Buried In Blue

by L G Rollins

  “Rowley,” Nathaniel ordered, sliding the rest of the way down the ladder. “Detach us from the Gearhound.”

  Rowley gave him a brief salute and then began barking orders. Detach them? Elise knew she must have been staring something terrible, for when Nathaniel caught sight of her face he smiled.

  “One of the best things about this room, is everyone assumes it’s only purpose is for observing the ocean outside.”

  Crewmembers pulled on levers, hidden as part of the metal frame in the room. Elise watched, awe tickling her spine. The space filled with groans and moans as gears turned and latches disconnected.

  Glassy bubbles flowed over the top panes of glass as ocean water swirled between them and the submarine. Rowley moved to the wheel embedded in the floor. With his heel, he pressed against a small piece of wooden flooring, triggering the glass above the wheel to slide out of the way. Rowley pulled the wheel up. Once standing upright, it snapped into place.

  “You said this room was your insurance,” she said, trying to watch everyone at once.

  Nathaniel placed a hand on the small of Elise’s back. “My insurance against loss. Not loss of finances, but loss of life.”

  The thrum of an engine grew steadily.

  “All’s running well, captain.” Wimple called from the back of the room. Several panels of wooden flooring had been removed and were now resting against the glass wall on the starboard side. Where the floor lay open, lay instruments almost identical to those in the Gearhound’s engineering room.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Elise noticed something moving through the dark water. The lights in the observation room were set high, so that the crew had light to work by. However the water around them was still murky and sunless.

  “Did you see that?” Elise asked Nathaniel, motioning port side.

  Nathaniel shook his head. “What did it look like?”

  “Something moving. But it didn’t look like a fish.” Blasted dark waters.

  “The escape pods only have a single harpoon each, and there’s a trick to aiming them. So if they’re wanting to chase after us in one of those, we’ll just out run them. Brownsea,” Nathaniel ordered. “Set our course for England.”

  The navigator threw Nathaniel a sharp salute and then knelt beside the wheel. Along the base of the stand, Brownsea pushed a button and a narrow door opened, showing a hollow cavity inside. Brownsea pulled out several tall, rolled and tied, sheets of parchment. He slid the twine off one and spread it out across the wooden floor.

  It was a map. Elise felt hope bubbling up inside her. Of course Nathaniel had thought to store maps in here. Brownsea traced a finger across the lines scribbled on the map, then began giving directions to Rowley.

  “Kraken!” A crewwoman cried out.

  Everyone turned toward her as one. A large mass, speeding through the ocean, soared directly over the observation room and head butted the submarine above them. Metal groaning could be heard even with water and glass between them. The Gearhound tipped toward the side and began moving further away from them.

  “And that,” Nathaniel said low, to Elise. “Is probably the last bit of our promised distraction.” He raised his voice once more. “Get us out of here Rowley.”

  “Aye aye, cap’n.”

  The engine roared alive. Unseen propellers churned the water behind them. The tip of the room—though Elise could hardly call it a room anymore, it was it’s own watercraft—arched upward. They sailed upward and away.

  Elise glanced behind her. All she could see were millions of microscopic bubbles, clouding out the Gearhound.

  Good-bye Pear. Good-bye Lenton. She continued, saying a voiceless farewell to each of her test subjects. They’d been brave to join her on this venture. She wished them all well—she also wished them all a great deal of problems outrunning the Kraken this time.

  And while they were busy with the ghost’s dear pet, she and Nathaniel and the crew would be on their way back to England.

  athaniel scooped the last bite of stew out of his bowl and placed it in his mouth. All the while, his eyes stayed glued to Elise, sitting on the other side of the space. Melissa was on her lap and Elise sung softly to his girl. Around him, nearly everyone slept, he being one of the last to eat and turn in.

  “How’d you like tonight’s supper, Captain?” Cook asked cheerfully, but in a low voice to keep from waking those who slumbered near by. The round man was always proud of what he’d made, and it seemed the less he had to work with the more proud he was with the result.

  “Entirely delightful, thank you,” Nathaniel replied. Though he couldn’t have said if the stew was well seasoned or burnt. He’d been too distracted by the sight of Elise tucking Melissa in for the night to think about what he’d been eating.

  Nathaniel stood and picked his away around his resting crew. Elise laid Melissa down and pulled a blanket over the girl. Though space was tight with all of them packed in here together, they had enough blankets and, so long as they were careful, enough food to see them back to England safely.

  Elise walked toward him, meeting him in the center of the room, nearly the only place one could walk without stepping on someone. “She’s calm. For now.”

  Nathaniel took hold of Elise’s hand, as he had begun to do whenever she was near him. He couldn’t seem to help himself. “Thank you for singing to her. Let us pray that helps keep away the nightmares.” For the past week and a half since they’d left the Gearhound, Melissa had awoken nearly every night in a heated sweat and on the verge of panic.

  Elise’s lips twisted to the side. “The poor thing.”

  Slowly he drew circles on the back of Elise’s hand with his thumb. “I’m afraid it’s going to be quite a while before she’s fully recovered.” His heart ached at seeing the fear in Melissa’s eyes. His once happy, impetuous little girl was now timid and silent.

  “We’ll keep loving her,” Elise said. “We’ll love her and let her know she’s safe now.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “She will recover. You’ll see.”

  He couldn’t help but think Melissa would recover quicker if Elise was allowed to sleep near her each night. But that would necessitate Elise also sleeping near him, which would most assuredly ruin her reputation, no matter how much of a gentleman he acted. That was something he was certainly not willing to do.

  Still, the image of him on one side of Melissa with Elise laying on the other, brought a heat to his chest. He wanted nothing more than to cocoon Melissa in a blanket of security. Elise wanted to as well. It was a rotten shame that propriety wouldn’t allow as much.

  “I hope you’re right,” he said. For now, however, Nathaniel had to force himself to be content with holding her hand and occasionally sneaking in a truncated hug when he hoped no one was looking. Anything more would be pushing the boundaries of what society would accept.

  Elise placed a hand on his chest and, reaching up on tip-toe, placed a very dainty kiss on his cheek. After nearly a decade living aboard a submarine, Nathaniel was quite used to having his crew forever present. But never had he wanted privacy so much.

  “You’d better go lay down next to her,” she said, stepping back a bit. “That seems the best safeguard against her nightmares we’ve found thus far.”

  Nathaniel only nodded, not daring to open his mouth. He was afraid of what might come out if he did. What he should have said was either “Thank you again for singing to her” or “Sleep well”. However, words such as “I love you” and “Marry me, darling” were dangling far too close to the tip of his tongue.

  Elise moved away toward where she slept near Wimple and Mary, and Nathaniel was left standing alone. The sound of Melissa rolling over drew his gaze away from Elise. In the dim lights he could see her nose scrunch up.

  She wasn’t already having a bad dream, was she? He strode over to her quickly and laid next to her.

  “Hush, sweetie, I’m here,” he said softly.

  Melissa reached out for him with a hand. Nathaniel encircl
ed her small frame with his arm, holding her close to him. She scooted nearer, using his shoulder as a pillow.

  “Is the observation room fast, Papa?”

  The “observation room” was what he called the space when it was attached to the Gearhound, and when he didn’t want to expose all of it’s true capabilities. But truth was, “observation room” was only an alias. “You mean the Sea Turtle?”

  Melissa nodded, rubbing her head against his shoulder. “Will we make it back on time?”

  “On time for what, sweetie?”

  “For Elise to meet with the committee?”

  He had no idea she knew anything about the committee or Elise’s need for further funding. He needed to remember that living with Melissa would always be like living on a submarine—no secrets could be kept hidden for long.

  “Yes, if we sail as fast as we can, we should just make it.” The relief Elise had felt a few days previous at learning the Sea Turtle could get them home in time was so obvious even Wimple had picked up on it.

  “And you’ll go with her, right?” Melissa continued. “To make sure they like her?”

  “Of course.” Though, truth was, he hadn’t thought about it exactly like that. He’d thought plenty of how he wanted to send Elise flowers and see her every day and hold her close whenever possible after returning home.

  Only thing was, he wasn’t in a position to do so any more.

  In losing the Gearhound, he’d lost most of his wealth. He had a bit of savings at home, thanks to his previous stint at sea. While that money had previously been allocated for living expenses, which would have allowed him to stay home for a few years, it would now be needed to purchase another submarine.

  Such a purchase would use up nearly all he had, and necessitate him returning to work at sea within the month.

  Nathaniel shifted on the hard glass floor, lifting his free arm up and tucking his hand beneath his head. Would Elise care if he attended the committee meeting with her? Would his being present provide her any support at all? It wasn’t as though he was some well respected expert who could sway the minds of the committee. Sitting silently in the back was about all he could do. That, and leaving her was about all he was good for.

  Thinking about it in that way, he felt wholly unneeded. Elise was quite good at what she did. She didn’t need him to help convince the committee.

  But he didn’t want her to need him—he wanted her to want him, the same way he did her.

  Melissa’s words began to slur together and her frame grew limp. “You need to go with her. She’s the only one who will help the werewolves.”

  “Do you think she should keep helping the werewolves?” He knew Elise would not give up on her research, no matter the mutiny and William’s betrayal. It was just one more thing he admired about her. But for Melissa to feel so as well was a bit of a surprise.

  “Like you said,” her words grew almost too soft to hear. “They’re people, too.”

  He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Had his little girl already forgiven the werewolves for what they’d done? For how they’d scared her and hurt them all? If Melissa truly was concerned for their well-being, after everything that had happened, Nathaniel knew exactly who to thank.

  It was Elise who had taught Melissa to see werewolves as people and not prey.

  Melissa let out a soft snore, her chest rising and falling in sleep. Nathaniel leaned in, careful not to wake her with his movement, and kissed the top of her head. Relief at her safety flooded through him, as it had time and time again the past week and a half. Gears above, what would he have done if they had not been able to escape? What would have befallen Melissa?

  Nathaniel shut his eyes against the awful possibilities. That part of their venture was over. Now, in three more days they would port in England. Elise would present to the committee.

  Nothing they had done aboard the Gearhound would matter in the end if the committee didn’t agree to continue their support. Heaven help Elise if they didn’t see things her way.

  Heaven help the committee if they didn’t see things her way—because if they didn’t, Nathaniel fully intended to let them know just what kind of a dunderheaded ninnys the lot of them were.

  No matter the outcome, however, it didn’t change his position. He’d still have to leave. The werewolves had left him on the verge of bankruptcy. There was no chance he could marry just now. He couldn’t support a wife. Besides, he would never marry a woman knowing he would have to leave her within a few days.

  He fervently hoped that the committee would choose to support Elise—for it was something he was no longer able to do himself.

  athaniel pulled the small lever near the top of the ladder and the sheet of metal slid open. A small spray of water cascaded down. Some landed on Elise, running down her face and neck. It was followed by morning sunlight.

  Blessed sunlight. Unblocked by glass or clouds.

  And fresh air.

  Elise breathed them both in deeply. She’d almost forgotten how sweet and cool open air felt.

  Nathaniel climbed out of the Sea Turtle, followed immediately by several of the crew. They secured the vessel to the docks quickly and soon Elise was climbing out herself, Melissa directly in front of her and Lord Chauncey behind.

  Elise felt she could not pull in air enough. It was amazing to be ashore again. If only she had time to appreciate it. She pulled Nathaniel’s watch from her pocket: twenty-three after eight. The committee would be expecting her in under two hours.

  A small tendril of confidence eased her tight chest. They were here. Day before last, the engine had started slowing. But, after she and Wimple discussed a few options, they were able to come up with a new way to minimize heat loss and make the engine more efficient.

  She put a hand to her collarbone. They’d almost been too late. Just a few hours later and her absence would have forfeited her right to plead her case before the committee. Elise glanced around at the bustling harbor. It may be early, but dozens of dock workers and fishermen were already up and well into their day’s work.

  “You’re finally back!” A familiar voice echoed over the cry of seagulls and call of men.

  Addie wrapped her arms around Elise from behind, nearly sending them both toppling into the ocean waves. Warmth surged up in Elise. Gracious, it was good to see her dear friend once more.

  “How did you know I was returning today?” It was several days beyond their original scheduled time to return.

  “I have been down to the docks everyday this week. Why the delay?”

  Despite the immense happiness at Addie’s presence, tears pricked the back of Elise’s eyes. She blinked several times and smiled instead.

  Addie listed her head, brow creasing. “Mon amie, you are smiling. That means either you are near delirious with exhaustion or you hit your head climbing out of that submarine.”

  Elise laughed lightly. Had she truly been such a prune? Well, Lord Chauncey said she needed to smile more, perhaps she simply hadn’t realized how true his words were at the time.

  “Delirious.” Addie nodded sagely. “Definitely delirious.”

  Then again, Addie could be right. She’d even gone so far as to kiss Nathaniel on the cheek a couple times the past few days. Over and over again, opening up proved to be both terrifying and exhilarating.

  Nathaniel walked up to her, his hand going to the small of her back. Elise enjoyed the zip of heat she felt at his touch.

  Addie, though, chose to neither curtsy nor say hello, but instead flicked a finger toward the Sea Turtle. “I do believe you should not have scrubbed your submarine so vigorously, Capitaine. It seems to have shrunk in the wash.”

  He laughed easily. Elise felt sure she was not the only one happy to be out in the open air.

  Nathaniel gave Addie a polite “how do you do” and then angled toward Elise. “We must order you a carriage immediately.” He carried Melissa in his arms, and she clung to him as though he’d vanish if ever she eased her gra
sp. “You need to get to Bridgeside Hall.”

  Elise rubbed the little girl’s back. She was still having nightmares, though the frequency seemed to be tapering off.

  “Ne t’inquiètes pas, I will take her.” Addie motioned toward a small building and a horse drawn carriage near it.

  “And I’m coming with you,” Lord Chauncey called as he limped by them, heading toward the carriage. Elise’s mouth twisted to the side as she watched him hobble slowly along. While aboard the Sea Turtle, sleeping options had been limited: sleep atop a wooden floor or a glass one. Neither had been kind to Lord Chauncey.

  “I’ll be there, too,” Nathaniel said. “Only let me take Melissa home first and see that she’s settled with my mother. I’ll only be a half hour or so behind you.” He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before turning on his heel and striding away.

  Everyone around Elise seemed to be flying one direction or the other. Rowley was skipping across the docks, ordering the crew. Nathaniel was already out of sight and Lord Chauncey was nearing the carriage—he may have been walking slow, but his focused effort made it seem like he was moving much quicker.

  Elise wrapped her arm through Addie’s. “Come. We must hurry.” She had just spent the last several weeks underwater and she wasn’t about to miss her opportunity all for a lack of being on time.

  Lord Chauncey had just alighted into the carriage when she and Addie walked up to it. They hurried in and Addie instructed her driver to get them to Bridgeside Hall, post haste.

  Elise was glad it was early in the morning. Most of London was still abed. As such, the roads were mainly open and their carriage flew through the streets.

  A couple of times, Addie tried to steer their conversation toward Nathaniel. Elise, however, didn’t feel like discussing him. Her mind was too wrapped up in thoughts of the committee. Not to mention Lord Chauncey got a pompous, lopsided grin every time Nathaniel’s name came up, which made Elise feel childish regarding her feelings for the captain once more.