by Chloe Carley
She flashed him a cheerful grin. “Peridot has come back to me, just as you said he would. He is here, Mr. Sharpleton. He has returned.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked to Noah, shyly noting how pleasant it had felt to hear her name spoken upon his tongue.
Noah blinked for a moment before scrambling toward them. He smiled as he saw the small bird, brushing his forefinger down the soft, downy feathers. Peridot chirped with happiness, hopping up and down Rachel’s hand in a jaunty little dance.
“Where do you think he came from?” Rachel wondered.
“I do not know,” Noah replied, his tone curious. He turned over his shoulder to look at the horizon, where a curious mist had begun to settle. A small gasp elicited from his throat, as he peered closer, leaning forward on his seat. Rachel followed the line of his gaze, trying to make out what had caught his attention.
“Can it be?” she murmured, as the mists cleared for a split-second, revealing the unmistakable rise of land in the distance.
“Do you see it too?”
She nodded. “A mirage, perhaps?”
“No, I do not believe it is. Peridot cannot have been flying for so long without rest.” He tapped the side of his chin. “Indeed, I believe he has come from that very island. I do not think it is a mirage at all but solid ground.”
Rachel wanted to cheer with excitement, but she vowed not to until they were actually upon land again. Instead, she cradled Peridot to her breast and kissed the soft feathers at the back of the bird’s neck. You are our savior, Peridot. Truly, Providence must have sent you. You have been sent to us by the Lord himself, I am certain of it.
“May you assist me?” Noah asked as he moved to pick up one of the oars.
Setting Peridot upon her shoulder, she sat down on the central bench beside him and picked up the other oar. Following the rhythm that Noah set, she began to move the oar through the water, using the slender edge to cut through the millpond-like surface. She heaved until her lungs burned and her muscles screamed out for rest, but even then, she would not stop. She would not give up until Noah did and he showed no signs of waning. They were in this together now.
“We must persist,” he said through gritted teeth, sweat pouring down his face.
“We shall make it, Noah,” she replied, wiping her brow as she pulled hard on the oar. Only then did she realize that she had called him by his Christian name. Her cheeks burned with hot embarrassment, but he did not appear to notice the slight error. Instead, he focused on the oar in his hand, pulling and pushing in an oval motion.
For the better part of two hours, they rowed until they could not give any more. When Rachel slowed, Noah took both oars for a while, giving her a moment to catch her breath before she resumed her rowing duties.
By the time they reached the white, sandy beach of the unknown island, Noah was shaking all over. The blood had entirely drained from his face and his breaths were shallow and uneven. The sight of dry land seemed to give him a brief resurgence in energy as he staggered out of the boat and onto the shore using Rachel to lean against. However, he had barely walked ten paces when he sank to the ground, his knees buckling beneath him as he collapsed in a heap. He lay there, his face turned to the side, completely still. Panic bristled through Rachel as she knelt at his side, pushing him onto his back so she could check that he was breathing.
To her surprise, a soft laugh rippled from his mouth. “We made it, Rachel,” he murmured.
“We did… Noah.”
“Now, if we don’t get skewered by the native islanders, we might actually survive this.”
“Might that happen?” she whispered, feeling suddenly terrified.
He chuckled. “Let us hope not.” He spread his arms around himself, creating a strange sort of sand-angel. “Have you ever felt anything more glorious in all of your life?”
“The sand?”
“No, solid ground.”
She managed a nervous smile. “It is rather wonderful after so long at sea. Truthfully, for a moment, I wondered if I would ever see land again.”
“As did I.”
“Peridot led us to it,” she said, smiling down at the bird on her shoulder.
“Then, he is truly a gift, sent from the Heavens. Your compassion in saving these creatures has saved both of our lives.” He lifted himself up on his elbows and glanced at Rachel. “I knew there was a reason I did not dissuade you from giving these beings a sanctuary. I knew your kind act could not be in vain, for you continue to do much that is remarkable.”
She blushed. “I have done nothing remarkable.”
“The way you climbed the rigging with no concern for your own life? The way you thought only of what needed to be done, and how you might assist? That was beyond remarkable. And the way you helped me with the lifeboat? And the way you took up that oar and helped to row us here? You have done more than you give yourself fair credit for, Miss Faulks. Indeed, I should never have thought to meet a young lady like you in all my life.”
Once more, she found herself with the sudden urge to kiss him. There were scrapes and bruises all across his handsome features and she longed to kiss the pain from each one. Their eyes met, an unspoken thought of mutual uncertainty passing between them as they sat and gazed at one another. Dandelion was the one to break it as she bounded from the lifeboat with the monkey and the fruit bat upon her back bounding across the sand like a giddy pup.
In such a small space, the animals had been forced to become firm friends. Wherever Dandelion padded to, the monkey and the fruit bat went with her. The sight cheered Rachel’s spirit, though she mourned the loss of those who had not made it. Nan, Onions, the monkey’s partner, and the three sugar gliders. All of them lost at sea.
A sob caught in her throat as she stared out toward the ocean, the water lapping softly at the shore. How such peace could come from such brutality, she did not know. As she looked to the horizon, she thought of England and the life she had led there. If Emily could see me now… She would have been shocked and thrilled in equal measure. It made her think of her father, who was endlessly waiting in America for her arrival. Although they had managed to escape the ocean’s grip, there was still a long way to go until they could reach their final destination.
“My father will be worried,” she said quietly.
Noah smiled. “And he will be all the more overjoyed when you return to him. News of the Emerald’s wreckage will reach him soon enough once the captain fails to arrive at the port. He will be sad for a while, but I am certain that deep down he will know that you have not perished. You and he share the bond of blood and family—that runs deeper than anything else in the world. If he prays hard enough for you to come back to him, he shall be answered. I know it.”
“Do you really believe so?”
“I would not say it if I did not.”
“I owe so much to you, Noah. If we ever reach America, I will see to it that you are suitably rewarded for every kind action you have bestowed upon me. It is the least I can do.”
He dipped his head, his expression odd. “Thank you, Miss Faulks. I have only done my duty and I will continue to do my duty, but I meant what I said on the ship that day… Protecting you has become far more than my duty. It has become my honor.”
“I would not be here without you.”
“Nor would I.” He lifted his gaze for a fleeting moment, before hauling himself to his feet. “Now, we ought to find some shelter before night falls.”
She stood beside him and took his hand. “No, you must rest awhile.”
He visibly sagged. “Perhaps you are right. Might you help me drag the boat further up the beach?”
“Of course.”
Together, they pulled the vessel across the white sand and set it beneath the shade of some overhanging palms. There, Noah climbed aboard and settled down under the blanket-canopy, drawing another blanket around himself as he curled into a ball. He fell asleep almost instantly leaving Rachel to wander their new surroundings by herse
lf. With Dandelion at her side, she did not feel afraid of this strange new world. Although, she did keep her wits about her as she moved inland, eager to investigate the jungle that stretched away as far as the eye could see.
Creeping through the trees, and making sure to keep the beach in sight, she began to look through the undergrowth for anything they might eat. Large, green orbs lay scattered about the place, their shells hard and impenetrable. She did not know what they were, but they looked promising. Perhaps Noah will know what to do with them, she thought, as she gathered a few into the skirt of her petticoat and took them back to the boat. Depositing them there, she retraced her steps and scoured the brush for anything else that might be useful.
A few yards back from the beach, nestled in a rocky outcrop that led up to a cliff, she discovered a small stream that trickled down from the slick stones. Tentatively, she cupped her hands beneath it and let the water gather. It looked crisp and cool, but there were no guarantees of it being fresh water. Noah had already had to tell her, on several occasions, that saltwater wasn’t suitable to drink and could turn a person mad if they did so. She had been so desperate aboard the lifeboat that she had almost defied him, but he had caught her at the last moment and reminded her of saltwater’s perils.
Slowly, she lifted the handful of water to her lips and sipped. It tasted perfect with no hint of salt within it. There was an indescribable earthiness to the gathered liquid but nothing that would suggest it wasn’t clean. Cupping her hands beneath the stream once more, she drank until she had had her fill.
Eager to tell Noah the good news but wanting to let him sleep, Rachel wandered back along the beautiful sands and lifted her face to the warm sunlight as it bathed the island in its tender glow. A smile crept onto her face. Right now, it seemed as though she and Noah were the only two people in existence. After the trials they had just endured, this place truly did feel like paradise. Their very own Garden of Eden.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Noah awoke the following morning to find Rachel huddled at the far end of the boat, covered in a threadbare blanket with Dandelion at her feet. They had shared warmth during their time adrift, sleeping close for that reason alone, but waking without her next to him felt strange—as though something important was missing.
The sun was beginning to rise casting bolts of fiery pink, hazy orange, and nectar yellow across the dusky sky. He stretched out his cramped muscles and sat up on the edge of the boat watching the sun’s journey for a while. He felt rested, though his stomach gnawed with hunger and his mouth felt as dry as a desert.
It was then that he noticed the green orb-like fruits that Rachel had placed in the bottom of the boat. He realized what she must have done, an impressed smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he took out his knife and bent towards the fruits. Jamming the blade into the outer shell, he pried away the fibrous exterior and pulled the coconut from within. He’d seen these before on his travels, though he had only tasted one once. The flesh was white and sweet, if memory served, and the milk inside tasted sugary and fresh.
Cracking open the coconut, he was careful not to spill any of the milk. Pouring it into one of the empty jars, he left it for Rachel. Turning back to the white flesh, he peeled away several pieces and ate gingerly. After so long without much food, he knew he had to take it slow. Still, the coconut tasted better than anything he’d ever eaten before. Whether that was just his starvation talking, he didn’t know, but he was determined to enjoy his first filling meal.
After eating half of the coconut, he jumped down onto the sand and made his way towards the jungle. He had a sense of where they were, thanks to the previous night’s stars, but they would need to gather supplies if they were going to attempt to sail for America. And that would mean staying on the island for a while. If they were going to do that, then they needed a proper shelter and a fire to cook any fish or indigenous beasts that they might discover.
He set to work using his knife to chop down branches and wide palm fronds. Picking a clear spot by the trees, he began to build. He tore sinews from the palm trunks using them to lash the branches and fronds together in a makeshift hut. It wasn’t much, but it would keep them sheltered and warm.
He toiled away for several hours, making a raised platform with two sleeping areas where they could sleep in peace. He built a partition of sorts to give Rachel her privacy back. While he had enjoyed having her so close, he knew that it was unseemly. Moreover, given her station in life, it felt like his duty to make sure he maintained a level of propriety. He was her guard, her sentinel, her protector, nothing more. No matter how his heart was starting to feel, those kinds of dreams where a man with nothing could win over a lady of wealth and position could never become reality. He was not foolish enough to believe otherwise.
The sound of hammering and cutting must have woke Rachel for she walked over to where he worked as the day began to grow warm. In her hands, she held two jars of milky water. There was a happy smile on her face as she approached as though she had dreamed of pleasant things. Noah wondered what those things were though he did not dare to ask.
“I thought you could use some refreshment,” she said, handing him one of the jars.
“Thank you.” He wiped his brow and drank deep of the liquid, which tasted sweet and satisfying. She had mixed the coconut water with their remaining rations of ship’s water, and nothing had ever been as delicious in his life. He did not know if her caring touch made it all the sweeter.
“This is extremely impressive,” she remarked, eyeing the makeshift hut. “How could you let me sleep when all of this work needed to be done?”
“You looked peaceful.”
“I suppose both of us were in need of rest,” she admitted, with a shy laugh.
“I made sure there to build a partition, so that you may sleep without fear of being discovered in the arms of a strange man,” he teased, his throat tightening as he spoke. He did not know if he had said too much.
She nodded, flashing him a curious grin. “A welcome addition, I am sure. We would not want any of the indigenous people to find us in a state of impropriety now, would we? Indeed, that was something I had been meaning to speak with you about.”
“Oh?”
“Upon my hopeful arrival in the Americas, I was… Well, I wanted to ask that we keep all of this to ourselves,” she explained nervously. “I know that we have cast off certain rules for the sake of necessity, but now that we are on dry land and the hope of America is not entirely impossible, I should prefer it if we maintain those boundaries that we had previously. Do not think me ungrateful or unkind, but I should like to preserve some sense of dignity. It is troubling enough that I will likely arrive in naught but my petticoats, without people discovering what we have done to survive.”
He bowed politely. “Of course, Miss Faulks. I had thought the very same thing myself.” In truth, he had not. He had allowed himself to contemplate the fantasy of this island and how they might continue in their freedom until they set sail for America. They had not overstepped any romantic bounds as far as he was concerned, but he had reveled in the sensation of being on a more level footing with her. Now, she had taken that away, in one fell swoop. He understood why and he respected her decision, but that did not mean he was not disappointed.
She sighed with something akin to relief. “That is good news, indeed. Now, what may I do to assist you?”
“If you could weave these palm fronds like this,” he said, showing her how to do it. “That would be very helpful. While you do that, I shall venture into the jungle to see if I can hunt anything for us to eat. There is coconut flesh in the boat if you feel hungry.”
“The peculiar, furred thing?”
He laughed. “Yes, but I would advise that you only eat the white insides. That is where the nutrition lies.”
“I am learning so many new things,” she said brightly. “Even if I cannot reveal the full extent of your heroics to my family, I know I shall have a great m
any stories to keep my father entertained. He will not believe most of it, I can assure you of that.”
“I would not believe it had I not lived through it.” He offered her a kind smile. “If you require me for anything, simply shout.” With that, he turned on his heel and headed into the dense jungle.
Everything grew muffled as he passed through the trees, his footsteps the only clear sound as he trudged through the undergrowth. Layers of thick moss and fallen fronds formed a carpet beneath his boots as he walked, his ears pricked as they listened out for the unfamiliar sounds of the island. Strange birds chirruped their call throughout the canopy, singing their song to this stranger who had come into their midst. It spoke of danger and mistrust, the other birds replying to the warning.
He had always been fascinated by the way animals defended themselves and birds were no different. He liked to hear their unique songs and decipher their meaning, though this one was very clear. He was not welcome here. Still, he pressed on, keeping alert for any sound of twigs snapping or creatures rushing through the brush.