Dallas had gotten word concerning a load of tea in Tangier.
Since he had been in Spain, he"d set sail almost immediately, but as usual, a ship called the Aramis, and a captain known only as Smoke, beat him to it. It was a continuation of the familiar pattern of the last two years, but that was no comfort. His business was suffering as a result.
Dallas appeared to study the toe of his boot, his mind miles away. You wouldn"/ think that in an ocean the size of the Atlantic, one ship could cause me such trouble.
R was all too true. To Dallas it seemed that the Aramis, or lather her captain, had no rules. The ship did not seem to be governed by time or wind The Zephyr, Dallas" ship, had been on the losing end of the expertise of the Aramis" captain on many occasions. It never seemed to fail--if word aired that merchandise of great value was up for grabs, the captain and crew of the Aramis did the grabbing.
Dallas finally thanked Yusuf and returned to his ship.
Within minutes they were underway. He had one other stop.
Some miles down the coast, in Casablanca, a load of sugar awaited him. From there, he was forced to admit, he had no other leads.
"My immediate plans? Why would he ask such a thing?"
Smokey frowned at Da.r.s.ey where he stood framed in her cabin doorway.
"I think he"s unhappy that you won"t deal with him directly, but I think what he really wants is to get a look at Smoke."
"Well, I don"t deal that way. Tell him we"ll take our business elsewhere."
Da.r.s.ey, although tempted to argue, nodded and left, leaving the door open. Within minutes Smokey heard the voice of the merchant apologizing profusely. Smokey had not been making idle threats, she never did, but the man had obviously been bluffing over what he was willing to pay.
It would be so much simpler to handle some of these exchanges myself, Smokey thought to herself. Da.r.s.ey had told her on many occasions over the last year that she no longer needed to conceal her ident.i.ty; maybe now was the time to listen to him.
Smokey put her quill down, rose from the desk, and moved to the cabin door. Seconds later she walked calmly across the
32.
deck to where Da.r.s.ey stood d.i.c.kering with the most successful merchant in Greece.
Her men on deck stopped what they were doing at the sight of her. As was her custom, she was dressed in black knee-high boots, dark, baggy trousers and a long, full overshirt that completely hid her figure from neck to knee. Her hair, as usual, was completely concealed under a knit cap, pulled down to the bottom of her ears.
Smokey came forward, knowing that she had stopped the merchant in his tracks. She also knew that even though she was dressed like a boy, her face and hands would give her away. The skin of her cheeks was as smooth as a baby"s, and her hands, although work-roughened, were slim, with long fingers and fine-boned wrists. She looked like a cabin boy, but she moved and spoke like a woman in command "Is there some problem, Mr. Brennan?" Smokey addressed Da.r.s.ey properly as she stopped beside the two men.
"Yes, Captain. Nikos feels the price is a bit steep," Da.r.s.ey told her and tried not to laugh at the stunned look on Nikos"
face.
"What did you have in mind, Nikos?" the young captain asked solicitously, although her voice held a hint of steel.
"You are Smoke?" the man nearly stammered.
"My friends call me Smokey," she told him, "but you may address me as Captain Simmons. Now please tell me, what price did you have in mind?"
The man"s eyes flicked down the front of Smokey, but he hers when Da.r.s.ey made a sound in The man"s eyes flicke quickly raised his face to the back of his throat.
Smokey sighed and reached for her hat. With the movement of her hand, a fall of black hair came down over her shoulders and back. The merchant blinked, and Smokey disovered great relief in having her ident.i.ty revealed ^, "Now that you know for certain," she spoke dryly, "let us E down to business. Do you pay my price, or do we sail?"
IJBlpay," he said without hesitation, agleam of respect, as BBP"fcething else, entering his eyes.
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Smokey allowed Da.r.s.ey to handle the transaction from that point, and the unloading proceeded shortly. She watched from the deck as the Greek merchant left the ship and then gestured wildly to some sailors on the dock. Seeing the word spread was like watching ants running around a mound-- Smoke was a woman! Smokey could almost hear them.
The Aramis finished her business in Greece and made four more stops in the next week. Each and every time, Smokey handled the negotiations and let herself be seen, and although she did not remove her hat again, the truth was being brought to light.
She was amazed at how quickly the word pa.s.sed The whole business began to wear on her, and she finally told her crew to head for home. Twenty days later they were back in port, and Da.r.s.ey and Smokey headed to Willa"s.
Smokey was rescued from the usual letdown of leaving her ship by the arrival of a letter from Jenny Pemberton. She invited Smokey to come for a visit at her soonest possible convenience, and to stay for an indefinite period of time. Smokey sent an immediate note of acceptance, with plans to leave for Kennebunkport in three days" time.
33.
"Do you think she"ll be here this morning or this afternoon?"
Jenny asked Tate for the second time that morning.
Tate chuckled and kissed her cheek He had finished with breakfast and needed to be out the door.
"I think she"ll be here by noon."
"Why do you think that?" Jenny"s face was a mask of confusion.
Tate shouted with laughter. "Honey, you asked me what I thought, so I just made a guess."
"Oh, Tate," Jenny laughed. "Go to work so I can fret in peace."
Tate kissed her again, this time on the mouth, and moved toward the door. Jenny watched him go and then did just as she"d predicted "Go on with you, Smokey!" Willa put in. She never failed to see to every need when Da.r.s.ey and Smokey were in port, but she took care of them in a stern, yet loving way. "If you were going to be an inconvenience in any way, they wouldn"t have asked you."
Smokey hesitated and Da.r.s.ey rose. "Come on, I"ll take you over."
"Why do you suppose she asked me, Da.r.s.ey?"
Da.r.s.ey paused on his way to the door and turned to look at her. Became she sees what I see--a vulnerable, lonelyyoung woman who makes your heart ache just to look at her.
"She asked you," Da.r.s.ey finally spoke out loud, "because you"ve been praying for a friend, and G.o.d has decided to provide one."
Da.r.s.ey hoped she wouldn"t press him further, because he knew he couldn"t take it. She was so rarely insecure, but when she was, all Da.r.s.ey wanted to do was sit down and weep. He was relieved to see Smokey nod so he could turn back to the door.
The subject was not raised on the way to the Pembertons", but Da.r.s.ey knew that Smokey was having second thoughts about the visit. He was determined to get her there, however, so conversation was brief.
Once they had arrived, he sent Smokey to the front door with a kiss and a wish that she have a good time. He silently hoped she would stay for a month, partly because she needed the fellowship, and partly because he was getting too old to be roaming the sea.
Ithought you were headed to the Pembertons" today,"
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32.
When Smokey knocked, a servant answered the front door of the Pemberton home, a huge house that sat right on the Atlantic. She was greeted cordially, but felt her palms sweat as she stepped across the threshold and into the entryway.
Smokey didn"t know houses like this existed.
34.
From her place by the door, Smokey looked as far as the open doors would allow. She could see what looked to be a library, a huge parlor, and possibly another smaller parlor.
Windows directly opposite the foyer, on the east side of the house, gave her a splendid view of the sea.
She was tempted to walk to them and look out, but kept her place and continued to gaze around her. She was still studying the smoothly painted walls and light oak flooring when Jenny called her name and approached "You"re here," Jenny said with a grin after she"d given her a quick, impetuous hug. "I"m so glad you could come," she told Smokey sincerely, as she slipped her arm within Smokey"s and led her toward the parlor. "YoucanastTar^if -*. ni*-u..**"-- t ---,..- . ~ww .v in Hie KJiuien.
The mention of the kitchen reminded Smokey that she had been uncertain as to when to come. "I wasn"t sure if I should come before or after lunch... I mean, if you would be prepared to have me for lunch." Smokey stopped when Jenny chuckled "Our cook is a dream. She can have a banquet on the table with just a few hours" notice. I a.s.sure you, you would have been welcome whenever you arrived."
Jenny wasted no time in making Smokey comfortable. She gave her an immediate tour of the entire house, and Smokey was more awestruck than before. The kitchen and dining rooms were immense and sparkling clean. The room off the foyer that Smokey had taken to be a second parlor was in fact a music room. Next to this was a sun room, with more windows looking out to the east.
The stairs were wide and carpeted as they led Smokey and Jenny to the second floor, which had nine large bedrooms.
The two young women ended their tour in what was to be Smokey"s bedroom during her visit. After showing her around the vast room, Jenny left her to freshen up.
A maid had put her few things away, and Smokey didn"t know quite what to do with herself. Her men always took care
35.
of her on ship, but that was their job. Somehow this felt decadent. At Willa"s, or aboard the Aramis, she had more jobs waiting for her attention than the hours of the day allowed.
Smokey circled the room slowly and stopped by the window.
It was a huge piece of gla.s.s covered with sheer, lacy curtains. Captivated, Smokey touched them almost reverently.
They were so unlike anything she had at home or on shipboard Suddenly Smokey realized the curtain was hiding a spectacular view.
Moving gently, she pulled the curtain aside to display a sweeping panorama of the Atlantic. Smokey stared as though mesmerized Living inland from the port at Kennebunk didn"t give her daily views of the sea when she was at home. Why, it was almost like being aboard ship!
Suddenly Smokey found herself wondering whether she would ever sail again if she owned a house on the sea. Such a thought had never occurred to her, and she immediately felt upset at the idea. Before her thoughts could run rampant, however, she remembered she did not have a house like this and probably never would Her business was a tremendous success, so she could easily have afforded to buy a home of her own, but the idea of living alone did not appeal to her in the least.
Her next thought, that of asking Willa to move, made her laugh out loud Dynamite couldn"t shift Willa from the house where she had raised all five of her children. The idea was so outrageous that Smokey couldn"t hold her chuckles. She was still giggling when a maid knocked at the door and entered She had hot water and clean towels for Smokey, who had just barely had time to school her features.
Tate placed a soft kiss on the back of his wife"s neck when she asked him to b.u.t.ton the back of her dinner gown. She and
36.
Tate were in the habit of dressing for dinner and sharing the day"s events as they did so. All Jenny"s talk on this evening was of Smokey. They had shared a lovely afternoon together, and Jenny told Tate that although Smokey was still a bit hesitant with her, they were making progress.
"She seems so young and lost at times, and she looks at the house and furniture as though she"s never seen anything like them before."
"So you feel sorry for her," Tate murmured softly. To his surprise, Jenny chuckled "No, I don"t. I feel sorry for me. Something tells me that I haven"t even scratched the surface of the real Smokey. And that if she ever opens up, I might just find myself in over my head If only I can make her see..."
"See what?" Tate questioned when Jenny hesitated.
"That I really want to be her friend, a friend she can trust. I want her to like me so much that I hurt. I don"t want to smother her, but I want her to see my friendship as genuine, and I--" Jenny stopped and shrugged helplessly. "Did that make any sense?"
"Yes. In your brief time together, you"ve come to care deeply for her, and you want her to care in return."
Jenny"s sigh was one of relief over his understanding as they made their way to the door. They were in the dining room hen Smokey came to the door. She paused on the threshold, her face a mask of dismay.