“A cup of tea?” Maggie asked weakly.
“Of course, honey.”
A small pang rang through my heart. Clementine only used that word with family. I loved that she already knew how important Maggie was to me.
Clementine hurried into the house, as Cookie returned. “How can I help, Captain?”
“The dockmaster should be told immediately that there’s no need to hold up the ships anymore.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Thank you, Cookie,” Maggie said softly.
He returned her kind smile. “Rest, lass.”
I took her inside and laid her across a settee so that Clementine could fawn all over her. Standing back, it was a relief that my aunt seemed to know precisely what to do, from taking her shoes off to putting a cold cloth on her forehead.
When I heard the lads in the back garden, I popped out for the news about Helsby. They always had a knack for telling me exactly what they’d done without quite incriminating themselves.
“The thing about that terrible old skiff, Captain,” Dobbs said slowly, “is that those boats tend to get scraped up along the bottom when on rough shores.”
“And the way back to Claytonsfield has a very treacherous turn around the point,” Willy said, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “It’s almost as if anywhere the boat had been repaired would suddenly come loose when faced with those strong waves.”
“A man would have to be very sharp to both navigate that area and bail out his boat,” Dobbs said carefully.
“And very drunk men usually aren’t sharp,” Dwyer chuckled. “Especially if someone had just poured his whole flask of liquor down his throat.”
The other two gave him pointed glares, but I just laughed.
“So what I’m hearing is, it would be terribly difficult for anyone to pass the point in a rotted, leaking boat. And if a man were incapacitated, it would be nearly impossible.”
“Quite impossible, Captain,” Willy said with a wink.
“Well done, men. Much appreciated.”
“Who was that bastard?” Willy asked.
“Maggie’s former suitor,” I explained.
Dwyer shook his head. “I’m so glad she’s with you now, Captain. And us.”
“Me too, lad,” I said, ruffling his sandy hair as we went inside to check on Maggie. “Me too.”
~ Chapte r 25 ~ Maggie ~
; * A Good Night’s Sleep is the Best Medicine *
It was very odd to be the focus of everyone’s attention, laid out on a settee as if I were the Queen.
Clementine served me tea, Dwyer brought me biscuits, and Cookie checked my eyes again twice to make sure that my pupils were even, and the right size.
All the while, the Captain sat at the end of the sofa, gently rubbing my bare feet.
I’d never been so pampered, or felt so cared for by so many people.
My heart was filled with love for all of them, but the way the Captain kept staring into my eyes made me realize our love was different than anything I’d ever felt before.