Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
brIGIT
“Very well. We’ll marry this afternoon.”
I blinked at him. “Oh, I hadn’t thought it would be so quick.”
“I’m afraid I must get supplies back to the settlement. I’ve already been gone longer than I expected.”
Because the ship arrived late due to the storm, I realized.
“I understand,” I murmured.
“The pastor is expecting us,” he added. “He agreed to wait upon the ship’s arrival. I’ve already secured the license.”
“Very well.” What’s done was done.
I quietly started to pack Patrick’s things back into my satchel.
“Hand him to me,” Elijah said. He chuckled at my surprise. “If I’m going to be a father to him, I can’t be afraid to hold him, can I?”
I continued to stare at him.
Now Elijah laughed. “Are you fearful I’ll drop him? I assure you, I have very steady hands.”
“I…very well.” I carefully handed over Patrick, who looked even smaller in Elijah’s hands, and finished packing.
With Patrick tucked against him, he held his elbow out, and for the first time, I held my husband-to-be’s arm. It was warm and solid.
Aye, I told myself. This man would provide for us. Just please, God, let my lie bring no harm.
Elijah hailed a carriage, and soon we were rolling down the street, leaving the chaos of the port behind us.
We rolled past a graveyard, and I thought of Nora, her body lost to the fishes.
No place for her boy to visit. My eyes burned, but I blinked fast and cleared my throat. It wouldn’t do to arrive red-eyed.
The ride proved to be short as a white church came into sight. The pastor was already waiting when we stepped inside.
“Eli, good to see you again.”
“Reverend Smith. Thank you for making time for us.”
He nodded and shifted his eyes to Nora. “Mistress O’Dwyer. A pleasure to finally meet you. I trust your voyage went well?”
“Well, enough,” I lied. “Thank you.”
His gaze drifted, as I knew it would, to Patrick. Eli met his eyes but offered no explanation. I was grateful not to have to add another lie to my sins.
“Yes, well, shall we continue? My wife will act as your witness, Mistress.” He raised an eyebrow at Elijah. “I don’t suppose you’ve changed your mind about your witness?”
He answered firmly. “No.”
The Reverend gave a visible sigh. “One could hope,” he muttered under his breath, then, louder, “I’m afraid I can’t wait much longer on him.”
On cue, a voice boomed from the back of the church. “By the saints, you’re actually going to go through with it!”
I whirled around.
The man who burst into the church was anything but the solemn witness I’d expected. He looked straight out of a storybook illustration—tales of notorious pirates. He wore a crimson coat and a grin equally bold. His eyes danced with mirth. To my surprise, a colorful bird perched on his shoulder.
“Fox.” Elijah crossed his arms. “Always with an entrance.”
“Ah, this must be the lovely bride we’ve all been awaiting.” He swept off his tricorn with a flourish. “Silas Bowen, to the dear reverend here, Madam. But most, including an occasional tavern wench, call me Fox. At your service, m’lady.” His eyes twinkled as he awaited my reaction.
I arched my eyebrow as he straightened. “Surely you are not nearly as sly as your name indicates, or you wouldn’t announce such things so readily.”
His laugh filled the church. Even Elijah’s lips twitched.
“Touché, m’lady,” he replied with a wink. “Your bride has a quick wit as well as beauty, Eli. A fine balance to your surliness.”
I hid a smile behind my hand as Elijah proved his friend right with a scowl.
Before I could ask, the bird on Silas’s shoulder fluffed its feathers and squawked, “Kiss the wench!”
My eyes widened. “He speaks! And quite boldly, too.”
With a conspiratorial grin, Silas took a step as if to follow the bird’s command, which deepened Elijah’s glare.
Silas retreated with an exaggerated sigh. “Hush, Finneas. You’ll get me killed before the ceremony even starts.” He winked at me. “Aye. He’s bold, but he’s also been known to cause me trouble.”
As if to prove Silas’s point, Finneas bobbed his head and screeched, “Steal the gold!”
“A man should question his life when even a bird recites his sins.” His tone softened, almost wistful. “I’d abandon him, but alas, he was left to my care by someone who mattered to me.”
“You’re a pirate!” I blurted before I could stop myself.
Silas chuckled. “I prefer the term privateer. Either way, I’ve retired my sea legs. A rugged life in the mountains is my future.”
“If we might get on with it, Mr. Allen,” the pastor interrupted. “The Lord’s house is not the place for idle chatter.” He cast an upturned nose at Silas. “Or for wickedness.”
Silas merely appeared amused. “And here I thought church was the very place for sinners.”
Reverend Smith huffed and walked away. Eli gestured for me to follow his path.
Inside the pastor’s study, a rotund woman with rosy cheeks greeted us.
She carefully avoided Silas but held her tongue.
She reached for Patrick, and I reluctantly handed him over.
If she thought it strange that a baby was at the ceremony, she blessedly kept her thoughts to herself.
As if he were eager to get to the end, Reverend Smith began the ceremony without fanfare. Without looking at me, he asked. “Your name, for the record?”
My heart stuttered. This name would bind me to the truth of it. The wrong one, the marriage would not stand—before God or man.
He never asked after my sister by name, I reminded myself.
I drew a steady breath. “Brigit O’Dwyer.” At Elijah’s sharp look, I continued. “’Tis Brigit on the baptism paper, but Nora was given to me in honor of my ma’s sister, God rest her soul, and to spare confusion with my da’s sister, for whom I was named.”
A lie wrapped in truths. That was how my sister came to be called Nora.
The minister’s wife smiled and nodded. “Oh, aye. It’s a lovely custom, so it is,” she said with a slight accent that reminded me of home. “Sure, and it was the same in my family.”
Reverend Smith merely gave a curt nod, continually flicking his eyes toward Silas as if he expected him to burst into flames at any moment.
Elijah and I each repeated our vows. His voice was strong and steady. I did my best to match his certainty, although my heart fluttered like a trapped bird. The words blurred as I searched Elijah’s face for any sign of doubt. I found none.
When it was done, I released a breath. The vows made the marriage lawful yet bound me more tightly to the lie I had created.
To my astonishment, Elijah drew a ring from his pocket, a slim gold band with a small red stone in the middle.
“Oh!” I breathed. “I didn’t expect—”
“It was my mother’s.” He slid it onto my finger. “Better worn than tucked away. She’d like to know it was passed down to another generation.”
The ring caught the light—a garnet, dark as wine. A traveler’s stone, meant to guard the wearer and guide them safely home. I could only hope home was where it was leading me.
Elijah rubbed his thumb over the ring. “It fits perfectly.”
“I promise to take care of it. Thank you,” I whispered.
Reverend Smith cleared his throat sharply. “By the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife.”
From behind us, Silas’s cheery voice called out, full of mischief. “What, no kiss to seal the bargain? Saints above, Reverend, you’d rob them of the best part!”
The pastor’s glare could have scorched wood. Elijah’s jaw worked back and forth as he stared at the former sea captain.
I swallowed hard. “There’s no need—”
But the words died on my tongue when a strong arm wrapped around my waist and drew me flush against a body of solid strength. The scent of pine and mint clung to him as his amused eyes held mine.
They held me there in his arms, drawing closer and closer until I could see flecks of gold dotting throughout the greens. My breath caught as warm lips pressed against my own and held there. My eyes flickered shut as his hands anchored me against the wild beating of my heart.
What began as warm and steady deepened. His lips moved against mine, tenderly coaxing until I found myself breathlessly answering. Heat unfurled low in my belly. A dizzy rush had my hand clutching his coat.
His thumb brushed along my jawline while his lips lingered. For a moment, there was no church, no witnesses, no baby, no responsibilities. Just the startling truth that I was attracted to my husband.
When at last he eased away, his eyes searched mine. A small smile flickered about his lips. Had it only been a matter of hours since I met him?
“Well,” Silas drawled, “I guess we needn’t worry if either of you will stay warm come winter.”
His comment earned yet another glare from Reverend Smith, but Silas only grinned. Then his gaze flicked to Elijah. Whatever amusement he’d worn a moment before shifted into something more serious.
Elijah met his eyes and gave a short nod. Despite seeming so different, there was obvious trust between them.
Silas winked at me and clapped Elijah on the back before striding from the room. A moment later, the church door creaked shut.
For a moment, I stayed within the circle of Elijah’s arms, trying to catch my breath. My lips still tingled, and my heart still raced.
Elijah finally loosened his hold, although his hand remained on my lower back. His eyes met mine again with a steadiness that made me wonder if he felt nothing at all from the kiss.
“Best be on our way,” he said quietly. “Silas has gone to secure your belongings.”
“Already?”
“Aye. The livestock needs minding before we set out, and we’ve a long journey ahead.”
He glanced at Patrick, asleep in Mrs. Smith’s arms. I knew he was thinking the journey would take even longer than he’d anticipated.
I nodded. My thoughts were tangled in fear and hope. I had a husband I barely knew, a land I’d only set foot in hours ago, and an uncertain future before me. Yet, a stirring of excitement filled me. And with Elijah’s warm hand at my back, it was enough for now.