Promise Me Forever

by Janelle Taylor

  “Did you still get punished?”

  “In a way,” he answered, but didn’t explain.

  “What happened to your family and shipping business?”

  “My family all died, and I lost control of the firm. After I left Charleston in ‘71, I worked as a sailor for three years until I earned enough money to buy my own clipper to work for myself. Fortunately I’ve been very successful and prosperous.”

  The waiter arrived to refill their coffee cups, clear away the dishes, and serve their dessert. As the man did so, they remained quiet.

  Dan recalled the day he left home after the fight with his father over his mistake with his father’s intended. He loved his brother, but there were times when he had resented Phillip for being his father’s favorite—no, only—son. Growing up with Stephen McCandless had created hard times during childhood and teenage years. Poor Phillip had been caught in the middle—wanting to please their father and wanting to be friends with his brother. Sometimes Phillip had enjoyed and taken advantage of being the favorite, but that was normal for a young boy. Other times Phillip had hated being trapped between their father and his younger brother. When he started sailing on McCandless ships, it had kept him away from home much of the time, which suited him and his father. During those years, he only saw Phillip when he was in port for short periods. After he had left home and stayed gone so long and became successful, he had mellowed and matured. He had wanted to return home to set things right with both Stephen and Phillip. Now…

  After the waiter left, Dan discarded his past and continued the conversation. “I’ve been on my own for years and have managed fine. What about you, Rachel? How did you reach this point in your life?”

  Rachel decided to tell Dan a few things about her, as he could discover them if he checked on her. If he had done so already, it would make her seem honest and open. If he hadn’t, it might evoke empathy and understanding when she needed them later. Besides, Phillip’s wife and best friend would share this type of get-acquainted conversation.

  Rachel selected her words with care and spoke them slowly. “I was born and reared on the plantation. Mama married Papa when she was sixteen. Within nine years they had five children: three boys and two girls. They were so in love, and we were all close and happy. Then the war came. My father and Robert were killed in battles. Things got bad at home. Mama did her best to shoulder the responsibilities, but she was scared and lonely and didn’t know how to run a big plantation. When taxes and expenses worsened, we almost lost everything, and that terrified her. I was twelve when she panicked and married a Yankee carpetbagger who promised to take care of her. Earl was four years younger than Mama, but she was so beautiful that it didn’t make any difference. Our friends and neighbors were angry with her for surrendering to the enemy while wounds from the war were still too fresh. He pretended he was rich and in love, but all he wanted was to get his hands on White Cloud. It would have been better to lose it than to let that snake take control.”

  “What about the rest of your family?” Dan coaxed.

  “Randall drowned the next year while he was fishing with Earl. He was a good swimmer, but his shirt got caught on an underwater limb and Earl said he couldn’t rescue him before it was too late. The twins, Richard and Rosemary, ran away from home in ‘69 and ‘70 and no one knows where they are, not even if they’re alive. Lordy, how I miss them! None of us got along with that Yankee. I think he was mean and hard on us on purpose to drive us away from home. He didn’t want a houseful of children who weren’t his. He succeeded, but Mama refused to believe it was her husband driving away her children. She still thinks we all betrayed and deserted her. I left home in ‘72 when I was eighteen because I couldn’t get along with him, either. I wish Earl Starger had never entered our lives. I hate him for what he did to us.”

  Dan remembered her cold words about Starger over Phillip’s grave. “What happened after you left home?”

  “I moved to Savannah. I met Lula Mae when I arrived and we became friends. She’s been a big help to me over the years. I went to work for Phillip in January of ‘74, and I married him in early August of last year.”

  Dan noticed the gap of time in her story, but she had spoken the truth without revealing too much. That surprised him. “George said Phillip moved to Savannah in February of ‘73. Did you meet soon after his arrival?”

  “We met in April of that year through a mutual friend who’s dead now.” They had met through Craig Newman, but she dared not mention her second husband. “Speaking of George and Phillip, did Phillip mention this big contract to you in his letters?”

  Dan knew she changed the subject to get attention off herself. “No, but he had no reason to. If he’d been home when I arrived, I’m sure he would have boasted about it. I would have. It should make a nice profit for all three partners. At least one third of the contract has to be profit, and divided three ways would make a hundred thousand dollars each. That’s an excellent return on an investment. If he’s thinking of selling two of his partnerships, what about the third one—the shipping firm?”

  For a while she didn’t know what to say. “I don’t think so,” she finally managed.

  “Maybe he’s planning to sell all three and become a full-time planter.”

  “He hasn’t mentioned anything like that to me. Would he do that?”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me, Rachel. He never liked ships or water. He would make the perfect country gentleman. I’d bet he loves plantation life. It could be why he bought Moss Haven and not a house in the city.”

  Phillip had told her that he bought the plantation with winning her in mind, to get her out of Savannah, but to still be near it for business. “Dan, may I ask you a personal and serious question?” she asked suddenly.

  He put down his fork and leaned forward. “Of course.”

  Rachel decided how to phrase her queries to simultaneously cover her ruse but also to obtain information. “You said this mysterious order is large enough to supply a big army. What if it isn’t legal? What if Phillip can’t get it cleared through customs? If it falls through, the Augusta and Athens companies could be ruined. Would Phillip do something like that to destroy his partners? To punish them for cheating him? Even if the two companies were no longer profitable, he would lose his original investments in them, whatever those amounts were. But if he’s being cheated and deceived, he might not care about that money. Does that make sense?”

  “Phillip never courted problems, but he was always honest and kind-hearted. Your reasoning makes sense for some men, but it doesn’t sound like the Phillip I knew.”

  She was happy with his answer. “Who could make such a large and expensive order?” she asked.

  Dan played along with her probe. “Don’t worry, Rachel. It isn’t for another rise of the South; the contract isn’t that large. And Phillip would never supply arms to men trying to overthrow a government somewhere, and it’s too big for an outlaw gang. Maybe it’s a secret military contract; there are plenty of problem areas around the world, some even in our own West with Indians. Phillip has a good head for business, and he never liked trouble. The contract must be legal or he wouldn’t go along with it.”

  Cuba, her mind hinted, but she didn’t have time to speculate on that possible clue from Phillip’s dying words. “Didn’t you hear George? He said Phillip canceled it last month, then he and Harry talked last week and reinstated it. That means Phillip had doubts about it. Maybe he feared he was being duped. I don’t like this secrecy. Something is terribly wrong.”

  Dan agreed. “Has Phillip kept important secrets from you before?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I didn’t think he kept anything from me until this came up. Then there’s you…”

  “What about me?”

  “Why did Phillip keep you, his past, and your deal secret?”

  “Am I the reason you’re doubting him, because you didn’t know about me? If so, Rachel, that’s not valid; men often don’t menti
on such things.”

  “Not even to their wives?”

  “I can’t answer that one; I’ve never had a wife.”

  “If you love someone and marry them, it seems to me you tell them everything. There isn’t anything about me from the time I was born until last Friday that Phillip didn’t know.”

  “Everything, Rachel?”

  “Yes, Dan, everything. That’s how it should be. If a marriage is good and going to last, it must be based on love and trust, on sharing and caring, the good and the bad.”

  “You’re a wise woman, Rachel McCandless.”

  “I learn from observation and experience. I’ve witnessed good and bad marriages and I know what makes the difference.” How she wished she had learned that truth long ago, but she knew it now. She wouldn’t make another mistake with another man and another marriage, even if she had to remain unmarried the rest of her life, even if she lost her inheritance from Phillip and was dirt-groveling poor, and even if she were defenseless and terrified.

  Dan forced himself not to ask about her marriage to Phillip or about her first two marriages. Her gaze was a mixture of emotions. She seemed upset, uncertain, and vulnerable—yet resolved and strong. “We could speculate on this for weeks, Rachel. Let’s keep searching for clues together. If we don’t get answers from Harry in Athens, we’ll have to wait until we see Phillip and he explains. Don’t let this mystery ruin our holiday; worrying over it won’t help. Let’s go for our stroll, relax, and enjoy ourselves. Let’s forget about work this afternoon.”

  “You’re right, Captain Slade. Why don’t you take command and steer us to a happy port?”

  “That’s the most tempting offer I’ve ever had. Let’s ship out, mate. I’m going to help you forget all your troubles today.”

  “I’ll hold you to that promise, sir. I’m ready.”

  They left the hotel and headed eastward. When they came to the town fountain in the center of the street, they walked over to it and sat down on the wide ledge around the rectangular pool. The day was sunny and clear, a beautiful early April afternoon.

  Rachel trailed her fingers through the water and listened as it trickled over the compote-shaped levels of various sizes. “Do you miss the sea, Dan? Does all water remind you of it, like the river did the other day?”

  “You’re very perceptive, Rachel. I suppose it’s true, because it’s the only thing I’ve known and had for years. It’s a vital part of me.”

  She watched him gaze in the direction of the Savannah River only two blocks away as if the currents in it had a powerful pull on him. The city wharves were straight beyond their location, and they could hear the sounds of steamboats and workers. She wished she could have that same potent effect on this unique man. How wonderful it would be to have his eyes sparkle or glaze over dreamily because of her as they did over ships and water, to be the only important thing in his life. She wondered if Dan would believe the terrible gossip about her, and if he would be interested in her once he learned she was not married. It was foolish to be thinking such reckless things until she was certain he wasn’t involved in her perils. “Do you ever think of leaving the sea and giving up your ship and voyages?” she asked.

  “If a good enough reason came along, I suppose I would.”

  “What kind of good enough reason would it have to be?”

  “Something that fills my life, heart, and soul more than they do.”

  “That’s the perfect, best, and only answer.”

  “That’s the only reason anyone ever does anything, isn’t it, Rachel?”

  “People search for better choices, but they don’t always make them. Or they don’t turn out to be the best after one’s made them.”

  “Mistakes give us experience, knowledge, and growth. Mine have accomplished all those things. Have yours, Rachel?”

  “Some have and some haven’t. It all depends on whether the action affects only me or includes others. If something involves other people, you’re not always in control.” Rachel stood. “You aren’t keeping your promise, Captain,” she teased. “You’re letting your first mate get gloomy on you.”

  Dan grasped her hand and tugged on it. “Come along, woman. I’ll keep trying until I succeed.”

  They reached the busy east-end market with its tall pillars and high tower displaying a cupola and large clock. They turned right onto Centre Street, strolled to Greene, and turned right again. They slowed to look at the Confederate cenotaph, obelisk, city hall, and “Big Steve” bell tower. They didn’t break their meditative silence or stop holding hands. They absorbed the lovely sites, balmy weather, and each other’s company. They took another right onto Campbell.

  At Broad, Rachel glanced at the market clock and said, “It’s four, Captain; better steer us into port for repairs for tonight’s activities.”

  “At your command, Mrs. McCandless. Come with me, please.”

  Both noticed that no one followed or approached them during their stroll. Dan had seen her play with the silk flowers in her hair, but he made sure he did not mention them. Rachel wished her signal had worked, but presumed Dan’s presence had foiled a meeting. If anyone was trailing and spying, she couldn’t see or sense it.

  Dan gaped at Rachel when she opened her door after he knocked.

  “Is something wrong? Isn’t this appropriate?” she questioned, looking down at her dress.

  “You’re absolutely ravishing. Stars above, woman, are you trying to enchant every man who’ll be present tonight?”

  “You are far too kind and generous. Come inside while I finish pinning the flowers in my hair. It will only take a moment.”

  Dan didn’t tell her it was improper to enter the room where she dressed and slept. He came inside and closed her door, but stayed near it, almost afraid to get any closer to the alluring beauty.

  Rachel was dressed in a satin gown of dark rose with rich pink trim. The square neckline was edged with pink ruffles and lace and creamy pearls. The puffy short sleeves ended with ribbon bands and ruffles. The bodice drifted down into a fitted waistline where a wide silk ribbon banded it, then was bowed in the back. Its tails were joined by two others to make staggered drops of three different lengths near each hipbone. The front of her skirt was in three layers, the first ending at her knees, the last at the floor, and the third between those two. Each layer was bordered in delicate embroidery of pink flowers with pearl centers. The longest was cut apart in the back, pulled up and over to each side, secured near the bow, and allowed to settle into soft folds as the decorated hem drifted lazily to the floor. The exposed section from waist to floor was frilled in many vibrant pink lacy tiers that flowed into a sweeping train.

  He had seen her slippers and stockings when she lifted her hem to walk to the dressing mirror. Both were dark rose to match her gown, as was the fashion. Her silk slippers revealed the same pattern of embroidery as on her evening dress. Her only jewelry were pearls on her ears and a gold wedding band on her finger, but she needed nothing more to enhance her breathtaking image. He watched her finish securing several sprigs of silk flowers in her hair, which was pulled away from her face, pinned in the back near her crown, and cascaded into curls and ringlets to the top of her neckline. She lifted an ivory silk shawl with a swingy fringe border, tossed it over one arm, and collected her satin bag.

  “You look splendid, Captain Slade,” she said, approaching him. “Evening clothes suit you. Turn around and let me admire you for a moment.”

  Dan did as he was asked. She liked the low-cut waistcoat with its wide lapels, narrow velvet collar, velvet cuffs, and lengthy tails. The straight-cut trousers and vest matched its dark-blue color. The vest was tailored low, and the jacket was to be worn unbuttoned, so his fancy white shirt with a pleated frill completed his perfect look.

  “With you on my arm, I’ll be the envy of every woman present. Shall we go and capture our moment of perfection forever?” she teased.

  “The sooner, the better,” he murmured.

  In t
he photographer’s studio down the street, the man had them posed for their first picture. Rachel sat on a velvet stool while Dan stood slightly behind and to her right. The man positioned them, moved back a few steps, and checked them from head to foot. “Perfect, ye look elegant an’ bonny,” the photographer said in his Scottish brogue. “Dinna move a muscle.” He walked behind his camera on a tripod, checked the shot through the lens, looked back at them, and said, “Smile as tha happy couple ye are.” As they obeyed his instruction, he took the first picture. “I’ll be wan’nin’ two ta be sure ta get a guid one. Stay still.”

  Dan didn’t move as Rachel’s heady perfume teased his senses. Her curls grazed the skin on her back, near where his fingers made contact with that enticing bare flesh. His genial expression did not change as worries stormed his mind. If Phillip had had the cash, it was more than enough for someone to kill him for. If she was determined to keep it, all she had to do was claim she didn’t have it or know about it, and no one could do anything to prove otherwise. After inheriting Phillip’s estate, she wouldn’t have to touch it for years and risk exposing her deceit and theft. Maybe that was what she had in mind with this trip, to initiate her defense. Maybe he was along to aid it, to be used as a witness, to be set up as her next protector and victim. If only she didn’t look so…

  The photographer told them to switch their positions. Rachel’s hand rested atop Dan’s broad shoulders, an action which aroused both.

  As they awaited the shots for the second sitting, Rachel inhaled Dan’s manly aroma that blended with his Bay Rum cologne. Her body was touching his, but she yearned to be even closer. She wanted to run her trembling fingers through his head of glossy, midnight hair. She longed to snuggle into his strong arms, to seal her mouth to his. He was appealing and magnetic, powerfully and dangerously so. He was a man she could respond to with passion, a man who could steal her heart. But he could break it just as easily if she weren’t careful.