As they left the house, Kit became excited. If they were going to church, then there must be a town somewhere. The sky was blue and the air was delicious. The family walked along the street past simple houses and came to a small square clearing. Kit looked about. “Is it far to the town?” she whispered to Judith. There was silence. “This is the town,” said Judith. The town? There was not a single stone building or shop there. The church, or as they called it the Meeting House, was just a square wooden structure which stood in the center of the clearing. Kit was shocked to see the objects that were there: a pillory, stocks and a whipping post.
Inside the small building on rows of benches sat the good people of Wethersfield, men on one side and women on the other. At the door Matthew Wood left his family and walked to the bench right in front of the pulpit. Rachel and the girls went to the family bench. As Kit walked behind her aunt, she noticed the silence and felt the astonishment of the townspeople. She knew that they were watching her, and her cheeks turned red.
The Puritan service was plain and boring. Kit was surprised when her uncle stepped forward to read the psalm, and the congregation repeated it after him line by line. Secretly, Kit looked at the other people in the church. Some were as fashionably dressed as Kit, but the majority was poorly dressed. One time Kit looked around and saw John Holbrook. He turned away. All of the people sat still and silent. It was impossible that they were listening to the sermon, Kit thought. She couldn’t concentrate on it for a second!
There were about twenty small boys sitting shoulder to shoulder near the door. Four of them couldn’t keep quiet and started giggling a little. A man with a long stick stepped from the corner and hit the misbehaving boys on the head. Kit couldn’t believe her eyes! Finally, in about two hours the sermon ended with a final prayer.
When they were standing outside the Meeting House, most of the people from the church did not come near Kit. At the distance she saw Goodwife Cruff, surrounded by women, all looking suspiciously in Kit’s direction. Kit waved to Prudence who was clearly glad to see her. Then she saw John Holbrook walking to her. “I was glad to see you at the Meeting,” he said. “I hope you enjoyed the sermon. We were lucky to hear Dr. Bulkeley. He seldom preaches now. It was a remarkable sermon. Every word of it was inspired.”
Kit didn’t know what to say and just stared at him. She was still looking for an answer when Judith, who was standing near, spoke. “Dr. Bulkeley’s sermons are always inspired,” she said, “especially when he preaches about the final judgment.”
John looked at Judith with surprise and respect. Under the white bonnet he noticed her serious face and her blue eyes. Now Dr. Gershom Bulkeley himself came up to them, too. He took Kit’s hand in his. “So this is the orphan from Barbados?” he said. “How grateful you must be, young lady, for the kindness of your aunt and uncle.”
Had Uncle Matthew informed the whole town that he had taken her in out of charity? If so, then she was obviously a surprise to them because she didn’t look poor.
“You must bring your new pupil with you when you come to dinner at our house on Thursday,” smiled Rachel Wood. “And now, Katherine dear, here are other neighbors you must meet. This is Mistress Ashby and her son, William.”
Mistress Ashby was a fashionably dressed woman, and her son William Ashby looked at Kit with admiration. She noticed that and gave him a big bright smile. Now poor William was speechless.
On the way back Judith quietly asked Kit about the handsome man she had talked to.
“Handsome? Do you mean John Holbrook? I met him on the boat. But most of the time he sat by himself and studied.”
“You seemed to know each other quite well. Do you fancy him?” asked Judith.
“Oh, no!” protested Kit. “What made you think of such a thing?”
“I just wondered,” Judith said. “But you certainly impressed William Ashby.”
That was true. “But only because I was someone new,” said Kit.
Chapter Six
“Such an excellent dinner, Mistress Wood. Especially your apple pie,” said Reverend Gershom Bulkeley, putting down his linen napkin. The preparation of this dinner had taken almost four days. Dr. Bulkeley had been pleased, but had anyone else? Matthew Wood had Eaton little and not spoken a word. Rachel looked tired, and even Mercy was unusually quiet. Only Judith had enjoyed herself. In the candlelight she looked beautiful, and Reverend Bulkeley smiled at her. But mostly he paid his attention to Kit as he had understood that her grandfather had been Sir Francis Tyler. “Was your grandfather a loyal subject of our good King James?”
“Well, of course, sir.”
“And you yourself? You are a loyal subject also?”
“How could I be not, sir?”
Matthew pushed back his chair. “Her loyalty is in no danger in this house! What are you trying to say, Gershom?” he asked angrily. “I am a selectman in this town. I am not disloyal!”
“I didn’t mean to offend you, Matthew,” said the older man. “I know that you are not disloyal – not yet.”
“Are you saying that because I don’t like this new King’s governor?”
“Governor Andros was appointed by King James. Massachusetts has accepted that.”
“Well, here in Connecticut we will never accept it!”
“You are wrong, Matthew!” cried Gershom Bulkeley. “If you do not live to see the evil results of it, your children or their children will. Such views can lead only to revolution and war!”
The two men sat staring at each other across the table. Tears filled Rachel’s eyes. Then Mercy spoke. “Reverend Bulkeley, would you read to us this evening?” she asked gently.
Dr. Bulkeley smiled. “I need some rest, but my young pupil here is a very good reader.”
Matthew Wood put the heavy Bible in front of John Holbrook, and Rachel moved the candlestick nearer. John had been silent all evening, and now he seemed pleased to be in the center of attention. Now he looked at the Bible in his hands and asked his teacher, “What would you like me to read, sir?”
“I would suggest Proverbs 24:21,” said the old minister.
John began to read: “My son, fear the Lord and the King…”
Matthew Wood was about to say something when his wife stopped him gently. When the reading was finished, Reverend Bulkeley began the evening prayer. At one time Kit opened her eyes and saw that Judith was studying John Holbrook. Then one phrase of Dr. Bulkeley’s prayer caught Kit’s attention. “And bless our sister in her weakness.” Was he talking about Mercy? After a few days in this house Kit had stopped noticing Mercy’s lameness. No one ever mentioned it. Mercy certainly wasn’t weak. She did a full day’s work and more. Also Kit saw that Mercy was the central figure of this family. She softened her father when he was in his bad moods, supported her gentle mother, preached her younger sister, and had helped Kit to join their family circle.
When the prayer ended, the thanks and the goodnights said, Rachel spoke to John Holbrook. “I hope you will come again,” she said kindly. “We would like you to feel welcome in our house.”
John looked back at Judith. “Thank you,” he answered. “I would be very happy to come again.”
As the door finally closed behind the guests, Matthew Wood turned angrily to his wife. “That is the last time,” he said, “that I will have Gershom Bulkeley under my roof!”
“Very well, Matthew,” answered Rachel. “But do not be too hard on him. Gershom is a good man.”
“No, he is not. He is a hypocrite! I’ll have no more texts read at me in my own house! But there is one more thing I forgot,” he added. “Today young William Ashby asked my permission to see my niece.”
There was silence in the room as everyone turned to look at Kit. “You mean to see Katherine?” asked Rachel.