Chapter Twelve

Dover, England during the reign of King Henry the First 1100-1135

A light snow fell as Colin stepped onto the wharf. The new powder whitened the dirty, dingy snow already lying on the frozen ground. Shoppers hurried along the storefronts as they rushed home to their holiday dinner. The wharf emptied except for a lone shadow in the corner, peering, and unobserved, Colin walked away from the docks.

A frigid wind blew right through him, and he gathered his coat around him for warmth, the icy gust piercing the thin threads of his scruffy coat. More importantly, the coat hid the red flared cross of a Crusader, Robert insisted he bear the cross, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be associated with the horrible massacres. He picked his knapsack up and rushed away from the wharf. He knew where he was going. He only hoped he wasn’t too late. His thoughts raced. He mouthed the words he intended to say and daydreamed of his sweet, beautiful Amelia running into his arms. However, when he opened his eyes in the dream, the woman in his arms was not Amelia, but Alison. He whispered Alison’s name. Amelia, not Alison.

A passer-by on the street glanced at him, looked him up and down, and then hurried on their way. Colin never noticed the lone figure stalking him. The blustery weather blew a wisp of blond hair from the hood of the cloak. As he neared the inn, a lump came to his throat, his mouth became dry, and beads of sweat appeared on his brow. His hands were shaking so much that by the time he reached the inn’s door, he could scarcely turn the latch.

He took a deep breath, crossed himself, and stepped inside the door. There were a few drunken sailors  sitting by the fireplace singing bawdy songs.  While a table in a corner sheltered Robert’s spies. And a woman Colin did not recognize fluttered between the two tables.  A young blond-haired girl stood at the hearth without turning to see who entered. Colin closed his eyes and remembered the smell of fresh bread that wafted through the room. He breathed in, but the smell from before was gone.

You can never actually go home.

He almost turned around, but just as he was leaving, the man behind the bar bellowed, “Merry Christ… Saints preserve us, whom do they choose to drag into my inn on Christmas Day? My dear friend Colin Harcourt, I can scarce believe my eyes. Come in, come in,” Alexander said wiping his hands on his apron. “You look well, hell you look as if you haven’t aged more than a few days. Life must have been good to you. Enter. We have so much to talk about. Look, Adela, Colin has returned. Your sister was right all along.”

A young blonde-haired girl dropped her ladle, ran from the hearth to Colin, and hugged him, “It is good to see you, Colin.” Adela was as beautiful as ever even though the years added a few pounds to her figure. “I am sorry, but I must tend to the soup. We can talk tomorrow. You are staying?”

Alexander took over the questions. “Take off your coat. Let’s sit by the fire. I must know all about your adventures. Did you find the Earl? Rumor has it he died in Spain a few years back.” Alexander made the boisterous, drunken sailors move to another table and sat Colin in front of the fire. “I must know everything,” he told Colin. “Take off your jacket. You’re among friends.”

“I think I’d rather keep the jacket on.”

“Nonsense, the fire will warm your bones.” Alexander opened the front of Colin’s coat, saw the tunic, and stopped.

“I fear my clothing might cause a stir.”

Awe-struck, Alexander was speechless for the moment. “A stir? You would be treated like a returning hero.”  He stood, patted Colin on the back and bellowed, “Guests, I would like to make an announcement. My good friend and cousin have just returned from…”

Colin interrupted Alexander and said, “Has just returned from Canterbury after an extended visit with friends.”

Colin spent the next hour telling Alexander about his exploits during the Crusades. He left little out. Alexander was empathetic at Rango’s death. He wasn’t surprised when told the Earl took an instant dislike for him, and he was emotionally and physically devastated when he heard about the abhorrent siege of Jerusalem and the needless death of so many innocent men, women, and children. He hung his head in shame at the savage attack leaving rivers of blood in the streets of the holy city. Colin purposely did not mention the part where Robert was getting ready to retake his father’s kingdom from William. He said that Robert was more than upset at William. Colin also omitted the mysterious scarab necklace hidden beneath his shirt.

“Haven’t you heard? William died last April. William was hunting with his brother, Henry, and Sir Tyrell. I believe you have met him. He left a foul aftertaste in your craw as I recollect. They ruled the king’s death an accident. I have my doubts. The fact that Henry rode straight away to William’s castle and claimed his brother’s treasure and the kingdom is questionable. The act did not bode well for him. I’ll admit that Henry is doing much more for England in his eight months on the throne than William’s entire thirteen years wearing the crown. Most people are happy with King Henry and couldn't care less how he came to the throne.”

“My knowledge of English monarchs is limited. How did history record the reign of Henry?” asked Grant.

“With the exception of fighting with my friend, Robert, for the first six years of his reign, Henry was a great king. He outlawed slavery and passed a law stating those barons and those of royal blood needed to treat their vassals better. He set up a judicial system that removed any of those same barons from handing out too harsh of a punishment. We still have severe penalties, but at least the people were given the right to a court hearing. He also reunited Normandy and Britain. Overall, there was peace and economic growth throughout King Henry’s reign.” Colin smiled at Sally before continuing. “The only problem has he left no heir to the throne. His only son died tragically.”

“How tragic?”

“Henry’s son  was called William. When William was seven-years-old, Henry took the child to Germany to betroth him to the German king’s daughter. Henry and Prince William stopped in Calais on their way home. There was a young man with a brand new boat, and he pleaded with the king to use his boat for his return. The king could not change his plans. Thus, he offered his son as the royal guest. The ship, White Star, came to inclement weather on the crossing and sank. Sailors placed the young prince onto a lifeboat and rowed him to safety. When the Prince heard that women were left on a board of the sinking vessel, he insisted that they return to rescue them. The boat sunk after the women on board the lifeboat and there were no survivors.”

“How sad,” Sally brows knitted together.

“Yes, it was, and England mourned the loss. I think he would have been a good king.” Colin continued. “Yes, but the gloomy part of the story comes up next. Well, at least at first I thought it was miserable, but now I am grateful for the turn of events. It was at that moment I told Alexander of my intentions for Amelia.”

“Amelia?” Alexander stoked the fireplace.

“No, Alexander, I intend to ask Amelia to be my wife,” Colin said as he warmed his backside with the roaring fire

“I didn’t think Amelia ever gave you any idea that she would have inclinations of that sort.” Alexander fidgeted with an empty glass left by the sailors.

“No, but I figured she was waiting for a hero, and I thought she might take my hand now. I’m not the same scallywag I was when I came here first.”

“That is true. However, you are asking the wrong person, my friend. Amelia found another calling soon after I lost my dear Anabel and just before my daughter Ava married the baker.”

“You lost Anabel? I grieve for you, my dear friend, she was a beautiful woman She was a kind of spirit, if ever there was, one can only wish for.” Colin clapped his hand on Alexander’s back.

“Thank you, she was my reason for living, but now that she is gone, well, I still have my girls.” Alexander stared out the window, deep in thought.

“Yes, and you said Ava married the baker?”

“Yes, Anabel fell sick the winter after you left, she was too weak to fight the fever. Ava married the baker the following spring. The Baker has a face to frighten children, but he is a good man, and I get free bread daily. And Ava is now the mother of my first grandchild, a granddaughter wouldn’t you know, and another child on the way.”

“And Amelia?” asked Colin

“Amelia finally found a man worthy of her. She became a nun. She joined a cloister outside the walls of the Holy Vatican City. Praise be to God Almighty.” Alexander shut his eyes tightly as he spoke the last sentence.

Colin lowered his head. “I am too late for my dear Alison.” He sat on the bench near the fire and buried his face in his hands.

Confused, Alexander raised his hands and said, “Alison, I thought you said Amelia,”

“Yes, I meant Amelia. What became of the child, Alison?”

“Colin,” Alexander said, “You are not too late for Alison. She isn’t a child anymore. She is a grown woman and has all the boys of the town fawning over her. Like Amelia, she will not give them any notice. She has eyes for only one.”

“Don’t tell me she will also become a nun?”

“No, she is a different story. She spends most of her free time at the wharf waiting for her true love to return. It’s getting dark. She should be home soon.” Alexander glanced at the door.

“So, she forgot about me? Good, I am glad she found someone to make her happy,” Colin said disheartened. At that moment he realized why every time he thought of Amelia, he saw Alison in his mind instead.

“No, Colin,” Alexander said, “She waits for you.”

“Me… I…” Colin stopped in mid-sentence as the door opened. Alison stepped into the Inn, shaking snow from her hair.

Colin’s heart froze. She ran down the stairs, tears trickling down her cheeks. She leaped into Colin’s waiting embrace. “I knew you would return,” she said then she kissed him passionately.

Colin’s heart stirred, and all thoughts of Amelia vanished.

“I knew it would be Alison,” squealed Sally jumping for joy and clapping her hands in excitement. She ran over to Colin and gave him a hug, her eyes sparkling.

“You were right all along, Sally. It was Alison, not Amelia that became my first true love.”

“First true love?” asked Sally’s mother. “Most of us only find true love once in our lifetime.”

Colin thought of the many true loves his heart can go through in his life. He peered into her brown eyes as if he could touch her soul, “I agree, but most don’t live for hundreds of years.”

“I am sorry, Colin, I forgot for a moment about your… longevity,” she smiled. “If you don’t mind me asking, how many true loves have you had in your lifetime? Why didn’t you give the scarab to another or at the least dispose of it?”

“I have had more than my share, each one as true as the last one. Each one broke my heart when I left because of my curse. Each one left an emptiness in my heart as I outlived them. Mrs. Crawford, I know the pain you are living through. I have lived through the same pain countless times.” Colin walked over to her and touched her gently on the shoulder. “As for giving my curse to another or throwing it away, I tried. The person that I gave the necklace to died instantaneously. It isn’t only the scarab that gives you immortality; remember the damned thing bit me. I’m immortal with or without the necklace. I wear the thing because I get sick without it.

Sally interrupted the moment as she ran and placed herself between her mother and Colin. “You were telling us about Alison. I want to hear about Alison,” she said hugging her mother.

“You’re right, Sally, we were talking about Alison,” Colin said as he paced the room again. “Her father drew up the contract immediately…”

“Contracts?” asked Grant.

“It was a different time. Fathers who wished to arrange a marriage for their daughters were required to sign a contract if the father owned land that is. We were also expected to be granted a papal blessing.” Colin gripped his coffee cup, asking James for more.

“What’s a papal blessing?” asked Sally.

“We needed a blessing from the Church before we could get married. I must say that my Crusader tunic was more than beneficial. The Priest granted his consent without hesitation.”

“And the contract?” asked Grant.

“The agreement gave ownership of the Inn to me if Alexander were to die. Women did not have the right to property. I would have gladly given the Inn to Alison and Ava if it was within my power.”

“It is still an unpopular custom in most states,” Grant declared.

“It is a wrong belief, no matter the timeline,” Anne said adamantly.

“Alison, talk about Alison,” Sally demanded.

Colin smiled the memory vivid in his mind.  “Yes, Sally. Alison and I were married April 7th, 1101. She never looked so beautiful. Alexander walked her down the aisle, and Adela’s husband stood in for me. Ava was the bridesmaid.”

“Their wedding ceremonies sound much like today,” James added using a éclair to conduct the make-believe Felix Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, which he hummed.

“Where do you think the tradition originated? However, we did not have Mendelssohn’s lovely arrangement at the time. It has just recently become all the rage at weddings if I am not mistaken.”

“Alison. I want to hear about Alison,” pouted Sally

“I’m getting there dear child. Ava passed away during childbirth the summer after Allison and I were married. Alexander passed peacefully in his sleep ten years after the marriage. Alison and I lived a blissful life. I would do anything for her, and she for me. Clarice, the first of my daughters, greeted the world and us May 17th, 1106. Emma, Mary, and Anabel followed in rapid succession. I had all a man could pray or wish to have. I had a loving wife and four beautiful daughters. Sally, you remind me of my Clarice.” Sally blushed. “The Inn prospered. There was peace throughout England. It was truly a glorious time to be alive. Everything changed on the eve of our twentieth anniversary. Clarice and Alison cornered me saying we needed to talk.”

“Papa, you know we love you?” Tears filled Clarice’s eyes.

“Yes Clarice, I know your mother, you, and your sisters love you and me. Now if you will excuse me, I have tasks to complete. Have you finished your chores?” Colin tried to push past them.

“Papa, this can’t wait. Mama and I are worried about you. Mama has not been able to approach you about her concerns,” she said, the tears spilling over onto her cheeks, tracing tiny paths down to her jaw.

“Don’t cry, sweetie. I’m healthy. Well, healthy for a man my age.”

“Listen to her Colin. This is hard for her. I could not approach you. I took the cowards way out and asked for help from our fourteen-year-old daughter.” Alison trembled, sniffling tears away.

“This is nonsense. I had my birthday. I feel as strong as an ox. Show me another man my age than can do the things I can do.”

Alison sobbed as Clarice gathered her composure. “That’s just it Papa. Nobody can guess your age.”

“Alison, you know my age. I turned fifty-five two weeks ago.”

Alison’s entire body shook with sobs. She was unable to speak.

“Papa. You don’t age. You have looked the same for as long as I can remember. Do you ever look in the mirror?”

Colin paused for a moment, sat in a chair and stared at the ground. “Yes, I look. I was hoping it was just me that saw it.”

“No, Papa. We all see that you don’t age. We are all worried.”

Alison draped her arms around her husband. “Dear, understand, it’s not us. We don’t care if you never age. We love you and will love you forever. Colin, the townspeople have noticed, too. They say you are a wizard. They mean that you sold your soul to the devil in the Crusades.”

“Do you believe that?” Colin searched her eyes for an answer, finding only her tears. “What shall I do?”

“No, dear, of course not. We don’t know why you don’t age and are aware you are no wizard. We are aware you haven’t sold your soul to the devil.”

“Papa, Aunt Adela overheard people talking in the town square. The council has said that you are the reincarnation of the devil. They are seeking help from the Church as we speak. There is also talk about your  soul must be absolved. And, Papa, the last time they decided a soul needed to be vindicated, they burned a man at the stake.”

“You must leave at once, Colin. I cannot bear to see you burned at stake,” cried Alison as she wrapped herself around her husband.

“I can no more leave you than I can fly…” Alison hushed her husband with her finger aside his lips, followed by a passionate kiss. Clarice ran into her father’s arms.

“Papa, you must leave at once. If you stay, the townspeople will kill you. Please for our sake, go now,” whispered Clarice.

He gathered his wife and daughter to his chest, unashamed of his tears.

Colin silently slipped out of the back door, the moon hiding behind dark clouds. He carried only a knapsack. Tears fell to his cheek as the clouds burst. He left a note at his wife’s side. I’ll try to send for you when I can. He stopped in the muddy field, taking one last look at the Inn. He wiped his tears away with his shirtsleeves. He shouldered his meager belongings and went on his way. His heart broke, even more, than he thought possible with every painful step. He wondered if his wife would ever forgive him, let alone follow him.

“I bid my family farewell just after midnight on my twentieth wedding anniversary. I wrote letter after letter to get her back. First, they went unanswered. Then I never mailed them. It seemed better that way. The curse of immortality had claimed its first victims. For several years, I drowned my sorrows in alcohol. I returned to Dover whenever possible and watched my family grow from a distance. I saw Emma once in the marketplace, she smiled and waved, but said nothing for fear of my safety. All four of my daughters grew to maturity. They were as beautiful as Alison was. The four of them married and gave me grandchildren. I outlived all four. I attended all four funerals from a distance.”

“What happened to Alison?” Sally’s mother asked, tears falling down her cheeks.

“Alison never remarried. The Baker took over ownership of the Inn; his son took over after his death. Alison passed at the age of eighty-two. I was not there to mourn her passing.”

“Why not, Colin?” asked Grant.

“Two years earlier King Henry II had a falling out with Mother Church. The reasons are too many to explain now. The King forced his friend, Thomas Becket, to accept a position of Archbishop of Canterbury, a position Thomas refused at first. He wouldn’t dance to his friend, the king’s, wishes once he accepted the position. The king tired of his friend’s antics in 1164, the year Alison died. He banished Thomas from his kingdom. I was not there when Alison died because I was escorting the archbishop to Paris. It’s ironic how the title of Archbishop of Canterbury often affects my life.”

“I drank too much. I fought too much.” Colin had made a tsking sound before he continued.  “I spent time with the wrong people and dallied with the ladies, much as I had been when I was younger.” He looked at his audience to see if they showed any animosity toward him “You would not have liked me then. I did not like me then.” His voice cracked. “After Allison had died, I met other “true loves,” and the whole vicious circle started again.” His arms hung at his sides.” The one thing we can all look forward to in this world is to love and to die in the arms of our loved ones.” Frowning he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “I could never give that to any of my wives, and I knew it would never happen for me.” Shaking his head, he sighed.  “I remembered the man who gave me this curse and realized he died alone. I too would die alone.” Staring at the wall, he stood and paced a few steps before returning to his seat.” This preyed on my soul. When I was between wives, all I could think of is to find some way to end the curse.” Maybe he was telling too much. Should he stop? No, he’d gone this far he might want to continue. “I volunteered for every treacherous adventure. I have already told you I sailed with Columbus. Time will not allow me to tell the tales of my adventures.” Pointing to nowhere, in particular, he talked as if the scarab had mesmerized him. “They are all stories within themselves.” Sighing, he took a quick breath.  “War is the most dangerous of adventures if His Majesty declared war, I was there. Unfortunately, the curse seemed to bring with it an uncanny ability to avoid death.”

“How is it you came to the Americas? Did the Archbishop send you?” asked James.

Colin hesitated, tears stinging his nose. “I arrived in the Americas when they were still colonies, in the winter of 1755. Being fluent in French, and yes, I finally learned that cursed language, I was assigned as an attaché to Major General Edward Braddock.”

“That would have been around the beginning of the French and Indian War,” Gran said.

“That’s correct, general. I came to the Colonies to help defend the Crown against the French.”