Waste Time with Me, My Dear Duke

Relief

Still waiting…

Josephine’s visit was saddening, but for Teal, it was also a much-needed break from routine.

The gathering allowed her family to make very real plans for the possible future, and Paul, one of the house guards, entered into negotiations with Oliver in regard to ‘Winter Lace’ samples.

The hope was that, as a king appointed instructor, Oliver would be able to advertise in his hometown, and out of his ‘commission,’ he would aid Teal and her mother, at least, that was what they hoped.

However, because of laws meant to protect the markets integrity, Oliver was barred from making direct sales, as he was not a member of either a craft or trades guild.

"You are very good with children," Josephine said, smiling as her sister quietly tended to James's soiled nappy.

Josephine hoped that by continuously praising her sister in the area of childcare, she would encourage the woman to at least consider marriage, but her words only earned her the opposite reaction.

“Then it is settled. When you and Oliver have a second child, I shall act as your nanny.”

“And leave mother behind?”

“No Josephine. I would never leave our mother behind, but a birth would be the perfect opportunity to make a judgment-free exit from this home.” Josephine had not considered that aspect of a social decline.

If, or rather when, her mother and sister were unable to maintain the manor, or her father was officially declared dead, their scavenging uncle would surely seize the land, and it would likely become a spectacle for an audience.

Once finished tending to the child, they returned the boy to his grandmother and went to continue repacking the hired carriage for Josephine and Oliver's departure.

"Are you sure that you won't accept reimbursement for your travels?" Teal asked, trying to lessen the blow to her sister’s family.

Josephine had denied her sister's generosity several times since morning, but it was obvious that Teal was already worried about becoming a possible burden.

"I have already given you my answer, and so has my husband. You promised to be the one to visit next, so please save that money to do so." Teal fell silent, but not because she was lost for words.

She did not want to believe her ears, but she was certain that someone was shouting outside of the manor gates.

Unable to ignore the sound, Teal scurried toward the increasingly louder voice. There, she spotted a young boy running towards the opening, and now she was certain that she had not misheard.

"The Trade Guild ship has reached land!" The boy shouted in excitement, knowing that being the first to get the Callahan family the news was going to fetch him at least a penny.

"Lead the way," Teal said to the boy, ignoring everything else to reach for the child's hand.

Oliver was speechless as he watched his sister-in-law take off with the young lad without even waiting for a proper escort.

It became apparent to him in that moment, that Teal was no longer a sheltered young lady of nobility, but a fearless and capable adult, ready to do whatever necessary for the sake of her family.

“Paul, quickly. Follow her.” The guard had been inside helping to carry out the things that needed to be loaded, but as soon as he saw the young Lady Teal running with an unknown child, he dropped everything to follow the girl.

______________________________

Teal did not understand how she felt.

She once believed that she was fine; every day that passed, she told herself that she could manage, but now that her father’s ship had been spotted, she instantly felt the weight of it all.

“Lady Teal! It’s not safe. We don’t know if that waif can be trusted.” Teal could hear Paul, but she was unable to stop her feet from moving.

She only slowed when she heard the man huffing beside her, reminding her that while he was skilled with a sword, he was no longer as fit as he once was, which is why he suggested for his son to join him before Teal’s father left.

Teal, however, hadn’t an indication the pair were father and son until she overheard Gwen berating Benard for leading a young woman on.

She remembered the conversation angering her because it took place only days after Sir Nelson's marriage announcement, so she believed that Gwen was berating the man out of pity for her.

It was not until the man responded with a very meek sounding, ‘yes mother,’ that Teal realized how truly little she knew about the household help, which was why she decided that, while learning from those who had cared for her family for years, she would also learn about them.

Her efforts did not stop the help from leaving, but after learning how dedicated to family servants could be, she had a new appreciation for those who worked under her, and if her father had truly returned, she would seek to re-employ those who were willing to return.

“Lady Teal, this is extremely dangerous.” Teal had never ventured far from her family’s manor by foot, and she was intimidated by the stares she received from strangers, but arriving at the port was all that consumed her mind. “I’m not properly armed to protect you.” Teal shook her head, not wanting fear to curb her momentum. “There will be a large crowd at the port.” Teal knew of this.

When her father originally set sail, he did not allow them to see him off because he feared that they may be targeted after his departure.

This time, however, the only thing Teal and her mother had left worth stealing was their dignity, and, with rumors of a possible ‘family ailment’ beginning to swirl, it was unlikely that anyone who valued their lives would risk it.

Still, Teal would not stop. She moved as fast as her feet could carry her without coming to a jog, but Paul would not allow her to go any further when a crowd threatened to separate them.

“I must get to the front,” Teal sobbed, unsure why her tears were falling so freely.

She had not allowed herself to cry since the night her mother confessed her hidden feelings, but now, she had no control over her tears.

“My Lady, I sincerely wish that I could understand how you must feel, but this environment is no place for a lass as young as yourself.” At eighteen, Teal was considered a woman among the gentry, but to commoners, she was still seen as a juvenile.

“Please Paul. I cannot…-” Teal fell silent when she noticed the coachman Oliver hired shouting for people blocking the roads to move. “The carriage,” she exclaimed, pulling her child guide along with her as she ran in its direction.

“Teal!” Emily shouted, pointing to the girl within the crowd.

Paul and Oliver worked together to pull her through the dense crowd of people heading to the port, and not seeing room for the child who guided her, Teal made the boy promise to return to her manor to be rewarded for his diligence.

She imagined that the child used much of his strength to be the first to bring the news to her family, so whether or not the news proved positive for the Callahan family, Teal intended to do what was expected.

An extra penny or two was not yet outside of her budget, even if her father was truly gone.

Frustratingly, the carriage could only crawl through the crowd, but eventually, the coachman’s threats of trampling over people gave way to an opening that allowed the horses to at least trot.

By the time they arrived, the ship had already made it to port, and Teal could see that several of the crewmen were already being off loaded.

The excitement of it caused the crowd to surge, slowing the carriage again.

Unable to wait any longer, Teal attempted to leave the cart, but her impatience was shared by her mother, who beat her to it.

Because she was carrying her son, Josephine could not follow her mother and sister, but the coachman’s theatrical antics with a whip was working to clear a path.

Emily and Teal held hands tightly as they pushed through the excited crowd, drawing the ire of many who were roughly shoved by the pair.

Finally in front, the women were confused about what they should do, but Paul’s booming voice began to ring out from behind them, giving them the confidence to move again.

“Out of the way. This is the wife of Phillip Callahan.” Those words did more than clear the way, they also gave way to the murmurings of those around them.

“Dead,” they said, among other things, but until someone from the ship confirmed those words, neither Teal nor Emily would listen.

Man after man exited the ship while the women just watched on in silence, only just realizing that their predicament was shared by the other wives and daughters of the men on the expedition.

Teal hadn’t considered it before, but even among the peasants and working class, the loss of the head of the family could be devastating, and she only hoped that those waiting would receive good news.

The first set of reunions were bittersweet for Emily and Teal, and once the captain was reunited with his family, the women felt that they could die right where they stood.

It was only the arrival of Josephine and Oliver that stopped Emily from fainting from the sheer amount of anxiety she felt, but just as the pity-filled whispers were at their loudest, a familiar and comforting voice called out from behind a group of the reunited.

“EMILY!” The man said, and although he was covered in grime, she knew exactly who the person was.

Uncaring of her social standing, Emily sprang forward and embraced the man she had only just realized she loved.

It wasn’t the fact that he took care of her, or the fact that without him she was nothing, but it was in the book she read.

If she had taken the time to simply sit through the extremely dull read when they were first married, she would have realized that the man was trying to get her to better understand his perspective.

When he first refused her hand, it was not because she was not the woman he wanted to marry; it was because he believed that she deserved better, a realization that made Emily re-question her entire marriage.

Every sweet gesture made was not in guilt, but it was made out of, dare she admit it to herself, love.

Emily could now confidently declare that she too loved her husband, for better or for worse, so she cared not about his haggard appearance.

“Emily, my dear wife. We are in public.” It was only then that the woman realized that she was kissing her husband on the mouth, but social ‘shame’ would no longer drive her to keep her husband at an arm's length. “Please dear; I haven’t properly washed in weeks.”

“Do you know how long I have waited for this moment?” From the beginning of their relationship, Phillip longed to hear such enduring words from his wife, but after more than twenty years, the most he had ever gotten from her were coy responses to his declarations of affection.

“Perhaps I should go missing at sea more often.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Emily said through her sobs, chuckling at her husband's horrible jest.

He had always been the more playful one among them, and she was relieved to find that his trial had not changed him.

“Did you come alone?” Phillip was eager to see his daughter. “Teal must live with her husband now.” Emily did not want to have that conversation in public, so instead of explaining, she turned to point to where Teal was respectfully waiting.