by Cathy Marie Hake, Lynn A. Coleman, Mary Davis, Susan Page Davis
“Lizzy seemed impressed with you. You being from the North you might not be aware, but a lot of white folks don’t touch colored folks.”
“Oh, I’m aware. I’m afraid that’s a problem in the North as well. Even with the war being fought.”
“Sin is a pretty hard thing to rid from a man’s heart,” Cook wisely proposed.
“You know, I hadn’t thought it was sin, just man being foolish and proud in ways he ought not. But you’re right, it is sin. The Bible does say we’re all from Adam and Eve, so we all have the same parents.” Bea folded the quilt and placed it at the foot of the four-poster bed.
“I believe it’s goin’ ta take people some time to change, but one day I think most folks will realize that, like President Lincoln said at the Gettysburg Address, ‘all men are created equal.’ ”
“It was a sad day when he was shot,” Bea whispered. It had been seven months since the president’s assassination.
“That be true, a lot of people still mourn his death.” Cook paused and took a deep breath.
Three chimes rang out from the grandfather clock down the hall. “Goodness, Child. I better be fixin’ dinner.”
“You don’t think they’ll catch anything?”
“Oh, I reckon they’ll catch some. But Mr. Ellis likes more than fish for his supper. I may just fix him some black beans and rice. I canned up some beans this summer.”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever had black beans.”
“Ewww, Child, are you in for a treat. Could you fetch me a few tangerines for a sauce for the fish? If ’n I know Mr. Ellis, he’s caught some kingfish, and he loves this tangerine sauce I make as a marinade for the fish.”
“Sounds wonderful. How many?” Bea headed for the door.
“Fetch me a half a dozen,” Cook said, brushing the dust off her hands.
The evening breeze brought the sailboat gently into the harbor. Richard was asleep. The porpoises had followed the boat, playing for at least an hour before turning back to the sea. Ellis loved hearing Richard’s laughter. And he enjoyed the contentment on the child’s face as he slept. The sailboat slowly slid into place alongside the dock. Ellis captured a piling and held the boat fast while he draped a line around it.
In short order he lowered the sails, wrapped the mainsail around the boom, and put the jib into a sack, tossing it through the hold into the bow.
Should I wake the child or let him sleep?
“Richard.” He sat down on the bench beside the small boy. “Wake up, Son.”
Richard groaned and rolled to his side.
Ellis smiled. The ocean had a way of relaxing a person. Often he would end up taking a nap after a good sail. He hoisted Richard up and held him firmly, the boy’s head resting on his shoulder. Ellis kissed him tenderly on his soft curls. It was hard to believe how much love he had for this child in only a few short days.
With his free hand, he lifted the fish for the evening’s dinner. Taking a giant step from the boat’s deck to the dock, he steadied his feet on land once again.
Ellis soon found himself a bit winded as he carried the child the entire distance to the house.
Bea greeted him at the door. A warmth spiraled down his back to the tip of his toes. She was a welcome sight to return home to. “Hi.” He smiled.
“Hi. Is Richie all right?” Bea tenderly touched Richard’s back.
“Fine, just exhausted and relaxed.” Ellis handed her the fish. “Take these, and I’ll put him to bed.”
“All right. Don’t forget to remove his shoes.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Ellis winked.
“Sorry—habit.” Bea grabbed the fish.
“By the way, I look forward to our time alone tonight,” Ellis whispered.
A soft pink rose on Bea’s cheeks. “We have a lot to talk about. Come to the kitchen after you put Richard down on his bed and wash up.”
Something in the tone of her voice made him question what else had transpired today. He wasn’t certain what it meant. “All right,” Ellis said with apprehension.
Slowly he worked his way up the stairs, skipping his normal pattern of taking two steps at a time. He didn’t want to jostle Richard and possibly wake him up.
Ellis tenderly placed Richard on his bed, pulled off his shoes, and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. Richard stirred slightly and rolled himself into a curled position. Silently Ellis departed.
In his room he made quick work of changing his shirt and washing the fishy smell from his hands. He sniffed his clean hands, but a pungent odor still remained. His nose crinkled. A desire to smell fresh and clean for Bea encouraged a second washing.
Downstairs he found Bea and Cook working side by side. “ ’Evening, ladies.”
“ ’Evenin’, Mr. Ellis.” Cook continued to fillet the fish. “I’ve done what you asked me to do.”
“And what is that, Cook?” Ellis leaned against the counter.
“I’ve moved in.”
“What? I mean, that’s wonderful. But what brought the sudden change?” Ellis looked at Bea. Bea’s face crimsoned.
Ellis shifted his gaze back to Cook.
“Miss Smith and I were talkin’—”
“And?” Ellis cut her off.
“I’ll be gettin’ to it, now hold on.” Cook smiled. “As I said, we were talkin’, and we decided it would be best for you to have me in the house.”
“I see.” Ellis looked at Bea.
“Ellis, you aren’t truly upset about this, are you?” Bea implored.
“No, I’ve been asking Cook to move in with me ever since I bought the house. Far too much room here for one man, and her home could use another open bed.” Ellis smoothed his beard. “I’m just surprised.”
But why was he surprised, really? Cook could get anything out of anyone. And he had openly touched Bea’s hand this morning.
“Do you need me to haul over your belongings, Cook?”
“No, Sir, we moved ’most everything this afternoon. I don’t see no need to take my linens, fine china, and stuff. The family will need it, and you have plenty here.”
“True. But I would’ve moved your belongings.” Ellis pushed himself away from the counter and sauntered over to the table where he saw the kingfish fillets marinating in Cook’s tangerine sauce. “My favorite, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Cook smiled.
Bea remained quiet and continued to work. Besides the need to report on his conversation with Richard, they needed to discuss her conversation with Cook.
Ellis rubbed his hands together and asked, “What can I do to help?”
Bea sat pensively still throughout dinner. She wasn’t certain how to read Ellis. He seemed glad that Cook had moved in, but it appeared as if he had something on his mind. He left obvious holes in his description of the fishing excursion with Richard.
Richard woke as everyone was finishing up their meal. Bea sat with Richie as Cook and Ellis went off for an inspection of Cook’s new room.
“Nanna, you should have seen ’em. They jump in the waves and swim really fast,” Richie excitedly explained about the porpoises. “Uncle Ellis says they breathe air like we do. They have a hole on top of their heads and everything.”
“Wow, you had quite a trip.” Bea smiled.
“I didn’t catch any fish, but Uncle Ellis said sometimes deep-sea fishing is like that.” Richard scooped another forkful of his fish dinner. “Isn’t this good, Nanna?”
“Yes. Now don’t talk with your mouth full, please.”
“Sorry,” he mumbled through a mouthful of fish.
Bea stifled a chuckle, especially when Richard took up the linen napkin and wiped his mouth, trying to be so grown up.
“Nanna, do you like Uncle Ellis?”
Oh dear, nothing like the direct approach. “Yes.”
“Are you going to marry him?”
Bea shifted nervously in her seat. This isn’t conversation for a four year old. “I don’t know if I like him that way yet.”
“What way?”
Bea eased out a pensive breath. “Richie, there are many kinds of love. For example, I love you and I love my parents, but it’s not the same kind of love a man and woman need to share to get married.”
“When will you know?”
Bea smiled. “I don’t know. I suppose when the Lord tells me so.”
“Is that when you’ll go to church and get married?”
Church? Getting married? What was going on in this little one’s mind? “Where are all these questions coming from, Richie?”
“I saw you hold hands with Uncle Ellis, and Billy’s parents hold hands.”
“I see. Do I hold hands with you?”
Richie nodded.
“Are we going to get married?”
Richie’s eyebrows knitted.
“Do you see, Richie? Not everyone who holds hands is getting married.”
“Oh. But Uncle Ellis said he likes you.”
So, he had spoken with Ellis about this too. “Richie, am I good about doing what’s best for you?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then trust me to take care of marriage and other grown-up kinds of things.”
“All right.” Richie went back to eating his supper. The child was far too observant.
A warm feeling of being watched flowed over the back of her neck. She turned and saw Ellis’s handsome figure casually leaning against the doorjamb. A mischievous smile and a wink sent her heart racing in anticipation of their evening’s conversation. A lot had transpired since last night, and her desire to get to know him had increased a hundredfold. Was it possible to fall in love at the mere sight of a man?
Bea broke her gaze and fixed it back on Richie, who was finishing his rice and beans. “After you’re done, Richie, do you want to play a game, perhaps checkers?”
“I beat Uncle Ellis.”
“Oh really? Perhaps I’ll challenge him to a game later.” Bea turned to Ellis, softly lowered her eyelids, and slowly opened them. Flirting. At her age. She could hardly believe it, and yet it felt so right.
Ellis cleared his throat and slipped into the darkened hallway.
Chapter 16
Is he asleep?” Bea asked as Ellis descended the stairs.
“Soon. He’s exhausted. Three checker games plus all those questions would wear anyone out. Have you encouraged him to ask so many questions?” Ellis sat on the chair opposite the sofa.
“He seemed to come by his curiosity naturally. I was going to ask if you or your brother were inquisitive children.”
“Not that I’m aware, but I’ve been gaining a new perspective since Richard moved in here. I used to think I was a well-behaved child, but as I’ve questioned some of Richard’s behavior, I remember being scolded in some of the same ways.” Ellis reclined in the chair, stretched his legs, and crossed them at the ankles.
“Richie seemed to have had the ‘love and marriage’ question discussion with you earlier,” Bea started.
“I think sitting on a hundred tacks would have been easier than dealing with his questions. By the way, you handled it better than I.”
Bea laughed. “I’ve had a bit more experience. I found you don’t have to give all the details to the innocent questions he’s asking.”
“I’ve got so much to learn.” Ellis wrung his hands. “I thought I handled it well, but we ended up talking about church weddings, and other unnecessary details.”
“Speaking of church, are we going in the morning?” Bea intended to go to the Presbyterian church with her newfound friends, if Ellis wasn’t planning to attend a morning service.
“I was planning on going. Would you like to accompany us?”
“As in a date?” Bea teased.
“You realize things are happening fast between us,” Ellis said.
“Things will slow down now that we have admitted to each other what we’re feeling.” Bea hoped her words were true. She certainly hadn’t told him all of her thoughts, and suspected he hadn’t told her all of his.
“Maybe.” Ellis sat up straight in the chair. “Is Cook intending to be our chaperone?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. Ellis, I couldn’t have stayed in the cottage if we do start courting. It wouldn’t be right. And gossip spreads faster on this island than a hailstorm covers the cornfields back home.”
Ellis laughed. “That’s true enough. I’m glad she moved in. I planned to have her stop coming for breakfast if she didn’t. I didn’t want her walking the streets before dawn. The island is pretty safe, but we get all kinds of ships in port from time to time, so you never know what sort of sailors will come ashore.”
“You’ve a good heart, Ellis.”
“Thank you. Yours isn’t so bad either. I’ve never known Cook to let anyone into her kitchen, and yet you seem so at home there.”
Bea enjoyed working in the kitchen, and Cook was fun to work with. “I like her. She’s unique.”
Ellis roared. “That she is. So, how long did it take for Cook to get the details from last night out of you?”
Bea felt the heat rise on her cheeks. “Maybe five minutes.”
“She’s slipping.”
“I heard that, Mr. Ellis,” Cook called from down the hall.
“Then come and join us so you can hear it all without straining.” Ellis stood to await Cook’s entrance into the room. He leaned over to Bea and whispered, “I want her to feel comfortable in my home.”
Bea nodded.
Ellis pulled away quickly. The smell of lilac in her hair, so soft, so feminine, stirred a desire to kiss her behind her right ear. Thankfully, he constrained himself before he acted on his impulses.
“Are you certain, Mr. Ellis?” Cook slowly entered the room.
“Cook … Francine … this is your home now. You’re always welcome.”
Ellis watched Cook’s imploring gaze. “Come, sit beside Bea. You’ve worked hard today.” He held her by the hand and led her to the sofa.
“Good thing Master Richard be in bed; he’d have us married.” Cook giggled.
The room erupted in laughter. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying each other’s company—getting to know one another. At ten, Bea stood.
“I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed myself more. It’s been a wonderful night, but I must get some rest.” Bea bid the others a good night.
“Land sakes, I don’t believe the hour. I would have been in bed for an hour if I was home.” Cook lifted her ample body off the sofa.
Ellis rose. “May I escort you to your door, Bea?”
“That would be nice, thank you.”
“I’ll see you young folks in the morning. Behave yourselves.” Cook winked and headed down the hall to her room.
Ellis wrapped his arm around Bea’s narrow waist. It felt right. Bea leaned into his shoulder and sighed.
I could grow accustomed to this, Ellis thought. Quite accustomed.
“Take me home, Ellis, before I fall asleep standing up,” Bea whispered.
Ellis squeezed her tightly and led her through the front door, down the steps, and to her front door. “I would like to court you, Bea. May I?”
“Will courting be enough? It seems so shallow to what we are already experiencing.”
“Perhaps, but you deserve to be treated like a lady. I’ll speak with Cook to arrange an evening when I can take you out on the town and she can watch Richard.” Ellis didn’t release his grasp of her waist. She turned in his arm to face him.
“I’d like to go out with you.” Bea’s smile affected him so that his own smile swelled. “You’re an incredible woman, Beatrice Smith. I think I’m falling in love with you.”
“Oh, Ellis.” Bea buried her head in his chest.
Ellis wrapped her tenderly in his arms.
“How can this be happening so quickly?” Bea mumbled into his thick cotton shirt.
“I don’t have a clue, Darling. But I’m not inclined to fight it any longer, are you?”
“No. I’m sca
red.”
“Me too.”
Ellis held her as she trembled in his arms. How is it that love, if this was love, could be so frightening? Was it merely the fact he was ready to throw all his plans aside to pursue a relationship with a person he barely knew? Yes, that’s what terrified him so. The thought of being with Beatrice the rest of his life wasn’t scary, that was comforting. Yet the ramifications of it were a bit daunting.
Bea placed her hands on his chest and pushed herself back from his grasp. “I should go to bed.”
“Good night, Bea.” Ellis lifted her right hand and placed a gentle kiss upon it.
“Sleep well, Ellis.” Bea gently removed her hand from his embrace and reached for the latch. But Ellis was faster. His hands already set on the latch, he opened the door for her. Reluctantly, she placed one foot in front of the other and entered her darkened cabin.
The door closed behind her. She listened as Ellis’s footsteps disappeared into the distance.
“Father, I think I love him. How is it possible?” she called out to God. Not bothering to light her lanterns, she made her way in the dark to her room. “And how can I feel so differently about him than when I first met him a little over a week ago? I don’t know how, Lord, but I do. And I know I’m wanting to be with him night and day, wrapped in his arms. Is love like this possible?”
Bea readied herself for sleep. She lit the lamp beside her bed and opened her Bible. In spite of the late hour, she needed to go to bed with the Word of the Lord on her mind. She absentmindedly opened the Bible, and it opened to Ecclesiastes 3:5: “A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.” Had her time for embracing come? Was Ellis the man God had chosen for her life partner?
The Lord’s Day had come, and church with Ellis and Richard gave Bea a hope that maybe they would become a family. The afternoon was spent reading and playing with Richard. Cook spent the day with her family, so Bea prepared the evening meal. It was the first full meal she had made since her departure from the Southard farmstead. A roasted chicken with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, and carrots rounded out the fare.