MANIFEST DESTINY Chapter 16.1

Chapter 16

         The rest of the Alexander clan joined them on shore.  The five children played hide and seek and a game of tag among the trees.  Ainsley’s father also joined them as they looked over the bay.  It was close to a settlement, and would prove easy enough to get the manpower required to build the shipyard.

         The bay was a natural harbor, large enough for many ships to enter at once.  A large number of trees, which would be useful in the construction of the buildings to house their cargo, and build the ships, surrounded the bay.

         Gareth knew David had relinquished the shipyard to his brother-in-law, Cedric.  He had watched it grow and thrive into a very successful business venture under his skillful hand.  It was his skillful hand he wanted joined with his own, and had outlined a plan to David soon after he arrived home from England with Ainsley as his wife.

         “It’s a good harbor,” David acknowledged when they returned to the group.

         “Lot’s of potential,” said Quentin.

         “I have been here many times looking over the different harbors for the best place to build a shipyard.  This one has a large enough harbor to allow several ships to berth at once,” said Gareth.

         “I think it’s larger than the shipyard in England,” said Jo-Ann.

         David had a gleam in his eyes for the prospects found there.  “It is, and the harbor is protected by other landmasses, making it the perfect place to build ships.”

         David, Gareth, and Ainsley joined the others at the mouth of the bay after they had looked over the site.  “What are your plans for the shipyard?” said David.

         “It will take a lot of hard work but eventually I see the harbor filled with ships full of merchandise from all points, and our holds filled with grains, fish, and furs from the northern colonies alone, not to mention what the middle and southern colonies will bring in,” Gareth said.

         “Yes, I thought the same thing,” said David.

         “Along with the other cargo common to the trade business, I would like to build a ship that would hold the fruit that grows in abundance as well, but at the moment we do not have the means to preserve it long enough to make it across the Atlantic,” said Gareth.

         “Have you thought about iron?” said David.

         “In what respect?” said Gareth.

         “Iron is used to bind the kegs containing water and beer.  What about using it to line a small storage room to be used for the fruit you wish to carry,” said David.

         “Could we smelt a sheet of iron thin enough to line the walls of a storage room?” said Gareth.

         “There is a large iron works manufactory in Pennsylvania Colony.  I am certain father would be able to find out the answer to that.  If we can build a dry room on board a ship to keep the bread from molding, I do not see why we cannot build a room to carry fruit or anything else we need to be preserve on a long voyage,” said David.

         “It is worth looking into.  If we can carry fruit we could corner the market in shipping it.”  Gareth turned to Ainsley a satisfied look on his face.  “What do you think?”

         “I ken a place that could keep things chilled would be wonderful, but have you thought about building a ship with the storage far enough below the water line that it wouldna be necessary to do all you propose?  The natural coldness of the water would keep the space cold enough to preserve what we want to ship during a long voyage.”

         “But again, you would need to keep the room dry.  Below the water line, the storage space would become quite damp, causing rot to those things you wish to preserve.  You would still need a way to line the walls to keep them dry.”

         “It was a thought,” Ainsley said.

         “And a very good one.  Father was concerned with the same thing.  I heard him tell Mama once that they could make a dry room for bread, but they could not come up with a way to preserve fruits, and vegetables, cheese, or milk.  I am certain if the two of you think hard enough about the problem, you will come up with the solution my father was trying to solve when he was killed,” said Jo-Ann.

         “We will certainly give it our best efforts,” David said.

         “I know you will.”  Jo-Ann turned her attention to Gareth.  “If David is able to bring evidence against Mr. Greenfield as he hopes and you do gain the shipyard in Delaware Colony, what do you plan on doing with it, now that you have plans to build this one here?”

         “I had not really given it any thought since he claimed I had defaulted on my contract with him.  I am wondering how many other people he has dealt thus with.”

         “I am wondering that myself, but I am certain you will find that a repentant heart merits a lot with God.  Remember He knows your heart that is why things happened the way they did.  He was protecting you,” said Jo-Ann.

         “I know you are right.  Though I have not heard about anyone else he has had working for him, but then I have been kept busy pretty much of the time.”

         “And that is where I come in.  I am currently looking into past associates.  I am also certain you are not the first person that has come under his thumb,” said David.

         “I am also certain of it,” said Jo-Ann.

         “Mother, what have you got in mind?” said David.

         “I would like to hear as well.”  Quentin joined them as they walked along the shore, a look of tenderness on his face for the woman he had loved for over a quarter century.

         Jo-Ann slipped an arm around his waist.  “Gareth was wondering how many other people Mr. Horace Greenfield has dealt deceitfully with.”

         “And you want to find out the answer to that yourself, I suppose,” said Quentin.

         “And why not?  Mr. Greenfield does not know us.  He has never met any of David’s family.  I think it would be perfectly easy to find the answer to the question put forth,” said Jo-Ann.

         Quentin had a gleam of adventure in his eyes.  “I am not as young as I used to be when I was trying to find you in this country thirty years ago.”

         “But I can clearly see that you are willing to give it a go,” said Jo-Ann.

         “I would like to see justice served.  Well son, what do you think?  You are the shipbuilder in the family.  Does this site hold promise?” said Quentin.

         “It does indeed, father.  The harbor is deep; we can bring the ships right into port.  We will start by building the harbor, and then we will build the shipping office and lay the groundwork for the buildings necessary for building the ships that will be as good as grandfather’s were in England.  By having a shipyard there and here, we will cover both sides of the Atlantic.  Then when this country becomes a country in its own right; we can sell the yard in England, and operate here in the colonies,” said David.

         “You really think this new land will become a country one day?” said Jo-Ann.

         “It has to.  This country is too large to remain a colony of the many various countries that claim her at the moment,” said David.

         “I wonder what it will be called,” said Ainsley.

         “It’s hard to say, but with each colony having their own form of government, allowed by the crown of course, I know one thing about it.  It will be a united country when all is said and done,” said David.

         “A country of united colonies under one government, instead of several colonies all ruled individually.  Now that is an interesting idea,” said Ainsley.

         “I have heard it talked about in several of the colonies.  A lot of people are getting upset with the form of government that makes a person wait so long for a right verdict.  Sometimes having to go over to England to have their case heard, and the court there has no idea about life here in the colonies.  Therefore, it is a matter of time before everything comes to a head and this country of individual colonies claims its independence from mother England.  Just the fact alone that I will have to take all the evidence over to England that I am finding out about Mr. Greenfield is cause enough.  I would like to be able to handle everything here in a court of law in this land, but it is not legal yet.  At least not to the extent we would need it to be,” said David.

         “Well in any case it will not be happening any time soon.  Do you plan to present your position in the House of Lords?  You have that right,” said Jo-Ann.

         “I thought the House of Lords was only for the aristocracy,” said Ainsley.

         “It is.  David here is the son of an Earl.”

         Ainsley’s eyes grew large.  “You are an Earl?”

         “In England, yes, I am the Earl of Sherwood.  Queen Ann required I keep my lands as a sign of loyalty to the crown when we came here to live.  She also made me a liaison between the Indians and settlers.  Since David took over the shipyard there, he also made his home there as well.  We dropped our titles since we came to the colonies, though when we go back to England, as we have done a number of times to visit David, we still hold our titles.  That is one thing we cannot get away from no matter how much we try.  That’s why we like it so much here.  It puts us on the same level with everyone else,” said Quentin.

         “With ownership of the shipyard in England and the son of a nobleman, he can go to the House of Lords or the House of Commons as well, at any time and present any case he would like before them,” said Jo-Ann.

         “That is what I had in mind to do.  But first like I said, I have to be able to present conclusive evidence,” said David.

         “I think what we need to do right now, is to stop and pray about the road set before us,” said Jo-Ann.

         “Children!  Everyone!  Come gather around.  We are going to pray.”  Quentin made himself heard to all the children who ran around the small bay.  Everyone soon joined hands around the circle.  “Dear Father, we come to You in the Name of Your dear Son, Jesus, who died for all of us, and whom we all love very much.  We ask Your guidance as we begin on this course of action.  We know it is the right thing to do, or You would not have brought us all together as we are today.  Give us wisdom and understanding as we learn the truth about Mr. Greenfield, and most important, let justice be served.  Amen.”

         “Amen,” echoed around the circle.

         “You know I was thinking about Aunt Emily and Uncle Stuart.  Maybe they could help with this puzzle,” said David.

         “I was thinking the same thing,” said John Stuart.  “Mother and you have done everything else together, why not this too.”

         “And not only that, they are not connected immediately with David,” Christine said.

         “My thoughts exactly.”  Jo-Ann looked around as she heard from the various members of her family.  “We are already getting direction.”

         “You know Aunt Emily will jump at the chance of joining you in another of your escapades,” said David.

         “And you know that if the tables were turned, you would be more than willing to help her out,” said Esther.

         Quentin’s eyes held merriment.  “You two have been through so much together, what’s one more escapade between you.”

         “You really do not have to convince me.  As soon as we get back home in Pennsylvania Colony, I will outline the entire situation.  Now who would like something to eat?  I found us a nice secluded place where we could eat, out of the elements.  I had the cooks on all ships prepare food for all of us,” said Jo-Ann.

         Shouts went up among all the children, who ranged in age from five to two, the baby excluded.  Jo-Ann led them to a sheltered place with trees overhead to shelter them from the wind.  It was warmer there than it had been down at the mouth of the bay.  They laid blankets, and opened large baskets of food. 

         Ainsley went with Jo-Ann to help set everything out.  “I need your faith.”

         “We all have a measure of faith, we just need to know when and how to use it.  You will have what you need when the time comes.  I am sure of it.”

         “You are a very encouraging woman, Mrs. Alexander.”

         “Please call me Lady Jo-Ann.  Mrs. Alexander is too formal among friends.”

         “I agree.”

         “Lady Jo-Ann is a title I got many years ago, quite by accident, when we returned to this country after going over to England to take care of estate business.  David and Esther were only two years old at the time.  The group that came back with us, and there were a lot of us, saw us as leaders in our small community, and gave us both those titles, though Quentin is mostly referred to as Brother Quentin.  To call him lord would infringe too much on our Lord’s own place in our lives, and I am his lady, as he is fond of reminding me very often.”

         “Father while we were discussing what we hoped to accomplish here.  I am hoping that you could go to the iron works and find out about making a room on a ship that would help to preserve fruits and vegetables in their natural state,” said David.

         “I would be most happy to.  I should have an answer for you by the time you return here.  Now let’s eat.”

         In the next hour, Ainsley learned the children’s names.  The twins were Elizabeth Anne, and Eleanor Aileen, age five, and Cedric Allen age three, the baby’s name was Andrew Joseph.  Those were Esther and Cedric’s children.  Macaulay Alastair MacDonald, proclaimed his heritage by his thick shock of deep chestnut hair, more red than brown like his father John Stuart, he was two years old.

         John Stuart turned his attention to Ainsley.  “You are from Scotland too, you are not?”          “Yes.  I come from Aberdeenshire on the eastern coast above Edinburgh.”

         “My father came over from Scotland at the same time Aunt Jo-Ann and Uncle Quentin came over.  My mother said they all sailed together, at least my mother and father did, and Aunt Jo-Ann.  Uncle Quentin joined them later.  Did you two meet in Scotland?”

         “Yes.”

         “It was an arranged marriage.  I met my wife at the altar.”  Gareth spoke up when he saw her sudden attraction to the food in front of her.

         Jo-Ann looked between the two of them with interest.  “You met at the altar?”

         “My father arranged the marriage,” said Ainsley.

         “Yes well, under the circumstances it was the best thing I could do,” said Ian.

         “How romantic,” Elizabeth spoke up as she looked at them.

         “Everything is romantic to you.  I would hate to meet my husband for the first time at the altar.  I would like to know him real well first,” Eleanor said.

         Esther looked across the blanket at Ainsley who looked decidedly embarrassed by the conversation.  “Now you know which of the twins is realistic and which has her head in the clouds.”

         “You have a wonderful family,” said Ainsley.

         “God has richly blessed us with each of them,” replied Cedric.

         Quentin turned his attention to Ian.  “What occupation did you do in Scotland?”

         “I was a fisherman.”

         “There’s excellent fishing along this coast,” said David.

         “Aye.  I’ve heard that.  I’m looking forward to seeing what’s to be had,” said Ian.

         “Maybe the first ship we build should be a fishing boat for my father-in-law,” said Gareth.

         “Not a bad idea.  Especially if we want to ship some to England and Europe,” said David.

         Ian had a gleam in his eyes.  “Now ye’re talking a language that’s close to me heart.”

         “We would have to get you your master’s papers so you could captain your own ship.”  Gareth saw the look of pride on Ian’s face at the mention of his own vessel.

         “Now that would be mighty nice,” said Ian.

         “We will work on it right away.  By the time we have the ship built you will be ready to captain it and you can also get together a crew from the neighboring settlements,” said David.

         “Tell you what.  You work close beside me on this voyage and before we head back to the colonies we will go before the maritime board and get you your master’s papers,” said Gareth.

         “I already know pretty much the running of a ship, so that willna be a problem none.”

         Ainsley sat beside Christine on the blanket.  “We are going to be very close in the next eight months.”

         “Yes, I am looking forward to it.  I heard so many stories from Aunt Emily and Mama that it is going to be fun to share in one of them, even though I have not a clue what it is all about yet.”

         Ainsley looked around at the children as they ate lunch.  “The children are all so well behaved.”

         “Mother and Dad are strict disciplinarians.  They were firm and fair with all of us, and we taught our children by the same rule.  Children will respect you if you are fair with them.  I know you plan on having children.  I was very sorry you had lost one so soon.  Do you hope to have a large family?”

         Gareth watched Ainsley pale at the mention of the child she lost.  “As many as the good Lord provides.”

         “Then may God richly bless you, but as mother said, do not rush it,” John Stuart said.

         “It is so nice that even in an arranged marriage such as yours, that both of you have such a deep love and respect for each other,” said Christine.

         “Yes.  I guess I started falling in love with my wife as she walked down the aisle to me.  She was the most beautiful person I had ever met.”

         “Some people hold that love is an emotion that is of no value in a marriage.  Only reserved for fools,” said Ainsley.

         “Oh but that is not true at all.  Love is the most important ingredient in a marriage.  You cannot have respect, or trust, or even have companionship without it.  Even our Lord told His disciples that they were to love one another, for love is of God,” said Christine.

         “It is also important where children are concerned.  When they see that their parents love each other, then they will be more ready to be obedient to their parents’ guidance over them,” said John Stuart.

         “I have seen children born in a loveless union.  There is nothing but strife.  No one gets along.  Love is the most important emotion and the strongest,” said Jo-Ann.

         “But I can see you two do not have to worry about that.  David told us how much in love the two of you are.  Your children will be a great blessing to you when you start having them,” said John Stuart.

         “David has also kept us informed about what is facing you now.  From the first time you two met, he was concerned about what Mr. Greenfield was offering you.  It was at our suggestion that he join you in Delaware Colony as a captain after obtaining his master’s papers,” said Quentin.

         Gareth was surprised as he looked across to David.  “He never told me.”

         “There are a lot of things you are not aware of.  I was convinced that Mr. Greenfield would not hand over the shipyard to you, even though you had a legal binding contract between you.  I observed many things while you were away on expeditions, while I was in port getting my own cargo ready to ship out.  For instance, he courted women openly, when their husband’s were gone to sea.  It always started out harmlessly, but soon it became quite harmful, both to the husband, who disappeared, then to the woman, who likewise disappeared without trace.”

         “Before Gareth was to leave for the three-month voyage back in November, Mr. Greenfield told me he planned to see to my welfare while my husband was away,” said Ainsley.

         Gareth was quiet and thoughtful about what he had just learned.  Ainsley’s fears and anxieties took on another face.  “When did these men disappear?”

         “There were pirate attacks on vessels returning with full holds, some of the men on board the vessels were naturally killed in the battle, but the ship seemed to always come out the victor in the attack.”

         “And when the ship came into port with the report of the pirate attack, the husband of the woman he was currently pursuing was found to be among the casualties.”  Gareth summed up, a stunned look on his face.

         “Precisely,” said David.

         Ainsley turned pale, a situation not lost on her husband who also thought about things that had occurred while he was in port, albeit harmless enough at the time.

         “Sounds a lot like what King David did.  God found him guilty, and he had a heavy sentence to pay for his actions.”  Jo-Ann entered the conversation a thoughtful look on her face.

         “What was that?” said Ainsley.

         “God told him that the sword would never leave his house when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed.  Other than his son Solomon, who reigned in peace, it never did.  He fled from his own son Absalom who died in the battle for the throne.”

         “Yes, but there is much more going on here, and that is what I intend to find out and take with me as evidence to England.  The names of a few men killed in an attack by a pirate ship will not even bring notice to anyone in a court, nor will the disappearance of their wives.  It could be claimed that they had simply moved on,” said David.

         “You followed me out of London,” said Gareth.

         “I knew you had a wife with you.  We did not have any chance to meet while you were in port as you suggested.  I was busy with my own cargo, and I needed to make certain someone was on hand to run the shipyard while Cedric was away.  I received a communication from Mother and Father that they wanted to meet with me.  I only had to let them know when and where.  I was also aware that Mr. Greenfield would assume that you were coming back to Delaware Colony with a bride.  I wanted to make certain you got into port in one piece, so I followed you one day behind, with my own holds full.  I was not surprised to see you engaged in battle.”

         “I owe you my life.”

         “Yes, but it cost me my child.”  Ainsley’s statement had not gone on deaf ears when she said ‘my’ child.

         “I was sorry to hear about that when we landed,” said David.

         “How was it that you were aware of all this and I was not?”

         “Mr. Greenfield made certain the only thing that concerned you was your obligation to him.”

         “Yes, I see.”  Gareth looked around at the people with whom he would come to share their lives in the next months, and realized for the first time that there was a lot more about love than could be found in a marriage bed.  He had been wrong about what he told Ainsley, and he knew they were right; he loved her very much.  Ainsley was what he had told her when she had woken a week after she had been in the window seat, but more than a valued treasure, she was his very soul.  That was why he had been frightened when she fainted just before they sailed from Delaware Colony and headed south on the last voyage.

         “Yes we are very much in love.”  Gareth looked into Ainsley’s eyes, and conveyed that message to her.

         A smile spread across her face.  “Yes, I remember thinking that God blessed me with a man so handsome it would be easy to love him, as I walked down the aisle to him, even though I was extremely angry at the time.”

         “Why were you angry?” asked Elizabeth.

         “I did not expect to have an arranged marriage.”

         “See, I told you it is not romantic,” Said Eleanor.

         “But you are now, and you will have beautiful children just like all of us,” said Christine.

         “There have been a lot of revelations here today.  I think we had best decide about this harbor, and make a show of intent before we leave here,” said Quentin.

         “I think it’s a great location.  Deep harbor, lots of room for ships, plenty of land to build the necessary warehouses, and plenty of room for a building large enough to build ships,” said David.

         “Then this is the place we will build our future shipyard,” said Gareth.

         “Best of all it’s a protected landmass.  It does not face right out on the ocean, so you will not get all the rough winds that would come down the ocean coast,” said Jo-Ann.

         “Good.  We will get a building set up to show intent, and claim the land for the future shipyard,” said Quentin.

         “We are going to need to build a home around here.  I think we best locate a good place for that as well.”  Gareth looked up to see the sun well past its zenith.  “We will need to get back to the ship before it gets dark.  We can come back tomorrow and start working on that structure.”

         Ainsley looked up at Gareth as they walked around the site.  “You are quiet.”

         He looked at her, her arm tucked in the crook of his own, and smiled.  “I was thinking about the shipyard that is going to be built here.”

         “It’s going to be a fine shipyard, but we are supposed to be looking for a suitable place to build our home.”

         “There is such strength in that family,” said Gareth.

         “I noticed the same thing.  I hope we can have the same strength some day.”

         “They have a strong faith in God.  When Lady Jo-Ann suggested that we pray for this venture we are about to embark on, there was not even the slightest hesitation or rebellious action from anyone, even the smallest child.  I heard once that strength comes from prayer.  You pray every morning and evening, and at all meals.  I tend to lead by example, not out of faith.  I met a captain by the name of Deacon a while back.  He said he never did anything without prayer, especially when it came to battling pirates.  When our ship was attacked I knelt on the deck with my crew before we engaged the battle.”

         “You did?” said Ainsley.

         He looked at her.  “Yes.  I know I do not share your faith, or that of Lady Jo-Ann and her family.  There has been a lot of difficulty in my life.”

         “I listened to what you said about your parents.”

         He led her further inland.  “We need to find a place to build, as you said.”

         “I would like to be able to see the ocean.  Our home faced the North Sea in Scotland.  It would remind me a little bit about home.”

         “There’s a rise over that way.”  He pointed to the right of the harbor.

         As they stood on the rise, Ainsley could see the other side in the distance.  Waves came up and crashed against the cliff.  Though it looked violent as the waves made a lot of noise beneath them, she could feel the peace as she leaned against him, and looked out.  “We would need to build some kind of protective barrier so our children wouldna fall from the cliff.”

         “I am sure we can find enough large boulders to build a wall around the cliff.”  He held her against him, as he looked out across to the landmass on the horizon.  He could see it was a very advantageous point.  He could see a ship come into the harbor long before it arrived.

         Ainsley turned from the ocean and saw a large enough area for a good-sized homestead.  “Could we get fifty acres on this spot, like you have in Delaware Colony?”

         “Let’s see what we can find.”

         She admired the area they walked around and would soon call home.  “It’s a fine land.” 

         “Yes it is.”  He turned her into his embrace, something he wanted to do since he realized just how much he loved her, and kissed her very passionately.  He looked into her passion filled eyes and saw the same thing mirrored there several moments later.  His voice was hoarse as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again.  “I love you.  I am sorry about what I told you about love.  I realize it is the most necessary ingredient in a marriage.”

         “I love you too, and I want our marriage to be as strong as the Alexander’s is.  There is so much love in that family.”

         “It will be, I promise.  Come we will stake this whole area for our homestead.”

         “I see you!”  Elizabeth popped out from behind a tree, and stared at them.

         The sight of the little girl embarrassed Ainsley.  Gareth just smiled at her.  “So you did.  Where are your parents?”

         “There you are!”  Timothy came up behind Elizabeth.  “I am sorry if she embarrassed you.  Esther sent me to find her when she showed up missing.  I remembered seeing you head this way.”

         “It’s time we got back anyway.  We staked our claim here.  We will begin to build in the next few months,” said Gareth.

         “It is a good-sized bay.  It will make a great shipyard,” said Timothy.

         “You are Timothy, correct?” said Gareth.

         Timothy took Elizabeth by the hand as they headed back to the bay.  “Yes.  That’s right, the youngest of the clan.”

         “There you are.”  Esther saw her daughter with Timothy and the Taliesin’s.

         Timothy looked at the unabashed expression on his young niece’s face.  “I am afraid she embarrassed Ainsley.”

         “Elizabeth Anne!”

         “They were kissing.”  Elizabeth had a huge smile on her face, as she looked at Ainsley and Gareth.  Ainsley had gone very red with embarrassment.

         Esther looked at her eldest daughter a stern look on her face as she saw the embarrassment on Ainsley’s face.  “Elizabeth Anne, you apologize this moment!”

         Elizabeth Anne went over to Ainsley with a sincere attitude.  “I’m sorry.”

         Ainsley looked into the small face that looked up at her and saw the impish look in her eyes and the sincere look on her face, which contradicted each other and had to grin back.  “You are forgiven.”

         Elizabeth gave her a big hug before she went back to stand near her mother who also gave her a hug as they prepared to leave.  “Good girl, just do not do that again.”

         “She takes a lot after me,” said Jo-Ann.

         Esther looked at her mother a smile of tenderness on her face.  “I should have named her after you too, as much as you keep telling me how like you she is.”

         The sun started to set.  Gareth looked at those who had joined their hands with their own.  There was a long road ahead of them, but he knew they would not be alone.

         “You found a place to build?” said David.

         “Yes, and we staked our claim over the whole area we intend to build on,” said Gareth.

         “That is good.  Now before we finish here we need to do the same for the bay.  My parents have elected to stay behind and build a couple structures showing intent to anyone who would want to come after us and do the same.”

         Jo-Ann came up behind them.  “Excuse me, Ainsley, right?  I would like to talk with you a moment.”

         “Of course, Lady Jo-Ann.”

         Gareth watched them go, and then turned his attention back to David.

         Jo-Ann walked away from them a thoughtful look on her face.  “You know I am mother or grandmother to the entire lot around here.  We are going to be very close from now on.”

         “My mother died a year ago.”

         “And I am certain it was a shock to you to lose your mother.  You know that when God closes a door, He always opens a window.  One opened for you today.  We are all family here, and it would be nice to have you be a part of it.  David has told us a lot about your husband.  They have known each other since David took over father’s shipyard in England, but that is not why I want to talk to you.  I know from watching the two of you together that you love each other very much.  I have learned a lot about this woman’s body over the years.  I have a fairly good idea how you can keep yourself from becoming pregnant until your body is ready to handle another pregnancy.”  Jo-Ann began to tell her how she could have a healthy relationship with her husband.

         “I appreciate what you’ve explained to me, but I have one question.  Obviously, you know we were intimate on the second voyage.  We really did think I was pregnant.  I was so scared about the consequences and the pirate ship that followed us.           I was so afraid.  When he put me in hiding again, I thought I would lose another baby.”

         “What hiding place?”

         “The window seat.”

         Jo-Ann looked at her a shocked look on her face.  “That has to be the most dangerous place on the whole ship.  I am surprised you survived it.”

         “I was only a valued treasure at the time.  I had really thought he loved me until he told me what he thought about love.  I am afraid things have not exactly been ideal for us up to now.”

         “There are no ideal marriages.  Marriage is a lot of hard work.  You each must learn to trust each other, and then it will be easy to have respect for each other as well.  Since you are virtually newlyweds, you can use this time as a courtship period.  Learn to trust each other, and respect will be an easy result.  It is interesting that you had an arranged marriage.  I knew a few before I left England a long time ago.”

         Ainsley knew that she could not let her believe what she had heard at lunch.  “Well sort of.  He won me in a game of cards.  I later learned he was under pressure to marry and have a child as soon as possible.”

         “And my husband was my guardian.  I hated him fiercely.  I ran away from him a couple times.  When he found me the last time, I nearly died before we even had a chance to really get to know one another.”

         Ainsley’s eyes went wide at that revelation.  “Your guardian?”

         “Love and marriage is a lifetime adventure, and a lot of work.  We had our misunderstandings, and that is probably an understatement, but we worked hard at our marriage.  Quentin once told me that our home was built out of wood and stone, cemented with love, nourished with understanding, with a pinch of laughter added to that to make the foundation strong – A foundation that was built on God.”

         Quentin had come up behind them while they talked.  “Yes I did.  I remember the time I told you that.  Her eyes were blazing with anger.”

         “That is hard to believe.  You do not look like you could ever be angry with anyone.”  Ainsley looked between the two of them, and then remembered her assessment when he had first entered the dining salon.  It was the eyes.  She saw them again as he looked at her, though at the moment they held amusement.

         “That’s the strong foundation we built our marriage on.  You need to do the same.  You had a hard beginning, but struggles and crisis times bring strength and stability to a marriage,” said Jo-Ann.

         Ainsley’s face was thoughtful with everything she learned.  “Thank you so much for what you told me.”

         “I came looking for you because we are ready to go back to the ship,” said Quentin.

         “Yes, all right.”  Jo-Ann turned to Ainsley.  “When I first came to this country I never wanted to set foot on board a ship again, especially one going to England.  How times and attitudes change ones perspective.  I could not possibly stay away from England when David started to work in father’s shipyard.  The first time I saw it after David had taken it over, had been a shock of remembrances to me.  Everything was the same as it had been when I accompanied father there as a child.  Everything except the captain’s that now come and go.

         “Deacon has gone home to the Lord, so had Captain Lewis.  Their deaths were hard when I learned of them.  As hard as the day, I buried Nanny.  Though I had begun to call her Mom, she had always been my nanny, and had been insistent on being a nanny to our own children.  What a blessing she and Pete were in our life.  They are all gone now.  Elizabeth, Emily’s mother-in-law, and a wonderful friend, Martha, Quentin’s mother – I miss them, but I gained strength in the knowledge that one day we will all be reunited.”

         Quentin patted her hand as they walked arm in arm back to the boats that had brought them into shore.  “Yes we will.  I miss them all too.  They were a strength and source of help to both of us when we did not know what to do.”

         Ainsley listened to the remembrances of the past as Jo-Ann talked about people she would never know, and knew that people were important in times of crisis.  They would help to keep their sights firmly on God.

         They returned to the others at the mouth of the bay.  “When the two of you have had time to draw up some plans for the buildings you want here, let me know, and I will get started with the building as soon as possible.  What are you calling this enterprise?”

         “We were just discussing that.  We thought Taliesin and Alexander Shipping Enterprises,” said David.

         “Good.  I will have a sign made up as soon as possible proclaiming the intent of this bay,” said Quentin.

#

         Later Gareth lay with Ainsley in his arms.  “What did you and Lady Jo-Ann talk about?”

         “She told me how important love and relationships are.  Did you know Quentin was her guardian, and she hated him?”

         “David told me.  Theirs is an amazing story.”

         “And yet you did not accept love as important.”

         He brought his lips to hers.  “Not until today.”