Beloved Captive (33 page)

At least in her case she had a home and family to return to. As far as Emilie could tell, Ruby O’Shea had no one.

“Emilie?”

She looked up at the wrecker, whose face now wore a troubled expression.
 

“Something wrong?”

Micah nodded. “I’ve been hearing some things I don’t like. I’m a man who believes in going to the source, so I’m coming directly to you.” He shuffled his feet, then let out a long breath.

Her heart sank. “This is about the judge, isn’t it?”

“I’ll let you tell me, Emilie,” he said.
 

“There’s nothing to tell.” Tess waved, and she returned the gesture. “Nothing,” she added for emphasis.

He seemed to consider her statement. “That’s not what I’ve heard, but I’ll believe you if you tell me it’s the truth.”

“Micah,” she said, “I have held several discussions with the judge, and I’ll be the first to admit that we don’t see eye to eye on the issue of funding the schoolhouse. He and I did hold one of those discussions up at the school, but that’s the extent of it.” She met his gaze. “You have my word.”

“I believe you, Emilie.”

“Do you?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I never thought running home in the rain would get me in so much trouble.”

Relief crossed his features. “That’s what you were doing?” He laughed. “Yes, I can see you’d try to outrun a storm if you’d set your mind to it.”

She tried not to smile. “Laugh if you will, Micah Tate, but some people in this town might decide I’m no longer fit to teach their children.”

“Impossible.” He gestured to Tess. “Say, would you mind doing me a favor? I told her mama I would keep her busy until lunch time and it’s about that now.”

Emilie glanced back at the courthouse, then shrugged. “I suppose so. There’s nothing left to be done here anyway.”

She gathered Tess up and walked her back to the boardinghouse, fielding all sorts of questions along the way. By the time she walked into the kitchen and found Ruby setting the table, she was exhausted.

“Looks like my Tess worked her magic again,” Ruby said as she sidestepped Emilie to reach for the plates, then sent Tess out to wash up for lunch. “Did Mr. Tate say whether she behaved herself?”

A child’s book sat on the table, calling to mind the unwelcome answer she’d received to the question of building a new school.
 

“I’m sure she was fine,” Emilie said, her mind on the issue of the school. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be going.”

Ruby set the stack of plates on the table, then rested her hand on her hips. “Something’s wrong. Did Tess—”

“No, she was fine. Truly.” Emilie sighed. “I got some bad news, that’s all.”

“Sit,” Ruby said. “I’ve got coffee made.”

“Coffee won’t fix this, Ruby,” she said, “but I appreciate the offer.” She looked around. “Where’s Mrs. Campbell?”

Ruby wiped her hands on the corner of her apron. “Oh, she’s gone off to be with her daughter for a week. She left me in charge.”

Emilie smiled.
 

“So tell me about this problem.” She shrugged. “I’m not real educated, but I’ve been told I’ve got a good head on my shoulders.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Emilie began. “I was hoping the new judge would approve the building of a real school for our children. He just informed me that wasn’t going to happen.”

Ruby shook her head. “Why not? Doesn’t he know what a treasure children are?”

“That’s what I asked him,” Emilie said.

“Did he give a reason?” When Emilie shook her head, Ruby continued. “Well, I’ve always heard if you don’t get the answer you want from a man, you go to the next man up for another opinion.”

Go to the next man up
. Emilie pondered the statement a moment. Who would Caleb Spencer answer to?
 

“The secretary of the navy.” Emilie laughed and reached over to hug the thin woman with the brilliant logic. “Thank you, Ruby,” she said. “I think you may have solved the problem.”

“I did?”

“Yes,” Emilie said, “you did. Starting today, the citizens of Fairweather Key will have their voices heard in Washington, since we obviously haven’t had them heard here.”

She ran out of the kitchen and out onto the sidewalk with renewed purpose. By the time the mail cutter returned, she and the other concerned citizens of Fairweather Key would see to it the vessel left with a hold full of letters for the secretary of the navy.

And tonight she would hold a meeting at the school to enlist other parents in the effort.

Her first stop was the mercantile. The owners’ wives, mothers of seven of her students, enthusiastically agreed to pass the word of the meeting. Before she went home, Emilie had either seen or left word with most of the parents.

“I pray this is spread as fast as the gossip,” she said as she turned for home.
 

The thought darkened her mood and sent her mind back to Isabelle’s warning regarding what was being said about her run through the rain. If only they knew how little truth was in the rumor that she had any sort of relationship with Caleb Spencer.

“For that matter,” she whispered as she opened the garden gate, “I suppose their eyebrows would be quite singed should the gossips realize that upon my first meeting with Judge Spencer I shot him.”

Chapter 35

“You have got to do the right thing by her.” Micah Tate stood in the doorway of Caleb’s office and waited for a response.
 

“Come in, Micah,” Caleb said, refusing to be baited.

“I’ll stand here, if you don’t mind.”

Caleb looked over the wrecker and noted his fisted hands and rigid stance. “Have I done something to offend you?”

He shook his head. “No, but if you don’t do something to fix the problem, you might.”

“A strong statement,” Caleb said. “Unfortunately, I’m at a loss as to its purpose. Why not sit down and tell me what you’re talking about.” He rose and gestured to the empty chair on the other side of his desk.
 

“I said I’d stand, sir.”

His temper flared, but Caleb held it back. There was nothing to be accomplished by giving free rein to his anger. This was, he reminded himself, a man of good reputation.

“I respect you, Tate,” he said slowly, “and I’ll listen to whatever you have to say to me. What I won’t do is be insulted or dictated to. So either sit down and talk to me, or get out of my office.”

“Fair enough.” Micah sat, his back ramrod straight. For a time, he seemed to study the floor. Abruptly, he lifted his gaze to meet Caleb’s stare. “I’ve got something on my mind, Judge.” Another pause and then a direct look. “There’s been talk about you and the schoolteacher.”

Was Micah jealous? “Completely unfounded, I assure you.”

“Yet that doesn’t stop tongues from wagging.” Micah pushed back from the desk but made no move to rise. The look on the wrecker’s face told Caleb he might be there for a while.
 

Finally, Caleb let out a long sigh. “Tate,” he said slowly, “if you have the prescription for that ailment, please enlighten me.”

“Actually, I do.” His eyes narrowed. “The gossips are talking because it appears you and Emilie are carrying on and don’t want anyone to know about it. What’s not good hides from the light. That’s what the Bible says.”

Dread mixed with curiosity caused Caleb to nod. “Go on.”

“So it’s a simple matter of doing things the right way. Go to the reverend and ask for permission to court her.”

“Court her?” Caleb rose, unable to believe his ears. “Are you serious, man? Court Emilie Gayarre?”

The wrecker stood and met his gaze. “Dead serious,” he said with the tone of one who would not back down. “And I’d say the alternative’s not a pleasant choice.”

Caleb could only stare as the blood boiled at his temples and his fingers itched to form fists. “Are you challenging me?”

“No,” Tate said. “You’d best me, and I know it. I’m no fool. The others think you’re some Washington bureaucrat, but I know that’s not all there is to you.”

It didn’t take a smart man to know this line of conversation could easily veer further into the dangerous. Rather than deflect it, Caleb decided to remain silent.

“I’ve been watching you, and I think there’s more to you than what you’re letting on.” Caleb worked to keep his expression neutral as Micah returned to his seat. “I see a man with sea legs. Do you know what those are?”

He did. “Isn’t that to be expected when a man’s a naval officer, Tate?”

The wrecker continued to stare, even as he rested his palms on his knees. “I suppose,” he said grudgingly.

The clock behind him struck the noon hour. Time to end this conversation. “Did I misunderstand when you called the schoolteacher your Emilie?”

“I did say that.” The wrecker looked away. “But I had plenty of time to think on things while I was laid up over at Doc’s place.”

Caleb resisted the urge to ask for clarification.

“Long after you’ve left us, Emilie Gayarre will still be here. I intend to see that she’ll be teaching our children as long as she wants.”

“And that’s why you gave up your home? So Miss Gayarre would stay and teach?” Caleb shook his head. “For a man who believes God has someone else for him, you’re certainly sounding besotted.”

Micah Tate rose with a look in his eye that told Caleb he’d gone too far. “I don’t have to explain my motives to you, Judge Spencer. Emilie Gayarre is a good woman, but people are saying bad things about her, and it all comes back to you. I know more than I’ve said, and I’m not allowing this situation to continue without doing something about it.”
 

“Is that so?”

The wrecker dipped his head. “It is.”

“And what would that be?”

“I’m starting with trying to talk some sense into you.”

Caleb crossed his arms over his chest. “Save your breath. I’m not building a school, and no amount of coercion is going to change my mind.”

Micah shook his head. “I’m an honest man. The Lord doesn’t honor anything but the truth, and He surely doesn’t honor coercion.”
 

“Agreed.”

Micah leaned forward. “Right now, the truth is that my friend is in a fix, and you’re the only man who can repair the damage. What say you?”

“I say it’s my own business if and how I do anything, Tate.” Caleb swallowed the rest of his irritation, then let out a long breath. “I will give what you’ve suggested some consideration. Beyond that, I cannot say what I will do.”

Micah stared, then gave a curt nod. “Fair enough.”

Caleb glanced at the clock and back at the stack of papers waiting to be attended to. “Was there anything else?”

“Just one more thing.” He paused. “Does the name Benning mean anything to you?”

Caleb felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. He walked to the door, then stormed back to stand over the wrecker. “What kind of question is that?”

“I asked that myself,” the redhead said slowly. “Seems like a popular name.”

Caleb sank into the chair and waited for Micah to elaborate.
 

“First there’s Hawkins.”

“Go on,” Caleb said evenly.

“I think that Hawkins fellow wants his treasure back.” He shrugged. “And maybe he’s looking to find the man he thinks robbed him of it.”

“Me,” Caleb said.

“Well,” Micah said, slowly, “actually, the way Miss O’Shea tells it, he’s looking for some woman who testified against him at his trial and a fellow he calls Benning.” He leaned forward. “Funny thing is he’s got it in his mind you’re him.”

“Any idea why?”

Micah shook his head. “Then there’s these two fellows who showed up down at the docks a couple of days ago. Said they were looking for work, so I hired them for the afternoon to help me salvage what I could of the
Caroline
.” He paused to look over at Caleb. “They mentioned a man named Benning, too.”

“In what way?”

He shrugged. “Just in passing. It seemed odd, though, that they would be interested in whether I knew of that particular fellow since Miss O’Shea told me Hawkins had a hankering to find him as well.”

Caleb leaned forward in his chair and rested his palms on his knees. “I would have you point out these men to me. Would you do that?”

He lifted a brow. “Intending to investigate, are you?”
 

The question felt much less casual than Micah made it seem. “That’s my job, isn’t it?”

“Depends.”

Anything he might have said would’ve been either foolish or wrong, so Caleb said nothing. When he gathered his wits, he rose again. “Thank you, Micah,” he said. “You’ve given me plenty to think about.”

The wrecker stood and reached to shake Caleb’s hand. “I want you to know I’ll stand with you should this Hawkins fellow prove a problem. The other wreckers, they will, too.”

“I appreciate that,” Caleb said.

“But this situation with Emilie,” Micah continued, “I won’t be standing by you if you let her take the blame for something that’s not her fault.”

Fresh anger spiked. “So you’re telling me to start courting Emilie Gayarre or lose the support of the wreckers should the pirate Hawkins come after me?”

“No,” he said calmly. “I’m telling you to do what’s right, and we’ll do the same.”

With those cryptic words, Micah Tate took his leave. As Caleb watched him through the window, he wondered whether he’d won that round or lost it.

The noose that was the Benning legacy seemed to come close to tightening around his neck, yet he’d slid free without deceit or deception. The next time, would he be so lucky?

* * *

“We cannot allow the loss of our freedom,” Emilie said at that evening’s hastily arranged meeting at the schoolhouse. Half the town of Fairweather Key had turned out for the event.

“So you’re saying all we need to do is write letters to the secretary of the navy and we’ll get us a school?” someone called from the back of the crowd. Several others voiced skepticism, while some argued the other side.

Emilie raised her hand for silence. “None of us knows whether this will work, but we all know that what we’ve done so far has not. Is there anyone here who does not feel beholden to Micah Tate for offering up this place to educate our children?”