by Diann Hunt
“May I help you?” A thin woman with a beak of a nose, small eyes, and a permanent wrinkle between her brows said the words with impatience.
Josiah thought she looked like a bird. Feeling as though he were back in school, he stood and pulled off his cap. “I’m here to pick up my daughter.” He took the envelope from his pocket and handed it to her.
She glared at him then pulled out the letter, reading over it briefly. Stuffing it back into the envelope, she looked back at him and eyed him suspiciously. “And just how do I know you’re Josiah Buchanan?” Her lips were pulled into a severe line.
Though Josiah understood the reason for her question and appreciated her caution, Bird Woman was getting on his nerves. “I’ve got the letter, don’t I?”
She harrumphed, clearly offended by his comment. The woman lifted her chin, turned, and walked away. Josiah decided he should follow. They entered a small room with a desk and two chairs. Without a window, the room appeared stark and depressing. Over the next hour, Bird Woman grilled him with questions and handed him endless papers to fill out. Finally seeming convinced of his identity, she stood and announced, “I’ll take you to her.”
“Before we go, I need to let you know that I’ll have to make arrangements for a room at a boardinghouse, and I have some other matters to tend to, so I will return tomorrow evening for her. I trust she will be ready?”
The woman reluctantly nodded.
“Um, what’s her name?”
She turned a condemning look at him, as though he should be ashamed for not knowing. How could he have known? He hadn’t even known he had a child.
“Grace.”
The name surprised him. He hadn’t thought Catherine capable of choosing such a name. Josiah and the woman made their way to a room full of children preparing to eat dinner. Bird Woman went to the front of the room.
She clapped her hands together in the most annoying way, and the room grew quiet. “I wish to see Grace Buchanan, please.”
Josiah’s heart pounded hard against his chest. He searched the room for his daughter. Finally, the tiniest of forms with blond braided hair that fell to her waist walked away from the others and made her way toward Bird Woman. Josiah felt his legs go soft. As Grace walked toward him, he couldn’t believe what he saw. A shrunken imitation of himself, though her features were softened by femininity. Not a shred of Catherine in her. For some reason, relief washed over him.
With her head lowered, Grace lifted cautious eyes to him as if peering over spectacles. She chewed on her thumbnail while standing a bit behind Bird Woman’s skirt. The woman raised her chin and pulled Grace away from her. “Grace, this is your father, Captain Josiah Buchanan.”
The little girl said nothing. Josiah decided he would stay in Bayview for a short while, in an environment with which she was familiar, to give them time to get acquainted. He knew it would take some doing, but somehow he would win Grace’s heart, and he would treasure raising her.
With or without Adelaide.
Though tired and spent from her trip to Bayview, Adelaide still had time to make it to the orphanage before nightfall. When she arrived, a lady there told her Josiah had picked up his child, and most likely they had set sail by now.
Exhaustion made her want to cry. But instead, Adelaide merely thanked the woman and made her way out the door. What would she do? Ma had given her some money so she could at least spend the night if she could find a room. Tomorrow she would have to make her way back to Yorksville. Alone.
With heavy steps, she found her way to a boardinghouse where the owner took pity on her and agreed to allow her to spend one night. A heavy heart dictated her dreams that night. Dreams where she found herself very much alone.
The next morning, sunlight peered through the window, making Adelaide feel a little better than the night before. She had given the matter to the Lord, and that’s where it would stay. Quickly she got up and dressed. In order to find a stagecoach to return home, she’d have to hurry and make the arrangements. She’d grab a bite to eat first.
Once downstairs, she looked over to see a room full of men dining at the table. As hungry as she was, she didn’t feel it proper to sit and eat with them, so she lifted her bag and walked through the door into the sunlight.
Walking only a few steps from the boardinghouse, she heard someone call her name. It almost sounded like Josiah’s voice. She turned and looked in all directions. Nothing. Of course, she had imagined it. He seemed to follow her everywhere, even into her dreams.
Adelaide took a few more steps. The sound was clearer now, spoken directly behind her. She turned to see Josiah holding the hand of a beautiful little girl, the image of her father. Adelaide’s heart melted.
When Adelaide glanced at Josiah, his questioning eyes held hers. For a moment, both seemed lost in words they couldn’t speak. The look in Josiah’s eyes warmed her clear through. She loved him. Oh, how she loved him.
Finally, Josiah’s tender voice eased through the silence. “Grace, this is my wife, Adelaide. Adelaide, Grace.”
“Hello, Grace,” Adelaide said, scrunching down in front of the little girl. Grace lifted shy eyes to Adelaide. The little girl offered the faintest of smiles. Adelaide decided that was a good start.
“No question she belongs to you, Josiah.” Adelaide chuckled.
He nodded with a grin. His expression grew serious. “We need to talk, Adelaide. Have you eaten breakfast?”
She shook her head.
“We saw you in the boardinghouse. We haven’t eaten yet, either.”
“You were there? You should eat there.”
“No, I’d rather we have a little more privacy.”
Together the three of them made their way to the restaurant. Adelaide wondered what the next hour would bring.
Adelaide and Josiah spent most of their meal getting to know Grace. Little by little, the child talked, revealing snippets of her past to them. Already Adelaide could see herself mothering this child, with or without Josiah’s love. They could be a family; she knew they could. If Josiah wanted them on the ship—though life would be hard on the sea—they’d somehow survive. Watching Elizabeth and Peter McCord with their daughter, Emma, had shown Adelaide that much.
“Will you be my mama?” Grace asked after she clumsily took a drink of water and wiped her mouth on her arm.
Adelaide stared into Josiah’s eyes. Of course, he wanted her to say yes. He needed someone to look after Grace. Instead of the usual resentment, Adelaide had a sense of peace. “Yes, Grace, I will be your mama.”
Grace took another bite of her egg, her pudgy legs swinging beneath her.
When Adelaide looked back at Josiah, what she saw on his face surprised her. She thought he would be happy to hear her say yes. Instead, he looked—how—sad? She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something was definitely wrong.
Fears assailed her. Did he not even want her around anymore? The rejection caused her more pain than she cared to admit. Just when she thought she had things figured out, when it seemed all the answers were neatly in place, she found herself in a state of confusion once more.
“The beach is only a couple of blocks away. Can we talk there?” Josiah asked.
Adelaide nodded, fearing the worst.
On the beach, Josiah found a couple of chairs for them. Grace immediately set to work building a sand castle while Josiah and Adelaide settled into their chairs. Josiah took off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair. Where would he begin? How could he tell Adelaide he was giving up the Courage? That his body would no longer allow him to do the rigorous work he once did. Would she think him an invalid? Why, he didn’t even have a job.
Not only would she have to give up her dream of living on the sea, but she would be stuck with a man she didn’t love. Further, she’d have a child to raise.
Nausea swelled in his stomach. No matter how he tried to word it in his mind, the truth still spelled misery to his future with Adelaide.
Grace busied h
erself a few feet away from them. Amazing how well children adapted to new situations. At least that was something for which he was thankful. Adelaide sat motionless in the chair beside him—no doubt waiting for him to spill what was on his mind.
He fingered the cap back and forth in his hands. “I guess you’re wondering what I want to say?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t quite know how to tell you this, Adelaide.” He could feel her looking at him. He looked down at his cap, searching for the words. Finally, he turned to her. She looked so vulnerable. So beautiful. Oh, how he did not want to lose her! He cleared his throat and glanced back at his cap. “I know you love the sea, Adelaide. I would never take that away from you willingly.”
He lifted his gaze in time to see confusion on her face. “If there was any other way, if I could do anything to make it work—”
Adelaide stretched out her hand and placed it on his arm. “Josiah, what is it?”
He fidgeted in his seat until he mustered the nerve to say the words. “I have to give up whaling.” There. He’d said it. Fear would not let him look at her.
“But why? I could help you with Grace on the ship. We can do this.”
He shook his head. “That’s not it, Adelaide. I should have told you before, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Now I have no choice. Remember when I struggled with the tropical fever?”
She nodded.
“I’m afraid the fever has taken its toll on me. I’ve not been the same since. When it left, it took my strength with it. Truth is, I’m too weak to do what it takes to captain a whaling ship.” He swallowed back the pride, hating to admit he wasn’t man enough to handle the workload. “I know you must hate me for what I’ve put you through, and now to take away your dream—”
“Josiah, I don’t care about that.”
“Well, it’s just unthinkable that I would do that to you and—what?” He turned to her.
She smiled. “I said, I don’t care about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I don’t care if we can’t sail.”
Josiah looked at her with shocked disbelief. “But I thought—”
She laughed. “Well, I did, too. But the truth of the matter is that Pa painted a much different picture than the life I found on the whaling ship. While I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything and would be happy to continue whaling at your side, I’m equally happy, and more so, to live on land.”
He couldn’t believe his ears. She wanted to stay with him. More importantly, she actually sounded happy to stay with him. Before he could pull her into his arms, Grace came up to them.
“Look at my whaling ship,” she said, pointing toward her rather awkward creation.
“Oh Grace, it’s absolutely beautiful.” Adelaide reached over and, seeing the child did not back away, gave her a slight hug, to which Grace responded in kind.
“That’s a mighty fine ship, Grace,” Josiah agreed.
The child beamed at their praise.
“Grace, come here for a moment,” Josiah said. She walked over to him. “Would you be terribly disappointed if we don’t sail on a ship?”
Grace looked at him, puzzled.
“Adelaide and I, well, we want to find a real home on land with you right beside us. How would you like that?”
Grace smiled broadly, the first time they’d actually seen her pretty white teeth in a full, honest-to-goodness grin. “Can I play a little longer first?”
Josiah and Adelaide laughed. “Yes, indeed, you can,” Josiah answered.
Grace skipped over to her creation.
“She’s so much like you, Josiah.”
He rubbed his chin. “She is, at that. Poor child.”
Adelaide laughed. “Actually, I’m rather glad.”
Josiah thought Adelaide looked as though she could kick herself for saying that. “I’m glad, too.”
“You are?”
“Yes. If she had looked like Catherine, I would have had a daily reminder of my foolishness.”
Adelaide looked at him. Josiah turned to her. “I never loved her, Adelaide. I see that now. Whatever I felt for Catherine pales in comparison to what I feel for you.” Josiah tenderly covered her hands with his own. “I love you, and I want you to be my wife, in the truest sense of the word.” Without a blink, his gaze held her breathless.
“Adelaide Sanborn Buchanan, will you marry me—again?”
Chapter 20
Adelaide wondered if her heart would ever come back to her. It seemed to have taken wings and flown into paradise. “Oh, Josiah.” She couldn’t utter another word as the tears tumbled from her eyes.
“Is that a yes?” he asked with a laugh.
She continued to wipe away her tears and nodded vigorously. Before she could blink, Josiah jumped from his chair and scooped her into his arms.
He held her close, his face burrowed into her neck. His warm breath caused her skin to tingle. Lifting his head, he tenderly kissed her eyes, her nose, and finally her lips. Placing her on her feet, he pulled away slightly and looked at her. His fingers twirled a strand of hair that had escaped her bonnet. “You know, I’d still like to see your hair down sometime. I’ll bet it’s beautiful.”
Adelaide’s face burned as though someone held a candle only inches from her.
He smiled and kissed her once more, the emotion of recent days working its way through their kiss.
“I was going to stay in Bayview awhile for Grace to get acclimated to her new life, but she seems to be handling things just fine. I’ll make arrangements for us to take the first stage back to Yorksville. I think there’s one scheduled tomorrow. Then I’ll look around for work.”
Adelaide stepped back. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she said suddenly, as if waking abruptly from a dream. “The Markles asked if we would consider taking over the general store. Their health is failing. They would retain part ownership, though most of it would go to us. They want to continue living in the upstairs apartment but said we could live downstairs and run the store.”
Josiah stared at her wide-eyed. He shook his head. “I can’t believe this.”
“I hadn’t given it much thought till now. I thought we would head back to the ship,” she said.
“All my worrying, and God had everything taken care of from the start.” He leaned his head back and stared at the sky. With a twist of his wrist, he threw his cap in the air and let out a long whoop. He grabbed Adelaide and twirled her around.
Grace giggled and ran toward them to join in the celebration. Josiah lowered Adelaide and the three of them joined hands and skipped in circles, laughing and praising the Lord together.
Night breezes hovered over the sea, filling the air with a pleasant mist. Josiah finalized the arrangements, and together the little family headed back to the boardinghouse.
Grace skipped alongside Adelaide, holding her hand. “Can I call you Mama?” Grace seemed to have plucked the question from nowhere.
Adelaide turned to her with a start. She looked up to see Josiah staring at her. He threw her a wink. Adelaide turned back to Grace. “You certainly may call me Mama if you would like, dear.”
Grace’s pudgy hand squeezed Adelaide’s. The little girl said nothing, but her walk turned into a happy trot. A nurturing instinct coursed through Adelaide. How she loved this child already!
Once they reached the boardinghouse, they climbed the stairs and stopped in front of Adelaide’s room. She assumed they would get her things and move her into Josiah’s room. Josiah turned to her. “I have made arrangements for you to stay in your room one more night, Adelaide.”
A wave of disappointment swept over her. Did he notice?
“I want to marry you again. Really marry you. When we get back to Yorksville, we will have a proper wedding. This time, you will truly become my wife.”
Adelaide’s cheeks burned. “Oh, Josiah, you don’t need to do that.”
He put his fingers to her lips. “I want to do this fo
r you. For us.” He lowered his head and placed a tender kiss upon her lips. Raising his opened hand to her, she put her key in his palm. With a tip of his head, he nodded toward her and opened the door, allowing her entrance. She turned and looked at him. Lifting the key, he pressed it into her palm. “I don’t trust myself with it,” he whispered with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
She laughed. Grace tugged at Adelaide’s dress and snuggled next to her side. “Can I stay with you, Mama?”
Adelaide decided she liked the idea of being a mama. She looked at Josiah. If he was disappointed, he didn’t show it. Most likely, he was a trifle nervous about dealing with a child, anyway. He nodded to her.
“Yes, of course, Grace, you may stay with me.”
Her small face brightened.
Josiah winked. “Well, little family, I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Josiah.”
“Good night, Papa,” Grace said as naturally as if she had known him all her life.
Josiah scrunched down and kissed Grace on the forehead. “Good night.”
He stood. “Night, Addie.”
Adelaide smiled then closed the door, her heart beating wildly against her chest. She could hardly wait to go to bed and dream of the man she would soon marry—this time in every sense of the word.
The trip to Yorksville passed by without a hitch. Once Adelaide introduced Grace to her family and they finished dinner, they settled in for a comfortable chat.
“So tell me about you two,” Ma said while Esther skirted Grace out the door to check on the chickens.
Adelaide opened her mouth to speak, but Josiah raised his hand. “No, let me, Addie.”
She stopped and nodded.
Ma looked at them curiously. For the next fifteen or so minutes, Josiah explained about the pretense of their wedding, the struggles along the way, the note about Grace, and finally where everything had brought them.
When he finished, Ma sat back in her chair and looked at them. “I knew something wasn’t right. I just didn’t know what.” She looked at Adelaide. “I also knew that behind it all was something to do with your love for the sea.”
