growing dark line on the horizon. America. Land of the free, they said. She could only hope the adage proved true for her, an Englishwoman, who didn’t know the first thing about freedom and what her life here might become.
The next twenty-four hours brought them up to the shores of a new republic. The late afternoon sun glinted off the gray-green water of the York River as the Angelina wound her way across the choppy waters of the Chesapeake Bay toward Yorktown. Kendra stood at the railing, watching the lush landscape go by either side of the ship. The water narrowed and narrowed from wide-open sea to a sliver of river waves cutting through wild land. Heavily wooded forests flanked the river’s edge—greens, browns, and the tawny colors of scrub and bush. Kendra took a great, long breath of the moss-damp air and tried as best she could to tamp down the rising anxiety this wilderness brought to her chest.
An hour slid by as they turned toward a bend in the river. Kendra felt her heart rise in hope and wonder as the beginnings of a town came into view. Various-sized storehouses dotted the wharf where men scurried about loading and unloading ships. The sailors aboard the Angelina were soon busy docking the great ship as if it were no more than a toy. Kendra marveled at their skill as they slid with ease into their moorings. They were soon bobbing alongside other sea craft of various shapes and sizes, waiting to disembark.
She was just wondering what she should do next when the captain tore himself away from his duties long enough to stride over to her.
“I’ve asked John to escort you ashore, my lady. I have many duties to attend to as yet, but if you will allow him to take you to The Swan, he will see that you have some dinner and a room for the night. In the morning I will procure a carriage and see you to your new home.”
Kendra kept her voice steady even though her throat was as dry as parchment with nerves. “That is very kind of you. Thank you, sir.”
Captain Colburn gave her a small bow and a wink and then hurried off to his duties. John came up from behind him, grinned at her, and offered his arm. “Shall we, Lady Townsend?”
Kendra’s legs shook as she walked down the gangplank, leaning on John’s arm for support. When they stepped off the ship onto dry land, her knees buckled beneath her. John chuckled and hauled her upright. “It might take awhile to regain your land legs, my lady.”
She clung tighter to his arm and laughed in return. “I feel like a babe just learning to walk. How long will it take, do you think?”
John patted her hand. “Not long.”
They took a few more steps and then stopped for Kendra to better gain her balance. Her gaze swept up and down the street, taking in her first look at town life on American soil. There were several townsfolk milling around in fashionable dress, but compared to the mayhem of London, America seemed sparsely inhabited and a bit wild. As they walked along the road that ran along the shore, Kendra had an urge to stretch out her arms and embrace the clean, fresh air. She grinned at the thought as restless energy and excitement filled her. John looked down at her exuberance. “What do you think of America so far?”
“I think I shall like it very much,” she said with a happy tone and a flashing smile. Tucking her hand in his arm, John led her up a long hill and around a bend to Main Street, where the lodging house sat among various shops. Kendra chuckled as they walked down the quaint, cobblestoned street.
“What is it?” John asked.
Kendra looked up into his dark brown eyes with a self-deprecating smile. “I’m laughing at myself, I suppose. I had thought, well imagined, America to be rough log cabins and Indians lurking behind every tree. And here I find myself in this quaint, little town. The houses are two-storied and many of them are made of brick. I hadn’t imagined it so . . . civilized.”
John patted her hand on his arm, eyes
The next twenty-four hours brought them up to the shores of a new republic. The late afternoon sun glinted off the gray-green water of the York River as the Angelina wound her way across the choppy waters of the Chesapeake Bay toward Yorktown. Kendra stood at the railing, watching the lush landscape go by either side of the ship. The water narrowed and narrowed from wide-open sea to a sliver of river waves cutting through wild land. Heavily wooded forests flanked the river’s edge—greens, browns, and the tawny colors of scrub and bush. Kendra took a great, long breath of the moss-damp air and tried as best she could to tamp down the rising anxiety this wilderness brought to her chest.
An hour slid by as they turned toward a bend in the river. Kendra felt her heart rise in hope and wonder as the beginnings of a town came into view. Various-sized storehouses dotted the wharf where men scurried about loading and unloading ships. The sailors aboard the Angelina were soon busy docking the great ship as if it were no more than a toy. Kendra marveled at their skill as they slid with ease into their moorings. They were soon bobbing alongside other sea craft of various shapes and sizes, waiting to disembark.
She was just wondering what she should do next when the captain tore himself away from his duties long enough to stride over to her.
“I’ve asked John to escort you ashore, my lady. I have many duties to attend to as yet, but if you will allow him to take you to The Swan, he will see that you have some dinner and a room for the night. In the morning I will procure a carriage and see you to your new home.”
Kendra kept her voice steady even though her throat was as dry as parchment with nerves. “That is very kind of you. Thank you, sir.”
Captain Colburn gave her a small bow and a wink and then hurried off to his duties. John came up from behind him, grinned at her, and offered his arm. “Shall we, Lady Townsend?”
Kendra’s legs shook as she walked down the gangplank, leaning on John’s arm for support. When they stepped off the ship onto dry land, her knees buckled beneath her. John chuckled and hauled her upright. “It might take awhile to regain your land legs, my lady.”
She clung tighter to his arm and laughed in return. “I feel like a babe just learning to walk. How long will it take, do you think?”
John patted her hand. “Not long.”
They took a few more steps and then stopped for Kendra to better gain her balance. Her gaze swept up and down the street, taking in her first look at town life on American soil. There were several townsfolk milling around in fashionable dress, but compared to the mayhem of London, America seemed sparsely inhabited and a bit wild. As they walked along the road that ran along the shore, Kendra had an urge to stretch out her arms and embrace the clean, fresh air. She grinned at the thought as restless energy and excitement filled her. John looked down at her exuberance. “What do you think of America so far?”
“I think I shall like it very much,” she said with a happy tone and a flashing smile. Tucking her hand in his arm, John led her up a long hill and around a bend to Main Street, where the lodging house sat among various shops. Kendra chuckled as they walked down the quaint, cobblestoned street.
“What is it?” John asked.
Kendra looked up into his dark brown eyes with a self-deprecating smile. “I’m laughing at myself, I suppose. I had thought, well imagined, America to be rough log cabins and Indians lurking behind every tree. And here I find myself in this quaint, little town. The houses are two-storied and many of them are made of brick. I hadn’t imagined it so . . . civilized.”
John patted her hand on his arm, eyes
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