Signing his name, Brian sat back on the bed, his back against the cold wall. He wondered what he should do about the children. Move back to Milwaukee and insist upon becoming a family once more? Or should he take Renna’s advice and stay here and allow the children visits until they adjusted to his presence and until they knew whether Matthew Benchley posed a threat?
Renna. At the very thought of her, the corners of Brian’s lips moved upward in a slow smile. Who did she think she was fooling, anyway? She didn’t want him to leave, and truthfully, he didn’t want to go. Nonetheless, he had his children to think about—and he so desperately wanted to make things up to them. He had always loved them, always wanted the best for them. But he’d been selfish, wanting to satisfy the desires of his own heart and hiring others to fulfill his responsibilities to his children.
A knock sounded at his door. “Captain, are you up and dressed?”
“Yes.” He recognized Wendell’s voice.
“Food’s on the table and getting cold.”
“Be right there.” Brian swung his long legs off the bed.
“Do you need any help?”
“Um, no, I believe I can manage.” He slipped the letter into its envelope. The trick would be posting it today.
Donning his dark spectacles, he left his room. In the kitchen Johanna Fields had prepared a breakfast of fried eggs, toast, and jam.
“Smells good.” He pulled out a chair, realizing his blunder. Oh, blast! He wasn’t supposed to be able to see the chair in front of him. He glanced at his host and hostess. They hadn’t seemed to notice.
“Renna had to leave early this morning.” Johanna set a plate of ham in front of him. Brian had to force himself not to snatch a few slices.
“Another twenty-hour shift?” In his week with the Fields, Brian had seen firsthand how hard she worked.
“Unfortunately, yes.” Johanna came over with her cast-iron frying pan and scooped two fried eggs onto his plate.
“There ought to be a law,” Wendell said, “against working a person the way that hospital does. But I suppose one can’t put a price on ministry.”
Johanna served her husband and then sat down. Wendell prayed over the food. Afterward he explained to Brian that there were ham slices in front of him and eggs on his plate.
“They ought to outlaw the food they serve in that hospital,” Brian remarked. “It isn’t fit for animals, let alone humans.” He turned toward Johanna. “My gratitude, madam, for your expertly prepared dishes.”
He saw Johanna’s cheeks pink. “You’re entirely welcome, Captain.” With that she poured him a cup of very strong-smelling coffee—just exactly the kind he enjoyed in the morning. “Now don’t burn yourself,” she warned. “The coffee is to your left.”
“Oh, indeed, don’t go and burn yourself, Captain!” Facetiousness filled his tone before Wendell dabbed the corners of his mouth with a checkered napkin. Then he grinned. “Renna would have a conniption if she found out we harmed her patient.”
Brian pushed out a polite smile, although it bothered him to be referred to as Renna’s “patient.” Is that how her parents saw him? Only her patient and not a possible suitor?
Suitor? He shook himself. He’d gone crazy. That’s what happened. He sustained more of a whack to his head than he’d first thought. I’m a pirate who recently found God. What father in his right mind would consider me a possible husband for his daughter? Brian sent a glance in Wendell’s direction. He seemed caring but not overprotective. And Renna was hardly a child. But I’m a man with a past . . . and four children.
And what about his children?
Brian felt certain that Richard took good care of them. Would they be glad to hear their father was alive? He hadn’t been much of a father to them. But if he did as Renna suggested . . . would it be right to continue deceiving her and her parents?
Deception had been part of his past. It didn’t belong in his future.
“Is everything all right, Captain?” Wendell asked later as they rode in his buggy to the Chamber of Commerce building. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“I don’t mean to be. I’ve just been thinking.”
“Hmm . . . ”
Then, suddenly, Brian could stand it no longer. His conscience pricked and couldn’t be ignored. “Wendell, you were honest with me once—about Renna and her birthmark. Now I need to be honest with you.”
Wendell turned. “You mean you’ve been dishonest?”
“Yes.”
A frown settled on his brow. “All right. Go ahead.”
“I remember who I am.”
“Really?” He turned, and the leather seat creaked with his movement. “That’s splendid!”
“My name is Captain Brian Sinclair. I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It all came back to me in a rush yesterday.”
“Brian Sinclair. Captain Brian Sinclair.” Wendell wore a look of awe. “My, my, but I thought I had heard of you. Your name has come up at the Chamber of Commerce because of your business ventures. Renna will be delighted that you remember.”
“Renna already knows. But I asked her not to reveal my identity.”
“Why ever not?”
“In short, my life may be in danger. You see, I remember the boating accident. Every bit of it. And . . . well, it may not have been an accident at all.”
“Not an accident?” Shock fell over his features. “So now what?”
“Nothing’s changed, other than you know my secret too.” Brian drew in a deep breath and let it out. He wondered about sharing his suspicion of Benchley. Wendell thought the other man a friend. Whose side would Wendell take?
The steady clip of horse hooves and the jangling of harnesses on the busy street filled the sudden silence. People called to one another. A woman swept the walk in front of a store. Smells of freshly baked goods hung in the air.
“Is that what you’ve been dishonest about?” Wendell turned to him again. “Your identity?”
“That’s part of it. The other part Renna isn’t aware of either.” Brian paused to collect his thoughts. “Wendell, I’m not blind anymore. I can see clearly. I’ve been . . . pretending.”
“Pretending?” Wendell’s jaw dropped, and he nearly lost his grip on the reins. “But why?”
Brian wetted his lips, unsure of how to explain. Finally he just blurted out the truth. “Because of Renna.”
“What? I don’t understand.” Wendell brought his chin back, giving him a curious look. But then an expression of understanding washed over his features. “It’s her birthmark, isn’t it?”
Brian inclined his head. “She became so distant when she thought I could see, and I longed for her friendship.” He looked at Wendell. “You were right. One hardly notices the birthmark at all. Renna is a lovely woman.”
The man smiled broadly, but then it slowly slipped away. “I’ve told my daughter that a hundred times. But do you think she’ll believe me, her own father? No!”
“And I didn’t think she’d believe a pirate either.” Brian sported a grin, thankful his host understood.
Wendell chuckled. “I understand now. And maybe it’ll teach Renna a lesson.” He sobered. “Have you prayed about this, Captain? Are you sure that playing in the shadows, as it were, is what God wants?”
Brian shifted uncomfortably in his seat. No, he hadn’t prayed about his trick on Renna. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to pray about it because he was quite certain God would not approve of the deception. He met Wendell’s stare. “I know I have to be honest with her. I just want to be sure I’ve won her . . . ” He cleared his throat, feeling somewhat intimidated to be discussing the matter with Renna’s father. Seconds later he shook it off as ridiculous. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Wendell, we’re both adults. I’m romantically interested in Renna.”
“Is that so?”
Their gazes met, and even behind the dark glasses, Brian could see humor and pleasure glimmering in Wendell’s eyes.
Then all at once Wendell turned serious. �
�Many a male patient has thought himself in love with Renna. She’s told me about them. Apparently it happens frequently, but Renna guards her heart. Usually when the patient recovers, his ardor wanes.”
“My feelings for Renna have only intensified. I’ve become something of a confidant to her, and likewise, I trust her with my secrets.”
“Except for one.”
“And you understand why I haven’t told her that my sight has returned.”
“Yes.”
They rode in amicable silence for several minutes, and then Wendell turned to him again, this time wearing a serious, very fatherly expression.
“As a father, I’m concerned. You’ve got a reputation, Captain Sinclair, and I’m not blind either. I can see my daughter has feelings for you and that they go beyond the call of her nursing duties.”
Brian fought a grin.
“That’s why I pushed Matthew Benchley on her. I thought that if Renna had an interested suitor, she’d turn her attentions from you to him. From the day that you were brought into that hospital, half-drowned, my daughter became obsessed with your care. She had Johanna and me praying for your life and salvation. Even when our prayers were answered, I felt concerned about Renna’s involvement with you, so I continued to invite Matt over for dinner.”
“I wondered what you were up to.”
“Yes, well, Matt is interested, you know. He just behaves strangely around my daughter. Can’t figure out why. Perhaps he’s trying too hard to impress her.”
“Perhaps. But he’s hardly a match for Renna. She’s smarter than he is. She’d grow tired of him.”
“Oh? And are you saying that you’re the right match for my daughter?”
Brian pursed his lips. Was he? “I would like the chance to find out.”
“Hmm, well, I don’t believe a man and a woman can be friends, as you say. If you want my daughter’s friendship and affection, Captain, you’re going to have to court her properly.”
“Courtship?” Brian almost laughed out loud. He was hardly a young swain seeking a child-bride.
However, he soon remembered that Renna hadn’t ever been with a man. She was a good, decent, pure, and Christian woman. He, on the other hand, had been married to Louisa and, later, engaged to Elise—and those were only two of the women he’d known in his lifetime.
“All right. I’ll go along with the courtship. There’s just one problem. Renna thinks of me as her patient. She dotes on me like a mother hen. Do you think she’ll consent to it?”
“She thinks you’re blind and in need of her nursing abilities.”
“But if I tell her the truth, she won’t want anything to do with me.”
Wendell frowned. “Hmm . . . yes, I see your point.”
“I represent everything she’s loathed in a man—and probably with good cause.” Brian clenched his jaw. “But my new faith has made me a different man. I need Renna to give me a chance. Ironic as it sounds, if I’m blind, she’ll see.”
Wendell sat by silently listening.
Brian glanced to his right as they passed a millinery shop. “On top of that, I must battle her insecurities. Why is Renna so preoccupied with that birthmark anyway?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Somewhere along the line she got the idea that she’s not as pretty as other women. And while it’s true that her birthmark is unusual, it’s not as unsightly as she thinks.”
“It certainly doesn’t bother me.” Brian thought she was beautiful.
“It doesn’t bother Matt Benchley either,” Wendell said as if to goad him.
Lifting a brow, Brian shifted his gaze behind his spectacles. “Whose side are you on, anyway?”
Wendell cocked a brow. “My daughter and a . . . a pirate. Imagine it?”
“I do. And keep in mind that I’m a reformed pirate,” Brian said in his own defense.
Wendell chuckled. “So it seems.”
“Besides, I’m a very rich reformed pirate.”
“As well I know. But so is Matt Benchley—rich, that is.”
“So he says.” All humor left him. Brian didn’t trust the man. But he trusted Wendell Fields. Seemed now was as good a time as any to voice his concerns. “Do remember when I told you that I had been engaged to be married, but that my fiancée drowned the day of the accident?”
“Yes. Such a terrible shame.”
“Horrible.” Brian’s heart ached at the way he’d used her. “That woman’s name was Elise Kingsley, and she just happened to be Matthew Benchley’s aunt.”
“You don’t say!” Wendell’s eyes widened. “What a coincidence!”
“Is it?” Brian shook his head. “I’m not so sure.”
“What do you mean?” The older man’s brow puckered.
“Something happened that day out on the lake.” Remorse filled him. “I saw the storm coming. I’m well seasoned. I knew enough to get my schooner and the souls aboard it into safe harbor. But I couldn’t. Something was wrong with the vessel’s rudder, making steering it impossible.”
“Well, Matt would hardly have anything to do with malfunction of a rudder.”
“Maybe. But maybe not.” Brian wetted his bottom lip. “But Benchley had good cause to want his Aunt Elise dead. He stood to inherit her shipping company—except I had already purchased it.”
Wendell gasped. “You!”
“That’s right.”
“You’re the one!”
Brian nodded. “But I beg you not to reveal my secrets. Benchley must not know that I have regained my sight. I feel my life depends on it. And Renna has to believe I’m still blind.”
Rubbing his hand over his jaw, Wendell nodded. “All right. I can keep your secrets. For a time, anyway. But if I’m asked outright, Captain, I can’t lie.”
Brian considered his new friend. Far be it for him to insist that Wendell violate his conscience. “Fair enough. Thank you.”
They rode for another block in silence.
“Captain, do you really believe Matt is capable of . . . murder?”
“Obviously I do.” Raising his chin, he gazed at the road ahead. “But we won’t do anything just yet. It’s business as usual. The truth will come to light. In other words, if we give Benchley enough rope, I believe he’ll hang himself. In fact, Wendell”—he glanced his way—“I’m counting on it.”
FOURTEEN
What’s wrong, my little wren? You’ve moped around all weekend, and your disposition hasn’t changed after a Sabbath and a good night’s sleep. Something’s troubling you. What is it?”
Spoon in hand, Renna made swirls in her porridge. “It’s nothing. I–I’m just tired, I guess.” She found it hard to eat breakfast when the sun hadn’t yet risen. With the first of October came a later dawn. “It was nice of you both to get up with me this morning.” She managed a smile for Da and then Mum. “But we’d best keep our voices hushed so we don’t awaken the captain. Besides, I must be off to the hospital soon.”
“You work too hard. I wish you’d take some time off for yourself.” Beneath the dim light of the lantern, Renna saw Da frown. “Either that, or demand shorter hours.”
“I’ve made that very request several times. But my request fell on deaf ears. Nurse Rutledge called me selfish and pointed out that it’s not like I have a husband and children to care for.” The remark broke Renna’s heart. “My life’s work needs to be the hospital.”
“Why, that miserable old—”
“Da, please!” Renna quickly lowered her voice.
He pressed his lips together.
“No wonder you look discouraged, dear.” Mum gave a slight wag of her head. Her hair was still tied in rags.
“Well, I’m strong. I’ll persevere. I always do.” Standing, Renna cleared her place. She now wished she wouldn’t have shared so much of her heart. But since she had, she figured she might as well be completely honest. “Nurse Rutledge called me into her office Friday, and both she and Nurse Thatcher scolded me for getting too personally involved with my patients. They refe
rred not only to the captain but also to a young woman who’s been very sick—dying, in fact—who wanted me to write a letter for her. How could I refuse? I sat with her for quite a long while. That’s why Nurses Rutledge and Thatcher were miffed.”
“I’m sure I would have done the same thing.” Mum sipped her coffee.
“I believe nursing goes beyond seeing to a patient’s physical needs.” Renna cleared her dishes. “It’s seeing to their spiritual and emotional needs as well. However, my superiors don’t agree, and they reprimanded me for taking care of my patients the way I believe is honoring to God.”
“Would you like me to talk to them?” Da offered.
“No. It’s best to leave it alone, I think. If you talk to them, they’ll only get angrier and treat me worse than they already do.”
“Oh, Renna, I’m so sorry you’re facing such persecution.”
Renna noted Mum’s frustration, but it couldn’t begin to match her own. Nevertheless, she had to remember that God was in control of every aspect of her life. “It’ll all work together for the good, I’m sure.”
She gathered her shawl and the colorful shoulder bag Elizabeth had sewn for a birthday gift. In it Renna carried a book, some peanuts, and a change of clothing should she be unable to leave the hospital tonight.
With a weary wave Renna bid her folks a good day and left the house. The sun had just peeked its head up over the horizon as she began her trek to work.
•••
Brian hated the boredom at the Chamber of Commerce, although Wendell found small tasks for him to do—like counting the bottles of ink and the number of pens in the department. He felt his way around the three rows of desks, and if he came up short, he made note to order more. What more could a blind man do?
Except he wasn’t really blind, and the charade grew tiresome.
Sitting down in a wing-backed chair in Wendell’s office, he wondered for the umpteenth time if he’d made the right decision by staying here in Chicago. The question haunted him. The desire to see his children and get back to his own business wasn’t easy to quell.
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