She had been thankful to Ricardo for finally telling her about the circumstances in which Scott and Danielle had first met. He had also assured her that he thought they both loved each other but didn’t know if they had admitted it yet. Jenny had vowed that between Ricardo and herself, it would all work out. There was not another person who she would rather have for a daughter-in-law than this one walking with her now.
"A visitor? Who?" Danielle choked on the words. Could it possibly be Scott, she wondered. Oh Lord, she didn’t know if she could handle the turmoil he would cause in her life right now. But how it made her heartbeat quicken to think of him.
Jenny took her arm, leading her toward the house. "I have arranged as usual for your passengers’ lodging nearby."
"The passengers! Wait! A friend of mine is on board this trip." She turned and saw Susanna stepping out of one of the longboats. "Susanna!" The thin, drab girl looked up at her. Danielle ran, putting her arm around the other girl’s waist. "Now that I’ve found you, I’m not going to lose you again. Come with me. I want you to meet some friends of mine."
Susanna, glancing at the couple patiently waiting, held herself back. "Oh, Danielle… are you certain?"
Danielle insisted. "Of course. You are my best friend and they will be pleased to meet you." She took Susanna’s arm and gently pulled her toward the waiting couple and introduced her.
When the four of them walked into the house she stopped short, speechless at the sight of Ricardo who was waiting to greet her. She paused for just a second, before screeching and flinging her arms wide, running to embrace him.
"Oh, it’s so good to see you again, little one." Ricardo held her and patted her back. He held her out at arm’s length, looking into her face. "I stayed out of sight because I wanted to surprise you." He noticed Danielle looking around the room to see if there was any other surprises. He understood who she was looking for.
"I’m sorry Danielle, he’s not here. He’s left already. But before he left, I married my sweetheart, Jenny Dominion." His eyes caressed his wife across the room. "My sailing days are over."
"Jenny, how wonderful! And you didn’t say a word about how you felt for this old tar. I am so happy for you both I could cry."
"And you didn’t say a word about your feelings for my son," she winked at the young captain. "I think there is much for us to discuss later."
Ricardo went across the room and put his arm around Jenny. Jenny smiled at him then motioned to their extra guest. "This is Danielle’s long lost friend from France, Susanna Micheaux."
Ricardo looked quite surprised. He turned to Danielle. "You mean your friend you told me about?"
Danielle laughed. "The very same, Ricardo. Isn’t it a miracle?" She put her arm through Susanna’s, pulling her into the family circle. "I’ve had two wonderful surprises. What more could I want?"
Ricardo nodded to Susanna. "Welcome to England. Danielle has spoken of you many times with fondness. I am happy you are here with her now."
"Thank you. I’m still a little bewildered by the whole thing. I have not been this happy in a long time." She smiled at everyone.
Jenny offered to make chocolate and left the room. Sir Francis and Ricardo sat down to visit.
"Come Susanna, come with me while I change out of this seaman’s garb. We will have a few minutes for just us, while Jenny makes her most wonderful chocolate."
The men watched the two girls leave the room. Their heads bent close together, one so dark and the other so fair. It would be good for Danielle to have a friend her own age with her.
Quickly Danielle removed her boots on the bootjack, sighing pleasurably as she walked about the room wriggling her toes in the tapestry carpet. Unbuttoning her shirt, she removed it, throwing it on the chair. She loosened the drawstring waist of her pants and let them slide from her shapely hips, stepping out of them as they hit the floor. With a well-aimed flick of her foot, she tossed them into the chair where her shirt already lay discarded. The entire time she was disrobing, she chatted away with Susanna, filling her in on most of the things that had happened to her since they had last seen each other. Danielle did not dwell on her parents’ death in the telling as she did not want too much sadness to creep into this day. And she did not mention the man with whom she had fallen in love. Later would be soon enough to fill her in on that little detail.
She went to the basin and splashed her face and hands with fresh water, removing the salty residue from her skin. Susanna didn’t talk much about her past except to tell Danielle it had been hell. Danielle touched briefly on the events that led to her masquerading as a sea captain, which helped to quell Susanna’s curiosity.
After drying herself, Danielle swung wide the wardrobe doors, choosing a more feminine outfit than she had worn in the last few days. As she pulled the gown over her head, she noticed Susanna looking longingly at the remaining gowns hanging in the wardrobe.
Danielle, let her eyes drop to the tattered remains of the coarse muslin gown that Susanna was wearing. The oft-mended garment with its frayed edges had long since lost its original color and looked ready to fall apart at the seams with its next washing. From the dirt stains and deep wrinkles throughout the material, it was obviously long over due to be cleaned. Danielle was ashamed of herself for not having noticed the state of Susanna’s attire earlier. Here she was in a clean, fresh gown, while her best friend sat on the bed, cheerily talking, clothed in rags.
"Susanna, get that gown off. We’re going to pick you out something pretty to wear." She reached in the closet and found a pale pink gown with embroidery around the hem and sleeves. She brought it out and laid it on the bed for Susanna. "I always liked you in pink, with that wonderful blonde hair and blue eyes."
"I shouldn’t wear your clothes, Danny." Danielle was touched that she still remembered the nickname she had given her when they were very young.
Danielle’s attention was on the tiny pearl buttons as she fastened her gown, not wanting to see the ache in the other woman’s eyes. "Nonsense. They were all given to me by Sir Francis’s sweet wife, Lady Elizabeth. The clothes had belonged to their daughter. I want to share them with you. It will make me very happy."
Finished dressing, she went to sit next to Susanna on the bed. She put an arm around her shoulders and spoke sincerely. "I, too, know what it’s like to reach English soil with only the clothes on my back. At least yours is a gown," she smiled. "I had on a pair of boy’s pantaloons and shirt when I reached St. Mary’s. Though they have always been my favorite attire, it was not quite the thing," she said.
Susanna covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. "Danny, I’ve missed you so." She sobbed. "You just don’t know what I’ve been through. After the soldiers used me until I thought I would die of shame, they dumped me on the waterfront to starve. I did anything to survive, Danielle. Things that I can’t even tell you about… by then it didn’t matter anymore whether I lived or died.
"I was contemplating suicide when I overheard two Huguenots speaking of your ship, and how the English were taking us in. I was too ashamed to ask them for help, so on the night of your arrival, I went to the designated spot. Since I had no money, I told a sailor… that I… would--"
"It is not important how you got here. Let’s just be thankful that you are here. The past is not important, only the future matters now. Together we can make a good life for ourselves in England."
This seemed to help Susanna get control of herself. She straightened her back and went to the washstand to began her ablutions. Once she had put on the pink gown, she was no longer recognizable as the scruffy wench from the waterfronts of France. Her hair had been brushed until it shined, then plaited and wrapped into a haloed coronet around her head. Her blue eyes appeared larger and the fact that she was safely in England made them sparkle with new hope.
When they joined the others in the drawing room, Jenny had already poured the chocolate and passed it around to everyone. David had joined the trio during the girls
’ absence and Danielle got a certain satisfaction out of seeing him stare openly at the change in Susanna.
Hypnotized, his gaze followed her every movement, breaking away only to return a few seconds later. Boldly he appraised her shapely form now clearly discernable in the form-fitting gown.
Susanna ignored him, but it was apparent to Danielle that they were both quite aware of each other. She was brought back to the present by Sir Francis’s voice.
"Danielle, can you spare a few minutes to walk with me a short distance. There is something I would discuss with you."
She stood up, carefully setting her cup on the table. "Of course. Let me get my wrap." She put a shawl about her shoulder and joined him at the door.
"I think I know what you want to talk to me about." Danielle opened the conversation as they strolled leisurely down the beach.
He raised an eyebrow and looked at her face. "Oh?"
"My sailing days are over, aren’t they?"
"Yes," he nodded, "it’s time I rejoined the crew of The Gypsy Witch as their captain. I think I’ll keep the name though to remember your days at sea." He watched silently as Danielle looked out over the water, a deep sigh escaping her. "Will you miss it that much, my dear?"
"I’ve become quite fond of Captain Rochette," she mused. "But it is time I made plans for my future. So, no I shan’t miss it that much."
He took her arm guiding her away from the beach. "You are right, Danielle. I, too, have given your prospect much thought." Sir Francis stopped, sweeping the air in the direction of an empty cottage set back from the beach, under the haven of some large maple shade trees. "I hope you will consider this the beginning of her future."
Confused, Danielle looked from the empty, whitewashed cottage to Sir Francis and back again. "I don’t understand." She looked at him unsure of his meaning.
It took a lot of convincing on his part to finally make her understand that the cottage was indeed hers, as her reward for helping him out when he so needed it. But when he informed her he had deposited money in the bank at Cadgwith in her name as her share of the passages paid by the Huguenots, she rebelled.
"Nonsense!" Danielle railed against his explanation. "I will not hear of it!"
He lifted his hand, stopping her outburst. "Wait, my dear, before you say anymore. "I know the bank account is in excess of your normal share, but it is something Lady Elizabeth and I want to do." The low, soft-spoken voice of the nobleman broke her staunch defenses. "Please accept this gift graciously from two people who respect all you have done for us."
Danielle was speechless. A lump formed in her throat at their kindness and she could find no words to utter. Large tears brimmed her eyes and ran freely down her cheeks.
Sir Francis took her hand and squeezed it. "Don’t be upset. You deserve much more than this, Danielle. I will be forever grateful to you for taking over for me the way you did. It was no easy feat and yet you did a magnificent job of it."
Danielle wiped her tears with the back of her hand, sniffing. "I’m just crying from happiness, Sir Francis. I never dreamed… I didn’t do it for pay. I felt it was my only way to avenge my parent’s death, by helping others in the same position."
"If you promise to shed no more tears, I will give you my last little surprise. Here." He handed her a white handkerchief from his pocket. "Now dry your eyes."
Danielle dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose. "Another surprise? I don’t know if my heart could take another. I shall be indebted to you for the rest of my life as it is."
Sir Francis took a small bundle from his pocket and placed it into her hands.
A red velvet purse of her mother’s jewels and her own still enclosed in the white handkerchief. Danielle slowly unwrapped the white lace to reveal her jewels tucked safely inside it. "I had forgotten all about them!" She pressed them to her breast excitedly. "Oh thank you!" She reached up and gave him a hug, noticing the flush of color creep into his cheeks. "Now I can really call England home." She stepped back and looked at him, her damp eyelashes revealing a twinkle in her eyes. "I don’t think I will miss Captain Rochette much, at all."
As they returned to Jenny and Ricardo’s, Danielle’s steps grew lighter and her spirits soared. She burst into the room, grabbed Susanna and twirled her around the floor. "Susanna! Sir Francis just gave me the most wonderful gift. He purchased a darling little cottage for me! You and I can decorate it and we’ll have a home of our own!" Danielle wanted Susanna to know that she was included in her plans for the future. They would both be able to look for positions in Cadgwith. In this Danielle felt she could make up to Susanna for some of the tragic things she had suffered.
Susanna, caught up in the excitement, laughed aloud at her friend’s exuberance. The other people in the room happily stared at the two young women.
"Come and see it now. I can’t wait to show it to you."
David, from his position on the settee, watched, disturbed at the fairer of the two. How different she looked when she laughed. Like a beautiful Madonna, without a care in the world. Her laughter sent spikes straight to his heart, its cupid arrow piercing him for all time.
~ * ~
The next few days Danielle and Susanna spent many hours making their cottage a home. They put up frilly curtains on all the windows and scrubbed all the walls and floors until the interior sparkled. It was a small home, with two bedrooms and the meager furnishings were nothing elaborate, but to Danielle and Susanna, it was a castle.
Every bit as grand in their eyes as the one being built on the hill overlooking the village and the sea. She must remember to ask Jenny whose manor it was to be. Although, by this time, she knew most of the people of the village, she had not heard any one mention the name of the owner.
When she walked through the rooms of her house, her thoughts were drawn to Scott Dominion. Her pirate! She knew, living this close to Ricardo and Jenny on a permanent basis, that sooner or later they would see each other again. The thought warmed her clear to her toes.
She needed to confide in someone, and finally told Susanna about her and Scott. When the two girls were alone in the evenings, she would talk to her friend about him. How much she loved him and hoped one day he would come to love her, too.
She remembered with warmth the last time she had seen him. Lord he was magnificent. Her body tingled with remembrance. She had thought at that time she would not mind only having him once in a while. But she knew, deep inside, that she could never be happy as a mistress. She wanted all his love, not just the part that was strictly physical. She didn’t want to be discarded like an old shoe when he tired of her or she grew too old. Please let him come home safe, she prayed.
Nine
Danielle, held the crisp, ruffled curtain aside, standing at the window, watching David and Susanna strolling hand in hand along the sun-washed beach. The two golden heads bent close together, sharing an intimate moment. She smiled approvingly at the chance happenings of fate. He had fallen under the spell of this blue-eyed blonde and in so doing, had provided the answer to Susanna’s future.
David had become a constant visitor since she and Susanna had moved into the little cottage and his attentive, and eager helpfulness was growing on Susanna. He was becoming more and more a comfortable cloak of protection against the painful memories and harsh realities of life.
Susanna had rejected his earliest attempts at friendship, ignoring him for days. But eventually she had relented, accepting his apology for his boorish behavior at their first meeting and David had maintained his erstwhile efforts at winning her, refusing to give her any chance of denying him again.
"They are falling in love," Danielle said aloud, sighing wistfully, wishing Scott were here, caring for her, loving her as David did Susanna. She watched as the pair disappeared from view. She wondered when Scott was going to come home. Didn’t the man know she needed him?
Danielle released her hold on the curtain, letting it drop back into place. She wandered about the living room, straighteni
ng an occasional cushion, her thoughts staying with the two lovers strolling on the sand. She wondered when they would marry. Selfishly, she hoped it would not be too soon. She wanted them both to be happy, but…
Danielle reached down and placed a hand on her stomach. She was so happy to be carrying a part of Scott within her. A part she could love and cherish for all time.
Susanna came upon Danielle one morning, a few days later, bent over the wash basin, retching violently.
"Danielle!" She rushed to her side. "What’s the matter with you? This is the second time this week you have been sick, that I know of. You must see a doctor, Danielle. You’ve lost weight and you’re always so pale. Even David has mentioned it." She handed the shaking girl a cool damp cloth.
Its coolness was refreshing. Danielle opened her eyes, seeing Susanna’s worried expression. Why was she keeping this one last secret from her best friend? She would not be able to hide it for much longer anyway. "I’m pregnant, Susanna," she blurted out.
"Oh, Danielle!" she gasped, helping her to the side of the bed and lay her gently back against the pillows. ‘I should have guessed. How long have you known? Why didn’t you tell me?" Her questions kept flowing, not giving Danielle time to answer.
"Don’t worry," she continued. "I’ll take care of you. After all, it’s about time I have a reason to care for you. You’ve always been the more capable one between us, now at last will I be able to do my share." She declared proudly.
"I’m not exactly an invalid, you know." Danielle smiled teasingly, her face still ashen. "I plan on carrying out my daily activities as usual. This stupid morning sickness should be gone by now, but once it is I will feel fine."
"Well, I will be here for you. We can start making baby clothes and, oh God, Danielle… You have to tell Jenny!"
The Gypsy Witch Page 18
