Free The Vanishing Point by Mary Sharratt Page A

of Mr. Nathan Washbrook."
    She flustered. "Gabriel is the young Mr. Washbrook, sir. Nathan's son."
    "Ah, yes." He glanced around. "Have your people not come to meet the ship?"
    "No, sir." Her voice shook. "I think not. The men I spoke to have heard no news of them."
    "This is most unusual. Surely someone from their plantation must have made the journey down."
    Hannah fought tears. "Maybe there was illness in their household, sir. Maybe their boats sank or their harvest was ruined..."
    He held up his hand to silence her. "My dear girl, you are making yourself quite wretched, and probably for nothing. The tobacco was harvested in August, then hung up in barns to dry. Unless the storms brought down their barns, their harvest I'm sure is safe. Perhaps they are tardy because they could not yet clear the river for passage. Perhaps the storms damaged their boats. They might still bring their barrels down to Gardiner's Landing. I believe the ship will call here one more time before leaving the Bay.
    "So you see, all will be well. Tomorrow I will take you upriver. When we reach my plantation, my men will take you on to the Washbrooks. Fret not, Mistress Powers. In the space of a day, you will be with your people."
    Before she could thank him, he turned to Mr. Gardiner.
    "The Gardiners, I am sure, will allow you to stay the night
here in safety. All you need do is fetch your things off the ship. Oh, and whatever the Washbrooks have ordered." He turned to the captain. "Any goods for the Washbrook Plantation, sir?"
    "And how will they pay with no harvest?" the captain inquired.
    Hannah covered her mouth.
    "Courage, my child." Mr. Banham spoke gently. "I can extend credit to the Washbrooks, sir. Now have you any goods for them on board?"
    Hannah smiled, almost faint to witness such goodness.
    "I think not, Mr. Banham," said the captain, "but I will look at the inventory."
    Banham winked at her. "That's sorted, then." He snapped his fingers at one of the sailors. "If you please, fetch Mistress Powers's box from the hold. She is leaving ship."
    Moments later, Banham led Hannah up the path to the Gardiner house with its lit-up windows glowing in the twilight. He told Hannah that he had a daughter her age who played the spinet. A dancing master had come all the way from London to teach her the minuet. Among the young planters she had many suitors. His favorite among them was a young Virginian who bred racehorses. Mr. Banham also had twins named Eleanor and Alice. His oldest son was a scholar at Oxford, while his youngest boy was not yet old enough to cut his hair and wear breeches.
    "My father went to Oxford," Hannah said, unable to hide her pride.
    "I should have deduced when I first laid eyes on you that you were an Oxford man's daughter."
    She flushed in delight. "Sir, I hear you are my sister's nearest neighbor."
    "That is the most curious thing. Though they are also
my
nearest neighbors, I know little of them. The Washbrooks have never been neighborly. Nathan Washbrook's son—pray, what did you say his name was?"
    "Gabriel, sir."
"Gabriel Washbrook." Mr. Banham spoke slowly, as though committing the name to memory. "Let me tell you of our Christmas parties at the plantation. They are famous. We invite every soul, rich and poor, in miles. There is music and dancing, food and drink in plenty. No one is turned away. People up and down the Bay come. Why, we have guests who hail from the Eastern Shore and as far as Virginia. But the Washbrooks never came once." He spoke with calm neutrality.
    Hannah could not think what to say.
    "Though on one occasion I did meet your sister," he said kindly.
    "You did, sir?" She could barely restrain herself from kissing his hand in gratitude. "Do tell me of her."
    "I only met her briefly." The expression on his face was difficult to read. "A proud and handsome woman. Maybe when you live there, we will see more of your people. Women are by nature more society-loving than men."
    As they neared the house,