Windsong by Valerie Sherwood

Author:Valerie Sherwood
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2016-10-12T04:00:00+00:00

‘This means,’ said Rye, looking down at her gravely from his great height, ‘that we cannot be married in Essex.’

‘But surely here in London - ’ she protested.

‘Nor in London either. You heard what Drew said. The word is out. In London as well as Essex. If I tried to get a marriage license or have the banns cried, I’d be arrested.’

Carolina turned and walked to the window, where she stood looking out. The disappointment at his words went through her so keenly that she realized with shock just how much she had been counting on this wedding, this reaffirmation of Rye’s love for her. His recital on ship of the details of his first tragic marriage to the young Spanish girl, Rosalia, had affected her more than she cared to admit. And now it was beginning to look as if she was to be always a mistress and never a bride!

‘We shall be married!’ She swung about accusingly. ‘You promised me we would be married when we got to England!’

‘Carolina - ’

‘There is bound to be some place!’

‘There is,’ he said coldly. ‘St James’s in Duke’s Place, which claims it does not come under the Bishop of London’s jurisdiction. We could be married there - for a price - no questions asked. I’m told they’d even predate the certificate.’

Carolina’s eyes widened. ‘Is it legal?’

”Tis said to be perfectly legal,’ he said coolly. ‘And we could be married there, say, the morning of the day I sail back to the Caribbean. Just before boarding, so that there may be no hue and cry after me should the prelate decide to make a few extra guineas by telling the authorities who it is who’s just been made a bridegroom!’

But that meant waiting . . . Carolina’s soft lips formed into a pout. She wanted to be married now.

‘We won’t wait for that,’ she declared. ‘I know a place we can be married where there’s no waiting.’

He sighed. ‘Where?’

‘Fleet Street,’ she told him promptly. ‘Virgie and I - ’

‘You’ll stay away from Fleet Street,’ he interrupted. ‘Just south of it is the area they call “Alsatia” and it’s peopled by cutthroats and thieves. They’d as soon cut your purse as look at you. I’ll not have you going there alone.’

Carolina tossed her fair head. ‘Virgie and I just happened to stroll through there today. I remembered you had said you were taking some money to deposit with the goldsmiths - ’

‘On Lombard Street.’

‘Well, I thought you might be taking it to Child’s on Fleet Street. I remember being told Nell Gwyn had banked there.’ She had recalled school friends telling her of seeing a coach carrying that famous actress and onetime mistress of the king pull up before No 1 Fleet Street and watching Nell herself descend, laughing, to go into the bank. ‘Anyway,’ she defended, ‘we were perfectly safe, no one accosted us.’

‘You should not have gone there unprotected at all! Indeed the denizens of Alsatia can come up to Fleet

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.