At the Captain's Command

He gazed about the room. “You have your choice between Mr. Richland Senior or Junior.”

Dinah bit her lips to keep from giggling. “Captain, I order you to cease matchmaking for me.” A playful thought nudged Dinah’s mind. “That is, unless I am permitted to serve the same office for you.”

He gave her a slight bow. “Fair enough. Make your selection and present me to the lady.”

She stared around the room, seeking a likely candidate. “Hmm. Well. How about…no, not her. And then there’s…but no, she would not suit.” She released a dramatic sigh. “I fear not a single match can be found for you in our city, sir.”

Kindness would not permit her to tease about pairing him with any of her acquaintances. Kindness? Or perhaps something far more selfish?

LOUISE M. GOUGE

has been married to her husband, David, for forty-six years. They have four children and six grandchildren. Louise always had an active imagination, thinking up stories for her friends, classmates and family, but seldom writing them down. At a friend’s insistence, in 1984 she finally began to type up her latest idea. Before trying to find a publisher, Louise returned to college, earning a B.A. in English/creative writing and a master’s degree in liberal studies. She reworked the novel based on what she had learned and sold it to a major Christian publisher. Louise then worked in television marketing for a short time before becoming a college English/humanities instructor. She has had ten novels published, five of which have earned multiple awards, including the 2006 Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award. Please visit her website at www.louisemgouge.com.

At the Captain’s Command

Louise M. Gouge

MILLS & BOON

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I will receive you and will be a Father unto you,

and ye shall be my sons and daughters,

saith the Lord Almighty.

—II Corinthians 6:17b–18

This book is dedicated

to my beloved husband, David,

who has stood by my side through my entire

writing career, encouraging me, helping me with

research, reading my raw manuscripts and giving me

the gentlest of corrections. Oh, and best of all,

he gives me the male perspective and insights a

woman sometimes can’t quite grasp. He also gives

me the benefit of his military experience in the

U.S. Army, during which he served in the

101st Airborne in Vietnam. Every March 11,

I thank God for bringing David safely home to me.

Acknowledgments:

In addition, I want to thank

my amazing critique partners for their

wonderful suggestions and research tips:

DiAnn Mills, Ramona Cecil, MaryLu Tyndall

and Laurie Alice Eakes, all gifted authors

in their own rights.

Finally, I’d like to thank my insightful editor,

Melissa Endlich, who sets the bar high for

writing excellence. I’m proud to be writing for you.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Epilogue

Letter to Reader

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

May 1780

St. Augustine, East Florida Colony

The instant Dinah saw the three naval officers, she ducked into the mercantile and hid among the stacks of goods. To her relief, the men, grandly uniformed in indigo wool, gold braid and black bicorne hats, continued up St. George Street. Yet she could not help but notice the well-formed profile of the captain among them. A strong jaw. High cheekbones. Jet-black hair tied back in a queue. She wondered what color his eyes were.

What was she thinking? She quickly turned her attention to a display of awls and knives laid out on a shelf.

“How may I help you, Miss Templeton?” The rotund, middle-aged proprietor approached her, admiration gleaming in his dark eyes. “Some silk for a new gown, perhaps? My latest shipment of lace has arrived and—”

“No, thank you.” Dinah lifted her basket of lavender flowers from her arm and held it like a shield as the widower moved closer. Coming in here had been a mistake. “I do not require anything.” Tension tightening in her chest, she hurried toward the door.

He reached it first, and his eyebrows arched. “I have tea from China and…”

Dinah drew herself up to her full height and lifted her chin. “Please allow me to pass, Mr. Waterston.”

He mirrored her posture, although his shorter height did not reach hers, and he sniffed. “I must say, Miss Templeton, for a girl with no family, you certainly do put on airs. Would you not prefer to be mistress of your own home instead of living with Mr. and Mrs. Hussey?” His shoulders slumped, his gaze softened and his lips curved into a gentle smile. “You could do worse than marrying a responsible merchant such as myself.”

A twinge of pity softened her annoyance. “As I have told you before, sir, we truly would not suit.”

Even if she found the merchant’s offer appealing, which she did not, his reminder of her orphaned state did nothing to recommend him, nor did his reference to her living situation. She did indeed have relatives, but they were all far away. And yes, she would like to be mistress of her own home. But in truth, not one of the many unattached men in St. Augustine suited her, in spite of her friends’ attempts at matchmaking. After four years in this small city, she had no doubt God had consigned her to a state of spinsterhood.

“I wish you a good day, sir.” She slid past Mr. Waterston and walked out into the street, lifting a silent prayer of thanks that the encounter had ended without unpleasantness. She encountered quite enough unpleasantness every day at home.

Coming to this city had not been her preference, but she’d had no other choice. Even before the beginning of the war that now raged in the northern colonies, she had felt twice displaced. Her parents died when she was very small, and her relatives had been unable to take her in. Then, when the dear spinster ladies who reared her died of a fever, the elders of the Nantucket Friends Meeting placed her with the Husseys, for Mrs. Hussey had also been reared by the Gardiner sisters. Once the war began to escalate, Artemis Hussey insisted upon removing to this safe haven, where no rebels could threaten to tar and feather him for his Loyalist views. Over these past four years, he had grown more and more disagreeable and usually aimed his dissatisfaction at Dinah rather than at his wife, Anne.

But as Dinah continued on her way, thoughts of Artemis vanished amid the chatter and clatter along the dusty street. When she reached the Parade, the grassy common in front of the governor’s house, she approached several well-dressed ladies who were whispering behind opened fans, their admiring stares aimed across the green lawn.

Elizabeth Markham, a friend near her age, beckoned to Dinah. “Did you see those handsome naval officers who just passed this way?” Her fair cheeks bore a rosy hue, as they always did when the subject under discussion included fine-looking gentlemen.

Dinah stared in wonder at the phenomenon upon her friend’s countenance, for she herself never blushed. “I did see them, yes.”

“Indeed, they are proper-looking gentlemen.” Elizabeth’s mother sent her daughter an indulgent smile, then touched Dinah’s arm. “Dear Miss Templeton, you must join us for tea at the Rose Room.” She waved her hand to take in the others in her little gathering. All the ladies added their approval of the invitation.

“I thank you, Mrs. Markham.” Dinah nodded toward her basket of lavender. “Perhaps after I complete my errand. Tea would be just the thing.” She hurried past the group.

The ladies’ jasmine and rose perfumes mingled with earthy street smells, all swept along by a warm ocean breeze. Throughout the Parade, vendors hawked their wares, everything from cast-iron kettles to candles to live chickens to freshly cut meat, while the squeals of children at play echoed across the lawn. Two gentlemen Dinah knew from St. Peter’s Church doffed their hats, bowed and greeted her with the customary pleasantries. She returned a curtsey but excused herself from further conversation. Instead, she continued up St. George Street toward her destination, maintaining her distance from the British uniforms. They no doubt were on their way to Fort St. Marks, and her objective was a little farther away.

To her right lay Matanzas Bay, and a new ship—a British frigate, if she was not mistaken—bobbed in the mild current, sails furled to its three tall masts. Last evening, she had heard the bells ringing from the Anastasia Island watchtower, signaling a ship’s arrival over the bar. No doubt those officers came from the vessel.

After a walk of perhaps a hundred yards beyond the city proper, she saw to her dismay that the officers had continued past the fort and turned in at the military infirmary, her own objective. She released a long sigh. Perhaps she could slip into the building without notice. If she had not promised to bring the lavender for Dr. Wellsey’s patients, she would delay her errand and return to have tea with Mrs. Markham and the other ladies until the officers went elsewhere.

The familiar odors of sickness and lye soap met Dinah’s nose even before she opened the hospital’s front door, for all the windows of the building were open. She dismissed her own discomfort. Dr. Wellsey’s patients suffered enough with wounds and diseases. Perhaps the fragrance of her flowers would help diminish the unpleasant smells.

Hurrying into the wide entry room, she brushed her straw hat off and let it hang by its ribbons down her back. As she made her way toward the surgeon’s office, she caught a glimpse of the officers in the next chamber. With haste, she slipped into the small office and then out the side door to the herb garden to make certain the plants had sufficient water. Through the hazy glass of the back window, she saw the captain bent over a man on a cot, one hand resting on the sailor’s shoulder. Every nuance of the officer’s relaxed posture bespoke sympathy and concern, not the hauteur one might expect. He had removed his hat, revealing a broad, smooth forehead. Now he lifted his gaze toward the garden window, and she ducked back into Dr. Wellsey’s office, her heart pounding. She hoped the captain had not noticed her presence, or if so, had assumed she was a servant.

Setting her basket on the floor beside the desk, she capped the inkwell and sharpened the feather quill. If not for her and Joanna, the good doctor’s wife, his infirmary and home would be in complete disarray. She found a cloth and dusted his bookshelves and journals, taking care not to disturb the many carefully labeled bottles. Once while dusting, she had lifted a small urn of medicine and hours later was still able to smell the pungent odor of bear grease on her fingers.

The deep rumble of male voices echoed from the inner chambers of the infirmary. This would be the best time to make her escape unnoticed. Pulse racing, she made certain everything was in order, then placed the basket of lavender in the center of the desk. Dr. Wellsey or his assistant could disperse it throughout the rooms as they saw fit.

She hurried into the entry just as the doctor and his guests emerged from the back chamber.

“So you see, Captain Moberly, we make every effort—why, Miss Templeton, what a surprise.”

Dinah gasped. “Captain Thomas Moberly?”

“Miss Dinah Templeton?”

They spoke at the same time, and the entire company laughed. Relief flooded Dinah. This changed everything regarding these men. Or at least regarding the captain.

He strode across the wide room and lifted her hand to kiss it.

“My dear kinswoman, how delightful to meet you at last.” His thick black eyebrows arched and his blue eyes sparkled. Bright blue, like the sky. The fragrance of woodsy shaving balm tickled her nose. Doubtless the officers had visited the bathhouse before coming into the city.

“And I am pleased to meet you, Captain.” Dinah curtseyed, then glanced at Dr. Wellsey, who wore an agreeable smile and showed not the slightest surprise. “Why, doctor, did you plan this?”

Dr. Wellsey chuckled. “I fear I cannot claim the credit, though to be sure, it is fortuitous.”

“Indeed it is.” Thomas released her hand and summoned his officers with an authoritative wave. “Miss Moberly, may I present Mr. Brandon and Mr. Wayland. Gentlemen, this is my sister twice over. My younger brother is married to her cousin, and my sister is married to her brother.”

As the two officers stepped forward, Dinah saw in their eyes the usual look of sailors new in port—as if they might devour her on the spot. She tried not to recoil. This was the very thing she’d hoped to avoid by evading these men. At least when the first officer kissed her hand, he had the grace to temper his expression with respect. “I am honored, Miss Templeton.”

“Miss Templeton.” The other man, a lieutenant who was younger by far than his companions, gripped her hand a bit too firmly. “Who would have thought to find such beauty in this backward colony?” His breathless speech was etched with an aristocratic British accent.

Seeing a storm brewing on the captain’s brow, Dinah gently twisted her hand from the lieutenant’s grasp. “How kind of you, sir.” She honored them with another curtsey before focusing on her kinsman, whose expression now seemed as protective as her own brother’s. How strange that the idea brought on a twinge of disappointment. Strange and foolish. The captain was a seafaring man and as such could never become the object of her romantic interest. Why, she would as soon marry the little merchant as a man who always deserted his wife for the sea. No, this man could be her friend, as he was to her brother Jamie, but no more.

“What brings you to St. Augustine?” Dinah gazed again into the captain’s warm blue eyes. “Have you brought news that the war is over? That the rebels at last have been defeated?”

The other men responded with condescending chuckles, but Thomas’s expression turned grave. “Would that it were so, dear lady. Unfortunately, each time we think we have crushed them, they return like the phoenix.” Sorrow flitted across his eyes, but he seemed to blink it away. “To answer your question, my crew and I have been assigned to join the other two frigates now patrolling these waters and to defend St. Augustine and the St. Johns River from invasion by the Spanish fleet and pirates.”

“Effectively taking us out of the war.” The lieutenant’s tone echoed with annoyance.

“Yes.” Thomas shot him a frown. “And giving us a respite from death.”

“Not to mention—” Mr. Brandon’s brown eyes twinkled. “Giving us an opportunity to enjoy a decent roast beef at one of the fine taverns in this fair city. A man wearies of salt pork and weevil-ridden biscuits.” He shuddered comically, and the other men voiced good-natured agreement.

His remark sparked a scheme in Dinah’s mind. “If you gentlemen will excuse me, I must take my leave. I hope you will enjoy St. Augustine. It truly is a lovely city, and we appreciate the regiment at Fort Saint Marks and the naval ships in our harbor.” She turned to Dr. Wellsey. “Doctor, the lavender is on your desk. Will you see to it?”

He glanced over his shoulder toward his office. “Ah, yes. Thank you, Miss Templeton.”

After the appropriate au revoirs, Dinah added, “Until we meet again, Captain Moberly.”

She restored her hat to her head and paused to re-tie the ribbons and renew her plan. As soon as they left, she would come back and ask Dr. Wellsey where the officers were lodging, then send Thomas an invitation to supper so they could share family news. Perhaps he had information about Jamie, whose merchant ship was always in danger from pirates. And no doubt the captain would like to hear about his sister and brother, who dwelt on a plantation deep in the East Florida wilderness.

Before she could think of how to word the missive, the captain emerged from the building and stopped her with a light touch on her arm. Looking up from beneath her hat brim to see a smile as gentle as his gaze, she stifled the foolish giddiness threatening her composure. Gracious, he was handsome. But how featherbrained of her to think such things. After all, she had heard from his sister that this gentleman was one and thirty, an entire decade older than her own one and twenty years. Another reason not to make him an object of her interest. And with all those marriages between their families, he was practically her brother. Wasn’t he?

“Yes, Captain Moberly?” Could he hear the squeak in her voice?

“Perhaps we can arrange to see each other soon to exchange family news.” Thomas clamped down on the strange wave of feeling that surged through him in response to her glorious smile. This was the lady his good friend Jamie called his “delightful little sister.” But instead of the child Thomas had expected to meet one day, here stood a tall, beautiful young woman in a pretty lavender frock that enhanced her dark-brown eyes. Eyes that exuded kindness and generosity. Eyes a man could get lost in. He mentally shook himself. What foolishness. He’d been too long at sea, too long out of society and the company of lovely ladies.

“Why, yes, I would like that very much, Captain.” Her voice had a pleasing, mellow tone. “Will you come to supper this evening? I cannot promise roast beef, but perhaps something just as tasty.”

The innocence of her invitation gave him pause. No matter how much they regarded one other as a family member, other people might not see the matter in that light.

“You know, of course,” she said, “that I live with my foster sister and her husband. They will be more than pleased to meet a true British naval hero.”

Thomas grinned, feeling foolish. Had she discerned his hesitation? “And I would be honored to meet them. Where and what time shall I come?”

She gave directions and named the time, but while he committed them to memory, he fought the urge to shift his manner of viewing her. Not since his wife’s death had he seen a woman of such innocence and genteel grace. But whereas dear little Ariel had flitted through life without a serious thought in her brain, Dinah’s steady gaze invited confidence in her intelligence.

Guilt stung him for making such a comparison. After four years, he still missed Ariel, still missed the hopes he’d held for the infant son she could not safely deliver. In time, he had come to think it best for a naval officer not to marry, for service to his father, his king and his God—in that order—took precedence over one’s personal interests. But even if he found his heart engaged by some winsome lady, Thomas had no intention of emulating his sister and brother, both of whom had married common Americans. While a man could have good friends of a lower rank, such as Dinah’s brother, Jamie, these ill-advised unions no doubt had caused some grief. But he would not think of that until he stood face-to-face with his sister, Marianne, and brother Freddy.

“Until eight o’clock, then?” She bestowed another of her pretty smiles upon him, striking a chink in the four-year-old wall around his heart.

Belay that, you dolt. He must regard her as a sister and no more.

“May the hours hasten by until then.” He bowed with an extra flourish, hoping to lash down his wayward emotions through humor. His reward was an equally overdone curtsey. What a delightful creature.

She turned and walked away, leaving behind a hint of lavender in the air.

Thomas withheld a sigh. At least now he understood the temptations into which his sister and brother had fallen.

Chapter Two

Her heart merry over the unexpected encounter with Thomas, Dinah hurried back down St. George Street toward the Parade. Whether or not she saw much of him, his mere presence in St. Augustine would help to mitigate her usual sense of being cut off from her family. With Jamie at sea most of the time and her cousin living at Bennington Plantation, Dinah often felt lonely.

Of course she realized the handsome, charming captain would become the object of matchmaking for every mother of an eligible daughter in the colony. She tried to think of someone who might suit him, but for some reason, the idea nettled her. Moreover, what colonial miss would be worthy of such a distinguished gentleman, a renowned captain in His Majesty’s navy and the son of a British earl? No, Dinah would leave the matchmaking to the ambitious mothers. She would turn her efforts toward giving the captain a pleasant supper as a reward for his heroic naval service.

The thought of seeing him again so soon warmed her heart, and she became aware of May’s humid heat rolling over her face. On days like this, she longed for the cooler summers of her childhood home. But in Nantucket, winters could be deadly, while in East Florida winter generally offered a pleasant respite from both heat and cold. Still, when she pulled a linen handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at the perspiration on her forehead, she recalled the need to complete her errands before the late-morning sun began to scorch the city and intensify its less pleasant odors.

In the Parade at the poultry vendor’s cart, she purchased two plump hens and asked the man to deliver them to her house. Artemis would fuss at the expense, but she was spending her own money. And no doubt he would be more than pleased when he learned they would have such an illustrious guest. If her foster sister’s husband had the slightest sense of humor, she would keep the captain’s identity a secret until he arrived at their home. But Artemis did not do well with surprises. As it was, she could just imagine how he would fawn over the captain. She’d best prepare him.

Hastening toward home, she shoved away her uncharitable thoughts. If Anne could be content in her marriage, Dinah would try not to dislike the man. But in the five years she had lived with them by mutual necessity, he had changed much—and none of it for the better.

Pausing in front of the bakery, she inhaled the inviting fragrance of fresh-baked bread. Cook would be hurt if Dinah brought home someone else’s baking, but perhaps it would be wise to make a purchase anyway. Cook would have enough to do preparing fish, chicken and pies for Thomas without having to start bread in the middle of the day. And what about vegetables? Dinah had not checked the garden since picking squash three days ago. Would there be enough green beans—?