Petals on the River

by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

  “Cain?” Hugh Corbin stared at Gage, momentarily convinced that he had taken leave of his senses. “Cain wouldna’ve killed her!”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Corbin. My wife and I both saw him do it.”

  “Why?” Hugh demanded. “Why in the hell would Cain do a thing like that to Roxanne?”

  Gage heaved his shoulders upward slightly. “Because Roxanne wanted him to kill my wife, and he was unwilling to obey her. He killed Victoria for Roxanne, too, after she tricked him into doing it. When she threatened Shemaine, Cain swept Roxanne up in his arms and leapt off the prow of my ship with her. Roxanne didn’t survive the fall. She died of a broken neck after hitting her head on one of the rocks.”

  Hugh Corbin gaped dully at Gage, hardly able to understand what the younger man was telling him. After a moment of strained silence, he wiped his trembling hands on his breeches and muttered half to himself, “ ‘Twill take me a while ta dig two graves. . . .”

  Gage looked at the smithy, not sure he understood what the man had said. “I thought I’d try to find that old woman’s cabin in the woods where Cain lived and bury him out there. If you know where it is, it would help me. . . .”

  “I’ll bury Cain beside Roxanne.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that, Mr. Corbin?” Gage asked in quiet sympathy. “After all, Cain did kill her. . . .”

  “This was where Cain was born; this is where he’ll be buried.”

  Gage wondered if the shock of Roxanne’s death had addled the smithy. “As far as I can remember, the woman in the woods never said where Cain came from. Are you saying that Cain was born in Newportes Newes . . . or near here?”

  “He was me son,” Hugh answered in a gravely voice. “Me firstborn. He was born a couple o’ weeks afore he was due, an’ when I saw how grotesque the babe was, I told Leona ta pad her belly so’s everybody would think she was still with child. Then I took the babe in the woods an’ left him on the ol’ woman’s doorstep. Didn’t seem right somehow ta kill me own son. After the hag found Cain an’ spread the news around, I told some people that Leona was goin’ inta labor with our own babe, but I wouldn’t let anyone come inta the house. Later, I built a tiny coffin, weighted it down with a small bag o’ grain an’ told the townsfolk that the son what had been born ta me an’ Leona had come inta the world dead. I didn’t want ta own up ta that hideous li’l creature I’d taken in the woods, but Cain was the only son I e’er had.”

  “Did Roxanne know that Cain was her brother?”

  “I never told a soul . . .’til this moment . . . an’ now it just don’t seem ta matter anymore.”

  Gage left the man alone to deal with his sorrows as best as he could. The smithy had made his own way in life, and it had become obvious to Gage during the short time he was there that Hugh wanted no one to pity him. He would remain as stubborn and harshly stalwart as ever.

  Gage helped the smithy unload the top two coffins, then he took the third and a statement of how Potts had met his death to the British authorities in the area. Gage then proceeded to the tavern and found Freida in a raging tizzy.

  “I’d like to talk with Morrisa,” he informed the madam. “Do you know where she is?”

  “I wish I did,” Freida snapped irritably. “She left here without lettin’ any o’ us know she was leavin’, an’ from what I hears, she caught a ride goin’ north with the first fella what come along, a mountain man what’s been visitin’ her lately. ‘Twould seem she ain’t plannin’ on comin’ back any time soon.”

  “Then I take it Morrisa didn’t bother to buy her freedom.”

  Freida snorted angrily, attesting to the accuracy of his conjecture. “Ye can bet when I catch up with her, she’s gonna wish she had.”

  “I suppose Morrisa was more afraid of what I’d do to her than she was of you,” Gage surmised.

  Freida squinted a glance up at him. “Potts go out ta yer place ‘gain?”

  Gage responded with a nod. “This time he tried to kill me and said that Morrisa told him to do it. He meant to kill my wife after doing away with me.”

  The madam swept him with a lengthy perusal, seeing no visible wounds. “But ye’re here an’ Potts ain’t.”

  “His coffin is down the street a ways.”

  Freida pursed her reddened lips in a wrinkled “Oh?” as she leaned back in her chair to stare at him. “So’s ye’re here lookin’ for Morrisa an’ maybe thinkin’ ye’ll do her in like ye promised, but ye’re gonna have ta wait yer turn, ’cause I’m gonna find her first an’ lay inta her so harsh she’s gonna wish she done gone ta the grave.”

  “Be my guest. As long as she’s out of the territory, I think I can forget about her being a danger to Shemaine.”

  “Oh, I’m gonna bring her back alright or kill her tryin’. I gots friends what keep me informed ’bout things. Until I finds out where she’s gone, I’ll be a-thinkin’ up what’ll be the best punishment I can give her for leavin’ here without me knowin’. She ain’t gonna be much use ta me all scarred up by a whip. The gents won’t mind a finger or two missin’ on a harlot as long as she’s got enough ta get their attention. An’ I knows some other stuff what’ll make the bitch take notice. If’n Morrisa’s smart, she’ll behave herself from then on. Otherwise, she’ll be regrettin’ it ‘til her dyin’ day. That much I’ve promised her, an’ I always keep me pledge.”

  Gage didn’t know which posed a greater threat to Morrisa, being at the beck and call of a mountain man or being at the mercy of a vicious adversary like Freida. Whatever her fate, he seriously doubted that she would enjoy herself overmuch.

  News of Edith du Mercer’s hasty departure from Newportes Newes reached Gage before he left the tavern, and he returned to his family confident that Maurice du Mercer had handled the situation in a way that he had deemed fit. Later, when Shemus and Camille arrived at the cabin after venturing into the hamlet, they informed Shemaine and Gage that Maurice had come to see them and had explained his intentions. He was giving some consideration to the idea of eventually settling near Richmond and paying court to Garland Beauchamp to see what would come of that relationship. At the moment, however, he was still in love with Shemaine and had decided it was best to put some distance between them for his own peace of mind. He was planning on returning to England after an initial visit with the Beauchamps, and in a year or so would be returning to the colonies and traveling upriver to Richmond. If, at that time, Shemaine had been widowed or left to her own defenses, she was to leave word for him at the inn in Newportes Newes. Since she was apparently deeply in love with her husband, he would leave her alone, but should she want him ere he wed another, he would return to her stoop with all the eagerness of a smitten swain.

  Gage bristled at the announcement, but he could hardly blame the man. In fact, if Shemaine were ever widowed, Gage could not imagine a better man than Maurice to replace him as her husband. Still, Gage hoped he would completely frustrate the Marquess’s desires and live to an ancient age with her, for she was clearly the kind of wife a husband could treasure beyond all the ships, fame and fortune in the world.

  Shemus blustered at the urging of his wife and cleared his throat as he faced his son-in-law. The fact that William sat nearby only added to his discomfiture. “Now that ye’ve been cleared o’ the murder o’ yer first wife, I suppose I must beg yer pardon for the things I said ta ye the first day we met.”

  “Only if you’re sincere about it,” Gage assured him cordially. “An apology isn’t worth much unless you truly mean it.”

  Shemaine slipped an arm around her husband’s waist and, leaning against his long muscular form, smiled at her parent as she encouraged him to make things right. “You don’t really want to geld him now, do you, Papa? After all, ‘twould mean no more grandchildren after the one I’m carrying now is born.”

  Her father reddened in painful chagrin. “Yer mother an’ I wanted a large family, but it was never meant ta be. Several grandchildren would make up for all the years o’ our yearnin’
.”

  “Then say it, Papa!” Shemaine entreated eagerly.

  Shemus cleared his throat and began his apology haltingly. “I’m sorry for what I said . . . for wantin’ ta see ye cut, Gage, but . . . at the time . . . I could only imagine that ye’d taken advantage o’ me daughter. Can ye forgive me?”

  “I can understand that you were concerned for Shemaine. In fact, I might have said as much if it had been a daughter of mine.” Gage extended a hand in friendship and smiled as it was readily grasped by the Irishman. “We have a common goal, sir, and that is the welfare of Shemaine. I will pledge my troth to you that I’ll do everything within my power as her husband to make her happy.”

  Chortling in good humor, Shemus laid his free hand upon the ones that were still clasped together and shook them, bestowing his hearty approval upon the younger man. “I’m grateful Shemaine was bought by yerself, sir. Otherwise, it might have been a disastrous end ta her adventure.”

  Shemaine freely expounded upon her father’s conjecture. “Before my arrest, Papa, I didn’t have the wisdom to search beyond the realm of my own limited aspirations. Against my will, I was set to a different course in life than the one I had directed my sights toward, and yet, looking back, I can only believe a kinder hand must have been guiding me through my hardships, for ‘tis boundless love and joy I feel in my heart today for my husband, for my son, and for the child to come . . . and for our families.”

  “Hear! Hear!” Gage cried, and a triumphant shout of agreement came simultaneously from William and Shemus. “Hear! Hear!”

  The foaming waves curled away from the Blue Falcon’s cutwater as the vessel skimmed effortlessly away from the tidewater region into the open sea. Her white sails billowed out with the wind pushing at her heels, and beneath the clear blue sky, the gleaming shrouds almost bedazzled those who stood on the deck experiencing the wonder of her first flight. A feeling of awe was shared by all, the captain no less than any.

  “She’s a beauty!” Nathanial Beauchamp exclaimed, casting a brief glance toward the man who stood at his side. “And you, sir, have created a marvel!”

  Gage likened the ecstatic racing of his heart to that special moment when Shemaine had accepted his proposal of marriage. Yet he could find no words to speak, for his heart was full.

  William Thornton reached up a hand and laid it upon his son’s shoulder, squeezing it in silent communication. The joy that welled up within him had brought tears to his eyes, and he could not trust himself to voice his own praise for fear the gathering thickness in his throat would convey the emotion he was presently trying hard to restrain.

  “Daddee, look at the big fish!” Andrew cried, pointing toward the school of porpoise racing along the starboard side. The boy caught Gillian’s hand and begged, “Lift me up high, Gil’an, so I can see ’em better.”

  Shemaine smiled as her husband joined her. His right arm came around her shoulder, drawing her close as his left hand slipped underneath the large shawl that she had donned to mask her belly, which had just begun to protrude. Beneath the covering of the wrap, he fondly caressed the gentle roundness.

  “I think Nathanial likes the Blue Falcon, my sweet,” Gage murmured.

  Shemaine looked up with loving eyes and dared to correct his statement. “I think Captain Beauchamp is mightily impressed with the Blue Falcon, Mr. Thornton. He’s been grinning ever since we got under way.”

  “Aye, I’ve noticed.”

  “But then, so have you, my darling, almost as much as Flannery.” Shemaine inclined her head to indicate the old shipwright, who stood in the middle of the deck, visibly exhilarating in the feel of a good ship beneath him. His wrinkled face was lit up with jubilant glee, and it could be said that his smile stretched from stem to stern, showing his sparse teeth.

  Gage thought the old man vividly expressed what they were all feeling. “Nathanial selected the right name for her, my pet. The Blue Falcon suits the brigantine. She’ll soar through these waters like a bird of prey.”

  Shemaine cocked her head aslant to gaze up at her husband with a curious grin. “I’m thankful you’re not a ship’s captain, sir. I fear I’d soon be taking second place to a wooden mistress.”

  “Eh, never that, my love,” Gage murmured, resting his chin on top of her head. “You’re my only mistress and my dearest love. I could no more sail away from you than my own heart.”

  “Aye, ‘tis that way with me, too.” Shemaine sighed. “I could never leave you. When we first came together in love, it was not only the merging of our bodies but our hearts as well. We’ve truly become one.”

  “Aye, love, and our child will be a token of our love, for our joy was complete when you conceived.”

  Shemaine nestled her head against his chest. “Aye, to be sure, Mr. Thornton. To be sure!”

  EPILOGUE

  The gangplank of the newly docked ship from England was lowered, and after the first few passengers disembarked, Gage shifted his one-year-old son in his arm and thrust out an arm to point toward the nattily garbed couple who were vying for a place near the rail. Following her husband’s directions, Shemaine finally located her parents and began to dance sideways along the wharf in an effort to get their attention.

  “Mama! Papa! Look this way!”

  Camille recognized the familiar voice that reached their ears and promptly scanned the dock in search of her daughter. Upon espying Shemaine, she waved an arm. “We’re coming, darling! We’ll be down shortly.”

  In a moment Camille and Shemus O’Hearn, followed by a whole complement of servants, were hurrying down the gangplank and running with open arms toward their daughter. Shemaine hugged each fiercely as Gage and William waited behind her with the children. Andrew was clasping his grandfather’s finger and was not at all desirous of being kissed and hugged by any of the strangers who came near. Then Shemaine eagerly drew her parents forward to meet their new grandson.

  “Mama, Papa, this is Christopher Thornton.”

  The one-year-old raised an arm to push away the loving caress of the older woman and, turning his green eyes away from her, tucked his dark head beneath his father’s chin, making that one chuckle and hug him close. “Christopher takes to strangers no better than his brother does,” Gage informed the O’Hearns. “But once he gets to know you, he’ll be walking over your toes in his eagerness to get into your laps. He especially enjoys being read to.”

  “At such a young age?” Camille queried proudly. “What a smart boy he is.”

  “He looks like his father,” Shemus mumbled with some disappointment. He had hoped to see more of his own daughter in the lad.

  “Aye, but there’s no mistaking where his green eyes came from, dear,” his wife said sweetly, patting his arm.

  Shemaine could not restrain herself another moment. “Is it really true, Papa, that you’ve sold everything and intend to live in Williamsburg?”

  The elder tucked his thumbs in the pocket of his waistcoat and grinned. “Maurice said there are great opportunities to be found there for an enterprising man. He’s living there now with his wife, Garland, and thought I should look into starting a business in the city.”

  “Oh, Papa, that’s wonderful! Now we’ll live close enough to visit on a frequent basis.”

  Shemus glanced up at Gage with an inquiry. “Are you still building ships?”

  “Aye, along with my father, who has put in with me,” the younger man replied. “We’ve hired a few more men, and the work is going a lot faster now.”

  “Oh, I hope you haven’t given up making furniture,” Camille interjected, suffering some dismay at the thought. “We sold all of our furnishings before leaving England, so we’ll be needing some more as soon as we can find a home.”

  “The cabinet shop is bigger now,” Shemaine informed her mother happily. “And Gage has had to hire several new apprentices to help keep up with the demands of all the people wanting his furniture. In fact, we’ve enlarged the cabin and have acquired a servant to help me clean
and cook. You and Papa will be able to stay with us and have a guest bedroom all to yourselves whenever you visit. William still uses the loft when he comes.”

  “But what about Mary Margaret?” Camille asked her daughter in a muted tone. “I thought she and William were interested in each other.”

  “They’ve had a long friendship, to be sure,” Shemaine confided quietly. “But I don’t think they’re too serious about getting married, certainly not at this time. For one who has the wiles of a matchmaker, Mary Margaret is not at all sure she wants to give up her single life as a widow. The two of them play cards together quite often, but they’re also seeing others. William has all the older women simply goggle-eyed over him, and they’re chasing him as hard and fast as the younger ones ever did Gage.”

  “With good reason,” Camille whispered behind a smile. “My dear, if your husband looks as good when he matures to a ripe age as his father does now, then you’ll surely have to fight the women off in droves.”

  Shemaine laughed, unconcerned. “Gage reassures me quite often, Mama, that I’m the only love in his life.”

  Andrew tugged on his father’s breeches. “Gran’pa wants to take Chris and me onto the ship, Daddy. Can we go?”

  “Watch your brother carefully now,” Gage urged, squatting down. He stood his youngest son on his feet, and immediately Christopher slipped his tiny hand into his brother’s. Taking hold of his grandfather’s finger, the toddler looked back at his father with a wide grin that was closely reminiscent of the one Andrew had mastered at an early age.

  “Bah, Da-da.”

  Gage chuckled at his youngest son’s attempt to talk. “Good-bye, Chris.”

  Shemus chortled as he took note of his grandson’s winsome charm and, bustling behind the other three, followed them up the gangplank. It didn’t take him long to win the toddler’s confidence as he pointed out the seagulls that were swooping close overhead. Before they left the ship again, he was carrying Christopher in his arms and making him laugh in glee. Camille joined her husband, and together they reveled in the delightful antics of their grandchild.