Chapter 79: Old Friends Part 3
Cal was a child again going in to wake her mother, only to find her dead. Now as then, she screamed and screamed until Beth and Hans dragged her away so they could take care of her father.
***
The church was filled with people. Pentam and Crysabel sat on one side of Cal, Beth and Hans on the other. She'd said her final goodbye and had no intentions of getting up until it was time to take him to the cemetery. Distinguished scientists, one after another, droned on about the contributions Sir Shillingsworth had made to science.
Cal fought back tears. None of them knew him, not really. Impulsively, Cal stood and walked to the lectern where Dr. Franklyn was speaking. He stopped in mid-sentence and ushered her into place, then stood beside her.
She stared out at the crowd, so many people. What did she think she could say to them?
"He was my father." Once the words started, she couldn't stop or control them. "He adored my mother. Whenever he got home from a trip the two of them would grin and bump into each other for days. I was too young to understand but never forgave himself for not being there when she died. Soon afterwards, I started drawing for him. We talked about it just the other day, he had the first sketch I ever did on one of his expeditions," she brushed away her tears. "On his last voyage, I got to go along and see what he did. I got to know him better on that one trip than I ever did before. He stayed home after that, saying he was writing his memoirs. From then on, I became the one who travelled." Cal looked down at Dr. Franklyn's careful notes, and her control shattered. Tears ran down her face. "I thought I'd have more time with him."
Dr. Franklyn helped her back to her seat where Crysabel put her arms around Cal's shoulders as they both sobbed.
The service wrapped up quickly and it was time to go to the cemetery. Cal walked with Pentam and Hans supporting her from either side.
While the service felt like it had taken forever, the graveside prayers were over too soon. Cal didn't want to leave. People on the fringes of the crowd wandered away, but many stayed to support her.
"Goodbye, Father. At least you and Mother are together again. You can tell her all about our adventure. Thank you."
"It is so sad you didn't have more time with the old man." Lord Sifton stood to one side, his face blank of emotion. "But at least he was spared the embarrassment of his daughter losing her command."
Pentam stepped forward but Cal beat him to it.
"You snivelling coward. What are you proving by sneering at a grieving daughter? I talked to the Naval Academy about my command, and the only thing they were concerned about was the fact I stopped to rescue you. If I was the hopeless case you'd like people to believe I am, you would be dead and gone in Hell with not one person sorrier for it. Maybe that's why you aren't bragging about staring the Gates in the eye and spitting because it would force you to admit this ship captain has more decency and courage than someone like you could ever aspire to!"
Lord Sifton's lips curled when Cal started speaking, but they thinned as his face paled. Her father's dead eyes had held more warmth than the glare Sifton gave her. He opened his mouth, but several men stepped in front of him and not very gently hauled him away.
"Naval officers, come to pay their respects." Commander McAllen kept his face amiable, but Cal saw the fire burning in his eyes. "They don't take kindly to folks harassing grieving women. But he's a bad person to have as an enemy."
"So am I," Cal said.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
