The Reverend's Daughter (Book 2 after The Duke's Daughter)

Chapter Eleven Part Two

The next morning dawned bright and clear, the skies were a lovely, robin's egg blue, with a sprinkling of tiny white clouds here and there. A cool breeze blew over the island, wafted it's way across the ship, then blew back out to sea. The breeze unfurled the English flag that hung from the lines, the occasional gust causing it to snap in the wind.

The men welcomed the cooling effect of the breeze, as today was departure day. There was work to be finished under the warm heat of the sun, before the coolness of night descended.

The galley men were out on the island, gathering the last of the fruit, adding to the stores of perishables while they still could.

The crew still needed to heft the heavy barrels of water on deck. This was a task at which Samson and Pete excelled. Michaels worked on the beach, sealing the casks as they were filled.

Timothy still shadowed Pete, as the large man manned the ropes and pulley, the boy lending a hand where he could.

Paulie attended to the younger children in the galley. Betsy had given him scrolls of parchment and a small handful of charcoal pieces she found in Violet's desk, supplying the children with the means to draw pictures.

Brutus had taken the night watch last eve, he lay abed sleeping, as he would be manning the helm when they departed the island this night.

Betsy was helping the boys to finish separating and stowing the laundry to where the items were kept. The beds had been stripped, laundered and put back to rights days before.

Chauncey had been dipped in the sea, he was never one to volunteer for bathing, yet the aroma around the man was ripe unless someone tossed him in. That someone had been Samson, accompanied by a tub of lye soap. The other men had joined in, bathing themselves, making it a festive time of scrubbing and singing, while the old man squawked and complained.

Chauncey could be found on this day, napping on the ropes that were wound up on the bow deck.

Violet was in a melancholy mood, he had not been completely restored to his jovial self, though he tried not to be obvious about it. He was feeling emotionally hungover from his pouring out the eve before. He knew he was ready to return home. Last eve had made him think about his life in a way he had not had to before. He wanted time to make some decisions regarding how he would go forward from here. He also wanted the two women who mattered most in his life to meet one another.

He was sure his mother would be overjoyed that he had found the right woman to share his life with. He had no doubt she would love Elizabeth just as he did.

Vi smiled ruefully, remembering the long suffering looks Katherine would send his way every time he had brought around girls who had been silly and shallow, giggling and nodding at everything he said, while making calf eyes at him, as they had really only been interested in him for his looks. He, at the time, had wanted to practice his skills at charming the maidens. He had been young and inexperienced, yet very interested in the courting rituals.

He was glad he had waited for the right woman, as he had no doubt, he had found her at last. He had revealed his soul to his wife last night, and while he still felt drained, he also felt fulfilled. It was a strange feeling, one he was not used to, so he tried to take things a bit easy on himself today.

As the men brought the barrels aboard, he rolled them to their rightful place, then waited for the next.

Timothy came and helped him after the first, each of them taking an end, sharing the labor along with some conversation, as they tied each one off securely and separately.

"Once we arrive in England, we will send a missive to your grandfather, to see if he is able to travel south, to come for you and Jonah." Violet assured the boy his family would be contacted upon their arrival.