Summer, 1826

Caroline walked in the garden with her four younger daughters, as she pushed her almost two year-old son Benjamin in the new buggy her husband had brought from London for her. This one was slightly larger and faced forward rather than to the rear, so Ben could see where they were going, as opposed to always looking back at her. It was the latest trend in child-rearing, and she agreed the child had a better view if they faced forward, but she didn’t necessarily believe the philosophical babble and child-rearing theories attached with the trend. She just knew that her son was big enough to want to see more than just his mama on their walks.

With Rose, now sixteen, Lily, now fourteen, and Daisy, now twelve, in their lessons with the tutor, Poppy and Violet, now six and four respectively, walked alongside her and Benjamin, while Heather, ten, and Iris, eight, walked ahead of them, gossiping about something. Lately those two had been coming up with pranks to play on their older sister Lily.

Evidently the retaliating back and forth pranks began with Iris teasing Lily about a boy at church she’d seen Lily talking to. Lily had retaliated by putting a frog in the younger girls’ shared bed.

In retaliation to that offense, Heather and Iris released a spider into Lily’s bedroom. Lily smashed the spider, then put the corpse and all the little pieces in her younger sisters’ large canopy bed.

Now they were cooking up something to get their sister back again.

Because Caroline had no experience with such things, Trey had told her about the revenge he and his siblings had taken on each other. As long as the girls’ pranks remained harmless and more of an inconvenience, they could continue.

Caroline had told the girls she drew the line at anyone getting hurt. They could get creative about their pranks, but if anyone was physically hurt or publicly embarrassed by the other, she would put a fast end to their fun.

She missed her husband. Trey had gone to Edinburgh ten days ago, at the request of Mrs. Donalson. She’d sent them a letter telling him that the girls’ father had reappeared. Trey hurried up there to do what was necessary to protect the girls they now considered their daughters.

The girls’ father was now trying to extort money from Mrs. Donalson and the church because they had adopted his “dear daughters” out, when he’d said he’d return for them. She and Trey had said nothing to the girls yet. Trey went to find out what the man really wanted, returning four years after he’d abandoned the girls at the orphanage. Especially when he’d told Mrs. Donalson and his daughters he would return for them in one year’s time. Mrs. Donalson, the dear woman, had waited a full extra year, only placing the girls with Trey and Caroline when the threat of separation loomed over the sisters.

Caroline couldn’t imagine the girls’ disappointment when they realized he might not return, because she’d never been abandoned. But for the girls, it had to hurt as much as losing their mother had.

These seven little ladies and her son were now their family, and if she wasn’t mistaken, there would be another family member arriving in the spring. Caroline didn’t want anything to destroy the growing relationship with her daughters. After two years, it seemed like she was finally getting to the point where Lily trusted her. And there was more laughter among the older girls now. They were less unapproachable and reserved. They willingly sought her out now.

She trusted Trey to do whatever he felt best for their daughters. And she couldn’t wait for him to return and tell her what was going to happen.

“Mama, Papa is back! Look!”

With squeals of happiness, Poppy and Violet ran toward the only man they recognized as their papa. And when Caroline saw the smile on his face she knew all would be well. He looked infinitely more relaxed and relieved than he did the morning he left.

“Did you bring us a candy?” Poppy asked.

“I did, my Poppy poppet, but I will give it to you when your mama says you may have it.” He gave Caroline a wink, and she returned his grin with one of her own. “Remember the last time she accused me of ruining your appetite.” He swung Violet into his arms as he continued toward Caroline and Benjamin.

“Why did you go, Papa?”

“I had business to conduct.”

“‘Portent biss-ness, Papa?” the cherub-cheeked Violet asked.

“Very important, Violet.” Trey spoke to their daughter as though she was fully capable of understanding. “The most important kind of business.”

He arrived at Caroline’s side and kissed her cheek before bending over the baby carriage and checking on his son.

“I think he fell asleep,” Caroline said.

“How are you today, my beautiful wife?” He set Violet on the ground and straightened, meeting her concerned gaze.

“I have been sick with worry since you left,” she said. “And sick with morning sickness as well,” she wanted to add but decided against it. He’d find that out soon enough.

“You have nothing to worry over anymore.”

“Are you certain?” She wanted to ask him how he knew but couldn’t chance the younger girls overhearing their conversation and carrying parts of it back to the older girls.

“Very.”

As if an enormous, invisible burden was lifted from her spirit, Caroline was suddenly free to breathe. “Thank you, Captain.”