When You Were Young

"Molly, fetch the missus something to drink," Rodney said. He sat Prudence down on a bed of cushions fetched from the ship. "You need to get some rest. You're still not well."

"Will you stay with me?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not. The meeting is about to begin. Molly will be here to look after you if you need anything."

She grabbed his arm. "Please don't go. I can't bear to be without you," she said.

"And I you, darling, but I must go. I shan't be long." He kissed her on the lips and then slipped from her grasp. She remained on the cushions, staring at the flaps in the hope he might change his mind.

No matter what he said, this was her fault. If she hadn't gone to see Reverend Crane and demanded they go to the New World, they never would have left England. If she had only waited as Rodney had said. Then she would still be there, in their cottage, Rodney in the fields and not cursed to die of starvation or exposure in this foul place.

There must be a way to go back, she thought. Perhaps they could repair the ship or build a new one capable of taking them back to England. Home. Better to live childless in England than die here.

The tent flaps opened, but it was not Rodney as she hoped. "Here you go, Mrs. Gooddell, some water just as the mister said. You look better now. Your cheeks are nice and rosy again. Aunt Clara always said rosy cheeks are the flowers of God. I always thought it silly, but beautiful too-"

"Has the meeting started?" Prudence asked.

"Yes ma'am. They're all on the beach right now. I heard Reverend Crane say there are savages here across the way."

"Savages?"

"Yes ma'am, a whole tribe of them through the forest. Mr. Pryde saw them with his own eyes. I've never met a savage before. What do you suppose they're like? I can't imagine they'd be too friendly or they wouldn't call them savages, would they? They'd call them something nicer-"

Prudence heaved herself to her feet and ran from the tent. Savages! They couldn't stay here. They must find a way to leave this place at once. She had to go down and pull Rodney away from the meeting to convince him. She could not bear for anything to happen to him.

The entire community-nearly fifty people by her reckoning-stood on the beach in a circle. Rodney and three other older men are clustered on the end of the circle farthest from her. Before she could try to reach him, someone grabbed her arm.