“I guess I had better be on my way,” she stated at last. “Thank you again for your help.”
“Miss Lewis,” he said, his mustache twitching over a grin that caused his blue eyes to sparkle, “it’s quite a pleasure to see you again.”
“Likewise,” she replied as he assisted her up into the wagon. “Good day, Captain.”
Slapping the reins against her horse’s backside, Amanda headed for home, where Will had stopped by to help with a few chores during his noon break. She wished he were as captivating as the captain, but he was just hardworking Will Trekman…who seemed blissfully unaware of her need for a husband and equally as blind to her hints along those lines.
I’ll have to be more persuasive, Amanda thought, her wagon rattling over the rutted streets. The only question is…how?
Chapter 7
Two weeks before Christmas, Amanda found herself tutoring Jenny Danfield. The same day Amanda had seen the captain in town, he had sent a message to her, asking if she would be interested in giving his daughter extra instruction in mathematics. Amanda accepted the challenge, although it really wasn’t one at all. Jenny was bright and caught on quickly, and she provided companionship in those late afternoon hours when the winter skies turned gray and the house turned cold.
Jenny liked helping Amanda with the lighthouse duties, and occasionally they shared supper together if the captain worked late. Sometimes Will joined them at the table, although he wasn’t any closer to discovering Amanda’s wily plan to get him to the marriage altar.
“Are you sweet on Mr. Will?” Jenny asked one night as she and Amanda enjoyed a game of chess while awaiting the captain.
“Sweet on him?” Amanda chuckled lightly. “No, I can’t say that I am.”
“You act like it.”
“Act is a good word, and unfortunately, theatrics are not my calling.” Amanda forced a smile toward Jenny’s puzzled countenance. The girl’s bright blond hair had been plaited neatly on either side of her head, Mrs. Parsons’s handiwork, no doubt. “Women are often forced to play a role out of necessity,” Amanda added, but despite the vague explanation, Jenny did not look satisfied. “Oh, someday when you’re older you’ll understand.”
“That’s what Papa always tells me,” the girl replied before moving her chess piece.
Amanda claimed it at once. “You’re not concentrating.”
“I guess I don’t feel much like playing chess after all,” Jenny stated with a pout. But then her face split into a wide grin. “How ’bout blackjack instead? Benk taught me lots of card games.”
“A lady does not play blackjack,” Amanda replied tutorially.
Jenny expelled a disappointed sigh. “It’s boring being a lady.”
“Yes, well, it’s our lot in life, so we need to make the best of it.”
“How do we do that?”
Amanda glanced up from the game board. “Good question, and I’m in the throes of discovering the answer. When I do, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
“All right.” Jenny yawned. “I’m tired. Can I lie down while we wait for Papa?”
“Of course. I’ll open the porch door, and soon it’ll be quite toasty out there. You can rest on the daybed.” Amanda laughed softly. “My mother used to call it a fainting couch.”
Jenny followed her through the kitchen. “Do you miss your mother?”
“Yes. I think I’ll always miss her, but I don’t feel quite so sad anymore.”
“I hardly remember my mother,” Jenny murmured.
Amanda’s heart ached for the child.
“Miss Amanda?”
“Yes?”
“May I hold one of your doll babies while I rest?”
She smiled. How could she refuse?
“Yes, you may,” Amanda replied. “Go on upstairs and pick the one you want.”
While Jenny happily ran to the second-floor bedroom, Amanda stoked the woodstove in the kitchen. When the girl returned, Amanda tucked her and the doll, whom Amanda had long ago named Abigail, snugly into the daybed, using one of the quilts her mother had sewn. Stepping back a ways, Amanda decided Jenny and Abigail made a precious sight. She smiled as she left the porch and began cleaning in the kitchen.
Shortly thereafter, Cade appeared at the door.
“Come in, Captain,” Amanda beckoned. “I’ll rouse Jenny from her nap.”
“She’s sleeping? Am I that late? It’s not yet nine o’clock.”
Amanda grinned. “Scholastics make a girl tired.”
“Ah…” He nodded in understanding.
“Have you eaten? Are you hungry? I’ve got plenty of food,” she offered.
“Food, you say?”
“Yes. Turkey stew with dumplings. Mother used to rave about my dumplings.”
“You’ve successfully convinced me into trying a portion,” Cade said, removing his woolen cloak. “The truth is, I’m famished.”
Amanda immediately set to her task, noting that the captain seemed more than comfortable seated in the kitchen, watching her.
“I made quite a bit of stew tonight,” Amanda explained, “because I thought Will Trekman might stop over for supper.”
“I’m afraid Will was as busy as I today…and tonight.”
“Well, that explains it. Will’s not one to miss a meal.”
Captain Danfield chuckled, and Amanda thought he looked less brooding and more contented of late. She figured his life on dry land must agree with him.
It wasn’t long before she set a plate of steaming stew in front of Cade.
“Smells delicious.”
“Thank you, Captain. And now if you’ll excuse me, I need to tend the lighthouse, but I shouldn’t be gone too long.”
“By all means. Don’t let me get in the way of your duties.”
After giving him a look of gratitude, she spun on her heel and stepped into the mudroom, where she donned her winter wrapper. Then she headed for the lighthouse.
Cade watched her go before praying over his meal. Praying. He smiled. It felt good to commune with the Almighty again.
When plucky Amanda Lewis had suggested he say good-bye to Isabelle using the Savior as a conduit, Cade had deemed the idea one of the most absurd he’d heard. But that night, in the quiet darkness of his bedchamber, he’d prayed those very words. He’d said his good-byes. And he trusted Jesus Christ to relay the message. Somehow, in the deepest recesses of his soul, Cade knew the Lord had agreed to his request. Christ did not have to; He was God. And the notion that the Almighty would stoop to do Cade’s bidding, let alone die for his sin, caused him, a confident seafaring man, to feel ashamed for all the years he’d scorned and neglected his God. Even now, as he gazed at his plate of turkey stew, his eyes grew misty.
Thank You, Lord. Thank You… It was all the response Cade could think up. There weren’t enough words in all the history of human language to begin to express what the Savior had done for his wounded spirit. Jesus had indeed lifted the load Cade had been bearing for so many years.
He finished eating, deciding the stew tasted exceptionally good. He wouldn’t have minded another two or three platefuls. Carrying his dishes into the kitchen, he set them on the battered, wooden service counter and patted his stomach. He’d been eating much too well lately. That, combined with the lack of exercise he was accustomed to on board the Kismet, Cade realized, was making his clothes a wee bit tight.
Last year at this time, he, Jenny, Benk, and the rest of his crew were in the Gulf of Mexico. He loved sailing, the wind, and the water, but, oddly, he didn’t miss it overmuch. His position at the Grain Exchange proved to be the challenge he had anticipated, and it kept his finances in the black.
Cade walked out onto the porch and checked on Jenny. She slept peacefully with her arm wrapped around one of Amanda’s dolls. The scene tugged at his heart, and he felt like the luckiest man alive. He had a sweet daughter, a nice home, a good job…
He heard the door open and close, signaling his hostess’s return from her lighthouse chores.
He met her in the kitchen.
“The wind is kicking up,” she said, with rosy cheeks. “I think we may see some snow by morning.”
Cade grinned at her prediction, thinking she was probably right.
“I’m going to make some coffee. I’m chilled to the bone, and my night is just beginning. Would you care for a cup, Captain?”
“I would indeed,” he replied. “What can I do to help you?”
Amanda turned from the counter, her brow furrowed slightly. “Would you mind terribly stoking the fire in the parlor? I forgot about it, and this house can get terribly drafty.”
Cade bowed slightly. “I’d be happy to.”
He strode to the parlor and, taking hold of the poker, kindled the flames, then added another log from the pile beside the hearth. With the task completed, he straightened and surveyed the tidy room, noticing the chessboard set up on a small table near the fireplace.
“Are you a chess player, Captain?” Amanda’s voice came from behind him.
He turned. “I enjoy the game, yes.” He grinned. “Were you and Jenny playing earlier?”
“Yes, but I’m sad to say she lost interest.”
“Hmm…yes, and I see she wasn’t playing up to her usual standard, either,” he remarked, inspecting the board and the missing ivory pieces. He looked back at Amanda. “Shall we finish the game? I’ll sit in for Jenny.”
Amanda smiled. “I’d like that, although I do hope you’re a worthy opponent.”
Cade’s brows shot up at the tart comment. But as he took a seat at the table, he thought he shouldn’t be surprised. “I shall try to challenge your wits, Miss Lewis.” He had little doubt that he could make quick work of this game.
“Good. I need my wits challenged,” she stated candidly. “I’m not used to being alone so much. My mother was my best friend, and we did so many fun things together. But she never could beat me at chess.”
Cade grinned wryly. “I rarely lose.”
Amanda met his stare with a competitive little smile curving her lips. “As I recall, it was Jenny’s move.”
Cade examined the board then moved a pawn. “You said you’re alone too much of the time? Does that mean Jenny is not a bother?”
“She’s not a bother at all. I enjoy having her around.” Amanda slid one of her pawns forward.
“She has a mathematics test tomorrow.”
“We studied tonight, and I believe she’s ready for it.”
“Excellent.” Cade moved one of his knights and captured a pawn.
Amanda frowned. However, she quickly recovered and pushed another pawn forward.
“Jenny mentioned Will Trekman is here frequently for supper. She wondered if you were…how did she term it? Sweet on him?”
Amanda grinned. “Jenny asked me about Will tonight, and I informed her that I am not sweet on him.”
Cade moved out his other knight.
“But, Captain, if you must know, I am trying to do everything in my power to get Will to propose marriage. I need a husband.”
Cade’s eyes widened as she glided one of her rooks forward.
“I didn’t tell Jenny that, of course.”
“You need a husband?” Leaning back in the black leather chair, Cade folded his arms across his chest. “May I be so bold as to ask why?”
“Because if I were married,” Amanda explained, “my request to obtain my mother’s commission would be more credible to the superintendent.” She gave him a look as if to say he should have figured that much out on his own. “Why else would I need a husband?”
Cade chuckled inwardly, stroking his mustache with his thumb and forefinger. “I see. And is young Mr. Trekman aware of all this?” He stretched out a hand and moved his knight again, claiming another of Amanda’s pawns.
She navigated her bishop accordingly and captured his knight.
Cade narrowed his gaze at her, and she laughed softly.
“To answer your question, Captain, no, Will does not know I need a husband, nor is he aware that he is my targeted intended. But I believe he’s interested in me.”
“You don’t love him?”
“No, but I’m sure I’ll learn. Will is very kind, gentle, thoughtful, and he’s a hard worker. Besides, marriages of convenience occur all the time.”
“Quite true, except for one thing.”
Amanda tilted her head curiously. “What’s that?”
“The groom is usually aware of the, um, arrangement.”
Cade watched in amusement as Amanda’s cheeks reddened with chagrin. “My suggestion,” he stated, nudging his rook across the board, “is that you discuss this matter with Mr. Trekman.”
“How could I possibly do that?”
He shrugged. “The same way you discussed it with me.”
“But you’re different,” Amanda argued, taking his rook, much to Cade’s annoyance. “You’re not the one I’m trying to snag, so I needn’t impress you.”
For some odd reason, her candid remark irritated him more than if she had put him in check. “It’s a good thing you don’t want to marry me,” Cade muttered, scanning the chessboard, “because I wouldn’t tolerate even half of your shenanigans.”
He chanced a peek at her, thinking he would find her scowling at him, but instead she was smiling broadly.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing.” She stood, her hazel eyes twinkling as they reflected the soft firelight. “But I think our coffee is done. I’ll go fetch us each a cup.” She started for the kitchen, then called over her shoulder, “And don’t cheat while I’m away.”
Cade brought his chin back sharply. “I never cheat, Amanda Lewis. I’m a man of integrity.”
“Glad to hear it, seeing as you’re about to lose our chess game.”
He watched her go with a longing to take the sassy young woman over his knee. But then he forced himself to concentrate on the board. Sure enough. The little minx had somehow put his king in check. But after a few moments of study, Cade knew how he’d get out of it easily enough.
Amanda returned with the coffee, sipped from her cup, and waited for Cade to move his chess piece.
He deliberately bided his time, then maneuvered his king into safety.
Amanda promptly apprehended his queen. “Check.”
Cade sat back, studying the board. He took a long drink of his steaming brew while analyzing the different strategies open to him.
Inevitably, he took to studying Amanda Lewis. She looked hardpressed to contain her mirth.
“Will Trekman is not the man for you,” Cade finally said with an edgy tone. “He’s much too agreeable. You would run him over and live to become one of those bossy women who make my ears ring at church socials.”
“I will not succumb to your insults, Captain,” Amanda stated aloofly. “You’re just angry because I’m winning.” She gave him an impertinent smile. “Would you like more coffee?”
He had to clench his jaw in an effort to keep from grinning, but he didn’t quite pull it off.
“Take your time,” she quipped. “I have all night.”
That did it. Cade dropped his head back and laughed loudly. “I like you, Amanda,” he said at last. “May I call you Amanda?”
She nodded, albeit hesitantly.
“It’s a very special woman who can keep a man on his toes.”
“I will not succumb to your charm either. Now stop dallying and make your move.”
He smirked. The chit. She’d successfully managed to jumble his faculties so he could scarcely think a coherent thought.
“Heaven help the man who charms you, Amanda,” Cade teased, deploying his king over one square.
Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she boldly met his gaze. Then without so much as glancing at the board, she took her next and final turn.
“Checkmate, Captain.”
Chapter 8
I would like to purchase a dress that’s guaranteed to catch a man’s eye—and his heart.”
“Honey,
if I could create such a dress, I’d be the richest woman in town.” Chuckling, Lila Zenkowski placed her wide hands on her hips and tilted her graying head. “Any particular man you’ve got in mind?”
“Well, yes…” Amanda smiled shyly, uncertain if she should divulge Will Trekman’s name. But since he had invited her to the ever-popular Christmas concert at the Shubert Theatre, Amanda decided she should have a new, store-bought gown—one that might extract a marriage proposal from Will. After all, her time was running out. David and his family would arrive at the end of next week to help her pack…unless she somehow secured the lighthouse position.
“Hmm…” The Polish dressmaker gave Amanda’s tall frame a thorough scrutiny. “Let’s see what we can do.”
She began pulling dress after dress off the racks. Amanda deliberated over each one until she saw a deep green velvet gown that struck her fancy. She tried it on, admiring the way it made her look older than her nineteen years but despairing over the neckline.
“Can a Christian lady wear something so…risqué?”
“Risqué? What?” The stout dressmaker appeared shocked. “This is not risqué, my dear Miss Lewis.”
“It’s not?” Amanda examined her reflection in the framed looking glass. The dress was exquisite. The neckline, bordered with emerald satin, hung off her shoulders before giving way to velvet sleeves that came to her elbows. The fitted velvet bodice softly flowed into a full velvet skirt. True, her creamy-white shoulders were exposed, but nothing more.
“You’ll be the belle of the ball. A tuck here, a tuck there, and it will be perfect,” Mrs. Zenkowski said through the stickpins she expertly held between her lips.
“Think so?”
“Why, if that man of yours doesn’t propose to you in this dress, he ain’t fit to be called a husband.”
Amanda worked her lower lip between her teeth as she deliberated. “All right, I’ll take it,” she declared at last.
The woman marked the alterations accordingly. “Do I hear wedding bells?” she asked with a grin.
“I hope so.” Amanda strolled to the front door after paying for her new gown. She had somehow lived frugally over the last month and those funds, combined with the money David had left her, more than paid for the dress.
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