by Chloe Carley
“And that wretch, Frodsham?”
“I could not say, Captain. The last I saw of him, he was rowing away from the ship, having cast away anyone who tried to board his lifeboat. He left them all to die and I have never despised a man more.”
“You were involved in these dealings?”
“I was not, captain. I took the job because I thought we were shipping cargo to the Americas. I did not know of any further dealings along the way nor did I know of their legality. I realize I should have thought to ask more questions, but I was in a rather destitute state when he offered me the position aboard his ship. Although, I cannot say that I wish I had not taken the job for it led me to Miss Faulks.”
O’Rourke grinned. “She is far above your station, lad.”
“I know,” he replied, with a reluctant chuckle.
“Although, saying that, my Eileen was a nobleman’s daughter once upon a time. I swept her off her feet during a week of shore leave in Dublin and she’s been with me ever since. Comes on every voyage. Mind you, she’s as tough as most of the men on this vessel and she doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone. I often wonder who she’d have ended up with if I’d have left her behind or kept away from her that day, but neither of us can imagine ourselves with anyone else. Funny, how life works out sometimes.”
“Eileen was a noblewoman?” Noah tried to stifle his shock.
“Oh aye, she was all set to marry some stuffy gentleman when I came along and ruined everything.” He laughed heartily. “We were married within a week of meeting, and she joined me on a voyage to India straight after. Her family don’t care for me much, but mine adore her.”
“I am simply bringing Miss Faulks to America, as I promised,” Noah said shyly. “I have no plans beyond that.”
“Then you’re a fool.”
He shrugged. “I won’t drag her down with me. Besides, she’s already rejected me.” He flashed a wry smile while he reached down to ruffle Dandelion’s fur. The dog licked his hand as though in sympathy.
“Sorry to hear that, lad.” O’Rourke offered his commiserations. “Women’s minds are strange and wondrous things that are not for us simple men to figure out. I’ve no doubts that she cares for you, but families often hold a great deal of sway over women’s hearts. They ain’t free as they ought to be. My Eileen was a rare case and no mistake.”
“I wish that were not the case—that, instead, she might be free to choose whomever she pleases.”
“Aye, for your sake, so do I.” He patted Noah’s shoulder. “So, you don’t plan to take her back to her father’s house then?”
Noah sighed. “I don’t know yet.”
“Well, if you decide to send her on her way, there’ll be a place on this ship with your name on it if you want to take it. We’re a man down after a nasty bout of dysentery, but you’d be a welcome addition.”
“Are you merchant crew?”
He nodded. “Aye, that we are. Cotton and tobacco from the British plantations in Georgia. We ship it back to England and bring supplies of whatever’s needed to the armies here.”
“I might have to accept that kind offer, captain.”
O’Rourke smiled. “Well, you think on it some more and let me know. Judging by the horizon, we’ll be reaching the shore in a couple of hours.”
Noah turned towards the thin strip of land that had appeared in the distance, his heart pounding in his chest. He wondered what this New World might be like and what made it worth fighting over. More than that, he wondered about how he might leave Rachel to this entirely alien land without tearing his heart in two. He knew he had to, but that did not make the task any easier. She would undoubtedly hate him for it if he abandoned her to cross the country by herself. But what choice did he have? Dragging it out would only make their separation more painful, and he did not want that for either of them.
As Captain O’Rourke retreated to speak with the helmsman, Noah sank down in front of Dandelion and ruffled her ears. The monkey and the bat had taken to hanging around in the ship’s kitchens, leaving her free of extraneous passengers.
“What shall I do, girl?” he asked.
The dog padded forward and pressed her forehead to his, the two of them sharing a silent moment of sad understanding as they waited for America to edge ever closer.
“Will you take care of her if I stay on this ship?”
Dandelion whined in the back of her throat.
“I’m sorry, girl. I know it means leaving you, too.”
Dandelion nudged him harder, smothering his face in hot, wet licks.
“Please, don’t make this any more difficult than it already is.” He wrapped his arms around the dog’s neck and held her close, inhaling the fresh scent of her fur. One of the sailors had given her a bath the previous night, and she still smelled of lavender. “I will never forget you. Any of you. You are in my heart forever now—there is no way to rid myself of your memory and I would not want to, even if I could.”
He held Dandelion tighter, wishing they had stayed on their island. There, in time, they might have loved one another, as Adam and Eve had loved one another in the Garden of Eden. There, they might have been free.
***
Brunswick bustled with life, as ships sailed in and out of the watery thoroughfare. Gunships sailed across the outer perimeter, keeping an eye out for any French or Spanish ships that might suddenly attack this busy harbor. Meanwhile, a river led inland where seemingly endless plantations stretched from the banks to the near-horizon. Rachel had never seen anything like it before, her mind struggling to process the sight of so many people. After weeks of ships and boats, even a small crowd seemed like a vast swarm of humans, packed into one place.
The soldiers striding about worried her slightly, but then she did not much care for the sight of guns. Muskets were a terrifying idea, though she reasoned they were little better than bayonets and swords. All weapons were constructed with the same intention, no matter how they were made or how they functioned. They were intended to kill and harm and that did not sit well with her. She tried to avoid looking at them as her gaze drifted across to women buying and selling fish while burly men loaded enormous crates onto some of the vessels that had docked nearby. It reminded her of the docks they had previously seen, in Ireland, Morocco, and even Cape Verde. Wherever they went, the harbors remained similar which brought her a curious sense of comfort.
“Clams! Get your clams!” a woman cried, her voice carrying across the entire wharf. Rachel smiled, the woman’s unmistakable West Country accent bringing back memories of home. Not this new home, but the one she had left behind. She thought of Emily who had no doubt been given the news that she had perished on the high seas. Her father, too. Although he was here in America, she believed it was likely that news had reached him of the Emerald’s destruction. It saddened her, to think of him grieving. But it shall make our reunion all the more glorious.
“Mr. Sharpleton!” Rachel waved at the familiar figure coming up the gangplank. He had departed before she had been able to speak with him, and she had briefly feared that he might have been making a quick escape. She could understand the temptation; if he upped and left, he would not have to deal with any emotional farewells. Not that she planned on saying goodbye to him, just yet. However, Captain O’Rourke had assured her that he planned to return and she had dutifully waited ever since.
“Miss Faulks,” he said, as he neared. He was holding several folded sheets of paper in his hands. Many of them bore a seal that she did not recognize, setting her suspicions on high alert.
“Why did you depart so swiftly? I had hoped to speak with you before we disembarked.”
“Are you not speaking with me now?” he teased, though the humor did not twinkle in his eyes. They held a sadness instead, the kind that she felt reflected in her own gaze.
“You know what I mean.”
He nodded slowly. “There was some business I needed to attend to.”
“Business? Already?”
He smiled. “These are your papers for your journey across America. They will see you safely through French and Spanish territories and will ensure that no harm comes to you. I have arranged for two young ladies to join you, as your chaperones and I have hired two men to guard you, also. It has all been taken care of. The carriage departs tomorrow morning which should be plenty of time for you to rest and recuperate. One of the boys here will load the animals as well as the clothes that Eileen has gifted to you and anything else you may wish to take to your father’s house.”
She stared at him with unflinching eyes. “You are leaving me?”
“You are on American soil, Miss Faulks. I believe it would be best if we were to part ways here, so there can be no… confusion, when you arrive at your father’s house.”
“You have not completed your duties,” she said firmly.
“Pardon?”
“Your duties are not complete. You promised me on board the lifeboat that you would carry me safely through whatever may come to the very end. That ending is not here at Brunswick harbor. That ending is at my father’s house.” She blinked back tears. “You must complete the transaction as agreed with my father. Yes, you were not the one to make the deal, but you must be the one to gain the reward. I would not be here if you had not saved me. Now, do not attempt to leave me here. Your work is not yet complete.”
He shook his head. “I do not want your father’s money, Rachel. I should very much like to deliver you safely to him, but what is the use? If I come with you, I will only say something that I may regret and I do not want to see you hurt by me. Your life is taking a different path and I must let you walk it alone. The arrangements have been made. The guards will keep you safe—far safer than I ever could, in my current condition.”
“No, you cannot leave me,” she breathed, balling her hands into fists to stop herself from crying. “You said ‘to the end’ and that is what I must insist upon. I do not release you, Noah. I will not.”
He sighed. “You will not release me, but you do not want me?”
“You must deliver me to my father,” she repeated, ignoring his question. She could not answer him now. “Would you have me travel across the country with four strangers, not knowing what dangers I may face on the way? Would you truly allow me to take that journey given the state of war that America is currently in?”
He glanced at her, saying nothing for a long while.
“Well?” she prompted, desperation rolling off her tongue.
“No… I suppose I cannot allow you to do that.”
Relief washed over her. “So, you will accompany me?”
“If you wish it of me, then I cannot say no.”
“Good, then it is settled. You will take me to my father.”
In truth, she had been contemplating Noah’s admission of love ever since he had spoken the words. They had been her constant thoughts, her brain focusing on them in a vain attempt to figure out a plausible means of being together. She had been wracking her brains, praying for a way that they might be allowed to be with one another. A plan had taken shape in her mind, shortly before docking, though she had not mentioned it to him yet. It was too early for that and she did not wish to raise his hopes, in case her plan did not work.
And so, she had refused to release him, in anticipation of finding a way to keep him at her side, always. She hoped that by taking Noah to her father’s house and making her father see what a heroic and brave man he was, her father might relent and let them wed. As soon as her father came face-to-face with the man who had saved his daughter time and time again, how could he refuse? She had a feeling that the relief and joy of seeing her alive might also encourage him to be more flexible, resulting in an agreement of courtship, at the very least.
Moreover, she had been using the time to truly assess her own feelings for Noah. The last thing she wanted to do was go to all of this effort only to realize that her affections were not real and were borne of a lingering gratitude toward him keeping her alive. However, in dwelling more deeply on her emotions, she had come to discover that her feelings could not be any truer. She loved Noah more than anything. She loved him with every fiber in her body and that could not be denied.
It would not.
“You do not release me?” he asked softly, a flicker of desire in his eyes.
“I do not release you.”
“Until the very end?”
She smiled. “Until the very end.”
For what it is worth, my beloved Noah, I hope that day never comes. I hope you and I have no ending.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The following morning, Noah walked with Rachel from the Joan of Arc to the waiting carriage. All of their meager belongings had been stowed safely away and the driver was ready to leave. Dandelion was perched on one of the interior squabs with Paws and Coco clinging to her fur while Peridot roosted happily on the brim of Rachel’s hat. The only creature that had stayed behind was the dove who had become something of an emblem to the crew of the Joan of Arc. Ever since the night they had been plucked from the ocean after the dove had fluttered down to land on the bowsprit, the sailors had viewed her as a good omen. With the creature being wild, it had made it’s own choice and stayed aboard the ship. Noah almost envied it, for the journey to Oregon County was going to be somewhat cramped with so many animals and bodies in attendance.
One of the chaperones had not arrived and he had dispensed with one of the guards, which left them with a group of four, but that was still a fair quantity of individuals for such a long journey. The soldier was a gruff bear of a man named Graham Fincham with dark hair and broad features, though his temperament did not appear to match his exterior. Indeed, he seemed rather amusing, a wide grin often fixed on his face. The chaperone was a young lady of almost thirty, with blonde hair and brown eyes, who barely said a word—nothing more than a brief “How do you do?” before she clambered into the carriage and stayed there. By all accounts, she also had family in Oregon County and was eager to reach them as soon as possible.
“Take care of yourself on these roads,” James O’Rourke said, clapping Noah on the shoulder.
“I will, captain.”
“If I’m still in port when you come back one day, that position will stay open.”
Noah smiled. “Thank you, captain. You have been much too generous already.”
“Nonsense. What were we going to do—leave you out there?”
“There are many who would have done,” he replied quietly, out of earshot of Rachel.
“Not me, lad. Now, you stay safe and maybe do a little sweeping of your own while you’re on your way.” He nodded discreetly toward Rachel who was chatting with Eileen. They were deep in discussion, casting the odd glance in Noah’s direction. He did not know what they were talking about, but the manner in which Eileen looked at him was enough to make his cheeks burn.
“I cannot change her mind, I fear,” Noah admitted.
“Ah, but you can’t give up so easily. One rejection is nothing. The second one is the one you have to listen to.”
Noah laughed. “I’ll bear that in mind. Once again, thank you for everything you have done for us. We will not forget your kindness.”
“Aye, well try to forget that I almost ran ye down. As for the rest of it—it was my pleasure. Farewell, Noah.”
“Farewell and God-speed, captain.”
After a brief goodbye to Eileen, Noah walked up to the carriage and helped Rachel inside. He clambered in afterward, the driver snapping the reins and setting the horses to a slow trot as they made their way out of Brunswick. The journey was going to be a long one, lasting almost as long as the voyage across the ocean, but at least they were on dry land. Besides, he had the papers that would see them safely to Oregon County though he had heard how unpredictable these lands could be. To get to Oregon County, they had to voyage through Spanish and French territories and find their way up the opposite coast using lesser-trodden roads and risking a great de
al. Still, there was no swifter route that they could take.
He jolted as a figure appeared at the window, banging hard on the side of the door to get the driver to stop. The horses whinnied in displeasure as the driver brought them to heel, the wheels trundling to a halt. Puzzled, Noah opened the door and stepped out.
“Might I assist you?” Noah asked.
“You were at the customs office yesterday, were you not?” the man – a wiry, slick-haired gentleman with a fidgety demeanor – asked. Noah vaguely recognized him as one of the customs officers, though they had not spoken personally.
“I was.”
“My name is Ephraim Wareing,” he explained. “I was the official charged with awaiting the arrival of Miss Faulks. Her father appointed me personally, though I was supposed to rendezvous with a man named Benjamin Frodsham. You, I do not know. Indeed, I was the one to deliver the bad news to her father, Mr. Faulks, when the report came that the Emerald of the Empire had perished with all her crew aboard. Presumably, this Frodsham fellow was also on-board when it sank. Now, that is where you are heading, is it not—to Mr. Faulks in Oregon County?”