“And?”
“Well, the way I see it, you appear to be legal guardian of the Fredriksen brood.”
“I was hoping I’d read it wrong.” Kit pinched the bridge of his nose. He slapped his hands down on the desk and stood up. “Damn! I owe Jan so much.” He began to pace back and forth across the narrow room.
Lee looked down at the document. “I don’t see that it’s all that different from what you’ve been doing.”
Kit stopped. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it for a minute. Jan’s only been home a few months out of each year. Who takes care of them while he’s gone?”
“Hallie.”
“You sell the cargoes and see that the money’s transferred into the bank, right?”
Kit nodded.
“Who paid their accounts when Jan was gone?” Lee asked.
“Either myself or the accounting clerk at the bank.”
“Then tell me how anything has changed? The house is theirs free and clear, so you don’t have to supply a roof over their heads. I’ll check on them whenever I’m in port, and you’ll be here in case they need you. Financially, the sale of this cargo and the last will leave them with no worries. I don’t see where there’s a problem.”
What Lee said made sense, but somehow he couldn’t imagine his guardianship of three females—one being Hallie, and two little boys—as a problem-free relationship. He voiced as much to Lee and then added, “Before I—we—do anything, we’ve got to break the news to his family. At least to Hallie and Dagny.”
“God, I hate that. It’s always been hard for me to notify the families of lost men. Luckily, I’ve only lost four, but—”
A hard knock on the door interrupted the two men. Lee turned and opened the door, and Smalley entered the cabin. “We’re not far from the wharf, sir, an’ this bein’ Saturday, the crew was a-wonderin’ if’n they could go to the services?”
Kit looked startled. “What services?”
“The memorial services for the capt’n, sir. Ya see, his girls sent word that they was ta have a service today and—”
“You mean his family knows already?” Kit shouted, as his mind flashed with the picture of a distraught Hallie. To have to handle the death of her only remaining parent had to be crushing, but then, having to explain, all alone, to the younger ones, well, that thought really made Kit’s chest ache for her. If there were to be services, then Hallie and Dagny must have handled those alone, too. He didn’t feel like much of a friend to Jan Fredriksen right now, even if he hadn’t been notified in time to share some of the agony and burden that must have been piled on those poor girls.
Smalley appeared to shrink four inches in the face of Kit’s anger. “I thought they should know right away, they being his family and all.”
“When did you tell them?” Lee asked.
“Late Wednesday night,” the mate answered.
“Over two days ago,” Kit said.
Lee turned to Smalley. “What time’s the service?”
“The note said it’d be at Telegraph Hill at one o’clock this afternoon.”
Kit pulled out his pocket watch. It was almost one now. “How far are we from the wharf?”
“‘Bout ten minutes, sir,” Smalley answered, before repeating his question, “Me an’ the crew would like ta pay our respects, if’n that’s all right with ya.”
“Of course, of course, tell the men that’s fine, but I want them to start unloading the haul as soon as possible. I’ll make arrangements for the load to be added to the storage in DeWitt’s. Can you handle the unloading later today?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Fine. Get us into port as fast as you can so we don’t miss that service.”
Smalley left and the room was silent, then Kit looked at Lee. “Now what was that you said about not foreseeing any problems?”
