"I didn't mean anything," Dolly said, stricken.
"I know," Mrs. Hawkins soothed her, confident she had restored order. "Now be a good lass, and run along. I've a brace of ducks to clean and stuff for tonight's dinner."
Standing in the shadow of the keeping room's outside door, Comfort had listened to the two women. Mrs. Hawkins was an old cow, and Dolly too soft and stupid. When I'm mistress of this house, Comfort thought, I'll send them both packing. I'll be the one selling their bonds. Master Kieran will never send me away. He loves me except he can't admit it because of her. His hoity-toity lady wife with her flaming pate, and white, white skin. Ihate her! What is it the Indians call her? Touched-by-Fire. That's it! I wonder if some big buck with his red-brown body would like rummaging between her milky thighs. Ohhh, she'd scream, she would. If she weren't around Master Kieran would turn to me. Iknow he would! Says I can't leave the house without her fine ladyship's permission, does she? I'll show her! I'll go where I like, and when I like. I'll have no bitch like my old mistress back in London ordering me about. I showed that one, and I'll show this one!
She needed to get away from the house. She needed a man stuffing her full with his want, but now the menservants would be chary of her, Comfort realized. Damn her ladyship! What difference is it to her that the men were swiving me? I wasn't hurting nobody. Ohh, it's all right if her, with her belly, gets serviced, but not poor me. Well, I'll fix her soon enough, the bitch!
"Mistress Fortune." Prosper, one of the bondmen, was speaking.
Fortune looked up from the chair before the house where she and Rois were sewing infant garments. "Yes, Prosper, what is it?"
" 'Tis Comfort, yer ladyship. She's going off into the woods again. We saw her from the fields."
Fortune jumped up. "That damned girl! She'll get lost again."
"Nay, yer ladyship," the bondman said. "Comfort knows the woods hereabouts better than any. Every bit as good as the Indians."
"Does she?" This was rather interesting news. Was it possible that Comfort had deliberately pretended to be lost the day they arrived? "Show me where she is," Fortune said. "Rois, go and tell Kieran I have gone after the troublesome bitch, and that tomorrow she goes into St. Mary's to the stocks, and for a whipping."
"She'll come back, m'lady," Rois said. "Don't go after the wench."
"She's deliberately disobeyed me, and in front of the others," Fortune said. "If I do not fetch her back myself, I shall lose control of my household." Turning Fortune followed the bondman.
He led her to the edge of the tobacco fields, pointing out the path that Comfort had taken. "I'll go with you, mistress," he said.
"Nay," Fortune replied. "She will not have gotten far, and I want to bring her back myself. Cut me that switch, Prosper."
He obeyed, handing it to her with a small grin.
Stepping into the woods Fortune followed the barely visible path. About her the leaves were brilliant with their late October color. They fell silently around her, and yet the path seemed clear enough for a distance. Ahead of her she could hear Comfort singing a little ditty, and recognized the tune as "The Miller of Dee." Fortune increased her pace, but she could not seem to catch up with the serving girl. Then she suddenly realized that she hadn't heard Comfort's voice in the past few minutes. Where had the damned girl gotten to? Fortune wondered.
Comfort could hear someone following her. Was it one of the men? she thought excitedly. She hid herself in the brush long enough to discover her pursuer. Seeing Fortune picking her way through the undergrowth Comfort felt a surge of disappointment. Then an idea struck her. She began to sing again, leading her fine ladyship on deeper and deeper into the forest. She crossed a small stream, and hid herself again, watching as Fortune forded the small watercourse, and continued onward. With a smile of triumph Comfort turned back. Her rival had chosen her own fate. She would soon discover herself lost, and she would not be able to find her way back out of the forest. But I will be there for the master, Comfort considered, smiling to herself as she walked out of the woods, and across the fields to the house.
Fortune suddenly realized she couldn't hear Comfort's voice anymore. She also could not hear the sound of footsteps padding ahead of her. She stopped. All around her the forest was thick with trees and other growth. I have to go back, Fortune thought to herself. She turned about, and attempted to retrace her footsteps, but while the path had seemed so obvious going into the woods, it was not as definite now that she needed to find her way out. Ahead she heard the sound of water. The stream she had crossed! But as she came upon it she wasn't certain it was the same stream. The one she had crossed was silent-running. This one sang and chattered as it tumbled over its streambed of rocks.
Panic began to set in. I'm lost! she thought, frightened. Fortune stood stock-still. She was suddenly afraid to move in any direction lest she become even more lost. I haven't been walking that long. I can't be that far from home. But which direction do I take? Oh, God! I don't know! She began to cry. She was lost in this New World forest, and no one was ever going to find her. Aine would be orphaned, and the son she was certain she carried in her womb now would die with her. Crumpling to the soft floor of the forest she wept herself into sleep.
"Touched-by-Fire, awaken," she heard a deep voice calling her.
Fortune awoke, and scrambling to her feet found herself face to face with a tall, elderly Indian. She gasped.
"Do not be afraid, Touched-by-Fire. I am Many Moons, the medicine man of the Wicocomoco."
"You speak English?" Fortune was amazed.
He smiled a small smile at her. "Your medicine woman, Glass Eyes, taught me, as I have taught her our tongue."
Glass Eyes? Of course! Happeth Jones with her spectacles! "I am lost, Many Moons. I followed a disobedient servant into the forest, and became lost. Can you guide me back to my home?"
He nodded. "It is the girl with the corn-colored hair you followed? She is a very bad person, Touched-by-Fire. She has brought sickness to several of our young men who were tempted by her. She let them use her as a man will use a woman. Then they became sick."
"Her name is Comfort, although she is anything but," Fortune said, walking by the medicine man's side. "My husband is going to send her away. She claims to be afraid of your people. I am sorry she has brought illness to your men. Perhaps Mistress Jones, Glass Eyes, can help you. I am grateful that you found me, Many Moons. I do not think I could have found my way out of the forest without your help." Fortune could see the trees thinning, and past them the tobacco fields. The sun was close to setting. She had obviously been in the forest most of the day. She was very lucky, she realized.
"Fortune! Fortune!"
Her name was being called. "I'm here," she cried back, and then she exited the woods, running into Kieran's open arms.
"I thought I had lost you," he said, kissing her hungrily.
"You almost did, but thanks to Many Moons-" She turned. "He's gone! Oh, Kieran, I wanted you to thank him, too. The Wicocomoco medicine man who is Mistress Jones's friend found me, and led me out of the forest. Do you know what the Indians call her? Glass Eyes!"
"Why did you go into the forest?" he asked her as they turned to walk back to the house.