The Mayflower Bride

by Kimberley Woodhouse

  He longed for his bed and something to eat. But more than that, he hoped he could see Mary Elizabeth. It would be a lift to his spirits.

  A good fire was going in the firebox as William stepped onto the main deck with the other men who’d been working on the smaller ship. He moved closer to it and warmed his hands from the damp ride over.

  “William?” Mary Elizabeth appeared around the mast in her red cloak.

  “Aye.” He moved toward her. The firelight shone on her face. It was streaked with tears. “What’s happened?”

  “It’s Father. He spoke to me earlier.” She swiped at a cheek. “Told me that he didn’t think he would be here much longer and asked to speak to David.”

  “Is he …?”

  “He fell back to sleep but hasn’t moved since.”

  “May I go see him?”

  She nodded.

  When they reached the top of the steps, William took her in his arms. “I’m so sorry, Mary Elizabeth. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”

  She pulled back and with a nod headed down the steps.

  William knelt next to Mr. Chapman’s bed with Mary Elizabeth beside him. David sat on the other side holding his Father’s right hand. The man was so still. So peaceful looking. If it wasn’t for the slight rise and fall of his chest, William would’ve thought that he was already gone.

  After they’d been by the man’s side for about an hour, William was at a loss for what to say or do. Lord, I don’t know what to do. But please comfort Mary Elizabeth and David.

  Mr. Chapman gasped and opened his eyes.

  “Father?” Mary Elizabeth leaned forward.

  He blinked several times and looked over to William. “Mr. Lytton.”

  “Aye, I’m here. Please call me William.”

  “I’d like to call you…son.”

  “Sir, I’m honored.”

  Mr. Chapman gasped again. “Take…care of them…for me.”

  “Yes, sir. I will.”

  Mr. Chapman closed his eyes. A long, last tremor of air left his body.

  Mary Elizabeth put a hand to her father’s chest. She shook her head. “No. He can’t be gone.” Sobs shook her body.

  David sniffed, and a single tear slid down his cheek.

  Reaching out a hand to David, William wrapped his other arm around Mary Elizabeth’s shoulders. The road before them just became tougher than he could have ever imagined.

  CHAPTER 21

  David watched the men carry his Father’s bundled body up the companionway. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. They were supposed to all come to the New World together and start a new life.

  Wasn’t it bad enough that Mother had died?

  He swiped a hand under his nose and sniffed. He wouldn’t cry. He had to completely be a man now. He was the only Chapman male left.

  The sun wasn’t up yet and probably wouldn’t be for a good hour. But Mary Elizabeth stood straight and tall next to him. She’d cried a lot during the night, and now she just stood there.

  Mr. Brewster came up to them. “We are here for you two if you need anything. The colony is your family. Trust in the Lord for His strength to carry you through.”

  Mary Elizabeth nodded.

  David sniffed.

  The men came to the side, and David sucked in a deep breath.

  Mr. Brewster prayed.

  They dropped Father into the sea.

  Mary Elizabeth shook beside him and grabbed his hand.

  More than anything, David wanted to run. But there wasn’t anywhere to go. Nowhere to hide. And there were people everywhere.

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

  “Mary Elizabeth, I …” William stood in front of them, his hat in his hands. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “There’s nothing to say, William, but thank you.”

  David looked up to the man who had tears in his eyes. “It’s not fair, William. It’s not fair.” He threw himself into the older man’s arms.

  “Oh, David.” Mary Elizabeth put a hand on his head.

  William held him for a few minutes and let him cry. “There’s nothing wrong with a man shedding tears, David.”

  He nodded against William’s coat. He wanted to curl up in a ball and cry in his bed, but he couldn’t do that to Mary Elizabeth. She needed him.

  William pulled back and crouched down in front of him. “Why don’t we sit down for a minute and talk. There’s something I want to talk to you both about.”

  David sat on the deck while William pulled up a crate for Mary Elizabeth. His heart felt ripped apart.

  “My parents died when I was a baby.” William paced for a moment and then sat next to David.

  Mary Elizabeth started to cry.

  He reached out and took her hand. “I was given to family members to raise me. And I’m sad to say they weren’t very nice. When I was nine years old, they threw me out into the streets of London to fend for myself.”

  David leaned forward. He was almost nine. “What did you do?”

  William shrugged. “I scrounged for food, worked every job I could find, and slept under people’s porches, bridges, in abandoned buildings—you get the idea.”

  “How long did you do that?” Mary Elizabeth chimed in as she wiped tears from her cheeks.

  “About four years. Until a really nice man named Paul Brookshire found me in an alley one day digging in the garbage for food. He took me home, cleaned me up, bought me new clothes, and told me I could stay for as long as I wanted.

  “I wasn’t very nice to Paul at first, because I had been treated badly by adults and teased by other kids. But Paul wore me down with his kindness. Over time, he taught me everything I’d missed in school, and he began to train me as a carpenter.”

  “What happened next?” David couldn’t believe that tall, strong William had gone through all that.

  “Well, I apprenticed for him and worked in his shop until Paul had this grand idea for me to go to the New World. You see, I was still miserable. Didn’t think that anyone would ever think anything of me except I was an orphan, and orphans were looked down upon. But Paul had been talking to me about God. He’d taken me to church. Told me how valuable I was to God and to him. I couldn’t understand a loving heavenly Father because I’d never had an earthly father who loved me.

  “At the time, I couldn’t see that Paul had loved me like a son for all those years. That he had been trying to share with me the love of God through how he cared for me.”

  “Why isn’t Paul with you?” David furrowed his brow. The Paul fellow sounded like a good man.

  “Well, I was just getting to that. You see, Paul was sick, and the doctor told him he was dying. So he bought me passage on the Mayflower and purchased shares for me in the venture. Before he died, he made me promise to make the most of my life, throw off the baggage of the past, and seek God.”

  “Paul died too?” It didn’t seem fair. William had never had anyone in his life who cared, and then when that man came along, he died. David didn’t know what to think about that.

  “Yes, he did.” William took a deep breath. “But that’s not the end of the story. I came on this voyage to do what I’d promised, ‘make the most of my life,’ but what I didn’t know at the time is that I couldn’t do that without seeking God first. I’ve faced a lot of loss, David. I’ve had people treat me poorly. But it wasn’t until I found salvation through Jesus Christ and my new faith that I was able to let go of the past. Paul knew I’d been carrying it around like heavy baggage. He loved me enough to set my feet on the path, but he knew I had to find this out for myself.”

  “Is that why you’ve been talking to Elder Brewster?”

  “Yes, David.” William chuckled. “I’ve asked him to teach me. And then I went to your father.”

  “You did?”

  “Aye. And soon I will spend time with Mr. Bradford, because your father arranged for him to be an adviser to me, and I have a lot to learn still. But the point I’m trying to make i
s that for twenty years, I’ve thought I was alone. But I’m not. God’s always been right there.”

  David looked at Mary Elizabeth and the way she looked at William. Then he looked down at their hands. They were intertwined.

  “God is right here with you too, David. You’re not alone. And your sister and I will be here for you, and the whole congregation …”

  Hot tears streamed down David’s face. No, he wasn’t alone.

  William opened his arms, and David ran into them.

  He missed Father, and he didn’t understand why God had to take him to heaven, but William was right.

  He wasn’t alone. If only it didn’t hurt so much.

  The sight of her little brother clinging to William made Mary Elizabeth’s heart melt. She’d had no idea of what William had been through. All this time, she’d thought of him as a strong and capable man. She’d never known that inside he’d been so hurt and alone.

  Although she should have guessed.

  The nightmares he had during his fever had made her heart ache. Now she understood.

  David pulled back from William and then hugged Mary Elizabeth. He whispered in her ear. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Do you think Elder Brewster would have time to talk to me, Mary Elizabeth?”

  She lowered her brows. “Well, of course, he would. Do you need me to go with you?”

  “No. I want to do it alone.”

  “All right.”

  Her little brother walked off, a deep sag to his shoulders. The normal spring in his step was gone, but he’d just said goodbye to his father. Could she blame him?

  William stood and held out a hand to her. “We will be getting ready to go ashore soon so we can work on the shallop.”

  “Aye.” She looked down at the deck.

  “I wish I could stay with you, Mary Elizabeth.”

  Tears pricked her eyes again. “I wish you could too. But they need your help, and I can’t be selfish.”

  “Mary Elizabeth.” He took both of her hands in his and pulled her closer. The deep blue of his eyes seemed darker in the early morning hours. “I know I don’t have any right to be saying this—especially on today of all days—but I can’t let another minute go by without sharing what’s on my heart.”

  She held her breath.

  “I care for you a great deal, Mary Elizabeth Chapman. And I intend to court you and seek you as my wife.”

  “Truly?” The words left on an exhale.

  “Your father and I spoke of it often toward the end. And I want to honor him…and David too.”

  The love in his eyes overwhelmed her, and she had to look down at their hands.

  Releasing one hand, he lifted her chin back up. “I need you to look in my eyes, Mary Elizabeth. Tell me the truth. Do you care for me too?”

  “I do.”

  He crushed her against him in a great hug and whispered, “You’ve made me the happiest man alive.” He released her once again and stepped back. “Forgive me.” He smirked.

  “There’s nothing to forgive, William.”

  He took another step back. “I should be off. I need to gather my tools and such for the day.”

  “All right.” She gave him a smile.

  “May I see you tonight?”

  “Of course. We can look at the stars together.”

  “I’d like that.” With a wink, he turned on his heel and headed down the companionway.

  Mary Elizabeth turned back toward the bulwark and looked at the sea below. Somewhere in the depths, the earthly shell of her father was laid to rest. But she knew he wasn’t there. The scripture from 2 Corinthians, chapter five, she’d heard Pastor Robinson speak over her mother’s grave came back to mind. ‘Nevertheless, we are bold, & love rather to remove out of the body, and to dwell in the Lord.’

  Father dwelt with the Lord and would see Mother again. The thought gave her a little joy. The coming days would be difficult, and she had no idea how it would all work out. But she would rest in the Lord, as well. Because He was her rock and her strength.

  Two tears dripped into the sea, and she lifted her face toward the sky. “Goodbye, Father. We’ll be all right.”

  CHAPTER 22

  Monday, 20 November 1620

  The weather was bitter and dreary. Since Father’s passing, Mary Elizabeth hadn’t seen William much, and David had gone ashore to help stack wood while the men chopped. He’d insisted that he do his part, and Mary Elizabeth couldn’t deny him wanting to work for their survival. While he was still small for his age, he’d begun to grow and build strength.

  The weight of finding a settlement rested on every man, woman, and child’s mind. It needed to happen fast. But circumstances weren’t cooperating.

  As she stirred the fire in the fire box, she worked to keep the grief and doubt from overwhelming her. What could she be thankful for?

  Wood. She was very thankful for wood. They’d gone so long without it on the voyage over that she never wanted to take it for granted again. She’d be able to cook fish for everyone today, and that would be a treat.

  David. Another bright spot in her life. It may have been the Lord’s will for Mother and Father to leave this earth, but at least she wasn’t alone.

  Oh, and William. She was very thankful for him. She’d never been in love, but she assumed this was what it felt like. New understanding of the emotion helped her to understand the fervent love between first, Christ and His church, and second, a husband and wife—ideas that were shared in scripture. Although she’d never want to admit to the elders that she had spent some time studying Song of Solomon.

  Thoughts of love made her cheeks heat. She missed William. He spent his days on the shore working with several others to rebuild the shallop that they desperately needed if they were to explore farther. It was difficult not getting to see him—especially after his declaration—but she knew it was for the best.

  The first group of explorers came back with a tale of seeing six men and a dog that ran for the woods. The stories had been circulating for days that it must have been Indians and the Mayflower voyagers weren’t here alone. Everyone thought of it as good news. They would need help farming in this new land, and it would be very advantageous to trade with native people. A few naysayers, though, kept churning up worry about the dangers the Indians could present.

  But explorers also came back with dried corn they found buried in mounds in the ground. Mary Elizabeth wasn’t too sure why they did what they did—other than the thoughts of their own survival—but she didn’t say anything when the group returned. Unsure of what she thought about them “stealing” from other people, she prayed that their leaders would make good choices. The men insisted they were borrowing it for the good of the colony and they would pay the owners for it. Mary Elizabeth could only hope that it would be true and the owners wouldn’t hunt them down in retaliation.

  The men had gotten lost in vast thickets and woods and had trouble finding drinkable water until they finally found some freshwater ponds.

  Something else to be thankful for—they finally had access to fresh water.

  Overall, the expedition didn’t seem to result in much. No. She couldn’t resort to negative thinking again. She needed to stay positive.

  After everyone had listened to the men relay their experiences, the stories took on new life as they were shared from group to group. One version even stated that the corn seed that was dug up was found in graves and the natives would certainly come in the night and kill them all for such desecration.

  Mary Elizabeth shook her head. The men said they had found a grave, yes, but they’d put it back to rights when they knew what it was. They really needed to settle somewhere soon and get off this ship. Maybe that would help keep the gossip at bay.

  Cleaning the cod a couple of men had caught that morning, Mary Elizabeth took a moment to look around her. While so many were finally up and about again and recovered from their seasickness, just as many had be
come sicker. Samuel Fuller was on his feet again and tried to help the people with his doctoring skills as much as possible, but disease had taken hold.

  And this worried her. Winter was upon them. They had no shelter other than the ship they’d been living on for months already.

  Without Father, she wondered what would happen to her and David. Would they need to live with the Raynsfords until they could build their own home?

  The smell from the fish in her hand brought her back to the task at hand. It didn’t do any good to worry about the future. Right now she had mouths to feed.

  After their luncheon of fish, Mary Elizabeth went to check on each person who was still bedridden. Maybe she could do laundry for those who couldn’t do it themselves. Clean clothes might help them feel better. Armed with a new plan, she went to Dorothy’s bedside to check on her friend.

  “Mary Elizabeth.” Her friend’s voice was weak in the greeting.

  “How are you feeling today?”

  Dorothy shook her head, and tears came loose at the corners of her eyes.

  “I am so sorry.” Mary Elizabeth sat and took Dorothy’s hands in hers.

  “I’m scared.”

  Closing her eyes, she searched her mind for the words to say. Lord, guide me. She thought of Psalm fifty-six. “ ‘When I was afraid, I trusted in thee. I will rejoice in God because of his word, I trust in God, & will not fear what flesh can do unto me.’ ”

  Dorothy relaxed a bit. “Thank you, I needed to hear those words. ‘When I was afraid, I trusted in thee.’ ”

  “I wish I could do more for you, my friend.”

  “You’ve been taking care of me for so long. You’re doing everything you can.”

  “I still wish it was more.”

  “You’ve changed, Mary Elizabeth.” Dorothy’s voice crackled. “You’re so much stronger and braver now. I’m proud of you.”

  “I owe much to you. Because you believed in me.”