The Sailor And the Siren

by Reina Torres

  Clearing his throat, the captain pressed his fingers against his temples, rubbing tight circles into his skin.

  “So, it seems as though our songbird has flown the coop, Andrew. And tonight we have a full boat of travelers, all expecting a show.” The captain pulled his watch from his vest pocket and flipped open the top. “In half an hour.”

  Andrew looked down, feeling an answering pulse in his own temples at the declaration. “Would you like me to get the men and search the ship?”

  The captain sighed. “No, Andrew. I have a feeling that our songbird left while we were docked earlier today. She seems to have planned this well. I just wish I would have known that she was going.”

  “I understand, sir. It would have given you some notice so that you could have hired someone else. I’m shocked that Miss Owens would cause you this kind of worry and inconvenience.”

  “It is an inconvenience. Still,” his sigh was weary, but held affection for Dollie, “I would have liked to say my own farewells. Dollie has been a good friend for many, many years. She, like the rest of our crew, is family to me.”

  “There must be something we could do. Delay the show?”

  “I can't see how anyone would be satisfied at that. If I were to cancel the show, and it looks like I will have to do that, I’ll have to refund tickets.”

  “Have you done that before?”

  As he finished asking the question, Andrew could see how upset the captain was. And it hurt him as well.

  “Not since Dollie became our main attraction. We had other acts as they became available. We booked different performers off and on, but a traveling writer wrote a review that reached a newspaper in New York and the same writer published the article in San Francisco. Since then, we’ve had more and more travelers seek out our show as they travel the river.”

  Rubbing his hands together in an anxious gesture, the captain looked out over the water as if he could find the answers in the distance.

  “I can refund the cost of their tickets and hope that I find a suitable replacement before we begin the next leg of the trip.” A long heavy sigh punctuated his thought. “What I’m afraid of is the word of mouth that will certainly hurt us. Reputation can be spread up and down the river in a heartbeat.” His laughter was a rough scratch of sound. “I’m a moment or two away from throwing myself off the side of this boat. I can't imagine what it will feel like to face all of those unhappy people.”

  “Sir?”

  The captain waved him off. “Let me suffer in peace, Andrew, please. Just a few minutes to myself.”

  It hurt Andrew to see the man suffer so. A man who brought joy to so many, shouldn’t have to suffer like this. He couldn’t imagine what had caused Dollie to abandon the Siren and its crew, but he was sure he had an answer.

  “Sir, I’ll go, and give you those minutes you need. I may have an idea to help, but I’ll need a few minutes of my own.”

  “Go,” the captain’s voice sounded dull and detached.

  “I’ll see you just outside the showroom as soon as I can find the answer.”

  “I’ll meet you there, my hat in hand,” he sighed. “Maybe they’ll do me a favor and throw me overboard.

  Andrew went straight down to the crew cabins. If Rosemary knew that Dollie wasn’t going to perform, she wouldn’t be upstairs waiting to listen to her performance. With a ship full of patrons, Rosemary and Loretta had exhausted themselves. They were likely both asleep and deservedly so.

  Still, he had to find out if Rosemary would be willing to try.

  He at least had to ask.

  Knocking on her door, he leaned closer and spoke, hoping that the sound would carry. “Miss Tillman? Miss Tillman? Are you there?”

  He heard a rush of footfalls down the stairs a short distance away, looking toward the sound. Loretta stepped into his line of sight and he could see how harried she looked.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I was going to ask you, Mister Brooks. We were finishing up in the kitchens, preparing some dough for tomorrow and Missus Abraham told Rosemary to go with her.” Loretta’s hands were hidden in the folds of her skirt, but if he could see them, he’d bet they were curled into the fabric. “She didn’t tell me why she needed Rosemary, she told me to stay behind and then walked her up the stairs. Mister Brooks? Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

  “Did Missus Abraham look upset?”

  Loretta thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. “I’m not sure. Sometimes it’s hard to tell with Missus Abraham. She’s fairly surly about most everything. In all my years aboard the Siren, I could likely count the number of times she’s smiled on one hand.”

  Loretta moved closer, and he could see the wear on her nerves. “I would go and look for them,” she explained, “but Missus Abraham-”

  “She told you to remain behind. I’ll see what I can do, all right?”

  Loretta nodded, a slight smile on her lips. “Thank you, Mister Brooks. I hope Rosemary isn’t in trouble.”

  Andrew paused beside her on his way to the stairs. “I hope you know that Rosemary means a lot to me.”

  While he’d used Rosemary’s first name, Loretta didn’t seem upset at the misstep.

  “I know you’ll do right by her.”

  Andrew nodded. “I’d do anything that I can to help her.”

  Loretta’s lips pressed tight into a thin line for a moment. “Hurry.”

  Andrew saw the captain standing just outside the door to the entertainment room. “Sir!”

  His greeting brought the captain up short, lifting his gaze from the floor. “Andrew, where have you been?”

  “I’ve been looking for Rosemary. Loretta said that your wife went to the kitchens and took Rosemary with her.” Andrew was exceedingly uncomfortable asking the question, but he knew he had to. “Sir, do you know where Missus Abraham is?”

  “No, son, I haven’t seen her since she told me about Dollie. Why would she go to find Rosemary?”

  “I don’t know, sir.” Andrew paused for a moment, he hadn’t had the time to organize his thoughts and certainly not his words. “I actually went to look for Rosemary, sir. You see, I was going to ask her-”

  A loud roar of applause from the other side of the double doors turned both of their heads.

  The captain was the first to speak. “What’s going on in there?”

  Andrew had no answers for the man, but he did reach for the doorknob and pull the door open.

  Inside, Eula Abraham was standing before the crowd smiling ear to ear. “Thank you all traveling aboard the Siren.”

  He wasn’t sure why Missus Abraham was up in front of the audience and if the captain’s expression was anything to go by it wasn’t a good thing.

  The captain raised his hand to signal to his wife, but even though she looked straight at her husband standing before the double doors at the entrance to the room and didn’t acknowledge him.

  “What is she doing?”

  Andrew looked at the captain again. “I don’t know, sir. This can’t be-”

  “I know you’re all expecting Dollie Owens to be singing for you tonight, but we have a special surprise for all of you.”

  It started like a knot in his gut. Andrew felt fear well up in him as Mrs. Abraham moved off to the door beside the stage. He wanted to tell her to stop, but he wasn’t sure what she was doing.

  He could only see a little bit of Eula from where he was standing, but that changed when she stepped back into the warm pool of light that defined the stage in the room. Andrew could see the arm that she was holding and he knew exactly who she was escorting into the room.

  He saw the wide-eyed confusion and the slight stumble in her step, but it was when she met his eyes across the room that he knew he had to do something to help her.

  “I’d like you all to welcome a young woman who I’m sure will be a memorable part of your evening, Rosemary Tillman!”

  Chapter Ten

  Rosemary wasn’t sure how she
managed to stay on her feet. When Mrs. Abraham had called her out the kitchen she didn’t argue. No one argued with her.

  Sure, Captain Abraham was as sweet as sweet could be and he truly cared about the whole crew of the boat, treated them as family, but not his wife.

  At first, she’d walked along with Mrs. Abraham, a few steps behind her. Out of her direct sight, Rosemary had hoped to avoid her anger.

  That hadn’t lasted long. No more than the first landing of the stairway.

  Mrs. Abraham had turned around, her hand gripping the metal railing with a white-knuckled hand. “Exactly how did you think this sham was going to work?”

  “Sham?” Rosemary had recoiled slightly from not just the hard line of her voice, but the narrowed look in her eyes. Malice stared back at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “So you’re not just worthless, but stupid too.”

  The words felt like a slap across her face.

  “Well, whatever you had in mind, I hope that horrible woman prepared you well.”

  The words reached her ears, but Rosemary didn’t understand at all. “Missus Abraham, I don’t know- ow!”

  The older woman darted forward and grabbed her by the arm, her nails digging in through the nearly wrist-length sleeves. “I don’t care a bit about what you know. You better hope that whatever she taught you sunk in, because that will determine if you remain on the Siren or if I put you out at the next stop.”

  “What?”

  Mrs. Abraham didn’t answer, yanking her up the stairs in her wake.

  And when they paused outside the stage door, Rosemary felt a moment of hope. Whatever it was that Mrs. Abraham had in mind, Dollie would surely help her in some way.

  Mrs. Abraham probably saw the hope in her eyes, and instead of getting angry, the captain’s wife grew calm before her eyes. For some reason, that scared her even more than the blazing fire she’d seen just moments before.

  “You can thank Dollie for what’s about to happen.” Mrs. Abraham grabbed the door knob, but before she could open it, Rosemary reached out a hand to plead with her, but Mrs. Abraham pulled her arm away with a loud scoff. “Don’t touch me.”

  Rosemary dropped her hand. “Yes, ma’am.”

  The captain’s wife gave her a curt nod. “That’s better. Now stay here, until I tell you to come.”

  Without waiting for an answer from Rosemary, Mrs. Abraham pushed the door in until it rested against the back wall. With one last look to keep her in place, the captain’s wife stepped out onto the stage floor and Rosemary heard the audience applaud her arrival.

  Rosemary couldn’t seem to hear her words at first. Perhaps it was the way her head was turned, or perhaps it was the ringing in her ears that made it nearly impossible.

  “I know you’re all expecting to see Dollie Owens tonight, but-”

  Fear seized Rosemary and she leaned a little to the side hoping to see more of the stage area. Edmund sat at the piano at the far end of the room but Dolly was, as Eula had hinted, missing.

  A moment later, Rosemary straightened when she saw Mrs. Abraham walking toward her.

  “I’m sorry, Missus Abraham, I-”

  A hand clamped down on her arm and Rosemary barely had a moment before she was nearly yanked off of her feet. Mrs. Abraham might be shorter than she was, but she was as strong as she was mean.

  Unsure of where she was supposed to go or do, Rosemary tried to keep up with Eula but only managed to tangle her feet up, stumbling forward.

  When she had regained her balance, she realized she was standing in the center of the stage with a full crowd of patrons in the seats.

  And then, by the door, she could see the captain and Andrew... Mr. Brooks.

  Her only comfort at that moment was seeing both men as confused as she was.

  Eula stepped forward, blocking her view of the far doors.

  “I’d like you all to welcome a young woman who I’m sure will be a memorable part of your evening, Rosemary Tillman!”

  Her skin went cold and her vision blurred before her. The applause from the audience was lukewarm at best. Not that Rosemary blamed them. She didn’t have to look down to know what they were seeing. She wore her serviceable dress and her shoes were likely scuffed. Her hair was drawn back from her face and dressed in braids wound at the nape of her neck.

  She looked like a servant. And that would have been fine except for the fact that these good people were expecting the redoubtable Dollie Owens, a woman whose stage presence and talent lit up a room with a smile.

  Swallowing, Rosemary watched as Mrs. Abraham walked over to the wall and shut the door, effectively blocking her in.

  Fear rose up inside of her as she considered what had happened to make Mrs. Abraham do this to her. What happened to Dollie?

  Sure, if she was sick, she needed to rest, but Rosemary couldn’t even recall a time when Dollie had been ill. And Mrs. Abraham’s words had confused her. What did the older woman think that she had done?

  Did she actually expect her to entertain the crowd?

  “Well, Miss Tillman?”

  Rosemary turned in both shock and relief to look at Edmund where he sat on the bench before the piano. “Yes, Edmund?”

  “Why don’t we start with a song that I’m sure everyone will know and love?”

  She made herself speak and the effort was as herculean as she’d ever made before. It was one thing to speak and sing in front of friends, but in front of a room full of strangers?

  “That sounds lovely. Do you have a song in mind?”

  His smile was warm and she knew that while Eula had meant this as a punishment of some sort, Edmund would be there for her.

  Turning on his bench, Edmund looked out at the crowd and she saw a dawning light in his eyes. As many times as she had listened in to Dollie’s shows, Edmund had never spoken.

  She would thank him later for his help and tell him that his smile eased her worries ten-fold.

  “What about ‘Beautiful Dreamer?’ I don’t think there’s a person in the audience that wouldn’t mind such a sweet song to start off the show.”

  And she prayed he was right. “One of my favorites,” she admitted and turned her smile to him, “as you know.”

  Edmund shrugged and turned back around to face the keys of the piano. “Then Stephen Foster it is, my dear. Stephen Foster, it is.”

  Thank goodness that she’d had a chance to practice this song with him more than half a dozen times. The gently lilting melody barely caressed the top of his left-handed harmony.

  It was four measures for the introduction, a word that Edmund had taught her during their practices. And it was those four measures that she counted in her head before she sang.

  “Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me-”

  She felt her throat tightening and smiled a little more as she lifted her chin hoping that Dollie’s trick of finding more air would help her.

  “Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee.”

  Oh, the twisting she felt in her middle, the tight press of her heart against her ribs! She couldn’t fail them. Not Dollie, not Edmund, and certainly not the captain who stood by the double doors and beamed back at her.

  She remembered the many times that the captain had been sweet and kind to her, and how he’d made her a part of the family on the Siren. How he protected her when he gave her a place to live when her mother had passed into heaven.

  And so she sang to him as much as anyone else, hoping to thank him for his kindness.

  “Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,

  Led by the moonlight have all passed away.

  Gone are the cares of life’s busy throng,

  Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me…

  Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me.”

  The echo of her voice rang out against the walls and the soft reverberation of the notes from the piano faded away like fog on the river.

  Finally, when the sounds of the song melted into silence a soun
d turned her head.

  A well-dressed woman with a glittering broach on the shoulder of her silk gown stood up from her chair as she applauded. The man beside her wasn’t far behind.

  From there, the applause rushed through the room and by ones and twos, the audience stood, beaming at her as they clapped.

  Stunned and confused, Rosemary stepped back as her knees went weak, and if it wasn’t for the hand that grasped hers, she might have fallen or stumbled again.

  Turning, she saw Edmund raise her hand as he touched a kiss to her knuckles. “Lovely,” he told her with a proud smile, “well done, Rosemary. Well done.”

  One relieved breath after another pulled into her lungs and pushed out again as she gave the audience a graceful bow.

  “Wonderful job, sweet girl!”

  The captain strode down the aisle and straight up to her on the stage. Taking both of her hands in his, he gave them a squeeze and turned toward the audience. “Wouldn’t you know that we’d find such a talent in our own kitchens!”

  The audience was settling down and a warm trail of laughter worked its way around the room. As the audience found their chairs, the captain continued to speak. “I have to admit that I didn’t know that our Rosemary knew how to sing, but now that it’s no longer a secret, I can’t wait to share your gift with the world!” Turning to the side he looked at Edmund. “Was this your doing?”

  Edmund shook his head. “Dollie was her teacher, I played along so she could practice, but it’s been a singular pleasure to play for such a great talent.”

  Rosemary felt her cheeks burning. “Please, stop. I’m the lucky one to be surrounded by so many kind and helpful friends.”

  “Then let’s give our guests another song, shall we?” The captain tucked her arm through the crook of his and covered her hand with his. “What song would you like to sing, Rosemary?”

  There were so many songs in her head and her heart. So many to choose from and yet the words and notes untangled from their jumble and coalesced in a song at the very front of her mind.