Lost Love and Shipwrecked: Madeline Pike Finds Hope in the New Land

by Cathy Lynn Bryant

  “Gentlemen, this meeting will come to order,” demanded Mr. Carr, as he motioned for everyone to sit down. “Anyone demonstrating a lack of respect for my position as the moderator will be removed from the building. As the accusations against Christopher Osgood originated with Jarret Ormsby, he will now stand and state them plainly before this body.”

  At that point, Jarret stood and addressed the board. “I believe Christopher Osgood and the pirate, Dixie Bull, to be one and the same.”

  “And what, may we ask, is the basis for such a claim?” inquired Mr. Carr.

  “Well ah . . . well, he comes from Pemaquid, which is the last known location of the pirate,” replied Jarret. “And his description agrees with that of Dixie Bull.”

  “Is that the entirety of your supposed evidence?” asked Mr. Carr.

  “Indeed, as it is sufficiently compelling,” Jarret retorted, with apparent agitation.

  “Gentlemen,” said Mr. Carr, “I, and two other witnesses, have just returned from Salem, whereupon we made the acquaintance of one Thomas Corbitt, an eyewitness of the events at Pemaquid during the dread pirate’s infamous attack.”

  After hearing the name of Thomas Corbitt spoken, Jarret, with his mind racing, stared angrily frontward. He remembered that Thomas Corbitt was the uncle of a woman he had been involved with in Salem. He must have made a full disclosure to Mr. Carr and the others, he thought, as he began to, once again, listen to the conversation.

  “I have in my hand an affidavit signed by the aforementioned, which includes a detailed account of his dealings with the pirate,” said Mr. Carr confidently.

  After Mr. Carr read the testimony, he requested that Christopher, Mr. Bleasdell, and Mr. Foster stand with him at the front of the meetinghouse. At that point, the four men stared sternly into Jarret’s face in order to deter him from any further attempts at accusing Christopher. Jarret ascertained from their expressions that the information regarding the woman in Salem had most likely been disclosed, and that he would do well to drop the whole matter or live to regret it.

  Mr. Carr declared, “An ample and reliable description of one, Dixie Bull, has now been read aloud. Fix your eyes on upon Christopher Osgood and judge for yourselves whether his appearance matches that of the pirate. It is my contention that Jarret Ormsby’s accusations are wholly without foundation. If any man is to be accused of a vile thing, such as piracy, ought not there first to have been a collection of indisputable evidence rather than the flimsy sort to which we have been subjected?”

  The meeting came to a close with the mood altered. Now in the eyes of most of the men, Jarret Ormsby had falsely accused Christopher Osgood. Additionally, as it turned out, having taken his side they had become willing accomplices in his folly. Thus, after the meeting, many of the selectmen’s wives were rebuked for inciting their husbands against Christopher.

  “It is highly unlikely that Jarret will again find such favor amongst the townsfolk,” reasoned Mr. Bleasdell. “Furthermore, he deserves to be dealt with severely for his actions.”

  “Oh, I would not count on that, Mr. Bleasdell. Jarret has a charming way about him and will likely talk his way out of any disfavor,” replied Mr. Foster.

  “Well, Christopher, let us return to the island now that this unhappy mess has been put to rest,” said Mr. Carr, with an attitude of contentment.

  “Yes, but first allow me to say how grateful I am to all of you for your support during this trying time. You have been true and faithful friends,” said Christopher, in all sincerity.

  “I must return home as well, for Madeline and Elizabeth are sure to be anxious for news,” said Mr. Bleasdell. “Christopher, you must come by for a visit.”

  “I shall, and very soon,” replied Christopher, with a pleased expression upon his face.

  Chapter 11

  The Misunderstanding Abated

  * * *

  Early one day, Henry got it into his head to go down to the river and skip stones across its surface. He dearly loved the pastime from the time when Madeline had originally given him instruction. Madeline was happy to oblige him, as it was to her, also, a very agreeable amusement.

  Christopher chose this particular day in which to come calling at the Bleasdell’s home. Upon his arrival, he found Mr. Bleasdell working in the field.

  “Good day to you,” Christopher called out as he moved in his direction. “May I lend a hand?”

  “Oh, it is good to see you, Christopher,” said Mr. Bleasdell. “No, no, you must not. I daresay that Elizabeth would be disappointed if I kept you out here with me. Moreover, I am in need of a short rest.”

  “Good day to you, Christopher,” said Elizabeth with delight, as the two men entered the house. “It is good of you to come. I trust that you will stay awhile. Madeline and Henry have gone off somewhere and would be sorely disappointed to have missed seeing you.”

  Christopher also felt quite disappointed that Maddie was not at home. He comforted himself with the thought that she might arrive before it was time for him to go.

  “How is Maddie? I have not seen her ever since our chance encounter on the island. She was in the company of another young lady and Jarret Ormsby. I had not the faintest idea that meeting Jarret that day would lead to such trouble.”

  “Yes, all of that business with Jarret was deplorable. Our heart ached for you and what you were going through. Thank God it all turned out all right in the end. As for Madeline, I daresay you caught her quite by surprise that day. She had not been made aware you had moved to the island. She and her friend Bridget had been looking forward, for some time, to visiting the island when an opportunity finally came along for them to go. Madeline seemed very pleased to have discovered you out there,” said Elizabeth.

  “I was delighted to see her as well,” replied Christopher, with a dejected expression.

  Mr. Bleasdell, sensing Christopher’s concern over Jarret and Madeline, said with a reassuring voice, “Yes, she talked of nothing else aside from her annoyance with Jarret. He seems to pop up at the most inopportune moments. He has been a bother to her ever since we arrived in this town. What is more, after all he has done to you, Madeline would not wish to ever be in his company again.”

  Mr. Bleasdell decided that it was best not to divulge too much, as Madeline had implored him not to make her feelings known to Christopher.

  Christopher’s mood improved a little upon hearing of Maddie’s feelings toward Jarret. He knew in his heart that his friendship with Maddie would have been more important to her than to remain friends with Jarret Ormsby after all he had done. He began to wonder why he had even questioned Madeline’s feelings. However, he thought it best not to go on with the conversation regarding Madeline, for fear of exposing his true feelings. Rather, once again, he determined to express his gratitude for Mr. Bleasdell’s friendship.

  “I am forever in your debt for what you have done for me with regard to Jarret’s accusations. Only a true friend would have done so much.”

  “Christopher, I believe that you will find that you have many friends here in Salisbury. Mr. Carr and Mr. Foster, in particular, think very highly of you,” replied Mr. Bleasdell. “Mr. Foster, just today, has informed me of the town’s desire to offer you a land grant. I believe there are many who feel simply awful about what has taken place and wish to demonstrate their desire to make amends.”

  “It has been my wish to settle here, although, what has transpired of late has dampened that desire a bit,” replied Christopher.

  “Christopher, if you are willing to give the town another go, I believe that you shall be very happy here. Jarret is the only one who truly desired for you to leave; thus, he played on the fears of the whole town to accomplish his goal,” said Elizabeth.

  “No doubt you are right, and so I shall consider what you have said with regard to remaining in Salisbury. I have enjoyed this visit a great deal, but I must take my leave, as there is much yet to do today. Please convey my disappointment to Maddie and Henry at not
finding them at home today,” requested Christopher, who seemed in a happier mood than when he had arrived.

  “Do take care of yourself, and come again soon,” said Elizabeth.

  Christopher nodded in agreement, as he rose to leave.

  “I shall walk out with you,” said Mr. Bleasdell.

  With that, Christopher was off with a promise to return very soon. Mr. Bleasdell and Elizabeth each hoped, without having been too obvious, they had eased Christopher’s concern over Madeline and Jarret. Though they doubted he could believe, if there had been anything between them, it would continue after Jarret’s deplorable behavior.

  Soon after Christopher had left, Madeline and Henry returned. Henry was bubbling over with excitement as he recounted the events of the afternoon. “My stones skipped at least four or five times. Madeline said that I am becoming an expert stone skipper.”

  “Indeed, you are quite the expert, Henry,” giggled Madeline. “You are becoming much better at it than I.”

  Elizabeth and Mr. Bleasdell hesitated to tell Madeline that Christopher had come to call. They knew that she would be deeply disappointed to have missed him. However, once Henry was asleep, they decided to inform her of his visit.

  “Madeline, we had a visitor today,” said Elizabeth. “Christopher came to call.”

  “Oh, I wish I had been here. I have not seen him ever since that day on the island or his meeting with the selectmen. Did he make any inquiries about me?”

  “Yes, he wanted to know how you were, and he was genuinely disappointed that you and Henry were not at home,” answered Elizabeth.

  “He did not seek after any information concerning Jarret and me?” asked Madeline. “He must not still believe that I would have anything to do with someone who had treated him so abominably.”

  “He did not question us regarding you and Jarret; however, he did mention that he had seen you and Bridget with him on the island,” replied Elizabeth.

  “Oh, and were you able to discover whether he had the wrong idea about Jarret?”

  “We could not be sure; however, his countenance was rather downcast,” replied Elizabeth. “We did tell him that you seemed happy and surprised to see him that day. We also mentioned your annoyance at having seen Jarret there. In addition, Mr. Bleasdell informed him of the bother Jarret is to you in general, but we dared not speak anything more on the subject, for fear of divulging more than we ought,” explained Elizabeth.

  “Madeline, I did not have the opportunity to explain fully about Jarret, but I believe that he left with a better opinion than the one with which he came,” said Mr. Bleasdell.

  “Oh, I am glad, then, that I was not here, as my presence would have hindered the conversation,” said Madeline with relief. “As I desired, you were restrained, but he must have understood your meaning. How will I ever thank you? You are both such a blessing to me. I do not know what I would do without you.”

  “You are a blessing to us as well,” replied Mr. Bleasdell with Elizabeth in agreement.

  ***

  The following day, Madeline met up with Bridget in town on her way to Emma’s house. “Good morning, Bridget, and how are you? I have not had the pleasure of your company in what seems like a very long time. I am on my way to call on Emma. Would you like to come along?”

  “Yes, I would be delighted. We can talk on the way. Have you seen Christopher since that day on the island or the meeting of the board?” asked Bridget. “I have thought of nothing else than my poor dear friend’s broken heart.”

  “You are a dear,” said Madeline. “No, I have not seen him, but he has come to call at the Bleasdell’s. In fact, he came just yesterday while Henry and I were down by the water skipping stones.”

  “So you were not there when he came?” inquired Bridget.

  “No, but I have a good report to share. He inquired after me affording Mr. Bleasdell and Elizabeth an opportunity to inform him of my mood upon seeing him on the island, that I had been surprised and happy to see him. They went on to explain that I had been annoyed at finding Jarret there, but dared not to say very much more on the subject.”

  “How wonderful. They have declared just enough to set the matter straight without betraying your true feelings!” exclaimed Bridget. “You must have been very happy to find out what was said in your absence.”

  “I cannot deny that I was. And, though he continues to be unaware of my feelings for him, at least now he should not believe that my affections lie elsewhere,” said Madeline, with a sigh.

  “Do you not think that he must have known if there had been anything between you and Jarret, you would have ended it after what Jarret has done?” inquired Bridget.

  “Yes, I had begun to believe that he must have realized I would never betray our friendship. Which, of course, did serve to relieve my worry a bit regarding his thoughts about Jarret and me,” replied Madeline. “But I wanted to be sure that it was, indeed, clear to him.”

  “At any rate, what did you think about the ridiculous accusations that Jarret made against poor Christopher?” asked Bridget. “The moment I heard about it, I had no doubt but that Jarret was acting out of jealousy. I so wanted to talk with you, as I could not share my opinions with anyone else.”

  “The whole matter was so distressing,” replied Madeline. “Elizabeth and I were aware that Mr. Bleasdell was going to Salem to obtain the testimony that, in the end, exonerated Christopher. However, we could not share the news with anyone, as Jarret might have learned of it. We were concerned that if Jarret had foreknowledge of the mission to seek the testimony of the man who had seen the pirate, he may have been able to find a way to discredit him, rendering his testimony worthless.”

  “Oh, I understand,” replied Bridget. “You surely did the right thing.”

  Emma greeted Bridget and Madeline with a hug and a kiss. “Will you not sit down? It is so good to see you, my dear girls. And how have you been?”

  “In light of the recent events, we have been tolerably well,” replied Bridget.

  “What has happened is precisely why I am so opposed to gossip,” replied Emma, as she poured some tea. “This time, baseless accusations almost destroyed a young man.”

  “You are so right, Emma,” replied Bridget, “and Christopher is such an amiable young man. It stirs the emotions to think about what he has gone through.”

  “You are very quiet, my dear,” said Emma to Madeline.

  “Emma, it has all been too much given that Christopher is a good friend. I became acquainted with him aboard the Angel Gabriel. In fact, he was the one who rescued me from the ocean the night the ship went down in a storm. It grieves me to think of what he must have suffered at the hands of Jarret Ormsby, and all of his false accusations. He has been treated cruelly and must wish he had never come to this town,” uttered Madeline, in a somber voice.

  “I am aware that you are acquainted with Christopher,” replied Emma. “As you know, Mr. Foster accompanied Mr. Carr and Mr. Bleasdell on their mission to Salem. He has since informed me of the connection between you. Do not concern yourself any longer about Christopher, for there are many men in town who wish to make up to Christopher the wrongs that have been done to him. He shall find out soon enough that he has several friends here.”

  “Oh, I hope that you are right,” replied Madeline, in a hopeful voice.

  Bridget and Madeline felt more at ease as they visited with Emma. Her calm demeanor had always been a bit contagious. Though they were enjoying the day, the time came for the young ladies to take their leave.

  “It was kind of you to allow us to drop in for a visit,” said Madeline to Emma.

  “Thank you for the tea,” said Bridget, as they turned to leave.

  “Come again, soon,” said Emma, as she waved goodbye.

  Chapter 12

  Maddie Takes a Stand/All Is Well with Christopher

  * * *

  It was a beautiful Sunday morning when everyone eagerly flowed in to the new church for worship. On her
way in, Madeline met up with Bridget and her husband, John.

  “Good morning, Bridget. How are you on this beautiful morning?”

  “Just fine, Madeline. Have you been informed of where you are to be seated?”

  “No, but I am guessing by your expression, we are seated next to each other,” replied Madeline, squeezing Bridget’s hand. “Elizabeth and Mr. Bleasdell have already gone in. I was running a little slow this morning. I am so happy to be in your company, for I saw Jarret not far behind. Thus, I was attempting to make my way here as quickly as possible. I have not seen Christopher as yet; however, he may already be inside.”

  Bridget let go of John’s arm, as they said their goodbyes until after the service. John hurried in to the side of the church, which was allocated for the men, as Bridget and Madeline took their seats in the women’s section. Madeline’s mind was racing as she tried, to no avail, to focus her attentions on Reverend Worcester’s sermon.

  I hope I have the opportunity to speak with Christopher after the service. I wonder if Jarret will again interfere. Surely, after what he has done, he could not believe he still had a possibility of winning my affections. Knowing the kind of man that he is, however, he would not allow anything to stand in his way. If he comes near to me, I shall simply walk away from him. Oh, I must focus on the reverend and quit this silliness.

  The morning service was over. Bridget and Madeline were eager to be outside where they could freely converse.

  “Oh, Bridget, I could by no means focus on the sermon today,” said Madeline, with frustration. “I am so ashamed of myself, thinking such selfish thoughts at a time when I should have been attentive.”

  “Madeline, you are much too hard on yourself,” replied Bridget. “John will be out soon, and I shall have to be going. Be careful of Jarret on your way home. Maybe you should wait for Mr. and Mrs. Bleasdell.”