’m not sure she would find employment elsewhere. I hope you understand.”
Anne stood, sliding her watch into her pocket beneath the apron. A part of her wished he would sack Margery, but clearly Master Drummond had undergone some kind of change. And Anne knew only too well how hard it was to find employment. Where could the housekeeper go at her age? “Yes, of course, and thank you, sir. I don’t quite know what to say. This is all so . . . unexpected. And very generous of you.”
Master Drummond shook his head as he too came to his feet. “I have been far too remiss in my duties as master of this house. My wife would be appalled to see how things have changed since her death.” With a bow, he turned and walked away, leaving Anne to stare after him, amazed at the turn of events.
Master Drummond made good on his word and moved Anne into one of the spacious guest bedchambers on the second floor. Once she was left alone, she ran her hand over the soft comforter and sheets on the large four-poster bed, comparing them to the scratchy wool blanket she’d left behind.
The blue curtains hanging at the windows were as beautiful as the clear sky beyond and reminded her somewhat of her room back home. Her father, although affluent, had never amassed as much wealth as Master Drummond. It would be impossible not to be impressed by the luxurious surroundings.
Clutching a pillow to her chest, Anne remembered with glee the shocked look on Margery’s face when she’d discovered Anne would no longer be her inferior.
And it was a good thing Anne wasn’t made of straw, because the look Mary had given her would have torched her right there on the spot. Every time Mary passed Anne, a wave of resentment rolled off her. Anne determined to be extra diligent where Mary was concerned. She wouldn’t be surprised if the girl ended up stealing from her.
Sara had been the most pleasant, and Anne decided she would make Sara her lady’s maid. It had been Master Drummond’s suggestion. Anne’s status in the house was second only to Drummond’s, or so he claimed. He recognized Anne’s need for a female companion after they attempted to visit one of the dressmakers in the city, for it did not go as well as he had planned. The dressmaker had insulted him by assuming that Anne was his mistress.
Master Drummond decided then that he would bring the dressmakers to the house.
They came with bolts and bolts of fabric, from the smoothest silks to the richest velvets. Yards and yards of cloth in ivory, sand, light blue, and pink. Anne was overwhelmed with the variety and, at one point, tried to tell him that it wasn’t necessary to have a gown in every shade.
“On the contrary,” he replied. “I can’t have you wearing the same dress every time you leave this house. What would people think? I’m your guardian, after all. And you may call me Mr. Drummond.”
Since her father had never openly claimed her, Anne was reluctant to attach herself to the Barrett name. However, as an islander, Anne’s mother had had no legal surname, and it had been Anne’s father who had given her the Christian name of Jacqueline.
As much as Anne enjoyed her new position and all of the finery that came with it, she also knew that even if you washed a pigeon with soap, it remained gray. She was still the illegitimate offspring of a merchant and a slave. And beneath Drummond’s kindness, she felt an undercurrent of disapproval. Whether it was directed at her or himself, she was not sure.
Perhaps it was her own guilty conscience. Her thoughts turned to her secret stash of coins and household silver, including the valuable spyglass. She resolved to go to the city and try to recover the pieces she’d already sold, and hoped they would still be at the small shop. She had not yet returned the stolen objects to the household, hesitant to return all of them at once, for fear of discovery.
Despite Drummond’s assurances, Anne wanted to make sure she was never left destitute again. She could still remember the fear in her mother’s eyes when Henry had kicked them out. In order to survive, both she and her mother had been forced to work until their bodies hurt.
Life had been hard, but quitting had meant death.
Anne was not about to quit now. If she needed to, for whatever reason, she could still escape on the Deliverance when it set sail, and start a new life elsewhere.