The Spells of Paradise

Chapter 11: The Shackled Hands of Fate

Chapter 11: The Shackled Hands of Fate

Charlestown, South Carolina

The Capricorn, a merchant vessel en route to Portsmouth, was set to depart later in the week. Thanks to John's connections in trade, he had managed to secure passage on there, but not without a great expense on his part. He had to work extra hours to procure the money so he wouldn't have to serve before the mast in order to pay his way. Eventually, he managed, with time yet to spare before the ship's departure.

As far as John knew, his sisters were both in London, but his mother warned him the week before that one or both of them might have taken it upon themselves to secure their father's affairs in Lanfore before leaving the estate to their uncle, Robert. So keeping that in mind, John was glad The Capricorn was docking in Portsmouth, as it was not as far from Hertfordshire. Still, he was concerned about traveling to Lanfore only to find that neither Lucy nor Lydia were there. He wished he had some sort of confirmation.

As it was, such a thing came in the form of gossip in between his mother's group of friends.

"Dear, do you know the tradesman, Fitzgerald Thornton?" She asked him one day while reading by the window.

John looked up from his papers and nodded. "Only from what I've been told about him, why?"

Fitzgerald Thornton was a big name in most of the port cities in America, mainly Boston, and his influence even stretched across the Atlantaic. He was a well known man, to be sure, and quite wealthy.

"My good friend, Martha, was a maid in his household a few years ago," his mother said. "She still keeps in touch with the other maids that work there, and word going about is that Thornton's niece, Beatrice, has left London with a good friend and, believe it or not, has traveled to Lanfore!"

"What?" John frowned. "What business would Fitzgerald Thornton's niece have in Lanfore?"

"It wasn't her I inquired about, darling," his mother reminded him patiently, "but the friend. I asked Martha, and she said that Beatrice was traveling to Lanfore to offer her friend support due to the passing of her father some time recently. Does that ring any bells?"

John sat up. "Lucy? Lydia?"

"I am not sure which one, my dear, but Martha was certain that Beatrice Thornton was there. Fitzgerald Thornton's wife, Ingrid, received word from her mother in London about it when she departed, but word of it had already spread like wildfire, the main reason being that everyone thought it rather odd that two women were traveling to the country alone with no escort."

"Surely that happens a lot, does it not?"

"Not often enough for women like Beatrice Thornton or the Quincy girls, apparently."

John shook his head and wryly chuckled. "Well that information is rather helpful. Only... He paused, "I had hoped I would speak to both my sisters about this, not just one."

"Perhaps by the time you arrive in England, she will already have returned to London?" His mother offered.

John doubted it, but smiled nonetheless. "Perhaps, of course."

In the very likely event that that was not the case, however, John was now faced with a rather difficult choice. Where to go and to whom to present the letter... As it was, he had no idea which sister was even in Lanfore with Beatrice Thornton!

"Would it be possible for your friend to find out which Quincy daughter is in Lanfore?" He asked.

His mother nodded. "I can surely ask, dear, but I make no promises."