A Newfound Land (The Graham Saga) by Belfrage Anna

Author:Belfrage, Anna [Belfrage, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SilverWood Books
Published: 2013-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

“I hear you knew her.”

Alex jumped at the sound of the voice. “I did, and I’m sorry she’s dead.”

Kate Jones looked at the single daisy Alex had placed on the plain headstone just outside the graveyard walls.

“She was a murderess.”

Alex hefted David close. “She was a mother of four, and the man she killed deserved to die.”

Kate made a disinterested gesture. “She died well.”

“Do you know if the baby was a girl or a boy?” Alex asked as they walked towards the meetinghouse.

“No, but the husband left on the first boat out – alone.”

“Alone?” Alex came to a standstill. “But his boys!”

“They’re still here, boarded out with good families.” Kate adjusted her straw hat, tipping the brim so that it left her whole face in shadow. In dark green, the bodice piped with red braid and a shawl as gaudy as a peacock’s tail, Kate looked quite flashy – and rich. “It was for the best. That man had enough problems taking care of himself – he couldn’t have raised those boys on his own.”

Alex agreed, but in her head she could see a weeping Kristin raging at having her precious boys raised by others than her and their father, and she thought with some disdain that Henry had taken the easy way out.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a young man, who narrowly avoided barging into Alex.

“Mrs Graham.” The man swept off his hat, a lock of long black hair falling forward over his brow.

With an effort, Alex forced a squeak back down her throat. Him! Here!

He smiled, looking quite charming in a rough sort of way – charming and lethal, given the flinty grey of his eyes. He kept on staring, light eyes inspecting her minutely, and Alex was grateful for Kate’s presence beside her.

“Mr Burley, is it not?” she succeeded in saying.

He bowed. “I’m flattered that you remember me, Mrs Graham – and may I say just how becoming that shade of green is on you, Mrs Jones.” With a little nod he hurried off in the general direction of the slave pens.

“You know him?” Kate said.

“Not really,” Alex replied, clearing her throat. “All I know is his name.” And that he was an immoral son of a bitch who thought nothing of enslaving Indian women and raping them. “I’m not sure I want to know him.”

“No, that is for the best. Not a nice man, Philip Burley, and unfortunately he has three brothers just like him. A sword for hire, a slave trader of sorts, and a friend of Dominic’s.”

“Oh.” Alex’s guts griped in warning.

They continued their interrupted walk. Alex wasn’t comfortable walking side by side with Kate, but Kate seemed delighted with this new companion and leeched on, strolling along as Alex did her shopping.

“I can hold him for you if you like,” she offered, indicating David, who lay fast asleep in the shawl.

“I’m fine.” Alex went back to her list: spices, limes, linseed, poppy heads... She heard Kate hiss

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