Petals on the River (111 page)

The foaming waves curled away from the Blue Falcon's cutwater as the

vessel skimmed effortlessly away from the tidewater region into the open

sea.
 
Her white sails billowed out with the wind pushing at

her heels, and beneath the clear blue sky, the gleaming shrouds almost

bedazzled those who stood on the deck experiencing the wonder of her

first flight.
 
A feeling of awe was shared by all, the captain no less

than any.

"She's a beauty!" Nathanial Beauchamp exclaimed, casting a brief glance

toward the man who stood at his side.
 
"And you, sir, have created a

marvel!"

Gage likened the ecstatic racing of his heart to that special moment

when Shemaine had accepted his proposal of marriage.
 
Yet he could find

no words to speak, for his heart was full.

William Thornton reached up a hand and laid it upon his son's shoulder,

squeezing it in silent communication.
 
The joy that welled up within him

had brought tears to his eyes, and he could not trust himself to voice

his own praise for fear the gathering thickness in his throat would

convey the emotion he was presently trying hard to restrain.

"Daddee, look at the big fish!" Andrew cried, pointing toward the school

of porpoise racing along the starboard side.
 
The boy caught Gillian's

hand and begged, "Lift me up high, Gil'an, so I can see em better."

Shemaine smiled as her husband joined her.
 
His right arm came around

her shoulder, drawing her close as his left hand slipped underneath the

large shawl that she had donned to mask her belly, which had just begun

to protrude.
 
Beneath the covering of the wrap, he fondly caressed the

gentle roundness.

"I think Nathanial likes the Blue Falcon, my sweet," Gage murmured.

Shemaine looked up with loving eyes and dared to correct his statement.

"I think Captain Beauchamp is mightily impressed with the Blue Falcon,

Mr.
 
Thornton.
 
He's been grinning ever since we got under way."

"Aye, I've noticed."

"But then, so have you, my darling, almost as much as Flannery."

Shemaine inclined her head to indicate the old shipwright, who stood in

the middle of the deck, visibly exhilarating in the feel of a good ship

beneath him.
 
His wrinkled face was lit up with jubilant glee, and it

could be said that his smile stretched from stem to stern, showing his

sparse teeth.

Gage thought the old man vividly expressed what they were all feeling.

"Nathanial selected the right name for her, my pet.
 
The Blue Falcon

suits the brigantine.
 
She'll soar through these waters like a bird of

prey."

Shemaine cocked her head aslant to gaze up at her husband with a curious

grin.
 
"I'm thankful you're not a ship's captain, sir.
 
I fear I'd soon

be taking second place to a wooden mistress."

"Eh, never that, my love," Gage murmured, resting his chin on top of her

head.
 
"You're my only mistress and my dearest love.
 
I could no more

sail away from you than my own heart."

"Aye, tis that way with me, too." Shemaine sighed.
 
"I could never leave

you.
 
When we first came together in love, it was not only the merging

of our bodies but our hearts as well.
 
We've truly become one."

"Aye, love, and our child will be a token of our love, for our joy was

complete when you conceived."' Shemaine nestled her head against his

chest.
 
"Aye, to be sure, Mr.
 
Thornton.
 
To be sure!"

= .

Epiloque The gangplank of the newly docked ship from England was

lowered, and after the first few passengers disembarked, Gage shifted

his one-year-old son in his arm and thrust out an arm to point toward the

nattily garbed couple who were vying for a place near the rail.

Following her husband's directions, Shemaine finally located her parents

and began to dance sideways along the wharf in an effort to get their

attention.

"Mama!
 
Papa!
 
Look this way!"

Camille recognized the familiar voice that reached their ears and

promptly scanned the dock in search of her daughter.
 
Upon espying

Shemaine, she waved an arm.
 
"We're coming, darling!
 
We'll be down

shortly."

In a moment Camille and Shemus O'Hearn, followed by a whole complement

of servants, were hurrying down the gangplank and running with open arms

toward their daughter.
 
Shemaine hugged each fiercely as Gage and

William waited behind her with the children.
 
Andrew was clasping his

grandfather's finger and was not at all desirous of being kissed and

hugged by any of the strangers who came near.
 
Then Shemaine eagerly

drew her parents forward to meet their new grandson.

"Mama, Papa, this is Christopher Thornton."

The one-year-old raised an arm to push away the loving caress of the

older woman and, turning his green eyes away from her, tucked his dark

head beneath his father's chin, making that one chuckle and hug him

close.
 
"Christopher takes to strangers no better than his brother

does," Gage informed the O'Hearns.
 
"But once he gets to know you, he'll

be walking over your toes in his eagerness to get into your laps.

He especially enjoys being read to."

"At such a young age?" Camille queried proudly.
 
"What a smart boy he

is."

"He looks like his father," Shemus mumbled with some disappointment.
 
He

had hoped to see more of his own daughter in the lad.

"Aye, but there's no mistaking where his green eyes came from dear,'

his wife said sweetly, patting his arm.

Shemaine could not restrain herself another moment.
 
"Is it really true,

Papa, that you've sold everything and intend to live in Williamsburg?"

The elder tucked his thumbs in the pocket of his waistcoat and grinned.

"Maurice said there are great opportunities to be found there for an

enterprising man.
 
He's living there now with his wife, Garland, and

thought I should look into starting a business in the city."

"Oh, Papa, that's wonderful!
 
Now we'll live close enough to visit on a

frequent basis."

Shemus glanced up at Gage with an inquiry.
 
"Are you still building

ships?"

"Aye, along with my father, who has put in with me," the younger man

replied.
 
"We've hired a few more men, and the work is going a lot

faster now."

"Oh, I hope you haven't given up making furniture," Camille interjected,

suffering some dismay at the thought.
 
"We sold all of our furnishings

before leaving England, so we'll be needing some more as soon as we can

find a home."

"The cabinet shop is bigger now," Shemaine informed her mother happily.

"And Gage has had to hire several new apprentices to help keep up with

the demands of all the people wanting his furniture.
 
In fact, we've

enlarged the cabin and have acquired a servant to help me clean and

cook.
 
You and Papa will be able to stay with us and have a guest

bedroom all to yourselves whenever you visit.
 
William still uses the

loft when he comes."

"But what about Mary Margaret?" Camille asked her daughter in a muted

tone.
 
"I thought she and William were interested in each other."

"They've had a long friendship, to be sure,'' Shemaine confided quietly.

"But I don't think they're too serious about getting married, certainly

not at this time.
 
For one who has the wiles of a matchmaker, Mary

Margaret is not at all sure she wants to give up her single life as a

widow.
 
The two of them play cards together quite often, but they're

also seeing others.
 
William has all the older women simply goggle-eyed

over him, and they're chasing him as hard and fast as the younger ones

ever did Gage."

"With good reason," Camille whispered behind a smile.
 
"My dear, if your

husband looks as good when he matures to a ripe age as his father does

now, then you'll surely have to fight the women off in droves."

Shemaine laughed, unconcerned.
 
"Gage reassures me quite often, Mama,

that I'm the only love in his life."

Andrew tugged on his father's breeches.
 
"Gran'pa wants to take Chris

and me onto the ship, Daddy.
 
Can we go?"

"Watch your brother carefully now," Gage urged, squatting down. He stood

his youngest son on his feet, and immediately Christopher slipped his

tiny hand into his brother's.
 
Taking hold of his grandfather's finger,

the toddler looked back at his father with a wide grin that was closely

reminiscent of the one Andrew had mastered at an early age.

"Bah, Da-da."' Gage chuckled at his youngest son's attempt to talk.

"Good-bye, Chris."

Shemus chortled as he took note of his grandson's winsome charm and,

bustling behind the other three, followed them up the gangplank. It

didn't take him long to win the toddler's confidence as he pointed out

the seagulls that were swooping close overhead.
 
Before they left the

ship again, he was carrying Christopher in his arms and making him laugh

in glee.
 
Camille joined her husband, and together they reveled in the

delightful antics of their grandchild.

Gage pulled his wife's hand through his arm and spoke proudly as he

watched their family.
 
"Did you ever imagine, Shemaine, that you would

see our parents looking so utterly happy?
 
Twould seem you've gifted

them with new life by bringing Christopher into this world."

"I believe you had something to do with it, too, sir," his wife reminded