Settlement. Ann Birch
SETTLEMENT
Ann Birch
Text © 2010 Ann Birch
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, digital, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publisher.
Cover design by Emma Dolan
Author photo by Studio Anka
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for our publishing activities.
RendezVous Press
an imprint of Napoleon & Company
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Printed in Canada
FSC logo here
14 13 12 11 10 5 4 3 2 1
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Birch, Ann
Settlement / Ann Birch.
ISBN 978-1-926607-04-7
I. Title.
PS8603.I725S48 2020 C813’.6 C2010-904985-3
This book is dedicated to
Martha Lee Lawrence
John Harvey Lawrence
and
Hugh John Lawrence
remembering
“the lamb white days”
Table of Contents
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
Part Two: Summer Rambles
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWENTY-NINE
THIRTY
THIRTY-ONE
THIRTY-TWO
THIRTY-THREE
THIRTY-FOUR
THIRTY-FIVE
THIRTY-SIX
THIRTY-SEVEN
THIRTY-EIGHT
THIRTY-NINE
FORTY
AFTERWORD
AUTHOR’S NOTE
York, 1817
The duellists and their seconds agreed to spend the night of July 17 in Elmsley’s barn just north of the town. No one would think of looking for members of York’s élite in such a place. There they would be able to hide from magistrates or family members who might try to put a stop to the wretched affair.
Sam Jarvis and his friend, Henry Boulton, arrived first and climbed up into the loft, where they could stay clear of the pigs and the worst of the stink. There they found a thick bed of hay. Sam cleaned his pistol, and they lay down to try to get some rest.
“How did I get myself into this mess?” Sam said. “Ridout is just a bloody-minded fool. Eighteen years old. And I’m twenty-five and should have known better.”
“He insulted your father, didn’t he? What else could you do?” Boulton gave a loud yawn. “People will give you credit for defending your family’s honour. But we’ve been over all this before, so shut up about it. Please.”
“The pity is, he reminds me of myself at his age. Remember those two Mohawks I almost killed over that squaw I fancied? I’d have gone to prison if Mr. Strachan hadn’t persuaded the magistrate to drop charges.”
“You might as well address all these remarks to the pigs, Jarvis. I’m not listening. I’ve got to get some sleep, and you should do the same.”
They had scarcely settled when the barn door opened and John Ridout and his second, James Small, arrived.
“Just like your old man and your whole bloody family, Jarvis,” Ridout said, coming to the foot of the ladder and shouting up at them. “Take the best spot and expect anyone who’s not