Lily (Song of the River)

by Aaron McCarver

  Tamar was praying. It made Lily think of how little time she’d spent lately talking to God. She needed to do better. Unearth her Bible and get back to reading to her sisters and Tamar. Perhaps she could invite the men to a nightly devotional time. Happy with the idea, she carefully picked up a chair and carried it out onto the deck.

  The bank slid silently past, and Lily considered how uneventful their voyage had been. No storms, no pirates.

  They had caught up with a smaller steamer, the Daniel Boone, right after resuming their journey at dawn. Captain Lars had wanted to race the steamer, but Lily vetoed the idea. She had no desire to collide with a snag or stray out of the channel in such a frivolous pursuit. She wanted to get safely to New Orleans, collect their payment, and pick up their next load. They still managed to leave the smaller boat in their wake, not surprising since their paddle wheel was nearly twice as large.

  Tamar’s voice interrupted her musings. “I thought you were taking a nap.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  “You didn’t disturb me, honey. I was just thanking the good Lord for protecting us.”

  “You’re such a good example for us, Tamar.”

  The older woman looked down at her hands. “I don’t know about that.”

  Lily stood and hugged Tamar. “I do.” She pushed Tamar down into her chair. “Why don’t you sit here and relax a bit? I’m feeling too restless to sit still.”

  Lily wandered toward the main staircase. Maybe she could talk to Blake about taking on passengers for their return trip to Natchez. Although they would have to hire more crew to help take care of the passengers’ needs, they could still realize a profit.

  She entered the shadowy room and ran a hand across the edge of the main dining room. They’d eaten in here last night, all nine of them. Blake had sat at the head of the table while she’d taken the spot at the foot, like they were a real family.

  A smile teased her lips. An odd family indeed. From David, their rescued foundling, to Jensen, the reformed pirate, they made a motley crew. And she enjoyed all of them—Captain Steenberg and the tonguetied crewman, Jack. They had become the heart and soul of the Hattie Belle.

  A staccato sound made Lily catch her breath. Her warm feelings melted away. Blake Matthews had better not be playing cards. She would not allow gambling on this boat.

  Anger carried her through the empty dining hall and into the gentlemen’s parlor. Blake and their new crewman, Jack, were sitting on opposite sides of a small table. Her arrival apparently went unheard as neither looked up. Lily took a moment to size up the situation. Blake had his back to her, but a pile of coins at his elbow told the story. She had caught the man red-handed. “What are you doing?”

  Jack gasped and stood, his movements almost oversetting the stack of coins.

  After a brief hesitation, Blake continued to deal the cards. “We’re enjoying a friendly game of cards.”

  “I thought you understood my feelings about gambling on the Hattie Belle.” Lily walked to where he sat, acting as though her desires were of no interest or validity. “I won’t have it.”

  “Don’t get so upset. Haven’t we earned a little relaxation?”

  Just as she reached the table, the floor bucked upward. She screamed and grabbed the table with both hands. The boat lurched again, and a horrendous scraping sound filled the air. Blake stood and grabbed her around the waist, holding her close as the world shook and shuddered.

  “What’s happening?” she asked.

  “I’d guess we’ve run aground.” His deep voice tickled her ear.

  How had she ended up in his arms again? Confusing emotions clamored for attention—fear, anger, pleasure. … Why was she clinging to him like some weak debutante? Lily made fists of her hands and pushed against his chest. “Let go of me.”

  When he complied, she staggered back but compensated by windmilling her arms. He was almost out of the parlor by the time she recovered, never having looked back to see whether she had fallen.

  Lily swallowed her exasperation and followed him to the pilothouse. Coming out onto the hurricane deck made her realize how bad the situation was. From the sounds of it, the Hattie Belle was tearing apart at the seams. Lily could see the bank some distance away on both sides of them. What had happened?

  She stepped into the pilothouse right behind Blake and groaned. Ahead of the boat was a wide expanse of sand. The captain had run them onto a sandbar. “Where is he?”

  “Hey, there.” The captain appeared at the door to the pilothouse. “We had an acci … ac … acshident.”

  “You’re drunk.” The disgust in Blake’s voice was as deep as the main river channel. The channel their drunken captain had taken them out of.

  “No, I’m not.” The captain hiccuped and grinned. “Only had a nip.” He held up a thumb and finger as a measurement.

  Lily closed her eyes. She wanted to toss the man onto the sandbar and leave him.

  “Take our gallant captain downstairs and get some coffee into him.” Blake bit out the words as though he was angry with her. As if the whole fiasco was her fault.

  She wanted to take exception to his tone, but this was not the time. They needed to get their boat back into the river. Besides, her sisters, Tamar, and David would be terrified. She needed to reassure them.

  Guilt speared her at the thought of the trouble they were facing. She should have listened to Blake. He was right about the captain, and he was also right about purchasing insurance. A tiny sob escaped her as she realized her dreams might collapse. Why hadn’t she let Blake convince her? Why was she always so determined to ignore his advice?

  She was going to have to apologize to him, admit that he had been right. And she would … if she got out of this mess.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  He had to fix this mess, get them out of the disaster her choice of captain had caused while she gave him grief over an innocent card game. Blake pushed away the memory of Lily’s stricken expression. He didn’t have time to worry about her tender feelings.

  A pang of guilt shot through him. If he’d been in the pilothouse instead of gambling downstairs, the accident might not have happened. But didn’t he deserve a little relaxation? Was he supposed to shoulder all the responsibility for this venture? It hadn’t been his idea, after all. He’d gone along with Lily Anderson because he had no choice.

  Jensen appeared at the door to the pilothouse. “I’ve turned off the boiler.”

  Blake nodded. “Good. Can you tell how bad it is?”

  “Bad enough,” Jensen admitted, shaking his head. “I’m not sure if we’ll be able to get free before the current turns us broadside.”

  Blake shuddered. They’d lose the boat for sure if that happened. The Hattie Belle couldn’t compete against the force of the mighty Mississippi. “Can we dig our way out?”

  Jensen shrugged. “We can give it a try.”

  “Good. I’ll be downstairs as quick as I can to help. You go ahead and get started with Jack.”

  Lily headed back toward the parlor, her ears stretched in hopes she would hear the churn of the paddle wheel. She had left the captain in the kitchen with a pot of black coffee. She needed to check on David and her sisters, warn Tamar to be ready to get them out safely, and then get outside to see how bad the damage was and what she could do to help.

  “Lily.” Blake’s voice stopped her. “How is the captain?”

  She turned to answer his question. The expression on his face deepened her foreboding. “He’s nursing a mug of coffee, but I’m not sure how long it’s going to take him to sober up. How bad is it?”

  “I’ve checked on the cargo, and it’s fine … for the time being.” The corners of Blake’s mouth turned down. “But half the boat is up on the sand. If we can’t dig around it enough to get it floating again, the Hattie Belle may break apart.”

  Lily closed her eyes. Please, God. All her yearning went into the plea.

  “We’re doing everything
we can, but you need to make sure the children are ready to abandon ship if necessary.”

  She swallowed hard, opened her eyes, and nodded.

  The floor lurched. “I’ve got to get back out there.” He turned sharply and ran down the passageway.

  Lily wanted to follow him, but she knew she had to check on her sisters. David was the first one she saw in the parlor, his back to her as he peered through the window. She glanced around and found Tamar sitting on the sofa, hugging both Jasmine and Camellia close. Her sisters’ faces were pale, their eyes large. They jumped up and ran to her.

  “What’s wrong, Sissy?” Jasmine barreled into her.

  Camellia wasn’t far behind her. “Did we hit another boat?”

  Lily held both of them. “No, we scraped up on a sandbar. It’s going to take us a while to dig out.”

  David moved toward them. “Can I help the men?”

  Lily shook her head. “I need you to stay here and keep my sisters calm.” She gave both of them a little shove. “Why don’t you get out the checkerboard and enjoy a few games while we wait?”

  As they got out the checkers, she pulled Tamar aside. “I don’t want to alarm the children, but we are in trouble.”

  “What can I do?” Tamar asked.

  “Stay here with the children. Be ready to get them out quickly if something happens.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Lily patted her arm. “I’m going to change clothes and help.”

  “Won’t you be in the way?” Tamar’s voice was pitched low, but it conveyed her concern.

  “Not as soon as I get a shovel in my hand.” Lily slipped out of the parlor and ran to her room. Putting on her oldest skirt, she prayed for deliverance. They needed God’s intervention to survive this disaster.

  The sun beat against Blake’s shoulders through his shirt. It seemed he’d been digging forever.

  “I need a shovel.”

  Lily’s voice brought his head up. “What are you doing here?”

  “I can’t sit inside and wait for our dreams to be lost.” She crossed her arms. “I may not be able to dig as fast as you, but every grain of sand I move is one you won’t have to.”

  Part of him wanted to send her inside to safety, but Blake understood her frustration. He inclined his head. “If we have any more, they’ll be in that bucket.”

  She nodded and marched away, her shoulders as straight as a sergeant’s.

  As he redoubled his efforts, Blake thought about Lily’s temerity. He had to admire her spunk. He didn’t know a single other woman who would volunteer to shovel sand. He only hoped it wasn’t too little, too late.

  “You look like you could use a helping hand.”

  Blake straightened and looked out at the river. A boat had pulled even with them, a boat he recognized. It was the Daniel Boone, the boat they’d passed earlier. He climbed out of his trench.“We sure could.” For the first time since they’d landed on the sandbar, Blake felt his shoulders relax.

  The captain shouted an order, and one of his crew tossed a towline out across the water. Blake and Jack secured it to the bow while Jensen and Lily picked up the shovels. As soon as they had all climbed back onto the Hattie Belle, the smaller boat’s paddle wheel started churning. At first Blake thought it would not be able to pull them free of the grasping sand, but with a lurch, their boat began to move.

  Jensen fired up the boiler while Blake loosened the grappling hook and tossed it back to the captain of the Daniel Boone.

  Lily was standing next to him, her skirt covered in sand and muddy water but a wide smile on her face. “I can’t thank you enough. I was beginning to think our first voyage was going to be our last.”

  The broad-chested captain tugged on his cap. “It’s a harsh river we’re riding. We have to help each other or we all lose.”

  Blake was humbled by the man’s attitude. If nothing else positive came from this disaster, he would always remember the captain’s actions and never forget to extend a helping hand to those in need.

  They limped into New Orleans before the last ray of sun had slipped from the sky. By the time the Hattie Belle was secured, the shadows were running together into dusk. He was filthy, exhausted, and sore. And quite certain he didn’t want to earn a living running cargo.

  He was more suited to the life of a gambler. Tonight he couldn’t remember why he hadn’t walked away from the Hattie Belle when Lily first showed up and claimed majority ownership. As soon as he got paid for this trip, he would disappear. New Orleans was as good a place to start over as any other.

  He felt rather than saw Lily join him at the rail. “We made it.”

  She put a hand over his. “Thank you. I know we wouldn’t have made it without your hard work.”

  Blake liked the feeling of her cool skin on his. He wanted to turn his palm over and run the tips of his fingers across her soft skin, but he didn’t want her to pull away. So he remained still and basked in her appreciation. Their differences sank beneath the surface of his tumbling thoughts, taking his frustration and weariness with them.

  They stood close together like kindred spirits and looked toward the other boats in the harbor. Many of them were lashed together, and he made out the figures of men leaping from one deck to another with the nimbleness of experience.

  The slap of water against wooden hulls was punctuated by greetings, shouts, and laughter, all melting together to create the unique sound of a floating city. The warm yellow flames of cooking fires glowed, and the air was heavy with the exotic fragrances of unfamiliar spices. He could have remained standing there for the rest of the evening.

  Lily squeezed his hand and pulled away. “I suppose we need to get moving if we’re going to find LeGrand’s this evening.”

  Blake turned toward her, his gaze following the outline of her graceful neck up to the determined chin and pert nose he could barely make out in the growing darkness. “I doubt it’ll be open.”

  “It will be. It has to be.” Her chin rose a notch.

  He sighed. He should have known she would insist on finding the business tonight. “Do you have the directions?”

  It was for the best. Hadn’t he just been thinking about cutting his losses and walking away? He needed the reminder that Lily was always going to want to call the shots.

  She would never be a conformable female. If he ever decided to marry, it would not be to a woman so bossy and self-righteous. He would choose someone quiet, someone who adored him and would be a good role model for their children. Not a woman who strode about on the deck of a steamship and expected everyone to fall in with her plans.

  A stab of regret pierced his heart, but Blake ignored it. After a nice long soak in a warm bath and a good night’s sleep, the pains he had earned today would fade away. Including the ache beginning to lay claim to part of his heart.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  As they approached, Blake saw a lamp gleaming in the front window of LeGrand Shipping. Even though Lily had to be as exhausted as he was, she practically leaped from the wagon he had hired.

  “If you’ll wait a moment, I’ll help you get down.” He tossed the reins to a child who came running forward, then jumped down, holding back a groan with some effort. The sooner they concluded their business, the sooner he could rest.

  He walked to the far side of the wagon and held out a hand. As soon as Lily’s feet touched the ground, she let go of him and straightened her skirts. He moved up the two steps and opened the door to the shipping company, setting off a tinkling bell and causing the man at the counter to look up.

  As a gambler, Blake had learned to size up people quickly. Thinning hair on the man’s head was compensated for by a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. Probably about two decades older than he, the man smiled readily, a sign of an honest merchant. As the man removed his spectacles, Blake recognized the intelligence in his hazel gaze. “May I help you?” he asked as Lily and Blake entered the orderly office space.

  Lily cons
ulted the paper in her hand. “I’m looking for Lloyd Thornton.”

  The man’s smile widened, and he put down his pen. “You’ve found me. What can I do for you?”

  Before Lily could answer, the curtain covering a doorway behind Mr. Thornton moved, and a woman stepped into the room. She was short, even shorter than Lily, and her blond hair looked almost colorless in the lamplight. Her light-brown eyes contained the same combination of friendliness and canniness as the man she stood beside. “Well, I see we have some late business, or is this handsome couple seeking directions to the French Quarter?”

  “I was about to find out their errand when you entered, dearest. They seem to be seeking us, however, since this lovely young lady has my name.”

  “Quel charme. It’s charming to meet you.” The woman’s gaze was as bright and interested as a bird’s. “I’m Mrs. Thornton.”

  Although both Thorntons looked to Blake, he glanced at Lily. She held out her paper to Mr. Thornton. “We have brought cargo from Natchez.”

  Mr. Thornton took the paper and returned his spectacles to his face. After a moment he looked at his wife. “This is the cornmeal we were hoping to send to Barbados. I wasn’t sure your parents would be able to get it to us in time.”

  Mrs. Thornton nodded and turned to them with her attractive smile. “Did you and your husband have a pleasant voyage to New Orleans?”

  “He’s not my husband.” The words flew out of Lily’s mouth.

  At the same time, Blake spoke forcefully. “We’re not married.”

  “Oh.” Mrs. Thornton looked toward her husband who answered with a shrug.

  “I suppose their situation must be entirely proper or your parents wouldn’t have trusted them with the cargo.”

  “My sisters and I own a majority share of the Hattie Belle. Mr. Matthews owns a smaller portion.” Color had darkened Lily’s cheeks. “A chaperone travels with us.”