Chapter Twenty-Nine #2
And yet, the mirage kept walking. Steady.
Unshaken. He didn’t vanish with the flicker of candlelight or the blink of her eye.
He kept coming. Kept his blue gaze locked on her.
Stopped in front of the altar. Josephine’s heart pounded in her chest, each beat louder than the last as a wave of disbelief crashed through her.
“Lieutenant Caldwell of the US Navy. I would like to speak.” The baritone of Isaac’s voice cut through the heavy silence. It vibrated through her, each word a rough caress, and for a fleeting second, hope flickered within her.
Her father leapt to his feet. “It’s too late. We’ve already passed that point. Continue, Father.”
The ring of steel echoed through the room as Samantha drew her rapier. Father Bouchard’s face went pale.
Isaac lifted his hand, signaling her to lower her blade. “It’s alright,” he said, voice steady but edged with something darker. “It’s never too late to speak before God, is it, Father?”
An undercurrent of barely veiled warning ran through his words as the weight of his gaze turned to the priest. The poor man stuttered as he looked between Isaac and her father. “I—I—”
Isaac turned to face the crowd. “I have come to give just cause. In fact, I am the just cause. Josephine will not be marrying this man, because she will be marrying me.”
Excited murmurs ran through the crowd, their whispers barely contained. Josephine’s heart skipped, the impossible words ringing in her ears. What was he doing?
Her father stormed forward. “I told you to stay out of this, Lieutenant. My daughter’s affairs are none of your concern.”
Isaac stood unmoving, the flicker of something dangerous behind his calm exterior. His jaw tightened, but his voice remained even as stormy eyes met hers. “She’s very much my concern at the moment.”
Her pulse quickened, the world around her going momentarily still.
With a growl, her father spun to two guards. “Remove this man at once. He is not welcome on Tortuga.”
The men strode forward, their steps heavy and menacing.
Samantha whipped her blade up again, its sharp edge gleaming in the candlelight.
The church seemed to hold its breath as the danger heightened.
Josephine’s heart beat wildly, her chest tight with panic.
A full-on brawl was about to erupt right here, in the heart of the church.
She yanked her hand from Mr. Wentworth’s. Without thinking, her feet were already moving, her legs carrying her toward Isaac. She barely registered the shocked gasps of the guests as she closed the distance between them and set a hand on his forearm.
He stepped between her and the approaching guards, his palm hovering over the hilt of his sword. “I’m not here to fight. But I will if I must.”
Her father, face twisted with fury, stalked forward, each step a heavy echo in the stillness. “Are you going to risk straining relations between our countries over this?”
“Are you?” Isaac didn’t flinch. He stood firm, unwavering, his eyes locked on her father with a steady defiance. “As governor, I would hope you’d be willing to reason.”
The air crackled, thick with the impending violence. Isaac’s hand closed around the worn leather grip of his sword, the motion slow and deliberate.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Mr. Wentworth stepped from the altar and put a hand on her father’s shoulder. “I’ve spent enough time on this earth to know when to admit defeat. Why not let these two have a chance?”
Her father’s face twisted with disbelief. “She’s been promised to you.”
Mr. Wentworth locked eyes with Josephine. “And I thought she was willing. An unwilling woman is nothing but a liability.”
Her father crossed his arms and faced Isaac, the fire in his eyes burning hotter than ever. “You truly want her, even after all the trouble she’s caused?”
A slow smile spread across his face. “Especially because of it.”
His words sent a thrill through Josephine, her pulse leaping at the heat behind them. Her breath caught as the intensity of his gaze locked with hers, his meaning clear.
After a long moment, her father threw up his hands. “This is madness.”
Isaac turned to her and brushed a tendril of hair from her damp cheek. Was she crying again? She blinked up at him, barely breathing, the chaos around them fading. “Is this real?” The words left her in a strangled whisper.
With a smile, he closed his hands around hers, the warm weight anchoring her to the moment. “I sure hope so.”
He turned to the crowd. “You’ve all gathered for a wedding, and I’d hate to disappoint you. What do you say, Josephine? Shall we get married?”
She stared into sparkling blue eyes, her heartbeat thrumming in her throat. “Are you sure?”
“Am I sure? What kind of question is that? Let me tell you what I’m sure of.
I’m sure I’ve never met anyone like you.
I’m sure I fell in love with you long before I had the good sense to admit it.
And I’m damn sure I don’t want to face another day without you in it.
So, Josephine Montclair, I will ask you one more time, will you marry me? ”
“You love me?” The timid question tumbled forth before she could stop it.
His eyes softened as his thumbs swept slow circles over the backs of her hands. “More than you will ever know.”
New tears welled in the corners of her eyes and she managed a smile.
His lips tugged into a crooked half-grin. “Is that a yes?”
A laugh, watery and disbelieving, bubbled up her throat. How could this be happening? How could she possibly say no? She nodded, breath catching, heart full to bursting.
He glanced toward the stunned priest, mischief dancing in his eyes. “Father? What do you think?”
The priest blinked. “Well… I mean…” With an exasperated look around the church, he waved them forward. He glanced at the book in his hand and the crowd. “I suppose we can start where we left off.”
“Josephine Montclair,” the priest began, his voice suddenly calm and serious, “do you take the lieutenant to be your lawfully wedded husband?” She nodded, her throat tight with emotion.
“And Lieutenant Caldwell, do you take Josephine to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Isaac’s voice came steady and firm. “I do.”
There was a pause, and the priest lifted his hands in blessing. “Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
The words barely reached her ears before Isaac was there, his hand sliding around her waist, pulling her closer.
His lips found hers, soft and reassuring, a promise wrapped in the quiet heat of a thousand unsaid things.
The crowd erupted into applause, but the steady thrum of her heartbeat in her chest drowned it out.
Colette surged forward through the onlookers and wrapped her in a warm embrace. “When I told you I knew you’d find your happiness, I never imagined it would come so quickly. Congratulations.”
Josephine squeezed her back with a breathless laugh. “I didn’t think I’d find it at all.”
Samantha slipped in beside them, her smile warm. “Now that was an entrance. Hopefully our exit is a little more uneventful. My ship is prepped and ready—you’ll have the captain’s cabin on the way back to Savannah.”
“Thank you. This…” Josephine’s voice thickened. “This means more than you’ll ever know.”
The streets of Tortuga shimmered under the bright press of late morning sun as they made their way down toward the docks after gathering her belongings. Islanders paused to stare, a few offering cheers or well-wishes, as if news of the chaos at the church had already spread like wildfire.
At the gangplank, Isaac stopped and offered his hand with a crooked grin. “No stowaways this time.”
Josephine slipped her fingers into his. “I make no promises.”
With a chuckle, he led her onto the ship.
Movement caught her eye the moment they stepped onto the deck.
The cabin door creaked open, and Samantha stepped out with a warm smile.
With a burst of color and the rustle of wings, Lola swooped from her extended hands and landed neatly on Josephine’s shoulder.
“Lola!” she cried, turning to nuzzle soft green feathers.
Isaac grinned. “I thought you might like to see her again.”
Josephine pressed a kiss to the bird’s head, then reached for him. “Thank you.”
His hands slid behind her back, pulling her close. “You’re welcome, Wife.”
She let out a quiet breath. “Husband.” The word felt new and strange on her tongue, yet full of promise and possibility.
The shout to cast off the lines rang through the air and the crew jumped into motion.
She glanced over her shoulder at the island—at the life she had known, and the one she was leaving behind.
A thrill stirred deep within her, a mix of excitement and uncertainty as the future stretched out before her.
Isaac’s arms tightened around her and he leaned in, the soft brush of his breath caressing her ear. “Will you miss it?”
She turned to him. “No.”
He gazed at her, the oceans in his eyes calm and sure. “Looks like we’ve come full circle. Who knew all those nights ago when I showed up shipwrecked and desperate that fate would find us together?”
Her lips curved. “Maybe it wasn’t fate. Maybe it was destiny.”