by Diann Hunt
After the boats were a distance out, Adelaide decided to go to the cookhouse and work on dinner. Before she turned, someone yelled, “Stoven boat.”
Adelaide jerked around and looked back out to sea. Her heart caught in her throat. She watched as the men in the other whaleboats paddled hard and fast to get to the men tossed from their boat. She pulled a handkerchief from her dress pocket and twisted it in her hands. Her lips uttered another prayer. Where was Josiah?
She strained her neck to get a glimpse, desperately trying to find Josiah in the crowd. The ship tossed about, and water formed a mist across her eyes, making it impossible to recognize the men in the distance. She finally gave up and went downstairs to nurse her queasy stomach.
By the time the men came back, Adelaide had returned to the deck, though still feeling a little out of sorts. As the men climbed aboard, she saw that they had fastened the whale, though their countenance showed no trace of excitement. Something was wrong, but she didn’t know what.
Fear sliced through her until Josiah came into view. She breathed a sigh of relief. He walked over to her. “We’ve lost a man, Adelaide.”
She gasped. “Oh Josiah, no.” Her eyes searched his face. “Who was it?”
“Ebenezer Fallon.”
A pain shot through her. “Not Ebenezer. He wasn’t ready to meet the Lord, Josiah.” She lifted tears to him.
“I know.” Josiah reached up and tenderly brushed the tears from her face. Someone called to him for assistance. “Be right there.” He turned back to Adelaide.
“How did it happen?”
“He was drunk. Couldn’t handle himself with a stoven boat.”
“Once the oil is stowed, are you planning a service for Ebenezer?”
Josiah nodded then turned and walked away.
Adelaide walked near the vicinity of the whale and stood in awe. She could never have imagined such a sight. Her pa had told her a right whale’s massive head contained fifteen hundred pounds of bone. Looking at it now, she believed him. The display before her was both gruesome and spectacular.
The crew quickly commenced to cutting and boiling. They worked tirelessly stowing the 155 barrels of oil just before another gale stirred up, obliging them to put out the fires and stop the tryworks. The weather would not permit them to gather on the deck. Josiah decided the service for Ebenezer would be put off till after they went to port.
Following their hard work, a dead calm plagued them. Miserable whaling weather. The Courage pulled into the nearest port for trading. The customhouse officer came on board, and shortly after, the ship anchored.
Knowing the stop was strictly for business, Adelaide stayed on board.
Once Josiah returned, he told her they had received $1.50 per pound for the whalebone. An unheard-of price.
“I suppose we have the ladies, with all their hoops and corsets, to thank for such a fine price,” Josiah teased.
Adelaide’s face grew warm. “May the fashion long continue,” she said with a smile.
With the ship back on course, Josiah made arrangements for the crew to meet on deck in the evening for Ebenezer’s service.
Josiah spoke of the vastness of the heavenly Father’s creative power. With a sweep of his arms, he talked of the majesty and dangers of the seas and the surety of eternity.
Genuinely mourning for Ebenezer’s soul, Josiah spoke of forgiveness. Who knew what Ebenezer’s life had been like? Josiah explained to the crew someone had once told him life was full of choices. He turned to Adelaide and smiled then continued with his speech. “Our choices tangle together with the choices of other people, each affecting the other.” He spoke words of comfort and finally ended the service with a prayer for all who were still living, that they might learn to make the right choices.
The crew dispersed. A whaleman came over to Josiah. He fidgeted with the cap in his hands. “After what he did to you and your wife, I don’t know how you could forgive him.”
“After all that God has forgiven us, can we do any less?”
The man scratched his head.
“I’m not saying it’s easy to forgive people who wrong you, only that there’s no peace without it.”
“I let him get me stirred up.” The man looked down at the deck. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“People can be persuasive. Let it be a lesson to you to stand strong next time.”
The sailor stopped fidgeting with his cap and looked at Josiah with thankful eyes. “I’m proud to serve with you, sir.”
He smiled. “And we’re proud to have you. My prayers are with you.”
The man’s eyes grew wide. “I’m obliged.” He turned and walked away.
Josiah knew God was working in the hearts of the crew. He prayed that through this misfortune, the men would come to know the Lord.
Over the next several weeks, the Courage made good headway. The catch of another large whale kept the crew busy.
Once the deck was scrubbed back to normal, Adelaide enjoyed walking on board and watching the clouds that hovered overhead. The weather, calm and warm, provided the perfect setting for Adelaide as she pulled her chair out on the deck. With her journal in hand, she made her entry: March 4. Making it a point to stay current with the news every chance she got, Adelaide remembered having read in a newspaper that on this very day the newly elected president, James Buchanan, would take his seat in the presidential chair. She wondered if Josiah could be distantly related to the new president.
Life seemed so different on the seas than on land. She thought it a wonder they were fortunate enough to hear who had won the election at all when they were so far from home.
“Enjoying yourself?” Josiah’s voice warmed her more than the sun.
“Uh-huh.” She closed her journal and looked at him. They were growing closer, but would they ever be man and wife? She dreamed of the day. She hoped it would happen. One day.
“Walk with me to the rail?” He extended his hand to her. Adelaide reached for it and rose from her chair. Together they walked to the railing and looked out to sea.
“We’ve been on our journey over three months now.” His gaze fixed on the waters, he seemed to be speaking to no one in particular. He hesitated as if afraid to say the next words. Turning to her, he asked, “Are you happy, Adelaide?” His eyes searched hers.
She looked him full in the face and said with certainty, “I’m very happy, Josiah.”
Lost in the moment, neither one pulled away. Josiah looked for all he was worth as though he wanted to kiss her. Wanting him to desperately, yet not wanting to create a spectacle in front of the crew, Adelaide blinked, bringing both of them to their senses.
Josiah cleared his throat. “Good,” he said matter-of-factly. He looked back toward the sea. “We should arrive on Akaroa Island sometime tomorrow afternoon. Hope to stay about a week, do some trading, give the men a chance to relax, buy more supplies.”
Adelaide smiled, excited at the thought of being on land awhile. “We’re still a ways south of New Zealand, right?”
“Right,” he answered with a smile.
She smiled back, knowing he understood her struggle with directions.
“I’ll let you get back to your journal,” he said. Once more he turned to her and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. He smiled then walked away, leaving her cheek burning where his finger had been.
The following morning, Adelaide prepared for fishing. Josiah helped her place a piece of white cloth onto a hook and instructed her to bob it up and down to make it look like a flying fish. By morning’s end, she felt a bit puffed up with pride for having caught several large fish. Josiah seemed proud of her and suggested she cook her catch for lunch, which she immediately set out to do.
By early afternoon, the ship had arrived at the shores of Akaroa Island. The wharf bustled with activity when the Courage finally anchored. Ships lined the port. Crewmen spilled onto the shores, anxious to explore the island. Some stayed behind and worked busily on ship repairs. Adelaide th
ought the sights spectacular. As soon as they anchored, the customhouse officer came on board with a boat’s crew of natives. Josiah followed them for the purpose of obtaining a boarding place while on shore.
Within a couple hours, Adelaide and Josiah were in the boat on their way to the house of Paul and Ruth Burks. Longing for the company of another woman, Adelaide was disappointed the Burks were traveling abroad and would not be there. Still, she could hardly wait to get settled into a real home.
Upon arrival, the straw cottage surprised her. Exotic trees and flowers surrounded it, making it appear every bit the island home. Its backyard faced the shoreline.
The cook and two women who took care of the house greeted Adelaide and Josiah and showed them around.
The house consisted of four rooms: a sitting room, two bedrooms, and a dining room. The sitting room extended the whole length of the house with a door opening at either end. Crimson and white drapery adorned four windows. Chinese chairs, lounges, and a sofa provided comfortable and decorative seating. Other furnishings included a secretary and library and center and side tables, while bright paintings and engravings hugged the walls, giving the room a homey feel.
“Do you like it?” Josiah whispered when no one was around.
“Very much.”
“Good.”
A knock sounded at the door. Josiah opened it. An islander stood in the entrance. “Captain Buchanan?”
“Yes?”
“You have an urgent letter, sir,” the young man said in polished English as he handed Josiah an envelope.
Fear gripped Adelaide as she worried that it might be bad news from home.
Josiah thanked the man and worked quickly to open the envelope. Adelaide watched as he stared at the paper, all color draining from his face. “What is it, Josiah?”
He turned a glazed look her way. Staring for a moment, he finally said, “It’s not about your family. I can’t talk about it now.” With envelope in hand, Josiah pushed through the doors, leaving a speechless Adelaide behind.
Chapter 15
Josiah walked up one street then another. Though the fever had left him weaker than it had found him, he continued to walk. He lifted the crumpled envelope in his hands time and again. Funny how a letter could change your life forever.
A child. He had a child. He paced with only a cursory glance at the colorful birds that swooped down upon the bright green foliage enhancing the land. His thoughts held him captive. What would he do with a child? He knew nothing of raising one. His hand absently raked through his hair. Suddenly, his footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
Adelaide.
He had asked her to be his cook. But a mother? Just when things were growing between them, would he lose her, too?
Why hadn’t Catherine told him she was pregnant? Did she despise him so much she would withhold his own child from him? Had he known her so little?
The Bayview Orphanage had written that Catherine had died in childbirth. Though Catherine’s mother raised the child for a short time, poverty and ill health had forced her to take the child to the orphanage. The orphanage had been searching for Josiah over the past two years, hoping to unite him with his daughter.
His daughter.
He kicked a stone in his path. Not that he wasn’t thankful for a child, but to gain one in this way? He couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible for Catherine’s death. She had made wrong choices, true, but he hadn’t exactly been the best husband. What kind of father would he be?
While some people took their children aboard whaling ships, he wasn’t sure he could do that. Life was hard on the seas. Did he want his daughter raised around a band of rough crewmen?
A more troubling thought nagged at him. Could he continue whaling? The last few whale catches had tired him beyond belief. He thought once he got over his illness, he would be good as new. Yet his former strength eluded him. He questioned his ability to continue. So many questions, so many decisions to make.
What do I do, Lord? Josiah felt at the end of himself. This was something he couldn’t fix. After hours of thinking, he decided he’d head back to the cottage. Most likely, Adelaide was in a state of confusion over his actions. How should he break the news to her?
“Yes, Adelaide, you’re about to become a mother.” He groaned. How could things get any worse? Raw emotion seared through him, with shame following close behind.
It’s not that he didn’t love children. Thoughts of having a child softened him. A faceless girl played before his mind. A toddler.
Being methodical by nature, he’d take it one step at a time. What else could he do?
The first step was to tell Adelaide the news. Her reaction would determine the next.
Adelaide couldn’t imagine what news Josiah had received. Whatever its content, it couldn’t be good. Other than when he was sick, she had never seen him so pale. She wanted to help him, but how could she since she didn’t know what the problem was?
Of course he didn’t share the problem with her. True, they had grown closer, but they weren’t truly husband and wife—yet.
She sat on a chair in the backyard, drinking in the liquid blue of the sky, the smell of the sea, the lush greenery. What would her friends back home say if they could see her now? If only she could take these sights home with her to share. Even then, she couldn’t imagine adequately describing the place to them. If only Ma and Esther could be with her now.
If Ma were here, she’d know what to do for Josiah. Visions of long talks with Ma on the porch filled Adelaide’s mind. “Oh, God, show me how to help him. Give me the strength to hear his news and help him through it.”
Josiah rehearsed the words in his mind all the way back to the cottage. He couldn’t worry about it. The words had to be said, and they would deal with the situation accordingly. After all, this little girl was his flesh and blood. He would not neglect her. Who knew what her life had been up to now?
Taking the last step up to their temporary home, Josiah drew in a ragged breath before opening the door. He stepped inside.
“Adelaide?” He went from room to room in search of her. With a quick glance out the window, he saw her sitting in the backyard. His heart stirred. He loved her. No denying it. Adelaide was an understanding woman, full of compassion. She’d stand by him. Why did he worry?
He pushed through the door and stepped out into the backyard. Upon seeing him, Adelaide rose from her chair. Her questioning eyes made him want to wrap her in his arms. The unspoken words kept them apart.
“I need to talk to you.”
She nodded.
Josiah cleared his throat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled envelope. He stared at it a moment. “This letter holds some disturbing news, I’m afraid.” Oh, how could he tell her this? How would she react? He decided to go for the lighthearted approach. “It seems …” He stared at his boots, not daring to look at her. “It seems that I’m a father.” He glanced up in time to see her teeter in place. His eyes fixed on her. She said nothing. “Addie? Are you all right?”
She looked as though cold water had been doused in her face. “A father?”
Her eyes looked all liquid and brown. He wanted to hold her, tell her things would work out, plead with her to understand. “Seems Catherine was with child when I set sail.” He stared across the waters. “I never knew.” The words lifted softly out to sea. He turned back to Adelaide. “She died in childbirth.”
Josiah thought Adelaide’s face looked flushed. Was she angry? Upset? Of course she was upset. How could he think otherwise?
She eyed him warily. “Where is the child?”
“I’m told she’s at an orphanage in Bayview, Massachusetts.”
“She.”
He nodded.
“Does she have a name?”
Her question startled him. He hadn’t even thought of that. “I suppose she does. I just don’t know what it is.”
“How old is she?”
“Three.”
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p; “What do you plan to do?”
He thought for a moment. “I have to get her.” He looked at Adelaide for understanding. “She’s my flesh and blood.”
“You had no idea?”
He was puzzled by her question. “No, of course not. What? You think I would keep something like this from you?”
“I don’t know what to think anymore, Josiah.” Her voice was thick with defeat. “Besides, you don’t owe me an explanation.” She glanced at her hands and whispered, “After all, I’m just your cook.” She looked up at him.
Her words hurt. He thought they had grown closer. But maybe that was all on his part. “Is that the way you want it?”
“Well, that was the agreement.”
“Yes, I suppose it was,” he answered, wishing with all his heart he could change things.
“When will you get her?”
He stroked his chin. “I don’t know. I’ll have to check into it.”
“I see.”
He paused a moment. “Will you go with me?”
Adelaide swallowed hard. “I’ll have to think on that, Josiah. I committed to being your cook, but a mother? Well, I just don’t know.” He nodded. “We’ll talk later.”
Now it was Adelaide’s turn to walk. Though it wasn’t proper to appear on the streets unescorted, Adelaide didn’t care. She needed time to think.
Alone.
The beauty of the sights around her did little to lift her spirits. It’s not that she minded mothering a child, especially Josiah’s child, but she couldn’t help feeling—what was it? She took a deep breath. “Might as well call it what it is, Adelaide Sanborn Buchanan. Jealousy.” The thought shamed her, but she knew it was true.
She was jealous of Catherine. No matter how hard she tried to rationalize her feelings, she knew the root of the problem. Catherine owned a piece of Josiah’s heart that Adelaide felt certain she could never reach. Perhaps Catherine owned all of his heart. Adelaide wondered if he’d ever offer his love to her.
