Her father turned to his daughter. “Hester, don’t believe this man’s lies. He’s used to deceiving women.”
“You can ask the tavern maid herself,” Gerrit interrupted him, although he had no hopes that the woman would admit to the truth. “Jamie overheard her and the man responsible for the dirty trick talking about it last night.”
“Now you dare to bring Jamie into this? He worships you to the extent he’d be willing to say anything for you—”
Hester broke away from Gerrit and went toward her father. “Papa, that is not fair. Take a moment to listen to Gerrit. What he’s saying is the truth. Talk to Jamie.”
“Hester, go to your room. Leave this man.”
“No, Papa. I’m going with Gerrit.” Her shoulders straightened. “We are going to be married and if you won’t welcome us here, I shall go anywhere he goes.”
Gerrit’s spirit soared at her words.
Leighton’s tone, however, turned pleading. “Hester, don’t make this irrevocable mistake.”
Instead of answering him, Hester came back to Gerrit and took one of his hands. “I shall be ready whenever you come for me.”
He squeezed her hand and smiled in encouragement, knowing how difficult it must have been for her to go against her father. “I’ll let you know.” Then he bent down and kissed her lightly on her lips, knowing he needed the memory of them to get him through the time until they could be together for good. “I’ll see you very soon.”
He walked toward the doorway. Leighton just barely moved out of his way. Gerrit gave him a curt nod. “Good day, Mr. Leighton. I’ll be back for Hester.”
The next day, Gerrit faced the doors of Leighton Lumber & Shipping once again. He wasn’t much better off than he had been last November when he’d arrived. He still didn’t have much money in his pocket. He had no employment and no other assets except himself and his willingness to work. He wouldn’t have come by here, except he needed his earnings from the winter. Yesterday he’d been willing to forgo them, but not today. He had earned them, and he and Hester would need them for wherever they’d be going.
He’d thought about it a lot last night. He’d slept little, although his insomnia hadn’t been due to a guilty conscience or to worry about the future. Instead it had been due to the excitement and anticipation of what would come next.
Should he return to England with Hester? He didn’t think so, although he hadn’t ruled it out entirely. He wanted to discuss it thoroughly with Hester first. He thought it more likely they would stay in this Maine Territory, although Bangor was probably out. But there were many settlements surrounding it. He didn’t want to deprive Hester of the rest of her family.
Well, delaying the moment wouldn’t make it any easier. He squared his shoulders and opened the heavy door. Maybe he wouldn’t even need to see Mr. Leighton.
He went up to the same clerk he’d seen the first day he’d arrived. “I’ve come for my wages from the logging.”
“Oh, yes, Mr.—Major—Hawkes, sir.” The man immediately slid down from the stool and made his way toward the back office.
Gerrit drummed his fingers on the dark wood counter. He could feel the glances of the other clerks. Had news of his scandalous behavior traveled here? No doubt. Well, he’d have to endure the knowing looks, at least until he and Hester could leave and make a fresh start.
A fresh start…isn’t that what he’d attempted once before when he’d left England?
But this time it was different. This time the Lord was on his side. It made all the difference in the world.
The clerk interrupted his thoughts. “He’ll see you now, Major Hawkes.”
“Who? What?” He pulled his thoughts back to his reason for being there.
“Mr. Leighton, sir.”
“I don’t need to see him. I just came to collect my wages.”
“But he wants to see you.”
Gerrit frowned, then sighed. He really had no desire to stand and be insulted again by his future wife’s father, but he supposed he could endure it one last time. “Very well.”
He followed the man back through the door, again remembering the last time he’d passed that way.
Mr. Leighton rose from his chair this time and came around to the front of the desk. “Good morning, Hawkes. Thank you for coming in.”
Gerrit raised his eyebrows. The man’s tone certainly didn’t sound belligerent. Why the change?
Leighton cleared his throat. “I won’t beat around the bush. I want to apologize for thinking the worst of you.”
Gerrit stared as the older man extended his hand. “Can you forgive me for believing what was utterly untrue? My only excuse is that I love my daughter very much. Someday you may very well be a father and know how much a parent wants the best for his child.”
Gerrit hardly heard the words. He extended his own hand in a daze and felt it enfolded in the other man’s. “What—?” Gerrit began again. “What happened to make you change your mind about me?”
Leighton’s eyes flickered away from his briefly. “The tavern maid was waiting for me this morning as soon as I arrived. She confessed the whole plot to me. It seems Anderson, the man who put her up to it, has had it in for you ever since you arrived. He had a brother killed by a redcoat and couldn’t abide the thought of you. When you came back a practical hero from the drive, that put him over the edge. I hope you’ll forgive him, if you can.” He ended on an embarrassed note.
“Never mind about him.” Gerrit was still trying to adjust to Leighton’s kinder tone. “What about Hest—Miss Leighton? Do I have your permission to court her—to marry her?”
The older man nodded. “You have it and you both have my blessing. You’ve proved more than once the kind of man you are. I know you’ll make her a good husband.”
“Thank you, sir.” He tightened his own grip on Leighton’s hand.
The two walked out of the office together after Leighton had personally given him his wages, with a hefty bonus for “looking after my wild son.” Gerrit had tried to refuse the money, but Hester’s father had insisted. “You’ll need the capital if you’re going to set up housekeeping. Speaking of which, we need to talk about what kind of work you’ll be doing in the company now.” They stepped back into the front office. “That is, if you care to continue working here…”
His words were cut off by a commotion. They turned in unison at the loud voices, one vying with the other for dominance. The clerk was trying to reason with a well-dressed man who was gesticulating in growing agitation.
“Ce n’est pas possible que personne ne me comprenne. Je veux seulement acheter quelque bois—”
“Sir, if you slow down, perhaps I can—”
Gerrit immediately recognized the man as a Frenchman trying to purchase some lumber. He hurried forward. “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Peut-être je peux vous aider. Combien de bois souhaitez-vous acheter?”
The man turned to him in surprise then relief before he let loose in another rapid string of French. Gerrit replied to his questions, turning to the clerk and Mr. Leighton for any questions he needed answers for.
After about twenty minutes, the Frenchman agreed to meet at the wharf in the afternoon to go with them to the boom up the river to select the lumber he wished to buy.
“Merci beaucoup!” He shook hands all around, a smile creasing his face this time as he finally backed out of the office with a final “à bientÔt.”
As the door closed behind him, Mr. Leighton asked Gerrit, “Speak French pretty well, do you?”
Gerrit shrugged. “School…then fighting the French, I picked up some more.”
Leighton nodded. “Any other languages?”
“Latin, Greek, a smattering of Spanish and Portuguese.”
For the first time since Gerrit had met Hester’s father, a look of admiration touched the older man’s features. “Come over to the house for dinner. Maybe we can discuss your future in the company. I could use someone with your abilities. An agent, if you will.
Now that the war is over, we’re going to expand…”
Later that day, dining with the Leightons, Gerrit felt himself once again fully welcomed by them. Afterwards, he sat a while with Mr. Leighton, discussing the opportunities in the shipping firm. However, through it all, Gerrit wanted only one thing: to be alone with Hester.
He finally got his wish when most of the family had turned in for the night, and he and Hester could sit together in the front parlor. He told her about the conversation with her father.
“So, I won’t have to give up everything and follow you to the unknown with only a small satchel holding all my earthly belongings?” she asked in a playfully wistful tone.
He kissed her nose. “Knowing your penchant for the unconventional, I hate to disappoint you, but it looks like the farthest you have to go is to our new house, with perhaps an occasional trip with me to England or France.”
She latched onto the first part. “New house?”
“Your father wants to give us a parcel of land not far from this one as a wedding gift.” He reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. His heart was barely able to contain its joy. He smiled. “Speaking of which, when would you like to be married?”
She returned his smile and slipped her hand from his to place her arms loosely around his neck. Her delicate fingers played with the hair falling over his collar, one of the best feelings he’d ever experienced. “I hadn’t thought about it,” she murmured. “It seems you’ve been gone so long…to actually talk about a wedding seems too good to be true.”
“What about this summer? Will that give you time to accustom yourself to the idea of having me always underfoot…?”
Her smile widened, her eyes sparkling. “I like the idea of having you underfoot.”
“Let’s hope you continue saying that once it’s a reality.” To silence any more words, he bent his head to kiss her.
She sighed with deep contentment. “I could grow to like being kissed all the time by you.”
“What, don’t you like it now?” he whispered against her lips.
“Can’t you tell?” she whispered back, pressing her own lips closer to his.
As their kiss deepened, Gerrit felt a surge of desire such as he hadn’t felt since…he couldn’t remember when. He realized with a growing sense of wonder, that this, too, was a gift of God. He vowed he would never again misuse this gift.
Gently he disengaged himself slightly from his future wife and stroked her cheek, replying to the question he saw written in her eyes. “Nothing is the matter. Everything is wonderful, in fact. I’ll explain it to you on our wedding night,” he said with a smile to the lingering question in her gaze.
He sighed deeply before drawing her back into a tight hug. “God is gracious.” Then he reluctantly let her go. “I want you with all my heart.” He placed her hand to his heart. “My heart belongs to the Lord first, and then to you.”
She smiled, taking his hand and resting it against her own heart. “It’s in good hands then…as is mine.”
He could feel the heat rise in him and slowly removed his hand, vowing he would honor her by waiting until their union was sanctioned by God.
Epilogue
July 1816
“I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,” the preacher declared before guiding Gerrit backwards into the cold waters of the lake. He had wanted to be baptized before his marriage, but had had to wait until the lake water was warm enough.
With this public display, Gerrit was announcing his new birth.
Although still cold, the water refreshed him on that hot July day. As he came out of the water, he wiped the water from his eyes and hair. He searched for Hester in the applauding crowd and smiled.
She looked beautiful in her white muslin with the wide band of lace at the hem and neckline. It was a new dress, especially made for the occasion. In her hand was a bouquet of delicate white roses.
As he left the lake, well-wishers shook his hand or patted him on the back. When he reached Hester, he touched her soft cheek. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
She smiled, her eyes warm and glowing. “I’ll be here.”
After he’d changed into dry clothes—a new suit—he rejoined Hester and the pastor.
“Dearly beloved…”
Together the two repeated their wedding vows before all their family and friends.
“You may kiss the bride,” the pastor said.
“At last,” Gerrit murmured for Hester’s ears alone as his face neared hers.
Then their guests clustered around them to offer their congratulations. Among them was Crocker, who had sailed all the way from England to be at Gerrit’s wedding. He’d told Gerrit the evening before that he intended to stay in the Maine Territory.
Now with Gerrit’s permission, he kissed Hester’s cheek, then turned to the groom. “I brought you something.” He fumbled in the pocket of his new frock coat.
Gerrit took the small cloth packet from him. As he unfolded it, wondering what it could possibly be, he saw the edge of the blue and silver badge. His Waterloo medal.
“I got it out of hock for you. Cost me a pretty penny,” Crocker told him.
As Gerrit started to tell him he’d repay him, Crocker stopped him. “Consider it a wedding gift. Got the rest of your medals, too.”
Gerrit smiled. “Thank you, Crocker. You’re a good friend.” Together the two men shook hands.
“I’m glad you found yourself a good woman,” Crocker said. “About time you had someone else to look after you instead of me.” His gaze wandered over the crowd. “Wonder if there’s another single lady for a lonely bachelor…”
Gerrit laughed. “There are plenty and it’ll be my pleasure to introduce you to some, but right now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to join my married one.”
He approached Hester and showed her the medal. She squeezed his hand, telling him she understood how much Crocker’s gesture had meant to him.
As the afternoon waned and the heavily laden tables of food were emptied, a band of fiddlers began to play. After several dances, Gerrit leaned toward Hester where the two sat on a bench to catch their breath, and said, “As much as I’m enjoying being accepted as one of your family, I wonder if I’ll ever get you all to myself?”
She met his gaze. “We can leave whenever you wish.”
He searched her face. “Do you mean it?”
“I want more than anything to be with you.” He read unconditional love in her eyes—the same love that had steered his course since the day he’d met her.
The smile on his face grew. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. Then he stood, bringing her with him.
“Come, then, let us bid your parents farewell, and go to our new home.”
“Our home.” Hand in hand they walked together as husband and wife. Gerrit felt the joy surging through him, knowing she was his, and he was hers, and together they were God’s children.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-1309-2
THE ROGUE’S REDEMPTION
Copyright © 2008 by Ruth Axtell
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