Her blouse was dirty from a day’s work, and her skirt hadn’tfared much better. More laundry to do. The thought of laundry reminded her of Duran’s bloody shirt. So much blood.
He said it had come from a fight at one of the bars. That everyone had been fighting. She wondered if there was any way to find out about that. She could hardly go around from tavern to tavern, asking about fights they’d had two months ago. Fights were common.
Maybe she shouldn’t have made assumptions about Duran. He had a temper and a bad disposition, but that certainly didn’t mean he’d killed someone. And yes, he’d been much too forward with her, but that also wasn’t a reason to despise him. After all, her cousin’s friend had also attacked her, and she’d never thought of him again until just now.
Elise sank into the copper tub of warm water, wishing it were hotter. She let down her hair and slipped as deep as she could. Once her hair was wet, she began to scrub it with the soap.
How could she find out what had really happened? Duran would surely never volunteer the information. Nick came to mind. Maybe she could find him and tell him what had happened. She hated to bother him on his evening off. She wasn’t even sure where she could go to find him.
Maybe it was best to keep it to herself, and then, once they’d sailed, she could tell Nick what she knew, and he could check it out the next time they were in Duluth. After all, it might have happened when they weren’t even in port, and the bloody shirt could be just what Duran had told her.
But what if it wasn’t?
Chapter 16
Elise found her father in a worse mood the next morning. He was anxious to get theMary Eliseon her way and pushed for everyone to work double-time. The fact that it was October first made him keep to a very tight schedule. They were running out of time for shipping, and the worst storms of the season were due to come upon them in the few remaining weeks.
Knowing breakfast would be rushed, Elise didn’t make a hot meal. Instead, she put out lots of hot coffee, fresh fruit, pickled herring, cold ham, and a variety of breads she’d picked up at a local bakery. With that done, she sat down to share their morning Bible reading and prayers.
“You seem preoccupied, Papa. What has you so concerned?”
“I didn’t want to say anything to you last night, but Uncle James has another job for us before we return to Oswego.”
“What does he want us to do?”
“Sail to Chicago and pick up some major parts. They’re building a new mill, and apparently they’ve had no luck getting anyone to bring them up. I sent him a telegram back, telling him we were loaded with grain and ready to leave for Oswego,but this morning another telegram came, directing me where to deliver the grain in Chicago.” He hit his fist against the table. “I don’t like last-minute changes. He knows that.”
“I’m sorry, Papa. I know that makes it hard on you. At least Nick is very familiar with that area. You’ll have great help in getting there and back.”
Her father’s expression softened. “I suppose I should be counting my blessings.”
Elise went to him and hugged him. “How can I help?”
“Just keep the galley for now. I’ll let you know if I need something more.”
Elise smiled up at her father. “You’ve got it. Coffee will be ready in another couple of minutes. We should probably get our reading done and pray.”
“You’re right again. Let’s get to it.”
The trip into Chicago had been complicated only by the length of time they’d needed to wait for a tugboat to help them navigate the Chicago River. With the grain quickly deposited and the load of sawmill machinery picked up, theMary Elisewas soon on its way back to Duluth, and the dreaded city was behind them.
The weather was so favorable on the return that to make top speed, Elise’s father ordered every inch of canvas sail to be set. They even had a short race with theAnnie Peterson, whose captain was known never to allow any challenge to go unmet. He was so sure of his ship’s ability to best any other that he kept a broom perpetually tied to his main mast as a signal of challenge to any takers. Nick knew the captain personally andthought theMary Elisecould beat her, but alas, it wasn’t to be. Nevertheless, the men enjoyed the challenge and cheered one another on as they went their separate ways.
The camaraderie between the men seemed to lift everyone’s spirits, and by the time they were back in Duluth, it seemed the side trip had been more of a refreshing voyage than an extra duty.
Elise took the helm at lunchtime on the day they left Duluth, once again bound for Oswego. Her father’s mirth hadn’t lasted, due to another telegram that awaited him—this time from Caroline.
“She insists that we come get her and bring her to live with us in Duluth,” he told Elise as he traded places with her at the wheel.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“What good would it have done? I hardly know more than her determination to leave Oswego and her husband for good. I don’t know what has happened to make it so critical that she leave now, but thank you for taking the helm. I need to speak to the men and let them know my plans for the day. The weather’s due to change. I know this from the weather station as well as my knee joints.” He smiled. “I’ll send someone out to relieve you as soon as possible.”
Elise didn’t mind steering the ship. It was a wonderful time to contemplate and pray. She had often thought that if open sailing was all that was required of a captain, she might have sought out the job for herself. There were, after all, other women schooner captains. She’d heard of several who handled a ship as well as their husbands.
The wind picked up from time to time, but for the most part her job was uneventful. It was just the blue cloud-dotted sky, theendless water, and her. Elise could almost pretend she was alone. That was why it made such a great time for prayer.
“I never pray so much as when I’m at the wheel,” she told her father when he came to relieve her. She gave him a kiss on his cheek, since no one was around to see.
