The After House (23 page)

“One flesh, one heart, one soul,” Sarah said, finishing the line. “It’s time for your adventures to end, Eli. It’s time for you to come home.”

Eli stood and took her hand, “Aye, Sarah mine. ’Tis time for me to meet our son and see my Charlotte. Did her teeth ever come in?” he asked with a smile.

Sarah nodded, as she held out her hand. The air became still, except for a section that grew hazy, then liquid. Eli stepped toward it without a backward glance, to unite his heart to its only mate, to the safety of his own afterhouse. The afterhouse with Sarah.

The room changed. Georgia looked blankly at them.

“It’s over. They left.” Georgia took a deep breath as she sank to her knees. “That was…wild.” She widened
her eyes. “I don’t want to sound corny, but I think I’ve been touched by an angel.”

“I don’t know.” Hugh walked over to help her stand. “You put on quite a one-woman show. Where’s the captain?”

“Home. He went home.”

“Will he come back?” Olivia asked.

“No. He’s where he’s supposed to be. That was…intense. Thanks for letting me in here. I’ve always wanted to sage this place, but Pat wouldn’t let me. Really, thank you. That was extraordinary.”

“I hope he found peace,” Remy said. “We kind of owe him.”

“Oh, he found peace and forgiveness. Well, I’ve gotta go. There’s a boat in the harbor they want me to investigate. It seems it keeps charting a strange course.”

Hugh held up his hand. “Thanks, can’t help you there. It’s out of my jurisdiction.”

Remy escorted her out, then returned to find Hugh alone. “Where’s Livie?”

“She’s writing a letter to Scott.”

Remy started after her.

“Stop, Rem. It was my idea,” said Hugh. “I wanted to be alone with you for a minute.”

He pulled her close to him and she felt something in the pocket of his pants. “Is that a gun, or are you just happy to see me?” she asked in her best Groucho Marx voice.

“I’m always happy to see you.” He kissed her deeply. “Consider this your engagement present.” He pulled out
the busk, handing it to her. “They say home is where the heart is. You are my heart. I think I’m home.”

She stared at the whalebone. The words united them. “And you expect me to wear it in my corset?”

“Over your heart,” he smiled.

“Forever and ever,” she responded, smiling back.

“That was lovely.” Marum drifted upward, relief showing in her face.

“It was a good idea to include Georgia. Your handling was nothing short of brilliant.”

“We work well together, Sten. You really are a great teacher.”

Sten lowered his head, accepting the compliment. “I have news,” he told her gravely.

Marum’s hand crept to her throat.

“Really, it’s nothing terrible, Marum. You’ve been promoted.”

“What?”

“Yes,” Sten said, opening his white wings wide. Stretching them to their full extension, he flapped them, rising. “You’ve been named a guardian. Congratulations.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Marum was shocked by the great honor. “I…like being with you,” she added softly.

“I will always be with you,” she heard him say as he vanished upward. “Go, Marum. Georgia is waiting to hear from you.”

Marum looked at the endless horizon, the sun on one side of the lapis-colored sea, the moon on the other. Boundless stars covered the heavens, and Marum smiled with happiness. Life was good.

The End

hope you enjoyed reading
The After House
as much as I enjoyed writing it. The town of Cold Spring Harbor was indeed an important whaling town, where the Jones brothers did run a successful fleet of ships. It became a sort of boomtown as the whaling trade took off. There is no record of a cholera outbreak on Long Island, but Manhattan suffered a major epidemic due to the incoming immigrants and the cities’ inability to keep up with rapid urban growth.

Hugh, Remy, Captain Eli, and, of course, Georgia and the rest of my characters are all figments of my imagination. While there is a Spring Street in Cold Spring Harbor, the house described in the book does not exist. The church described is loosely based on the church right in town, and it is now a museum. The whaling museum provided not only a wealth of information but also a charming afternoon for my family.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term afterhouse is used as one word to describe a haven on the stern of the ship for sailors to escape the elements. The After House became two words as their story continued on land.

There is a legend of a sperm whale that attacked a whaler, taking all hands down, sometime in the nineteenth century. They say Herman Melville used it as the inspiration for
Moby Dick
.