Chapter Seventeen

"Marcus", Katherine breathed. Before she could rise to greet him, he placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her there.

He squatted down next to her and kissed her cheek, just as close to her soft lips as he could. They looked deeply into one another's eyes for a moment, asking the silent questions. How have you faired? Do you still love me? And it was there in their eyes, both of them conveying to one another, as fine as I could be without you. They shared a bittersweet smile, feasting their eyes upon one another for a moment, before the outside world intruded.

"Marcus!" Chauncey rose and wanted to greet his friend.

Betsy tried to see this man, whom Violet had told her had been as a father to him, yet she could not see him through Katherine's head. And she had barely gotten a glimpse of him before he dropped down.

"Give me but a moment, stay here, and I shall return to you forthwith." Marcus spoke softly to the woman that he loved.

She nodded twice quickly, then watched him rise and turn to Chauncey.

Drat! Betsy thought, as he turned away and she still could not see his face. She turned to watch Violet making his way out in the water behind the pastor.

"Chauncey, old man, come along with me, I brought a gift for you." Marcus held Chauncey's arm gently, as Chauncey minced along beside him, grinning in anticipation. Marcus led Chauncey, heading to his steed that he had vaulted from moments before, which grazed on the grass that lined the top of the beach.

"A gift, for me? I jus' loves me a present!" Chauncey was very animated and joyous, he was being singled out, and Marcus always brought such good presents.

They approached Marcus' steed, Marcus opened his finely made leather saddlebag, a previous birthday gift from Katherine, withdrawing a small wooden box. He handed it to Chauncey and waited, smiling at the weathered seaman.

"Ach, well, 'tis a fine box Marcus, I has a use for it, aye, I do. I's kin keeps wee things I may be loosin' otherwise in it," Chauncey nodded, holding it up close to his face, to better appreciate the fine wood and workmanship.

"Open it Chauncey," Marcus laughed with pleasure, as he realised Chauncey thought the box was the gift. "You slide the top out, would you like me to show you?"

"I thinks ye better." Chauncey held it out a small ways, Marcus did not take it, but he put his hand around it and slid the top back a wee bit with his thumb.

Chauncey's eyes widened and he snatched it back to slide the top all the way open. He pulled a small piece of velvet out and there were a pair of spectacles laying on a bed of more of the soft material. He looked up at Marcus, his eyes wide, trying to focus, as Marcus was an arm's length away.

"Try them on Chaunce." Marcus encouraged him.

Chauncey took them reverently out of the bed of velvet, Marcus taking the box and the scraps of material, so Chauncey could try them on.

Chauncey placed them on his nose and wrapped the side pieces over his ears. He looked at Marcus and grinned. "Why Marcus, ye be better lookin' thans I thought ye be!"

Marcus laughed with pleasure as Chauncey started looking all around him, his eyes huge, and full of wonder at his restored sight.

Chauncey could see all, he could see Marcus and his horse clearly, he could see the boys running around on the beach. He could see Katherine and Miss Elizabeth, turned around on the shore, looking at him and Marcus, and he could actually see that they were smiling at him. He smiled back at them as happy tears came to his eyes. "Aye, Marcus, 'tis the best present I's ever received!" Chauncey was smiling, oh so widely, as tears coursed their way down his cheeks. This upset him a bit as it clouded his vision once more. He very carefully removed the specs, before wiping his face free of tears, rubbing his eyes with his fist, and wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"You are very welcome, Chauncey." Marcus rubbed the old man's shoulder, very glad, as he had hoped the lenses would be correct. It seemed they were, if the old man's face was any indicator. "Come along, let us show Katherine your new spectacles."

Marcus waited as Chauncey put them back on and they went to join the women sitting close together on the shore.

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Violet took a few steps out into the water before peeling off his shirt and throwing it back up on the rocky shore to land next to his boots.

He felt the chill of the early autumn sea, he felt a little badly for the elderly pastor, yet he was invigorated himself, and the cold water only intensified his resolve. The pastor stopped mid waist and looked into Violet's clear, sober amethyst eyes. Violet could understand if the older man wanted to hurry, so he came to a stop directly upon reaching him, ready to receive his washing.

The pastor looked upon Violet's face, asking him if he repented of his sins, and if he was prepared to sin no more.

"I do, I am." Violet nodded.

The pastor nodded and continued, "You accept that God is creator over all, and you bear witness to his Son who died upon the cross to forgive you of these sins?"

"I do." Violet answered solemnly.

"I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." He dunked Violet, who came up out of the water, grinning.

"Welcome into the kingdom, Violet." The pastor patted Violet's shoulder and they both turned to return to shore.

However, the elderly pastor realised his work was not done, when he spied Brutus wading out to them. Samson was removing his boots at the water's edge, and Pete was heading their way, all of them having been convicted when the slave ship had disappeared.

Paulie was handing Sarah off to Betsy so he could make his way over too.

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Betsy wanted to go and be with Violet when he waded ashore, she had been thrilled for Chauncey, who had come to show them his new spectacles, but her husband was where she wanted to be.

Katherine took the toddler from her, she had seen the want in Betsy's eyes. "Go to him, child." She could understand Betsy's need, and this would give her a few moments with Marcus alone.

Betsy stood, smiled at Katherine and a very kind looking Marcus, and encouraged Chauncey to join her in walking down the beach.

Chauncey wanted to go look at everything, so he readily followed her. "Miss Lizbeth, it be like in the story Paulie was a readin', bout that man who gived the other man his sight back."

"Do you remember what happened to that man, Chauncey?" Betsy wondered if Chauncey had made the connection between the miracle worker and his death upon the cross. She had lived many years with her Papa, watching and listening to how to help redeem souls.

"I dew, he was kilt, but they's could not keep him dead, right Miss Lizbeth?" Chauncey had listened well to the stories Paulie had shared.

"Aye, Chauncey, they could not keep him dead." Betsy smiled at the old man. "He still lives, to work through people like Marcus, to return sight to men like you." Betsy and Chauncey came upon the spot on the shore where the crewmen were entering the water.

"Why are ye all going swimmin'? 'Tis a wee mite chilly ta be swimmin' teday." Chauncey questioned their motives for wading out into the sea.

"They are going out there where the pastor is helping them to live new lives, they want to thank that man who could not be killed, as he died for us, so we could go to heaven one day and be with him." Betsy explained.

Violet came out of the water, patting each of his crewmen on the shoulder on his way back out.

Josh had explained to Sissy what had happened on the sea. After she recovered from the shock of just how close she had come to losing him, she had ran up to the house to fetch a pile of clean linens. She stood at the water's edge waiting to distribute the dry cloths. She handed one to Violet with a huge smile on her face.

Josh was out in the water also, and happy tears ran down Sissy's face. "Here ye be Violet."

He took it from her, thanking her, and threw it around his shoulders, drying his hair and face. When he lowered the linen Betsy was the first one he saw. He grinned at her, as she returned the joyous smile, going up on tiptoes to kiss his glowing face.

"I wan' ta go too, Miss Lizbeth, will ye hold me new specs fer me?" Chauncey was dancing in place, shuffling his feet, wanting to join the other men. "I gots me a need fer heaven too."

"Of course Chauncey." Betsy assured him, her hand upon Vi's shoulder, and a huge smile upon her face.

"Paulie, can ye wade out with Chaunce, my friend?" Violet stopped the other man before he could enter the sea.

"Ye bet I can. Take yer boots off old man and leave yer shirt here too." Paulie suggested.

Chauncey nodded and pulled off his shirt, then sat to remove his boots.

Betsy gasped, Chauncey's back was criss crossed with old welts, from whippings he had received years ago.

Her pain filled eyes shot to Violet, and he nodded, he had known the scars were there, as Betsy had not.

"He was not always a Captain, my sweet." Violet took her into his arms, as she wept slow, silent tears for the old man, and the pain that must have caused him.

"He is quite happy now, my love, just look." Violet reassured her the pain was no longer felt.

She turned to see Chauncey, smiling at Paulie, as he talked animatedly to the friend at his side, while they made their way out to the pastor.

Violet wrapped her in his arms as she smiled through her tears, glad for these men and their conviction. "My Papa would have loved this Violet," Betsy held Chauncey's spectacles very carefully as Violet hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"I imagine he would at that, Kitten." Violet smiled over her head at Sissy, who waited patiently for husband, happy tears in her eyes.

"Violet, Marcus is here." Betsy told him, "He is with your mother down there." She looked to the side of them, where Marcus and Katherine watched them, big smiles wreathing their faces.

"I would like to go say hello, is that alright, my love? Then I needs to go back out to the ship for dry clothes." He said this as he pulled his dry shirt on, yet his breeches were soaked.

"Can I go back out with you? I believe you may need my help with those." She batted her lashes, one remaining tear falling to her cheek. She actually just wanted a few moments alone with him in their cabin. To maybe steal a kiss or two away from other's eyes and have a quiet moment with her husband.

She smiled at him a bit suggestively, as he chuckled. "If it pleases you, love, I might need some help at that." He continued chuckling, as he put his hand on her lower back to escort her to his mother and Marcus.

"I hear congratulations are in order." Marcus said, as he stood to embrace Violet. Imparting a few manly pats on Vi's back, Marcus was so glad to be reassured Violet was well, that he was not as he had been in his dream the other night.

Marcus then turned and reached a hand to help Katherine rise, her smile showing just how very happy she felt about their son's marriage and his new conviction.

"Yes, I have been blessed in more ways than I can tell right now. 'Tis a bit soaked I am at the moment." Vi grinned. "I need to go out to the ship and get dry, but 'tis very glad I am you are here, and I have much to tell you once I return."

"Elizabeth, would you like to come up to the house with us?" Katherine wanted to give her the choice, as they had only left the ship a bit ago.

"Nay, Mama Katherine, I have some things I should like to gather aboard, but I will return with Violet very quickly, I promise." Betsy reassured her they would not be too long.

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Awww, sweet Chauncey has a reason to see in the daylight now :) blessings to all, hope you enjoyed!