After the crew members finished eating, Blanche stood to her feet. “I want to thank all of you for your patience and support through all that has happened in the past week. I’m sure some of you expected to be back in Roma by now.”
A couple of the crew looked at each other and nodded.
“Captain Bruce Pettigrew has agreed to pilot the Cordelia until we make permanent arrangements. I’m sure you will make him as welcome as you have made me.” She brought her hands together, and the others joined in clapping.
The salon emptied after she dismissed the crew. Ike tried to slip away, but Blanche motioned for him to stay. Effie remained as well. Elaine withdrew to the sink with the breakfast dishes. Blanche poured herself a fresh cup of coffee. “Let’s change tables.” She led them to a back corner, away from both the kitchen and the salon door.
“You’re going ahead with the return to Roma.” Ike decided to be direct. “So that means I’m coming with you.”
“I have to get back to Roma. So do most of the crew. This is the most reasonable way to do it.” Blanche’s lips thinned, but her voice remained steady. “It will be a straight trip, no stops at any of the towns, and we’re not carrying passengers. I trust that will limit your temptations of the games of chance you insist on playing.”
“We’ll lose money.” He blurted the words out.
“Nevertheless, that is my decision.”
Ike could swear she had tears in her eyes to match the wobble in her voice.
“I would rather be broke than be a stumbling block to others and take food out of the mouths of their families.”
Ike didn’t have a response to that. He hadn’t left anyone penniless that he knew of. As far as he was concerned, that was their responsibility, not his.
Effie ran her fingers along the table, humming to herself, the way she did when she was thinking. “I have an idea about how we might increase profits.”
Blanche widened her eyes and leaned forward. “Tell us.”
Effie shook her head. “I need to think it through. I’ll have something for you tomorrow.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” Blanche settled back. “I’ll be spending as much time as possible with Captain Pettigrew, once he arrives.”
Ike started to speak, but she swept on. “In case I decide to stay, I will prepare to qualify as a pilot. I also want to look at the ship’s accounts. Let’s meet again tonight. In your cabin. It’s too public in here.”
“Is there anything you need me to do today?” He was prepared to crawl on the floor if she asked.
Blanche’s mouth screwed in concentration. “Go through the captain’s clothing. If there is anything that you can use, take it. Or if there are any personal mementos, set them aside to ask me. Effie, I need you to do the same thing.”
At her dismissal, they each went their separate ways. He and Effie had a roof over their heads for a few more days. Ike felt light-headed with relief, a prisoner granted a stay of execution.
CHAPTER 29
You’ll do well.” Like Old Obie, Captain Pettigrew kept a light hand on the wheel and a sharp eye on the river. “Obadiah was right. You have a feel for the river.”
Blanche glanced up from the compass she was studying. After the grueling session he had put her through, she didn’t expect the compliment. “Truly?”
“Miss Lamar.” The captain was painfully polite. “I have trained many pilots in my day. You already know as much as that wood-headed Ike Gallagher, even though he’s spent a lifetime on the river.” He tapped the wheel. “I refer of course to his ability to pilot the boat. He is an excellent businessman. You couldn’t have a better partner.”
Those words brought a cough to Blanche’s lips. “That remains to be seen. This is all so new to me.”
“The Bible says that when we are weak, that’s when Christ shows His strength in us. He doesn’t want a know-it-all. He wants men and women who will depend on Him for everything.”
Blanche tried the compass one more time. For a second, she thought she had figured it out. Then her arm quivered and the needle turned before she had determined the direction. “My mother said the same thing. But everything that’s happened since her death has tested me in ways I never experienced before.”
“God puts us in new circumstances to test us. You don’t have to know all the answers. You just need to know who to ask.”
The sextant clattered as Blanche picked it up. Captain Pettigrew turned his attention on her for a second. “Call it a night. Tomorrow is another day.”
Blanche rolled her shoulders, stretching her muscles. “That sounds wise.” She stowed the compass and sextant. “I’ll see you midmorning, then. I have more material to cover with Ike and Effie.” With a last glance at the river, she headed down the stairs as Ike was coming on deck. He looked impossibly handsome in his gray suit and natty red bow tie. A grin crossed his face when he spotted her.
“Blanche.” He sprinted across the deck to join her. “I’ve gone through Old Obie’s things, found a few things that might fit me. But I also found this.” He held up a slender book. “His personal ledger.” He gestured for Blanche to walk with him. On this return trip, the deck was only half loaded with cargo. They had a lot of space to walk.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I looked at it. I was looking for clues about where Old Obie did his personal banking. His business account is with a bank in Brownsville, but he kept his personal account in Roma.” He paused and opened the book to the front flap, which held a small bankbook.
Blanche’s interest stirred at the idea of an account in Roma. Perhaps there was a little money to help tide all of them over until they found other paths in their lives.
“The thing is.” Ike withdrew the bankbook and slid his finger between the first two pages. “There are two names on the account.”
Not Ike, or he wouldn’t be so surprised. Surely not… another wife? Bile rose in Blanche’s throat.
“The first name is, of course, Jedidiah Obadiah Lamar. The second name… is Cordelia Adams Lamar.”
Cordelia? “My mother?” Blanche wondered if her face paled as much as the patches of light wood beneath the places where pallets of cargo usually waited.
Ike nodded. “Regular deposits, but no withdrawals that I see.” He placed the book in Blanche’s hands.
Blanche read the lists of credits and debits, deposits, but no withdrawals. She wobbled on her feet.
Ike led her to a stack of crates, the right height for her to sit on. Adjusting her skirts around her, she held the book out to Ike with trembling hands. “I had no idea he’d been sending money all along.”
“It appears so, yes.”
“Will the surprises never end?” Blanche looked over the side of the boat without seeing anything on the riverbank. “Every time I think I have things figured out, I learn something new. My mother never did anything with this money. We lived on her income. I’m sure of it.” Neither had sorting her mother’s belongings revealed any hidden stashes of money.
“He always loved you, Blanche. And he continued to provide for your mother as well. He was an honorable man.”
“So I’m learning.” Blanche estimated the total amount of money withdrawn over the five-year span. Over five hundred dollars. “I wonder if there are earlier ledgers.” Drawing a shaky breath, she added, “Thanks for showing this to me. Of course I’ll split it among the three of us.”
Ike just shook his head. The dinner bell sounded. “Ready?” At her nod, he extended his arm.
Music Blanche didn’t recognize floated through the salon door.
“Effie’s been in there most of the afternoon.” Ike opened the door for Blanche. “She used to do that when she was upset. She said playing the piano helped her to feel better.”
“I thought she was doing better.” Blanche took a step in the direction of the piano then thought better of it. “It comes in waves, though. For all of us.” The words brought renewed grief over her, for the father who had provided for hi
s daughter, sight unseen.
At their entrance, Effie turned around and smiled. “Look who’s here.”
She stepped away from the piano bench and touched the back of each chair as she moved toward the center of the long table. “It’s nice when we can all eat together, isn’t it?”
Whatever emotions she had processed while playing the piano, Effie seemed in good spirits now. “I made good progress this afternoon.” Her voice held a hint of breathless excitement. “How has your day gone?”
“Interesting.” Blanche left it at that. She wanted to tease Effie’s secret from her, but she doubted she would succeed. Instead, she’d enjoy this meal without all the worries and secrets and uncertainties that had dominated the past few days. At least she would try.
Ike awoke on Wednesday morning with two things on his mind: curiosity about Effie’s plan—and a determination to make things right with Blanche.
Effie only stayed in the dining salon long enough to wolf down a soft-boiled egg and a couple of slices of toast before she excused herself. “Come ahead to the theater when you are ready.”
Her departure left Blanche and Ike in a cocoon. Around them, the crew laughed and chattered. He broke a strawberry muffin in half and buttered it. After he took a bite, butter chased the tasty crumbs down his throat. Clearing his throat, he leaned forward. “I need to ask your forgiveness for what I did the other night.”
Her eyes flashed. “You mean, the…”
He nodded. “For everything. I still disagree with your decision, but I was wrong to go ahead when you believed I would stop.” Now came the last part, the hardest part. “I promise it won’t happen again.”
Hope flickered in her eyes then disappeared. She doesn’t believe me. Why should she? Ike would earn her trust day by day, week by week, by behaving in an honorable manner. If she let him have that long.
Warmth just shy of trust shone in her eyes. “Thank you for saying that to me. I know it was difficult for you. ‘I’m sorry’ is always hard to say, so thank you.”
The chatter flowing around them slowed, and they ceased their personal conversation. Blanche drank a cup of coffee with evident relish. “Are you ready to learn what Effie has for us? She seems very excited.”
As they neared the theater, more of the unknown music piped through the open door. Effie repeated the same section several times, and Ike wondered if she was trying to commit it to memory.
Blanche approached Effie. “I like that song. What are the words? Or are there words?” She hummed the melody Effie had been playing.
“There are.” Effie’s smile widened. “Let me explain what I have in mind.” She swiveled around the piano bench, her face alight with enthusiasm. “I’ve had the most marvelous idea. Blanche, you are committed to stopping the gambling; and Ike, you’re worried about how to make up the difference in income.”
Ike and Blanche exchanged an uneasy glance. “I’ve promised I won’t do it again.”
“But you are still worried.” Blanche laid a gentle hand on his arm. “I know you have the best intentions, but I just can’t allow it. What do you have in mind, Effie?”
“Instead of offering gambling to a handful of guests, why not invite the people of Roma to come to dinner and a play aboard the boat, the nights that we are in town? Elaine thrives on cooking for banquets. We can easily fit one hundred fifty people in here. If we hold four performances in a weekend—we could do five or even six if we gave performances on Sunday as well, but I know you would object—we could make quite a bit of money.”
Blanche looked at Ike, neither one of them having any idea how to respond. “And the music?”
“An idea I have for the first show. A musicale, about Noah and the ark. Perfect for a boat setting.” Her laughter delighted his ears.
Intrigued, Ike said, “Sing the words.”
Effie ran through several songs. One recorded Noah’s argument with God. “Build me an ark of gopher wood. But God, what is this rain You’re talking about? Build me an ark.” Another reminded Ike of the children’s song about Old MacDonald’s farm, one that imitated the animal sounds. A piano solo echoed rain pounding on the wood of the boat, the roof, the walls, the surface of the river.
“I didn’t know you were so talented.” Blanche clapped her hands together. “I love it, but I don’t have any experience with plays—not unless you count nativity plays at church. Do either of you? Would we have to hire actors? Or do any members of the crew have unexpected talents?”
Effie waved her concerns away. “You and Ike would play the title roles. You might not have heard him sing, Blanche, but my brother has a good voice.”
Ike shut his mouth. “I didn’t volunteer.”
“I’m your sister.” Effie wasn’t concerned. “I’ve drafted you. We could hold auditions for the other parts; and I wondered if Captain Pettigrew would be willing to do God’s voice in the play.”
“He certainly has a lovely, deep voice.” Blanche leaned forward. “But I told you. I don’t know a thing about theater.”
“You’ll learn. I wondered if we could prepare the play for a premiere when we arrive in Roma. I know that’s only a few days away, but I believe we can do it if we start right away.”
“With a small cast, we could offer the performance at other towns on the river route.” Blanche looked thoughtful. Her eyes were completely serious as she turned to Ike. “How do you feel about playing Noah?” She held up a hand. “I’m not criticizing you. But such a play has spiritual implications.” She let out a self-deprecating laugh. “If you don’t believe the truth, can you at least act well enough to convince everyone else?”
The words Effie had spoken echoed in his head. “Build me an ark of gopher wood, Noah. But God…” Ike was stuck in the “but God” phase. “I can try. You will have to be the judge of how effective I am.”
“Then will you announce auditions at luncheon today? For anyone who is interested to come to the theater after dinner tonight? And I’ll need your help, Blanche, in writing the scripts I’ve written in my head.”
“Yes.”
Effie’s crazy idea gave both women purpose for the day. He consulted with them about set construction. His sister’s requests for simple animal pens would provide a pleasant diversion of his other duties. “I’ll determine ticket prices. Is that acceptable?”
“It sounds like a good idea,” Blanche said, and Ike left them to writing the script.
Blanche’s nerves tripled as she climbed the steps to the pilothouse. Effie’s idea, which seemed so brilliant in the indoor theater, faded as she walked into the light of day. She and Effie agreed Captain Pettigrew would be perfect for God’s voice, but she hated to ask even more from him.
“You’ve neglected me today, Miss Lamar.” His voice teased her as she entered.
She edged into the room.
“What is it?” The man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, much like her father had. Maybe she would acquire the same skill, in time.
“Effie has come up with a wonderful idea to make money for the boat. Dinner and a play, a musicale, based on the story of Noah.”
From the side, she saw the captain’s left eyebrow rise high. “A play, hmm. Interesting idea. Aboard a steamboat—maybe churn a few miles up and down the river—could be an attractive proposition.”
“We would like for you to take part in the play, Captain.” She held her breath.
“Me? I have no theater experience.”
“You wouldn’t even appear on stage. We just want to take advantage of your marvelous bass voice.” Blanche smiled and used her most persuasive voice. “You see, God and Noah have an argument when God tells Noah to build an ark.”
Captain Pettigrew threw his head back and laughed. “That would have been quite an argument. Who’s playing Noah?”
Blanche hesitated. “Effie, um, suggested Ike.”
“Ike.” The captain stared straight ahead at the river. “If he plays the part of a man of faith—especially one
who was willing to argue with God about it—he might think about what it means to him personally. I like it, a lot.” He winked at Blanche. “Where do I show up?”
“Ike suggested we hold the rehearsals for your scenes together up here. The performances will be given Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, after we arrive in Roma.”
With the major roles covered, Blanche wondered who else would be interested in participating. Effie said they could use everyone who expressed interest. They needed neighbors, Noah’s three sons and their wives, even animals. If no one showed up, the four of them would have to manage.
They needn’t have worried. Every member of the crew came through the theater at some point. Either they auditioned, or they sat in the audience and applauded. Smithers proved the surprise of the evening, handling some of the humorous dialogue with a skill unexpected of him. Blanche thought he would be perfect for the role of the officious mayor who refused to listen to Noah’s warnings. Even Dame Agatha offered to create costumes from scraps of leftover material.
At the end of the evening, Effie faced the group. “Thank you all for coming this evening. We will announce the cast at breakfast in the morning. We’ll also schedule rehearsals around your work schedules and plan for the entire cast to join together in the evenings.”
Blanche stood next. “I know this is extra work for all of you. Thank you so much for coming out! We have a lot of work ahead of us in the next few days, but I believe the people of Roma will enjoy our production. And now, I will pray and ask God’s blessing on us as we seek to communicate His eternal truth.”
Peace permeated the corners of the room after her amen.
God was doing something unexpected, something unexpected indeed.
CHAPTER 30
The bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”
Even though Captain Pettigrew repeated the familiar words offstage, Blanche felt as though God Himself was speaking the words of eternal promise. A solemn hush fell over the theater until one brave soul clapped, and then the room rang with applause. The actors who had played the townspeople, including Smithers, walked onto the stage and took a bow. Next the actors who played Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Noah’s sons, and their wives, entered to louder applause. Last of all Ike took her hand and swept her onto the stage. The audience stood to their feet, clapping. “Encore!” someone shouted.
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