The Lady of the Lighthouse, page 7
“Right away, sir,” Lanny said.
Devon was relieved that Lanny assumed a professional attitude and left to carry out his orders. The conversation had made Devon uncomfortable.
Devon sailed through the early morning on Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior to the St. Mary’s River and through the day to the Soo Locks. He readied the Manitoulin to make the precision route into the locks. He had been through here many times before but was still careful to properly steer through the approach channel in the St. Mary’s River system. Once he got into the lock and the gates closed on either side, it took about nine or ten hours for gravity to let the water flow out of the lock chamber through an opened valve into the St. Mary’s canal and the lower lakes. This lowered the freighter twenty-one feet from the level of Lake Superior to the level of Lake Huron so it could sail through into the lower lake.
But Devon didn’t know, as he expertly navigated his freighter of iron ore through the Soo Locks and began his nearly month-long circuit through Lake Huron to Detroit to drop off the iron ore and sail back loaded with coal, that Andre Sorrento had sailed up through Lake Huron and was passing him in the locks from the other direction on a coal-bearing freighter headed for Portstown.
Chapter 6
Loralei walked down to the beach at midnight, a fortnight after she’d been there before, to meet Grayson, who she now knew was really Jake Calico. He’d been lying to her all along. She’d asked Edmund to stay over and take Misha into town in the morning for a tutoring session with Mrs. Petrova. She had waited until they were both asleep before venturing into the warm summer night.
The lake shimmered like smooth, clear glass under the twinkling, ebony dome of a starry sky, and she gazed across the water, looking for him. She had thought about not meeting him and letting their relationship fade away on its own, but she was afraid he would come to the lighthouse to find her, and she didn’t want that. She wanted him to stay away. Where was he? Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the shadow of his canoe down the beach. He was here. Somewhere. She turned when she felt the warmth of him and gasped. She hadn’t heard him come up behind her. He pulled her to him, and for a moment, she forgot why she was there as she melted into the pleasure of his kiss. But fear overtook her, and she pulled away.
“Grayson, no,” she said, trying to control her trembling body and hoping she could carry out her plan to break up with Jake without him knowing she knew who he really was. “I only came tonight to tell you something. I can’t see you anymore.” She shivered when she felt his body tense up but continued. “I’m sorry. I’ve decided to go back to my husband and make my marriage work. I hope you understand.”
The night seemed suddenly cold and menacing, and she wanted more than anything to run back to the lighthouse. But she had to stay, and she had to tell him to stay away.
Jake pulled her to him again and ran his fingers through her hair. “Are you sure, little dove?” He looked deeply into her eyes. “I can feel you tremble. You want me.”
She moaned when he brushed his fingers down her arms.
“Be with me tonight. We will take each other to the moon and the stars. You are my love,” he said.
She clenched her teeth and tried to control her desire for him. “No.” She moved away. “Please, Grayson. I can’t see you anymore.”
His black eyes pierced hers as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back toward him. “You will change your mind. I can see it in your eyes. We will meet again. You are mine.”
“No. I am no ones. I’m leaving now.”
She ripped her arm from his grasp, feeling suddenly terrified that she had met Jake alone after finding out who he was. She realized that the fact he didn’t know she knew was the only thing that saved her from his wrath. She ran down the beach without looking back toward the relative safety of the lighthouse.
***
Loralei stepped into The Blue Lake Tavern in Portstown after dropping Misha off at Mrs. Petrova’s cottage for a sign-language lesson. She had come into town for supplies while Edmund took care of the lighthouse and stopped to talk to Finn and Marie. It was a chilly morning, and she was glad to walk into the warmth and coziness of the tavern. She closed the door on the loud bustle of the street and the blaring ship horns of the harbor to the welcome quiet of the room. There weren’t many people there, but she saw a few sailors sitting at the counter talking and laughing with Finn. She walked quietly over.
“What brings you in?” Finn asked, moving away from the sailors and rubbing a cloth over the polished wood counter as she approached him.
“Is Marie around? I was hoping to talk to her,” she said.
“Sure. Let me get her. Be right back, guys,” Finn said.
The sailors nodded as he turned and went through the doors to the kitchen.
Loralei turned away and went to sit at a table nearby. Her feet were swollen from the pregnancy, and she didn’t want to stand any longer. She had to pick Misha up later and drive back to the lighthouse, and she needed to rest. She dropped her shopping bags on the floor before sitting down in the wooden chair, leaning back, and sighing. She’d spent the morning visiting shops in town for food staples and painting supplies and was pleased with her efforts. She had enough paints to last her for a while now and was looking forward to starting another project. She might paint a lake view from the lighthouse at sunset with a freighter in the distance and imagined the warm shades of color she would use as she brought the painting to life.
Marie walked over, wiping her hands on her white chef’s apron. “Loralei, how nice to see you. I was just doing the dishes. Do you want me to make you something to eat?”
“No, thanks. I’m in town doing some shopping, and I came in to ask if you knew of anyone who could work on the beacon and do some maintenance around the lighthouse. It’s getting to be a little much for me, and I know you run into a lot of people here. I saw the freighter come in, too, and I wondered if anyone had news about the war,” Loralei said.
“I’ll ask around for someone. It must be hard to keep up with Devon gone and the baby on the way. You look great, though. I can hardly tell you’re pregnant,” Marie said.
“Thanks. I didn’t show that much with Misha, either, but I still feel pregnant,” Loralei said.
“Yeah. By the way, Finn heard Jake Calico was spotted canoeing the harbor a few nights ago. You might want to be on the lookout for him again. You never know what he could be up to,” Marie said.
“I know,” Loralei said, looking away. She had told Marie she broke things off with Jake, but she hadn’t told her how hard it was not to see him anymore and how much she had cared for him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—” Marie said.
“No, it’s okay. It’s important to the safety of the lighthouse that I know when he’s around. Sometimes I can’t believe I fell for someone like that or that I let him into my life—into Devon’s and my life. I wish I could do things over and change the past. I wish things were different between Devon and me,” she said.
“Give yourself a break. Marriage is hard, and you’re dealing with a lot. And Jake is handsome in a wild, untamed way. Nobody’s perfect,” Marie said softly, touching Loralei’s arm.
“Thanks,” Loralei said.
Before she could say anything more, she was distracted by a commotion at the door of the tavern. She watched several men, obviously, sailors, stomp through the door singing a bawdy song, and trudge over to the counter. Finn raised a hand in greeting.
“Are you the sailors from the American Intrepid? I know she pulled into port this morning. What can I get you?” Finn asked.
“Yeah, we just got in,” one of the sailors replied.
“Give us some beers. Rum for this guy, though. He’s not much for beer, but he sure can cook,” the sailor said, laughing and slapping the man next to him on the back.
“Sure can,” the others agreed.
“Couldn’t have made it here without him. What was that stuff? Creme brûlée? Never did have a dessert burned on top on purpose like that, but it was the best thing I ever ate. Scullery Joe liked it, too, even though I don’t think he liked having you in his kitchen. But the more cooks, the better, right? You can sail with us anytime, Andre,” he said.
A beautiful man with thick, wavy, dark hair turned from the counter to thank the men and looked over at her. He stared at her a moment too long, and she wondered who he was. She’d never seen a man whose face was so sculpted and well-defined. His jaw was chiseled and his chin strong, and he held himself with a regal bearing. She wondered where he’d come from. He didn’t look like a sailor, and he didn’t look like anyone from town, either. She shivered as she returned his gaze. His eyes were a deep, warm brown, but something about the cool glint she saw in them made her gasp.
“What is it?” Marie asked.
“Nothing. I just thought I saw something, that’s all,” she replied, not looking at Marie.
She did see something—something in the man’s eyes that both attracted and repelled her, but she wasn’t sure what it was. She tried to lower her eyes, but she couldn’t. When he gave her a slow grin, she felt her cheeks warm and flush. She grimaced when he dropped her gaze and returned to his conversation with the sailors. She realized that she felt disappointed he looked away. Something about the way he looked at her made her want to go to him. It was the same pull she’d felt when she met Jake—a deep, physical reaction to something wild.
“Do you know that man?” Marie asked, following Loralei’s gaze.
“No, but he reminds me of someone,” Loralei replied, looking away quickly. She didn’t want Marie to see her reaction to him. “Maybe I could get some hot tea, or something, while I wait for Misha to be done with his lesson. Would you mind?”
“Nope. Coming right up. I’ll be back in a minute,” Marie answered.
She turned and walked toward the kitchen, and Loralei shifted her gaze back to the counter where the sailors were. She tried not to be obvious about staring at the dark-haired man. Something about the way he moved touched her. He was graceful and deliberate in his movements, like a sleek, young panther stalking its prey. And yet, he seemed able to fit in with the others as though he were one of them. But he wasn’t one of them. Something about him was unusual.
“Finn, Loralei needs someone to help maintain the beacon at the lighthouse. Keep an eye out, huh?” Marie called out to Finn as she came out of the kitchen with the tea.
“Sure,” he answered.
The dark-haired man separated himself from the group as Marie walked by.
“I could do that,” he said. “I am good with electronics, and I plan to stay in Portstown for a while.”
Marie stopped for a moment and hesitated before walking toward Loralei. “Follow me.”
Loralei felt her cheeks warm when she saw the man walking toward her. She didn’t know what she would say to him, especially since she felt an odd connection to him that she wasn’t sure she wanted to pursue.
“I am Andre Soren. At your service, ma’am,” he said, introducing himself when they arrived at the table and bowing his head slightly.
“Oh, thank you,” Loralei stammered. She wasn’t used to someone talking to her with such formality. “I’m sure that’s very nice.” She sat still for a moment, trying to think of something more to say.
“Could I talk to you for a minute?” Marie asked, taking her arm and pulling her away from the table when she stood up.
“What is it?” Loralei asked when they had walked a few tables away.
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. Is there something going on between you two?” Marie asked.
“No, not at all. I don’t even know him. I’m just feeling a little flustered from all the walking I did today, that’s all. I think he’ll be fine for the job. The crew from the ship seems to like him, and I need someone to start work as soon as possible,” Loralei said.
“Well, if you’re sure,” Marie said.
“I’m sure,” Loralei said, walking back to the table with Marie following her. “Could you come out to the lighthouse sometime this week?” Loralei said to Andre. “It’s on the lake outside town. I’ll show you what needs to be done, and we can make arrangements from there.” She hoped she sounded professional, as she didn’t want her obvious attraction to Andre to be a problem for Marie.
“Yes, of course. Could you suggest a place to stay in town?” he asked.
“The Pointer House,” Marie said quickly, looking from Loralei to Andre. “You can stay there for a nominal room and board. It’s down Main Street by the pier.”
“Thank you,” Andre said, tipping his head and leaving to rejoin the sailors at the bar.
“What are you thinking? Do you see the way he looks at you?” Marie asked when he was out of earshot.
“I’m thinking I need to keep the beacon maintained,” Loralei said, getting up to leave. “I have to get Misha now. Thanks for the tea.”
She grabbed her shopping bags and hurried past Marie and out the door, being careful not to look at Andre. She didn’t want Marie or Finn to say anything to her about him. She breathed a sigh of relief when she closed the door behind her and stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the tavern. It was still chilly outside, but now she welcomed the brisk air as it cooled her warm, flushed cheeks. She walked quickly down the street and headed up the lane to Mrs. Petrova’s cottage. As she neared the cottage, she saw Misha playing on the front step while Mrs. Petrova watered her flowers.
“I’ve come for Misha,” she called out.
“Already? We had such a nice time. It just flew by,” Mrs. Petrova said.
Loralei was relieved to see Mrs. Petrova’s smiling face. Seeing her always made Loralei feel better. She supposed it was because she reminded her of her mother. She was such a warm, caring person, and she never felt judged by her in the way she had just felt judged by Marie. Mrs. Petrova touched Misha on the shoulder and pointed to Loralei when he looked up. Misha ran to the fence and through the gate when Loralei opened it. They signed their goodbyes, and Loralei took Misha back to the Jeep with her. She tried not to think about Andre as they got in the Jeep and drove back to the lighthouse.
***
Andre saw the lighthouse overlooking the lake as he walked up the dirt path through the woods from the road. It had taken him about half an hour to walk down the road from town. The Pointer House, where he was staying in town, barely afforded him the amount of privacy he desired, and he hoped to work at the lighthouse and move out soon.
He had locked the valise he had been given in Detroit in his room, seeing no other options until he could find a more secure place to hide it. The information contained in the valise was extremely volatile. Giorgio Bartoli hadn’t stood a chance at remaining alive after delivering such vital information. It contained shipbuilding invoices with a list of locations where minesweeping ships, a new technology developed by the Allies, were being sent. It was imperative that the discovery of this new technology be relayed to his spy network as soon as possible, and if he worked at the lighthouse, he was sure he would have access to a radio there. He planned to find out what the job entailed and looked forward to seeing the beautiful young woman who had offered it to him.
He had been stunned when he first saw the woman across the room at the tavern. She wasn’t the type of woman he had expected to find in the wilderness of northern Michigan. Her long, wavy hair was a rich, lustrous gold, and her cheeks were pink and flushed. Her rosy lips had pouted at him when he looked at her. He had been mesmerized. He could not look away. She was a rare, delicate beauty, the type of masterpiece he would find in a priceless painting, not in the wilds of the north country. She had been sitting all alone in a sailors’ tavern, and he had been intrigued. She didn’t seem to fit into the rough surroundings, and he wondered who she was. He had jumped at the chance to meet her.
Now, here he was, walking to the lighthouse to see her. He had waited until early afternoon to head out, hoping to take advantage of the sunny weather and cool breezes off the lake. It was a beautiful day, and he breathed deeply of the fresh lake air as he watched the sunshine filter through the leaves of the trees along the path. The lighthouse stood in a large clearing in the woods, flanked by a few small wooden buildings. A large vegetable garden and a smaller flower garden surrounded the base.
He approached from the back and knocked on the door. He waited a moment and knocked again. He caught his breath when the woman opened the door. She was truly lovely, with her damp, blonde hair bouncing in ringlets around her flushed, pink cheeks and her azure-blue eyes widening in surprise. She wiped her perspiring brow with the back of her hand.
“Oh, hello. Forgive me. I was scrubbing the floor and didn’t hear the knock. Won’t you come in?” she asked.
“Yes, thank you,” Andre replied, feeling the hairs of his arm stand up as he brushed lightly past her through the open door.
He was amazed that a woman could have such an overwhelming effect on him. He was more than a little interested in her and could sense her attraction to him. He could only anticipate what the future held for them. But he was also interested in continuing his mission of gathering information about the Great Lakes shipping operation and the Soo Locks. He expected his current location in Portstown to help with that. It wasn’t far from the locks, and he had settled into the boarding house in town the previous week.
“May I offer you something to drink? I made fresh lemonade this morning. And I have some ginger cookies,” she said.
“Yes, that would be nice. It was a long walk out here, and the lemonade would be refreshing,” he answered.
“Have a seat,” she said.
She waved her hand toward a wooden kitchen table and chairs. Andre walked carefully over the wet floor and pulled out a wooden, slat-backed chair. He sat down next to the small boy who was eating a cookie at the table.
