Rev. Bertram received a letter from Captain Laurence informing him of their arrival by vessel early Tuesday morning. The surprise was not only a day at sea but also the company of Admiral and Mrs. Stowe. He conveyed the happy news to his family at dinner.
“I think, daughter, this is in honor of you,” he said to Jasmine.
She blushed prettily and could hardly attend the meal after that. Was this the reason Laurence left them for London? Who would go through this effort to give her and her family such pleasure? Was this the action of a man who was only her friend? She thought about their stay in Bath and the first stirrings of jealousy over him. She recalled her encounter with Lord Tenny on the street and Laurence sitting in the coach grim-faced. If he was jealous, then maybe he cared for her more than she realized.
Jasmine was full of the strength of her expectations. She remembered the scripture, “…when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” At last, she would sail on the sea! The sweetest nectar of all; Laurence would be there as well. He was reality intertwining her fantasy, living the adventure of her daydreams. Yet though her imagination could take her to heights, she also had her feet planted firmly on the ground. She did not probe too deeply into his actions nor dwell on wishes and assumptions. She purposely did not build any castles in the air.
The family set off early the next day, arriving in the Port of Melcombe Regis by nightfall. The coach pulled up to a red brick building and Jasmine read the sign from her window: The George Inn. She could see the Weymouth side of the harbor. She had never been this far east of Lyme Bay before. The tavern was situated right on the Custom House Quays. All around were warehouses, trade buildings and ship builders. Jasmine longed to take a stroll in the neighborhood but her family was tired after their long journey.
They sat quietly by the inn’s parlor window awaiting their supper when Jasmine spied a shag perched on a rock near the harbor wall. She wished she could draw the water foal but she did not possess Rose’s talents. Pen and paper would be at her disposal as soon as their meal was over. There were so many things running through her mind, she wanted to describe them all. Tomorrow, at break of day, the Endeavor would be arriving in Weymouth harbor. She would have no time to explore.
The next morning Jasmine rose before the sun and rushed through her dressing before any of her family was up. Within the hour her family joined her in the parlor to eat a hasty breakfast.
“Any signs of her?” asked the vicar to his eldest as she came through the front door.
“I’ve checked the harbor trice but I’ve spotted nothing, father.”
“Let’s walk down the quays and have another look, shall we?” said Rev. Bertram as he grabbed his hat.
The pink and purple sky was brightening as the sun began to rise.
“I see only top sails on that high mast,” said her father pointing to the east as they exited the inn.
“It might be her. Let’s wait until she rounds the bend,” she said hopefully.
The winds had been favorable; the Endeavor, making good speed glided on the calm water of the harbor. Jasmine would never forget the sight--she was inside her dream.
The ship soon docked and the Bertram family boarded her. Jasmine wanted to run up the gang plank but at the last moment decided against it. She knew there was a great possibility of her falling. She imagined Laurence ordering his men to lower a net to haul her out of the water. She could just see him smirking at her, dressed in his finest blues while she stood before him shivering in her wet muslin dress.
“Welcome aboard HMS Endeavor,” Laurence said proudly.
Jasmine shook herself from her daydream. There was Laurence and his friends looking their best in their dark navy blue uniforms. Never had man and environment seemed so well suited.
Laurence gave her a knowing glance and grinned almost as if he knew she had been lost in her fancy. Trying to find a distraction from him, she turned to the admiral. “It is a beautiful ship. Is it newly commissioned?”
“You don’t miss much, Miss Bertram,” he smiled at her. “Yes, this is her maiden voyage. She’s a seventy-four gun ship of the line.”
“We are traveling in luxury,” she sighed.
Lifting her eyes to the lookout nest, she turned pleadingly to her parents.
“Please may I go up? I have longed to be there my whole life.”
Her parents knew her deep hunger. It was not easy to refuse her but they were not home in their parlor where they had authority. They were aboard ship and the uncertainty of knowing who would grant such a request was evident on their faces. Before they could say anything, however, Laurence spoke up. “I will not allow it! It is too dangerous.” His voice was firm, his face stern.
“But we are not yet out in open sea. The harbor’s waters are calm,” she reasoned.
Laurence lifted his brow and Jasmine looked at him defiantly. His friends observed them closely. What would he do now? How do you deal with a woman who will not submit to a captain’s order? The methods used in dealing with insubordination in a man could hardly apply to a woman.
Laurence knew of only one way to rein her in…if he had to, he would kiss her in front of everyone. Upon reflection, he had never enjoyed a better way to apply discipline before. He leaned closer and grinned as he looked at her mouth. Jasmine backed into her father in fear.
“You wouldn’t dare!” she whispered.
Laurence’s grin disappeared and his look dared her to test him. She closed her eyes.
Rev. Bertram watched the whole thing with amazement. Captain Laurence subdued his daughter’s wild nature without a spoken word! His admiration for him grew right on the spot.
Admiral Stowe and the other men made eye contact with each other and smiled. They should have known better: Laurence was a man of innovation, after all.
Jasmine turned her tearful face to Laurence. He knew her desire was deeply rooted; this was not a request based on a whim. “Please,” she whispered, “I’m so close now.”
Though she looked up to the mast longingly, neither her defiance nor her tears moved him.
“I will not risk your life on a desire! Life is full of disappointments; no one gets everything they want. Some things you have to let go of.”
He hated disappointing her, but granting her request was more than he was willing to dare. He had seen too many accidents at sea.
“Pease understand,” he said with anguish in his voice.
Jasmine nodded her head, bit her lip and began pulling herself together. She would not let an unfulfilled longing ruin her present pleasure.
Her family had wandered to different parts of the ship, as Jasmine and Laurence stood alone on the mid-deck. She heard the grunts below as the crew manned the capstan and watched the men aloft loosing the mizzen sails. She took off her bonnet and tossed it to Rose, and liberated her hair from is bonds. Laurence spied her with amusement, as she discretely left her shoes next to a cannon.
The men did not know what to make of her. Laurence grinned as he heard one old salt say to his mate, “Balmy!”
As they left the harbor for open waters Jasmine pointed to a mast with tattered sail sticking up from the shallow bay.
“That is all of the Earl of Abergavenny you will ever see. She went down last February in a fierce storm. The captain and most of the poor souls on her perished that night.” Laurence said next to her side.
“How horrible,” Jasmine whispered.
“A few lucky ones hung on to the mast and were rescued. She was the jewel in the East India Company’s crown, but no more,” he said sadly.
“Did you know any of them?” she asked softly.
“Only the captain, John Wordsworth. He was a fine fellow.”
“You are young and yet you know of so many men who have perished.”
“Too many to count. Hundreds of ships have been lost in these waters. Over there is Deadman’s Bay,” he said pointing to a stretch of beach.
Jasmine shivered. “In my stories I only wrote about the adventures. I never thought about the dangers and risks of sailing.”
“That is as it should be. The adventure is what draws us.”
“You have given me much to ponder,” Jasmine said as she walked to the foredeck. Looking down, she saw the waters parting in front of her. The seagulls’ plaintive cries transported her to another place and time. Her imagination was taking flight; she was no longer Jasmine Bertram, but a maiden on a pirate ship far from home.
Laurence stood a few feet away, but was not far. She was oblivious to everything but the ocean; he was oblivious to everyone but her. At first, he watched with concern over her footing, but Jasmine walked with a grace and confidence as if she had lived her life aboard ship. Laurence and his friends marveled. Only Daisy was as sure-footed as Jasmine. The other two sisters needed assistance: Bennett and Andrews were happy to comply.
After a while, Jasmine turned out of her dreamy state and saw the four friends at the stern; Miles was doubled over in laughter while the others messed up his hair. She loved catching them in their candid moments and envied their close masculine bond. She memorized the picture and stored it away for further viewing.
Laurence came up to her smiling. “Have you wakened from your reverie? Were you on a pirate ship? Was I the wicked captain?”
The unmistakable boyish grin was there. It was teasing time. His appetite in baiting his friends only whetted his hunger to go after Jasmine.
“You do not remind me of a respectable naval captain, at the moment.”
“Remember, I emulate Nelson, my hero.”
“Does that imply you would bend the rules, as he did?”
“Any man who would look out of a spyglass with his blind eye, to excuse an order, has won my respect.”
“It is fortunate he won the battle,” she mused.
“To use humor at such a moment is disarming in itself.”
“Well, if you can find another way to emulate him without the loss of your eye, I heartedly approve. You walk a fine tightrope balancing between the civilized and barbarian world. In another age, you could very well have been a wicked pirate. I rate the probability of naughtiness in you quite high,” she said dryly.
“Do you want me to be a proper British captain?” he asked fishing for more than she knew.
“I am glad you fit that mode, being proper has its uses. But being improper is useful as well.”
“I sound off this warning to you…I am more mischievous on water than on land. The sea brings out the devil in me,” his eyes were sparkling.
Captain Laurence never looked more like a pirate than when he said this and her heart beat loudly. She wanted a civilized man who could be uncivilized when he wanted. Laurence was just the right kind of blend to suit her taste. She imagined what he would be like in battle, and had a healthy fear and respect for him as a man and warrior. She did not want to provoke the pirate in him, but was excited to know it was there.
“You were named after Michael, the archangel, and not Lucifer, if I’m not mistaken. I would hope that nothing could bring out the devil in you,” she said coolly.
He chuckled diabolically. Her wit was in fine form, as her father would have remarked. He had received his answer--if she wanted someone untamable, he could easily deliver.
After a few hours on board, they went into the wardroom to eat a light meal but only Jasmine and Daisy, had any appetite. As they lingered at the table, Admiral Stowe spoke of his desire to settle in Lyme.
“I must attribute it to your friendship,” he said with affection to Rev. Bertram. “Also, my dear wife thinks this is the only way I shall pay attention in church.”
The whole room broke up into waves of laughter and giggles. Everyone was pleased with the notion of his leasing Wellsome Manor from Sir George.
“Besides,” added the admiral, “I would not separate our wives--they have gotten along famously.”
“Truly, I was missing your company before we arrived home. It would be hard to wait a whole year to see each other again,” Mrs. Bertram said to Mrs. Stowe. “I entreated my husband for a short trip into town.”
“You do not know how tortuous this request was until you understand my wife’s dislike of London. At such a price of suffering, who would have the heart to sever this friendship? I found I had not sufficient courage for the task,” said Rev. Bertram dryly.
By stressing only their wives relationship, the unspoken bond between the men was obvious. Rev. Bertram took out a piece of paper and began drawing a layout of the village for the admiral.
While he was busy with this, Violet asked, “Is this a rough sea?”
The men smiled at her.
“Miss Violet, this is as calm a sea as any seaman can ask for,” said Laurence grinning.
She stared at him in unbelief.
“When the winds are hard enough to rip the sails and churn the waves to fifty feet then we can talk of rough seas,” said Andrews.
Violet’s eyes widened. “I had no idea,” she said.
Andrews loved her shyness and enjoyed drawing her out. He was attracted to her nature because it was so different from his own. It meant more to cheer her up than a room full of people. Every effort she made at openness was priceless to him.
Laurence left to attend his duties as the couples lingered at the table. Jasmine let a discrete amount of time go by before she joined him on deck.
“Captain, should we keep inland through the Isle of Wight?” asked the first lieutenant.
“No, we are making good headway. Go around and take her out to open sea. I’ll tell you when to turn toward Portsmouth,” he replied firmly.
He was in his element, sharing his world with her. He was the sea’s true child; she felt the orphan. He was the sea and she, the land: they could only meet on the shore. She longed for him as a caged bird pined for the sky. She could have never loved any other man.
He turned around smiling, and her breath caught in her throat. He held out his hand and she took it with trembling fingers.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
She made no reply, so he took off his coat and put it around her. She looked like a little girl trying on her father’s jacket. It was heavy with brass buttons and thick double-breasted lapels. She looked up into his face and saw that boyish grin. She glanced down at herself--his coattails almost went down to her ankles. There was a pleasant fragrance in the uniform faintly stirring something in her memory, but she could not place it. Laurence took off his hat and put it on her head. It went over her eyes.
“I know you don’t like bonnets, but I hope you will not have an aversion to a captain’s hat. I would offer you my boots, but I know that is going too far. The opportunity for a full ensemble was irresistible. I had to have a complete picture to remember,” he said with laughter in his voice.
He took the hat off and she smiled shyly. She kept eyes down and her cheeks wore a rosy blush. He thought she would be laughing by now.
“Are you cold?” she asked him shyly.
Laurence chuckled. “This is nothing but a light breeze.”
Who was this shy, silent creature? Where was her sauciness? Laurence could not interpret the incoming signals. He thought of something to occupy her attention and took her to the helm. Asking the quartermasters for control, the men gladly gave it and took a few minutes rest.
“Jasmine, this is how we control the direction of the ship. Stand here and I’ll do it with you.”
She felt dwarfed before the large wheel but stood obediently before it. Laurence put each of her hands on the wheel and then positioned himself on the opposite side. She responded to his tug of the wheel. He was so tall that his head barely cleared the ceiling of the quarterdeck. They stood like this but thirty minutes, yet Jasmine wanted to remain there forever. Laurence could see her pure enjoyment. She was so serious about doing a good job at the helm that she had no idea how comical she looked in his coat. Laurence could not help but smile at the picture.
“Now I’m going to help you turn the ship toward Portsmouth.”
It took some effort; she could feel the tug as the wheel wanted to go another direction. Jasmine never experienced anything as thrilling as when the large ship began turning beneath her. She understood what he was doing--compensating for the loss of the lookout nest. He cared that much for her.
Laurence heard an unmistakable sob escape. Handing the helm back, he guided Jasmine to the bow.
“I shall never forget this dreamlike day. Now I know why you love the sea. I have only spent a day aboard ship and it will hurt to see the end of it. I shall always cherish this,” she said with misty eyes. After a moment’s hesitation she continued, “I ask your pardon for my childish display.” She bowed her head with shame.
He lifted her chin and looked at her compassionately. “To hunger for something and face your disappointment is not childish, Jasmine, it’s human. I understand perfectly, but I’ve also witnessed things you cannot imagine…things I would spare you the pain of knowing.”
“Tell me. Do not shield me from your world! I want to understand.”
Laurence observed her for a moment before replying. “We had a twelve year old boy aboard named Jack, who was an orphan. He was a fearless lad, and a good powder monkey but, like you, he had his head in the clouds. One day, he volunteered to go aloft, though the captain had not ordered him. He kept boasting of his surefootedness and had no fear of heights. The testing of one’s ability is natural and unavoidable; it is the nature of what we do. The captain finally gave his approval. Well, a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere and the ship hit a rogue wave at a certain angle. We saw him lose his footing and plunge to his death. That boy was the first person I saw buried at sea--I was deeply affected by it.”
“How awful it must have been for you,” she said with tears in her eyes.
“Now do you understand?” he whispered.
She nodded her head. Laurence ached to hold her but felt he had no right. He dutifully led her back to her family; they laughed happily from the table when they saw her wearing his coat.
“Ah, I see Captain, you want to make a sailor out of my daughter,” Rev. Bertram grinned.
Laurence bowed to him. “Sir, she is a seaman without the uniform and walks about deck as if born on one.”
Jasmine blushed at his praise. “Thank you for the use of your jacket, Captain Laurence,” she said as she handed it back to him.
“My pleasure,” he said with a slight bow. “I am sorry that I cannot linger here. I must attend my duties.”
Jasmine stayed with her parents hoping they would help distract her from Laurence, but not all of her father’s wit--nor the admiral’s banter--could keep her mind off him.
After an hour of distracted smiles and laughter on her part, she left to find him again. Laurence was leaning on the starboard side of the quarterdeck, his gaze out at sea. When he came out of his thoughts, he was startled to see her standing next to him. He smiled down at her, but she was still silent and shy. He had to break her out of this mood.
“Do you know that I have a surprise for you? I was going to wait until we got back to Lyme, but I’ll tell you now.”
She looked at him curiously.
“I’ve purchased our costumes from the masque. I don’t know when we’ll wear them again, but I’m as partial to a pirate as I am your Aphrodite-Athena-Artemis hybrid,” he chuckled.
He lifted her face and looked at her with real concern. “Where’s my laughing girl? Why are you so silent?”
“I don’t understand what’s happening. I…I feel so deeply about this day. I cannot express the gratitude I feel. It is more than a desire fulfilled; it has patched a gaping hole inside. Have you ever ached for something with every fiber of your being?”
“Yes,” he whispered painfully.
“How I envy you! Why have these passions when I have no means of fulfilling them? I can only express my longings through writing. You have no understanding of the constraints placed on a woman’s life. You are as free as a lark!”
“I can no more comprehend your world than you can mine. A man is similarly bound by his word, his honor, and his duty. Jasmine, I am no boy frolicking in a playground--that ceased for me the moment my father died. The weight of one year of my life at sea would have crushed you.”
“I did not mean to make light of your situation.”
“Nor did I take it in such a way.”
“I am sorry. My vision is narrow at times…I’m, I, I didn’t mean…” She fumbled over her words and did not venture to speak again.
Minutes of silence passed by before Laurence broke it. “I’ve never seen you act this way before. Is joy on the surface and shyness at your core?” he asked in wonder.
“I don’t know,” she whispered, looking out to sea again.
Laurence did not press her further. They were still enough to hear the wind in the sails and the creaking of the timbers. Jasmine stretched her hand down and felt the salt spray. This was an experience no words could describe.
He had been lost in his own thoughts too; he could see her at different parts of the ship long after she had left them. Her presence harmonized with the melody of the sea. He had done this for her expecting nothing in return. In the end, she affected him far more than the ocean. Jasmine’s pull was stronger, though she did not know it--the tide of her life was drawing him to land.
Jasmine thought Laurence was thinking of the sea, but he had been thinking of her. She hungrily held on to the experience that brought man and sea together. It was a day larger than any she had ever known. It felt that way from the beginning. She did not want the ship to anchor in Portsmouth…she longed to find the island in his dream.
Everyone was on deck as the vessel neared the harbor. It had happened on a day such as this, five years before, Laurence remembered fondly with a smile playing on his lips. Portsmouth would always hold a special place in his heart.
Daisy’s voice shook him out of his reverie. “Is that where you fell into the water?” she asked turning to her sister as she pointed to the quay.
Jasmine looked at it with a half-smile and nodded her head. “I wish I knew who ML was…my gallant rescuer,” she said wistfully.
All four men turned and looked at her with opened mouths. Laurence began to tremble with shock. His face was ashen white as he grabbed her. “It was you? You fell into the sea five years ago?”
She started to sway and sat down. In a breathless voice, she asked Violet to fetch her cloak. She never went anywhere without it and always hung it in the closet of any place she happened to stay. Violet returned with the cloak and laid it in her sister’s lap. Jasmine turned it inside out and Laurence read his own initials: ML. He threw back his head and laughed for joy. “Those are my initials…Michael Laurence!”
Wonder washed over them like a wave. The admiral and his wife stared in disbelief as they tried to comprehend the matter.
“I thought you were a gentleman: a lord or baron. I had no idea you were a sea captain. My friends said you wore nothing distinguishing you apart from being a gentleman. I never connected the two.” Jasmine felt numb as the truth began to sink in.
“I was only a lieutenant at the time.” As he turned to his friends, he said, “Can you believe this?”
They were as full of wonder as he was.
Bennett spoke first. “You see, Miss Bertram, we were all in the coach together. We were running late. Laurence made the last minute decision to stop.”
Mrs. Bertram trembled as she leaned on her husband. She had never come so close to fainting in her life. What would their lives have been like if Laurence had not convinced them to stop? The prospect horrified her. She could never replay him; there was no compensation good enough.
Everyone saw Mrs. Bertram turn pale. Her husband tightened his grip around her, found a seat, and sat next to her. Bennett, who paused in his story out of consideration for her, continued. “Laurence wanted to see our vessel. We were rushing to London to attend an inquiry at the Admiralty. I urged him not to stop. Thank God, he didn’t listen to me!”
Andrews took over the narrative. “He said he’d be gone five minutes and kept his word. He returned soaking wet without his cloak and told us how he rescued a young girl who had fallen into the sea.”
“It was fate,” murmured Miles in awe.
“No, Miles…it was God,” said Laurence firmly.
Rev. Bertram was astounded. This was ML--the man who saved his daughter’s life and his family from anguish! Now he knew why he loved this man as a son.
Jasmine struggled to comprehend what was going on. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Laurence was the man who saved her life five years ago--it really did happen! She began to sob and tremble uncontrollably when she realized how close she had come to dying. Only a moment’s decision spared her life. Laurence was instantly at her side.
He trembled. That sweet, young girl he held in his arms long ago had been Jasmine. He understood everything now; he felt she belonged to him from the beginning. “I never dreamt the young girl I rescued that day would turn out to become the woman I love.” There! He had said it. Nothing could retract his words now.
Jasmine stopped crying and lifted her tear-stained face to Laurence in wonder. “You love me?” she whispered.
“With all my heart,” he said tenderly.
Jasmine buried her head in his chest and began to sob. Her unleashed emotions raged like a storm on the shore of his heart. Her tears expressed what her words could never have done. It tasted of longing, pain, and torment. She had suffered as he had.
The realization of her love hit him like a tidal wave. His legs got shaky and Miles grabbed a wooden crate, placing it before him. Everyone turned away as Jasmine sat next to him. This was their moment.
Her love came like a flood over his parched soul and filled the aching void nothing else could have compensated. She kissed his forehead and cheek, all the while whispering, “Thank you, dearest friend.”
His chest was heaving. Jasmine took his face in her hands and smiled. “Do you want to know when I first knew I loved you?”
She did not wait for a response. His eyes said everything.
“It was after you fell on the custard. I said to myself, There goes my hero, my shining knight!”
He chuckled through his tears, remembering. “Do you know when I first fell in love with you?” he asked.
She was silent.
“I wanted you from the beginning, on the first day when I saw you sleeping. I studied you a long time, Jasmine. To this day, I do not know how long I stood there looking at you. As I watched every movement--I fell in love with you. I loved you before I knew your name.”
“Oh!” she could hardly breathe. “You loved me then? How could you love me so soon?”
“Over the years, I thought of you often. I even dreamt of you. The last time was only three weeks ago. It is always the same dream: I rescue you and lift you in my arms. You are unconscious and never wake up in my dream. How strange! I was dreaming of you, only I did not know it was you. All these months my heart was sending a message I did not understand until now. My mind took longer to catch up, I suppose.”
Laurence held Jasmine while the ship made anchorage. They were lost in the wonder of their love. The sun had set, and the brilliant colors were beginning to fold up into the bosom of the night. Laurence and Jasmine were the last of their company to leave the ship. They walked to the inn in peaceful silence. Everyone in the dining hall greeted them with smiles.
Before they sat down to eat, Laurence took Rev. Bertram aside, asking for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Rev. Bertram gave him more than his hearty approval; he hugged him and began weeping. No words could express his gratitude. This bond could not be broken; Laurence would be his true son.
Both men went back to the others with tears in their eyes. Rev. Bertram stood at the head of the table and raised his glass. “I gladly announce the betrothal of my daughter, Jasmine, to Captain Laurence.”
Everyone lifted their glasses and drank a toast to their engagement. Jasmine was dizzy from the speed of events and was thankful to be sitting.
Admiral Stowe wanted to hear the story from both sides. Everyone was eager to hear it since there were so many missing pieces and unaccounted years.
Jasmine dove in, “I had a friend named Mary Beth who was going to visit her aunt in Portsmouth. I recalled begging my father and mother for permission to go with her. I remember they were very hesitant to grant my wish, since I had never been away from home before.”
“Did you have a premonition something would go wrong?” Laurence asked as he turned to Rev. Bertram and his wife.
“Neither one of us had peace about her going,” said Mrs. Bertram. “We could not understand why, because the family was very trustworthy and respectable. We knew our daughter would be safe in their company.”
“We let her go, but we also prayed for her protection, asking God to keep her safe in His hands,” finished Rev. Bertram.
“That’s what set the whole thing in motion!” said the admiral, astounded. “Did you know you were an answer to prayer?” he asked turning to Laurence.
Laurence shook his head in wonder. He thought he had been making the choices--he did not know another hand was leading him long ago.
Everyone was silent for a moment as the knowledge of God’s mercy began to sink in.
“What happened next?” asked the admiral.
Jasmine continued. “We arrived in Portsmouth in late August. It rained for three days and I felt cooped up indoors. Mary Beth and her cousins only wanted to trim bonnets and fit new dresses. It drove me mad, as you might imagine. When the fourth day dawned bright and clear, we made our way to the clothing district. If I had to endure shopping then they had to suffer the quays. At the end of the day, we walked to the harbor. I wanted to see ships and feel the salt spray, but the nearest I could get was walking on the edge. I knew it was a foolish thing to do, and had my friend said it was unwise, I probably would have heeded her advice, but she used the term ‘unladylike’ which made me defiant. I did it in contrast to those ladylike girls.”
Laurence grinned involuntarily.
“I kept my eyes down as I walked on the edge; I did not see Laurence running toward us. I imagined I was a circus performer in front an applauding crowd. If I had been barefooted I might have fared better, but alas, I had shoes on. I was much too confident for one born so clumsy. Pride could have very well caused my downfall. I only recall losing my balance, everything else is a blank.”
Laurence took over the story. “I remember a group of young people coming toward me and saw you balancing with your arms spread out. I thought you were a silly young girl,” he said looking at Jasmine.
“I was a silly young girl! Your assessment was correct.”
“I feared you would fall into the water--don’t ask me how I knew. You lost your footing and tumbled in before I could reach you. The sun was setting by this time, but there was light enough to see where you had fallen. I dove in and almost immediately I felt your hand. We broke to the surface and I climbed the stairs as fast as I could. When I laid you down, you were not breathing. I remember crying out to God for help. I hit your back, and you expelled the water you had swallowed. I threw my cloak over you and ran back to the coach.”
Everyone was amazed to hear both sides of the story.
“I’ve always wanted to know what happened to the young girl and her family,” said Laurence in awe of God’s goodness.
“Needless to say, we were upset when we heard about the incident and rushed off to Portsmouth. She could remember little of the incident. All these years we wondered who ML was, even prayed for him, hoping one day to find out,” Mrs. Bertram said smiling at Laurence.
“This is astonishing!” said Admiral Stowe.
“I am numb with the shock of it. I did not think I would witness her wedding day until I was quite infirmed. Now of all my daughters, she shall be the first to leave,” replied Rev. Bertram as he dabbed the corner of his eye with his handkerchief.
“Father, is overcome by it all,” remarked Daisy in all her wisdom.
Jasmine only raised her brow at her father as she tried to ascertain his emotions. She applied mercy when she realized the ordeal she had put him through. His suffering was over. He would soon have a son-in-law who would take up the call and aid him in sparring at the dinner table.
Laurence grinned at her from across the room. Convicted by her thoughts, she blushed and then trembled. It would be just like God to give her a husband who could read her mind.
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