The Savage Inheritance

A Partial Truth

Mister Ramsey was unusually attentive as he led her to the library the next morning. He glanced over his shoulder several times to make certain Mercy was following close behind. She had tread the passages of Northcairn Hall long enough to know better than to wander away. Mercy was surprised when he had appeared at her door soon after breakfast with word that Mister Bawden wished to meet her in the library.

Her fashionable pin curls were pulled back lightly by Sarah, her new personal maid who had arrived from Boston the previous evening. The playful girl had been waiting her rooms when she had returned from dinner with Mister Bawden. It had been a relief to have some diverting company after suffering through an hour's worth of stale conversation with her guardian, Enoch Ramsey sitting by the hearth with a suppressed grin at Bawden's attempts at socializing.

While picking at her roast partridge, Mercy had struggled not to let her gaze drift over to the man servant. Ramsey was the oddest servant she had ever met, not at all what she would expect in a gentleman's valet or butler. He glowering and saucy yet appeared indispensable to Bawden.

Mercy followed Ramsey into the library, the room bright with summer light. The windows faced east for the perfect reading light, leaving a need for only a few, low burning candles.

"Miss Savage to see you," Ramsey announced casually. He walked to his desk at the back of the room and left her standing in front of the fire.

Bawden was poring over a book by the hearth, his finger tracing a line where he sat on an octagonal table. "Please come in, Miss Savage. Have a seat."

Mercy arranged herself on a hard wooden chair by the fire and folded her hands neatly in her lap. Bawden finally looked up at her with a quick smile and took the spectacles from his face. He fiddled with them as he came to stand in front of her.

"I wish to apologize again for my behavior yesterday," he said. His tone wasn't sincere as much as it was guarded. He studied her gravely, his brows tightening in thought.

Mercy looked away towards the fire. "Please, do not vex yourself any further. I am sorry for my own actions. It was most untoward of me to lose my temper thus."

"Perhaps." Bawden shrugged. "But Miss Savage, I called you here to discuss something very important. I understand you are ignorant in these matters so I will be patient and as succinct as possible in my explanation." Ramsey gave a dry cough at this comment as though to mask a chuckle. "But you must listen and try to understand the best you can. Are you comfortable? Would you like a cup of chocolate perhaps? Or a slice of pie?"

Mercy pursed her lips to ward away a smirk. "Very comfortable, thank you. Pray, continue."

Bawden played with the wire frame on his spectacles. "You see, Miss Savage, the proper study of... the New England colony's history of magic and witchcraft takes many years and requires dedication. Before my business ventures became overwhelming, I used to devote more than eight hours a day to the study. Thankfully, now that I have Enoch, he sees to much of my practical business and bookkeeping. I may be able to draw up a plan that you may come to a better understanding so that your circumstance might be resolved-"

"Excuse me. I apologize for my interruption, but my circumstance?" Mercy asked.

Bawden coughed into his fist nervously. "You see, I have come to the belief that you are under a curse... of sorts... most certainly a product of your father's meddling-"

"Curse?" Mercy laughed, but silenced when Bawden gave her a pointed glare. "I'm truly sorry, but what makes you think something like that? I have already informed you, I do not believe in such things myself. I was raised on logic and Biblical pursuits-"