by Barbara Goss
“Before we left, I wrote a letter to Judge Matthews contesting the annulment. Now, it has to be settled in court.”
“What?” Greta pulled away from him. “How dare you?”
“I don’t want an annulment,” Adam said. “I have every right to contest it.”
“Well, I want it.” Greta turned and left the cabin, slamming the door behind her.
Greta headed for the galley where she found Tully, cutting vegetables. “Did Adam tell you to give me more responsibility?” she asked him.
Tully looked surprised and sputtered for a few seconds.
“He already told me he did.”
“Adam was concerned for you. He wanted me to ease you into being in charge of the galley, and you did a great job. I’ve watched you become surer of yourself and more independent.” Tully shrugged. “Seems to me, Adam cares for you more than you realize.”
~~~~***~~~~
Adam smiled. It had worked. Greta was actually angry. He should probably try to soothe her. He’d miss her company if she wouldn’t speak to him for the rest of the journey. How was he to get himself forgiven? He’d become fond of her, and he knew that he wanted to stay married to her because he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and not just because of his promise to Seth. He had to find a way to let her know and hope to God she hadn’t already fallen in love with Tanner.
Greta was standing at the rail looking out at the sea when Adam came up on the deck. He leaned on the rail beside her. “I’m sorry,” he said.
She turned and looked him square in the eye. “There are things you don’t know.”
“Like what?”
“Things you would never understand,” she muttered, looking back out at the sea.
“Try me,” he said.
Greta shook her head.
Adam blurted the one thing he feared most. “Are you in love with Tanner?”
Greta swung her head around to look at him. “What?”
“Are you in love with that Tanner fellow?”
Greta laughed and shook her head. “I’ve never done more than speak to him on a few occasions. He asked if he could court me, and I told him I couldn’t court anyone until I annulled the proxy marriage. He agreed to wait.” She frowned. “And what if I was in love with him? What would that matter to you? Oh, yes, you’d fail to keep your promise to Seth.”
“That was true, but—”
“No, don’t say it. Please leave. I need some time alone to think.”
“But you need to hear this,” Adam said.
Greta covered her ears with her hands. “Please, leave me alone.”
Adam left to go to the helm to put his maps in order. He’d accomplished his goal: he’d made her both angry and independent. She was fighting back, though he now wished he’d have left things alone. The look in her eyes was cold, and he knew he’d lost any hope of a life with her.
He went down to the galley. Maybe Tully would have some good advice. He seemed a wise man.
Tully looked up sheepishly when he saw Adam approach. “Greta knows about our plan. You told her?”
“Relax. I did,” Adam told him, “but our plan worked too well, and she doesn’t want to talk to me now.”
“What the devil happened?”
“She filed an application with her attorney for an annulment, and she just found out that I’m contesting it, and now it has to go to court.”
“Annulment? What kind of a marriage do you two have?” Tully asked.
“She married my brother, and he died on their wedding night.”
“Criminy!” Tully exclaimed.
“She was carrying my dead brother’s child, and my parents asked me to marry her. They wanted to keep the child in the family—which I can understand. I objected at first—I didn’t want to stop sailing—but when I thought about it, I knew I had to do it for my brother.”
“Ah, I think I’m catching on. Would that be why the rumor on the ship is that you two sleep apart?”
“Yes. We haven’t consummated the marriage.”
Tully clapped him on the back. “I should think you’d be relieved that your commitment to her is now null and void, and you can go back to your life on the sea.”
Adam fiddled with a green pepper on the cutting board. “There’s more to it than that—I’ve become fond of her, and there’s another man who’s waiting to court her.”
Tully rubbed his chin. “Then, you better start groveling. Tell her how you feel. Do you love her?”
“I’m not sure I know what love is, Tully. Have you ever been in love?”
“Oh, yes! It’s a painful malady, love is, when it goes wrong, of course. It’s the sweetest melody when things go right.” Tully laid his knife down and gazed into space. “I fell for a woman in Boston. Maggie, she was. The sweetest and prettiest woman I ever laid eyes on.”
“Did you marry her?” Adam asked.
“I did, but she died giving birth to our first child. I lost two of my most precious loved ones in the world at the same time.”
“I’m so sorry. How did you cope with it?”
“I took to drinking. It numbed the pain, but when I sobered up, the pain was still there, so I decided I was wasting my money on whiskey. That’s when I decided to go to sea. I wasn’t much good at being a sailor, so my first ship’s captain tried me at cooking, and I’ve been in a galley ever since. I was so busy cooking for a crew three times a day that I didn’t have time to think of my pain.”
Tully pointed his finger at Adam. “You need to find out if you love her, and tell her if you do. Don’t let her get away.”
“I’ll try, but how did it feel when you were in love? I don’t know what it is I feel for Greta.”
“Oh, I thought about Maggie all the time when we were apart. When I saw her, my heart would pump a bit faster. I wanted to be with her forever. I loved being with her. She could brighten even the dreariest of days. Everything I did, I did for Maggie.”
Tully picked up his knife and pointed it at Adam. “You’d better fix it.”
Chapter Thirteen
Greta came up behind Adam while he was studying a map at the helm. “Excuse me, but why aren’t we moving?”
Adam studied her face for a few moments to try to determine her mood, but he couldn’t; it was the first time she’d spoken to him in two days.
“We don’t have a crew,” he said simply.
Her face dropped in disappointment. “What do we do in that case?”
“Manny is out on the wharf trying to hire us a crew. I told him to offer more money than what their present shipping company is paying. We already have six men signed up, but we’ll need at least six more.”
Greta looked like she was about to cry, she was so disappointed.
“Look, I’m doing everything I can to get us home. I know how much you miss Bethany. I miss her, too.”
Greta turned, walked toward the forecastle, and leaned on the railing to stare out at the water.
Adam followed her and leaned on the rail beside her. She swiped at her face, and he knew she was crying.
“When we get home, I’ll cancel the contesting of the annulment. If that’s what you want, I’ll concede. I’ll do anything to make you happy again and not upset with me. I miss your company.”
More tears fell down Greta’s face. He turned and held out his arms, but she shook her head rather than move into them.
Adam dropped his arms. “Talk to me, Greta.”
“I’ve loved this trip, but I’m homesick. I miss my daughter, and I’m upset that you’ve contested the annulment. Now it will take even longer to dissolve our marriage.”
Adam took her arm. “Come with me.” He was surprised when she went with him to the stairs and allowed him lead her to the captain’s quarters—in other words, her room. He steered her to the chair opposite his desk. He sat on the desk near her and took her hand in his. Tears were still rolling down her face.
“How would you like to go into Liverpool and send another telegram ho
me? We can wait for an answer like we did in Charleston.”
Greta nodded. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped at her tears. “Can I ask you a question?” she asked.
Adam lifted her chin with his finger. “You can ask me anything.”
“Why are you willing to cancel challenging the annulment?”
Adam shrugged. “I can’t force you to stay married to me, I realize that. I was simply trying to give myself more time to get to know you better before the annulment took place.”
Greta sniffled into her handkerchief. “Can we still be business partners?”
“I was wrong to contest the annulment without telling you, but I never break a promise. We can still be partners. You’ve kept your promise to come along with me to work onboard; we still have a deal.”
She gave him a tear-filled smile and his chest filled with warmth. He wondered if what he felt was love. He’d have to ask Tully.
He pulled her to her feet. “Come on—let’s go into Liverpool and send that telegram.”
Greta touched her head. “I can’t. My hair is a mess.”
“I can fix that quickly enough.” He spun her around and untied the rawhide holding the messy braid he’d fixed for her two days ago. Once a week, he hauled a huge tub in for her to bathe and wash her hair. The soap she used smelled like fresh cut lilacs. As he brushed her hair, he once again wanted to sink his face into the silky strands.
After a few brushes, the strands shone like gold. Adam made short work of braiding her hair and wrapping it around her head. She gave him a pin, and he used it to secure it. When he was done, he spun her around to face him. “You look so good. All the sailors on the wharf are bound to be envious of me.”
Greta smiled at him. He took it to mean she’d forgiven him.
He took her to Liverpool, where they hired a horse-drawn cab to take them to the telegram office. They received a telegram back saying all was well, and it cheered Greta somewhat.
When they returned to Eve, Manny had eight more recruits lined up. Adam clapped Manny on the back and said to Greta, “We set sail tomorrow.”
Before retiring for the night, Adam had a meeting with his crew to make sure everyone knew the rules and their duties. He hoped they could all be trusted, as Adam preferred to work with the same crew for each voyage, and they were all strangers, again. Adam went below and knocked on Greta’s door.
“Who is it?” she called.
“Adam.”
“It’s all right to come in,” she said.
He used his key and came in, carrying his Bible. “I wondered if we could continue our nightly Bible reading.”
Greta was in bed with the quilt pulled up to her chin. She smiled and nodded.
He sat at the desk and read several chapters from Ephesians. Before he locked Greta in for the night, he said a prayer that they would have a safe and quick journey home.
~~~~***~~~~
Greta stood at the rail, watching the sea as they set sail for home. She could hardly wait to see land on the horizon. She was still somewhat angry with Adam for contesting the annulment. It would have been different if he’d contested it because he loved her, but he’d done it to keep his promise to Seth. Greta prayed every night that Adam would return her love, but she supposed God wasn’t in the romance business. After all, he was busy answering dire prayers for people who were dying or in trouble.
Sometimes, she wondered if Adam did care for her. He certainly looked out for her welfare. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was in love with her, given the sparkle in his eyes when he saw her each morning and the way he always touched her when he spoke to her. If she wasn’t happy, he tried to move heaven and earth to change her mood. Why would he do that if he wasn’t in love with her? Was she caught up in wishful thinking?
Greta wondered if he’d be satisfied with a life away from the sea. Would raising horses stifle his urge to sail, or would he yearn for the sea after a few months?
She wished she had the nerve to ask him all of these questions.
Greta had wool-gathered far too long. It was nearly time for lunch, and Tully would be waiting for her in the galley. She scurried down to the galley to apologize to him.
Tully waved off her apology. “Not a problem. I decided to make sandwiches from last night’s leftover chicken.”
“Oh, that will be good and easy.” Greta saw six loaves of homemade bread on the counter. “You’ve made bread already?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” Tully said, “so, I got up around four and baked the bread.”
Greta grabbed a knife and a fat loaf of bread and began slicing. “Tully, do you think Adam will be satisfied living in Texas?”
“Once you two start a family, he won’t want to leave, I promise you.”
“I have a daughter from my first marriage to his brother, so we already have a family.”
“Have another one, and I guarantee he won’t want to leave either you or the children.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know Adam and his family. They’re close knit, so he’ll also want the same for his family. Those things run through the generations.” Tully grabbed another loaf and began slicing. “Especially if his marriage is a good one, which I’m sure it is.”
Greta stopped slicing. She dropped her knife on the cutting board. “Our marriage isn’t a good one, and it’s in the process of being annulled. We’ve decided to partner in a horse breeding ranch but not as a married couple.”
Tully shook his head. “I wouldn’t hurry on that annulment.”
“It would be different if the marriage were based on love, but it was a forced marriage, and Adam is simply carrying out a promise he made to his brother.”
Tully gave Greta a serious look. “And you? Why did you agree to the marriage?”
“Adam’s mother was pushing me, but—”
“But?” Tully prompted.
“I’ve been fond of Adam since I was thirteen and first laid eyes on him. He never noticed me until after our proxy marriage.”
Tully shook his butcher’s knife at her. “Isn’t it possible that Adam agreed to marry you because of a promise to his brother, but now, after getting to know you, he’s realized that he loves you?”
Greta shook her head. “How would I know if that were true? He treats me well, but he’s never displayed any affection other than friendship.”
Tully continued slicing the bread. “Men are different than women; they sometimes need a bit of encouragement.”
Greta shook her head. “I can’t encourage him—I was brought up to be a lady. Am I expected to throw myself into his arms and smother him with kisses? No, I couldn’t do that.”
“Well,” Tully said, “maybe not something quite that extreme. You could, perhaps, show your feelings in another way. Does he usually seek you out, or do you approach him first?”
“He usually approaches me.”
“Then switch that up. You seek him out. He’ll be surprised, but he might get the message.”
“I suppose I could do that.”
“When you and he are talking, you could, perhaps, squeeze his hand. When he does something nice, it wouldn’t be unladylike to give him a peck on the cheek as a thank you.”
“If I did those things, how would that make a difference, Tully?”
“Just do them, and you’ll find out.” Tully laughed. “Time to put the chicken and sauce on the bread.”
The dining room—which was just across from the galley—filled with crew members. Tully served them, as ordered by Adam—he didn’t want Greta too close to the crew. When Tully returned to the galley he remarked, “Adam didn’t come down to eat. Manny said he’s having trouble with one of his instruments.”
Greta cringed. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”
Tully took the plate from Greta’s hand. “This might be a good time for you to take him a sandwich and a drink.” He placed a sandwich on the plate and filled a cup with coffee. “Here.” He held t
hem out to her.
Greta took them and walked up to the deck to find Adam bent over a metal gadget, looking frustrated. He didn’t look up as she approached. “I’ve brought you up some lunch,” she said, startling him.
He gave the gadget a disgusted wave and gave her a smile. “How thoughtful. Thank you.”
Greta feared how he might answer her next question: “Is it an instrument we need to get home?”
Adam took a bite of his sandwich and then a drink of his coffee. “Every instrument is needed, but never fear: I’ll get us home.” He pointed up at the sails. “We have another strong wind day ahead of us and we’re moving quickly along.”
Greta watched him finish his sandwich and coffee before making another bold move, reaching out to squeeze his hand resting on the broken gadget. “I want you to know that I appreciate everything you’re doing to get us home.”
Adam looked at her hand as it rested on his, and he gave her one of his heart-throbbing smiles, the kind that made his eyes sparkle.
He flipped his hand over and squeezed. “I want to get home as quickly as you do.”
Emboldened by his reaction, she asked, “Will you be satisfied staying home?”
Adam brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’ll be happy at home as long I get to keep my family.”
Greta was about to ask him if it was just because of his promise to Seth, but Adam spoke first. “Can we talk about this later? I have to get this sextant fixed before dark.” Adam turned back to his instrument.
Greta picked up his plate and cup. “I’ll see you at supper, then.”
Adam looked up. “Let’s have our supper in the cabin so we can talk. I don’t mean to cut you short, but I’m frustrated over this broken instrument.”
Chapter Fourteen
Adam went into the cabin to see that Greta had set up their dinner. They took seats across from each other at the desk and exchanged smiles.
“Hmm,” Adam said. “This stew is delicious. Did you make it?”
Greta nodded. “With Tully’s help. He’s taught me so much that I think I want to cook my own meals when I get home.”