My Dear Sophy (9 page)

“
So this would be your horse that my brother has absconded with, captain?” Sophy asked. Connie nodded. “I hope my brother has thanked you.”

“
No need! When I came across him, I had dismounted anyway. He took the beast on a gallop she badly wanted. I preferred to walk. It is a beautiful morning, though the sun is growing a little hot now, I think.” Connie felt his own uncovered brow growing damp with perspiration. In his continued observation of Miss Wentworth, he had also noticed that damp strands of her hair were clinging to her temples. This drew his attention for the first time to the fact that her hair was loose down her back in soft brown waves. For the first time, it registered in Connie's mind how hastily she had clearly dressed. With the information about the other search parties, and the angry but fearful lecture she had read him before he'd even dismounted, Connie could now see the level of distress young Frederick had clearly caused. Miss Wentworth didn't even have a bonnet to cover her fair skin.

“
It seems that your young brother has caused some trouble this morning, Miss Wentworth.” Sophy rolled her eyes and sighed. Connie felt oddly happy that she already felt such intimacy was acceptable in his company. “I suggest that we allay any further distress by heading back to Milverton.”

“
That sounds like a fine plan, captain. My father will be expecting news,” she paused, “and an apology.” Miss Wentworth looked directly at Frederick, clearly giving the boy his orders. With Connie's help, he mounted the horse again and set off down the road. His subdued pace – much different to the exuberant gallop of a few moments ago – bespoke his reluctance to face the apologies he knew awaited him in town. Connie started off after him.

Now that she was no longer rushing and worried about her brother, Miss Wentworth seemed to relax into her surroundings. Connie observed her as closely as he could while they walked. She moved with a confident but leisurely stride. And unlike other women he had known, she seemed not to feel the pressure to talk. For a few strides, she simply closed her eyes and breathed deeply. When she exhaled, she began to speak.

“
Captain Conrad Croft. And heading into Milverton,” Miss Wentworth mused. “You wouldn't happen to be one of the sons of our dear and beloved Reverend Croft, would you?”

“
The prodigal returns!” Connie exclaimed, laughing as Miss Wentworth's own giggle bubbled up. “Not quite prodigal, perhaps. I don't believe I've been wicked enough to deserve that label, though I do believe that my dear mother would be willing to slay a fatted calf when I appear on her doorstep.”

“
She has not made mention of your return,” Miss Wentworth's brow furrowed, clearly trying to recall something. “Surely she would have mentioned such a momentous event.”

“
Miss Wentworth, I must confess a secret to you.” He leaned conspiratorially toward her. “She does not know.”

“
A surprise! How wonderful! She will be overwhelmed in quite the best way.”

“
Indeed!” Connie had to agree with this. His mother had mentioned Miss Wentworth in her letters over the years, but he now realized that the young woman must be on even more intimate terms than he knew. “Shall we place a wager on her reaction when she espies her third child walking up the lane?”

“
I can already envision the scene. She will quite forget that she is a pillar of our society and run in a most unladylike way to your arms.”

“
Just so,” Connie laughed. It was the same picture he had seen in his mind. His mother had always been quite improperly effusive with her children. But they loved her for it. Indeed, the whole of Milverton loved her for it. Mrs. Maria Croft tried her best to maintain “society” manners, but her good nature always got the better of her. She had always been a happy woman with the great fortune to be able to influence the mood around her. The Reverend sometimes referred to her as his “rainbow” – God's happy promise to man after whatever storm he had endured.

Connie had witnessed this love between his parents as he grew up. As a youth, he'd been greatly embarrassed by it. But now he recognized it as the most precious of unions. Connie himself had had a few marriage opportunities over the years. He was, after all, an eligible officer with a promising career ahead of him. But somehow none of those prospects had seemed right. He couldn't quite describe the feeling even to himself. They'd all been nice girls, but he'd been unable to picture the easy and enduring love like that of his parents. In short, he couldn't ever see himself as entirely
comfortable
with any of those women.

And yet here was a woman walking beside him completely at ease. They had already shared some laughter. And she knew his family. His long experience at sea told him this was a wind he wanted to sail for as long as it would hold him.

“
So you know my family, let me see if I can recall yours from so many years ago. Doctor Wentworth's oldest, yes?” Connie questioned Miss Wentworth.

“
Exactly.” She gave him a distracted smile and fell silent. After a moment, his curiosity got the better of him.

“
Miss Wentworth, you seem preoccupied. Might I ask if everything is all right? We have found your brother. Is something else the matter?”

Recalled to herself, Sophy said, “Oh, quite all right, thank you.” And after a pause. “I was racking my mind for some recollection of you. I fear it has been more years than I care to count and my memory does not wish to cooperate.”

Connie heard her unspoken apology and reassured her. “It has, indeed, been many years, Miss Wentworth. Fourteen, actually. I was a young lad of thirteen years old running wild with my two older brothers. We were a sore trial to our parents, I fear. Much as your young brother seems to be.”

“
Yes, Freddy is a little older than you were, but he still has an incredible capacity for getting into scrapes.” Sophy shook her head. Connie noticed how her long and loose hair moved in waves at the motion, like the rippling of water behind his ship.

“
Fourteen years,” Sophy returned to her previous thought. “I was eight years old. It does not surprise me now that I hardly remember you. The social circles of eight-year-old girls and thirteen-year-old boys do not often overlap, even in the confined world of Milverton.”

“
Well, I shall endeavor to remedy that on this happy visit,” Connie resolved. “The social circles of men and women in their second decades rotate much nearer each other.” Their smiles met and Connie thought again how much he would enjoy this visit home for more reasons than the joy it would bring his parents.

“
I must thank you again sincerely, captain, for helping my family today,” Miss Wentworth said in a serious tone.

“
I accept your thanks. But I must tell you that I hardly knew I was helping anyone. Not much that is praiseworthy about not realizing you are helping, eh?”

Miss Wentworth shook her head, cheerfully dismissing his nonchalance. “Nevertheless, you must resign yourself to accepting my family's thanks, no matter how unworthy you consider yourself. You may be sure that my father will take every opportunity to remind you of your good deed. As will I.” She smiled as she pronounced this sentence, and they once again fell into a comfortable silence.

“
Might I ask how the lad managed to have the whole of Milverton out looking for him?”

Miss Wentworth offered an exasperated sigh and a weary smile before she began to tell him about the events of the previous week. The two new friends covered the last miles back to the town in easy conversation about the trials that young boys presented to parents, older sisters, and naval captains.

As Sophy and Captain Croft reached Milverton, they could see a crowd of townspeople waiting for them. Well, not for them. They had been waiting for Freddy and were now gathered around him. Sophy hardly had time to spot her brother before a joyful cry went up and, as a body, the crowd turned toward her and the captain.

The cry had come from Mrs. Croft, who was now hurrying – no, actually running, Sophy smiled – toward where her son now stood next to Sophy. With a grin on his face, the captain strode boisterously forward and swept the small lady into his arms. The force of their joyous meeting swung the pair clear around and left Mrs. Croft breathless with laughter as her feet returned to the ground.

Reverend Croft, who seemed to be almost in a daze, reached the pair and embraced them both. He was too excited to contain his joy and turned to the townspeople to announce in his good-humored, stentorian tones, “It's my boy, Connie!”

Sophy cheered along with the townspeople, who could not help but rejoice in their rector's good fortune. She witnessed all of this with a happy heart and smile on her face. This morning that had begun so frantically had now turned into the best kind of surprise. Two sons returned home. The townspeople had, once again, helped immensely. Now she watched them looking at the happy scene play out among the three Crofts. She watched them lovingly observing and discussing a child returned to the fold.

And what a return it had been. Sophy doubted she would ever forget the pure joy she had seen on Mrs. Croft's face when she had spotted her boy. The woman had moved, skirts, age, and all, like Sophy had never seen before. Something had made her almost fly across the path toward her son. And Sophy hadn't missed his expression, either. The captain had so easily strode the few steps and picked up his mother. They had laughed so joyously as they spun around. Unlike the townspeople, Sophy had been close enough to hear them exchange quiet endearments as they clung to each other. And then Reverend Croft had stepped up and embraced the pair, completing the joyful picture. It hadn't all been quite how a proper family greeting should be conducted, but Sophy liked that somehow.

And besides, she thought to herself, when have we ever stood on proprieties in this town? Only when we have some visitor, a term that could hardly be applied to a man whose parents were beloved members of the community and who had himself spent the first years of his life here. Even though she did not remember him from her childhood, Sophy still found that, when she thought about it, Captain Croft already felt like a familiar friend. In the short time it had taken them to return along the Milverton road, they had talked together as if they had known each other for years. It was curious, she thought. How could I be so comfortable with someone I have only just met?

Sophy had spent her whole life in this town and was used to people coming in and out of each others' houses, caring for others' children, helping with the harvests. No one was ever alone. The Wentworths and Crofts stood upon even less ceremony. The townspeople came and went at all hours from rectory and doctor's house alike, tending their spiritual and bodily ailments. The two families lived only a few steps apart and were constantly dropping in on each other, especially the two patriarchs, who frequently consulted about patients. Long ago they had both realized they were in the same business: caring for people. Both were there in birth, death, and trials. They shared the joys the sorrows of their people and looked to each other for support through it all. Sophy was sure they would share in the excitement of today – both good and bad.

That thought recalled Sophy to the fact that the joyous reunion of the Crofts was not the only event of the morning. She sighed aloud and prepared herself for an afternoon of smoothing hurt feelings and calming her family members of their tempers.

Sophy watched as the mob of townspeople scattered to their various corners of Milverton, there to share stories of the exciting morning they had passed and to complete their interrupted Saturday chores. Sophy made her way toward her father and Freddy. The horse was gone, probably taken to the stable by a kind friend. Yet again today, Sophy sent up blessings for the wonderful people that surrounded her. As she saw her father's stormy face, Sophy tacked on to her blessings a prayer for forbearance, whether for herself or her father she left up to the Almighty.

* * *

Though happily occupied with his own family reunion, Connie was still aware when Miss Wentworth moved away from him. Over his mother's head he watched her walk back toward her own family. He saw the slight hesitation before she rejoined them and imagined that she had sighed and rolled her eyes.

Connie smiled privately imagining that gesture. He'd already seen it a few times as they had walked and talked about her brother, the one who'd caused so much trouble this morning. Connie was quite enchanted by her willingness to laugh at the situation. It was something he himself always tried to do. He fancied it made him quite an easygoing captain. But Connie couldn't recall if he'd ever experienced that kind of easy humor in a woman before. Except for his mother. He looked at her dear little frame. All the women he knew had been highly melodramatic. Every little thing was cause for an uproar. It was part of the reason the men did not like to have women on board the ship. Yet Sophy had kept a level head, even as she had pictured the worst that could have happened to her brother.

In the middle of his musing, Mrs. Croft put her arm through his. She smiled up at him and suggested they walk to the house for some luncheon. Connie patted her arm lovingly and thought that his mother was the best female he knew. And her first thought was always for bodily comfort in the form of food.