In Sweet Auralie, the last book of the Sweet Lenora series, Lenora wants to uncover the truth about her father's death ten years earlier. She goes to visit Mr. Eldridge, who worked as a master carpenter in the shipyard owned by her family. He's an old man now, long retired.
The Eldridges lived in a small cottage near the harbor, weathered and a bit shabby; a few of the clapboards had come loose and needed to be nailed down. The garden, while still lush and green
on this September morn, was overrun. Still, the place had a welcoming feel, perhaps because it reminded me of our little cottage in San Francisco as it had been when Anton and I first moved into it.
Mr. Eldridge answered my knock. It had been ten years since I had seen him last, and these years showed upon his face, which was more leathery than I remembered it and his hair, which was flecked
in grey. Still, his eyes were warm and there was a sparkle in them.
“Miss Lenora, well, aren’t you a sight. You’ve grown into a fine lady, looks like to me.”
I felt my cheeks heat at the compliment, as though I were still a child of five. “It is good to see you, Mr. Eldridge.”
“I remember you as a mere spit of a girl, running about the shipyard.”
“Getting underfoot, I would imagine.”
“Nay. You were always a curious one, and smart as a whip.”
Mr. Eldridge ushered me into the parlor, where a tabby cat lay curled on one of the two chairs set by the unlit fireplace. He shooed the cat and offered me the chair. “Where’s my manners? I have tea. I’ll go fetch it.”
The cat eyed me suspiciously as her owner went to the kitchen and returned a few moments later balancing two cups in his hands. “Oh, me. I forgot to ask. Cream and sugar?”
“Black is fine.”
“I do apologize. I’m a bit discombobulated of late,” he said, handing me the cup with the slow sort of care usually reserved for a raw egg. “I’ve been a poor housekeep since my Mary passed on.”
I had a vague memory of Mrs. Eldridge, a round and jolly woman. As a child, I imagined I would have liked her for a grandmother. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Mr. Eldridge brushed the air as he sat in the chair opposite, the cat winding about his shins. “ ‘Tis five years, now. I’ve gotten used to being alone, though not a day goes by I don’t think of her. The realities of living to ripe old age.” He took a sip of his tea and looked at me. “If I may be so bold, I don’t imagine you came by to reminisce with an old man.”
His directness startled me and I took a sip of my tea to cover it. “Actually, I look to reopen the shipyard. I remember how great a carpenter you were, I thought perhaps—”.
He waved his hand again to stop my pretty speech. “I hear tell the shipyard is being sold, now that John Brewer has died.”
“The shipyard belongs, at least in part, to me, Mr. Eldridge. The primary reason I have come back to Salem is to reclaim it. I hope to build another super clipper, like Sweet Lenora, only sleeker along the line of her hull and deeper, so she can cut the waves all the faster.”
“Ah, Sweet Lenora, now there was a ship.” He smiled and gazed out the window as though she were still at anchor in the harbor. “We spent a deal of time fashioning her. Mr. Brewer wanted the prow pointed sharp as knife. She was a beauty.” He looked again to me. “I heard she was fired. Pity to destroy such a ship.”
“Yes, it was a shame. I watched her burn. ‘Twas a sad day. It is why I am resolved to build another.”
“You will build her? No offense, Miss Lenora, but you—”
“Are but a woman?” I finished for him. “I was not underfoot for naught, sir. You’ll recall I spent many a day by your side. I redrafted Lenora’s blueprint. I kept her dimensions in my head.” I smiled at him. “And I even went so far as to marry her captain.”
He nodded. “Ah, yes. The captain. He has gained a reputation.” From the way he said it, I knew Anton aroused in him an unfounded suspicion. No doubt rumors had flown about the town. I would do my best to dispel them, here and now
.
“My husband is the finest, most honorable man I have ever known, Mr. Eldridge, and I have been lucky to have the acquaintance of many a fine man, so I believe myself to be a fair judge.”
Mr. Eldridge cleared his throat. “Yes, I imagine you would think so. Would you care for more tea?”
I was not so quick to let it go. “You seem to have more to say upon the subject.”
He examined his cup for a moment. “’Tis nothing, Miss Lenora. You remind me of your father, is all. He was a fine man, I would not have stayed in his employ for so many years were it otherwise. He always believed the best of everyone and, in some ways, this can be a fault, for it blinded him to...” He stopped and took a deep swallow of tea.
“I know of my uncle’s business, Mr. Eldridge. I am no longer a child, I understand the world better than you may imagine.”
“Then I advise you be careful, Miss Lenora. Your father, and even your uncle, got themselves tangled into a net. I fear it drowned them both.”
“How do you mean, drowned them?”
Mr. Eldridge shook his head. “I have spoken out of turn. It is a bad habit of the old, they forget their place.”
And still, I would not let it go. “You must tell me. I swear on my life, on my child’s life, I would not use your words against you.”
He swallowed deep, as though to gain his courage. “I should not spread rumor, and particularly not of something that happened so long ago. It’s been ten years, has it not?”
A feeling of dread crept over me. “Since my father’s accident.”
“’Twas no accident,” he whispered. “I’m not the only one around these parts who believe it weren’t.”
on this September morn, was overrun. Still, the place had a welcoming feel, perhaps because it reminded me of our little cottage in San Francisco as it had been when Anton and I first moved into it.
Mr. Eldridge answered my knock. It had been ten years since I had seen him last, and these years showed upon his face, which was more leathery than I remembered it and his hair, which was flecked
in grey. Still, his eyes were warm and there was a sparkle in them.
“Miss Lenora, well, aren’t you a sight. You’ve grown into a fine lady, looks like to me.”
I felt my cheeks heat at the compliment, as though I were still a child of five. “It is good to see you, Mr. Eldridge.”
“I remember you as a mere spit of a girl, running about the shipyard.”
“Getting underfoot, I would imagine.”
“Nay. You were always a curious one, and smart as a whip.”
Mr. Eldridge ushered me into the parlor, where a tabby cat lay curled on one of the two chairs set by the unlit fireplace. He shooed the cat and offered me the chair. “Where’s my manners? I have tea. I’ll go fetch it.”
The cat eyed me suspiciously as her owner went to the kitchen and returned a few moments later balancing two cups in his hands. “Oh, me. I forgot to ask. Cream and sugar?”
“Black is fine.”
“I do apologize. I’m a bit discombobulated of late,” he said, handing me the cup with the slow sort of care usually reserved for a raw egg. “I’ve been a poor housekeep since my Mary passed on.”
I had a vague memory of Mrs. Eldridge, a round and jolly woman. As a child, I imagined I would have liked her for a grandmother. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Mr. Eldridge brushed the air as he sat in the chair opposite, the cat winding about his shins. “ ‘Tis five years, now. I’ve gotten used to being alone, though not a day goes by I don’t think of her. The realities of living to ripe old age.” He took a sip of his tea and looked at me. “If I may be so bold, I don’t imagine you came by to reminisce with an old man.”
His directness startled me and I took a sip of my tea to cover it. “Actually, I look to reopen the shipyard. I remember how great a carpenter you were, I thought perhaps—”.
He waved his hand again to stop my pretty speech. “I hear tell the shipyard is being sold, now that John Brewer has died.”
“The shipyard belongs, at least in part, to me, Mr. Eldridge. The primary reason I have come back to Salem is to reclaim it. I hope to build another super clipper, like Sweet Lenora, only sleeker along the line of her hull and deeper, so she can cut the waves all the faster.”
“Ah, Sweet Lenora, now there was a ship.” He smiled and gazed out the window as though she were still at anchor in the harbor. “We spent a deal of time fashioning her. Mr. Brewer wanted the prow pointed sharp as knife. She was a beauty.” He looked again to me. “I heard she was fired. Pity to destroy such a ship.”
“Yes, it was a shame. I watched her burn. ‘Twas a sad day. It is why I am resolved to build another.”
“You will build her? No offense, Miss Lenora, but you—”
“Are but a woman?” I finished for him. “I was not underfoot for naught, sir. You’ll recall I spent many a day by your side. I redrafted Lenora’s blueprint. I kept her dimensions in my head.” I smiled at him. “And I even went so far as to marry her captain.”
He nodded. “Ah, yes. The captain. He has gained a reputation.” From the way he said it, I knew Anton aroused in him an unfounded suspicion. No doubt rumors had flown about the town. I would do my best to dispel them, here and now
.
“My husband is the finest, most honorable man I have ever known, Mr. Eldridge, and I have been lucky to have the acquaintance of many a fine man, so I believe myself to be a fair judge.”
Mr. Eldridge cleared his throat. “Yes, I imagine you would think so. Would you care for more tea?”
I was not so quick to let it go. “You seem to have more to say upon the subject.”
He examined his cup for a moment. “’Tis nothing, Miss Lenora. You remind me of your father, is all. He was a fine man, I would not have stayed in his employ for so many years were it otherwise. He always believed the best of everyone and, in some ways, this can be a fault, for it blinded him to...” He stopped and took a deep swallow of tea.
“I know of my uncle’s business, Mr. Eldridge. I am no longer a child, I understand the world better than you may imagine.”
“Then I advise you be careful, Miss Lenora. Your father, and even your uncle, got themselves tangled into a net. I fear it drowned them both.”
“How do you mean, drowned them?”
Mr. Eldridge shook his head. “I have spoken out of turn. It is a bad habit of the old, they forget their place.”
And still, I would not let it go. “You must tell me. I swear on my life, on my child’s life, I would not use your words against you.”
He swallowed deep, as though to gain his courage. “I should not spread rumor, and particularly not of something that happened so long ago. It’s been ten years, has it not?”
A feeling of dread crept over me. “Since my father’s accident.”
“’Twas no accident,” he whispered. “I’m not the only one around these parts who believe it weren’t.”
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