One mans honor, p.2
One Man's Honor, page 2
She couldn’t even get a job at the cigar factory where her father worked. He had been most adamant that his daughter not work with the tobacco. He did it because it paid the bills. “No, you shall marry a good husband, and God will provide for you,” he’d always say. Which is why, at age twenty and still not married, she desperately needed employment. If she didn’t find a job soon, Papá would find her a husband.
“Isabella.”
She turned to find Mariella carrying her young son Miguel and pulling her daughter Rosetta along with her. “Isn’t this such a horrible disaster?”
“Sí.” Mariella still spoke Spanish, but she primarily used English now. “What are you doing down here with the children?”
“My curiosity got the best of me. I couldn’t stand it waiting at home.” Mariella pushed her long dark hair behind her shoulders.
Isabella smiled. “Me too. Have you heard how it started?”
“No, just rumors. Some say it was Cuban businessmen who wanted to stop the production of the cigars here.”
“But didn’t they move up to Tampa?”
“Sí, but they also don’t like competition. Who knows if it was them or some of the other wild rumors floating around. Everything is so dry here. The buildings were all wood, with wooden roofs… . It just spread so fast.”
“It’s amazing no one was injured.”
Mariella reached out and placed her hand on her forearm. “You haven’t heard? Four men lost their lives.”
“Oh, no. Who?”
“I don’t know. I guess they’re waiting to have a positive identification before they say anything to anyone.”
“Dear Jesus, be with their families,” Isabella prayed out loud.
“Amen.” Mariella adjusted Miguel on her hip.
“How’s your aunt Peg’s business? Did it get burned?” Peg Bower owned a small shop of various items crafted by islanders. Her own specialty was beautiful embroidery work.
“Her store is fine. Uncle Matt’s dock and buildings are fine too. Micah came by early this morning and let us know. Miguel is happy he still has a job.”
“I can imagine. The Southard’s dock and building are destroyed.”
“I wonder how Richie is going to handle this. He’s come back with all that college learning, and I haven’t seen a change in the business. Don’t get me wrong, Ellis Southard built up a fine business, but to put it in Richie’s hands and just leave the island like that… . The man must have been crazy. But Mo Greene still works for him, so that’s a blessing.”
Isabella had heard the gossip before about folks not expecting much from Richie and his fancy college education. She’d often thought people’s concerns were more about his age rather than his abilities. “Seems to me he managed his farmstead just fine for five years.”
“I don’t know. Why did Ellis have to go to New York if it hadn’t been for some mismanagement on Richie’s part? After all, he let Richie go there by himself for his education. Why not let James do the same?”
This was the foundation for the gossip. “I’d prefer to give Richie the benefit of the doubt. Besides, what are the other businessmen going to do now that their businesses have been destroyed?”
“You know, you’re probably right. After all, Richie’s been running the business for eight months now and kept everyone gainfully employed, plus hired a couple more hands.”
See, Isabella wanted to boast but bit her tongue. It had to be difficult on Richard to have the whole town thinking he was inept at running the business, even though he’d proved himself over the past eight months. This fire would definitely be another test for him to endure. She shot another prayer heavenward for Richard Southard. Give him strength, Lord. She picked up a charred board.
“Put that down,” Mariella scolded. “I better get these niños home before they are as black as some of the men working in the rubble. Good to see you, Isabella. Come over for tea sometime.”
❧
“Mo, I’m going to take the Sea Dove to Cuba and load her up with supplies.” Richard glanced over at the white-hulled two-masted schooner glistening in the harbor. He turned his gaze back on the remains of the warehouse. “Will you take care of the cleanup?”
“Whatever you need, Richard.”
“Thanks. I’ll take a couple of men with me to help sail and load the vessel. I’m not sure how much she can handle, but we’ll load her as full as we can.”
“You be careful. Two trips are better than one if you and the ship end up lying on the bottom,” Mo warned.
“Don’t worry. I’m impulsive but not stupid.”
“Never said you were, Son. Just don’t push it. I know you’re under a lot of pressure to prove yourself, and this here fire ain’t gonna help none. Just remember, God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.”
Richard reached up and grabbed Mo’s shoulder. “Thanks, Mo. I appreciate that. Will you keep an eye out for your mother-in-law for me? I’m sure you would anyway, but she’s getting on now.”
“Of course. Lizzy and I will take care of her. Tried to get her to move in with us, but she wouldn’t hear of it. And with my mother having a small room to herself, I’m sure Francine would feel she was imposing. She wouldn’t be, but she’d feel that way. Heard even George asked her to move in with them.” Mo grinned. “But she insists she needs to take care of you.”
“She’s always been there as long as I can remember. The house would definitely not be the same if she were to move out. I could manage just fine on my own, but you won’t catch me telling her that.”
Mo laughed. “What would be the point?”
“Exactly,” Richard chuckled.
“You’ve been doing a fine job, Richard. Don’t let what the island gossips say get ya none.” Mo placed his hand on Richard’s shoulder this time.
“Thanks, I try not to listen to them but…”
“They’re like the constant buzz of a mosquito you can’t swat fast enough.” Mo chuckled and swatted an invisible bug swarming around his head.
“Yeah.”
“I know. Lizzy and I had to deal with them a time or two. Not much a man can do other than to do his best before God. Everyone else really doesn’t matter.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Now, I better get a move on so I can set sail with the tide.”
Richard hadn’t been too surprised to see no one show up this morning to work. Yet there really wasn’t any reason why they couldn’t go sponging. But where would he dry the sponges if they had collected them? He worked his way through town and found some of his men helping to remove the debris. He gave them orders to report to Mo or himself in the morning. At home, he washed and packed for his ocean voyage. Back in the office, he sat at his uncle’s desk and worked out the materials he would need to rebuild the warehouse and dock.
A gentle knock on the door broke his thoughts. “Come in, Cook.”
“I brought ya some hot coffee, Richie.”
“Thanks. Have a seat.”
Cook slowly settled her aging body in the chair opposite him. She’d always been so active; it hurt to see her less than agile.
“Don’t you go frettin’ ’bout my old bones, Boy. I may take a little more time doin’ this or that, but I’m still getting around on my own steam, which is more than I can say ’bout some my age.”
“Cook, you’ll never change. How’d you know I was thinking that?”
“I’ve known you since you were less than three feet high. I suspect I know ya pretty well.”
“I suspect you’re right.” Richard leaned back in the office chair behind his desk.
“Whatcha workin’ on?”
“The figures for the materials needed to rebuild the warehouse. I’m going to order brick and mortar. If there’s a fire again, I don’t want the whole building going up.”
“Wise decision.”
“I’m tempted to put in more windows for better ventilation, but that gives more room for someone to break in. Not that stealing a ton of sponges wouldn’t be hard to get away with.”
“What would your uncle Ellis do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well then, I guess it’s up to you. He trusts ya, Richie. He knows you’ll make the right decision.”
Richard tapped his pen on the papers he’d been working on. “It’s just that—” A knock at the front door broke his ramblings.
“Wonder who that is?”
“Stay right there, Cook. I’ll get it.” Richard hurried to the front door. “Yes, may I help you?”
A group of five men stood on his front porch. Some were men he recognized; others he didn’t.
“Mr. Southard, we heard you were going to Havana to purchase some building materials. We’d like to secure passage on your schooner. We need to do the same.”
“Come in, Gentlemen. The schooner has been stripped of any cabins. It’s strictly a boat for hauling.”
“We don’t care,” a thin man with a razor-straight nose said as they walked past him into the hallway.
“The thing is, Mr. Southard, we all need supplies,” Ben Greely piped in.
“True. Take a seat in the parlor, Gentlemen. Let’s see what we can work out. Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be right in.”
The men streamed into the front room, and Richard went back to his office. “Who was it?” Cook asked.
“Some men from town wanting to book passage on the Sea Dove. Can you make us some coffee, Cook?”
“Certainly.”
“Thanks.” Richard took some fresh pieces of paper, plus some pens and ink out to the front parlor. “All right, Gentlemen, let’s see what we can do.”
All six looked at him with amazement. One older man with white hair and a balding top rolled his eyes. Obviously, paper and pens reminded him of Richard’s fancy college education.
“Here’s the situation. My ship is small. I can handle a very limited amount of weight. However, the suppliers in Havana have their own shipping vessels. I can take your purchase orders just as easily.”
David Zachary leaned forward and took a sheet of paper. “Sounds good to me.”
Another knock jarred the front door. “Excuse me, Gentlemen.”
“I heard you were going to Havana?” a Hispanic gentleman asked.
“Yes.”
“May I come? I have family in Cuba I haven’t seen in a long time. I would be deeply in your debt if you would let me travel with you.”
“Come in. I’m working on the details of the trip with others. Take a seat in the front parlor.”
Richard noticed a stream of people making its way toward his house or front door. “Just come on in,” he hollered and joined the men in the parlor.
“Looks like you folks aren’t the only ones. If you trust me, I’ll bring your orders to the suppliers. But I only have limited room for passengers.”
Each man took a sheet of paper and began to write their list.
“Before you write your lists, let me tell you my plans. I’m going to rebuild the warehouse with brick. This will help protect against a future fire.”
“Hmm, you might be on to something there.” Ben tapped the end of the pen against his chin. “I think I’ll do the same.”
The rest of the evening was filled with other guests making similar requests. Most gave their orders to Richard; a few wanted to travel to see family. But when they found out he was only staying for one day in Cuba, they decided not to go at this time. By the time he went to bed, he had twenty orders and two extra passengers.
He penned a letter to his uncle and explained about the fire and his plans to rebuild.
Later, as his mind drifted off to sleep, the memory of the lily of the ruins brought a smile to his face.
❧
“You’re going to Cuba?” Isabella couldn’t believe her ears.
“Sí, I must visit your grandmother.”
“But, Papá, what about work? The fire?”
“It does not matter. There is no work right now, and I can visit your grandmother.”
“But, Papá, what about rebuilding the factory? There will be work, sí?”
“Sí, but Mr. Southard is ordering the supplies for the men. If I go with him, I will return with the supplies. Then I can work when I return.”
That made sense. “May I go, Papá? I would love to see Grandmother.”
“I don’t know, Niña. A boat with a bunch of sailors is not the place for a beautiful woman such as yourself.”
“Oh, Papá, I don’t care about the sailors. I only wish to see Grandmother.”
Her father looked over to her mother. His silver-streaked sideburns made him more handsome in his later years. Isabella fought down a grin; she knew she was getting to him. Whenever he looked to her mother, Isabella knew she’d convinced her father. Her mother wasn’t as easy to sway. “Oh please, Mima. It’s been so long since we’ve seen Grandmother.”
“I don’t know, Isabella. Your father makes a point about the sailors.”
“But, Mima, are they really sailors or just some of Mr. Southard’s employees? I mean, it is his boat.”
The idea of traveling with Richard Southard to Cuba excited and frightened Isabella all at the same time. Would he say anything about her speaking to him earlier today?
Her mother put down her sewing. Her dark brown eyes examined Isabella’s. “How do you know Mr. Southard?”
“I pass his warehouse every day I go into town. It’s not hard to miss a man with yellow ringlets of hair.” And the most incredible blue-gray eyes I’ve ever seen, she added silently.
“You have spoken with Mr. Southard?”
Ah, the real issue. Should she lie? Should she tell the truth and face certain punishment? “Not really, Mima.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” She saw her father stiffen.
“I merely quoted a verse of Scripture as I passed by this morning. He was tossing pieces of bread into the water and I quoted Ecclesiastes to him. He seemed so tired. The fire destroyed everything of his business. Even his dock.”
“I see. And you’ve not addressed him other than this?”
“No, Mima.”
“Yolanda, what is the harm in quoting Scripture to a man?” her father asked.
“Nothing.” Her mother’s eyes narrowed. She knows, Isabella thought.
“May I go, Mima?”
“Sí, but you must not speak with Mr. Southard if you are alone. Only when your father is around.”
“Sí, Mima, I promise.”
Three
Richard tossed his satchel in the captain’s quarters and stepped out onto the deck. He’d packed all his cash from the safe to order his supplies; hopefully, it would be enough. The galley was loaded with fresh water and provisions for the small crew. Emile Fernandez approached him with a barrel of what Richard assumed was fresh water.
“Buenos días, Señor Southard, como está?”
“Bien, and you?”
“Bien, thank you for asking.”
“I wish to ask an additional favor from you. My daughter would like to travel with us to visit her grandmother. If you see it in your heart to let her go, I shall pay for her.”
“Mr. Fernandez, the Sea Dove is not a place for niñas.”
“Isabella is a young woman.”
Richard could not allow a woman to travel on such a ship as this. He opened his mouth to protest.
“My daughter, she knows this is not a pleasure cruise. She understands. I shall be with her whenever she is on deck. I know I am asking a tremendous favor, but her grandmother, she is old and we don’t know—”
“All right, all right.” Richard raised his hands in surrender. “But tell her I want no complaints about her lack of comfort.”
“Sí, muchas gracías, Señor.”
“De nada.”
Just what he needed, a spoiled young lady on board. Richard went forward to check the rigging.
“Richard, the food’s stored below. You should have plenty, even with your extra guests.” Mo smirked.
“You heard?”
“Yessa, and I’m sure glad I’m not the captain of this here trip.” Mo looped his thumbs around the waistband of his trousers.
“You know, Mo, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t take the trip. I could manage the men on shore.”
“Sorry, Richard, my wife would have my hide ifin I didn’t return for several days. Come now, I know you’ll find Isabella’s a fine young lady.”
“Fine spoiled young lady.”
“Perhaps.” Mo smirked again and quickly went over the edge, slipping down into the skiff below.
“Chicken.”
Mo simply roared with laughter.
Who is this Isabella Fernandez, anyway? He’d never spoken with Emile before last night, and there were so many people on Key West now that he couldn’t possibly know everyone.
Richard climbed the mast to the yardarm and examined the rigging. A hooded creature in a skirt scurried on board and went down below. Perhaps a woman to cook the meals wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all, he mused.
He climbed down the rigging and, having thoroughly examined the boat, he ordered, “Raise the mainsail.” The massive sail fluttered in the wind. “Hoist the anchor.”
Richard grabbed the wheel and nudged it until the wind caught the sail. He navigated the ship out of the harbor as if he were walking down the street. He knew the waters and the reefs around the small island like the trees in the garden behind his house. Once out of the harbor, he looked at his compass and set a course for Havana. Ninety miles due south or there about. Richard enjoyed the rush of wind to welcome him back to the open sea. Sailing would definitely be one of the things he’d miss if he moved back to New York.
“Take the helm, Ben. I’m going to my cabin to work on the various orders.” Ben Greely had been one of the two who decided to join him on his trip.
“With pleasure, Captain.” A grin quirked Richard’s lips as he headed toward the captain’s quarters. He wasn’t sure how necessary it really was for Ben to travel to Cuba, but the man seemed to genuinely love the sea.
Before entering his cabin, he paused. Should I check on our other guests? Nope, this isn’t a pleasure cruise, and I’m not their host. He opened the door to his small quarters and pulled out the attaché with each man’s orders. Some of the men had given him contacts in Cuba, folks with whom they’d done business before. Others had given him deposits for their orders, while still others had promised their word was as good as gold. Richard checked and rechecked the figures, making a master list of items needed and a secondary list of who had ordered what.
