be just fine. I meant it when I said I would like to pick up our conversation another time. You’ll find I’m not easily frightened away when it comes to defending my beliefs.”
He smiled. “Or supporting them, as you suggested.”
They were standing so close, and to Faith it felt natural to offer him a hug. Had they been close friends or promised to each other, she might have.
But she didn’t, because they were neither. Andrew was a fine man, and the fact that he seemed to enjoy her company as much as she did his blessed her. She knew it was dangerous to allow such feelings, but for the life of her, she couldn’t force them aside as she’d always done in the past.
“Good-bye, Captain Gratton.” She took a bite of her biscuit and walked away.
“Good day to you, Miss Kenner.”
She glanced back when she’d gone nearly a block, but Andrew was already gone. No doubt, with the storm he had a great many tasks to see to. Faith turned to make her way home. She had wanted to stay and hear Andrew’s perspective on God.
A blast of cold air almost knocked her to the ground and put her thoughts on the impending storm. The wind lessened almost as soon as it delivered the punch, but she picked up her pace. This close to the docks, there were few places a lady could seek safe refuge should the storm cut loose in the next few minutes.
She wasn’t all that far from the Morning Star, however, when another gust came, and then another. Before Faith could steady herself, the wind was blowing steady with gale-like force and whipped the biscuit from her hands. It was just as well. She needed to hold on to her hat and skirt. She placed her hand atop the hat and put her head down in order to press on, but it was like fighting against a giant’s hold. All around her, merchants were battling to get their wares inside. Customers and dock workers were running for shelter.
The wind’s roar seemed to grow ever louder, and a terrible screeching of metal on metal sounded from her right. Faith glanced up just as a huge piece of roofing pulled away from a store. Debris appeared all around her and swirled in a strange sort of dance. It was almost mesmerizing. Merchants continued battling to retrieve various items, but it was a hopeless task. The wind was too powerful.
Faith hesitated. She wasn’t at all sure which way to go. The ship was closer. Perhaps she should return to the Morning Star. There was no possibility of reaching home in this gale. The streetcars wouldn’t be running, and no cab driver was going to risk his horse and carriage. She saw a large basket careening down the road, seeming to take direct aim at her. Faith sidestepped it at the last minute, but mud stung her eyes, making it impossible to see the other things coming at her. How was it possible for mud to be picked up by the wind? Yet there it was, smeared against her clothes and no doubt her face. Faith struggled to wipe her eyes. She was pelted by a variety of debris, none of which she saw. Putting her arm up to shield her head, she wasn’t surprised to find the wind had ripped her hat away.
She tried to cry for help, but the wind choked the words back and not even the tiniest sound came from her throat. Things were getting desperate, and she decided to head back toward the Morning Star. It was just a few blocks away. Surely she could make it.
But before she could move, another cacophony of tearing metal and wood rose above the wind’s roar. It sounded like an entire building was being ripped apart, and when she managed to look to her left, it seemed the entire block was dissolving.
Faith saw the sign from O’Brien’s Warehouse rip off its hinges and fly directly at her. She turned to run but found it almost impossible to move, as the wind seemed to blow from every direction. The sign hit hard against her back, sending her forward into the muddy street as it flew over her and moved on down the road. Before Faith could assess herself for damage and get back to her feet, however, something hit the back of her head.
She fell forward onto the street. Rolling to her side, she reached her gloved hand up