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“But can’t you swim?”

“No, and no one else on this ship can, except Nat who was born on the water. Where in England do they teach you that?”

“Not England. I was born on Barbados.”

“Barbados? The wild island in the West Indies?”

“Yes, but it is as civilized as England, with towns and fine streets and shops. My grandfather had one of the first plantations there, with a grant from the King.”

“You are not a Puritan then?”

“Puritan? One of those who betrayed King James?”

The young man opened his mouth to protest, but then looked at Kit and just asked, “Are you going to stay here in Connecticut? I think you will be a surprise to the good people of Wethersfield.”

Kit suddenly felt uncomfortable. Can he possibly know? Had he guessed? There was no one to tell him. She had kept her secret even from the captain’s wife. “Do you live in Wethersfield yourself?” she asked to change the subject.

The young man shook his head. “My home is in Saybrook, but I am going to Wethefsfield to study under the Reverend Bulkeley. In another year I hope to have my own church.”

A clergyman! She should have known it! Suddenly she was distracted by Nat Eaton. His friendly morning smile was gone and he spoke formally. “My father sent me to find you, Mistress Tyler. He thinks you should now eat with Goodwife Cruff and her family.”

“Ugh,” Kit exclaimed, “her sour face will spoil my food!”

Nat laughed. “And yours will spoil hers,” he answered. “She has told my father that you are a witch because no good woman could swim like that.”

“Nonsense!” Kit cried.

“Don’t you know about the water test?” Nat asked her. “A true witch will always float. The innocent ones just sink like a stone.” Nat was clearly joking, but she was surprised to see that John Holbrook’s face was now even darker than before. “That is not a funny thing,” he said. “Was the woman serious, Nat?”

“She was,” Nat answered. “But my father has calmed her down. He knows Barbados. He explained that the sea is always warm there, and that even good people sometimes swim in it. But, Mistress Katherine, now that you’re in Connecticut, I’d advise you to forget that you can swim.”

They all laughed, but inside Kit felt uneasy. Nat was joking, but he definitely warned her. There was something strange about this country of America; something that they all seemed to understand, but she did not.

Chapter Two

It took nine days for the Dolphin to make the voyage from Saybrook to Wethersfield. As if the ship was bewitched – from the moment they left Saybrook everything went wrong. The wind almost died away, and the ship was moving down the river very slowly. Kit was very frustrated. How could she stand another meal at the same table with Goodwife Cruff, her sullen husband and that miserable little child Prudence. Yet Kit couldn’t get the girl out of her mind. There was something in that small child. One afternoon Kit saw the little girl standing alone on the deck. Kit moved closer and they stood side by side watching beautiful birds and dark trees on the shore. The child looked at the scenery with wonder. But soon a call from her mother made her run away. Suddenly, Kit realized that she hadn’t seen the girl’s wooden doll.