Camellia (36 page)

Lily could feel the heat of her husband’s anger from where she stood a foot away. Jean Luc looked so dejected. While she could not agree with his decision to run from his problems, she could understand how high a price he’d paid for his actions. At this moment, he reminded her of her father. He’d run away when he should have stayed and persevered.

Blake reached for his sister’s elbow, but Lily stopped him with a shake of her head. “While I appreciate your concern for your sister, you should give Anna the chance to decide her own future now that she knows the truth about Jean Luc.”

He turned his frown on her, but Lily would not back down. She knew she was right about this. Reaching for his hand, she pulled him toward the door. “Let’s leave them here to thrash out their problems.”

“That’s a good idea.” Blake’s frown did not abate at all. “And I can use the time to hunt down the sheriff and lodge a complaint against him.”

Lily seemed to be the only one who heard his threat. She shook her head, dragged the door open, and pushed him through it. “You have five minutes. I doubt I can hold my husband off for any longer than that.”

“I’ll never understand women.” Blake took aim at the piece of wood on the chopping block and split it with his ax.

“I don’t think we’re meant to.” Henrick Anderson picked up the two halves and placed them on the growing pile of firewood. “It’s our job to love them and protect them. But as for understanding them …”

“Lily is barely speaking to me. She seems to think I had some nefarious reason to keep her in the dark about Jean Luc’s treachery.”

“Did you?”

Blake grunted. “Of course not. The
Hattie Belle
was gone. By the time I woke up, everyone was saying what a noble thing he’d done to sacrifice his own life for the sake of the other boat owners. Like everyone else, I thought the man was dead. I thought he was beyond taking responsibility for his actions, and I didn’t see why his parents should suffer for his misdeeds.”

“That sounds logical to me.”

“Then why is Lily so miffed?” Blake put another piece of wood on the block. “Why can’t she see the truth?”

“She probably can.” Henrick chuckled. “But if I know my eldest daughter, she is wondering if there are other things you’ve been less than truthful about. For your own good reasons, of course.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Blake concentrated on his chore for several minutes—splitting the wood released some of his irritation.

Sweat trickled into his eyes, and he stopped to wipe his brow. “I don’t understand Anna, either. She ought to be glad she found out who ‘John Champion’ really was before she committed herself to him.”

“The girl’s heart is bruised if not broken.” Henrick spoke gently. “Since Jean Luc has disappeared—”

“A fact she seems to blame on me.”

“Yes, well … I’m sure you didn’t arrange for his boat to leave Cape Girardeau, but you probably weren’t unhappy to learn of the man’s departure.”

Of course he wasn’t unhappy. Blake didn’t want to have to go to the authorities and swear out a complaint against the man. And he wouldn’t … as long as Jean Luc stayed away from Anna. He put down the ax, crossed his arms over his chest, and waited for Henrick to continue.

“So now that Jean Luc is gone, you’re a convenient target for her disappointment.”

“That makes no sense at all.”

Henrick shrugged. “As I said, it’s our job to love the women in our lives, not understand them.”

The man sounded just like Camellia—shallow, foolish Camellia—the girl who had told him earlier this morning that he should bide his time. She’d actually suggested he might give the other two women a little time to recover from their disappointments instead of trying to defend his actions. When had she become so mature? When had she grown more levelheaded than Lily?

First she had become Aunt Tessie’s assistant, nursing his father and learning how to make remedies. Then she had taken Anna under her wing and showed her how to be more self-confident. Now she was dispensing advice to him. It made absolutely no sense.

“This world would be a sorry place without the ladies.” Henrick chuckled again. “Logical or not, we’re much better off with them than without them.”

“That’s easy for you to say.” Blake glanced toward the house. “You’re not married to a single one of them, nor do you have a sister to watch over.”

“No, only three daughters. And I thank God every day for putting them back in my life.”

The older man’s words struck a chord in his heart. Shame hit Blake. He should be focusing on his blessings—having a wife and a sister who loved him in spite of his shortcomings. They might be put out with him now, but one day they would forgive him. At least he hoped they would.

M
rs. Naomi plopped down beside Jean Luc as he whittled a piece of driftwood. “What are you making?”

Hunching a shoulder, he looked at the pattern of grains. “A bird, I guess.”

“A seagull!” She clapped her hands together. “You have a fine talent at whittling.”

Jean Luc shrugged. What did it matter? His life had come to another dead end. He never should have fallen in love with Anna Matthews. He should have kept to himself, kept his heart free of entanglements. Hadn’t he learned yet that he had nothing to offer others? Blake had been right when he’d condemned Jean Luc. He couldn’t blame the man for his anger or for the way Anna had run from him that day.

“You’ve been moping around here for more than a week.” Mrs. Naomi’s soft voice pulled him from his roiling thoughts.

Jean Luc looked at the river, its muddy surface sliding past them. “I don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll be back in Cape Girardeau by Christmas Eve. Why don’t you plan on going to the church service? Your sweet Anna should be there.”

“I can’t.”

Mrs. Naomi squinted at him. “I don’t understand what happened between you and that young lady, but I know how much you care for her. And it seemed to me she was taken with you, too.”

“That was before her brother told her about my past. He knew me when I was a different man. I tried to hurt him and his wife. And I almost succeeded in getting all three of us killed.”

“I see.” Mrs. Naomi put a hand on his arm. “I have to admit that sounds pretty awful.”

Jean Luc grunted as the knife in his hand slipped and pinked his thumb. A dot of red appeared in the fleshy center of the appendage. He concentrated on it to keep his emotions at bay. When he was sure he could speak without betraying himself, he looked at her kindly face. The captain’s wife had been a good friend to him, almost a second mother. But how could she understand? “It was—and is—inexcusable.”

“You have given your life to Jesus, haven’t you?”

He shrugged. “I guess so.”

“No.” She shook her head. “There’s no guessing when it comes to this. Either you are a child of God or you are not. Jesus died on the cross because He is committed to saving you from eternal damnation. If you’ve asked Him into your heart, He’s washed away your past sins. Even God does not see them anymore.”

“But the earthly consequences are still there.”

“Yes, and you have to face up to those. But always remember that Jesus loves you. He knows not only what you did but also every thought inside that thick head of yours. And He still has His arms wide open to you.”

A faint hope entered Jean Luc’s chest. In the turmoil of having to admit his past, he’d neglected Christ’s love and acceptance.

Mrs. Naomi winked at him. “As soon as we dock, I want you to go to that girl and lay your heart in front of her. If she rejects you, it will hurt, but you can survive her rejection with God’s love to sustain you.”

Jean Luc flattened his palm and studied the spread wings of the bird he’d whittled. He could feel his own heart soaring with the freedom Mrs. Naomi’s words were bringing to him. “You’re a very wise woman.”

“I couldn’t sit still and let the devil convince you with his lies. He’d like nothing better than to separate you from God, but don’t you let him get away with it. No matter what happens in Cape Girardeau, you can always lean on Him.”

He offered the seagull to her, but Mrs. Naomi shook her head. “You’re going to need a gift to give your girl for Christmas.”

Jean Luc smiled. For the first time since seeing Blake and Lily, he began to believe everything might turn out all right.

“When are we going back to Mississippi?” Camellia looked down at her feet as they walked the path to the church on Christmas Eve.

Lily thought for a moment her younger sister had returned to the immature girl she’d once been, the girl who thought of nothing beyond the next social occasion and the newest fashion plates. Then the likely reason for Camellia’s question occurred to her. “Are you missing that handsome Captain Watkins?”

“No, that’s not it.” Camellia lifted her skirts to avoid a puddle. “I would like to see Jane of course.”

“Of course.” Blake joined the conversation as they walked three abreast.

Lily frowned at him before returning her attention to Camellia. “I’ve been so impressed with you, Camellia. You’ve always had a tender heart when it comes to taking care of others, but now you’ve turned that talent into a calling. You’ve learned so much about healing and effective treatments. You should be proud of yourself.”

“That’s just it.” Camellia sighed. “Blake’s father is getting better now. He really doesn’t need me anymore. I want to be useful. I want to make a difference. If you’re right and God has given me a calling, I need to find a way to use it. I thought I was helping Anna, but now look at her. She’s practically walking on air since Jean Luc showed up this afternoon.”

“I know.” Lily glanced toward the couple walking a few yards ahead of them, their heads inclined toward each other. “Isn’t it romantic?”

“I don’t see why everyone else is so pleased to see Jean Luc and my sister together,” Blake complained. “Have all of you forgotten what he did?”

Lily planted her feet in the path and tugged on his arm to make him face her. “Your sister is happier right now than she’s been since the day she discovered who Jean Luc really was.”

“I always thought you had a soft place in your heart for that man, but you’re letting your emotions rule your head.”

“That’s like the pot calling the kettle black.” Lily heard Camellia mutter something and move away. She waited a moment until she was sure no one would overhear her words. “If you’re wondering whether or not I ever loved Jean Luc Champney, you can rest easy. Yes, I did have a bit of a soft spot for him. His parents tried to force him into their idea of a proper future the same way my aunt Dahlia and uncle Phillip tried to do to me. But that’s all it ever was.” She pointed a finger at him. “You’re the only man I’ve ever loved.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“While we’re on the subject of Jean Luc, I want to point out a few things for you to consider. First is that he has lost a lot more than you or I have. Sure, we lost the
Hattie Belle
, but I thought you were happy on the
Water Lily.
I know I have been. And God has blessed us abundantly. We have family and friends and a life that has not been spent hiding from our past.”

She could see that her words were beginning to get through to her husband. He was finally starting to understand why she’d been so put out with him lately. She had waited for him to discover these truths for himself, but maybe she should have been more direct back when they first found out whom Anna had fallen in love with.

“So you think he should be forgiven? Allowed to escape the consequences of his actions?”

“What I think is that we are not supposed to judge him. Anna has told us he’s a Christian. He is our brother as surely as Anna, Camellia, and Jasmine are our sisters. By taking on the role of judge, you are inviting bitterness to creep back into your soul.” She took hold of one of his hands and held it to her cheek. “You have only recently rooted out the bitterness you had against your father. Can’t you see that you are inviting more pain into your life—our lives—by holding on to this anger against Jean Luc?”

He raised his other hand and cupped her face. “You’re a very smart woman, Lily Matthews.”