Murder in the Marsh Read online

  “Sounds good,” Martin agreed. “I’ll be back directly!” He soon disappeared into the night.

  Adam loved visiting New Bern. It was a bigger and busier town than Beaufort, and to him it seemed like a place where so much more was happening. The waterfront especially remained busier after nightfall than the one to which he was accustomed. In spite of not being the official customs port, New Bern received far more shipping vessels than Beaufort, thanks to the waterways that stretched far inland from the Neuse and Trent Rivers and their tributaries. When merchant ships arrived in the colony, it was much easier for them to forgo a trip to Beaufort and instead deliver their cargo directly to the capital. From there, other traders could arrange to carry any imported merchandise and commodities to all of the little inland towns that were situated along the tributaries of the Neuse. That strategy was much more effective for efficient deliveries than requiring merchant ships to stop in Beaufort first before traveling back up towards Ocracoke Inlet and then across Pamlico Sound to New Bern.

  In less than half an hour Martin returned to the vessel in a horse carriage being driven by a handsome young man with a dark-brown complexion and closely cropped hair.

  “Look who I found!” Martin exclaimed as they neared the dock.

  They brought the carriage around to the front of the dock so that the back could be loaded with the luggage on board the boat. The driver of the carriage hopped down and enthusiastically strode over towards where the others were waiting.

  “Mama!” he said, arms out wide.

  Aunt Celie looked up at the young man and held out her arms as she ran towards him. “Oh, my baby!” she exclaimed.

  The mother and son held each other in a warm embrace for a moment before Charles Jr., keeping his arm around his mama’s shoulders, spoke to welcome the others to New Bern.

  “I’m glad y’all finally made it. We was wonderin if it’d be tomorra ’fore y’all showed up. Mr. Will and Miss Catherine been lookin for y’all to get here all day. They been worried ’bout y’all. They was so happy when Mr. Martin here came ringin on that bell outside the house.”

  “We’re glad we made it in tonight as well,” said Adam. “I know these ladies will be happy to sleep in real beds. Last night was cold out on the water, and trying to rest in this old boat was challenging for these two. Still, I’ll admit they bore the less-than-comfortable accommodations with grace.”

  “Is that right?” said Charles Jr. with a smile. “Well, let’s just get y’all loaded up.”

  He walked over and appeared to notice the two trunks. It was easy to guess the smaller one belonged to his mother, but he still acted surprised by its size as he and Adam lifted Laney’s larger trunk into the back of the carriage.

  “Mama! What you bring in that trunk of yours? It ain’t like y’all’s movin here or nothin.”

  Aunt Celie wrinkled her brow and pressed her lips together as she dismissively waved at her son. “Oh! You just hush now, child! You know I had to bring my things if I was gon’ be stayin here with y’all for the next month and a half! How am I s’posed to cook for all y’all children if I ain’t got my things?”

  Laney gave a knowing look to Charles Jr., who was rolling his eyes, and laughed at their exchange. She took Aunt Celie by the arm and walked her over to the door of the carriage, where Martin was waiting to give them both a hand. Laney insisted Aunt Celie climb in first and then she climbed in herself.

  As Aunt Celie got into the velvet-lined carriage and took her seat, Charles Jr. looked in and said, “Don’t you know the Martins have they own pots and pans? They got they own cook, Mama! You ain’t come here to cook for Christmas!”

  If looks could kill, Charles Jr. would have been dead right there in the street, for his mama looked at him like he needed to be quiet if he knew what was good for him. “You talkin mighty big, boy,” she said. “You just quit runnin your mouth and showin off and take us on to Mr. William’s place.”

  Charles Jr. didn’t say another word and instead just climbed up in his seat to drive the carriage.

  Adam’s eyes grew big in amusement as he looked over at Laney’s and Martin’s reactions to the little scene. Apparently, Charles Jr. and Aunt Celie fussed just like he and his own mother did. It seemed to be a universal truth that sons often thought their mothers were being overprotective and ridiculous, while mothers always wanted to be prepared for any circumstance.

  Martin and Adam took their seats in the carriage, and they were soon on their way to Will and Catherine’s home.

  Chapter Two

  ADAM PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO the route they were taking to get to Will Martin’s estate. The lamplit streets were lined with all manners of houses, from palatial brick homes to small log cabins.

  Fortunately, it was mostly a straight shot from the waterfront. They only had to ride about a block north to Pollock Street, then three blocks west until they reached Metcalf Street, at which point they turned right and then right again into the circular drive in front of the Martin home.

  As soon as they stopped the carriage in front of the house, Will and Catherine, who was beginning to show the slightest swollen belly from the child she was carrying, stepped outside on the front porch to greet them.

  “Thank God you all made it,” said Will. “We’ve been anxious for you to arrive.”

  “Thankfully, we’ve had good weather,” said Adam, “though it feels like the weather is about to turn.”

  He went around back to help Charles Jr. unload the trunks, while Martin assisted the ladies in exiting the carriage.

  Will hugged his sister and then put his hand on Aunt Celie’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you agreed to come by boat, Aunt Celie. I just heard earlier today about an incident that happened to a couple of travelers south of the Trent River. Terrifying story, and I’d have been a nervous wreck, I’m sure, if I had to worry about you two coming along that same path.”

  Aunt Celie glanced at Laney, then glared at Martin as if to say, And you thought I was being foolish to want to pray for a safe journey. Martin shrugged as if to say, What? I didn’t know.

  After the Martins welcomed their guests, Will asked Martin and Adam if they would bring Laney’s trunk inside, and he gave Charles Jr. leave to help his mother take her trunk to his quarters.

  “Where we goin?” Aunt Celie asked her son.

  Adam could see that she looked concerned about not being in the main house with Laney.

  “Oh, Aunt Celie, don’t you worry,” said Will. “We’ll look after Laney while y’all are here. You just enjoy a nice visit with your son. You’ll stay in his house.”

  Aunt Celie raised her eyebrows in surprise but didn’t say a word. Instead, she looked in Laney’s direction, as though she was seeking her approval of the arrangement.

  Laney smiled at the old woman and nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll be fine here, don’t worry. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Aunt Celie nodded. “Alright, child. Don’t forget to say your prayers.”

  “I won’t,” Laney warmly assured her. “I promise.”

  At that, Aunt Celie followed her son as he carried her trunk in a wheelbarrow to his quarters.

  Adam was curious about where Charles Jr. lived on the Martin estate, since the family’s slaves, Aunt Celie and Old Charles (when he was still living), stayed in a room in the main house at Laney’s estate, while the two younger servants—both free Negroes—stayed in a small cabin adjacent to the barns. Adam noticed a small clapboard house just beyond the garden behind the main house with smoke coming out of a little chimney and a warm glow filtering through the foggy glass of the windows. It looked much cozier than the servant quarters at Laney’s place—as though it had had a woman’s touch to make it more homelike. Adam wondered if Charles Jr. was married, but he didn’t think now was the time to ask.

  As he and Martin were welcomed into Will and Catherine’s home, Adam looked around and observed all that he could in the subdued light
emanating from the lanterns of the foyer. From what he could see, most of the house was dark, with the exception of the room they were standing in, the nearby dining room, and what he assumed were two bedrooms upstairs.

  “I imagine you all are hungry,” said Catherine.

  “We sure are!” said Martin.

  Adam was glad he said it. He was ravenous and desperately wanted something warm to eat or drink. The cold food and drink on the boat, while enough to stave off real hunger, still didn’t do much to satisfy.

  “I guess y’all ate already,” said Laney.

  “We did, dear,” said Catherine, “but we were only just finishing up when Martin arrived to let us know you were here. We had Annabelle leave some dishes by the fire so we’d have something warm to feed you when you got settled in.”

  “Yes,” said Will. “Y’all go on upstairs and get cleaned up, and your supper will be on the table when you come back downstairs.”

  * * *

  THERE WERE FOUR BEDROOMS IN the main house at the Martin estate. Will and Catherine slept in one. Another was an elegantly decorated bedroom with one large bed, best suited for a lady visitor. It would be Laney’s room during her stay. The third bedroom, which was more sparse, had two smaller beds in it. Its only decoration was a painting on one wall of a ship on a stormy sea and a bureau next to the wall with a basin and pitcher on top. The fourth bedroom, Adam was told, was on the first floor and was also a lovely guest room, but was more drafty in colder months, since heat rises and the room was on the rear side of the house, with a large picture window overlooking the garden. The Martins kept that room closed off during cooler months, but it was where they preferred sleeping in the summertime.

  Adam and Martin had each only brought a single satchel of clothes, just to freshen up for when they were in town. They took turns washing their faces at the basin, each examining his appearance in the looking glass on the dresser, then changed clothes before going downstairs to have supper.

  Laney was already downstairs, sitting at the table with Will and Catherine, when Adam and Martin came into the dining room.

  “Have a seat, gentlemen,” said Catherine. She motioned to the empty side of the dining room table, then used a tea towel to take the warm plates from the hearth and put them on the place settings in front of the young men.

  Laney had already been served, but she was clearly waiting for her traveling companions to have their food in front of them, and Adam could tell that she was hoping one of them would say grace. He quickly gave a prayer of thanks for the food, and for the hospitality of Will and Catherine Martin, and then the three of them hungrily began to eat.

  “Mmm… This is wonderful!” said Laney as she somehow maintained her poise and good table manners while moving food quickly from her plate to her mouth.

  Will chuckled as he observed his younger sister, then looked at his wife, who smiled in amusement. Adam and Martin were eating so quickly they barely took time to breathe, much less speak.

  “My goodness,” Catherine commented, “you boys eat as if you think someone’s going to come along and take your dishes away!”

  Martin didn’t seem at all embarrassed by her observation, but Adam’s cheeks went a little red.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said. “This really is very good, and it’s so nice to have a hot meal after spending two days eating cold food on the boat. My compliments to the cook.”

  Catherine nodded. “We’ll be sure to tell her. Wait until you see what she’ll be making tomorrow evening.”

  “Sorry,” said Martin, cheeks full of food. “We were planning on leaving first thing in the morning. We have work, you know.”

  Adam wished they could stay another day. Seemed to him it was a waste to have to turn right around and go back to Beaufort if they had an invitation to stay an extra day and night in New Bern—especially if they were going to get a delicious supper out of it.

  He was relieved when Will said to Martin, “It’s Wednesday night. If you leave tomorrow, you won’t get back until suppertime Friday. There’ll only be Saturday left for this workweek, and I don’t reckon Emmanuel is so busy in this season that he can’t do without you for one more day. As long as you’re back in time for church on Sunday, he’ll be happy.”

  Martin cocked his head to the side, as if he was going to argue, but Adam agreed with Will.

  “He’s right. Emmanuel won’t care if we’re not back until Saturday evening. It’d be nice to spend some time here in town tomorrow… have a nice supper with your cousins before we go back home.”

  “Well, but the thing is—” Martin countered.

  “The thing is what?” said Adam. “The only thing you’ve got to look forward to in Beaufort on Saturday night is getting into mischief.”

  “But the mischief is more fun on Saturday nights,” said Martin.

  “That’s a poor reason to rush back to Beaufort, and in any case for it, barring poor weather, we should still make it back in plenty of time for you to enjoy your Saturday night on the town. I say we should stay.”

  “I agree with Adam,” said Laney. “Just stay tomorrow. Go to the shops. You can see if they have anything new and unusual that might interest Emmanuel.”

  “That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” said Adam. He worked hard not to grin at the fact that Laney seemed just as anxious for them to stay as he was.

  Laney lifted her eyes to look at Adam and smiled, then turned her attention back to her cousin. “Exactly. Then you fellows can come back here, have a good supper, get a decent night’s sleep, and leave for Beaufort first thing Friday morning.”

  Martin looked at Adam first, then Laney, like they had both lost their minds. “Shopping? No thank you.”

  Laney rolled her eyes.

  “Popping into the shops doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me,” said Will, “but you boys also might be interested in stopping by James Davis’s place.”

  Adam gave Will a quizzical look. “James Davis?”

  “Yes. He has the print shop down at the corner of Broad and Front Streets—he prints books from time to time, but he also publishes the Gazette. You can probably find out about the latest news before anybody else back in Beaufort does.”

  Martin and Adam both grinned at that idea.

  “I knew that name seemed familiar,” said Adam.

  “I reckon I could make some money with information I could get in a place like that,” said Martin.

  “How do you mean?” asked Laney.

  “Some well-placed wagers, my lovely cousin,” he replied. He shoveled the last bit of food from his plate into his mouth.

  Catherine’s eyes grew huge as she looked over at her husband. Will just shook his head and tried not to laugh at his roguish cousin’s suggestion.

  “You’re such a pig, Martin,” Laney said, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “I’ve been called worse.” Martin laughed, then wove his fingers together and put them behind his head and leaned back in his chair.

  Adam grinned at Laney across the table. “You think that’s bad? I could tell you some things about this fella that would turn you as red as a beet.” He tore his roll in half and used it to mop up the gravy on his plate.

  Martin kicked Adam under the table.

  “I’m sure you could tell us all kinds of things,” said Laney, “but I doubt I’d even want to know all the devious things my cousin gets into.”

  “Probably it’s best that way,” said Will. “You learn too much about Martin’s activities, and you might be considered an accomplice.”

  Catherine rolled her eyes in amusement. “Oh, good heavens.”

  “Aren’t you proud, my dear?” Will said to her. “What a fine family you married into!”

  “Oh my, yes! Very proud,” she said. “So proud, in fact, that I think it’s about time for me to retire for the evening so you all can talk about how grand you are.”

  Since Adam, Martin, and Lane
y were finished with their supper, Catherine took their plates away and put them in a basin of water to soak until the next morning. She excused herself to go to bed and left the others to continue visiting.

  After a couple of hours of chatting, they all headed to their respective bedrooms to sleep.

  Chapter Three

  AS TIRED AS HE WAS, Adam struggled to fall asleep his first night in the Martin house. He couldn’t tell if it was because he didn’t exactly feel at home in his more-elegant-than-usual surroundings, or if it was because Laney was sleeping in the very next room. Nevertheless, at some point he must’ve dozed off—and he must’ve slept hard—because the next thing he knew he was roused by the sound of hammering, which seemed to come from just outside his window.

  It took him a second to make sense of his surroundings and remember where he was. He then quickly grabbed his pocket watch, which was on the nightstand between the two beds, and checked the time. It was eight o’clock! He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so late. When he saw that Martin was still sleeping hard in the other bed, he was relieved to know that at least he wouldn’t be the last one downstairs for breakfast.

  There was a chill in the air, and Adam hated to throw off the covers to get out of bed. He had slept in his breeches but had left his shirt draped on the chair by the window the night before. Nevertheless, he pushed back the heavy quilts and looked out the window onto the back garden as he reached over to grab his shirt and pull it over his head. It appeared that Charles Jr. was performing some kind of repair on the gate of the garden fence.

  He couldn’t help but stand for a moment at the window to admire the Martin property. It was only about an acre lot, but the space was all being used efficiently. On the eastern edge of the lot was a barn and chicken coop. On the back side of the property stood Charles Jr.’s small cabin, which Adam had caught a glimpse of the night before. Between that and the main house was the kitchen garden and the detached kitchen. Smoke was coming from the chimney, and he could see the silhouette of a woman working just inside the doorway.