Элизабет Джордж Спир - The Witch of Blackbird Pond / Ведьма с пруда Черных Дроздов. 10-11 классы

When the four of them went out together into the twilight, Judith took John’s arm. “You’ll never know,” she whispered. “You saved me, John. I had a plan…”

Kit was walking behind them, thinking. Now what? He can’t do this! But she knew that he could. John understood Mercy very well. He knew that never in her life could she take anything that Judith might want. If John hurt Judith now, Mercy would never forgive either him or herself.

Kit’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by William who stopped her on the way. “Wait a moment, Kit,” he said. “Let them go ahead. I want to talk to you.” His quiet voice and the look in his eyes warned her of what was coming. Oh, no! Not after all that has happened! She wanted to run away and hide. William’s question was not unexpected at all. Kit had thought that her answer was ready, but now she realized that it wasn’t. “Not tonight, please,” Kit whispered in panic.

“I didn’t plan to speak tonight,” William explained. “But just look at those two – they are so happy! Let me speak to your uncle.”

“Please, William,” Kit whispered. “Don’t speak to him yet.”

William looked at her, puzzled. “Why not? Don’t you want to marry me, Kit?”

She paused. “I hadn’t thought of getting married so soon.”

William was silent for a moment. “I won’t hurry you, Kit,” he said calmly. “The house won’t be finished before spring, anyway. I’ll wait for your answer.” Obviously, he was sure of her positive answer. As they walked on to the party, he held her hand.

In October the sun still filled the world with mild warmth, and a miracle for which Kit wasn’t prepared happened. The maple trees turned red, and the oaks along the road became yellow and bronze. Everywhere Kit walked there were beautiful new colors. No one had ever told her about autumn in New England. Every morning now she woke with excitement and a feeling that in October any wonderful unexpected thing might be possible!

On one of such days Kit noticed her uncle standing not far from the house, looking thoughtfully toward the river. He did not notice her. He simply stood there, staring at the golden fields. Kit saw how her uncle bent down and took a handful of soil with reverence. At that moment he looked lonely and defiant.

Judith’s voice interrupted Kit’s thoughts. “Hurry up, Kit,” she called. “They say there’s a ship coming up the river! If we go now, we can watch it come in!”

“What ship?” Kit asked.

“Does that matter? It’s fun to see any ship come in, and there won’t be many more this autumn.”

But the moment the two girls reached the river, Kit recognized the Dolphin. How beautiful that ship was! How Kit would love to sail on the Dolphin again! She remembered the endless shining water and the salty wind that tangled her hair. She would give anything just to stand on the deck of the Dolphin, sailing into the open sea and toward Barbados!

Some time soon Kit saw Nat Eaton on the deck. He saw her too and just raised one hand to greet her. That wasn’t strange because Kit knew how busy Nat usually was, so she decided to wait.

“Come on, Kit, let’s go home,” said Judith after a while. “There’s nothing more to see.”

Kit was about to turn away and go home, but then she heard Nat’s voice: “Mistress Tyler! Wait a moment!” Nat came toward her with a big package under his arm. “Good day to you, Mistress Wood,” he greeted Judith. Then he turned to Kit again. “Would you be kind to deliver this package for me?” The words were too formal and his tone was strangely indifferent. “This is some wool I got for Hannah,” he explained, giving her the package.

Kit took it reluctantly. “She’ll be waiting for you to come yourself.”

“I know, but my father wants us to leave now to catch the wind. Hannah might need this. If only you can spend some time away from your fashionable friends…”

Puzzled, Kit’s wanted to say something, but before she did, Nat went on and now there was mockery in his voice. “An interesting cargo we had on this trip. One item especially. Sixteen fine windows ordered from England by one William Ashby. They say he’s building a house for his bride. A posh young lady from Barbados, I hear, who wants only the best things. You should have mentioned it, Kit,” he added quietly.

“There’s nothing definite to mention yet,” Kit began.

“That order looks definite enough. May I congratulate you?” said Nat. Then, with a quick bow to Judith, he was gone.

“What? What was he talking about?” asked Judith. “Really, Kit, you know the strangest people. How did you even meet this sailor?”

“I told you he was the captain’s son,” Kit answered, trying to hide her angry tears.

“Well, anyway, I didn’t like his manners,” added Judith.

Another trouble awaited them at home. Aunt Rachel was standing in the doorway looking anxiously at the road. “There is no peace for the poor man,” she said sadly. “Matthew has gone to a meeting just now. They say someone came from Hartford with news this morning, and there’s a gathering in the town. I think it is something to do with that Governor Andros of Massachusetts, who wants to take the charter away. Oh dear, Matthew will be so upset!”

“Then let’s make him a good dinner,” suggested Judith. “Don’t worry, Mother. The men will take care of the government.”

Matthew Wood did not come home for the good meal they had made. Late in the afternoon he walked slowly into the kitchen looking ill.

“What is it, Matthew?” Rachel asked. “Has something terrible happened?”

“Only what we have expected,” he answered gravely. “Governor Treat and the council have been avoiding it for almost a year. Now Sir Andros has sent a message that he is coming from Boston. He will arrive in Hartford on Monday to take over as royal governor in Connecticut. Make a fire in the company room, Rachel. Some people will want to come and talk here tonight.”

One more bit of news reached them before the night. Captain Eaton had missed the wind, and the Dolphin stayed just off Wright’s Island. Kit was meanly glad. She hoped they would have a good long wait, maybe even till winter. Kit decided not to deliver Nat’s package herself till the Dolphin was on its way toward Saybrook.

“It’s the death of our freedom! It’s the end of all we’ve worked for!” shouted the men in the company room. Kit wasn’t really thinking about the future of the Connecticut colony, but she was curious about one thing. Some time ago William had come, greeted the women, and then knocked on the company room door. Surprisingly, he had been let in, and since then he stayed behind that closed door. “What is William doing in there?” Kit asked. “Why would Uncle Matthew let him in?”

“Didn’t you know?” Judith replied. “William now shares Father’s ideas.”

“How did you know that?” Kit stared at her. “I never heard him say anything about it.”

“Maybe you just weren’t listening.”

It was true, sometimes, when William and Judith were talking about the house, it was difficult for Kit to pay attention. But she knew she would have remembered anything as important as this. Was William ashamed to tell her that he had turned against the King? Or did he think she was too stupid to understand?

“Governor Andros says that signed papers mean nothing to him! We will have to beg new grants for land that we’ve bought and already paid for!” the voices shouted in the company room. Now they could also hear Matthew’s voice, cold and steady. “Whatever happens,” he was saying, “we do not want any shooting here in Connecticut.”