“That’s me girl,” Morose said.
Lavender smiled and looked into Morose’s eyes, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at Lady Coberg. He wasn’t talking to Lavender; he was talking to her.
Lavender swallowed hard as Morose kissed her on the forehead and went up out of the hold. He patted Pauly on the back and walked to his cabin.
“He called you ‘me girl,’” Lavender said stoically.
Pauly froze. He knew that tone of voice.
“What?” Lady Coberg said as she looked up at Lavender, who had gone cold. Lady Coberg started to back away, but Lavender put her hands around her neck and began to squeeze the life out of her.
“No, Lavender!” Pauly yelled as he opened the grate. He bounded down the ladder and tried to pry Lavender’s hands off Lady Coberg’s neck.
“Lavender, this ain’t you! Stop it!” Pauly yelled.
Morose heard the ruckus and ran back to the hold. He jumped down into the hold and saw Lavender holding a pistol to Pauly’s face. Lady Coberg lay on the ground, panting and holding her bruised neck.
“Lavy, me love. Please, don’t shoot yer friend Pauly. I think yer might regret shooting him who’s closest to a father to yer.”
“I do everything you say, and you choose her over me?”
“Her? No, I not be choosing her over yer. Yer my one true love, the one I came back from the dead fer. There’s only yer, Lavy, me love!” Morose carefully walked up to Lavender and took the pistol from her hands. He handed it to Pauly, who tucked it in the back of his pants. Lavender looked relieved.
“I thought you wanted her now. I was going to kill her and then kill myself.”
“Lavender!” Morose gasped. “I have to ask, me girl, what’s gotten into yer? This aren’t right for you to be murdering and suiciding.”
“I don’t know. I just can’t imagine life without you. If you didn’t love me anymore, then why would I go on?”
Morose paused. He thought he understood what was happening. The pearl mirrored his own feelings for her and intensified them. He understood what she was saying. He felt the same about her, but it was tempered with reason and logic.
“Look at me, Lavy. I will never stop loving yer. Not ever. There never be need for yer to hurt someone else or yerself. Yer understand me now?”
Lavender nodded her head vigorously. “I promise. I won’t hurt anyone.”
“Good. Good girl.” Morose pulled Lavender into his arms tightly. “Pauly, see to Lady Coberg.”
Pauly rushed to Lady Coberg’s side and put his arms around her. “It’s okay, young’n. Pauly’s here.” He looked up at Morose. “I’m taking this here girl, and I’m leaving as soon as we’re close to a port. There ain’t nothin’ I can do here anymore if you ain’t willing to let Lavender go. She’s probably goin’ to get worse.”
“Fine, Pauly, take Lady Coberg first thing, but yer not be taking me Lavy. If yer take her away, she won’t never be coming back to me. I can’t bear it. I can’t lose her.”
Pauly shook his head in despair. “If you are in there, Lavender, I love ya like I love my own daughter. You hear me?”
Lavender looked at Pauly but showed no emotion.
“I feel I must warn you. This has gone on long enough. I am certain you are intent on never having Lavender and John together again. You will have a mob. I warn you!”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Mary! After all this time, why can’t you just trust me?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you; its just that it’s unbearable. I cannot stand to see Lavender so evil and murderous. I cannot stand to see John kissing that fishy tart!”
“Fishy tart? Can I use that in an upcoming story?” Liz asked as she grabbed her pen and dipped it in ink. She scrawled a note on a piece of paper.
Mary waved her hand dismissively. “Anyhow, I’ve got to get back home and get to work. It’s too easy to pass the time here with you and get nothing done all day.”
“Mary, wait. Do you know anything about sailboats?”
“Absolutely not,” Mary said, unimpressed.
“It’s just that I got a letter—a few letters—implying that I know nothing about boats, and I call ropes and things by the wrong names. I’d like to correct it. I think my father knows all about boating terminology. If you come with me to the docks, then you can see Michael midday. Won’t that be fun?”
“It’s almost as though you don’t want me to work.”
“Why would I want you to work?” Liz asked, genuinely confused.
“I think it would be fun, and also I wanted to look into something. I was approached by the dressmaker sisters, Megan and Jessi. They are interested in starting a shop with me. It would free up space in my home and offer me a more professional environment. Maybe I could even get an assistant!”
“I think that would be a very good idea, Mary! I wish I had thought of that.” Liz smirked.
“Oh, stop. They already told me it was your idea.”
“Well, you’re welcome then.”
“Come on, let’s get going. The day is wasting.”
“Where should we go first?” Liz asked as they opened her garden fence and stepped out on to the street.
“I would like to see the girls first. They’ve said they have a location in mind. It’s on Main, right next to the shoe shop. That would be an ideal location.”
“Hm, but is it big enough?”
“That is a fair point. I guess we will just have to go see for ourselves.”
“Jessi told me they had some dresses for me as well. I cannot wait! I am so uncomfortable. My last skirt is gaping in the waist because I can’t get it tied tight enough. I am embarrassed to leave the house, but I have little choice at this point. It’s this men’s shirt and gaping skirt or that horrid brown nightgown Gladys had at her shop.”
“Yes, hopefully they have that done for you. It must be a relief to be coming along safely in your pregnancy.”
“I—I hadn’t really thought about it. I haven’t even seen a midwife yet.”
“Midwife? What about a doctor? Aren’t midwives very old-fashioned?”
“You see, I don’t even know, Mary! My mother said she used midwives for all of us, and my sister Lilac always used a midwife.”
“My mother said she used a midwife with me and a doctor with Sarah, and we all know how Sarah turned out. So perhaps a midwife would be best.”
“I don’t think that is the most scientific study I’ve ever heard, but it does speak to me. I shall call on the midwife as soon as we are done today.”
“Good. Do you know when you are expecting?”
“No. I assumed it would be nine months from . . . Well, I’m not sure when.”
Mary shook her head. “We need to know when to expect little Mary Ann.”
Liz shook her head. “We will see about that. . . . There they are! Jessi! Megan!” Jessi and Megan turned and waved. They were standing in front of a little shop with a sign that said Post Office. It had been a post office long ago but had been empty for some time since the new post office was built. The building front was weathered gray with large windows that would do well for displays. It needed some paint and elbow grease, but it would do.
“Come inside!” Jessi said. She opened the creaky door, and they all went in together.
The inside was worse off than the outside. It was grimy and cluttered with old mail sorting trays and stacked mail crates. “Upstairs is a little apartment for Megan and me. It’s just perfect. It opens up to a larger room in the back!”
“Well, it would need to. This would never do.” Mary sighed. They followed Jessi and Megan to the back. Indeed it opened up to a room thrice as large as the front. There were already large counter spaces as well that the girls could use for sewing and hat making. Through the back was a small garden out a back door and a st
aircase that led to the apartment.
“I think this could do well.” Mary smiled.
Liz returned an excited look. “This could do very well, Mary. Just think, you could display your hats atop dress forms adorned with their dresses in the front window. It’s a perfect union!”
“What do we need to do?” Mary asked.
“First we need to put down a deposit if we are to lease it. The landlord said we could lease it for as many years as we cared to put down on the lease. It’s been vacant for so long he doesn’t even care.”
“And how much is the lease and the deposit?”
“Only ten!” Megan said.
“Only ten per year? That is amazing!” Mary said.
“No, sorry, Mary. It is ten per month. And the deposit is thirty.”
“Ten per month and thirty down?” Mary gasped. “I never knew leasing was so expensive!”
“It’s due to it being on Main Street, I think,” Jessi said quietly.
“Don’t let it get you down, Mary,” Liz said. “Having a store will help you sell more. It will make up for it. Also, if it has been vacant for so long, surely we can negotiate a better price.”
“You bet your fanny we will!” Mary said.
“Mary! Language,” Liz scolded. “Megan and Jessi will be afraid to be seen with you.”
“Just not in front of the customers,” Jessi said.
Megan nodded in agreement.
“Now, Liz, these are for you.” Megan put the parcel she had been carrying on the counter nearest her. She carefully unwrapped it and revealed a folded blue and white garment.
“Oh, I like it already!” Liz said in awe.
Megan lifted the garment by the shoulder seams and held it up carefully so it wouldn’t get dusty. It was a beautiful white shirt with tiny blue roses evenly spaced all over it. It had blue buttons and a high neck split collar made with delicate white lace. The skirt was a matching solid blue.
“Look at this floral pattern!” Mary gushed. “I’ve never seen such a sweet, delicate floral in all my life. Oh, I have just the perfect tulle for a hat for this, Liz.”
“Here, Jessi,” Megan said as she handed the dress over to her sister and pulled out the next one. “There’s more. Each piece can be mixed and matched so it’s as though you have four dresses instead of two.” Megan pulled out the next dress. It had a yellow daisy floral pattern on the shirt and a yellow skirt. There was just enough yellow in the blue shirt to tie in with the yellow skirt and enough blue in the yellow to be worn with the blue skirt.
“How clever!” Liz took the dress from Jessi and inspected it. “I couldn’t love them more!”
“The shirts and the skirts are fully adjustable, so you should be able to wear them now and when you are . . . much larger,” Megan said.
“I want to wear one now!” Liz proclaimed.
“Yes, go upstairs. The apartment is much cleaner than down here,” Jessi said.
Liz took the blue dress and headed up. Moments later she returned, bedecked in her new ensemble.
“Oh, you look simply adorable! Pregnant women are so charming.” Mary clutched her bosom.
“I feel like a whole new person. Thank you!” Liz handed Megan some money and took the other dress and wrapped it with her old clothes in the parcel.
“You’ve made my day!” Liz proclaimed as she hugged the sisters.
“Mine as well,” Mary said. “I so look forward to working with you! I just need to speak with my husband.”
“Of course, Mary. We can’t do it without you, so I hope he thinks it’s as fine an idea as you do.”
“I don’t see why he will think it is a problem,” Mary said. “Goodbye!”
“Well, that went well, Mary,” Liz chimed as they walked to the dock to see their father and Michael.
“Yes, it’s very exciting to think I could have my own shop. I can’t wait to tell Michael!”
“Pa!” Liz called as she ran to catch up with her father, Brigham, who was heading down to the boat yard, Michael by his side.
Brigham turned around and waved as his eyes twinkled with the sight of his baby girl. “Bethany!” Brigham called to her. “What you doin’ down here?”
“I came to do some research, and you are the smartest man I know.”
“You always have been the smartest of my children.” He smiled. “And you brought my new daughter, Mary!”
“Hi, my angel,” Michael signed. “What are you doing here?”
“I have some very exiting news!” Mary signed and squealed.
It was noisy by the docks. The ocean breezes whipped their ears, and the bustling sounds of commerce and motor engines buzzed about. Raising one’s voice was required.
“I wanted to ask you about boat things,” Liz said as Mary and Michael split off to talk.
“Boat things? Is this a Penelope Pottifer question or an Eliza Black question?”
“Is there a difference? It’s been brought to my attention that I know nothing of boat terms. I have a lot of boats in my story, and I am not using proper descriptions, apparently.”
“I see . . . ” He folded his arms in preparation. “Well, just ask.”
“Now, the big pole in the middle I already know is the mast, but what is the uppermost sail called?” Liz saw Mary and Michael’s conversation becoming heated as her father prattled off boat terms.
“Yes, very good, Lizbeth. That is the mast, and the sail at the top of the mast is called the main head where it attaches to the mast. The bottom corner that attaches to the boom—Now you see the boom is the pole that is at the bottom of the sail—”
Liz was trying to pay attention, but she was also watching Michael sign with intensity he usually saved for arguments. She never thought Michael would talk to Mary that way. Liz hoped that Mary wouldn’t pick up on the added intensity since she didn’t know sign language fluently and the differences were subtle, but then Mary’s face began to contort in a way that Liz also recognized as Mary’s arguing look.
“Pa, hold on.” Liz pulled a notebook from her small bag. “Can you write them down with the proper spelling?”
“Sure, Izzy.” He took the notebook and a pencil and started scratching on the pad.
“Uh, let’s see—the steering mechanism on a sailboat is called a . . .”
Liz looked over and saw Mary trying to sign, “Why does it matter how much you make? I make enough for the both of us.”
“Mary, we just can’t do it right now. I’m not saying never, just not now.”
“And the ropes are called lines, and each has their own name. Perhaps you don’t need to know all of those. I’ll just write down the main lines.” Pa continued to scratch out more terms.
“They can’t do it without me, Michael. I have the money set aside. I don’t really need you at all.”
“You don’t need me?” Michael’s faced dropped.
“No, I need you. I don’t need your money to start a shop. I have my own money. I have the partners, the talent, the time. I didn’t mean I don’t need you.”
“Stop, stop, stop, I’ve got a lot of work to do. We will have to talk about this tonight,” Michael signed. He kissed Mary on the forehead and walked away. Mary tried to grab his shoulder and turn him back to her, but he left anyway.
“Then there’s the rudder. That’s the part in the water that turns the ship.” Pa looked up and saw Michael leaving. “Well, he’s right. We’d better get back to work. That should be enough to impress your readers.”
“Oh, thanks,” Liz said as she took the pencil and notebook from her father and waved goodbye. “Bye, Pa.”
Mary walked back over to Liz, her countenance drooping.
“What was that all about?” Liz asked.
“I don’t know. I never even considered that he wouldn’t want me to have my own shop,”
Mary said as she took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes.
“Perhaps he is just simply having a bad day. It happens from time to time. Take heart.”
“Well, that is platitudeness. No! It has something to do with that secret they’ve been keeping from us. I know it!”
“Mary, there is no secret. It’s just a coincidence that they have been working late.”
“What about that man? That mysterious man Harriet fancies? I’ll bet he’s a gambler and he’s pulled them into a gambling ring, and they have gambled away all their earnings!”
“What? No. That’s preposterous. You are upset. Don’t let your imagination get away with you.”
“Did you see what he said to me when I told him I bought you a typewriter?”
“No, I was speaking with Pa. I only saw the end of your conversation.”
“I told him that you and I want to be independent and that is why I bought you a typewriter, and he asked me how much it was. After I told him he turned beet red and told me that I was not to spend any more money without his permission. My money!”
“This is insanity. What could he be thinking? What could make him have such a severe reaction? Has he ever worried about your money before?”
“No, not once. I usually take my money and put what I don’t use for clothes, food, and more hat making supplies in the bank. He pays the rent and any other expenses. It’s never been an issue. However, we have only been married for a spell . . . ”
“Perhaps he has gotten into something nefarious. Have you checked your bank account balance lately?”
“As a matter of fact, I checked it yesterday. It was unchanged.”
“Then it must be something else. Come, Mary, we’ve had an eventful day. Let’s get home. I’m exhausted.”
Just as Mary and Liz arrived at their cottages, they saw Sarah sitting on Liz’s front step, sobbing heartily into her hands. She was grasping a piece of paper and had wetted it thoroughly with her tears as well as crinkled it significantly.
“Mary! It’s Sarah. Something’s wrong!” They lifted their skirts and ran to the distressed girl.
Unbroken Promises of the Heart: (Promises of the Heart Book 2) Page 12
