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.“But what about my kids? Who will look after them!”“Don’t try and tell me that you care about these children,” Damaris sounded full of rage.“They’re starving and have been beaten into submission.”“But I’m all they have! You can't take me.”“I’m the Justice of the Peace for these parts and I can offer you my word; if you plead guilty, I’ll personally make sure that the children are taken care of.” Nathaniel gave the appearance of mediating between the two women.“But- I- I- No! I didn’t do nothing wrong!”“Your only thought is for yourself, and you expect us to believe that you care for these childrens’ welfare?” Nate sounded incredulous.“I do care but… I can't go to jail!”“Jail?” Nate chuckled and began to drag Mrs Murray towards his carriage.“You know that transportation is the usual punishment for poaching, and that’s just for taking a game bird or two.What do you think the punishment is for fraud?” The next punishment up from transportation was death.Although she most likely wouldn’t be hung for such petty theft charges, there were still 220 crimes on the books that were punishable by death, including theft.“No, wait, please! I’ll do anything, just don’t let them hang me.”Nate stopped dragging her and turned towards her.“This is the only time I will make you this offer.Admit your guilt in trying to defraud us by selling a fake abortifacient, and we will make sure that transportation is the only punishment that you suffer.”Mrs Murray twisted her head to look back at her small house.It was shabby but Nathaniel realised that it was still her home, and she knew that admitting her guilt would mean that she would never see it again.She seemed to be a pragmatist however, and it was better to make a new life in the colonies than to be hanged.She probably wasn’t exactly sure what fraud, larceny and obtaining monies by deception was, but they sounded very serious to her uneducated ear.“All right.” She bowed her head in defeat.“I sold you two a fake potion, telling you that it induced miscarriage.”“And how many other women did you do this to?”“I don’t know.A few, maybe.”“Perhaps I should have mentioned it before, but lying will negate the deal.” His eyes were blazing and he felt as angry as Damaris looked.“We will check every piece of paper in this house and question every woman in Lanford if you don’t tell us the truth right now.”“I don’t know!” she cried, terrified that their agreement was about to be broken.“A hundred, maybe two.”“Two hundred women?”She nodded.“And you confess to taking their money, knowing that your potion was ineffective?”“Yes.”“Come on then.” He took her over to the carriage, although he didn’t have to drag her this time.“Make sure she doesn’t run,” he told the driver, wondering why he hadn’t thought to collect Smyth’s manacles as well as his tipstaff.Nevertheless, the driver took Mrs Murray’s arm and held tight, while Nate returned to Damaris.She was bent over in front of a child, and speaking so softly that he couldn’t hear her until he got close.“…nice clothes, plenty of water and best of all, three decent meals a day.What do you say?”The child in question, who looked to be about four, didn’t say anything.It could have been a girl or a boy under all that grime, he just couldn’t tell.“I promise that no one will ever beat or starve you again.”Still the child didn’t move and wouldn’t even make eye contact.Damaris moved to the next child but before she could speak, Nate put two fingers in his mouth and issued a loud whistle.“Listen closely,” he called across the yard.“If you have any personal possessions, pack them now.You have five minutes, then I expect you all back here and ready to go.”They did as they had been ordered and made their way into the house.“You shouldn’t have yelled at them,” Damaris chided.“They’re just children.”“I know, but I didn’t chastise them, I simply got things moving faster.”She still didn’t like his words and it showed in her expression.“They’re going to a better place,” he said.“I’m not going to apologise for using a tactic that they are used to, in order to get them there faster.”She frowned, knowing that’s she couldn’t argue with that logic.Less than three minutes later, the children stood before them, their meagre possessions wrapped in dirty clothes or handkerchiefs.“Is that everyone?” Damaris asked the closest child, who nodded.There were nine children in all and given that his carriage was pulled by two horses, he felt that they could bear the additional load, just.“Right,” Nate announced in an authoritative voice.“Climb onto the carriage; sit on the roof or cling to the side, just don’t let go.”The children did as he said and he pulled Mrs Murray into the carriage with him and Damaris, then they headed back to the courthouse.Chapter SixteenThe courthouse and town hall were next to each other and each building could be accessed through a door in the basement
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