Amanda chuckled. “Winter has only begun.”
“I know, I know…wishful thinking on my part.”
“So tell me, what are you doing with all this wood?”
Will looked confused. “It’s for your fence.”
“Fence? What fence?”
“The one Captain Danfield hired me to build.”
Amanda’s brows shot up in surprise. “He hired you to build a fence?”
“Yes. It’s to run along the property line here, parallel to the bluff.” Will pointed down the side of the yard in illustration.
Nibbling her lower lip, Amanda wondered if in all her grief she’d missed something. Had Captain Danfield mentioned a fence? She searched her memory but couldn’t recall such a conversation.
“Wait,” she told Will, “I think there must be some mistake. I never ordered a fence, and why should Captain Danfield hire you to build it?”
“I don’t know. He asked me to do the job, paid me, so here I am.” He frowned. “I thought you had worked out some sort of arrangement.”
Amanda shook her head and released a long, slow breath. “No, I didn’t. And I suppose I should seek him out and ask him about it.”
“Would you like me to go instead?” Will offered.
“No. Actually, the walk to the hotel will do me good.”
Will frowned. “The captain isn’t staying at the hotel anymore. Why, he lives about half a mile away on Newberry Boulevard. Sold his schooner and bought a house.”
“Hmm…I didn’t know that. Well, if you’ll tell me where it is, I could use the walk. I haven’t really been out in awhile, and it’s such a lovely day.”
“Of course. The fresh air will do you good. But perhaps I should escort you.”
“That’s not necessary. Since the war, women have had to see themselves everywhere around town. I will be fine.”
Somewhat reluctantly, Will gave her the captain’s new address.
“Thank you, Mr. Trekman, and please go inside and make yourself at home. There’s coffee on the stove.”
“I appreciate it,” he replied with a nod. His brown eyes shone with earnestness. “But, um…don’t you think it’s high time you called me Will… Amanda?”
The question took her aback. Will was certainly overcoming his shyness!
After a moment’s deliberation, Amanda agreed to the use of their first names. She’d known the young man for a year. He’d moved to Milwaukee from a tiny lumber town in northern Wisconsin and worked hard, hoping to make something of himself.
She lifted her hand in a parting wave. “I won’t be gone long.”
He looked so pleased when she took off on her stroll that Amanda felt somewhat giddy. Will Trekman was probably the sweetest man she’d ever met, and slowly an idea began to form. What if Will would agree to marry her? Surely she could easily renew her mother’s lighthouse post under those circumstances. The superintendent wouldn’t have any qualms then, and David wouldn’t be able to bat an eyelash at her, let alone switch her.
Marriage to Will. That really wouldn’t be so bad. He was almost charming when he put his mind to it. He enjoyed the lighthouse work, and he was diligent, strong, and a Christian man. He seemed romantically interested in her, so how could she go about eliciting a proposal from him…and soon? If it took Will a full year to ask to call her by her given name, it would most likely take him another five years to work up the courage to ask for her hand in marriage. What was a girl to do?
Amanda reached the captain’s residence and knocked on the heavy wooden front door. It had been painted the same grass green as the shutters and trim of the white-sided saltbox. She pulled her dark blue woolen wrap tighter around her shoulders and suddenly felt self-conscious about her appearance. Having been up all night tending the light, she figured she looked disheveled at best. Smoothing her hair back, she wished she had taken the time to repin it.
The door opened, and a stout little woman with wiry gray hair and jowls like a bulldog stepped forward. “May I help you, miss?”
“Yes. I would like to speak with Captain Danfield, please.”
The door opened wider and the woman beckoned Amanda into the foyer. “Your name?”
“Amanda Lewis.”
The woman nodded politely. “Please wait here, and let me see if the captain is available.”
As Amanda patiently awaited a reply, she glanced around the spacious front hall. Obviously the captain was still getting settled as there wasn’t a stick of furniture in sight and the walls were devoid of any framed art.
“Miss Lewis, what a pleasant surprise.”
Amanda fairly jumped as the captain’s voice echoed from the back of the house. She smiled as he neared, noticing the contrast between his crisp white shirt and black trousers. Standing just inches away, he held out his right hand. She placed hers in his palm, and he bowed over it gallantly. Amanda felt her cheeks warm pink at the gesture.
“What can I do for you?” the captain asked, his mustache twitching with the hidden grin beneath it.
Amanda collected her suddenly scattered wits. “I, um, came to inquire over the fence you hired Will Trekman to build.”
“Yes?”
“Yes.” She paused. When no explanation was forthcoming, she said, “I wondered, Captain, why you felt I needed a fence and…well, why you didn’t mention anything to me about it?”
“You didn’t receive my note?”
“Your note?” Amanda immediately felt foolish. Cards and letters had been pouring in for days, but she hadn’t read a single one.
“I sent the missive earlier in the week.”
“Forgive me. I’m behind in reading my mail.”
“Understandable. You’ve had quite a shock.” Once more he held out his hand. “Allow me to take your wrap, and then won’t you come in and sit down? I’m afraid the only chairs I’ve acquired thus far are in the dining area, but the room is very comfortable. We can discuss this matter further in there.”
Amanda handed over her cloak in silent agreement and followed Cade through the empty parlor and into the formal dining room. A cherrywood table and matching chairs elegantly occupied the floor space, and in the corner, the hearth glowed with dwindling early morning embers.
“Please, sit down, Miss Lewis. May I have Mrs. Parson pour you some coffee or tea?”
“No, thank you.” Amanda took a seat and watched as Cade claimed a chair. By the look of the newspapers tossed askew on the polished tabletop, she deduced she’d interrupted his morning reading. “Is Mrs. Parson your housekeeper?” she asked.
“Yes, and I feel fortunate to have employed her.”
“And you’re adjusting to your new position at the Grain Exchange?”
“Very much so.”
“Good.”
Once more, Cade’s mustache wiggled with amusement, and Amanda wondered what he found so funny. Perhaps her hair stuck out every which way. Self-consciously, she patted the loose knot in the back of her head.
“This is a lovely home,” she ventured.
“Thank you. But it will look more presentable once I buy some furnishings.” He sighed as though he regarded decorating a burdensome chore. “All in due time.”
“Yes.” She cleared her throat. “And Jenny is well, I hope?”
“Quite well. She started school and has already made friends. In fact she’s dressing for a birthday party this afternoon.”
“I’m happy for her.”
“And how are you faring, Miss Lewis?”
“Oh, I can’t complain. The Lord has been looking out for me, just as Mother said He would, but it’s still hard. I…miss her.”
“Of course you do.” Amanda saw Cade’s blue-eyed gaze harden. “Death is never easily overcome. Weeping doesn’t endure for just a night, and joy doesn’t always come in the morning.”
“You’re speaking from experience, aren’t you?”
He nodded ever so slightly.
“Your wife?”
“Yes.”
“Was it recent, Captain?”
“Five years ago.”
“And you still miss her terribly?” Amanda’s heart ached for the poor man. No wonder he hid his smiles beneath his bushy, blond mustache.
“I think I would have gotten over Isabelle’s death by now had I been able to say my good-byes. But I was on the Atlantic, manning a gunner, when I finally got the telegram. By the time I arrived home, she was… gone.”
Amanda felt her eyes fill with tears, but she successfully blinked them back.
Or so she thought.
“I’m sorry, Miss Lewis. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. You don’t need my burdens heaped on your own.”
“No need to apologize, Captain,” she replied in a strangled voice. “I know so many people who have lost loved ones in the war. And now hearing about your wife…well, you’ve helped me to see how very fortunate I really am. I said good-bye to Mother, and I know she’s in heaven with the Savior.”
“You’re very fortunate.” Cade lifted his coffee cup to his lips and took a long drink.
“Was your wife a believer?”
“Yes, she was.” He set the cup back in its saucer.
“We can rejoice in that much anyway.”
“Yes,” he said once more, but his tone sounded doubtful.
The atmosphere between them had suddenly become strained.
“There, now, about this fence business,” Cade began in a matterof-fact tone. He sat back in his chair. “In my letter to you, I expressed concern over the close proximity of the walkway to the lighthouse and the bluff. I offered to have a fence erected as a token of my appreciation for your work, and I promised to inform the superintendent of the improvements in my recommendation.”
“Improvements?” Amanda waved away the notion. “The superintendent is one of John Sloan’s colleagues, and he won’t care about enrichments to the property, especially if they’re laid out for my benefit. Why, he would probably think it a convenience if the north wind blew me over the ledge one day.”
“More’s the reason I would feel better with something of a barricade there to halt a downward fall.”
Amanda felt an uneasiness fill her chest. She hadn’t expected the captain to agree with her. Regardless, she refused to let him know he had spooked her.
“Very well, Captain. I’ll accept your kind offer of a fence in my yard. Thank you.”
She stood.
He followed suit.
“I should be going. I left Will at the house. I’m sure he would like to begin his building.”
“Indeed.”
The captain showed her to the door, helping her with her cloak before she stepped into the cool November sunshine.
“Thank you again, Captain.”
“My pleasure.”
Amanda gave him a hesitant little smile. But then she had a thought.
“With regards to your wife,” she began carefully, “I don’t know if we can really communicate with those loved ones who have gone on to glory before us, but I imagine the Lord Jesus could give them a message. Why not say good-bye to your wife now? Ask God to tell her good-bye for you, and perhaps in return He’ll give you His peace that passes all understanding.” After a moment, Amanda shrugged, seeing Cade’s stony expression. “I have probably spoken out of turn, and I apologize. Please give my love to Jenny.”
On that final note of farewell, she ran down the stony walkway, wondering if Captain Cade Danfield would ever speak to her again.
Chapter 6
By early afternoon the following day, Sunday, Amanda experienced loneliness in a way she never thought possible. She had to mind the lighthouse grounds with no one to cover her for even an hour so she could attend church services. In the past, she and her mother had taken turns. Moreover, she and her mother had shared the responsibility for keeping the beacon burning all night long. Now it fell solely upon Amanda’s shoulders—a position she sought and would fight for if necessary. Nonetheless, she was beginning to realize the great isolation that accompanied the job, and she would have to get used to it, especially with winter coming.
Lord, I need a husband, she prayed silently while settling into the daybed on the sunporch. She needed a nap. In just a few short hours, she’d have to tend the light again. During the winter months, the sun set at about fourthirty, and dawn didn’t streak the eastern sky until approximately six o’clock. Sometimes even later, if fog or a storm loomed on the horizon.
Amanda closed her eyes, feeling the distant November sunshine warm her face. This room made her think of her beloved mother, and lying in the same place she’d lain days before her death somehow comforted Amanda, enveloping her with a love that transcended human logic.
Lord, please tell Mother I miss her, but let her know I’ll be all right. With Your help, I will be just fine….
Exhaustion overtook her, and Amanda fell into a deep sleep.
Some time later, Amanda awakened to the sound of knocking at the front door. Rising, she sleepily walked through the house, rubbing her tired eyes. When she reached the front foyer, she peered through the sheer, curtain-covered window and gasped upon seeing John Sloan’s balding, spindly head.
“What does he want?” she muttered, her hand on the knob. After another peek through the window, Amanda realized two other men stood on the porch beside Mr. Sloan, one of them being his pudgy son, Leonard.
She knew what they wanted, all right. They wanted her lighthouse! Well, they weren’t going to get it.
Amanda gave the door a tug and glared at her uninvited guests.
“Good day, Miss Lewis,” Sloan began, seemingly oblivious to her outward hostility. “I’d like to present Mr. Kirkaby, an acquaintance of mine, and of course you know my son, Len.”
Amanda gave them each a disinterested glance. “State your business, Mr. Sloan. I’m a busy woman.”
He laughed cynically. “Oh, Miss Lewis—” He chuckled again. “You’re busy? By your rumpled appearance, I’d say you were sleeping on the job.”
She offered him a tight, little grin. “That only goes to show your ignorance of what is required to tend a lighthouse.” She glanced at Leonard’s doughy face before looking back at his father. “It’s all-night work and sometimes all morning as well. Excuse me, Mr. Sloan, but even the keeper of the light has got to sleep sometime.”
He shrugged. “No matter. We’re here today because my friend, my son, and I wish to tour the grounds.”
Amanda looked down to hide the flash of anger in her eyes. “I’m afraid now is not convenient. You’ll have to come back another time.” When I’ve got Will here to protect me, she added silently.
“Need I remind you the lighthouse is open to the public?” Len Sloan asked. His words sounded as though he spoke with a mouthful of marbles. “We have every right to our inspection.”
“No, I needn’t be reminded of the fact; however, polite society makes appointments.”
After a final glower, she closed the door soundly. Whirling around, she leaned back against it and closed her eyes. Her heart pounded with such anxiety, she could hear the blood coursing through her veins like a veritable drum in her ears. She immediately realized her vulnerability as a lone female in the large house. There was no stopping the Sloans, or anyone else for that matter, should they decide to…dispose of her. She swallowed hard. Not even Captain Danfield’s fence would be able to save her.
“But my God can,” she reminded herself. “My God is more powerful than the Sloans and stronger than any wooden reinforcement.”
Amanda strode to the kitchen and looked out the side window. She frowned, noticing the Sloans and Mr. Kirkaby, whoever he might be, were taking their own tour in spite of her. Len pointed to the house, then out across Lake Michigan, and all the while it seemed to Amanda as though the three men were conspiring about some diabolical plan. What it was, Amanda could only guess. But the more contact she had with Len, the more she realized he was slow and thick-tongued. No doubt he did his father’
s iron business little good. Perhaps that’s why the elder Sloan wanted the lighthouse position for him, although Amanda questioned whether Leonard could take proper care of the place. On the other hand, he definitely had an advantage over her, being a man.
“It’s so unfair,” she groused, arms akimbo. All the while, she kept her gaze on the Sloans and Kirkaby. She watched them cautiously until they finally took their leave.
“Good afternoon, Miss Lewis. What a surprise.”
Amanda turned from the counter at the general store to see Cade Danfield. She smiled, nodding politely. “Captain.”
“And how are you faring this brisk December day?” he asked. His hair, the color of wet sand, had been cropped short and his mustache neatly trimmed. He no longer bore the appearance of a rugged sea captain, but that of an enterprising businessman.
Amanda felt pleased he would stop to say hello since she had all but insulted the man the last time they spoke. All in all, he seemed to have forgiven her for her outspokenness.
“I’m doing well, Captain. And you?”
“Just fine.”
Amanda gathered her armload of parcels and thanked the storekeeper.
“Here, allow me to help you with that,” Cade said.
“Why, thank you. My wagon is right out front.”
He easily carried the bundles to the rig and set them in the back.
“How’s Jenny?” Amanda inquired. She’d been wondering about the girl for several days.
“She’s doing splendidly…for the most part.”
Amanda detected the hesitancy in Cade’s voice. “Is there something wrong?”
“Well, only that Jenny is having problems with her arithmetic.”
Amanda smiled. “Mathematics was my favorite subject. Just don’t ask me to spell.”
“Hmm…well, I can spell and I excel in mathematics, but don’t ask me to teach a ten-year-old!” He shook his head, looking frustrated.
Amanda’s heart went out to him. It couldn’t be easy for a man to raise a daughter single-handedly.
Lighthouse Brides Collection Page 17