Henry took a sip of tea. Placing the cup on the table, he folded his hands neatly in his lap. “I was born in England,” he said. “My father was an officer in His Majesty’s Navy. He retired from service in 1718 after being wounded in the Battle of Cape Passaro against the Spanish. Until two months ago, I was a student at Cambridge.”
“Why on earth would you leave school to become indentured?” I spoke bluntly, startled to learn that a person of such advantage would actually choose to come to the Colonies in this manner. Usually indentures were among the most unfortunate...or criminals. Oh, heavens above! “Are you a criminal?” I asked, my voice breaking unnaturally.
Henry looked straight at me. He had the most extraordinary green eyes, flecked with gold. “I am no criminal,” he said coolly. “Someone made a claim against my father, and I was indentured to cover the debt.”
“I should not have assumed,” I said by way of an apology. We lapsed into an awkward silence while I grappled for more words. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“My mother and infant sister both died in childbirth when I was two years old. My father never remarried, and I remained an only child.”
“Are you married or otherwise engaged?” I couldn’t believe I had only now thought of this potential problem. The wrong response and all my scheming would have been for naught.
“No, I’m not,” he said. My relief must have been obvious for he gave me a rather queer look.
“What are your plans once your contract is fulfilled?” I asked, as much from curiosity as necessity. “Do you intend to make a home for yourself in Pennsylvania?”
“I will return to England and reclaim my former life.”
So far, his answers proved satisfactory, and though by no means a complete biography, I had enough information to proceed further. Taking another sip of tea, I placed my cup on the table next to his. “Mr. Alan, as of this morning I find myself in a most unusual predicament. You may recall when you first saw me sitting at the docks?”
He nodded to indicate that he did.
“Well, I had just received some unfortunate news from Captain Harlow. My second cousin, Mr. Samuel Kilbrid, was also a passenger on The Berkshire. He died while at sea. We were supposed to be married, you see, and as things stand it is now quite impossible.”
When I stopped to get my bearings, Henry remained silent, patiently waiting for me to continue. “My father also recently passed away, and with my mother dead these past four years, I find myself in a position of great risk. If I had returned to Brighmor a married woman as planned, I would have been sufficiently protected from a particular enemy. By returning home unwed, I could lose everything I hold dear.”
I took one last deep breath and then pushed forward to the end.
“Mr. Alan, when I purchased your contract today, it was with the greatest hopes that you would consent to pose as my cousin and, under his name, take me as your wife on the morrow. I know this is quite forward, but please understand the desperate nature of my situation. If you consent, I would agree to significantly reduce your length of service, and once I am safe from my enemy, you can leave Brighmor. Samuel is already dead, so to say he died in a year or two would not be too far from the truth. The marriage would be annulled at that point, and you would be a free man in every way. If by then you decide to stay in the Colonies, my only request will be that you live a minimum of three hundred miles from Hopewell.”
Henry no longer looked at me, having turned to stare at the empty hearth. It was so quiet, the sound of our combined breathing and the ticking of the mantel clock filled the room. I began to think that my brazen behavior had rendered him mute when he finally spoke.
“You want me to marry you?” he asked, facing me again. “Are you serious?”
“Be assured, I am in earnest.” A deep blush crept into my cheeks from what I had to say next. “It would be a marriage in name only. There will be no conjugal rights. No familiarity beyond what is absolutely necessary to make the right appearance.”
“I see,” he said, looking slightly amused at my discomfort. “And how can such a marriage save you from this enemy?”