“You’re working much too hard. We have several new crew members aboard. Let some of them ease your burden.” His hand still held her chin, his large fingers cupping her face with disconcerting warmth.
Lily willed herself to take another step back, but her legs refused to obey. She didn’t know what to say. Where was the disdainful glint she expected from him? If she didn’t know better, Lily would think he was truly concerned about her well-being.
Butterflies fluttered against the walls of her stomach, their wings shutting off her breath. His eyelids lowered, and his head dropped a couple of inches. She swayed toward him, pulled by the gentle tug of his hand.
“Excuse me.” The sound of her father’s voice was like a bucket of cold river water drenching her. “What’s going on here?”
Lily pulled away from Blake’s hand with a jerk. Her face flamed as she met Captain Henrick’s thunderous scowl. Was her father passing judgment? The man who’d had nothing to do with her upbringing could not think he had any right to dictate her behavior.
“I need to get to the galley.” She held her head high and pushed past Blake. All the way down the corridor she felt their eyes on her, but Lily refused to give them the satisfaction of looking back.
As she turned the corner, she thought she heard her father’s voice again. Was he angry? And why did she care? With a huff, she thumped her bowl onto an empty counter. “What else can I do?”
Jensen looked at her. “Why don’t you go to the ladies’ parlor? I served some refreshments awhile back. You look a little … upset. A nice cup of tea would calm your nerves.”
Lily glared at the man’s back, but Jensen focused on his skillet and pots. After a moment she gave up and followed his advice.
As she walked to the parlor, her thoughts drifted back to Blake. What had come over them? He probably couldn’t help himself. He was a handsome man, most likely used to women throwing themselves at him. Perhaps he thought she had been making overtures when they collided. Her face burned.
Lily spent the next half hour chatting with the ladies in the parlor. She sipped at her tea and found it did settle her nerves. But she couldn’t remain for long. Too much work remained to be done. She placed her porcelain cup on the silver service and excused herself to check on the lunch preparations.
Entering the dining room, she was surprised to find the tables still bare of cloths and plates. Where were Jasmine and David? She was about to look for them in the storage closet they used for a classroom when Tamar entered the dining hall, her arms full of linens. “Where are the children?” Lily took several of the bleached cloths and set them on an empty table.
“They went to the pilothouse to visit the captain.” Tamar unfolded a tablecloth with a snap and settled it on another table. “They’re not bothering him. I overheard him telling Mr. Blake he loves spinning stories about the river.”
“How dare he!” Lily was marching toward the staircase before Tamar could say another word. She moved up the two flights of the boat so quickly it was as though she’d grown a pair of wings and flown. She couldn’t wait to give Captain Henrick a piece of her mind.
“And he always claimed he’d been chewed up and swallowed by that ol’ alligator.”
Blake laughed out loud as much at the round eyes of Jasmine and David as at the outrageous ending of Captain Henrick’s tall tale.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Lily’s wrathful question wiped Blake’s smile off his face. He turned to face her. “What’s wrong now?”
“It’s nothing to concern you. This is between Captain Henrick and me.”
Blake put himself between her and the pilothouse. “What concerns our employees concerns me.”
“Let me pass.” She tried to push him out of the way.
He put his hands on her shoulders. “Not until you calm down.”
Lily redirected her ire at him, but Blake simply returned her stare. She might be able to cow old men and children, but she would find herself at a loss if she tried to intimidate him.
The staring contest continued a moment or two before the fire died out of her eyes.
He felt someone standing next to him and looked down to see Jasmine peeking at her oldest sister, a look of contrition on her face. “I’m sorry, Lily. Is it already time for lunch? David and I’ll go downstairs right away.”
“I’m not angry at you, Jasmine.” Lily’s voice had calmed. “But you do need to help Tamar.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jasmine and David scurried past, their footsteps clanging as they rushed down the stairs.
Blake waited to make sure they were out of earshot before speaking again. “Now what’s this all about, Lily?”
She glared past Blake’s shoulder at the captain. “He broke his word.”
“I have not.”
Blake let her pass and turned toward the pilothouse. “Why don’t you explain what’s wrong instead of making accusations?”
Lily pointed a finger at Captain Henrick. “He promised he would not try to win the affections of my sisters, but he wants to make them love him. I’m not going to stand for that. I don’t want to see their hearts broken like mine was when he deserted us.”
Captain Henrick looked like he’d been slapped. Although Blake could understand why Lily was so protective of her sisters, he thought she had gone overboard. “I was here with Jasmine and David. All the captain was doing was telling them a story about Mike Fink.”
Her expression didn’t change. “I don’t care what he was doing. I don’t want him to influence my sisters in any way.”
“So you want him to be unkind to them?” Blake shook his head. “That sounds like an odd request.”
He glanced toward Captain Henrick in time to see the man hiding a grin.
“Of course I don’t want him to be unkind. But he can maintain some distance.”
Captain Henrick’s face smoothed out. “Lily, I hate to contradict you, but I never promised I wouldn’t talk to my daughters. I haven’t seen Jasmine since she was a baby—”
“And whose fault is that?” Lily’s accusation cut off his words.
Blake put a calming hand on her arm. He didn’t want her to say something she would regret later.
The captain nodded. “I take full responsibility for that, but Lily, you don’t know all the circumstances. You don’t know how much I’ve changed since those dark days.”
Blake could feel the tension in Lily’s body. Like a taut bowstring, she was ready to unleash a hailstorm of arrows to pierce her father’s heart. He could remember feeling the same way toward his father. And he knew from experience that the path she and her father were on would lead to loneliness, remorse, and grief.
“Although I think you and Lily should sit down together and talk about those days, this is not the right time.” Blake squeezed Lily’s arm to make sure he had her attention. “You need to do it when neither of you is this upset.”
“I am more than willing to talk to my daughter about the past.” Captain Henrick looked at him first before turning his gaze toward Lily. “I pray that one day she will find a way to forgive me. And I promise to continue loving her no matter how she feels about me.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “And in the meantime you’ll try to steal my sisters from me.”
Understanding flashed through Blake. “Is that why you let Camellia stay with an aunt and uncle you cannot abide? Are you afraid you’ll lose her love?”
“Of course not. I let Camellia remain with my grandmother because she begged me to let her stay and take part in the Natchez social whirl. It had absolutely nothing to do with him. I acceded to her wishes because I want her to be happy. It’s what I want for both of my sisters. And I happen to know they won’t be if they discover that our father is alive and then have to mourn him once again when he deserts us—them.”
“I’m not sure you’re being completely honest with yourself.” Blake hoped his words would penetrate the wall of distrust she’d built. “You need to
spend some time thinking about your actions and decisions.”
“Lily is being very sensible given my history.” Captain Henrick shoved his hands into his pants pockets. “I won’t tell them who I am unless you say I can, Lily. That’s what I promised in New Orleans, and you can count on me to keep that promise. But you can’t expect me to be this close to Jasmine and not try to spend time with her.”
Blake nodded his agreement. “The captain’s not doing anything more than Jensen in keeping them entertained while you and Tamar are busy. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”
“Of course not, but Jensen—”
“Is no different in Jasmine’s eyes than Captain Henrick.” Blake let his gaze rest on a lock of Lily’s hair that had come loose. It gleamed in the bright sunlight, and he found himself wanting to touch it to see if it felt as silky as it looked.
Lily’s gaze met his, and her brown eyes widened as if she could read his thoughts. He needed to focus on the conversation, not her hair. Blake cleared his throat. “If you continue to object to her spending time up here, Jasmine is going to wonder why there’s a difference. First she’ll ask questions that you don’t want to answer. Then she’ll turn to the captain. She’s an intelligent little girl. She will see through your pretense. And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself when both of your sisters turn their backs on you.”
He could see the pain in her eyes and the sudden paleness of her cheeks. Blake wanted to cut out his tongue. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He’d only wanted to get through to her. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” Her voice cracked a little. She cleared her throat. “I’m the one who should apologize. You’re right, Blake. Both of you are right. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset. It’s just that I’m so worried they’ll be hurt.”
“You can stop worrying about that, Water Lily.” Captain Henrick smiled at her, a wealth of sorrow in his eyes. “No matter what happens, I’ll make sure I never hurt any of you again.”
She nodded, the color returning to her face. “I’m trying to believe you.”
Blake squeezed her arm to show his appreciation for her words. When she turned her gaze to him, his breath stopped. He’d never before seen so much depth or heart in a woman. A fierce desire rose in him to wrap his arms around her and protect her from whatever or whoever might try to harm her.
His hand moved up and tucked the loose lock of hair behind her ear. Her mouth parted, and her gaze dropped to his lips. If Captain Henrick had not cleared his throat, Blake had no idea what might have happened. But she pulled away and ducked her head.
“I have to get downstairs.” She murmured the words and slipped out of the pilothouse, not glancing at either of them.
Chapter Thirty-eight
Tamar shook her head. She was worried about Lily. The poor thing was working herself to death. If she didn’t slow down, she was likely to collapse. Then what would they do?
She covered the remaining tables and dusted her hands off. The plates and silverware were needed next. Heading to the galley, she breathed a sigh of relief to find it empty. With David and Jasmine otherwise occupied, she didn’t have time for Jensen’s tomfoolery. She grabbed a couple of the baskets they used for transporting dinnerware and begin filling them.
“What are you doing in my galley, woman?”
Jensen’s voice made her gasp and spin around. “I thought you were busy doing something else.”
“I see.” He tapped a wooden spoon against one hand. “I guess you forgot I’m the one in charge of the cooking.”
“Of course not.” His presence made the galley shrink and grow much, much warmer. She tried to slow her pounding heart. What was it about this man?
“Why won’t you be kind to a poor, heartsore man?” His gravelly voice held a plaintive note. “I’m only trying to win a smile from the woman I love.”
Tamar pointed a finger at him. “If you don’t quit talking such nonsense and leave me alone to do my chores, I’m going to take that spoon and use it on your head.”
He chuckled. “It might improve my looks.”
Tamar tried to keep from smiling, but it was a losing struggle. She turned to the baskets in an attempt to ignore him. Another impossibility. When the room behind her grew quiet, she sighed. He must’ve decided to take her at her word. Had she finally convinced him she wasn’t interested in him? “Silly man.”
“And here I thought you were the one being silly.”
She jumped a foot and managed to overturn the laden baskets. Everything would have to be washed again. Tamar rounded on him. “Now look at what you’ve done.”
Jensen stood next to the stove, his arms crossed over his chest. “Me? All I’m doing is trying to catch the attention of the purtiest girl on this boat.” He lifted one of the lids and sniffed the contents. “You see, she’s taken my heart, and I want hers in a sort of bartering deal.”
Charmed in spite of herself, Tamar picked up the tableware that had fallen and moved to the large sink on the far side of Jensen. “I’ve told you before it won’t work. You shouldn’t be so stubborn.”
He shook his head, one hand going to his scar. “Why won’t it work, cher? Is it because I’m so ugly?”
“Of course not.” She put the dishes in the sink and reached for a dishcloth. “I’m too old for you.”
“Age don’t matter to me.” He sidled up next to her and put a hand on her arm, stilling her movements. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
Tamar looked down at the soapy water, tears burning her eyes. She would’ve thought he was smart enough to figure out the real reason she had to deny him. But apparently she was going to have to be brutally honest. Once he understood, Jensen would have to stop pursuing her. One hot tear leaked out and landed on his hand.
“What is it, Tamar?” His voice no longer teased. “Do you think I want anything less than marriage with you? Is that the reason you’re crying?”
“No, Jensen.” She pulled away and wiped her tears. “I know you’re an honorable man. That’s not the problem.”
“What is it? Please tell me.”
She closed her eyes. “I–it won’t work because you’re a freeman.” There, she’d said the words. Tamar wished expressing them made her feel better. She felt like she’d aged at least a hundred years.
“Is that what’s been worrying you so, woman?” He stepped back a pace, his laughter filling the air.
Shocked at his response, Tamar turned to face him. She had to make him understand. Jensen was a warm, caring man who deserved better than a worn-out old slave for a wife. “You cannot tie yourself to me. Don’t you see, Jensen? I work for Lily and her sisters. I don’t have time or the right to be a wife and mother.”
A noise at the door warned her they were no longer alone. Tamar looked past Jensen’s shoulder and saw Lily, a look of dismay on her face. Tamar dropped her rag and moved to the girl. “I don’t know what you heard. We were just talking. You have so much to deal with, please don’t make this your concern.”
“But it is. How can it not be when I’m the one coming between you and Jensen?”
Tamar recognized the determined look on Lily’s face. It was the same look she’d worn when she’d decided to rebel against her relatives and set up housekeeping on a riverboat. But this problem could not be solved by determination.
She opened her mouth, but Lily shook her head. “You needn’t try convincing me otherwise, Tamar. I’m going to set you free so you can live your life in a way you choose.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, Miss Lily.” She pointed a finger at the younger woman. “You don’t own me. Your grandmother does. And when she dies, I’ll become the property of whoever she wills me to. I was born a slave, and that’s what I’ll be until they lay my body in its grave.”
Tamar had been so focused on convincing Lily of the folly of her words that she’d forgotten Jensen was still there. He cleared his throat. “I think I have the answer for both of you.”
&nb
sp; Lily lowered her chin a smidgen, but a frown still marred her face. “What’s that?”
“I’ll pay the purchase price to your relatives and set Tamar free.”
“You can afford that?”
A confident smile accompanied Jensen’s nod. “I’ve managed to put some money aside over the years.”
“I can help, too. We made a small profit from our first voyage, and we’re going to make even more once we dock in Memphis this evening.” Lily’s chin moved to its normal level. “We can make this work.”
“Wait a minute.” Tamar couldn’t believe they were talking about her and her future as if she wasn’t in the room. “What if I don’t—” She stopped. What could she say? That she didn’t want to be free? Tamar sent a pleading look toward Jensen. “I can’t let you spend that kind of money.”
Jensen snorted. “You can’t stop me. I’m free, remember?”
Tamar looked from one to the other. A whole new world seemed to be opening for her. It was an exhilarating, absolutely terrifying idea. She’d always known what was expected of her. She’d even had the added benefit of loving all three of her charges as if they were her daughters.
If she let Jensen and Lily do this, everything would change. Lily and her sisters would replace her with another slave. Then what would she do? Tamar had never considered a different future, and she didn’t know if she could do so now.
With a wordless cry, she tossed the rag down and ran from the room. Why did life have to be so difficult?
Lily recognized Eli Thornton the minute she saw him. He had his father’s good looks and his mother’s wise gaze. As soon as he found out who she was, he welcomed her with open arms, offering to let Jasmine, David, and her, along with Tamar, sleep in their home for the duration of their stay. David had asked to remain on board the Hattie Belle with the other men, and she had agreed.
They would be leaving in two days, and Eli assured her they would be fully loaded with cargo. One thing was certain—Uncle Phillip had been right about the money available in the shipping business. They were already making more money than she had imagined. Their profit margin was good enough that she would soon be able to buy out Blake’s interest in the Hattie Belle. He could purchase another boat and fleece innocent victims.
Lily (Song of the River) Page 24
