“I’m glad you worked up the courage to tell me. That says a lot about your character, son. I’ve always been a good judge of a man. I credit God with giving me that gift. I like to give a fella a chance to redeem himself, because God knows He’s given me enough chances. You’re a good man, Nick. I’ve no doubt of it, just as I’ve no doubt that Duran is trouble. Still, I feel everyone deserves a chance.”
“So I can stay?” Nick asked, feeling a huge sense of relief wash over him.
“I need a mate, and you need to find forgiveness.” The captain scratched his graying beard. “I think we’ll be a good match.” He paused and glanced at the door. “Duran, on the other hand, is more troubling to me. I have a feeling he may cause problems for more than Tom.”
“Why did you take him on if you discerned he was trouble?”
“I just felt I was supposed to. I can’t really explain it, but he came begging for a job, and I felt the nudge to hire him on. He hadn’t eaten in days and was positively desperate.” The captain shook his head. “Sometimes it’s like that. I want to give him a chance, but at the same time I don’t want him causing problems for the men. Just keep an eye open.”
“Will do.”
“Now, I want to go over what we’ll be doing in regard to maintaining the ship. The men were already busy with the hold while we were delayed with the wedding. They did a good job, and no doubt we’ll pass any inspection. Besides the painting, there are sails that need mending and ropes that need to be changed out or repaired. I’ll leave that to your care.”
“Of course.”
The captain gave further instructions, but Nick was so relieved over his knowing the truth that he didn’t mind at all. There was always a lot of work to do, and frankly, in that moment, Nick felt so happy and grateful that he could have taken it all on himself.
Chapter 3
Elise stretched in bed. The pain was minimal. She’d been certain it would pass quickly, and she was right. Unfortunately, it was too late to prove her condition to anyone. Her father was well underway on his trip to Detroit.
From the look of the light shining in through her window, it must be nearly eight o’clock. She wasn’t used to sleeping so late, but the doctor had plied her with medicine again, and it had made her drowsy. There would be no more of that.
She sat up and listened for a moment. The house was very quiet. She sighed, overcome by a sense of mourning to know theMary Eliseand her father had sailed away without her yesterday. It left her with such a sense of loss. She’d felt this same sense of emptiness when her mother died.
Mama loved living on the water almost as much as she loved Papa. She’d thought life on a ship to be an amazing and adventurous life—even the close calls. Mama had told Elise once that the storms were terrifying and energizing all at once. It gave her a determination to live each minute to its fullest because one never knew when they’d be called home. She’d been right.God had taken her nearly without warning. One day she was fine, and the next sick with a fever and dying. By the time they’d reached port, Mama was dead, and Elise and her father were left to grieve.
Elise thought again of Caroline and her accusations. Had Elise been trying to mother her sister? She supposed it was possible. She had pledged to care for her father and to see that the crew of theMary Elisehad the same care and comfort her mother had provided. She had worked hard to fill Mama’s shoes by being good to the crew. She baked cookies all the time, just as Mama had. She fixed the crew’s favorite foods and made sure they always had clean clothes. Her workload had more than doubled after her mother’s death, but that was all right. Elise knew her father needed her more than ever.
Of course, if Caroline had been there, they could have each taken on duties and shared the load. Was that why Elise felt so angry with her sister? She remembered Caroline’s commands to undo her buttons. Her sister was demanding and expected to be cared for. Elise had never had that luxury, but Caroline seemed born to it.
Her sister had never liked living on ships, but for Elise it was home, and she never intended to live long on land. Her father had purchased a little house in Duluth for them to winter in. Uncle James had wanted them to stay with him in Oswego, but the idea of wearing fancy clothes from January to April left a bad taste in her father’s mouth. Mother felt the same way, but more on behalf of her husband than herself. When Uncle James mentioned one day that it would be good to have a place to stay in Duluth, Papa had suggested he would get a little house and that would be their winter harbor.
Elise liked the little Minnesota town even though it had tripled in size of late. It seemed with every trip the town grew ever larger. The people were pleasant enough, but it wasn’t what she desired. She loved the water—the crack of the sails, the breeze on her face. She felt more at home on the lakes than anywhere else she had ever been.
“I should have been born male,” she murmured.
She sank back onto the pillows and yawned. Maybe she would sleep just a little longer. If the doctor was going to insist on this rest, she might as well take advantage of it. Closing her eyes, she envisioned theMary Eliseat full sail, cutting through the water effortlessly. She could hear her father barking out orders and the crew hurrying to do his bidding.
She thought of Nick working at Papa’s side. The younger man seemed quite pleasant and kind. His brown hair was sun-kissed, and he cut a dashing figure, even in seamen togs. Yet it was the thought of his twinkling blue eyes that gave her pause. She smiled at the memory of how he had looked at her. She found herself hoping Joe’s recuperation would take a little while longer. She wanted to sail with Nicodemus Clark and know him better.
Elise awoke on the third day of her recuperation feeling so much better that she insisted on being let up. On the fourth day, she announced herself healed and called the maid to help her dress. It was funny how self-sufficient she was on theMary Elise, but here she needed constant help. She couldn’t even begin to dress herself, given all the layers of undergarments, much less arrange her hair in a manner pleasing to her aunt.
“You look most appropriate now, Miss Elise.” Etta, Caroline’s former maid, had been reassigned to Elise. She continued to look Elise over for flaws. “Mrs. Monroe will be pleased to see you are well.”
Elise glanced in the mirror. The transformation was amazing. She looked nothing like she did when working on the ship. In the pale blue creation she wore, she looked as if she belonged in a grand salon, sharing company with the wealthy of New York. Her already trim waist was cinched even smaller to fit the beautiful gown. The neckline was thankfully modest and trimmed in white lace, and it gave the illusion of her neck being several inches longer than it really was. Etta had done an exceptional job on her hair, despite it always being difficult for Elise to work with. She had managed to create a beautiful arrangement of curls and ribbons of white. It was quite lovely.
But as beautiful as it all was, it would never serve Elise well on board theMary Elise. It had taken well over an hour to get dressed. She grinned at the thought of delaying breakfast for an hour while she fancied herself up, then imagined trying to get anything done dressed like this. There were times on the schooner that she wished she dared to wear pants. How convenient that would be. She had seriously considered purchasing one of those outfits designed with bloomers. Those full, puffed-out trousers for women who wished for more freedom of movement were being marketed all over the city. It might suit her to purchase some and try them out on the ship. At the very least they would help keep her warm when the winds turned cold.
“Your aunt is taking breakfast and asked you to join her if you insisted on being up and about,” Etta stated in a formal manner.
“Goodness, it’s nearly ten. It seems absurd to eat this close to lunch.”
“Mrs. Monroe usually takes her meals this late during the week. The gentlemen are much too noisy when they first rise in the morning. She says they weary her nerves with all their chatter and arguing over what’s in the newspaper.” Etta put her hand to her mouth, then slowly lowered it. “Sorry, miss. I shouldn’t be speaking so.”
“Don’t fear. I won’t say a word about it.” Elise headed for the door, and Etta scooted past her to open it.
“Thank you, miss.” She gave a curtsy. “I didn’t mean to be so excitable.”
