Louisburg Square

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

Early the next morning, pots could be heard banging downstairs in the large kitchen. Simone, Ausable’s French chef, was unhappy since Colleen, Anna’s cook, had arrived. One too many cooks for her. Colleen thought she was helping Simone when she tried showing her another way to make crepes, but Simone was having none of it.

“Bon sang!” said Simone, in French, slamming a cupboard door. “Where did you learn such a crude method for making lés crepes? Ca c’est primitif!”

“I’m so sorry, Simone,” said Colleen. “I was just trying to help. I don’t have any formal schooling in cookery. I was taught by my mother in Ireland.”

“Well, my dear, I was trained à Paris. I have acquired the absolute correct culinary methods. Your way is simply rudimentary.”

Colleen's Irish dander was up. “Simone, I know this is your kitchen, but I have been cooking for most of my life and doing it quite well, I might add.”

“You may have been cooking, but it was not cuisine!”

Colleen’s face reddened. “Well, then, we have a problem here, don’t we?” Colleen said, pulling off her apron and slapping it on the table. “My missus wants me to cook with you so we are going to have to cuisine together. One way or another.”

The two stood on opposite sides of the table, glaring.

Upstairs, Anna and Ausable were cuddling in his large canopied bed.

“Ausable, it’s so wonderful to finally spend the night in your house,” Anna said. “I haven’t slept so well in a long time. It really is so comforting here.”

“I’m glad you like it. I can’t take all the credit. I did have designers help me.”

“It still reflects you. I can see your touches throughout.”

They heard a knock on Anna’s bedroom door through the washroom.

“Mother, are you awake?” called Sam.

“Oh, dear. I had better go back into my room,” Anna said, getting out of bed. “I’m glad we locked the doors.”

She crossed to the washroom and called to Sam, “I’m in the washroom, Sam. I’ll be right there.”

“All right, Mother.”

She closed the door to Ausable’s room, throwing him a kiss. She pulled her robe around herself and opened the door to the hallway. Sam and Paul were standing there, dressed for the day.

“Good morning, boys. Aren’t you the early birds?”

“We’re so excited to see Boston, Mother,” said Paul.

“I can’t wait to see where the Boston m******e happened,” said Sam.

“Now, Sam, Mr. Hancock said we would see that on our tour today, but you must remember, the Boston m******e was a very sad occurrence. That was during the Revolutionary War when the British were our enemies.”

“We didn’t like them back then?” asked Sam.

“No. The colonists were fighting for independence from Britain at the time. And the British soldiers killed several patriots. So it is in remembrance of their brave fight that the site of the Boston m******e is honored.”

“How do you know so much, Mother?” Sam asked. “We just arrived in Boston.”

“I studied this in school,” said Anna. “You will soon, I’m sure. And you’ll be well ahead of everyone else having seen all this history in person.”

“Oh, boy. Then I won’t have to study as hard,” said Sam.

Ausable came out of his room. “I thought I heard voices.”

“Good morning, Mr. Hancock,” said Paul.

“We were just talking to Mother about our tour today,” said Sam. “We can’t wait to go.”

“I am excited to show you boys Boston.”

Millie arrived to help Anna.

“Let me take you downstairs and we’ll see about breakfast,” said Ausable.

“I’ll make myself presentable,” said Anna. “And be down in a few minutes.”

“Very good. Come on, boys.”

They went off down the stairs and into the dining room. Frederick was there to meet them.

“Good morning, sir. And good morning, young masters,” Frederick said. “I hope you all slept well.”

“We did,” said Paul. “Those beds are so soft.”

“Yes, just like big pillows,” said Sam.

“I’m glad,” said Frederick. “Simone is making some scrumptious crepes for breakfast.”

“Crepes? What are crepes?” asked Paul.

“It’s a sort of French pancake,” Ausable said. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy them. Please, have a seat at the table. There are some homemade croissants and other breads, plus some honey butter there.”

The boys found two seats and were quickly enjoying the croissants. Frederick poured Ausable some coffee.

“This breakfast is a lot fancier than the ones we have at home,” said Sam. “I think I’m going to like it here.”

“I hope you do, Sam,” said Ausable. “Frederick, please tell Simone that Mrs. Tattersall will be down presently for breakfast.”

“Very good, sir,” Frederick replied and he left the dining room.

“We’ll have a lot to see on our tour of Boston today,” Ausable said.

“We’re very excited,” said Paul. “Mother was telling us about the Boston Massacre.”

“We’ll start right after breakfast,” Ausable said.

Anna came into the room. Ausable stood and offered her a chair.

“Thank you,” she said, sitting. “Oh, those croissants look tasty.”

“Especially with this honey butter, Mother,” said Sam. “Mmmm.”

Frederick returned and whispered something to Ausable.

“Oh, dear. Thank you, Frederick.” He turned to Anna. “It seems there is some disagreement in the kitchen. Too many cooks.”

“I believe I have taken care of it, but please be forewarned,” said Frederick.

Simone entered carrying a small tray of fruit and cream followed by Colleen who was carrying a very large tray with a silver cover on it. She seemed to be straining under the weight.

“Please put the tray here on the sideboard, Colleen,” ordered Simone.

Colleen maneuvered, wobbling to the sideboard, and put the tray down with a clunk.

“Phew,” said Colleen. “That’s mighty heavy.”

Ignoring her, Simone lifted the top of the tray revealing a pile of steaming crepes. Everyone oohed and ahhed as the sweet smell wafted over them.

“Simone, don’t you think that’s a bit of an oversized tray for those crepes?” asked Ausable.

“Not at all, sir,” said Simone. “Colleen is strong enough to handle it.”

Anna gave Colleen a look and Colleen rolled her eyes.

“Mrs. Tattersall, may I serve you some crepes?” Simone asked.

“Thank you, Simone. Why don’t you serve the boys first?” said Anna.

“As you wish, Madame,” Simone said as she put a few crepes and fruit on two plates. She poured cream over each and placed them in front of Sam and Paul.

“These are very thin pancakes,” said Paul.

“Yes, we’d have to eat three of these to equal one of Colleen’s flapjacks,” said Sam. Colleen smiled.

“Give it a try, boys. I’m sure you’ll like them,” said Ausable.

“Mmm, these are good,” said Paul.

“It’s like having dessert for breakfast,” said Sam.

Everyone chuckled.

After breakfast, Anna went to her room with Millie to dress for the day.

“Millie, do you know what’s going on with Colleen and Simone?”

“It got very tense this morning, Ma’am. I saw the whole thing from the hallway. They almost came to blows. Colleen was trying to help, showing Simone her way to make crepes. Well, that Simone would have none of it. She told Colleen that her way of cooking was unskilled.”

“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Anna said. “We all know what a wonderful cook Colleen is. I’ll have to speak to Simone. I won’t have her belittling Colleen.”

“If you don’t mind my saying so, Ma’am, I think this upheaval is affecting all of us. I know I am in somewhat of a dither.”

“I’m so sorry, Millie. I suppose I’ve thrown everyone’s life into a tizzy.”

“We will make things work, Ma’am. I think it best to leave Colleen and Simone to themselves for now. They are both quite determined in their ways.”

“All right, let me know if I do need to step in.”

“I will keep you apprised.”

“Thanks, Millie.”

Once everyone was dressed for the tour, Anna, Ausable, and the two boys headed out for their walking excursion of Boston. They crossed the Boston Common and gazed up at the magnificent Massachusetts State House with its gleaming gold dome. Ausable explained that it was built in 1798 and the state was planning a big celebration for its centennial next year. Sam and Paul said they hoped they could be here for that. Anna told them that maybe they would, knowing full well that they might be living in Boston by then.

“Did you know,” Ausable asked, “that ‘Massachusetts’ is named after an Algonquin tribe? It means ‘at the great hill.’”

“I never heard that,” Anna said.

“Does that mean your ancestors owned Massachusetts?” Paul asked.

“Not really, Paul. The idea of owning land was contrary to Indian thinking early on. We believed that where we lived belonged to all the creatures of the earth.”

“I think that sounds like a nice idea,” said Sam. “We should do that, too.”

“I’m afraid times have changed quite a bit,” said Ausable. “The world is a different place now.”

“Hm, that’s too bad,” Sam said.

“There’s nothing wrong with the way things are now,” Ausable said. “It’s just something new. Come. We’ve a lot more to see.”

They walked down to Park Street which was bustling with well-dressed people, carriages, and horse-drawn streetcars, even a few automobiles.

“Boston is quite an exciting city,” said Anna. “Yet it still holds its small-town charm somehow.”

“I really do enjoy living here. I hope you will, too.”

They walked along a fence to the entrance to the Granary Burying Ground. Ausable pointed out the graves of Samuel Adams and John Hancock.

“Are you related to John Hancock, Mr. Hancock?” asked Sam.

“No, Sam, my parents actually took the name Hancock as their own to fit in better. And to honor what a great man John Hancock was”

“What is your real last name?” asked Paul.

“Achachak.”

“Really?” asked Sam. “I guess I can see why they changed it.”

“Actually, it means ‘spirit’ in our language.”

“I think it’s lovely, Ausable,” said Anna.

They continued around the cemetery.

“Look at that, Sam. Paul Revere,” said Paul. “One if by land, two if by sea.”

“Oh, yes,” said Sam. “What’s the rest of it?”

Ausable spoke up, as the rest listened, engrossed.

“Listen my children and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;

Hardly a man is now alive

Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march

By land or sea from the town to-night,

Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch

Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--

One if by land, and two if by sea;

And I on the opposite shore will be,

Ready to ride and spread the alarm

Through every Middlesex village and farm,

For the country folk to be up and to arm.”

“I’m impressed, Ausable,” Anna said.

“My goodness, Mr. Hancock, you are a better actor than Paul,” said Sam.

“Thank you, Sam,” said Ausable. “I was just repeating the poem. Paul performed his part as Romeo this summer. He’s the actor.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hancock,” said Paul. “That poem was still pretty good.”

“Coming from you, that means a lot, Paul,” said Ausable. “Now, you were asking about the Boston m******e earlier. Also buried here are the victims of that Massacre.” He pointed to a grave marker. “These are the names of the five men killed that day by the British.”

Sam and Paul looked on in silence.

“And what makes their deaths all the worse is that the British men arrested for this crime were released and not charged. That so infuriated the colonists, they got fired up, which actually helped the patriots’ cause toward The Revolution.”

“These five men died so we could live in America?” asked Sam.

“Something like that.”

Sam thought for a moment, then said, “I think I’d like to get some flowers to leave here on their grave.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” said Anna. “Do you know where we can get some flowers, Ausable?”

“There’s a flower stand just on the corner.”

“Wonderful.”

Anna put her arm around Sam and they all walked to the nearby flower stand. Sam picked out a small bunch of white daisies and they brought them back to the Boston m******e victims’ grave. He walked up to the marker and placed them in front of it.

“Thank you,” he said.

A tear came to Ausable’s eye. Anna noticed and smiled at him.

A woman and a man nearby were eyeing Ausable. The man said to the woman, not being discrete, “What’s that Indian doing in this sacred place? His people probably killed some that are buried here.”

They all heard him and reacted in disbelief. Ausable glared over at them. Anna put her arms around the boys and pulled them close. The woman tried to shush the man.

“Who do you think you are to put flowers on that grave?” the man asked.

“I… I just thought it would be nice,” said Sam, shaking.

“Not you, kid. Him,” pointing at Ausable.

Ausable walked up to the man, and in a firm, but calm, voice stated, “Sir, I am here to show my friends the wonderful city of Boston where I have lived most of my life. I can assume you are not from Boston?”

“No, we are not,” said the man. “We come from a part of the country that doesn’t take well to your kind.”

“Well, you should,” said Ausable, “I’ll have you know that one of these men who died in the Boston m******e was Crispus Attucks. You see his name right here,” pointing to the grave marker. “He was part n***o and part American Indian. So, I am proud that my friends wanted to place flowers here to honor these men. Especially since one of them, part Indian, died, as my young friend here said, so that we all could live in America.”

“Well, I never…” said the man.

“Now we will take our leave,” Ausable said. “Good day, sir.”

They left and headed up the street leaving an annoyed and befuddled couple.

“Oh, Ausable, that man was dreadful.”

“Yes, he was. Unfortunately, there are a lot of them.”

“I don’t like him,” said Sam.

“Don’t worry,” Anna said, holding him close. “He won’t bother us again.”

“You really told him, Mr. Hancock,” said Paul.

“You were quite outstanding with that man,” agreed Anna.

“Thank you,” said Ausable. “It is pleasurable to give someone what’s coming to them. Now, let’s forget him and continue our tour.”

Their next stop was the Old Corner Bookstore. Ausable explained that a lot of well-known authors’ works were published here, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Louisa May Alcott. The boys were a bit underwhelmed.

“Do you know who Longfellow is, boys?” Anna asked.

“I’m not sure,” said Paul.

“Me, either,” said Sam.

“Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere...,” said Ausable.

“Oh, right,” said Paul. “He wrote that.”

“He did,” said Ausable. “And have you ever read Little Women?”

“Yes,” said Paul.

“Little Women is by Louisa May Alcott, who is also published here,” said Ausable.

“That’s a girl’s book,” said Sam. “You read that, Paul?”

“Uh, yes. But I didn’t like it,” Paul said.

“Now, boys, Louisa May Alcott may have written children’s books, but she is also a champion for women’s suffrage,” said Anna. “She is one of the first women to register to vote in a local school election here in Massachusetts. It may have been a small victory, but she was a pioneer whom I admire very much.”

“Well then, Mother, maybe I’ll take a look at that book, too,” said Sam.

“Good for you, Sam,” Anna said.

“All right, then, I think it is time to move along,” Ausable said, chuckling.

They next stopped at the actual site of the Boston m******e. Sam was a bit confused.

“If this is where it happened, where’s all the blood?” Sam asked.

“Oh, brother,” said Paul. “It happened a long time ago, Sam. They cleaned it up by now.”

“Oh, right,” said Sam. “I guess it’s still interesting to see, though.”

They moved on and passed Faneuil Hall. Ausable pointed out the most famous weathervane in Boston. On top of Faneuil Hall is the golden grasshopper.

“Can you see it?” Ausable asked, pointing at the top of the cupola.

“Yes,” said Paul. “It’s very gold.”

“Why is there a grasshopper there?” Sam asked.

“The man who built Faneuil Hall wanted to compete with London’s Royal Exchange which had a golden grasshopper weathervane,” said Ausable. “Since we were breaking away from Britain, he thought we should have our own symbol of commerce and placed our own golden grasshopper on top of it.”

“I like that,” said Sam. “I’m glad we have our very own golden grasshopper.”

“Me, too,” said Anna.

With that, it was time for lunch.

“Does everyone like oysters?” asked Ausable.

“Paul and I like them, but I’m not sure if Sam has ever had them,” said Anna.

“Do you like them, Mr. Hancock?” asked Sam.

“I do. Very much,” said Ausable.

“Then I do, too,” said Sam.

Anna and Ausable gave each other a quizzical look.

“Great,” said Ausable. “We are going to Ye Olde Union Oyster House. It’s right up the street.”

“Sounds wonderful,” said Anna.

They arrived at the restaurant where Ausable was known by the staff and they were immediately seated at the Oyster Bar. Anna was impressed and the boys liked sitting at the counter and looking at the many varieties of oysters that were laid out on platters of crushed ice. They started dueling with the small oyster forks.

“What a charming restaurant,” Anna said.

“It’s one of the oldest in the country,” said Ausable. “It’s been here over seventy years.”

“I’m liking Boston more and more,” Anna said. “Quite a different experience with the people in here from that man in the cemetery.”

“He was a boor,” said Ausable. “I prefer more enlightened people.”

The server placed a plate of oysters in front of them.

“Your favorite, Mr. Hancock,” said the server. “Wellfleets. They are particularly sweet right now.”

“Wonderful, Jackson,” Ausable said to the server. “Thank you.” Then to Sam, “Do you know how to eat an oyster?” Anna and Paul looked on, enjoying this.

“Do I use this tiny fork?” Sam asked.

“That fork is just for loosening the oyster from its shell.” He demonstrated to Sam. “Now hold your oyster very carefully because you don’t want to lose any of the wonderful liquor in the shell.”

“Aren’t I too young for liquor?” Sam asked, confused.

“It’s just called that. It’s oyster liquor,” Ausable explained.

Sam nodded, engrossed in what was happening.

“You hold the shell and slurp the oyster and the juice into your mouth and swallow,” as he demonstrated.

“You don’t chew it?” Sam asked.

“I’d recommend just swallowing it for now,” Ausable explained. “You need to develop a taste for oysters.”

“Hm. I’m not so sure about this,” Sam said.

“Go ahead, Sam,” said Paul. “You’re not afraid, are you?”

“No. I am not,” Sam said as he picked up the oyster and gulped it down. He twisted his face into a twitchy grimace, shivered, then licked his lips. “Mm. Salty. Not bad.”

Everyone applauded Sam who looked pleased with himself. They all went on to enjoy a delightful lunch of oysters, hot rolls, and chocolatey brownies for dessert.

After lunch, there was more to see. They first stopped at Paul Revere’s house that was now a fruit and vegetable business. There was a sign saying this was Paul Revere’s house, built in 1680. They went from there to the Old North Church. Inside they wandered around the old colonial church and its pews.

When the boys were a ways off from Anna and Ausable, Anna said, “It was very sweet that Sam wanted to try oysters because you like them. He looks up to you.”

“I noticed that,” said Ausable.

“The way you spoke up to that man in the cemetery made an impression on Sam.”

“Perhaps,” said Ausable. “I’m happy to be able to show them the ropes.”

“I’m very glad. They need a father figure since Will doesn’t have much time for them.”

The boys came running over to them. They wanted to climb into the steeple where the lanterns were hung for Paul Revere to see. And so they did, scrambling up the narrow, steep stairs. When they got to the bell ringing chamber, the boys took turns ringing the steeple bell until one of the church workers ran up out of breath and asked them to stop, afraid the ringing might call the faithful to prayer. Anna apologized and they climbed higher, to the top, to the spot where the ‘two if by sea’ lanterns were displayed. From there they could see across the Charles River to where the patriots had waited for the signal.

“That is where Colonel William Prescott said, ‘Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!’” Ausable stated.

“History is fun to relive,” said Sam.

Ausable pointed out Bunker Hill in the distance and they enjoyed the views of Boston from up there; a city awash in brick buildings, leafy trees, and verdant farmlands stretching out beyond. Anna and Ausable smiled at each other. It had been an educational day for all, exploring the history of Boston, in more ways than one.