“Not in my ‘condition,’ eh?” The blue eyes heloved so dearly blazed with indignation, and just a hint ofamusement. “I’ve told you a dozen times, I haven’t got the dropsyor gallopin’ consumption. There’s a healthy, protestin’ babe inhere.” At which point she rubbed a lascivious palm across hernine-month belly. “An’ if she can somehow hear us squabblin’, sheain’t likely to pay much attention – bein’ unfamiliar with theQueen’s English.”
“She?”
Beth smiled, then grew serious again. “Can’tRobert Baldwin carry the Reform cause without the aid of hisapprentice?” she said, leaning back in the big padded chair she hadappropriated when her ‘condition’ cried out for its comforts.
“I thought you of all people would be keen tohave me join the campaign to promote Lord Durham’s recommendationsfor a united parliament and responsible government.”
“And I am, darlin’, really. Jess an’ hisfather and I battled the Family Compact an’ stood up fer the Reformparty as hard as anybody in this province – and at such acost.”
Marc wanted to warn Beth not to dwell on herpast tragedies – the sudden and brutal deaths of her first husbandand her beloved father-in-law – given her condition, but restrainedhimself in time. Instead he said, “You realize as clearly as anyonethat we have an uphill fight in the Assembly to get a bill passedthat will encourage the Melbourne government in London to implementthe earl’s key proposals. Pressure must come from the countryside,from the farmers and tradesmen and shopkeepers. It must be agroundswell so powerful and sustained that even the Tory-dominatedlegislature will take notice and do their duty!”
“You ain’t on the platform yet,” Beth saidwith a twinkle. “But I gather that Robert has plans fer erectin’ asmany as he can construct an’ get away with.”
“More than that,” Marc said, warming to thetopic, and grateful that his wife and companion was not onlybeautiful – in her freckled, Irish way – but intelligent andpassionate about her adopted province. “Robert and his committeehave developed a master plan.”
Just then Charlene Huggan, their all-purposeservant, popped into the archway between living-room and kitchen.“Is it okay, Beth, if I slip next door fer a few minutes? I’ll beback before Mr. Edwards leaves fer the evenin’.”
“You c’n bring Jasper back with you, if youlike,” Beth said. “I promised him a rematch.”
Jasper Hogg lived next door, when he wasn’tparked in the Edwards’ parlour. The young carpenter, whoseprincipal work was intermittent at best, did all the heavy labourabout Briar Cottage: chopping and lugging wood, fetching water forthe cistern and stove, and tending to the needs of the horse. Whichallowed Marc to spend all his time studying for the Bar – up atOsgoode Hall and in the legal chambers of Baldwin and Sullivan.
Charlene headed for the back door.
It was just after supper on Saturday. Marcwas preparing to leave in order to join Robert Baldwin and DoubtfulDick for a stroll to the legislature and the scheduled session ofthe Assembly. Beth, who had been teaching Jasper and Charlene toplay chess over the winter months, now routinely pitted herselfagainst the pair of them, who used the frequent consultations overtheir next move as a kind of not-so-subtle lovers’ byplay. Shewould have pleasant company until he got home.
“So what’s this master plan, then?” Bethsaid, returning to the topic at hand.
“Robert and his associates are going to stumpevery township between Cornwall and Sandwich,” Marc said. “They’realso planning to organize Durham Clubs in every region to continuethe debate long after the platform rhetoric has faded.”
“You figure on stumpin’ alongside of Robert?”Beth said, eyeing her husband closely.
Marc grinned. “Don’t worry, love. I don’tintend to be absent for the birth of our son.”
“She’ll be pleased about that when I tellher.”
Marc began to pull his boots on. “What Roberthas asked me to do is to help him write a series of pamphlets thatwill flesh out the arguments being made in the Assembly and fromthe podiums across the province, and to compose broadsides thatwill highlight our principal points. He expects this work will beongoing, as our tactics may have to be adjusted to any suddenchange in the Tories’ counter-arguments or misrepresentation of ourviews.”
Beth shifted slightly to ease a cramp in herleft leg. “That is somethin’ you’ll be able to do well. And, ifyou’d like, I’d be happy to help out.”
Marc smiled to acknowledge this indirectreference to her proven ability to frame effective politicaltracts, drawing upon her past experience as a farm-owner who hadsuffered from several of the thoughtless land policies of theright-wing governments that had controlled the province since itsinception more than forty-five years ago.
“You could be of real help, love,” Marc saidslowly, “but since you do insist that you’ll be going back to theshop as soon as you’re able, and with our son to occupy the rest ofyour time, I don’t see how you could manage it.”
Beth wanted to object, but had to admit thatMarc could be right. She had succeeded in getting down to herbusiness – Smallman’s Fashion Emporium for Ladies (the newlyminted name of her expanded shop on King Street between Bay andYonge) – three days a week up until the beginning of March. By thenshe had discovered that she had been too tired and grumpy to be ofuse, in either the retail shop or the adjoining dressmakingenterprise. Moreover, Rose Halpenny was quite capable ofsupervising the latter, and Bertha Bethune was her mainstay amongthe frocks and bonnets, and gentrified customers who frequented theplace. Her current plan was to take the baby and Charlene with herto Smallman’s as often as she could after the birth. “MaybeI’ll give up chess or one of them other sports we enjoy late in theevenin’,” she said to Marc with a straight face.
“The supreme sacrifice, eh?”
Beth peered down at her swollen belly. “Ithink this is the supreme sacrifice,” she said.
Marc nodded, then reached for his overcoat.He glanced towards the kitchen.
“You don’t haveta wait fer Charlene an’Jasper,” Beth said, shifting her body once again. “Me an’ thebabe’ll behave ourselves till they come.”
“All right. I am eager to pick up Dickand Robert and get to the chamber before the fireworks begin. Ithink our skeptical Yankee will be suitably impressed by thequality of the debate, even if none of his own stunning, republicanlogic is deployed by either side.”
“You’re referrin’ to the arrival of MowbrayMcDowell?”
“That’s right. He was spotted this morning onthe verandah of his townhouse, and we fully expect he will lead offthe debate this evening for the Tories.”
“I’d like to be there,” Beth saidwistfully.
Marc leaned over and kissed her on theforehead. “They say he’s the best speaker they’ve ever had, betterthan Justice Robinson or Sweet William Draper.”
“How come, if he was returned in the Kingstonby-election last September, he hasn’t shown up till now?”
Marc explained that McDowell had leased atownhouse on George Street just north of Newgate in time for theOctober opening of the legislature, and had even moved his wife andservants there, but his father, a prominent importer of wines andtobacco, had suffered a stroke. McDowell had stayed behind inKingston in expectation of his father’s imminent demise, foregoingthe golden opportunity to make his parliamentary debut at thebeginning of the session when the gallery was packed and publicattention high. And to make matters worse, McDowell senior hadlingered on, to the great inconvenience of his son, until Christmasday, when he had passed wordlessly into the beyond. By then theAssembly had been prorogued, and its reopening had beenpurposefully delayed until the arrival of the earl’s Reportin the first week of March. A premature spring, however – withrain-squalls and local flooding – had made so many roads impassablethat the new session had not got underway until the previousMonday. Poor Mowbray, stuck in Kingston consoling his mother andwinding up his father’s affairs, had found himself unable to travelto Toronto by steamer (too much ice, still) or get there overland.The first mail-packet from the east to brave the break-up hadreached the Queen’s Wharf only on Thursday: McDowell had apparentlybeen aboard.