captain.
“He’s a navy boy,” Buddy said sorrowfully.
“Some of them have use, and some of them don’t,” Trenton observed. “Though I admit, I myself am happier at the fort when we’ve the extra bodies of the marines assigned to duty there. It’s just that this particular navy man—”
“Miss Warren!” Captain Fitzhugh bellowed. She tried not to smile. Her watchdogs were right. He was a strangely mincing little man with a big belly, small, skinny legs and little feet, and a face full of white fur. He was continually worried, a fussy little man.
“I’m in great distress! Your stepfather was to have been here to greet you, but he had been detained farthernorth, battling the heathens!” He made the sign of the cross dramatically over his chest.
“Ah, dear! What a shame,” Teela lied, her tone remorseful, her eyes sparkling.
“Not to worry. Some good friends of us all, Josh and Nancy Reynolds, who run a fine shop here, will greet you ashore, see to your provisions, and escort you inland to Cimarron, where a regular army escort will soon arrive to bring you to your father.”
“Thank you,” Teela told him. Sweet, blessed
Jesu!
She was to be on her own to first taste this wondrous new place! She would have fallen to her knees with gratitude were not so many men watching her. She smiled, and on the captain’s arm she descended the plank to set foot on Florida soil.
Perhaps the houses were little more than log shanties. Perhaps the fort was rough—and half the soldiers and civilians more heathen-looking than she imagined the savages were. It didn’t matter. She felt a thrill of exhilaration as she came ashore, and as they came down the dock to the dirt city street, she was greeted with a warm cry. “Miss Warren, Miss Warren!” A second later, she saw a pretty, plump woman with brown hair beneath a wide-brimmed hat approaching her, a huge, muscular man just beyond her. The woman flashed a smile to Captain Fitzhugh and offered her hand warmly to Teela. “Welcome, we’re delighted to have you here. We’ve heard so very much about you—”
She broke off with a little gasp as her husband elbowed her in the ribs. “Josh Reynolds, Miss Warren, and we do welcome you, and don’t you worry none, we don’t go judging people by Charleston standards.”
“Josh!” Nancy in turn elbowed him.
Teela was a bit startled to realize that gossip was strong enough to precede her to this wilderness, but she couldn’t help but smile since it had served to make her more interesting to this warm and giving pair.
“I’m very glad to be here,” she told them.
“Are you, then?” Josh queried, seeming surprised tolook at her and determine that it was the truth. “Many such a lady as yourself would scorn our poor city.”
“Ah, but then you’ve heard the gossip about me already, right?” Teela teased lightly in return.
“Oh, we don’t go listening to gossip!” Nancy began, but she broke off and started laughing. “Miss Warren, you may just do fine here in our wilderness.”
“Pure paradise!” Josh corrected her.
Twenty minutes later, Teela wasn’t quite sure how Josh had managed to find his life a paradise, here or elsewhere. He and Nancy ran a store that offered just about everything in the world. They supplied a number of the traders and sutlers who tramped into the interior of the state, though, as Josh told her, there was darned little left of any white civilization in the interior. Too many times the army had been forced to desert its various posts. If the Indians weren’t bad enough, there was always the fever, and the fever took away more men, women, and children than did war.
Despite the troubles, though, Josh and Nancy were thriving. The whole front section of their log dwelling was store. They sold food, medicines, tools, clothing, boots, liquor, and even farm animals. They sold coconuts and exotic wild bird feathers, mostly brought in by the Indians. If an object could be acquired at
“He’s a navy boy,” Buddy said sorrowfully.
“Some of them have use, and some of them don’t,” Trenton observed. “Though I admit, I myself am happier at the fort when we’ve the extra bodies of the marines assigned to duty there. It’s just that this particular navy man—”
“Miss Warren!” Captain Fitzhugh bellowed. She tried not to smile. Her watchdogs were right. He was a strangely mincing little man with a big belly, small, skinny legs and little feet, and a face full of white fur. He was continually worried, a fussy little man.
“I’m in great distress! Your stepfather was to have been here to greet you, but he had been detained farthernorth, battling the heathens!” He made the sign of the cross dramatically over his chest.
“Ah, dear! What a shame,” Teela lied, her tone remorseful, her eyes sparkling.
“Not to worry. Some good friends of us all, Josh and Nancy Reynolds, who run a fine shop here, will greet you ashore, see to your provisions, and escort you inland to Cimarron, where a regular army escort will soon arrive to bring you to your father.”
“Thank you,” Teela told him. Sweet, blessed
Jesu!
She was to be on her own to first taste this wondrous new place! She would have fallen to her knees with gratitude were not so many men watching her. She smiled, and on the captain’s arm she descended the plank to set foot on Florida soil.
Perhaps the houses were little more than log shanties. Perhaps the fort was rough—and half the soldiers and civilians more heathen-looking than she imagined the savages were. It didn’t matter. She felt a thrill of exhilaration as she came ashore, and as they came down the dock to the dirt city street, she was greeted with a warm cry. “Miss Warren, Miss Warren!” A second later, she saw a pretty, plump woman with brown hair beneath a wide-brimmed hat approaching her, a huge, muscular man just beyond her. The woman flashed a smile to Captain Fitzhugh and offered her hand warmly to Teela. “Welcome, we’re delighted to have you here. We’ve heard so very much about you—”
She broke off with a little gasp as her husband elbowed her in the ribs. “Josh Reynolds, Miss Warren, and we do welcome you, and don’t you worry none, we don’t go judging people by Charleston standards.”
“Josh!” Nancy in turn elbowed him.
Teela was a bit startled to realize that gossip was strong enough to precede her to this wilderness, but she couldn’t help but smile since it had served to make her more interesting to this warm and giving pair.
“I’m very glad to be here,” she told them.
“Are you, then?” Josh queried, seeming surprised tolook at her and determine that it was the truth. “Many such a lady as yourself would scorn our poor city.”
“Ah, but then you’ve heard the gossip about me already, right?” Teela teased lightly in return.
“Oh, we don’t go listening to gossip!” Nancy began, but she broke off and started laughing. “Miss Warren, you may just do fine here in our wilderness.”
“Pure paradise!” Josh corrected her.
Twenty minutes later, Teela wasn’t quite sure how Josh had managed to find his life a paradise, here or elsewhere. He and Nancy ran a store that offered just about everything in the world. They supplied a number of the traders and sutlers who tramped into the interior of the state, though, as Josh told her, there was darned little left of any white civilization in the interior. Too many times the army had been forced to desert its various posts. If the Indians weren’t bad enough, there was always the fever, and the fever took away more men, women, and children than did war.
Despite the troubles, though, Josh and Nancy were thriving. The whole front section of their log dwelling was store. They sold food, medicines, tools, clothing, boots, liquor, and even farm animals. They sold coconuts and exotic wild bird feathers, mostly brought in by the Indians. If an object could be acquired at
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