Here Comes a Candle Read Online Free Page A
Author: Jane Aiken Hodge
confirmed his guess. “ Poor Father, he ’ d been so unhappy ... I can ’ t talk about it. ”
“ Never mind. ” Oddly now, he found himself wanting to make it easy for her. “ But how did you come to Canada? ”
“ With Fred Croston. My husband. I married him. Well, ” she was looking back now, puzzled at herself, “ there didn ’ t seem anything else to do, then. ” She stopped, looking up at him hopefully, willing him to accept it as a complete explanation.
But he had another question. “ And this man; what about him? The one in the 98th? The one you want to get away from so badly that you ’ ll trust yourself to a stranger like me. ”
Suddenly, for the first time, she smiled, and he thought, with a little shock of surprise, why, she could be beautiful. “ Oh, but I know all about you, Mr. Penrose. What do you think Mrs. McGowan and I talked about , but her grandsons? And you were her favorite. The soul of honor, she called you, and her dear Jon. ” For a moment, her voice had been almost teasing, then her face changed: “ Oh, poor old Mac! How can I be thinking, about myself? ”
It was his turn to be practical. “ Because we must, I guess. ” Whether she had intended it or not, her reference to his grandmother had reminded him of the debt he owed her. But it was with a sensation of doubt amounting almost to panic that he heard himself saying: “ Very well then, Mrs. Croston, if you really want to come with me, “I’ ll see what I can arrange. ”
It was only much later, when he had got her safely installed in his own cabin on the Madison that he remembered she had never explained just why she was so anxious to get away from Canada.
TWO
The next few days did nothing to make Jonathan Penrose feel any happier about the responsibility he had taken on. While the Americans systematically plundered York of anything that could be remotely considered as military stores, Kate Croston lay inert in the tiny cabin on the Madison with a marine on sentry duty outside.
“ Don ’ t worry, ” Dr. Brown, to whom Jonathan confided his doubts after his grandmother ’ s bleak and hurried funeral, did his best to be reassuring. “ The girl ’ s worn out, that ’ s all. It was no joke nursing Mrs. McGowan, I can tell you—and that consumptive husband before that. And that was an odd business, if you like. I never could understand how she came to be married to a mere sergeant. Something a bit havey-cavey about it, if you ask me. ”
“ Now you say that! ” Jonathan exploded into anger. “ After I ’ ve committed myself to the girl, on your advice. And for Sarah, too. ”
“ Well ” —the old doctor refused to be roused— “ you told me yourself you were in despair about finding someone for Sarah. Though why your Arabella can ’ t look after her ... but ” —hastily— “ never mind about that. To come back to Mrs. Croston: I ’ ve only known her a short time, but I swear to you, Jon, if she ’ s got anything to be ashamed of, I ’ m not the judge of people I ought to be. No, no: in a year or so you ’ ll be writing to thank me for persuading you. I ’ m sure—sure as I can be—that taking her is one of the best day ’ s work you ever did. Besides, what else can you do? ”
“ Well, that ’ s true enough, ” said Jonathan ruefully.
When the American troops re-embarked at last, Kate was still lying dazed and passive, somewhere between sleeping and waking. She hardly noticed the tumult above decks, nor the new routine of the stormy voyage across the lake, but slept, and waked, and ate the food she was brought, and gradually began to feel again. It was not pleasant: rather like the tingling discomfort of life coming back to a numbed limb. There was so much she must remember, so horribly much she would rather forget. And as for the future ... well, at least the die was cast. Not much use now to regret the moment of mad panic that had made her thrust herself upon this unknown,
“ Never mind. ” Oddly now, he found himself wanting to make it easy for her. “ But how did you come to Canada? ”
“ With Fred Croston. My husband. I married him. Well, ” she was looking back now, puzzled at herself, “ there didn ’ t seem anything else to do, then. ” She stopped, looking up at him hopefully, willing him to accept it as a complete explanation.
But he had another question. “ And this man; what about him? The one in the 98th? The one you want to get away from so badly that you ’ ll trust yourself to a stranger like me. ”
Suddenly, for the first time, she smiled, and he thought, with a little shock of surprise, why, she could be beautiful. “ Oh, but I know all about you, Mr. Penrose. What do you think Mrs. McGowan and I talked about , but her grandsons? And you were her favorite. The soul of honor, she called you, and her dear Jon. ” For a moment, her voice had been almost teasing, then her face changed: “ Oh, poor old Mac! How can I be thinking, about myself? ”
It was his turn to be practical. “ Because we must, I guess. ” Whether she had intended it or not, her reference to his grandmother had reminded him of the debt he owed her. But it was with a sensation of doubt amounting almost to panic that he heard himself saying: “ Very well then, Mrs. Croston, if you really want to come with me, “I’ ll see what I can arrange. ”
It was only much later, when he had got her safely installed in his own cabin on the Madison that he remembered she had never explained just why she was so anxious to get away from Canada.
TWO
The next few days did nothing to make Jonathan Penrose feel any happier about the responsibility he had taken on. While the Americans systematically plundered York of anything that could be remotely considered as military stores, Kate Croston lay inert in the tiny cabin on the Madison with a marine on sentry duty outside.
“ Don ’ t worry, ” Dr. Brown, to whom Jonathan confided his doubts after his grandmother ’ s bleak and hurried funeral, did his best to be reassuring. “ The girl ’ s worn out, that ’ s all. It was no joke nursing Mrs. McGowan, I can tell you—and that consumptive husband before that. And that was an odd business, if you like. I never could understand how she came to be married to a mere sergeant. Something a bit havey-cavey about it, if you ask me. ”
“ Now you say that! ” Jonathan exploded into anger. “ After I ’ ve committed myself to the girl, on your advice. And for Sarah, too. ”
“ Well ” —the old doctor refused to be roused— “ you told me yourself you were in despair about finding someone for Sarah. Though why your Arabella can ’ t look after her ... but ” —hastily— “ never mind about that. To come back to Mrs. Croston: I ’ ve only known her a short time, but I swear to you, Jon, if she ’ s got anything to be ashamed of, I ’ m not the judge of people I ought to be. No, no: in a year or so you ’ ll be writing to thank me for persuading you. I ’ m sure—sure as I can be—that taking her is one of the best day ’ s work you ever did. Besides, what else can you do? ”
“ Well, that ’ s true enough, ” said Jonathan ruefully.
When the American troops re-embarked at last, Kate was still lying dazed and passive, somewhere between sleeping and waking. She hardly noticed the tumult above decks, nor the new routine of the stormy voyage across the lake, but slept, and waked, and ate the food she was brought, and gradually began to feel again. It was not pleasant: rather like the tingling discomfort of life coming back to a numbed limb. There was so much she must remember, so horribly much she would rather forget. And as for the future ... well, at least the die was cast. Not much use now to regret the moment of mad panic that had made her thrust herself upon this unknown,