24. Chapter 24 #2
Muriel blinked back tears and nodded. After clearing her throat, she tipped her head toward the door. "There's a carriage outside. The driver's name is Eddie. Tell him ye're me sister. Bring out some towels and a set of dry clothes for Fletcher. I'll meet ye there when I get down from the dome."
Shannon returned and held out the small, telescoping spyglass Liam kept with his collection of nautical tools.
Muriel smiled and bent down to accept it.
"Thank ye, dear heart." She straightened and returned her attention to her sister.
"Zane is lookin' fer Da and Liam. If they miss each other, tell Da to row out west of the anchored schooner.
When I get Fletcher, the currents will pull us that direction.
We'll look for his light and head for the boat. "
Alana gave a sharp nod, renewed energy evident in her straight posture. "I'll have the hotel's caretaker ready the water taxi."
"Good. That'll save time." The hotel's Whitehall rowboat would be fast, especially with Da at the oars.
Muriel took the keys and made her way up to the fourth floor of the hotel.
Hurrying up three flights of stairs winded but didn't tire her.
Too much urgency flowed through her muscles to let a few stairs slow her down.
It took a minute to wind her way through the odd collection of items stored in the hotel attic, but after banging her shin on an iron bedstead turned on its side, she made it to the round window that overlooked the Gulf.
She polished the glass with her sleeve then peered out into the sea, angling her line of sight to the west as she searched for a mast. A shadowy shape caught her eye, but the fading light played tricks on her vision.
Muriel pulled the collapsed spyglass from her skirt pocket and extended it to its maximum length.
It took a few attempts to locate the ship through the spyglass, but once she did, her heart gave a triumphant thump.
A schooner with sails snugged down. A dark line trailed down the bow—likely the anchor cable.
She scanned the rest of the area and found no other ships. She had her target.
"I'm comin', Fletcher."
Muriel darted back through the attic and down the stairs.
Finding Alana at the carriage, she handed off the keys then directed Eddie to take her as far west into the dunes as the carriage could go.
The undeveloped area of the island boasted no roads and only a few rutted paths, so he wouldn't be able to take her the entire way, but any distance would help.
"I found the boat," she told Alana. "Looks to be less than a mile offshore. Once I get past the breakers, I should be able to reach the vessel in thirty minutes or so."
Alana pulled a watch from her skirt pocket. "'Tis twenty to eight now."
"I'll make it." It'd be tighter than she'd hoped with the time required to travel into the dunes, but she'd make it work. She had to.
Alana touched her shoulder. "I know ye will." She pulled Muriel into a one-arm hug, squishing wee Colleen between them.
Forgiveness flowed in that embrace, and Muriel drank it in, drawing strength from it.
"Take care, Muri," Alana said as she released her hold. "I love ye."
Muriel blinked back the mist forming in her eyes. "I love ye, too."
Alana gave Muriel a little push toward the carriage's open door. "Now go get me boy."
Eddie took the horses farther into the dunes than Muriel expected. He risked miring the wheels in the sand but seemed to realize that getting to the shore was more important than getting home afterward.
"Sorry, miss. The carriage is too heavy to go farther." He climbed down from the seat and looked at her as if waiting for more instructions.
She handed him the spyglass. "See that ship there?" She pointed at the schooner anchored slightly to the west of their position.
Eddie turned to face the sea and held the glass to his eye. "Yes. That where they're holdin' the boy?"
"Aye. Keep watch on the boat. Ye might also turn that spyglass on the dunes.
See if ye spot Zane and an older woman. That'd be Mrs. Underhill.
Any witness ye can bear against her would be helpful.
Oh, and if ye see a large man with a flowin' white beard comin' through here, tell him ye're with me.
Might spare ye some trouble." She winked at him.
"That'll be me da. He can be a tad intimidatin' when he's riled. "
Eddie swallowed. "I'll keep that in mind."
Muriel smiled then headed for the shore.
Eddie jogged after her. "Miss! Wait! Where are you going? It'll be dark soon. It's not safe."
Sweet man. Muriel slowed long enough to look over her shoulder. "Don't fret, Eddie. I'm just goin' fer a swim."
"A . . . swim?" His horror-stricken eyes stirred laughter in her chest as she turned and resumed her hurried trek over the sandy dunes to the shore.
Let him be scandalized. She had a nephew to fetch.
Once she hit the wet sand, she spurred herself into a jog, running parallel with the sea to cover the most ground possible before she entered the water.
When she deemed her position close enough, she looked around for a place to leave her clothes.
Spotting a large piece of sun-dried driftwood far enough from the waves to avoid being taken by the tide, she hurried to it, pulled off her dress, and draped the garment over the log.
Feeling exposed without her cove, Muriel ran toward the water and immediately waded out until she stood waist-deep in the Gulf. She eyed the schooner in the distance and took a series of slow, deep breaths. She timed the rolling waves, feeling the ocean's rhythm.
Don't swim too fast. Ye don't want to burn out before ye get there. Controlled strokes. Steady pace.
Her heart had been in a constant, yet interrupted, state of prayer since she left Zane's house, but she took a moment to focus her thoughts heavenward.
I've felt ye with me, Lord. Showin' me a path to Fletcher. Be with me now. Give me strength, a calm spirit, and clarity of mind. I can't do this without ye.
As a low wave rolled in, she dove headfirst and stroked underwater to get past the first line of waves.
Came up for air, then dove again until she made it past the breaker line.
The water was cooler in the evening than during her daytime swims, but the surface had soaked up enough summer heat during the day to keep her shivers at bay.
Once past the breakers, she came up for air and sighted the ship. Time for the most important swim of her life.