Page 58 of In Just a Year
“If not for the good man here, we might all be dead by now,” one of the sailors said, whose voice came from the direction of Ben’s feet.
“He sure saved our lives,” another voice said from near his head.
Ben’s insides heated. They were speaking about him for him to hear.
“When I go home to my wife and nine children, Thomas, I’ll tell them about the brave man who risked his own provisions to help us all.”
“And I’ll go home to my sisters, Connor. I’ll tell them the only reason they have a dowry now is because this generous man cured me. If I died this time around, Beth and Martha couldn’t marry well. And who’d look after our old mother then?”
Ben remained as still as he could while the sailors carried him, but he couldn’t stop himself from blinking. Apparently, tears could run down his cheeks even with his eyes firmly shut.
Soon enough, he felt the warming June air and heard the sound of seagulls combined with the city noise. London’s soot had a certain smell, and he felt invigorated. He was back, albeit hidden.
Once the men had carried Ben over the gangway, they set him down.
“I’m signing for this one personally.” Greg’s voice sounded faint in the fresh air, nearly drowned out by the noises around them.
Ben remained still.
“All corpses must be duly accounted for, Baron Stone. Port Authority rules—” An official said in a familiar Cockney slur.
“My good man, I’ll commend your diligence before the House of Lords. You have my gratitude for a job well done,” Greg said solemnly.
Ben suppressed a chuckle.
* * *
A few hours later…
Esther blinkedbut the view remained unchanged. All her siblings were dressed in elegant evening frocks even though it was only five o’clock. Rows of chairs filled with the Pearlers and the Klonimuses in all of their finery gave the room an air as though they’d gathered to be picked up, and yet nobody had come. That was how Esther felt, too.
She tugged at a petal of the peonies Eve had given her for her bridal bouquet. Pins held the veil to her hair, but her face was still free to give the groom the honor to accept her as a bride. The groom would be the one to cover her with the veil in an ancient tradition called thebedeckenceremony, as old-fashioned as it was precious. She wanted nothing more than for Ben to pull her veil down on her life as a girl and to be the one to reveal her later as his wife. Esther was ready. She’d been ready for Ben for a year. And it was supposed to be over now. The year had elapsed, the ship was expected early this morning, the wedding party had gathered hours earlier.
Tate stood with her under the chuppah, rifling through his leather-bound prayer book, his special one with the carved symbols on the front. It had been her grandfather’s and Tate only used it for rare occasions.
Hannah came to Esther’s side with little Izaac in her arms. “Are you quite certain he’ll be here soon?”
Tate cleared his throat and looked up from the prayer book.
Esther felt all eyes on her. “He said he’d marry me as soon as he came back. I’m ready, see?” She held her left hand with the ruby engagement ring up but her voice quivered. It had been a few hours … two? Three? Why was it harder to wait under the chuppah for a few hours than at home for a year?
Izaac tugged at the rouching on Esther’s shoulder. “Esti looks like the cake.”
Even the three-year-old still called her Esti. Would anyone ever see her as a grown-up? Was she making a fool of herself in front of her entire family?
“Klonimus!” a familiar voice thundered through the hall. “Klonimus!” The Bailiff.
“Mister Nagy, I already told you that you’re mistaken.” A disheveled Baron Gregory Stone stormed in alongside the Bailiff and everyone rose from their seats.
Esther’s heart stopped. If Stone was here, where was Ben?
Pavel walked across to them, signaling to Gustav behind his back to stay back. “Mister Nagy, what brings you here today?”
The bailiff surveyed the room and his eyes stopped when he saw Esther. “Who’s she waiting for?”
“My son, Benjamin,” Pavel said in a calm voice. He spoke like a King even in the face of an ogre who risked to swallow them all whole. Esther admired him for that.
“Why’s the Jew boy late for his wedding then?” the Bailiff asked in a scruffy tone, squinting at Esther. “I’ve seen her before. She’s the maid who burned my paper.”
