Salem's Mercy (eBook)

Chapter One
ON THE BOAT

April 8, 1638

Mercy, whatever was I thinking? Cassandra Southwick steadied herself against the ship rail and looked out over the cold and blustery Atlantic Ocean.

Moments before, Captain Charles Cooke had swung himself around the pole of the central staircase on the middle deck, rough and red-faced, and declared, “Ten at a time. Thirty minutes. Then back to the hatches.” When his counting included Cassandra in the first ten, she dashed a smile at Lawrence, her husband, handed him baby Daniel, and scurried up to the sunlight and fresh salty air.

The passengers were allowed to come up to the top deck of the Rosewood once a day, but only in clear weather. It being the first week in April, Cassandra pulled her thick wool cape tightly around her. As she stared out to sea, gray clouds melted into the horizon. She filled her lungs with fresh sea air as the waves slapped against the ship’s hull. How she had wanted to get away from England—away from the religious hypocrites, away from the tyrannical bishops, away from the bigoted men.

She shuddered with delight—they were sailing to the New World, to a settlement called Salem. Many families and young men were heading to the land of plenty in the Massachusetts Bay Colony where they could worship as Puritans without incrimination.

With a sigh she turned to starboard, as dark clouds rolled in, threatening rain or worse. She was only one week on the ship but already craving the feel of land. Peering at the sky, she implored, Dear Lord, please let us sail safely. Please, no deadly storms on the seas.

“Captain, the devil’s boots are thundering in at top speed,” a deckhand yelled.

The captain stuck his head up from the middle deck and stared at the roiling skies. “All below!” he roared.

Before scampering down the ladder, Cassandra took one last look at the black clouds barreling toward their square-rigged sailing ship, which boasted three masts and three decks. Descending to her place on the middle deck, squeezed in among all the other sixty-five passengers, she perched on top of their linen-covered straw mattress. She steadied herself against the exterior bowed walls which were coated with hardened boiled pitch. Holding baby Daniel to her breast, she also clung to her daughters, Mary, who was eight, and three-year-old Provided Ann.

Massive timbers overhead started to creak where they were pegged to the thick exterior walls. Even though the shutters were latched tightly, saltwater spurted in around the square portholes. The boat began to roll as it hit choppy waves and suddenly lurched forward. The restraining ropes burst on their oaken chest—the chest that contained all their clothing, linens, cookware, seeds, and supplies that they would need for the next year. Lawrence braced himself against the chest along with their oldest boy, John, who was fourteen, while six-year-old Josiah, stared wide-eyed at the groaning timbers.

Cassandra hung onto her young children. As Provided Ann’s whimpering increased, and Daniel started to wail, she tried to quiet her heart. Is this a foolish endeavor? Will all our hopes and dreams die with us on this ship?

“Pull harder, my boys. The mast, the mast!” the captain yelled from the deck above between howling gusts of wind.

As the ship tossed, Lawrence, John, and Josiah tried to hold their chest back, but instead, they skidded along with it as it screeched across the greasy oak plank floor. Ananias Conklin, Lawrence’s soon-to-be business partner, and his son, Thomas, jumped up and helped them retrieve the chest.

On the middle deck, each family was allowed one chest and one mattress, all crammed together—mattress to chest, mattress to chest. Any more possessions were on the lowermost deck, along with any animals making the voyage. A few squawking chickens had made their way to the middle floor along with Mavis, the bleating goat. Until they were established with acreage of their own and a house built, Cassandra and Lawrence, along with everyone on the boat, had to bring whatever they needed for the next year’s survival.

Lawrence was sure he could make a great life in the New World, while Cassandra yearned for it to work. But at this moment, with the sea crashing upon the boat, Lawrence mumbled as he glared at the deck ceiling, and Cassandra openly prayed for their lives.

Cassandra never liked the sea. There were too many in England who never came back from its depths. Bowing her head, she held her young ones close. Please, Lord. I will always follow your voice faithfully if you let my family land safely on the shores of this New World. She buried her face into Daniel’s neck as she clung to her two girls.

Waves crashed into the night. The hefty beams overhead and underfoot moaned. The boat rose almost vertically and then crashed back down in the churning sea. Mary spilled off the mattress and rolled across the floor, only to be stopped by a kindly-looking woman who grabbed her. They crawled over to the Southwick’s mattress as the boat rose again.

The slight, young woman clung to Mary at the edge of the mattress. “Pray, may I sit with thee?”

“Please! Thank you, dear, for rescuing our Mary,” Cassandra said as she made room for her.

“Oh, my goodness, this storm is verily unnerving,” the young woman said as she scrambled onto the mattress while the winds roared above her. “I’m Goodwife Phips, Sarah Phips.”

Cassandra looked Sarah over. The woman couldn’t be more than eighteen and seemed to be by herself. “I’m Cassandra, Goody Southwick. Come, come,” she said, motioning Sarah to huddle with them.

They crowded together as the storm raged.

“Thank you. I needed another pair of arms!” Cassandra said as she held Daniel tightly in her right arm and Provided Ann in her left. Now that Sarah embraced Mary, Cassandra felt more secure. Trying to keep her mind off the storm, Cassandra asked, “What brings you on this voyage, Sarah?”

Sarah smiled shyly. “I have a husband, Nelson, and he is at Salem and has built me a beautiful house. We came to Salem over a year ago right after we were married, but within a few months I received word that my mum was terribly ill.” Sarah hung her head. “Mum died before I could reach England’s shores.”

“I’m so sorry,” Cassandra said, touching her hand.

Sarah shook her head as if to shake away the memory and said, “Then I received word that Nelson had finished the house. I can’t wait to get back.” She smiled at Cassandra and said, “Thank you for letting me sit here with you.”

“Please stay with us until the storm subsides. It would give me such comfort,” Cassandra said.

“It’s quite lonely over there on my mattress.” Sarah lowered her voice saying, “It’s next to Goodman Adams and I don’t like the way he keeps staring at me.”

“I will have Lawrence pull your mattress and belongings over here and we’ll squeeze you in. Don’t you worry about Goodman Adams; Lawrence will take care of him.”

Cassandra was happy to have a grown woman to speak with, even though they were years apart. She was slowly befriending some of the women on the ship and having Sarah near her was a treat. Having never been away, she was already missing her dear sister and family, craving their conversations, especially with her mum.

As the night grew deeper, the roar of the storm persisted as the boat continued to pitch and roll. The shuffling and whispers of the nonsleepers mixed with the clanking of metal on metal kept Cassandra from sleep.

“Sarah, are you awake?” she whispered.

“Yes. I can’t sleep.” Sarah’s eyes shone in the lamplight.

“Tell me about your Nelson. What’s he like?”

Sarah smiled a huge grin as she leaned in closer. “We grew up together and I always knew I would marry him. He is so handsome and very devoted... and kind. Oh, how I miss him.”

Cassandra thought back to when she and Lawrence were newly in love. Now that they were both thirty-eight and their love had matured, it had lost its excitement along the way. She looked over at her husband, propped up against the chest with John and Josiah, all fast asleep.

Cassandra pointed. “That’s my husband, Lawrence, and my two boys.”

“When were you and Lawrence married?”

“Fifteen years ago, on January 25, 1623, at Kingswinford, Staffordshire, but we lived in Worcestershire.”

“That’s where you’re from? Nelson and I are from Leicestershire! So close by. How lucky you are to have five delightful children.”

“I’m not sure I would call them all delightful, but yes, I’m fortunate. Do you have any young ones?”

“No, not yet. We hope to start a family when I get back to Salem. We were together before I left to go back to England, but...” Sarah blushed.

Cassandra waited for her to finish, but Sarah went mute. Usually, she would not pry, but a tear ran down Sarah’s cheek. She touched Sarah’s arm and asked, “Pray tell, what is it?”

“We... we tried, but I’m not with child. My sister cannot have children and I’m afraid that I also...”

“Oh, my dear. It can take a while. You were married for how long before you left?”

“Five months.”

Cassandra smiled and touched Sarah’s arm. “There’s plenty of time. When you...