Rapture's Tempest (14 page)

“Last night?”

“Murphy came up to my cabin and we had a few drinks.” Ollie smiled as he remembered the youth’s first slug of whiskey.

“Murphy was drinking last night?” Jim stared at his friend. “Had he ever done it before?”

“No,” Ollie chuckled. “I kinda thought that that was why he was so late coming down this morning. I was sure he was going to be quite hung over…”

Jim could have groaned…she had been drinking. She probably would never have done what she had, except for the liquor. Damn her! How could she just up and leave? Didn’t she realize that he’d worry about her? That he cared?

On second reflection, Jim realized that she didn’t know how he felt. All she had known was that he had been furious with her this morning for her deception, and that he was now engaged to another woman. Seeing things from her viewpoint, he understood how hopeless her situation must have seemed to her.

“We have to go look for him, Ollie.” Jim was too embarrassed to tell his friend the truth.

“Let’s go. There had to have been a good reason for him to take off like that without saying good-bye, and I intend to find out what it is,” Ollie declared heatedly, and they left the boat anxious to locate Murphy as quickly as possible.

For four hours they searched the entire riverfront, combing all the possible places Murphy could have gone with no money and few clothes, but no one had seen a boy matching his description.

“Now what, Jimmy?” Ollie’s concern was written all over his tired features.

“I wish I knew,” Jim said slowly, trying to figure out where she could be.

He wanted to tell Ollie the whole truth, but he held back.
Jim had all the trouble he could handle right now without invoking Ollie’s ire, for once the older man discovered what had really happened, he was afraid there would be no peace between them.

“Let’s walk uptown. He was probably running away from us.” Jim tried to sound like he was guessing.

“But why?” Ollie argued.

Jim was silent, and the question went unanswered as they walked in the direction of Marshall’s office, hoping to catch a glimpse of the slender, defenseless youth.

Delight climbed into the hired carriage beside Rose and pulled the door shut behind them.

“Delight, do you really want me to move back home with you?” Rose asked, stunned by her offer.

“Absolutely. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.” Delight smiled at her. “Don’t you want to do it?”

“Of course. I loved working for you and your mother.”

“Well, good. Then it’s settled. And between the two of us, I think we can manage to stay a step or two ahead of Mr. Martin Montgomery!”

“I hope so.” Rose grimaced.

“I
know
.” She grew serious. “We still have to make some plans before I meet with Martin tomorrow. We…”

Delight let her gaze drift out the carriage window as she started to speak and the words caught in her throat. There, strolling past as if they didn’t have a care in the world, were Jim and Ollie.

“Let’s head down to Harry’s and get us a drink. What do you say, Jim my?”

“Sounds goods to me,” came Jim’s seemingly lighthearted response.

Delight quickly sat back in her seat, her color paling.

“Delight? What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer right away as her mind went over the bit of conversation she’d just heard. Jim wasn’t looking for her…
he was going drinking with Ollie. Last night had meant nothing to him…

It occurred to her then that she had been secretly hoping he would somehow track her down, declare his love, and steal her away in a romantic elopement that would stun all of society.

Delight gave a harsh, brittle laugh that echoed hollowly in the carriage. Such childish dreams! Such foolishness! No longer could she sit back and believe that her dreams would come true. She was a woman now…a woman who had to face the cruel harshness of life as it really was and act upon it. Jim Westlake was no hero…no knight in shining armor. He was just a man who had taken what had been so eagerly offered. That was all. Disillusionment mingled with great sadness settled in her heart, yet she turned to Rose and gave her a tight smile.

“Nothing’s wrong. Everything is going to be just fine. You’ll see.”

Jim took only a small drink of his scotch as he sat with Ollie at a table in Harry’s saloon. He had never before felt so completely frustrated. She was gone, and all he had left of her was the note. His hand strayed to check his pocket and he was relieved to find that it was still there. It was his only connection with what had been the most beautiful experience of his life.

He frowned, remembering that morning and his bewilderment upon finding out that Murphy was a female. What a god-awful shock it had been to him to wake up with Murphy sleeping there beside him…Jim would have smiled if it hadn’t been so tragic. She had given him so much, so freely,
and then, in his embarrassed confusion, he had turned on her, accusing her of wanting something from him. How could he have been so stupid? His later discovery that she had been a virgin had only served to compound the guilt he was experiencing. Her loving had been a gift…a gift that he had tried at first to reject but one that he knew he would carry in his heart forever….

“What now, Jimmy?” Ollie’s question dragged him back to the present.

“I don’t know if there’s anything else we can do, Ollie. We’ve searched everywhere and we asked people to keep a lookout for him. Do you have any other ideas?”

“No,” Ollie sighed. “But if we knew why he’d gone, we might be able to figure out where he’s gone.”

Jim fixed his friend with a serious gaze. “I’ll tell you why, Ollie.”

The sound of Jim’s voice, so deadly earnest, startled Ollie, and he turned to face him directly.

“You know why?”

“Yes. But you’re not going to like it.” Jim prepared to tell him the whole story.

“What happened? What did you do?” Ollie charged.

Jim was momentarily shocked. “Why do you think I did something?”

“Because we’d talked about you last night. The boy nearly worshipped you. He wouldn’t have left. He liked his life on the boat.”

“You were as blind as I was, old man!” Jim snarled, bristling under Ollie’s criticism.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Ollie returned heatedly.

“Murphy wasn’t a boy…Murphy was a girl!” There, he had said it. Glaring across the small table at Ollie, Jim downed the rest of his drink and quickly poured another.

Ollie stared at Jim, unmoving, and then extended his glass to be refilled, too.

“Murphy? A girl?”

“Yes.” Jim’s words were final, and a heavy silence fell between them as they both reviewed their own private memories of Murphy.

And, while Jim was almost distraught with worry, Ollie suddenly burst into laughter.

“That’s terrific! A girl!”

“Shut up,” Jim said threateningly, but Ollie only looked at him over the rim of his glass and laughed harder.

“You slept in close quarters with her for almost two weeks and you never knew?” Ollie retorted between chuckles.

“Not until this morning,” Jim affirmed.

“What happened this morning?” Ollie suddenly turned serious. “How did you find out?”

Jim tensed, not wanting to reveal more. He wanted to protect her. He didn’t want to sully Murphy’s reputation, even though he knew Ollie would never think any less of her. In fact, if Ollie was going to think less of anybody, it would be him.

Jim fixed him with a piercing look. “Suffice it to say that I made a few mistakes this morning. Mistakes that I will rectify as soon as I find her.”

“Jimmy—” Ollie grasped the situation without anything further being said. “How are we going to find her? I’m really worried about her now. As a boy she had a chance, but a girl? Alone?”

“I know, Ollie. I know.” Jim’s answer was almost a groan, and their eyes met in silent communication. “I’ll find her,” he pledged. “Somehow, some way.”

It was late. Night had enveloped the city, enshrouding it in darkness, and the cutting northwesterly wind howling through the streets proclaimed the threat of another winter storm.

The houses on Lucas Place were shuttered and deserted-looking this night, and they added to the sense of desolation that was overpowering Jim as he made his way down the walk. Moving on, Jim ignored the dropping temperatures and the
first falling snowflakes. Head down, he strode purposefully toward Marshall’s home, his mind set on finding answers. Jim wasn’t sure how his brother could help, but he hoped that he might have some idea of what to do next. The Lord knew he’d tried everything he could think of….

A lamp was burning invitingly in the parlor window as Jim mounted the front steps, and he was glad when the maid quickly admitted him.

“Good evening, Captain,” she greeted him. “They’re in the parlor. Go on in.”

“Thanks.” After shedding his coat, he headed quickly in the direction of the welcoming light.

Marshall looked up from where he sat in front of the fireplace reading the newspaper. “Jim? This is a surprise. Come on in.” He rose to greet his brother. “Have you recovered from last night?”

“Jim,” Renee came to him, too, and gave him a hug. “Sit down. Would you like a drink?”

“Coffee would be great.” He kissed her cheek and shook hands with Marshall before sitting down in a wing chair.

“To what do we owe this honor?” Marshall asked after Renee had gone to get Jim’s drink.

“I need to talk with you.”

Marshall was immediately struck by the seriousness of Jim’s tone.

“Do you want to go into the study?”

“I think we’d better,” Jim said flatly.

Renee returned just then with the tray of coffee. “Here you are.”

“Thanks, that’s great.” Jim poured himself a cup.

“We’ll be in the study for a while,” Marshall told her as they left the room.

“Business, again?” she moaned in mock protest.

“Again,” Marshall grinned as he led Jim down the hall.

When the door was firmly closed behind them, he turned to face his brother.

“What’s the matter? Is there bad news? Has something happened to one of the boats?”

“No, no,” Jim hurried to reassure him as they both sat down before the roaring fire in the fireplace. “In fact, I’ve just come from dinner with Mark. Everything is on schedule and there have been no further reports on the spies.”

“Then what’s bothering you?” Marshall was puzzled.

“It’s personal,” Jim said tersely, setting his untouched cup of coffee aside.

Marshall gave him a sidelong glance trying to read his expression.

“I’ll do what ever I can to help. Is there a problem with An-nabelle?”

“No, this has nothing to do with her.” Jim was vague.

“Why don’t you just tell me what’s happened?” he encouraged.

Jim sighed and got up to pace nervously about the room. He ran a hand through his hair in an agitated gesture as he turned to him.

“Do you remember Murphy?”

“Murphy?” Marshall frowned. “Oh, yes, your cabin boy, right?”

“Right.”

“Well? Did he steal something? Is that your problem?”

“No.” Jim hesitated again, not quite knowing where to begin. Finally, in a fit of desperation, he blurted it out. “Murphy was a girl.”

“Murphy was a girl?” Marshall’s tone reflected his disbelief.

Jim nodded.

“Did you know this all along?”

“No. I just found out this morning.”

Marshall gave a curt nod, trying to understand what it was Jim was trying to say. “I don’t quite know what you want me to do.”

“I don’t know what I want you to do, either. All I know is that she ran away this morning and I can’t find her.”

“You’re trying to find her?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Marshall’s question cut straight to the core of Jim’s dilemma.

“Why?” Jim repeated.

“Yes, why?” he demanded of his brother.

Jim gave him a quixotic look that turned to a lopsided half smile. “Because I love her.” It was as big a revelation to him as it was to his brother.

Marshall stared at Jim in profound confusion. “You love Murphy? I’m confused.”

“If you think you’re confused, how do you suppose I feel?”

“What happened between you two? This is all so sudden…what about your engagement to Annabelle?”

“I haven’t gotten that far yet.” Jim tried to explain. “What happened last night was so special….”

“What did happen last night?”

“Murphy and I made love.”

“But you were at your engagement party….”

“It was later…when I came back to the boat. Here, read this.” He thrust Murphy’s note at Marshall.

Marshall read it quickly and looked up at Jim.

“I would say you obviously don’t love Annabelle.”

Jim had the grace to look guilty. “No, I don’t. But what can I do about Murphy? I’ve searched everywhere for her. Ollie and I combed the riverfront all day.”

“What would you do with her if you did find her?” Marshall asked sagely.

“I—” Jim had never thought past finding her. “I don’t know.”

“Well, I think you’d better find the answer to that question before you think about anything else. Are you prepared to break off with Annabelle?”

Jim let his thoughts drift over last night, comparing Annabelle with Murphy…socialite versus cabin boy…

“Yes.” He answered firmly. “But I have to find Murphy frst”

“From the sound of this letter, Murphy doesn’t want to be found.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

“I accused her of using me….”

“You what?”

“I was so astounded when I woke up with her in my bed that…”

Marshall erupted into laughter. “That would have been a revelation!”

“It wasn’t funny then!”

“It most certainly is now.” Marshall continued to laugh, drawing Jim’s anger.

“Oh, just shut up and help me!”

“What is it that you want me to do?”

“Help me find her.”

Marshall sobered. “Is Murphy her real name?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then we really don’t have anything to go on.” He paused to think for a moment. “Did she ever make mention of her past? Any names, dates, places?”