The Untold Story of Mary Seymour

Chapter 23

I woke the next morning to hear light snoring and to feel a heavy weight across my waist. I shot up in bed and almost fell off the small cot. I sighed in relief when I saw the familiar dark brown hair. Sam.

I shoved his arm off of me, causing him to slowly open his eyes and squint from the brightness of the early morning light. "Mary, I'm sorry I didn't mean to spend the whole night."

I sat up completely and turned my back to Sam. "Why are you even in my tent? I thought we agreed we would keep our distance." My voice was cold, and I could feel Sam's green eyes boring into the back of my head, but I refused to look at him.

Sam pushed past me as he got off the cot and put his boots back on. I thought he was going to leave without saying anything but as he reached the entrance to the tent he stopped and he turned around. I froze as his eyes filled with anger.

"You know what Mary, you're brother is correct about you. You need to start caring for yourself because I won't be around for you. I was here last night because you were sick, and maybe, just maybe I didn't want you to choke on your own vomit!" Sam yelled. I gripped the edge of my seat and waited for him to continue. "Countless times I have been there for you because I love you, but if you can't begin to love yourself then I'm done here. I don't have the patience to worry that you will make the right choice, so if you don't get your...your life together, then I'm walking away from us for good!"

Before I could even think of a decent response, I uttered three words I knew I would regret. "Leave me then! I have no life to get together so you better just leave, Sam! I don't want to be your distraction, as I have been for the last few months. Get out of my tent. Leave!"

Sam looked at me one more time, a look full of pain and anger. He shook his head and walked out. My vision blurred with tears but I held them back. I would not cry over him. I would not cry over my own stupidity. It was time that I took responsibility for the mess I have made, both in the past and now. Countless thoughts ran through my mind as I tried to figure out what happened in the last three minutes. I knew things between me and Sam were fragile, but I did not think that wanting some distance after a long day yesterday would cause for things to fall apart so easily.

I don't know how long I sat in my tent, but eventually I became aware of my surroundings. I heard the joyous shouts of the men around the camp, and the continuous sound of a fiddle in the distance. The smell of the fire was being carried by the slight breeze. I looked down at my hands, which were still clasped to the side of my cot, the knuckles now a ghostly white, and that is when I decided it was time for me to step outside.

I grabbed a coat that John had lent me, it being a navy blue day coat made out of wool. I kept my head down as I passed a variety of men, each one staring at me as I passed. I was almost near the center of the camp when I felt someone grab my arm and whip me around so I was facing me.

An older man with greasy hair and bloodshot eyes looked me up and down and squirmed under his grasp. "I heard rumors of a lovely young woman being amongst us but I had no idea it was true. How about we go back to my tent and see the real reason why you are here, hm?"

I turned my head away as the man's pungent breath hit my nose. "Let me go. You will not talk to me that way. I am John Hancock's sister."

The man laughed and pulled me closer to him. I tried to pull away, but it only made him grip my arm tighter, I was going to have bruises there. "That means nothing to me, lady."

I pulled back a little and spit into the man's face. The man reared back, letting me go for just a moment, but it was that moment where I ran away as quickly as I could. I turned around a tent, and straight into someone. This someone grabbed my shoulder and would not let me go. I heard my name being called and looked up to see a familiar face.