The Beloved Land by T. Davis Bunn

Author:T. Davis Bunn [Bunn, T. Davis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2011-01-13T20:00:00+00:00

The next morning a storm swept in hard and fast. The wind rose to such a pitch that lanyards hummed and snapped. The sailors raced across the decks and up the ropes, lashing the sails into the quarter-moon shapes used to weather storms.

But no one seemed to be perturbed. Other than a pair of fitful squalls, the weather had been dry, so most of the ship’s water caskets were empty. And the storm was blowing from the proper quarter, such that their sail westward continued faster still. The captain, a gruff and hard-bitten man who clearly preferred to keep God in His quarter, had even come to calling their passage a blessing. He welcomed the rain, for the closer they drew to the coastline, the greater was their risk of running afoul of the Americans.

The northern colonies, now called collectively by the name of Canada, remained firmly within English hands. But the border between the revolutionaries and Canada was both fluid and very near. Sailors and officers alike kept close watch upon the horizons, casting to the four corners of the horizon for the first sign of sail. Thankfully, the only vessels they had spied the entire voyage had flown the haughty Union Jack and greeted them with flags and cannonades signaling the all clear.

And now there were great sweeping curtains of rain about them, furious torrents that heeled over the boat and doused them all. But the morning remained warm enough for most of the passengers to stay on deck and revel in the first cleansing bath they had enjoyed in days. Dry and salt-crusted faces were turned toward the heavens. Hats and bonnets were doffed, and stiffened hair was drenched with water so fresh it tasted sweet to their mouths. When one shower had passed and a trio of sailors began dancing a hornpipe upon the rain-washed deck, most of the passengers laughed and clapped in time to the communal celebration.

During the general hubbub, Anne drew close to the young pastor’s wife to whisper, “We would have a quiet word with you and your husband, if you please.”

The young woman nodded and moved to where her husband stood smiling at the antics.

Thomas awaited them by the far railing.

He glanced at Anne, who nodded, and he said, “We have been entrusted with quite a large sum. Charles Harrow is a man generous in purse and spirit, and he wishes for us to help those who have suffered from this conflict.”

Now the pastor and his wife looked at each other, their expressions full of astonishment.

Thomas went on, “We wish to make a gift to your new community.”

“In secret,” Anne added.

Thomas reached into the folds of his coat and extracted a folded sheet of parchment. “I have prepared a banker’s draft. At the bottom of the page is the address where we shall be residing in Georgetown. Take this to the bank in Halifax. Have them contact us if there are any questions.”

The young clergyman and his wife were quite speechless. He took the document without looking at its contents, and her eyes brimmed with tears.

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