Lissa could not believe her father had agreed to allowing her to go on the trip, in fact he had told her she should spend two nights, and come back early the second morning.

When after riding almost the whole day they arrived at the river about fifteen miles above Rivers Edge or perhaps more.

"Oh my, a ship!" Lisa said

"Yes she is my fathers, her name is the Blue Rose," Rafeal said.

"She is so beautiful," Lissa said, she had never known anyone besides maybe Oly Swensen who owned a whole ship.

"It's the only woman besides my mother that my dad ever loved, even though he said at a time he could have loved Octavia, but her heart belonged to your father."

He boarded the ship and exchanged greetings with Fred, a man his father had hired to oversee the new crew as well as the repairs to the ship.

"How is it coming?" Rafeal asked.

"Good we should be ready to sail on the next high tide, thats in a week," the man said.

"Can I go up in the crows nest I always wanted to!" Lissa cried, and Rafeal nodded to the man and smiling he gave a upward motion to Lissa.

He watched her climb as he talked to the man about the ships damage and the modifications he wanted to make to the ship, to allow horses to be loaded and unloaded on the ship.

Lissa felt so free, not since she had been a girl and had ran off to live at then inn with her daddy for a while had she felt so free.

Rafeal was working the wheel so the men who were repairing the ship

"Wow you can see to Rivers Edge from there," Lissa giggled, as she came down.

"What happened to your ship?" Lissa asked.

"We hit a bad storm, and our crew abandoned ship, but my father knew we could make it to land and we did." Rafeal said, he loved the way she looked right now.

"I love this ship!" Lissa said smiling, as she envisioned going on moonlight sails with Rafeal, and sighed romantically.

"I love you," Rafeal said, and he knew she would go with him.

"Oh Rafeal, I love you too, I know I will never love anyone as much as you." Lissa said smiling, he was so handsome he took her breath away.

"Wait until you see what I am making to bring horses on board, I brought you here so you would understand why I am going to have to be gone a bit from town.

"Taking horses on board, that would be great!" Lissa said feeling if she could just fall into his arms, she thought that would be the best of all worlds a ship that carried horses.

They kissed and went down to move the horses onto grass for the night.

She could not believe she was going to spend the night with him on his wonderful ship, she could see him as the captain, her as the first mate, their children, horses, and dogs all sailing around delivering goods at the ports. It was a wonderful fantasy.

She thought it was so romantic to be married on a ship, suddenly she didn't want to do the double wedding Delilah wanted, she wanted to get married on a ship with the sea wind in her hair.

Jamie Warwick looked at the men across the table from him, and looked at Lewis wondering where George was.

"What would you gentlemen like," Lewis said glancing at Ferrin with lowered lashes but otherwise he looked rather bored, like a general came to Amberly every day.

"I will have wine," Ferrin said, after the general ordered ale, and Jamie and Seth ordered apple cider.

"So Warwick, Ferrin tells me that you can talk savage," General Harding said looking down his nose at Jamie and Seth.

"I can manage a bit of their language," Jamie said wondering why he was here.

"Well we are having a problem in some farms outside Arcadia, no real harm has been done but those red men are terrorizing some of the people there." General Harding said.

Jamie didn't like him he didn't think.

"We thought you should go out there as my deputy," Seth said, looking a bit upset about something.

"Yes, Ferrin says these savages respect you and that they have never been any trouble as long as settlers are kept free of their area." the General said.

Ferrin looked as if he was going to have a nervous attack.

"Have your man join us, your servant can fetch drinks if more are needed." General ordered seeing David walk through with some sheets his mother had washed.

Jamie wanted to say David was not his servant but the son of the man who did business out of his stable, but something about Lewis and Ferrins nervous glances made him decide not.

"Well I will go talk to their chief and see what can be done," Jamie said.

"I have a unit at the fort if you feel the need for some saber rattling," General said.

"No general that will not be needed we have a treaty with these indians," Seth sighed, thinking this idiot would land them in war with the people that were allies if they were not careful.

"Yes I will go tomorrow and see what can be done." Jamie said, thinking he would ride to the trading post and talk to Dupree, then go see Quentin.

Jamie noticed how quiet Lewis was he usually had something to say about anything, but he and Ferrin were both quiet.

"You know that innkeeper that works for Warwick looks familiar, what is his last name?" the general asked as he and Seth walked to the door.

"Landers," Seth said.

"Oh it's not him . . ." General Harding said, and the door cut off what else

Lewis sighed.

Jamie wanted to ask but he decided it was better that he didn't know.

The next day Jamie rode out to the trading post, no one was there so he rode on to the village.

"Father," Quentin said a bit shocked as his father arrived at his lodge.

"Hello son, how are you and my grandchildren doing?" Jamie said looking at the toddler and boy Jayrun who was really his son, but being raised as Quentins son.

Jayrun looked curiously at the white man in the blue coat.

"We are good, what is wrong father?" Quentin asked, "Delilah running around with the wrong young man?"

"No in fact she has found the man of her dreams and they are talking of wedding in the spring, I was wondering if you would come. Also Maylissa is concidering a double wedding with the son of George the man who helped you come into the world." Jamie said.

"I don't remember him, but I remember you and mother speaking of him," Quentin said. "Lissa in love last time I saw her she was in braids and riding horses I wouldn't have tried at her age."

"My children are growing up," Jamie sighed looking at Jayrun who was sneaking glances at the strange white man his father called father.

"I know grandfather, look at little Keyan, he will be two soon," Quentin said looking at his toddler son.

Jamie smiled, and said, "He is very handsome like his father.

"So father what is wrong if my sisters are doing well, and my younger siblings are fine," Quentin said.

Jamie explained the problem and Quentin was puzzled, no one from his village ever ventured up there, so they went to Saban.

Saban agreed it was not them, but it could be Bevens village, and if it was he would take some of the men and go pay them a visit and let Dupree know what could be done.He would try to handle it alone.

Saban thought that he could make Beven reign in his young men otherwise there would be a battle between their tribes, he did not want that, but better to battle them and drive them off then to fight the white men.

Jamie thanked them and headed back to Amberly, wishing for the hundredth time that Quentin had fallen in love with a girl from Amberly. It was going to be hard enough having Delilah in Rivers End. He hoped that Lissa would be living in Amberly.

A couple of nights later Delilah was traveling by coach home, usually the coach ran earlier but they were bringing in gold for the new bank Amberly had started. Delilah was alone on the ride, she was glad that Mr. Parnum was with the new driver.

"It is a beautiful night for a carriage ride is it not Miss Warwick?" Parnum asked.

"It certianly is, too hot to ride during the day I am so happy Oly agreed you could bring me." Delilah said

Suddenly two hooded men on horses were before them on the rode, and the man driving hesitated. "Stand and Deliver!" the one shouted.

"Oh Lord we are being robbed," Parnum cried.

The driver cursed, the one man was holding the reigns in a way he had no control.

"Stand and deliver," The man said raising his cutlass.

"Throw down that box," The man holding the horses and a pistol.

"Look we will give you this box we want no trouble." Parnum said.

"Come over hear and open it," the horseman demanded.

"I don't have a key," Parnum cried.

"You have the box now let us go," the driver said.

"Get something pry it open," the hold up man with the gun said.

Parnum did as they asked, more afraid they would harm Delilah then for himself.

"Now miss step down from the coach, you too driver." the man with the gun said.

"No leave the lady be," Parnum said standing in front of Delilah protectively.

"We should do as they say the driver said, and he got down.

Parnum was getting something from the coach, at the same time Delilah thought the man taking the gold from the box was familiar some how, where had she seen him.

The man that had been holding the horses shot Parnum, and then the two hooded men on horses disappeared into the woods.

Delilah screamed.

"Oh my God, Mr. Parnum," Delilah screamed, knowing he had died protecting her.

"He was going for the musket," the new driver said.

"Quick do something," she yelled.

The man ran for the first aid kit Parnum carried.

Delilah knelt beside him and thought she saw him breath, she then started to go see what was taking the man so long, when Parnum started to get up.

"Are they gone?" Parnum asked.

"Yes, how bad are you?" Delilah sobbed.

"Not bad enough a pretty girl like you should cry," Parnum laughed, he hurt and he would be sore but the ball had hit arm and then went into the wood of the coach.

"Come on Robert lets get whats left of that box and get Miss Warwick home," Parnum ordered, wincing as he helped Delilah back in the coach.

They drove her all the way home instead of letting her out at the inn where she had been planning to ride home with Lewis since this was his night to work.

Delilah came into the house and ran and hugged her father, she wanted to be near him like she had as a little girl when she had fallen off her pony that had shied because Todd Landers had made a scary mask and jumped out of the bushes at her.

"I heard to coach, I thought you were going to come with Lewis." Jamie said.

"Oh Daddy we were robbed," Delilah cried, "Mr. Parnum was shot protecting me, he will be all right though."

"Oh my goodness Delilah how aweful," Octavia said.

"It was dreadful," Delilah cried and hugged both her parents.

Lissa and Delilah were in the kitchen talking about the robbery a couple of days later, Delilah was very shaken by the incident.

When Julius came in and hugged her.

"Mr. Parnum brought me your letter himself, I am so sorry my dearest, I should have went with you from now on I will and we shall ride or take my carriage," Julius said.

"Oh Julius I don't think we would have been held up if we had been alone, they were after the money," Delilah sighed.

"What I want to know is how did they know it was there?" Lissa asked.

"I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you Delilah," Julius said.

Lissa wondered where Julius was and why he hadn't escorted her sister home.