Ayden was unsure for a moment then he drew back and said, “I see it.” He pointed up to the exact location. Heath and I were impressed.
“How about Ophiuchus?”
“That’s his favorite,” I chimed in.
“I know,” Ayden snapped.
Heath nudged his arm. “I mean, I was aware of that, Lillian.”
“Now it’s Lillian’s turn,” Heath said.
“What should I look for tonight, Heath?”
He thought for a moment then said, “Find me a planet.”
I didn’t want for one moment to let him see my uncertainty. I wasn’t exactly sure of myself, but I took a chance and pointed one out. “That’s Venus.”
“Perfect!” Heath said, patting me on the back. “She’s smart, Ayden.”
I waited for Ayden to scowl at me, but to my surprise, he didn’t. Instead, he nodded in agreement. I stayed out on the bluff with the boys. Once we grew tired of the telescope, we lay down on the ground, the three of us, side-by-side, and gazed up at the galaxy. We were quiet, deep in our own thoughts. I thought about how wonderful my new life was, how lucky we were to have been sent to Jasper Island. I had friends now—best friends. Even though Ayden didn’t like me, there was something about him that made me want to be his friend. I wasn’t sure if it were his big blue eyes that drew me in, but there was something special about Ayden. I hoped one day he would come to like me and want to be my friend as much as I wanted to be his. Then there was Heath. He was my protector, my teacher, and the boy who made my heart long for him, the way Momma’s did for Daddy.
By late morning, Momma still wasn’t out of bed, another day that she was too tired to rise. It was clothes-washing day. Without her assistance, I gathered the clothes and brought them outside to the washboard. The day was warm, warmer than I had ever remembered in late July. On Rock Ledge Island, it was always cold, even in the middle of summer. Opal was working in the vegetable garden, and Ayden was feeding the chickens. Daddy and Edward were on ladders outside the watch tower, cleaning the windows. I hadn’t yet seen Heath. I presumed he had his nose in a book up in his room.
After I did the washing, which took much of the morning, I set out to hang the clothes on the line. The basket by my feet, I stretched as far as I could to hang the heavy, wet clothes, but I was just too short. I was looking around for something to stand on when Heath came around the side of the house and hurried to assist me.
“Here, let me do that, kid,” he said, taking the dress from my hands. I stepped back and watched as he hung the dress on the line for me. He reached down to do the rest. Ayden came over and began to laugh.
“Heath is doing woman’s work,” he giggled.
“Be quiet, Ayden. She was having trouble.”
“Maybe Mother can sew you a dress, Heath.”
Heath ignored his brother. One by one, he pulled the wet clothes out until he was finished, then he winked at me and strolled off.
Ayden called out, teasing Heath, “You’re a sissy, Heath. You’re a girl.”
“Hush up, Ayden,” I flared when I had heard enough.
“Why? Is Heath your boyfriend?” he asked. Ayden’s eyes narrowed as he inched closer and closer to where I stood. I immediately shook my head.
“I think you like him. Do you two kiss?”
Tears began to well in my eyes. “Stop it!” I shouted, then turned and ran to get away from him.
Heath saw me running and called out to me. “Lillian, what’s wrong?”
I couldn’t answer. My throat choked up with wretchedness, I found a private place to sit. On a rock, I sat with my knees up against my stomach and buried my head in them. What Ayden said had frightened me. I didn’t know how to handle the overwhelming personal secrets I had concerning Heath. I was afraid of all the new feelings, feelings I had never had before. As much as I fantasized about Heath marrying me, I was afraid of his kiss.
From where I sat on the cold rock, I noticed a pod of whales out in the ocean. There must have been nine of them. As far as I could tell, I believed them to be humpback whales. I used to regularly see them near our old station. I never realized my feelings could ever be hurt; it was the first time I had been teased or treated badly. Daddy had often told me that people could be mean, that there were evil men in the world, and girls like me needed to watch out for them and stay far, far away. He warned me never, ever to be alone with any man other than himself. When he said this, he had such intensity in his eyes that it scared me to think of what he was trying to tell me. Why were men other than Daddy bad? Were they all like the sailors that knocked Momma to the ground? Mr. Dalton wasn’t like that. He was as kind as Daddy. I was sure Heath would grow up to be a good man. But would Ayden be the kind of man Daddy told me to stay far away from, the kind that smelled like rum and always looked bedraggled and dirty?
The vision alarmed me, and I quickly put it out of my mind. Inside, Ayden was a good boy. He would grow to like me; he would eventually stop teasing me, and someday, I prayed, would become one of my best friends.
_______________
Chapter Three
When I returned to the house, Heath and Ayden were waiting for me by the front door. Heath stood behind Ayden, and as soon as I approached, Heath pushed Ayden forward and whispered, “Go on.”
Ayden’s head hung low. He kicked up the dirt and refused to look at me. Heath grabbed Ayden by the back of his collar after the long hesitation and made him face me. With an expression smothered in defeat he said, “I’m sorry, Lillian.”
“What are you sorry for, Ayden?” Heath demanded. Heath was angry, angrier than I had ever seen him. His clear blue eyes didn’t sparkle as they always had, but were dark and disturbed by how Ayden had made me feel. Heath tightened his grip on Ayden, which forced him to speak.
“I am sorry for teasing you. I didn’t mean it. I will never do it again.” Heath let go, and Ayden ran away, completely humiliated.
“If he ever speaks to you that way again, you come and tell me, okay?” Heaths eyes softened, and he reached to touch my cheek then said, “Ayden needs to learn not to pick on little girls.”
I would have cringed at his words if he hadn’t touched my cheek with his strong hand, which made me tingle all over. Heath then pulled a book from his pocket.
“This is my book about fossils.”
Heath was always so kind and generous, I thought. “Thank you, Heath, for everything.”
“That’s what friends are for. Don’t forget that, Lillian.”
I would never forget that we were friends.
“I have to go gather up the wood. I’ll see you at supper.”
With my new book in hand, I went inside. Momma was awake and baking loaves of bread. The house was hot and stuffy—even worse in my bedroom. I placed the book in my box then headed back outside. I decided to go down to the shore and put my feet in the cool water. The ache in my heart had subsided, and I felt much better about the day. The clothes on the line were not yet dry and needed another day. Lady followed me down to the water and sat beside me while I pulled my shoes and stockings off.
The cool water was a great relief to my swollen feet. I lifted the hem of my dress and waded into the water as far as I could without getting it wet. Lady loved the water and jumped right in then paddled around. I grabbed a piece of wood floating in the surf and threw it out to her. She retrieved it with her teeth and paddled back to me so I could take it from her mouth and throw it back out again.
I was near the boathouse. The wooden structure had been destroyed by years of battering rains and winds and was about to crumble. From what I could see, it used to house at least two boats. Most of the wood floating in the surf was from the boathouse.
It didn’t take long before I was cooled off. I sat and stared out into the calm sea waters. There were all kinds of vessels afloat. The closest one was a whaler. Daddy had once rescued the entire crew of a whaler. As Momma and I stood in horror, watching the giant ship plunge into the sea, Daddy row
ed through the treacherous, icy waters to save the men.
My thoughts drifted back in time, and it took a moment to realize there was someone watching me, someone behind the boat house. Lady sensed my fear and stared at the dark shadow.
“Who’s there?” I called, hoping the fear in my voice would not be easily recognized. Lady gave a warning bark, then another. Suddenly, a mysterious old man hurried to a small row boat he had pulled up behind the structure and began rowing. Lady went after him, but couldn’t catch him, and he rowed further and further away. I recognized him from the night I fell asleep under the stars. It was Victor!
I couldn’t wait to get back and tell Ayden. He would be interested; he would want to see where the old man was hiding. He would be glad to learn there was no ghost, only a strange old man. I went to find him, but he was nowhere around. Opal was plucking the chicken for supper, and I asked where I could find Ayden.
“He went to the mainland with Heath,” she said, not looking up.
I wondered why they hadn’t told me earlier that they were planning on rowing over. I was just going to have to wait to tell him what I had discovered about who was lurking on Jasper Island.
Heath and Ayden hadn’t returned by nightfall, and Opal began to worry. The storm clouds covered the almost-full moon, and the winds began to pick up in intensity. The waters grew into large swells and churned against the shore. Daddy was up in the tower, and Edward set out to look for his sons. Soon the rain began to fall, and thunder boomed up above. An occasional streak of lightning crossed the enormous sky, sending chills of terror through me. Momma and I climbed the circular iron stairway, up to the top of the tower, to join Daddy.
“Do you see them out there, Garrett?” Momma asked, her face consumed with worry.
“The visibility is down to about a quarter-mile. The rain is blinding. But they have the light, Amelia; they will always have the light to bring them safely home.”
Momma clung to Daddy, and I stared out into the bleak, stormy night.
“We will man the light. Go with Edward,” Momma said. Daddy agreed and hurried to help with the possible rescue.
“Are the wicks ready to be trimmed?” Momma asked. They weren’t. I did that while Momma adjusted the vents. “This is just terrible.”
“Isn’t there anything else we can do, Momma?” I asked.
“No, Lillian. We are helping right here. They will get back safe; I promise.”
She hugged me close as we both stood, looking for any sign of them. It was a long time before we saw anything; then in the midst of the terrible storm, we spotted a boat.
“Over there; it’s them,” Momma cried.
As fast as I could, I ran down the endless flight of winding steps. Outside, through the wind-battered rain, I hurried to where Edward and Daddy had pulled the boat up onto the shore. To my shock, there was the old man I had seen earlier. He had rowed the boys back to the island. I looked from him to the boat. Ayden’s body dangled in Heath’s arms; Heath’s eyes were filled with fright.
“He went overboard,” Heath cried.
Daddy took Ayden from Heath’s tired arms and carried him to shore. I began to shake in fear as Daddy checked Ayden for signs of life. Opal had brought a blanket and as fast as she could, wrapped it around him. Edward collapsed to the ground next to Ayden and began stroking his hair.
“Come on, boy; don’t leave us,” he said, his voice firm, insisting that Ayden obey his father.
Opal sobbed over him while Daddy did everything he could to clear Ayden’s airway. Heath stood frozen in the rain. And just as we were about to give up hope, just as Daddy sat up and looked to the sky above, Ayden began to breathe. Violently, he sat up, and Daddy turned him over so he could heave up the salty ocean water. Opal fell to her knees and thanked the Lord. Daddy and Edward breathed a sigh of relief. Heath began to tremble and sat down on the cold, wet sand, and the ghost blended into the darkness of the night and disappeared. Edward gathered up Ayden, and he and Opal hurried back up to the house.
“Come, Lillian; you need to get out of the rain,” Daddy said, guiding me towards the house. I turned to look back at Heath. He continued to sit, his head in his hands, as the cold rain saturated him. I tried to call out for him to come with us, but he couldn’t hear me over the thunder. Daddy hurried me along until I was inside, and left me to change into dry bed clothes.
“I have to go back up to the tower and relieve Momma,” he said from outside my door.
I listened as his footsteps moved down the hall, then the stairs. I wanted to go back out to Heath. I threw on my shawl and went to where he had been left behind. Heath was drenched; his hair was wet and pressed flat to his head. His clothes were soaked. He didn’t see me approach and was startled when I put my shawl around him. I nervously waited for him to thank me; instead, he threw it off and yelled, “Go away! Leave me be.”
I didn’t know what to say, but I picked up the shawl and did all I could to hold back my tears.
“Leave me alone,” he hollered over the wind and rain. I dropped the shawl and ran all the way back to my room. I flew to my bed and sobbed until I hadn’t a tear left to shed, until my body ached and the trembling stopped. Then sleep gradually won out, and I drifted into my dreams.
Ayden was sick in bed for days after the incident. He developed pneumonia. Opal stayed by his side all day and night. I wasn’t allowed to see him. His bedroom window was on the first floor, and each day I would peek in when no one was watching. Opal had a chair pulled up next to the bed. She kept cool cloths pressed to Ayden’s feverish head.
Then there was a day that Opal stepped out of the room. I took the opportunity to hurry in and see Ayden before she returned. I quietly crept in and stood over him. He looked pale and gaunt, and I was taken aback. I had never seen anyone so sick, not even Momma on her worst days. I wanted to say something to him, but I didn’t want him to wake. Instead, I placed his warm hand in mine, closed my eyes, and said a prayer for him. When I opened my eyes, I saw him looking up at me. Before he could yell at me to go away, just as Heath had done days before, I gently dropped his hand and hurried out of the room, back outside. I feared I was going to be in trouble, so I decided to stay away.
Although the island wasn’t the size of a village, it was large enough to get away from everyone. I went to the other side and found a spot to rest under a cluster of trees near the edge of a small cliff. I hadn’t ventured out that far before, but I was glad I did. It was the perfect spot to be alone, and it had a beautiful view of the harbor in the distance. I sat against the tree and thought about how I wanted to be someplace else. I wasn’t happy anymore. Ayden hated me; Heath thought I was nothing more than a troublesome little girl. Daddy and Momma had each other. There seemed to be no use for me anywhere. I imagined myself taking the boat to the mainland and running away. For sure, no one would miss me for long. Maybe Daddy and Momma would for a short time.
As I began to plan my disappearance, I recalled the sailor from the tavern and remembered the warnings Daddy had given me about strange men. Could I be all alone out there in the world? Would I be free from harm? I believed I could take a chance, and would that very night. I thought about what I would put in the letter I planned to leave behind. I would tell Momma and Daddy that I loved them. I would write that I hoped Ayden soon recovered. I would thank Edward and Opal Dalton for their warm welcome when we first arrived on Jasper Island. Then I would say I was sorry to Heath for making him so angry at me.
I remained quiet at supper and didn’t eat much of anything. Momma noticed and asked if I was ill.
“No, Momma. I’m fine,” I said, and asked to be excused. She stood and came over to feel the top of my head.
“Is she with fever?” Opal asked.
Daddy stopped eating and looked at me with concern.
“I’m fine, really,” I insisted. “I’m just a little tired.”
Heath had arrived late for supper. He had been reading to Ayden. As soon as he sat, Opal went to
care for Ayden.
“You can go,” Daddy said, and I left the table without looking at Heath.
It didn’t take me long to pack a small leather bag I found in Daddy’s room. I would bring only one dress, an extra pair of stockings, and my favorite book—the one Heath gave me.
As nightfall approached, I began my letter, and when I finished, I waited until Daddy was up in the tower and Momma had fallen asleep. It was around midnight when I quietly stole away. The night was especially cold, and I no longer had my shawl. It must have washed away the night I left it on the shore, the night Heath told me to go away. I shivered, my bag in hand, as I made my way past the houses. I would take the smaller of the two boats and row out to the mainland. I had a note in the boat, explaining who it belonged to, and asking whoever found it that it be returned at their earliest convenience. I had only rowed a few times, when Daddy would sit me on his lap and allow me to use the oars.
On this night, the waters were rather calm and the moon was three-quarters, with just enough moonlight to allow me to make my way off the island. When the rowboat was in sight, I stopped to gaze back at the house one last time, then sighed and turned to walk. Just then, someone grabbed my arm. As I went to scream, my mouth was covered, and panic filled my entire body, then Heath whispered his name.
“It’s only me, Heath” he said, then took his hand off my mouth. It took me a moment to calm down then anger took over.
“Why did you frighten me, Heath Dalton?”
He stood before me with his coat and hat on and my shawl draped over his arm. “Here, you might need this for your trip,” he said, extending the shawl to me. How had he known I was running away?
“I won’t need my shawl. I will be just fine without it,” I said defiantly.
Heath rested the shawl on a large rock then said, “Can I go with you?”
I didn’t understand. “No, I want to go alone.”
“I see,” he said, and proceeded down to the boat. “Can I at least load your bag for you?”
Box Set: The ArringtonTrilogy Page 34
