That’s on the other side of the river,“he said, looking at me curiously, “and no bridge between here and Albany. I hope you're a good swimmer.”
“Is there no ferry here?” I asked, wondering how I would con-tact a house on the other bank and how they planned to meet me.
“No public ferry. There’s no real village on the other side. Just the few houses at Jones Point and then wilderness all the way to the military academy at West Point. Why the Senator chose to have a house over on that shore, miles from civilization, beats me. Are you expected at Adare?”
His expression indicated that I was probably a new maid. Why did nobody ever take me for a young lady of quality? I gave him my most haughty stare. “I'm the Senator’s cousin, visiting from Ireland.”
“Bless my soul.” The man’s look of embarrassment told me that I had exactly read his thoughts. “Well then, in that case, there should be someone to meet you. What’s your name, miss?”
“Molly Murphy,” I blurted-out, then corrected myself immediately. “Molly Murphy Gaffney Miss Gaffney” I felt my cheeks burning, furious with myself that I had failed the very first test. I surely wouldn't last long at this assignment if I couldn't remember my own name.
“Anyone from Adare here?” the man shouted. “I've a Miss Gaffney waiting to be picked up.”
A small, wiry man with a shock of gray hair poking from under a cap came running up from the direction of the shore. “Hold your horses, I'm coming,” he announced, then took off his cap to me. “Sorry to keep you waiting, miss. I got held up while a string of barges was coming past. Which is your luggage?” I pointed and he hoisted the valise onto one shoulder, while I carried the hatbox. “The skiff’s this way, miss. If you'd be so good as to follow me.”
I thanked the gentleman who had been watching over me and followed my valise down a rocky path to the shore. A small boat was tied up there and a second man, this one young and strapping, sprang to attention as we approached.
“You found her then, Tom. That’s good,” he said. “Here, miss. Ever been around boats before?”
I was just about to answer that I'd lived on the shore for most of my life when I remembered that I came from the city of Limerick and probably hadn't needed to go anywhere by boat. “Not really,” I said.
“Take my hand then, miss, and try to step into the middle of the craft,” the young man said and almost lifted me down. I was conscious of big, muscular arms and enormous strength.
“And your name is?“
“Adam, miss,” he said. Tom and I are gardeners at Adare, and also boatmen when the need arises.”
Tom loaded in my bags, jumped down with an agility that I wouldn't have expected from his age, untied the rope and we drifted out into the stream. Immediately the current caught us and the two men had to strain on the oars, pulling strongly against the force of the current.
“So Adare is upstream from here, is it?” I asked.
“No, miss, not really,” Adam said. “You can catch a glimpse of it through the trees on the other bank there. But with this current, if we don't start out heading upstream, we'd be back in the Tappan Zee before we knew what had hit us.”
Adam, I thought, watching the burfy one pull at the oar. Annie Lomax had mentioned a gardener called Adam. But she'd also said that all of the servants had been dismissed. Was this a new gardener with the same name, or had he somehow managed to escape the purge? I glanced at him with interest. If it were the same Adam, then Annie hadn't trusted him. I wondered now if that was because he was a sly individual or because of his way with women. He was certainly giving me the eye at this moment.
“So have you been with the Senator long?” Tasked, addressing them both.
“Old Tom’s been at Adare since before the Senator’s time,” Adam said. The Senator bought the house about ten years ago, wouldn't you say, Tom?”
Tom nodded,
“Is there no ferry here?” I asked, wondering how I would con-tact a house on the other bank and how they planned to meet me.
“No public ferry. There’s no real village on the other side. Just the few houses at Jones Point and then wilderness all the way to the military academy at West Point. Why the Senator chose to have a house over on that shore, miles from civilization, beats me. Are you expected at Adare?”
His expression indicated that I was probably a new maid. Why did nobody ever take me for a young lady of quality? I gave him my most haughty stare. “I'm the Senator’s cousin, visiting from Ireland.”
“Bless my soul.” The man’s look of embarrassment told me that I had exactly read his thoughts. “Well then, in that case, there should be someone to meet you. What’s your name, miss?”
“Molly Murphy,” I blurted-out, then corrected myself immediately. “Molly Murphy Gaffney Miss Gaffney” I felt my cheeks burning, furious with myself that I had failed the very first test. I surely wouldn't last long at this assignment if I couldn't remember my own name.
“Anyone from Adare here?” the man shouted. “I've a Miss Gaffney waiting to be picked up.”
A small, wiry man with a shock of gray hair poking from under a cap came running up from the direction of the shore. “Hold your horses, I'm coming,” he announced, then took off his cap to me. “Sorry to keep you waiting, miss. I got held up while a string of barges was coming past. Which is your luggage?” I pointed and he hoisted the valise onto one shoulder, while I carried the hatbox. “The skiff’s this way, miss. If you'd be so good as to follow me.”
I thanked the gentleman who had been watching over me and followed my valise down a rocky path to the shore. A small boat was tied up there and a second man, this one young and strapping, sprang to attention as we approached.
“You found her then, Tom. That’s good,” he said. “Here, miss. Ever been around boats before?”
I was just about to answer that I'd lived on the shore for most of my life when I remembered that I came from the city of Limerick and probably hadn't needed to go anywhere by boat. “Not really,” I said.
“Take my hand then, miss, and try to step into the middle of the craft,” the young man said and almost lifted me down. I was conscious of big, muscular arms and enormous strength.
“And your name is?“
“Adam, miss,” he said. Tom and I are gardeners at Adare, and also boatmen when the need arises.”
Tom loaded in my bags, jumped down with an agility that I wouldn't have expected from his age, untied the rope and we drifted out into the stream. Immediately the current caught us and the two men had to strain on the oars, pulling strongly against the force of the current.
“So Adare is upstream from here, is it?” I asked.
“No, miss, not really,” Adam said. “You can catch a glimpse of it through the trees on the other bank there. But with this current, if we don't start out heading upstream, we'd be back in the Tappan Zee before we knew what had hit us.”
Adam, I thought, watching the burfy one pull at the oar. Annie Lomax had mentioned a gardener called Adam. But she'd also said that all of the servants had been dismissed. Was this a new gardener with the same name, or had he somehow managed to escape the purge? I glanced at him with interest. If it were the same Adam, then Annie hadn't trusted him. I wondered now if that was because he was a sly individual or because of his way with women. He was certainly giving me the eye at this moment.
“So have you been with the Senator long?” Tasked, addressing them both.
“Old Tom’s been at Adare since before the Senator’s time,” Adam said. The Senator bought the house about ten years ago, wouldn't you say, Tom?”
Tom nodded,
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