Benk’s expression looked grim. “Miss Amanda does indeed have a dark secret, Cap’n.”
“Oh? And what might that be?”
“There’s a dying woman in that enclosed porch. Her grandmother, or mother, perhaps.”
Cade lifted his chin and inhaled slowly, thoughtfully, wondering what all this meant. “Why would she keep such a secret—unless the woman had contracted some sort of plague or other terrible disease? But if the patient were contagious, why would Miss Lewis have consented to take us in?”
“Money? She needs the money.”
“Maybe.” Cade shrugged. “Well, no matter. I must investigate, seeing as I can hardly risk our lives for a few nights’ lodging fees.”
“I agree.”
After pursing his lips in contemplation, Cade glanced at his friend once more. “Did the dying woman see you?”
“No, she’s too far gone to see anyone. Might well be dead by mornin’.”
The news disturbed Cade greatly, and it was all he could do to keep from hurling one question after another at Amanda the moment she stepped into the parlor.
“Miss Lewis,” he began carefully, “my friend Mr. Benkins happened onto the porch adjacent to the kitchen while we were in the lighthouse.” He watched the young lady pale slightly, but she maintained her everproper expression. “I wondered,” Cade continued, “if you would explain to us about the invalid out there. We’re a bit worried over our own health at the moment.”
“The invalid, Captain, is my mother…and she’s not contagious,” Amanda replied in a sturdy tone as she seated herself. “Mother is dying of consumption. Yes, I lied to you earlier. But it’s imperative no one find out about her illness until…” Her countenance suddenly fell, and Cade actually felt sorry for her. “Until she dies. Then I’ll be unable to keep the truth hidden any longer.”
Lowering himself into a well-worn upholstered armchair across from the settee on which Amanda sat, Cade relaxed slightly. “So money is not the issue?”
“No, Captain, although I will admit to owing on some medical bills.”
“Hmm…”
Amanda glanced at him, then at Benk, then back to Cade once more. “Please don’t say anything to anyone. Please?”
“I beg your pardon, miss,” Benkins said, “but my guess is by tomorrow morning you’ll be forced to contact the funeral director, your pastor, and anyone else involved with such sorrowful preparations.”
She bit her lower lip as if to keep it from trembling. She regarded Benk curiously, no doubt wondering over his frankness.
“We’re war veterans, miss Lewis,” Cade explained. “Need I say more?”
She shook her light brown head.
“May I inquire over your mother’s spiritual condition, miss?” Benkins asked haltingly.
“Spiritual?” Amanda smiled ever so slightly. “Oh, she has a great faith and loves the Lord. God is my consolation in all this. Mother’s suffering will be over soon, and she will be with Him in heaven.”
“Glory be!” Benk fairly shouted. “Well, I feel better. How ’bout you, Cap’n?”
“There is no glory in death,” he replied sullenly, recalling his dear wife’s graveside service. He’d missed the actual funeral since it had taken him so long to return home from the East Coast.
He forced his thoughts back to the issue at hand. “Tell me, Miss Lewis, what tragedy will befall you once word gets out about your mother’s death? Why the secrecy?” Cade hadn’t meant to sound so cynical, but he couldn’t seem to help it.
Amanda answered forthrightly. “There’s a prominent man in Milwaukee by the name of John Sloan, and for the past few years, his son, Leonard, has coveted my mother’s commission as keeper of the North Point Light. Together the Sloans have made our lives miserable with their subtle threats and general antagonism. Furthermore, Mr. John Sloan is a good friend of our lighthouse’s district superintendent. In essence, Captain, when my mother dies, I will be forced from my home.”
The reality of her plight settled on him, and Cade blinked in understanding. “A most unfortunate circumstance, to be sure.” He hoped his tone sounded kinder.
“Well,” Amanda said, rising slowly from the settee, “I don’t intend to leave without a fight. I know this job better than Len Sloan, and I expect to prove myself and retain my mother’s commission!”
With thumb and forefinger, Cade rubbed his mustache along the exterior of his mouth in an effort to keep his mirth in check. But when Benkins cast him an incredulous glare, the grin escaped.
“More power to you, Miss Lewis,” Cade replied at last. “I wish you all the best.”
“Really?”
Cade nodded.
“In that case, would you be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me—one I could hand to the superintendent?” She tipped her head in a businesslike manner. “You told me you were thankful for the beacon in the storm last night. Would you care to document your gratitude on my behalf?”
From the corner of his eye, Cade could see Benk’s shoulders shaking in silent amusement. His friend had most likely dubbed Amanda Lewis an imp among imps. However, Cade had to acknowledge the swell of respect he felt for the young lighthouse mistress. She possessed an uncommon inner strength mixed with a good dose of gumption. Not only had she tended the light all by herself for who knew how long, but she’d cared for her dying mother while tolerating three inquisitive, if not altogether nosy, boarders!
“Miss Lewis,” Cade began warmly, “I would be honored to write a recommendation…or anything else which might help secure your position.”
An invisible weight seemed to lift from her capable shoulders. “Thank you, Captain Danfield. Thank you ever so much.”
For the first time all day, Cade saw Amanda Lewis’s smile reach her golden-flecked hazel eyes.
Chapter 4
Three days later, Cade stood in the receiving line after Evelyn Lewis’s funeral, waiting to extend his condolences to the young lighthouse mistress, her brother, and his family. As it happened, hotel accommodations had opened up the day before just as Amanda’s relatives arrived from Chicago. Cade, Jenny, and Benk moved out, while David Lewis’s clan moved in.
Their paths did cross long enough, however, for all of them to share the noon meal, and from what Cade observed, Amanda was going to have to fight more than the Sloans for her station at the North Point Light. She would have to contend with her brother also. The man had determined his “baby sister” would return to Chicago with him and his family. Nonetheless, they seemed like decent, Christian people who genuinely cared for Amanda’s welfare. Her fate could be much worse.
The line inched forward, and Cade watched Amanda graciously receive the sympathies of a teary-eyed, older woman. He decided the young lady was handling her mother’s death quite well, all things considered.
The line moved again, and Cade saw a balding gentleman in a dark suit extend his right hand to Amanda. When she blatantly refused it, Cade raised curious brows. He noticed the obstinate jut of her chin, and her hazel eyes were suddenly the color of icy Lake Michigan. To Cade’s surprise, she stared the well-dressed gentleman down until he looked away, seemingly abashed.
Instantly, Cade knew the identity of the man. His next words confirmed Cade’s thoughts.
“I’m John Sloan,” the man said to David Lewis, thrusting his rejected hand at Amanda’s brother. “I’ve known your mother for years. I’m ever so sorry for your loss.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Sloan. Thank you for coming,” David replied politely. Then he whispered something to Amanda, and by the chagrined look on her face, Cade could only guess her brother was telling her to behave.
He grinned, rubbing his mustache self-consciously.
“Plucky little thing, ain’t she?” Benk muttered from behind him.
Cade couldn’t help chuckling. He turned. “Must you make jokes at a funeral?” he asked in a hushed tone. His words were directed more at himself than at anyone else. He shouldn’t have
laughed at his friend’s quip, but he’d been thinking along those same lines.
“Ain’t no joke, Cap’n,” Benkins replied, his brown eyes twinkling. “You saw it same as me.”
Cade swung back around. He saw it all right.
A few more steps, and Cade stood in front of Amanda. In actuality, she was not the “little thing” as Benk had described but stood only four inches shorter than his six feet.
Cade offered his hand, and she placed her gloved one in his. “Please accept my deepest sympathies, Miss Lewis,” he said, all amusement aside. “Jenny sends her regards as well, but under the circumstances, I didn’t feel comfortable bringing her along. I allowed her to stay with the Harringers this afternoon.”
“Of course.” Amanda smiled slightly. “And thank you, Captain Danfield. Thank you for everything.”
He grinned sheepishly. “You’re most welcome, but it’s I who owe you a word of thanks for tending the light so faithfully and taking us in.”
Benk nudged him with his elbow. “You’re holdin’ up the line, Cap’n,” he murmured.
Releasing Amanda’s hand, Cade gave her a single nod and moved on to David Lewis. He was a quick-gestured man who seemed a trifle impatient, especially when it came to ladies’ sensibilities. Then again, he most likely had his fair share to reckon with, seeing as his family consisted only of women.
“Nice to have met you, Captain,” David said. “Perhaps our paths will cross again.”
“Yes, perhaps they will.” Cade had to fight the urge to glance at Amanda. What was the matter with him, anyway? It must be the solemn atmosphere in this dimly lit church that wreaked havoc with his emotions.
Moving down the line, Cade offered words of consolation to David’s wife, Martha, a handsome woman with a regal constitution. Next came her four daughters, whom Cade guessed to be only slightly younger than Amanda. They seemed well mannered enough, and the youngest looked about Jenny’s age.
Cade waited for Benkins at the end of the queue, and together they strode toward the door of the little church. Passing through the vestibule, Cade heard someone hail him. Turning on his heel, he spotted John Sloan, who stood with a small group of men and was waving Cade over.
“ ’Scuse me for a minute, will you, Benk?”
“Sure. I’ll wait outside.”
Cade approached the small group of men.
“Captain Danfield, isn’t it?”
Giving the elder Sloan’s hand a shake, he nodded. “That’s right.”
“My name’s John Sloan,” he stated unnecessarily, “and this is my son, Len.”
Cade nodded a greeting at the doughy-looking man with hair combed to one side in greasy strands. He appeared to be somewhere in his late twenties. Then the older Sloan introduced him to three other men.
“I understand you’re working for Sam Harringer at the Grain Exchange,” Sloan remarked.
“Right again.”
“Well,” he said, puffing out his chest, “if you don’t like it there, come see me. I own the iron mill in Bay View.”
“Is that so?”
Sloan nodded. “We’re doing most of our exports by railroad, but I might be able to find work for a shrewd skipper.”
Cade was tempted to explain his resolution to give up sailing but decided to save his breath. He had a feeling words were wasted on John Sloan. With him, money talked. He’d met enough John Sloans in his life to know the type.
But if that were true, Cade had to wonder why the man would desire the lighthouse position for his son. Everyone knew it was hard work and paid next to nothing. He glanced at Len and couldn’t imagine the portly man running up and down the lighthouse stairs. He’d die of heart failure within a week.
Cade’s suspicions blossomed and grew. Suddenly he remembered Benk’s talk of lighthouse pirates who looted crippled vessels. Could it be the Sloans were desiring the lighthouse keeper’s position as a means to conduct unscrupulous business transactions?
No. Cade quickly set the idea aside, considering it ludicrous.
“Mr. Sloan,” Cade replied carefully, “thank you for your kind offer. It’s always nice to have options.”
“That it is. That it is.”
With a parting nod, Cade left the small assembly and stepped out into the blinding sunshine. The air was crisp but quite tolerable for a November day.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Benk began as they started off for the hotel, “I got me a commission on a schooner leaving day after tomorrow.”
The news sounded bittersweet to Cade, and yet he knew his friend had no intentions of giving up the seafaring life just because he had. “This will be your first voyage without me in many years. But I wish you the best.”
“I know…and I’ll miss ya, that’s the truth. But a man’s got to work, or he doesn’t eat.”
Cade gave him a friendly clap on the back. “The next time you’re in Milwaukee I’ll be settled in that little white house with the green shutters that I purchased for Jenny and me.”
Benk grinned. “All’s you need is a plucky little wife to complete the picture, eh, Cap’n?”
Cade grinned sardonically. “Have someone particular in mind?”
“Oh, no, no…why I wouldn’t ever tell you your business.”
“Of course not.” Cade had to chuckle at the irony. Benk had a flair for butting into Cade’s affairs, although he didn’t mind it. Where would he be today if it hadn’t been for his good friend’s advice?
But as they continued their walk to the hotel, he mulled over Benk’s reference to the plucky Miss Amanda Lewis. His longtime first mate was terribly misguided, suggesting that they’d make a good match. Admittedly, Cade was quite taken with her, but he felt as though he would be robbing the cradle if he pursued her. On the other hand, she hardly resembled a child. He figured she’d done plenty of growing up in the past few months, what with her mother so ill. Furthermore, he admired her spunk and courage. Life certainly wouldn’t be dull in her company, and Jenny thought highly of her.
He shook himself mentally. What was he thinking?
After a few moments of silently berating himself, Cade pushed the irrational notion as far from his mind as possible.
“David, please be reasonable,” Amanda begged her older brother. “I can hardly pack up this entire household in a day. Why not allow me to fulfill Mother’s commission until the end of the year? That’s when the superintendent of the district will have to make out his annual report and name the new lighthouse keeper.”
“And I suppose you think it should be you.”
“I’d like it to be me, yes.”
Her brother, brown-haired and hazel-eyed, snorted disdainfully. “My dear, that was more work than two women could handle, let alone one.”
“I am very capable of keeping this light,” Amanda said through a clenched jaw.
To her amazement, her brother’s features softened. “I don’t doubt for a moment you can handle the job.” He strode forward and took both her hands in his. “But where our mother, widowed with a young child thirteen years ago, felt she didn’t have any choice as to her vocation, you do, Amanda. I would like to see you marry well and live comfortably instead of staying awake all hours of the night to keep that wretched beacon burning.”
“But—”
“But nothing. My mind is made up. And since Mother appointed me your guardian until you take a husband, you will do as I say. You are coming to live with us in Chicago, and that’s the end of this discussion.”
“David,” his wife, Martha, said in a diplomatic tone, “I’m sure Amanda has no qualms about living with us, but I do think she’s right. We’ll never get this house packed in the next day or two. I believe it would be wise to let Amanda stay in Milwaukee for the next month and tie up any loose ends. We can return at Christmastime and help her move.”
“A month?”
“A few short weeks, dear,” Martha replied. She caught Amanda’s gaze and sent her an affectionate wink.
&n
bsp; “Oh, I suppose a few weeks wouldn’t hurt anything.”
Amanda gave her brother a grateful smile. It bought her some time— time to write the superintendent and request to continue her mother’s commission.
However, David’s next warning gave her pause.
“But if I even suspect you’re applying for the lighthouse tender position, I’ll be on the next train, and you, Amanda, will be very sorry.”
She raised a stubborn chin at the challenge. “I’m a grown woman, and Mother never intended for me to have a guardian at nineteen years old. She drew up her will long ago. So what can you do to me?”
“I’ll take you over my knee, that’s what I can do.”
Amanda inhaled sharply. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Wouldn’t I?”
Her eyes locked with his, so similar in shape and color, and Amanda knew she’d met her match in her older brother.
“I’m not a child,” she asserted but with a meeker tone.
“Then stop acting like one. Put away your childish dreams, Amanda. You cannot keep the North Point Light all by yourself. Your future is in Chicago with Martha, the girls, and me.”
Chapter 5
David and his family returned to Chicago, and for the entire week afterward, Amanda could do no more than tend the light, eat, and sleep. In a word, she felt depressed. She missed her mother, and she felt so alone in the large house despite all her women friends who visited regularly and brought food, hugs, prayers, and sympathetic words.
Several men from church stopped by and offered to help Amanda with minor repairs, Will Trekman being the most enthusiastic of the lot. But when he showed up bright and early on Saturday morning with a wagonload of wooden splats, Amanda had to wonder what he had in mind. She peered down at him from the lighthouse tower where she’d been cleaning the lens and surrounding windowpanes. As she watched him unload the wood, she set down her cloth and descended the spiral staircase, deciding to investigate.
“Good morning, Mr. Trekman,” she called, stepping out of the lighthouse.
“A good morning it is, too,” Will replied. He grinned at her. “The snow has melted and the sun is shining…it feels like a spring day. Wouldn’t it be nice if it were the end of winter?”
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