Aunt Pru stood up. “Jaxon,” she said putting delicate hands on his cheeks. “I am so happy for you. Although I do not like what you did with Jimmy’s body, I know it was just an empty shell and since there was no way he could have been brought home, his body ultimately ended up in the sea. So I am going to forgive you. And I am going to grant permission for you to get married when you are ready.”
“Thank you Aunt Pru.”
“What did your mother say when you told her?”
“She doesn’t know yet.”
Pru’s eyebrow shot up as she dropped her hands to her side. “Betsy!” she yelled into the open window.
Moments later, Jaxon’s mother came running out of the house followed by cousins and siblings who were alerted by Pru’s raised voice.
“What’s the matter?”
“Tell her, Jaxon.”
“This is hardly the appropriate time.”
“Nonsense. When you get to be my age, you’ll learn that we can’t let tragedy get in the way of living our lives. Jimmy wouldn’t have wanted that. Tell your mother.”
Jaxon glanced around at the small crowd of relatives before his eyes settled on his mother. “I’ve met someone. We’re getting married.”
He saw his mother’s look of concern change to surprise and then joy. “Where is she? When can we meet her? How did you meet her? Oh, Jaxon, that is the best news we’ve had since Imelia’s baby was born.”
“You can meet her in a few days. She doesn’t want to meet anyone until she has some dresses to wear.”
“Nonsense! We don’t care if she’s wearing last year’s fashions.” Betsy said.
Jaxon didn’t feel the need to correct his mother’s assumption. “Well, she does, Mother, and I would appreciate it if you would respect her wishes. And speaking of Charlie.”
“Charlie?” Betsy interrupted.
“I’m sure it’s short for Charlotte or Charlene, Mother. But speaking of Charlie, she was not feeling well when I left.” He cast a caustic glare over his mother’s shoulder to Grayson who was standing in the doorframe. “I’d like to go check on her. And before anyone starts rumors, she is not in a family way.”
“Oh, Jaxon how could you say that in front of the children. No one would think such a thing.”
“Since she is staying with me and we’re planning to wed within the month, I would imagine most everyone will think that.” Jaxon looked at his relatives and wished he were having this conversation in a more private setting.
“Then she should stay with me and the children until the wedding,” his mother said.
“Or at my house,” Grayson added for the sole purpose of aggravating Jaxon.
Other than give Gray a dirty look, Jaxon ignored him. “Mother, one of the reasons we’re rushing to the altar is because she has been sharing my cabin since she came aboard my ship. I think if we could resist temptation in such tight quarters, I think we can resist when we have separate rooms.”
“But her reputation….”
“Is already damaged. And frankly, I don’t think either of us cares what the gossipmongers have to say.”
Jaxon hated to see his mother frowning at him, but he was not going to back down. He had long ago stopped worrying about what society thought when he realized they would never fully accept him as one of their own again. He kissed his mother on the cheek.
“Charlie’s lived at sea nearly her whole life. She needs something familiar around her and for now that something is me.”
“I’ll have Mrs. Reed make up a basket of food to take with you,” his aunt said.
“Thank you, Aunt Pru.”
“Gray, I’ll leave the buggy so you can take Mother home. Can you see that it gets back to the livery in town?”
“Jaxon, you don’t need to walk that far on that leg of yours. Take one of the saddle horses. I’ll send one of the farm hands after it later.”
“Thank you, Aunt Pru.”
Between the two baskets, one of food and the other with the clothing Imelia sent for Charlie, and his bad leg, Jaxon nearly lost his balance dismounting when his foot hung in the stirrup. He ended up bending his leg further than the damaged muscle could comfortably accommodate.
Charlie knew something was wrong the moment she saw the tight-lipped and pale expression on Jaxon’s face.
“Are you all right? What’s happened?” She thought he might have gotten in a fight with Grayson.
“Aunt Pru sent food and my sister sent clothes.” He did not answer her question, but raised the baskets. “Which do you want first?”
Charlie was like a kid in a candy store. Her eyes were as wide as her smile.