Dathan lifted his eyes heavenward, closing them and gritting his teeth. He just knew this wasn’t a good idea, but what choice did he have? Without the money, he couldn’t begin the house; without the house he couldn’t begin to build their new life.
He had made a promise, and he intended to keep it. For the time being he would have to leave Adrella’s protection up to God, who he was certain was infinitely more capable than he was.
* * *
Carrying Grace, Adrella reluctantly followed Dathan into the light tower. She lifted prayers heavenward as she slowly climbed the iron stairs to the top. She shivered slightly and not from the cold. This place held a lot of bad memories, but conversely, it held some good ones as well. Though, truth be told, the bad far outweighed the good.
Dathan showed her where all the supplies were kept and taught her how to light the wick inside the lens. He carefully explained the procedures and she listened just as carefully, memorizing all the little details. She wouldn’t let him down. If he could live on this island alone for two years, she could certainly last a few days.
And nights, her mind prompted and she quickly hushed it into silence. If a person once let insidious thoughts enter his mind, they could quickly incapacitate him. She refused to allow that to happen. Too often she had refused to act because of some fear on her part. It showed a decided lack of faith in God and He had shown Himself to be her protector already. He wouldn’t let her down.
“Remember,” he instructed, “always wear the apron when anywhere near the lens. And under no circumstances use a buff skin that has been wet as it will scratch the lens.”
She glanced at all the supplies needed to maintain just the lens and looked at him fearfully. There was a lot to remember.
He took her by the shoulders, bending until he could look into her face.
“You’ll be fine. All the instructions are written in this book.” He reached over and lifted the book from the shelf where it rested. “I have faith in you.”
That was all well and good, but did she have faith in herself? She straightened her shoulders, hiding her misgivings with a smile. There had been many lightkeepers that were women. Even at the St. Marks Light north of here Mrs. Dudley had been a keeper for several years. If Mrs. Dudley could do it, then she certainly could.
Looking relieved, Dathan returned her smile.
“I’ve already checked all the clock mechanisms and machinery, so don’t worry about anything except the daily duties of lighting the light and polishing the lens.”
He released her and started to descend the stairs. She followed him down. At least she would have something to do while he was gone.
“Now,” he said as they exited the tower. “It’s time to teach you how to use the gun.”
Chapter 11
After extinguishing the light, Adrella hung the lantern curtains and began to put the apparatus in order for relighting. She carefully covered the illuminating apparatus before starting to clean the Fresnel lens.
She picked up the feather brush to remove any dust, and wondered for the hundredth time how much longer Dathan would be. He had said overnight, and it had been five.
What if something had happened to him? How would anyone even know that she was here?
She used the soft linen cloth on the lens to give it a slight polish before she reached for the buff skin.
Her overactive imagination had been working overtime while here on the island alone, especially at night. The loneliness would be enough to drive someone mad, at least someone like her. It hadn’t taken her very long to realize that it took someone special to be a lightkeeper.
How had Dathan endured the solitude? At times when he had come to the store she thought she had sensed his loneliness, but he never mentioned it to her or her father. As for herself, it wouldn’t take much to make her dive into the gulf and try to reach the mainland. She would definitely be one of those who went insane. She had done a lot of chatting to Grace in the past few days, thankful that she at least had the kitten for company.
She couldn’t allow the kitten with her when tending the light so she always placed her in one of the empty crates. Grace, having learned to accept the situation, would curl into a ball on the quilt Adrella had brought with her, and sleep. In truth, the kitten slept a lot, more than likely due to poor health from the lack of sustenance it had received. Already Grace’s little body was beginning to fill out some from the extra canned milk Adrella had been giving her.
After she finished cleaning the light, Adrella exited the lighthouse as quickly as possible. It still bothered her to be in such a confined space, although focusing on the job of tending the light helped to take her mind off it.
Adrella wandered down to the beach, lifting a hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight so that she could see across the water to the mainland. Nothing moved on the water, not even the ever-frolicking dolphins.
Dark clouds were building in the east, a presage of an approaching storm. She shivered, and not only from the morning chill. Being alone on this island in good weather was one thing, facing a storm was quite another.
Tugging her shawl closer, she hurried back to the campsite to prepare in case the bad weather made its way to land. For now, it was a long way off and Adrella prayed fervently that it would stay that way.
* * *
They were the motliest looking crew of men he had ever seen. Dathan looked over the assemblage of men that had responded to the telegrams from Mr. Carson and Mr. Panganopolis. Some were here about the job at the lighthouse, some in answer to the summons about working in the mill.
Mr. Carson had already vetted some of the men and Dathan had them follow him to a small room at the back of the mill that Mr. Panganopolis used as his own office. The final say of who would go or stay would be left up to Dathan. Although he trusted Mr. Carson, he would trust his own intuition better, his instincts about people having never failed him yet.
He seated himself behind a small desk and motioned the first man forward, a giant man with curling red hair. He had to be well over six feet, his large girth adding to the impression of a mountain of a man. He was twisting his hat in his hands nervously as he approached.
“What can I do for you, Mr....?”
“Doyle. Sean Doyle. I’m here about the lighthouse job.”
Dathan reached out a hand and Sean took it, the surprise evident on his face at the gentlemanly action afforded to him.
“Have you had experience in such work, Mr. Doyle?”
“Not really. In Ireland we build our homes of rock and thatch, but I don’t think working with planks would be much different.”
Dathan summed him up in a glance, impressed with his honesty. The man’s brown eyes were clear of guile. Dathan had a good feeling about him and he was certain Adrella would approve. Sean’s Irish brogue was much thicker than Adrella’s, but since she had lived in the States for most of her life it was no wonder.
Dathan wrote a note on a piece of paper and handed it to Sean. “Give this to Mr. Carson. He will tell you what to do next.”
Sean’s eyes gleamed with appreciation. “Thank ya, sir. You’ll no be regrettin’ it.”
Dismissing him with a smile, Dathan motioned the next man forward. If he could be called a man. The young man who stepped up had probably barely started to shave.
“Name?”
“Henry Pierson, sir.”
What was Carson thinking sending him such a young man? He studied Henry for a moment, impressed with his quiet reserve. Brown curly hair flowed about his head in wild abandon. Blue eyes quietly studied him back.
Dathan reached a hand forward and Henry took it, his handshake firm. One could tell a lot about a man just by his handshake. Dathan was impressed once again.
“What brings you here, Mr. Pierson?”
&nb
sp; The boy looked down at his feet. “If you please, sir. I’m my mother’s only means of support, and I have three sisters to boot.”
Intrigued, Dathan asked him, “Where are you from, Henry?”
“New York, sir.”
Could the boy not find work in New York? Dathan had no idea what in the boy’s past had sent him so far from home when he had a family to care for, but he understood Mr. Carson’s choice a little better now. Despite his gruff exterior, Carson was a godly man with a heart of gold. Carson was giving the boy a chance and Dathan decided he could do no less. He quickly wrote a note and handed it to Henry.
“Find Mr. Carson.”
The boy’s head snapped up, his face flushed with relief. “Thank you, sir.”
One after another the men came forward. Carson had done a fine job choosing these men. There wasn’t a man among them that Dathan thought to decline.
In the end he had seven men ready to go with him to Cape St. George. With so much help, it shouldn’t take long to get the keeper’s cottage built. He was suddenly antsy with anticipation. He had been gone from the island for five days now instead of the one he had hoped to be gone. He wanted to get back quickly, but he still had things to see to before they could depart. The delay was frustrating him. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Adrella because of all these delays.
* * *
Placing Grace inside the tent, Adrella quickly moved the remaining supplies up to the light tower. If it did rain, it was going to cool the temperature dramatically, especially at night. It would be better to store some dry wood in the tower for protection against the elements so that she would be able to have a fire.
She was perspiring heavily by the time she was finished. Wiping a hand across her brow, she noted that the clouds had steadily moved closer. It looked like she was going to get wet after all.
She moved into the tent with Grace as the first spattering of raindrops hit. The sound grew louder as the rain increased in tempo. The wind shook the tent, but not violently as she had anticipated. She relaxed slightly. It was only a small autumn storm.
Lifting Grace from the crate, she hugged the kitten close. The ensuing purr helped to settle Adrella’s nerves.
“Well,” she told the kitten, “it looks like we’re stuck here for a while.”
The drumming of the rain added to her sleepless nights began to make her drowsy. She curled down into her sleeping pallet, Grace tucked against her chest. Before long, her eyes drifted closed and she slept. Sometime later the increasing cold awakened Adrella. The rain had slackened but was still pelting the tent in a steady beat. Shivering, she added Dathan’s quilt to her own and huddled down once again.
How many hours had passed? There was no way to tell when dusk was falling because it was already twilight with the darkness of the passing storm and she had no timepiece to give her the hour.
She decided to light the light early. Placing Grace back in her crate, Adrella pulled Dathan’s Macintosh from the one crate she had left packed. The coat engulfed her, making it hard to move. Still, it was better than getting soaked and possibly taking a chill.
After entering the tower, she removed the rubber coat and laid it on an oil barrel at the base of the stairs.
Climbing the stairs once again, she couldn’t help but think of Dathan doing the same thing twice a day, day after day. The monotony, the boredom, the loneliness, how did he manage to do it for two years? And he didn’t even have a kitten to keep him company.
She lit the lantern and leaned against the outside glass of the lantern room trying to see out across the water. The rain against the glass distorted the view. She could see nothing. Sighing, she retraced her steps and returned to the tent.
Leaving the wet coat by the entry, she once again settled down on her pallet. Since Grace was curled up asleep, Adrella left her alone. Shivering, she pulled the quilts over her and fought the tears that threatened.
How much longer, Dathan? She wondered.
The rain continued, once again lulling Adrella to sleep.
* * *
Dathan found Mr. Carson and Mr. Panganopolis at the dock loading the planking onto a small scow that would be used to take all the supplies he had ordered to the island at one time.
Mr. Panganopolis tucked his thumbs into his overall straps. “This’ll get you started. I’ll have another load to send in about three days.”
Dathan nodded. “Good.” He had arranged for the funds to be sent down from New York to the bank. Now he needed to see about finding the other supplies he had special ordered. They were supposed to have been delivered to Mr. Yankton’s warehouse as soon as possible. They were being shipped over from Mobile so it shouldn’t take long but, then again, the whole coast along the gulf had been hit pretty hard by the hurricane. Even with money the appropriations had been difficult.
Mr. Carson handed him a package wrapped in brown paper and twine. Dathan lifted an eyebrow in query.
“It’s a flag. I noticed that the other one was missing.”
Relieved, Dathan took the package from him. There were specific instructions for lighthouse keepers about keeping the colors. It had bothered him more than a little bit that he hadn’t been able to fulfill those obligations.
“When will we be ready to leave?” Mr. Carson asked. He intended to go to the island with them for one last inspection before he headed back north.
“It’s too late to do so today,” Dathan told him, noticing the descending sun. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
“I’ll be ready.”
Shaking hands, Dathan then left to check on the supplies coming into Yankton’s warehouse.
He found Mr. Yankton checking a list against the barrels and crates stacked around him. Mr. Yankton looked up and smiled.
“Looks like everything’s here, Mr. Adams.”
He handed the bill of lading to Dathan and Dathan ran his own inventory. He relaxed when he realized that it was, indeed, complete, even down to the potbellied stove he had requisitioned.
“Good job, Mr. Yankton. Could you send everything down to the dock to be loaded onto the scow? I want to leave as early as possible in the morning.”
“Will do. Sorry it took so long.”
So was Dathan, but he knew it couldn’t be helped. He only hoped Adrella understood and that she was doing okay. Any number of things could go wrong and it had caused him many sleepless nights. The rain last night had him worried.
He moved down to the dock, waiting rather impatiently as the sun dropped lower behind the horizon. He held his breath without realizing it, his heart beating an erratic rhythm.
Each night he had come to this very spot and looked toward the island eight miles away. Each night he waited patiently for the light to shine, the only sign he had that everything was all right with Adrella. Each night he prayed harder than he had ever prayed in his life.
Moments later the light from the lighthouse beamed out across the water. Blowing out a breath in relief, Dathan smiled.
“That’s my girl.”
He headed back to Mr. Panganopolis’s mill where he had made camp for the past several days.
* * *
The next morning, Dathan tried to will the boats to go faster. The scow was being towed by two rowboats. One boat held the crew for the lighthouse, the other contained hired men who would then return the emptied scow back to Apalach for another load of planks. Both were rowing steadily toward the island, but not fast enough to check Dathan’s impatience.
Adrella was not at the top of the lighthouse. Had she seen them? Was she even now making her way to the dock that serviced the island?
When they finally were close enough, he could see Adrella standing at the small pier waiting for them. His heart jumped, then steadied into a rapid beat.
&nb
sp; The closer they came, the harder he studied her. Was she all right? He could see no signs that anything had happened to her physically. Relieved, his shoulders relaxed.
He noticed the men staring at her in various degrees of astonishment.
“My wife,” he told them, his voice holding a warning.
They glanced at him in surprise. No wonder, for he had neglected to mention Adrella to them. At the time he had been so focused on other things it hadn’t occurred to him.
He glanced back at Adrella and realized just how much he had missed her. He wasn’t quite certain what kind of greeting he was going to get. He had promised her one night alone and instead it had been five. She would be within her rights if she lambasted him up one side and down the other. He couldn’t help but grin at the thought.
When they were close enough, he jumped from the boat and slogged his way to shore leaving the men to dock the boat. He walked slowly toward Adrella, doubtful of his welcome.
She hesitated but a moment and then ran and threw herself into his arms. Taken by surprise, all he could do was hold her, and it suddenly occurred to him that this was the very thing he most wanted to do.
He tilted her chin up until he could see those glorious green eyes, those eyes that had haunted his sleep for the past several nights. He frowned at the tears that were turning them into a liquid sea.
“Are you all right?” he asked huskily.
“I am now.” She smiled, rubbing the tears from her eyes. “What took you so long?”
No recriminations, just an acceptance of his delay and, in her eyes, a delight to see him. He wanted nothing more right now than to stand here holding her and absorb that fact. A cough from behind reminded him of the others’ presence.
He placed an arm around her waist and moved her toward the pier. “The hurricane affected many parts of the South. Transportation was sporadic. It took time to get all the supplies together.”
They joined Mr. Carson at the pier. He smiled at Adrella.
“Hello again, Mrs. Adams.”
There's Always Tomorrow Page 12
