Glancing my way, Colett raised her eyebrows and smiled. “Finally,” she said as she gave me a flirtatious wink.
Nodding my head, I agreed. “Finally, indeed.”
Arriving in Canterbury, we were greeted with another round of bad news. A storm had been brewing out in the Atlantic and no ships were sailing until it passed. Walking into the pub, I spotted Colett. She sat at a table drinking tea and reading a book.
Setting my hat on the table, I sat as Colett’s eyes met mine. “What’s wrong?”
Scrubbing my hands down my face, I let out a sigh. “I found out why we never heard back from my uncle.”
Colett looked at me with a wondering expression on her face.
Closing my eyes, I said, “He passed away last October.”
Covering her mouth with her hand, Colett shook her head. “No. Oh, Daniel, I’m so very sorry.”
Dropping my head, I let out a chuckle. “Why is he keeping me from, Sophia? Why?”
I felt Colett take my hand in her hand. “We’re going to get there, Daniel. I promise.”
“When Colett? In a month? It will be damn near August by the time I get to Savannah. My daughter will be seven months old by the time I finally arrive home.”
Swallowing hard, she turned away. “This is my fault. If I hadn’t shown weakness after my father passed away, you would have left. You’d be home with your wife and child right now.”
Placing my other hand over Colett’s, I squeezed it. “We are in this together now, Colett. Do you understand? Together.”
Nodding her head, she whispered, “I understand.”
Standing, I walked to the door and peered out over the sea. It was angry and frustrated and delivered it in the form of massive swells.
My heart felt the same way. Closing my eyes I silently prayed to God that nothing else would stand in the way of me getting back to Sophia.
OPENING MY EYES, I looked into the face of an angel. Colett had nursed me back to health, again. Smiling, she raised her eyebrows. “Your fever has finally broke. Do you know where you are?”
Looking around, I noticed I was in a bedroom. From the décor of the room I knew we must have made it to New York and, somehow, Colett had gotten me to her house.
“I don’t remember much. Just the sore throat coming on and the headache when we were on the ship.”
Nodding, she helped me lift my head to the water she held at my lips. The cold water moving through my body felt exquisite.
“I’m thankful we were only a day out from New York or I fear they would have taken you somewhere. Scarlet Fever has been bad, especially in the south.”
Rolling my eyes, I moaned. “Scarlet Fever? What did I do to make God so angry with me?”
Colett covered her mouth, attempting to hide her smile. “It is not funny, I know, but I’ve never met anyone whose luck was not on their side like you, Daniel.”
Sitting up in the bed, I took a good look around. The walls were covered in beautiful blue tapestries. Silk drapery hung from the windows. The four-poster bed I was in was enormous and swallowed me up. Glancing back to Colett, I laughed and gave her a wink. “Tell me about it. At least I’m closer to home.”
Giggling, she stood. “True. I trust you are comfortable in my bed? Do you need anything before I fetch you some soup?”
“This is your bed, Colett?”
Looking at me surprised, she said, “Yes. Why?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I pushed down on it and as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. “I bet you could be fucked good and hard in this bed.”
Jerking my head to Colett, I held up my hands as her face turned red. “Forgive me, Colett. I’m not sure why I even said that.”
Squaring her shoulders off and tilting her head, she gave me the most seductive smile I’d ever seen her give. Usually her smiles were sweet, innocent-like.