Alex came back to the table. "Everything is taken care of, are you ready to go?"
"It's so enjoyable sitting here looking out at the water. I do hate to leave. But I guess we must!"
Alex glanced at his watch. "I think we can take about half an hour and walk through some of the shops if you would like. I know you wanted to do that in the summer and we were not able to do it."
"That would be wonderful. You convinced me to leave!"
Alex extended his hand to help her up from the table.
"We need to keep our eye on the time. We should try to leave no later than 2:00 PM to give us enough time to get through the locks and back to the lodge in daylight."
"Okay, I'll try not to get too carried away in the shops!"
The streets in Davenport were historical and quaint. They made you feel like you had stepped back in time to at least the turn of the century. There were many antique and gift shops housed in the historic red brick buildings.
"Let's go in here!" Catherine said. A display of English china in the window had caught her attention.
Alex followed her inside, amused by her enthusiasm.
"Look at this tea set! It's lovely! It's like the one at the lodge that my tea was served in yesterday!"
Catherine turned the teacup upside down to see where it had been made. It was 'Royal Albert, Bone China, England.' The label in front of it said it was called, Lady Carlyle Tea for Two, Vintage 1940s. It had pink roses with green leaves and accents of gold and lavender. It was love at first sight for Catherine! She was buying it! The price tag was $315, but it didn't matter to Catherine; she loved it.
"Do you think we could take this on The Lady Droxell without a problem?"
Alex smiled, "I'm sure we can manage. We just need to be sure it is wrapped well. The bigger question is whether you can get it home on the plane."
The clerk overheard the conversation and commented, "We can ship it to your home if that is more convenient."
Catherine struggled to decide. She wanted to take it with her, but the practical thing would be to have it shipped.
"I guess it would be best to ship it."
The clerk directed them over to the counter where she got all the shipping information.
"Catherine," Alex said, "it would make me happy to be able to buy you this as a gift. I can see how much you love it. I hope when you are using it back in New York some winter's night, you will remember this day we spent together."
Catherine's eyes filled with tears. She could not remember anyone saying anything quite so beautiful to her. She looked into Alex's eyes and responded, "I don't need this tea set to remember this special day, but it will make the memory of it even more special. I will be happy to have you buy it for me. Thank you, Alex."
"You're most welcome."
Alex pulled out his credit card. As soon as it was paid for and all the arrangements for shipping cared for, Alex told Catherine that they must head back to the boat. Alex did not want to navigate the lake in the dark.
"Thank you so much, Alex. I did not want to leave it behind. But I guess it was more practical to have it shipped."
"Well, think of it this way -- you will have a nice present waiting for you when you return."
The image of her returning to her New York City loft made Catherine suddenly feel depressed. These last few hours with Alex were like stepping out of the real world, away from the cares of her life back in New York, away from the decisions she needed to make, away from the reality of being pregnant with Doug's child. If only I never had to leave, she thought. If only I could stay in this moment of time.
Alex led them back to The Lady Droxell at a rather quick pace. The extra time that it took to buy the tea set had caused them to exceed the half hour time frame that Alex said they had to spare before heading back to the lodge.
"I'm not walking too fast for you, am I?" Alex asked.
"No, it's okay. I know it's important we get back to the boat as soon as we can."
"Here, let me take your arm, some of these sidewalks are a little uneven. I don't want you to fall."
It felt nice to have Alex holding her arm. She was getting tired. She got out of breath more easily since she was pregnant.
"We're almost there. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm glad we are not trying to carry my tea set at this pace!"
"You're right. It was a good idea all the way around to have it shipped."
When they got to The Lady Droxell, Alex helped Catherine aboard. And in a matter of moments, they were untied and backing out of the slip and on their way back to the lodge. Alex was seated at the helm and Catherine was seated beside him.
"Well that was pretty much what I would call a perfect day," Catherine said.
"It was fun, wasn't it? I had forgotten how enjoyable everything is when you have someone to share it with," Alex responded.
Catherine felt her emotions welling up inside her. She was finding it difficult to keep her emotions in check since she became pregnant. When Alex made the statement about having someone to share things with, Catherine felt as though someone had taken a knife and slashed her. It hurt, yes, it was painful for her to think about being alone. It was painful to think these wonderful moments with Alex would be short-lived. If only she were not pregnant. What kind of mother wishes she were not pregnant? It was painful to think that she would not be the woman that Alex would share things with for the rest of his life. He would surely find someone soon, but it would not be her.
"What's wrong, Catherine, did I say something to upset you?"
Catherine tried as hard as she could to control her emotions. She tried taking some deep breaths. She tried focusing on the scenery outside the boat. But she couldn't quite keep it together. It was obvious to Alex that she was holding back tears. He was confused. What had he just said? Just that it was enjoyable to have someone to share things with. Then it dawned on him -- Catherine was probably thinking about having lost Doug. How thoughtless of him, he thought.
Alex slowed the boat down and turned his seat to face her. He opened his arms and drew her to him, pushing her head against his chest. "I'm so sorry, Catherine, it was thoughtless of me to make that statement about having someone to share things with when you just lost your husband. Please forgive me."
Catherine pulled herself back from leaning against Alex and said, "It's not your fault, Alex. You didn't say anything wrong. I'm just a little emotional these days."
"I'd offer you a handkerchief if I had one," Alex said smiling. "But since I don't, this will have to do." He took his finger and rubbed away her tears. "There now, good as new."
His lightheartedness made Catherine smile. The emotion had left. She had herself together again. Alex increased the speed of the boat again and things got back to normal. Well -- almost.
Within minutes of Catherine's emotional crisis, a loud rumble of thunder sounded, and an enormous bolt of lightning crossed the sky in front of them. Neither had noticed the sky had changed. As the sky continued to darken, the wind picked up dramatically. The lake started to churn; there were white caps everywhere.
Alex knew immediately he had to head for shelter in a cove. They needed to get out of the middle of the lake. No matter how many times Alex had been in this same situation, it was never less frightening. He could never get over how quickly a calm afternoon on the lake could switch to what they were now experiencing. He knew they were in a dangerous situation.
This was an entirely new experience for Catherine. She was not particularly afraid of lightning, but being in the middle of a huge lake that was churning like an ocean was frightening. Even the way the atmosphere had darkened made it seem so ominous.
"What are we going to do, Alex?" Catherine asked with alarm filling her voice.
"We need to find a cove that will provide some protection. Under the seat are life jackets; get two out, and put yours on and go below. Stay in the middle of the cabin away from any objects!"
Catherine located t
he life vests and put hers on, handed the other one to Alex, and went into the cabin as Alex had instructed. Alex maneuvered The Lady Droxell into a nearby cove. He quickly dropped anchor and went below to join Catherine. The rumbling of the thunder and loud cracking of lightning continued for what seemed like an eternity. It was nearly dark outside, although it was only mid-afternoon. Each time the lightning cracked, it lit up the whole boat. Alex and Catherine stayed lying down in the center of the boat. Alex was sheltering Catherine with his body as best he could.
The anchor was keeping The Lady Droxell in the cove, but she was swinging around and jostling up and down as though they were on an ocean. They could hear the waves lashing against the side of the boat. There was little that could be done except wait it out and hope they were not struck by lightning.
Eventually, the rumbling of the thunder stopped, and they saw no more streaks of lightning. When Alex felt it safe enough, he went back up to the deck to check their position and assess any damage to the boat. The lake was still churning and full of white caps, but the lightning and thunder had stopped.
"You can come up to the helm if you'd like. I'm going to reposition us closer to shore so that I can tie the front of the boat off to a tree and reposition the anchor. That should keep us stable while the winds continue."
"What can I do to help, Alex?"
"Just stay safe. Keep your life jacket on. The lake is going to stay rough for a while. If you'd like, walk around inside and see if there is any water anywhere. I see some rocks here in the cove. We need to be sure she's not taking on any water. I'll be in as soon as I get it secured and help you check."
"Okay, will do," Catherine replied.
Catherine was still checking for water when Alex came back inside the cabin.
"I haven't seen any sign of water."
"That's good. Just sit down and relax. I'll check the rest."
Catherine sat down on the sofa. She could feel her insides trembling. Will we ever get a day at Davenport that doesn't end in some crisis? The day had been so perfect. And now this. She hoped there was no damage to The Lady Droxell. Catherine knew how much Alex loved this boat. He loved it as much as the lodge.
Alex came back after a few minutes and reported that everything looked good. He didn't think she had taken on any water or sustained any damage. He sat down on the sofa next to Catherine and placed his hand over hers.
"Are you doing okay?"
"I think so. I feel kind of shaky inside. It seemed to happen so fast."
"That's the way it is when a storm comes up on these lakes. I should have been watching the weather report more closely. If I had done that, we could have avoided getting caught in it. I know better. I'm sorry to have put you through it, Catherine."
"Well, it was certainly not your fault. Everything is fine. We just had our adventure for the day."
"It may not be our only adventure. I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but there is no way we are going to be able to get back to the lodge tonight. The lake is still choppy, and we don't have enough daylight. I'm also concerned that there might still be some unseen damage. The boat was knocked around pretty good. If any problems develop, I want to deal with it in the daylight."
"I understand," Catherine replied.
"The two sleeping areas will provide plenty of privacy. I have a lot of clothes on board. I'm sure I can find something - a shirt for you to wear to bed. We can turn the generator on for a while. The head is functioning. And there are always foodstuffs on board -- it may just be peanut butter or tuna fish, but we won't starve."
"It should be fine, Alex. I've never been camping before; I guess this will qualify as my first time!"
"Oh, yes, I forgot I was dealing with a born and raised 'city girl.' I'm going to make an outdoorsy girl out of you yet, Catherine!"
"Well, tonight you are going to have to be in charge of my 'clothing suitable for outdoor activities!'"
Alex and Catherine both laughed. It was going to be an interesting night.
Chapter Thirty-two
THE LADY DROXELL
Catherine climbed into bed on The Lady Droxell. Alex had given her one of his flannel shirts to wear as a night shirt. As she got in bed, she realized that in all the excitement of running into Alex last night and their busy day today, she had forgotten to call Michael. She reached for her cell phone and saw that there were many missed calls from him. She immediately tried to call him, but there was no signal. He must be worried and wondering why I haven't called or returned his phone calls. She decided to see if Alex's phone might have service. She walked over to his sleeping area and standing back a bit called lightly.
"Alex, are you still awake?"
"Yes, just a minute, I'll be right there."
Alex got up and walked over to her, "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, it's just that I forgot to call my brother, Michael, when I got here last night. And then we were so busy today. I just tried to call him now, and my phone has no service. Do you think maybe yours might? Could we check?"
"Sure, let me get it. Let's go out to the sofa where there is more light."
Catherine tried to dial, but his phone had no service either.
"Service out here on the lake is hit or miss. I'm sure our location here in the cove isn't helping. As soon as we start back tomorrow, you can try again."
"Okay, thank you for trying, Alex."
"Is everything else okay? Do you need another blanket?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Well, sleep tight then." Alex leaned over and gave her a light hug and kissed her on the side of the cheek.
Catherine smiled, "I think I could get into this camping thing -- it's not so bad!"
"Well, sleeping on The Lady Droxell's not exactly the same as camping, but I guess for a 'city girl' like you, it is! Let me know if you have any problems."
"I will; goodnight, Alex."
Catherine made her way back to her bed. She lay awake for some time thinking about the events of the day. Aside from the drama of the storm, it had been a beautiful day. She was sorry that it had to end. Her thoughts drifted back to the time they had spent together.
After Alex had convinced himself that The Lady Droxell was not taking on any water and that they were securely anchored and tied down for the night, they had sat on the deck chairs and talked. By then, the lake had calmed down. Alex got his fishing pole out and gave one to Catherine. She had never fished before, except one time at summer camp as a young child. Alex put some jitterbugs on both their lines and showed her how to cast toward the shoreline. He explained that this was an excellent time of day to catch a bass. If they caught one -- and he thought their chances were good -- he would make it on the gas grill. Since their other option for dinner was peanut butter or tuna crackers, they were both motivated to catch a fish.
Surprisingly, it was Catherine's lure that attracted the fish. A largemouth bass jumped out of the water as it lunged for her lure. Catherine was so startled, she didn't know how to respond. Under less dire circumstances, Alex would have left her try to land the fish. But since their dinner weighed in the balance and they were both starting to get hungry, he grabbed the pole and brought the fish in. It was a nice five pounder!
Alex had then cleaned the fish, wrapped it in some aluminum foil and put it on the grill. They ate it along with a can of baked beans that Alex found in the cupboard. They ate their meal on the deck watching the sunset across the lake. It was breathtaking! They enjoyed the food and atmosphere as much as if they had eaten in a five-star restaurant. After they had finished eating, they sat for a while longer on the deck. The October air had turned cool; they were both glad they had brought an extra jacket with them. Despite the storm, the day had begun and ended beautifully.
When it started to get dark, they went inside. The generator did a good job of keeping the boat warm and cozy inside. Alex told her that his family often played cards at night while on the boat. Catherine bragged about her skills as a gin rummy player
and challenged him to a game. They played for hours, laughing and talking, and not caring who won or lost. Alex made them some popcorn and had found a bottle of wine. The pair had not appeared to be stranded on the lake after a life-threatening encounter with a thunderstorm. They looked like two people having a good time and enjoying each other's company.
Catherine found the gentle rocking of the boat soothing. Before long she fell asleep with pleasant thoughts of the day in her head.
. . .
Over in the other sleeping area, Alex was having trouble falling asleep. His mind was in overdrive. He, too, had reflected back on the day spent with Catherine. He thought about the enjoyable ride they had from the lodge, through the locks, and on to Davenport. He remembered how much they had enjoyed their lunch in the pleasant atmosphere of the cafe overlooking the lake and the dock. Conversation with Catherine had come so easy. And then he thought about their visit to the antique shop and Catherine's enthusiasm over the tea set. He pictured the tears that had welled up in her eyes when he told her that he wanted to buy it for her so that she could think of him back in New York. The thought of her returning to New York was not a pleasant one to him. Like Catherine, he wished their days together would not have to end.
Except for Sarah, Alex had never had such an instant attraction to someone -- such a gut feeling that he wanted and needed to be with this person. It's true he had jumped into the engagement with Rosalind and convinced himself that he was happy. But his relationship with Rosalind involved his mind more than his heart. He had approached it as a business decision, as Rosalind had once accused him. With the relationship with Rosalind, he had simply concluded it was time to find a wife for himself and a mother for Libby. He then evaluated Rosalind's qualifications. When he found that she checked off the necessary boxes, he had gone full force into the engagement. But it was different with Catherine. His heart was involved, not his head. His heart ached at the thought of her going home. He had enjoyed every minute of all the time they had spent together yesterday and today. He had felt the same on the other two occasions when they had been together. But it had been necessary to suppress his feelings because she was married. When he was with Catherine, it was like when he had been with Sarah. Sarah and Catherine were different, to be sure, but Catherine made him feel the way he had felt in Sarah's presence.
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