“Mother, you are not old,” Claudette protested.
Martha Turner chuckled before returning her attention to her meal. “I’ll admit, since Judith came into our lives, I’ve felt younger and healthier. She’s like a balm of healing.”
Roman lifted his water glass as if to toast. “I couldn’t have said it better.”
The next morning, Judith was ready when Roman knocked on the door. She hadn’t told him the night before why she wanted him to come first thing, and he was more than a little curious.
“I can’t help but wonder what you’ve got going on this early. The sun is barely up.”
“That’s the best part.” She tied the ribbons to her bonnet. “Now come on. Mr. Manfre is waiting to drive us in the carriage.”
“To where?”
She laughed and pulled his arm. “You’ll see.” She paused. “Oh, I nearly forgot my shawl.” She retrieved it from the coat-tree and pulled it around her shoulders. “Now, I’m ready.”
The driver was ready and waiting, just as Judith had said. They climbed into the carriage, and before Judith had evenmanaged to settle herself, Mr. Manfre snapped the lines and put them in motion.
“Seems quite mysterious, this surprise of yours.”
“I felt it was time you knew a little bit more about me and my life in Philadelphia.”
“And you’re planning to take me there?”
“Not exactly. But I thought it might be fun to show you a part of what I grew up with. This was pretty much my daily life for quite some time.”
“I see.” He folded his arms and seemed to consider what she had in mind.
Judith couldn’t keep it to herself any longer. “I’m taking you on the river. Remember I said I purchased a steamboat? It’s set up for passenger service, and I’ve been having it spruced up a bit. I talked to the captain, and he’s going to take us for a trip down the river and back again.”
Roman perked up at this. “That sounds more than a little bit interesting. I’ve never gone on a riverboat.”
“Well, since you’re marrying a riverboat captain’s daughter, I think it’s about time.”
Twenty minutes later, they stood at the stern of theHeritage, a beautiful paddle-wheeler that reminded Judith of one of the ships her father had bought nearly a dozen years ago. He had called her one of the most beautiful ships ever built and named her for Judith’s mother.
“What are you thinking about?” Roman asked, pulling her close as the boat made its way down the river.
“This boat reminds me of one my father purchased in 1858. He had her built special and named her for my mother.The Waltzing Winifred.”
“Waltzing?”
Judith turned in his arms to face the water. She leaned back against him and spoke over her shoulder. “My parents first met at a dance. My father asked my mother to waltz with him,but she didn’t know how. You see, the waltz was still rather scandalous, and my mother was just sixteen.”
“So he taught her to waltz?”
Judith nodded and leaned her head back against Roman’s shoulder. “He did. He said she took to it like a fish to water. He teasingly called her Waltzing Winifred in private moments, and this vessel is a very close duplicate of that boat.”
For a few minutes, neither one spoke. Instead, Judith enjoyed the rhythmic whoosh of the water against the wheel. It was like a melodious reminder of her childhood. She was happier than she could have imagined.
“Your joy surprises me,” Roman said, his breath warm on her ear.
“Why?” She turned to face him once again.
“Well, given you lost your parents to a boiler explosion, I suppose I find it strange that you should still love these boats as much as you do.”
“My father raised me to know that danger lurks everywhere on a paddle-wheeler. You must always be aware of your place on it and keep in mind that without any notice at all, you may be fighting for your life. It gave me a healthy respect for the boat and the river, but not fear, and even in losing my parents, I couldn’t hate it. My father and mother loved it so.
“For a time, my mother blamed the river for the death of my little brother. She stayed away, thinking her loss might hurt less, but soon enough, she realized it was in her blood, and she couldn’t give it up. She came to understand, too, that God was in control of life and death, and that while it was heartbreaking to say good-bye to little Frank, she could hardly blame the river or the boat.”
