me in good faith. You yourself pointedly convinced me I had no alternative for a guide.”
Her eyes lost some of their intensity. He continued, “You were happy enough with me in the beginning when you found my funds useful, so I’ll ignore the judgment on my character for now. You wouldn’t be the first Christian woman to prove herself quick to break her commitment to me when things didn’t go the way she wanted.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand again, silencing her. “The way I see it, we have two choices. The first is for you to fulfill your obligation to me as promised in the manner I specify so that my needs, the needs of the man paying your salary, are met.”
Worry etched her face. He felt somewhat the cad for having placed it there, but the stakes were too high. If she was going to balk at guiding him where he needed to go, he had to know now. She was already plan B. He had no plan C.
She broke the silence. “And the second choice?”
“Obviously I cannot force you to honor your commitment. But if you refuse to do so, then I must insist we cable your bishop to return my funds by wiring them to Harper so I can attempt to replace you.” If he was a praying man, now would be the time. Failure stared at him through the troubled brown eyes of his only known hope. He held his breath and waited for her answer.
Chapter Three
Anna retreated to her cabin after begging time to think and pray about the decision in front of her. She opened the door to find Mrs. Dowdy up and dressed. The small trunk with her belongings sat partially packed on the floor. Maybe she hadn’t been to breakfast yet and Anna would get a few moments alone. Fortunately no one else had been assigned to the third berth in the tiny space.
“Anna, there you are.”
She forced a smile. “I was up on deck.” She raised her Bible.
“Oh, your devotions. I was putting mine off until I got my trunk ready for the steward to move back to my cabin with Mr. Dowdy.”
Anna took a slow breath. Mrs. Dowdy didn’t leave the ship until it reached Harper. There would be no way to keep this turn of events private. “About that. I may be continuing on to Harper, as well.”
Mrs. Dowdy paused midfold of the skirt in her hand. “Oh. Will you still need a chaperone? Or is Mr. Hastings leaving us at Garraway?”
Anna recounted her dilemma and braced herself for her chaperone’s poor opinions of Stewart.
“You are in a difficult position indeed, Anna. And I find I may have misjudged Mr. Hastings. Any man who would go to such great lengths for his mother is more honorable than I had believed. I would hope to find such devotion in my own grown sons if I were in need.” Mrs. Dowdy placed the skirt on top of her trunk and sat on her berth. “On the one hand, you might be walking away from the only chance to save your young convert and prolong your own time in the village. Ask yourself this. If you had understood the itinerary from the beginning, would you still have agreed?”
Anna sat on the opposite berth, ducking her head slightly because of the bunk above her. She was shocked to hear counsel instead of complaint. She thought hard. “I don’t know. As the bishop pointed out, I had no other immediate provisions. He was convinced this was God’s plan. Even had I known, I still would have faced the problem of returning to the village before the Poro school began.”
Mrs. Dowdy leaned forward. “I’ve been in this country a lot longer than you, dear child. We still have at least four more weeks of rain. And at least a couple more after that before the rice is dry enough to harvest. I’ve traveled up the Cavalla several times with my husband to look at property when we first arrived in Liberia. Once we went as far as the rapids, and it took approximately ten days. Of course, we weren’t loaded down with much in the way of supplies. Still, it seems to me if you manage your land travel, set a steady pace for yourself and your porters, you could both accomplish your goals.”
Hope flickered inside her. “Perhaps so, as long as we didn’t encounter any major setbacks. But Mr. Hastings has declared his need for time to prospect along the way once we get within the mining concession area. I considered explaining about Taba, but how can I burden Mr. Hastings with choosing between his own mother and a boy he’s never met?”
“Exactly so. And it is unnecessary, my dear. Once you get within reasonable traveling distance of the village, you could journey ahead if needed. Leave him some competent help so he can follow later. That will even give you time before he arrives to talk to the chief about Mr. Hastings’s business in his territory. In fact, it is what Mr. Dowdy likes to call ‘a selling point’ for your need to arrive ahead of Mr. Hastings. If Nana Mala remains hostile, then Mr. Hastings will not be in danger’s reach. You can send word so he will remain safe.”
Anna’s heart flooded with relief. This wasn’t the disaster she feared. Perhaps if she hadn’t spent a lifetime being subject to the impulsive, poorly conceived plans of her father, she might have been able to see this for herself. “The other point to consider is that Mr. Hastings’s concern for his mother will drive him to continue on without me. And it’s clear how little he really understands of this country.”
Mrs. Dowdy reached over and patted Anna’s hand. “Exactly, my dear. Most men need a strong guiding hand. Why, I can’t imagine how Mr. Dowdy would manage here without me. His dealings would be an epic failure without my input.”
Anna resisted the impulse to laugh. Poor Mr. Dowdy might wear the literal trousers, but not in any way that mattered. Stewart did need her experience, but she couldn’t picture him ever allowing a wife of his to dictate his life down to the smallest detail the way Mr. Dowdy permitted. It was as unthinkable as Anna imitating her mother’s cowed obedience in all things. Were all marriages doomed to such an imbalance of power from one side or another? What would it be like to marry a man who honored and respected God as well as his wife?
Mrs. Dowdy stood and smoothed her skirts. “I can see you’re thinking hard on this. I’m going to go to breakfast and give you time alone to pray and seek God’s Will. All the good counsel in the world can’t take the place of God’s peace and direction. I’ll have a plate fixed for you.”
Anna gave her a grateful smile. When the cabin door closed, she slid off the bunk and knelt on the floor.
Lord, I need Your guidance. Your peace that this is the right decision. You’ve called me to Nana Mala’s village. You opened the heart of Taba to your salvation. You alone hold Taba’s life in your hands. I know You can provide for all our needs, so if this is the way, then I don’t want to miss Your Will. Not for myself, or Taba, or this hurting man you’ve placed in my path. Please, show me what to do here. I choose to stand on Your will, not my reasoning or my fears.
A deep peace settled over her. She needed to fully embrace God’s provision and trust Him. And surely by trusting God in His provision, He would give her the strength not to be drawn in by a few frivolous romantic feelings.
Now to convince Stewart to keep her on. He’d given her the choice, but clearly he wouldn’t hesitate to dismiss her and ask for his money back. She prayed she still had a chance.
* * *
Stewart stood on deck after breakfast and listened with growing consternation as Wilson regaled him with the difficulties to expect in his travels.
Wilson said, “The translators, and mind you they speak Liberian English or a pidgin, are usually already hired by the traders, such as myself. They’ve no desire to go on an interior expedition, and even if they did, most were raised in or near the coastal towns. They won’t be experienced enough with interior tribes to be of much value.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Depends. Where exactly are you headed?”
“Eventually I’ll base near the Putu Mountain range.”
Wilson took on the look of someone about to reason with an asylum patient. “Cannibal territory?”
“Yeah,