by Bess McBride
“Steady now, boys! We do not want to be dragged into the coral reef. Pull hard and row for the break,” Daniel called out. I turned to look to the right. White waves, visible under the moonlight, crashed against the reef. I felt the canoe accelerate as waves pushed it toward the reef.
“Pull!” Daniel yelled. “Keep the canoe steady!”
“We’re trying, Doctor!” one of them yelled back.
“Hang on, Maggie! Take hold of me and hang on!” Daniel shouted.
I bit my lip and wrapped my arms around Daniel’s waist as the canoe lifted up on a wave and crashed down.
Chapter Twelve
But we didn’t hit the reef. The men managed to keep the canoe from crashing into the destructive coral until they found the cut in the reef. They maneuvered the boat through the break and then glided on into the peaceful lagoon.
I saw a figure running on the beach. Small and energetic, it looked like Thomas. We rowed toward shore, and he ran into the water to help pull the canoe onto the sand.
“Where are the ladies?” Daniel asked him.
“Sleeping,” he said. “Where did you get this boat?” he asked with rounded eyes.
“We stole it,” Daniel said.
“Mrs. Wollam! Welcome back! What happened?”
“We will tell you later, Thomas,” Daniel said. “Right now I think we could all use something to drink and a bit of food. There is a possibility that we may be pursued, and we might not have much time to move, but move away from our present location we must. We are too exposed here.”
Daniel picked me up in his arms and stepped onto the sand. He carried me toward the A-line huts just inside the tree line. At the sound of our arrival, Mrs. Darymple stepped outside of her hut. She saw me and rushed forward as Daniel lowered me to the sand in front of my hut. She knelt down next to me and grabbed my hand.
“Maggie, my dear! You are safely back. Wherever did you go?” I noted that she eyed my robe but said nothing.
“We do not have much time, Mrs. Darymple,” Daniel said. “Mrs. Wollam was kidnapped by islanders intent on trading her to the French for a convoluted purpose. We rescued her from a French naval vessel, but I had to overcome one of their sailors to do so. I expect that we will soon be pursued by the islanders or the French or perhaps both, possibly as early as dawn. We must leave the encampment, but as to where, I am not yet certain.”
“Islanders? Do you mean Polynesians?”
“Yes.”
“Then we are not alone on the island.”
“No,” I said. “There’s a large village further along the coast.”
“And you were kidnapped and traded to the French? How very extraordinary! And what did the French intend to do with her?” She looked up at Daniel.
“Well, I think the captain wanted to rescue me from the Polynesians.”
“Though I found her on board the French vessel, locked in a cabin,” Daniel growled.
“Locked in a cabin? Oh, that sounds ominous,” Mrs. Darymple said. She scanned my robe once again, and I tugged at each side to pull it closer.
At the movement, she patted my hand. “There, there, my dear. No need to worry about that now. Dr. Hawthorne has rescued you, and that is that.”
“Yes, but we need to strategize,” Daniel said. “We can do one of three things. Take the canoe out to sea and attempt to search for another island, but we do not know if any islands are nearby, nor do I know if the canoe could hold all of us. Then, how could we provision it for a journey of what might be several days or more?
“We could take the canoe around toward the east side of the island to search for another beach, but it is likely the islanders might also sail the perimeter of the island to search for us. Likely the French might do so as well.
“Our final and, I think, best option is to move inland. We could scuttle the canoe by overturning it and pushing it out of the lagoon to suggest that we drowned in a mishap. We could then move inland until we determine that the islanders and the French no longer pursue us. We can always send one or two of the boys to fish or collect seafood with which to supplement our diet.”
“I agree with you,” I said. “Moving inland would be best.”
“Is there is no chance that we can negotiate with the French?” Mrs. Darymple asked. “For passage off the island? I do have money.”
“No, I do not think so, Mrs. Darymple. As I mentioned, I struck one of their sailors, rendering him insensible. Further, I fear this Captain Sebastian will attempt to retake Mrs. Wollam.”
“Why should they retake her?” Mrs. Darymple asked.
“The French captain has a reputation. I do not wish to say more.” Daniel looked away.
“Then let us not delay,” Mrs. Darymple said, as if understanding Daniel’s cryptic remark. “I shall waken Agatha at once, though how she has slept through our noise is beyond my comprehension.”
Mrs. Darymple rose slowly and stepped into her hut.
“Come, boys,” Daniel said. “Let us dispose of the canoe. Frederick, please stay with the women for their safety.”
“Yes, sir,” he said.
“I hate to see our only way off the island pushed out to sea,” I said softly.
“I understand,” Daniel said. “And yet I cannot imagine floating about the ocean in such a small vessel.”
“Yes, I agree.”
The men, including Thomas, moved away, and I watched as they pushed the canoe into the lagoon. They jumped in and rowed away toward the break in the reef. Frederick sat down beside me to join me in my vigil. I sensed he wished he could have gone with them.
“It is the middle of the night, Mrs. Darymple. Surely this can wait until morning? I can barely see in the dark.” I heard Mrs. Simpson fussing. Frederick and I turned to see the women emerging from the hut.
“No, Agatha. I think urgency is of the utmost.”
“But what is happening?”
“Here is Mrs. Wollam back. She was kidnapped by Polynesians and the French, and it is likely that one or the other are coming back here.”
“What? Kidnapped? The French? Are there other people on the island then? Are we to be rescued?”
“No, Agatha. I am afraid I do not have time to explain all. Slip your boots on, there’s a good girl. We have to flee.”
“I do not understand,” Mrs. Simpson fretted. She sat down on the sand near me and laced up her boots in the dark.
“Mrs. Wollam, we wondered what had become of you,” she said. “I do not understand. Here is one young man, but where are the rest of the men, Mrs. Darymple?” She looked up as Mrs. Darymple lowered herself and sat down next to her.
“They have gone to overturn the canoe and will return shortly.”
“Canoe? What is a canoe? I see a moving shape in the water. Is that a small boat?” She peered out onto the lagoon, the translucent color well lit under moonlight.
“Yes, Agatha, that is Dr. Hawthorne, the men and Thomas. They are in a canoe, a Polynesian boat.”
“But where are they going?”
“I told you. To overturn it, to scuttle it. It seems we may be in danger from the Polynesians, perhaps the French. At the very least, one or the other will come in search of us. Dr. Hawthorne feels that if we overturn the canoe and send it out to sea, our pursuers will think we sailed out and were all drowned.”
“But a perfectly good boat!”
“Yes, I feel the same way. Nevertheless, we would not know where to go, where the next island might be. Dr. Hawthorne feels we must move inland and hide.”
“Inland?” Mrs. Simpson looked over her shoulder toward the darkness of the tree line behind us.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Simpson,” I spoke up. “I think we’ll be safer inland than at sea. Hopefully, they won’t come looking for us at all, but in case they do, we can hide in the jungle.”
“Jungle? Jungle?” Mrs. Simpson fretted again.
I shared her fears but kept them to myself. The thick foliage behind us swayed and rustled ominous
ly in the night breezes, and I didn’t know how we could find our way in the darkness. I had seen some of the jungle and even reveled in its beauty, but we could not go in that direction. We were about to embark on a journey at night through thick jungle with two elderly women and a cripple.
I rose to stand, determined not to be a burden. Frederick jumped up though to help steady me. My feet burned with the weight, but slightly less than they had the day before. Surely with some sort of stick as a cane, I could make my own way to wherever we chose to go.
“Are you in pain, madam?”
“A little,” I murmured. “But I have to get up one way or the other if we’re to travel.”
“I do not understand,” Mrs. Simpson continued. “Why would the French pursue us? We have no quarrel with them.”
“It is not clear that they will, Agatha. We have no way of knowing. Please try not to worry. We are together, we are alive, and we have four big strong men to care for us.”
I turned to look at the lagoon. Four ghostly silhouettes moved toward us. I knew it was the men and Thomas wading through the shallow water on their return, but the sight terrified me. The hair on my scalp rose. I resisted an urge to drop down and bury myself in the sand like a turtle. Gritting my teeth, I watched.
Ten minutes later, the men emerged onto the beach, recognizable as Daniel, Samuel, James and young Thomas.
Soaking wet, all of them, I worried that they had no spare dry clothing. The night air was balmy, but I saw slender Thomas shivering. I wrapped an arm around him. He froze in my embrace, and I gave up nurturing him and dropped my arms. He flashed me a faint smile and returned to shivering like the other men.
“Come. We must go. Did you explain all to Mrs. Simpson?” Daniel asked us.
“As best that I could,” Mrs. Darymple said.
“Maggie, I see that you are standing bravely, but I think I must carry you.”
“No, you can’t possibly carry me all the way through the jungle. I can walk. Maybe if I lean on someone?”
“Yes, of course,” Daniel said, slipping a supporting arm around my waist. My heart fluttered, as it always did with his touch.
“Fortunately, we have a measure of moonlight with which to find our way,” Daniel said. “We will head away from the village.”
Frederick helped Mrs. Simpson to her feet, and Samuel took charge of Mrs. Darymple.
Daniel led the way slowly past the huts, half carrying me despite my best intentions. I really couldn’t walk very well. We stepped into the tree line and moved between trees. We picked our way through the thick foliage for a while until a path of some sort presented itself.
“This can’t be good,” I whispered, not wanting the others to hear.
“The trail is narrow, likely used by animals, perhaps a boar. I have seen them on the Polynesian islands before.”
“A boar?” I squeaked.
“Perhaps,” Daniel said.
I strained to see if some hairy little creature with gleaming eyes and sharp tusks awaited us on the path, but could see little now that the overhead canopy of trees blocked much of the moon.
“Do they attack?”
“They could, I imagine. Still, better to face a boar than your newfound friends.”
“Which? The Polynesians or the French?” I asked, peering into the darkness again for any sign of movement. “I still don’t feel like either group was going to harm me.”
“It is difficult to know. The Polynesians were certainly prepared to trade you to a ship full of men, and the French more than happy to incarcerate you.” Daniel’s voice deepened, and he pulled me closer to him. At the moment, I didn’t care what surrounded us. I felt utterly safe in his arms.
“Doctor, I recognize this path. I know where we are,” Samuel said from behind us. “This is the way to the pool where we found the water.”
Daniel stopped and turned.
“To the pool? Do you think it safe there?”
“It seemed very secluded,” James offered.
“Then that is where we will go...for now,” Daniel said. “Lead the way, gentlemen.”
Samuel moved ahead with Mrs. Darymple. James and Thomas followed them, while Frederick lagged behind us with a sagging Mrs. Simpson.
We traveled on for another half hour or so until the sound of rushing water caught our ears. I noted that the sky had lightened to a soft charcoal gray, as if dawn approached.
We came upon a small opening in the jungle and stopped just as the trees fell away to reveal the source of the water. A delightful waterfall cascaded down into a pool of water. I imagined that must be what paradise looked like. In muted predawn shades of purple, blue and green, the tropical oasis beckoned.
The others reached us, and together we gazed upon the scene. When James and Thomas stepped forward, Daniel stalled them.
“Wait! You will be quite exposed if you step out into the open. Let us pause here temporarily in the sanctuary of the trees, perhaps allow the ladies to rest.”
“This would be a lovely place to relocate,” Mrs. Darymple said.
“Yes, I agree,” Daniel said. “And yet I fear the Polynesians must know about the existence of this oasis. The island is not immense.”
“I cannot go on,” Mrs. Simpson said. “I cannot. Can I sit?”
“Yes, of course, Mrs. Simpson.” Frederick settled her onto a fallen tree.
Daniel eyed her and sighed heavily.
“Yes, the women must rest. If we see nothing or anyone worrisome, we might be able to establish a temporary camp here.” Daniel lowered me to the tree next to Mrs. Simpson, and Samuel did the same with Mrs. Darymple.
“We will reconnoiter the area to see if there have been signs of human habitation or use,” Daniel said. “We shall not go far.”
The men and Thomas moved out, Daniel pointing toward the perimeter of the oasis. Through the trees, I could see Daniel and Thomas carefully pick their way through the foliage to the right, while the other three men circled the oasis to the left. I lost sight of them within minutes.
“Did I hear the doctor mention wild animals? A boar? What is a boar?” Mrs. Simpson asked, her voice higher than normal.
“A wild hairy pig, Agatha,” Mrs. Darymple said. “I have read about them. Yes, I would imagine there might be wild animals in the jungle.”
“Oh no,” Mrs. Simpson moaned.
I sympathized with her and scanned our surroundings with unease. The men returned in about ten minutes and rallied for a discussion.
“There are no signs of use—no evidence of campfires, no human debris. I think we might do well here for a while.” Daniel smiled encouragingly. “If you ladies are in agreement, I think the men and I will begin to build some shelters before nightfall. Perhaps you would like to go down to the water’s edge to refresh yourselves, to drink some water?”
“I will help you, Maggie,” Daniel said. He pulled me to my feet and led me out into the open. The sun must have risen above the horizon, and the colors in the oasis had sharpened into emerald-green ferns, a white foaming waterfall and a mirrored pool in shades of blue and black. Brilliant red, pink and yellow flowers bloomed throughout the surrounding shrubs. Ebony lava rocks reminded me once again of the island’s volcanic origins.
It was on a bank of those rocks that Daniel settled me on a smooth boulder. He lowered himself to his knees and leaned into the pool, cupping his hands to gather water. My heart thumped as he brought the water to my lips. I drank from his hands, and he repeated the movement again. I could not have imagined a more romantic setting, with the exception of being alone. He watched me intently, and I almost imagined we were alone.
Daniel gathered one more handful of water, and I held his wrist ostensibly to guide the water to my mouth. I simply wanted to touch him, and I did not let go.
Birds twittered in the trees nearby. Mrs. Darymple and Mrs. Simpson, a short distance away on a small beach, drank and washed their faces. The waterfall hummed with splashing water. Sunlight filled the oasis
. And Daniel leaned forward to kiss my wet lips.
Chapter Thirteen
“Dr. Hawthorne!” a female voice said reprovingly. A pulse thudded in my ears, and I wondered where the voice came from. I opened my eyes to see Daniel’s dark-brown gaze watching me tenderly.
Lost in the moment, I blinked as Daniel sat back and looked over his shoulder toward the older women.
“Really, Dr. Hawthorne!” Mrs. Simpson said from where she and Mrs. Darymple sat on the beach. “Most unseemly.”
“Nonsense, Agatha,” Mrs. Darymple said. “Let us leave the young people alone. We must no longer be governed by such strict rules, not in our present circumstances.”
My cheeks flamed, and I looked down at my lap.
With gentle fingers, Daniel lifted my chin so that I looked up at him. His bright smile held a hint of mischief.
“Do you wish to refresh yourself? Can you reach the water, or would you rather sit near the ladies?”
“No...no,” I stammered. “I’m fine here. I can reach the water.”
“Good. I must go help with the huts.”
“Yes,” I said in a dreamy voice.
He tapped my nose, then rose to move away. I watched him return to the tree line—a tall man with an easy stride. His uniform, once crisply laundered, was crumpled and crusted with sand. But he still wore it well. I imagined him lounging on one of the lava rocks in a white linen shirt and trousers, like some sort of pirate. How handsome he would look.
I turned away and lowered myself to my chest on the flat rock to cup water into my hands and wash my face. Keeping my eyes averted from the ladies, I returned to a sitting position and removed the Band-Aids from my feet with care, following which I dropped my feet into the cool water, conveniently ignoring the fact that I had also drunk water from the same pool. What was a castaway to do?
Bracing my arms behind me, I leaned back and closed my eyes, blissfully reveling in the memory of Daniel’s soft kiss. A sound from behind me caught my attention, a rustling in the brush.
I popped open my eyes and twisted to search the nearby foliage. I could hear the voices of the men in the other direction but saw no one in the direction of the rustling.
