Irritation reared up inside of Mac. A trap, and he’d sailed right into it. He should have been wary at the onset of this dubious dinner invitation.
He did his best to conceal his annoyance and gave the curvy woman with bark-brown hair a courteous bow. “Miss Eden.”
She curtsied. “Captain.” Her voice mimicked sandpaper over rough wood, and her small eyes resembled two nail heads. “I’ve heard much about you.”
He pushed out a smile.
“Please, let’s sit in the parlor.” Gwyneth led the way. “Dinner will be in an hour, but I expect Prescott and Captain Osborn any time now.”
Mac was glad to hear Taylor would be in attendance.
“But Mother Albright and I decided there will be no discussion of business at the dinner table.” Gwyneth gave Mac a pointed look.
“As you wish.” He almost chuckled aloud. It wouldn’t be he who brought up business, and Gwyneth may have a difficult time hushing her husband and father-in-law.
Miss Eden stepped in beside Mac. “You’re quite infamous in most Alexandria circles, you know.”
“I thought by now the tongue waggers would have found new morsels to nibble on.”
“Indeed they have, but none have been as scrumptious as the traitor pirate, Captain Albright.”
Oddly, her amused tone put Mac at ease.
She swung around and blocked his entrance to the parlor. “You are as devilishly handsome as I’ve heard, but know this, I will not marry you nor any other man for that matter, especially one in need of my dowry.”
A grin pulled at the corner of Mac’s mouth. “You can’t imagine how relieved I am to hear it, Miss Eden. You see, I have entered into an understanding with another young lady, and not even your dowry can tempt me hither.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Not even if it means rescuing your family’s business and restoring the Albright name?”
“Not even then.” Mac locked his hands behind his back. “I believe there are other ways of accomplishing those goals.” He gave his opulent surroundings a sweeping gaze. “Downsizing may be an option.” Prescott was, after all, the one who ran Albright Shipping aground.
“My thoughts exactly!” Miss Eden’s features brightened and she appeared almost pretty.
Mac smiled. Perhaps this evening wouldn’t prove torturous after all. He lifted his hand, indicating the room that seemed to have swallowed up the rest of their family members. “Shall we?”
A word, Mac?”
At Taylor’s nod toward the veranda, Mac followed him through the open French doors and into the cool evening air. “What is it?”
Taylor seemed somewhat breathless and notably distracted ever since he’d walked into the house minutes ago.
“Blake said he saw a gentleman by the name of Everett at the wharves with two lads. Blake said you’d know to whom I referred.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Evidently, Everett indentured the boys.”
“What?” Mac straightened. “Indentured?”
“Blake claims to have overheard the deal go down between Everett and Captain Curt O’Malley. Blake seemed quite frantic about getting the news to you. I promised to relay it immediately.”
“Madman O’Malley?” Mac rubbed his fingers against his jaw. While a decent fellow, O’Malley earned the moniker at the gaming tables, where he placed outrageous bets that he never seemed to lose. “And the boys were indentured to him? For what purpose? Money?”
“I don’t believe so. It wasn’t a monetary exchange, according to Blake. Everett said he just could no longer afford to care for the two lads.”
“More’s the truth that Jonah and Jed were in Everett’s way.” And their absence left Lily vulnerable. As for the boys …
“Has O’Malley set sail?”
Taylor shook his head. “First thing in the morning.”
Mac’s mind raced to find a solution. “I’ve got to get those boys back.”
“Then let’s go.”
Turning, Mac saw that Prescott had arrived. Dinner would be served within minutes.
“After dinner?” Taylor suggested. “The lads are in no imminent danger, and perhaps we’ll be more inspired with full bellies.”
Mac felt as edgy as a thoroughbred at the racing gate. Sitting at the dinner table would be torturous. Besides, there were business matters for Taylor, Prescott, and Father to iron out, despite the ladies’ request not to discuss Albright Shipping.
“You stay, Taylor. Enjoy the evening and get better acquainted with my family. You are, after all, in the throes of deciding whether to work for my father and brother.”
“Oh, I’ve made my decision.” Taylor gazed out across the yard, no doubt admiring the well-groomed lawn and garden.
“And?”
“And I’ve got a business proposal for them.” Taylor gave Mac a side glance. “I want to buy into the company and become a co-owner.”
Mac mulled it over. Certainly the buy-in would help Albright Shipping’s financial concerns. “Then it’s crucial that you stay here. I’ll go to the wharves and speak with O’Malley.”
Taylor inclined his head. “If you feel the need for assistance, Mr. Blake is at the Sunken Vessel Tavern.”
Figures.
“He’s got reason to celebrate.” A slow smile spread across Taylor’s face.
“I suppose I should inquire as to the reason.”
“Blake has agreed to be my first mate on my maiden voyage as captain of the merchant ship Ariel.”
“An excellent choice. Blake won’t disappoint.”
“Oh, I’m aware of that.” Taylor tucked errant strands of brown hair behind one ear as they didn’t quite reach his queue. “I’m also in need of a cook, and Blake mentioned a woman—a German woman with whom he’s half out of his mind in love.”
“The widow Mrs. Gunther.” Mac chuckled. “Yes, Blake is besotted.”
“But can she cook? Is she capable of delivering a meal to the masses?”
“Yes on both accounts.” Mac leaned against the railing. He had already put the pieces together. Blake and Mrs. Gunther—soon to be Mrs. Blake—sailing off into the sunset, happily ever after. “One of the first things Blake and I learned about her is she enjoys cooking for hungry men.”
“That’s all I need to hear.” Taylor sported a crooked smile. “Blake said you’d give a good reference.”
“Indeed, I will vouch for the woman’s capabilities in the kitchen, and once she learns her way around a galley, she will impress your crew with her skills.”
“Good to know.”
Mac inhaled the fragrant air, a mix of drying grasses, tobacco, and late-blooming flowers.
“I’ve given Blake two weeks to fetch the lady. We’ll have a chaplain on board, as usual, and he can perform the marriage ceremony.”
Mac smiled, recalling his friend’s superstition about never sailing without a man of God aboard. And Mac had to admit, there were times the chaplain’s words were downright comforting, not to mention inspirational.
“Besides, it’ll take me at least that long to finish cleaning the hold and ready Ariel for our voyage.”
Mac mulled over the timetable. The trip was doable for Blake, although Mrs. Gunther’s absence left Lily alone in the manor, and that caused an uneasiness to seep into his bones.
Although, Lily claimed to know how to use that pistol she first waved at Blake and him.
The memory of their initial meeting tempted Mac to grin, and he would if he weren’t so troubled over Jonah and Jed’s indentation.
“If I take my leave, will you make my excuses to my family?” Mac imagined he’d get tangled in Mother’s and Gwyneth’s disappointment and complaints and never get out of the house.
“Certainly.”
After a friendly rap between his friend’s shoulder blades, Mac descended the brick stairs from the veranda and made his way around the mansion to the horses and buggy still hitched to the post. Within minutes, he was on his way to the riverfront.
> His played out several scenarios in his mind, keeping the fact that O’Malley enjoyed a gamble in the forefront. How badly did O’Malley want to keep Jonah and Jed aboard? What if he refused to release them? Lily would be heartbroken—no, worse than heartbroken. She’d be devastated.
Anger surged though Mac, tensing every muscle in his body. Everett, that devil’s spawn. What had he done?
Mac flicked the reins, urging the horses into a faster gait. The last of the sun made a glorious exit in the western sky while darkness hungrily gobbled up the remaining daylight. By the time he reached the wharves, night had settled, bringing cooler air. Fog hovered over the Potomac.
Mac pulled the team to a halt near the Sunken Vessel Tavern and climbed from the buggy. The smell of fish, rum, and every kind of waste permeated the air. He tossed a coin to the guard standing over tavern patrons’ mounts and vehicles. Making his way down the walk, the heels of his boots kept time with the beat of a bawdy tune hailing from the place. If he wasn’t mistaken, that was Blake’s squeeze-box in the background.
Mac entered through the establishment’s open doors. He glanced over the heads of male customers. Several of them leaned against the bar and eyed him with wary expressions. Others played cards at a nearby table.
Walking farther into the place, Mac strained to see through plumes of smoke. When he spotted Blake, off to the right, singing at the top of his lungs, he headed toward him.
Blake’s gaze landed on him a couple of times before the old man paused. “Am I hallucinating or do I see my best friend, standing before my eyes in a dump like this?”
Mac moved to the door and motioned for Blake to follow him.
Blake did so, instrument in hand. “Glad you got m’ message, Cap’n.”
“Yes. Thanks for it, but I need your help. Point me toward O’Malley’s ship.”
Blake pointed down the dock. “He’s aboard the Sarabella. I was there just today inquirin’ about a job. That’s when I learned Everett’s rotten plan and bumped into our ol’ pal Cap’n Osborn. He’s the one who gave me work.”
“Yes, I heard.” Mac tamped down his impatience. “I understand you’re to be his first mate. Congratulations.”
“Aye, thank you.” Blake squared his shoulders. “And at dawn, I’m off to claim m’ bride and get back in time to set sail.”
“Good for you. I hope Mrs. Gunther agrees to cook for an entire crew.”
“Oh, she will. I got that feelin’ in m’ bones.”
Mac clapped him on the shoulder and started toward O’Malley’s ship.
“Wait, Cap’n. I’m coming with you in case there’s trouble.”
Mac waited while Blake stashed his squeeze-box behind the bar and under the tavern owner’s watchful eye. Then they traipsed down the dock. At last they came upon the Sarabella. Her masts stretched upward and disappeared in the fog. Lanterns glowed both near the hull and on deck. Sailors rolled large barrels of supplies or cargo up the gangway beneath a slew of orders, shouted from the supervisor on the dock.
A brief inquiry revealed that the sailor in charge was the boatswain, a man named Mr. Darby. He informed Mac and Blake that O’Malley was not abed for the night and gave them permission to board.
“Ahoy, Captain Albright and Mr. Blake!” Jonah’s unmistakable voice cut through the fog. The boy jumped off a tower of thick rope. “What brings you aboard tonight?”
“Sounds like a reg’lar seaman, he does.” Blake turned to Mac with an amused grin. “And he don’t look no worse for wear.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Mac gave the boy a once-over and glimpsed Jed standing in the shadows. “Come on out, Jed.”
“He’s scared,” Jonah said.
“No, I’m not!” Jed stepped forward. “See?” He walked out of the shadows and tripped over a piece of rope.
“He hasn’t found his sea legs yet.” Jonah set his feet apart and placed his hands on his hips as if he were an experienced deckhand.
“Mr. Everett blundered terribly when he indentured you boys.” Mac looked from one to the other. “But Blake and I are about to speak to Captain O’Malley about the situation.”
“But I want to stay on board and be a sailor.” A pleading note rang in Jonah’s voice. “It’s what I was born to do.”
“Me too,” Jed said, standing beside his brother.
Blake chuckled, and Mac quirked a smile.
“Maybe. When you’re older,” Mac said. “For now you belong in school. Besides, your sister will be upset by your absences. What have you to say about that?”
“I say that with the money Jed and me can send to her, Lily won’t have to marry dumb ol’ Mr. Everett.”
“I’m afraid you’ve got this all wrong. Being indentured means hard work, and you’ll have to obey the captain or face painful consequences. There’s no pay involved.”
“Slavery is what it is,” Blake added.
“But Captain O’Malley told us we’d be treated well if we didn’t cause trouble,” Jonah said, “and we might earn a few coins if our shipment arrives in the West Indies on time. I’ll save every coin I get for Lily.”
“Me too,” Jed parroted.
“That’s very noble of you boys.”
“But being indentured is a serious matter. I’m afraid I must speak to Captain O’Malley about this … arrangement.”
The boys hung their heads but didn’t argue.
Mac chided himself for not suspecting foul play sooner.
Blake stayed with the boys while Mac asked a passing sailor the whereabouts of the captain’s quarters. Getting his answer, he grabbed a lighted lantern and descended the ladder.
At the pungent smell of tar, memories flooded in, reminding Mac of all the reasons he gave up his life as a sea captain. The dank smell of the effects of the salty seawater on wood filled his nose and made him long for his sweet-smelling orchards and the fertile land of the Shenandoah Valley.
And Lily’s lovely face.
He arrived at O’Malley’s cabin and rapped several times on the door.
“Enter!”
Mac walked in and O’Malley gave him a moment’s glance, then looked up again after recognition set in. A wide smile inched across the older man’s face.
“Well, well, if it’s not my ol’ friend, the infamous Captain McAlister Albright.” He rose from his chair, situated behind his desk, and chuckled. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?” He narrowed his gaze and pointed his finger at Mac. “You’ll not tempt me with a card game or suggestion of a chess match. I can’t be persuaded. I set sail in the morning, as soon as the fog lifts.”
Chess … Mac recalled Lily’s quick win the day they met and an idea began to form.
“State your business, Captain Albright.”
Mac squared his shoulders. “It’s about the two indentured boys.” He planted his feet firmly apart and clasped his hands behind his back.
O’Malley’s features lost all traces of hospitableness. “What about them?”
“What will you accept as a trade for them? They were wrongly indentured, and I want them back.”
“Can’t have ’em.” O’Malley walked around his oak desk. Maps covered its surface. “I need a cabin boy, and the eldest of the two will do nicely in that position. The younger one”—O’Malley shrugged—“he’s small enough to clean cannon, and he’ll learn to climb the ratlines and be a lookout in the crow’s nest if nothing else.”
Mac forced himself not to cringe. A fall from the crow’s nest meant certain death. Jed wasn’t up for that task.
“About that chess match …” Mac spotted a leather case across the room which looked similar to others which harbored chessboards and game pieces.
“I said I won’t be persuaded. I have work to do.”
Mac crossed the room and lifted the case, and, despite his earlier resolve, O’Malley stared at it like a drunk in need of a bottle of brandy.
“Come now, O’Malley. What’s one game between old friends? I’ve got nothing better to
do tonight.” Mac moved to the long table and opened the rectangular box. His suspicions were confirmed.
“No chess game, Albright. And you’ll not get those boys either.” O’Malley sat on the corner of his desk and folded his arms over his wide chest. His face was a combination of stony planes and angles, and his mouth curled as if fixed in a permanent sneer. Even so, his gaze never left the chess pieces that Mac went ahead and set up on the board. O’Malley appeared transfixed.
“If you win,” Mac said, “I’ll give you two of my experienced crewmen, handpicked by Captain Taylor Osborn. Then, of course, you keep the boys too.”
“Handpicked, you say?” O’Malley worked his thick tongue between his lips as if thirsting for the competition.
“Handpicked, and you know how fussy Taylor is about his crew.”
“I know …”
“And if I win, I get the two indentured lads.”
A slow smile worked its way across O’Malley’s weathered face. “If I win, I get you as my first mate, two of Osborn’s finest deckhands, plus the two lads.”
Mac opened his mouth to protest, but O’Malley raised his hand, palm side out.
“I’ll not have it any other way, Albright. I’ll give you two minutes to decide.”
Two minutes? He didn’t even need two seconds. If Mac lost Jed and Jonah to this indenture it could ruin those boys’ lives forever or get them killed. What’s more, Mac might lose Lily’s affection.
But he wouldn’t fail this time. He couldn’t. The stakes were far too great.
Another kink in his well-laid plans. But hadn’t he recently witnessed a miracle? Surely God was in control of this situation too.
“I accept your terms, O’Malley.”
The old captain laughed and rubbed his palms together. “Then let’s get to it!”
Mac took a seat at the table while O’Malley grabbed two glasses and a bottle of rum. He then poured them both a swallow and set the bottle within an arm’s reach.
“Since it’s my ship,” O’Malley began, “I lay stake to the white pieces, and I’ll make the first move.”
“As you wish.”
O’Malley moved a pawn out two spaces.
Mac slid his pawn opposite O’Malley’s.
My Heart Belongs in the Shenandoah Valley Page 21
