Agents from the Americas traveled the Highlands, promising plenty of land, jobs, and new opportunities. They set up attractive posters, gave lectures, and handed out pamphlets as they described a new life. Callum wasn’t so sure of all of their promises. Could such a paradise truly exist? Many of his friends and family took the leap of faith and went west.
A year ago, his cousin and best friend, Gregor, confided in Callum of his plans to follow the path to what Callum referred to as “the promised land.”
“There’s not much chance for me here,” he said. “What are my options? To become a priest? Ha. And while I like helping you out, Callum, ye have enough brothers for that already. I need something better.” And so he went, across the water. Callum couldn’t shake an ill feeling about Gregor’s plans. He didn’t know why, but it didn’t feel right. He tried to share his thoughts with Gregor, but he just laughed them off in his usual way and did what he wanted. When he watched Gregor ride away down the valley, he wanted to call out to him to come back but he restrained himself. They were both adults now, and could do as they each pleased.
“Hey!”
Callum was pulled out of reverie by a shrill voice. “The ship’s heading out and all our first class passengers are aboard,” the sailor told him. “Time to head below. We’ll be at sea soon.”
Callum pushed away from the rail and headed down the steps into the din, where men, women and children alike spoke with voices raised in both fear and excitement. He hunched his shoulders and sat down on his small bunk, putting away the bundle of supplies he had rented for the voyage. It wasn’t much, but enough for ten days. He sat with his elbows on his knees and contemplated the journey ahead of him.
His father had tried to purchase a first class berth for him, but Callum refused. The money could be better spent elsewhere back at home, to improve conditions for their tenants on their land. He could sleep easier for a week on a hard cot knowing that his father hadn’t wasted any of the clan’s hard-earned money on a plush bed for him.
“Callum! Hey, Callum!”
The voice came from the bunk above him. Callum closed his eyes and asked for patience. He had met Jack shortly after boarding in Glasgow, and Jack had not stopped talking to him ever since. His incessant chatter was entertaining to a point, but Callum didn’t know how long he could listen to it.
“Aye Jack?” he said, looking up at the wooden slats that held the big man up above his head.
“Did ye see that woman come aboard? God was shining on us today, Callum. Did you see her? She came just now. Like a violet she was – a beautiful flower. This will be a good trip, Callum, I can feel it. She’s like a good luck charm. Did you see her?”
“No,” Callum lied. “I’m not interested in pretty lassies. My task at hand does not involve high bred Englishwomen who think they’re better than the likes of us.”
“I never said she was high bred. Or English. Why do you think that?”
“Aren’t the best ones those that are unattainable? And we’re in England. So I would assume she is English.”
“I s’pose you’re right,” Jack sighed. “But that doesn’t stop me from looking!”
As Jack daydreamed about the woman, Callum stretched his long body the length of the bed. His shoulders nearly stretched the width of the small cot. He tried to get comfortable on the thin pallet and closed his eyes for a quick nap. His stomach rumbled. All steerage passengers received the same ration of food each day. Bread and butter twice a day with potato-beef stew for lunch may be enough for the children populating the ship, but a man his size was used to substance.
A child bumped into him as he whizzed by playing tag. Callum smiled, and placed his pillow over his head as he dreamt of wide open plains, the wind through his hair, and the mission at hand.
Victoria tried to catch her breath as she followed the sailor through the ship to her room. Her heels clipped on the wooden planks as she moved quickly to keep up with him. It had been a mad dash through the shipyard and onto the Parisian and they kept up the fast pace as the ship was soon to embark on the ocean crossing. The first class quarters were luxurious but space was tight. They passed door after door through the long hallways, seeing a few passengers as they found their way to Victoria’s cabin.
“I’m meeting someone here,” she told the sailor between breaths.
He turned and eyed her with a glint in his eye but didn’t say a word.
“Oh!” she said, “It’s my chaperones I’m meeting. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Gamble. I don’t know their cabin.”
Martha Gamble was her Aunt Sarah’s friend. Once Victoria had urgently sent a telegram to her aunt, Sarah had went into immediate action, planning everything for Victoria, including her crossing the Atlantic. She paid an extra five pounds for a first class cabin so that Victoria could travel with the Gambles, friends and reliable chaperones. Victoria was not overly concerned about her reputation, however if it made Sarah happy and the couple could keep her company on the trip over, then it was fine with her.
“Right here, Miss,” the sailor stopped and pointed at room 90. “I believe your chaperones are right next door. I’ll take your bag in.”
After the sailor gave her the key to her room and moved on, Victoria knocked on the small rounded door beside hers with a bit of trepidation. She was spending a week with people who she hadn’t seen since she was quite small. She hoped if they were friends with her aunt Sarah they would be the friendly sort.
“Victoria, sweetheart!” The door opened and a motherly figure with a large bosom and wide open arms came out the door and enveloped Victoria in a hug. “Look at you! Isn’t she absolutely beautiful Harry? Come in, dear, I’m so happy you made it. Sarah will be thrilled to see you, she’s written of nothing but you for months on end. What a trip already, and we’ve only just begun. Such an exciting adventure. Come on in! Or would you prefer to get settled first? No, you must come in for a bit and then you can go to your rooms and we shall prepare for dinner. How wonderful to have you here!”
Victoria was pulled into the room and soon Martha practically placed her on the small bed, squeezing her hands together and chattering away. A tall, thin man with a warm and smiling face sat on the sole chair in the room. He nodded his head underneath his top hat and smiled at her with his warm eyes. A “hello, dear” escaped from underneath his bushy gray moustache.
It was cozy in the small room. Martha had laid out woven blankets over the bed and there were candles lit in the corner, bathing the room in a warm light. A washbasin sat atop a wooden cupboard, with the shelves above already overflowing with Martha’s belongings.
“Thank you for agreeing to accompany me on the journey,” Victoria said, looking up thankfully into the eager faces as Martha practically leaned over top of her, her hands resting underneath her bosom. They were all so close in the cabin. “I am very grateful. I’m unsure of how much Aunt Sarah has told you…”
“Yes she filled us in,” interrupted Martha. “But let us leave that behind us and look forward to your future. Imagine it Victoria. The Americas, the new world! It’s beautiful there. We’re going to see our grandchildren, so just a visit for a few months and then we will be headed back across the sea. But for you, ‘tis your new life! The adventure is just beginning. You will not believe how different it is there…”
Martha continued to chatter and move about the small room as Harry was content to nod his head, agreeing with his wife as she did all the talking. Victoria tried not to let her eyes close, but she was tired. It had been an exhausting couple of days in anticipation of what she thought of as her “big escape,” and besides the nap on the train, she hadn’t had a good sleep in days.
“Oh my dear, you must be exhausted. Why don’t you go get settled and lie down for a bit before dinner?” Martha pulled more than helped Victoria up from the bed and ushered her out the door. “Dinner will be in just a couple of hours. I hope you brought lots of dresses as they’re usually fairly formal affairs. But you will be beautiful in
anything. Those eyes! I remember them from when you were a child after all these years. Never in my life have I seen a shade like them, except maybe in a flower. You’ll be happy about the food. You would not think on a ship it would last long, but somehow the meals are still wonderful days into a journey. See you soon my dear!”
And with that she shut the door. Victoria blinked a few times as she fumbled in her pocket for her key and let herself into her room. She welcomed the silence and the stillness of the room after Martha’s friendly yet aggressive onslaught. This cabin was nearly identical to the Gambles, but with a smaller bed and less space. There was a small porthole that looked out onto the blue of the sky and the water below. While it was tiny, it was comfortable, and she was grateful to Aunt Sarah and the extra five pounds. She would return the money as soon as she was able.
Victoria flopped onto the bed, sinking down onto its surprisingly comfortable folds. She felt a sudden lurch and realized it was the ship pulling away from the dock. She smiled. “Freedom,” she thought, as she closed her eyes and instantly fell asleep.
4
Callum couldn’t sleep. Jack was snoring above him and he could hear children crying from across the large steerage hold. There was too much on his mind, which was racing as he thought about what he might find on the other side of this gaping wide ocean. He loved the outdoors, but he wasn’t too sure about the sea. His land had always called to him and he was coming to realize that maybe it was land in general that held the appeal.
It was going to be a long journey. Dinner had been a sorry affair of bread and tea. His stomach still felt empty. But the people were friendly. Jack was starting to grow on him, and if you caught Jack early in the day before he emptied his flask, he was actually fairly entertaining. There were many families on board, and Callum felt for the mothers trying to keep their children in line in this contained space. Soon they would have lots of room to run, if they could hold on for a few more days.
Callum had brought out his cards that evening and had some spirited games of Pharo with his shipmates as the non-players placed bets on them. Callum had been fairly successful in the game of chance. He and his brothers, with Gregor, spent many evenings around the fire in their great hall playing the game, and it brought a sense of home to the steerage hold.
He had had a few admirers that evening, drawn by his good-natured smile and charm, and probably his strong brow and dark, handsome good looks. The young ladies, for the most part, had snuck away from their mothers and fathers to make his acquaintance. A few wives, too, he noted. He was kind with them all, but gave them no more than a smile. He had other things on this mind.
It was now the middle of the night, and he was still wide awake. The noises disrupted his already churning mind, and he realized there was no point in lying here in frustration any longer.
He swung his legs off the bunk and put his boots on. He picked his way over the people and possessions littering the floor and made his way to the stairs. His broad shoulders barely fit in the tight staircase as he ascended to the deck.
When he emerged at the top, the darkness was replaced by the moon, which shone brightly, lighting the path ahead of him. The tension rolled off his shoulders as he followed the rail, pausing near the stern. He could feel the power of the iron beast beneath his feet. It amazed him, the modern machines that opened the many possibilities of exploration to so many people. His closed his eyes, his other senses taking in the salty breeze that misted his face.
Victoria woke up with a start. It was dark in her room, with the faint light of the moon pouring through the porthole. A quick peek out the window showed nothing but the sea and she realized it was quite late. Martha and Harry must have let her sleep right through supper. Someone, Martha she assumed, had left bread, butter and tea on the stand beside her bed. She lit the candle sitting next to it and changed into her nightgown, splashing water on her face from the small wash basin in the corner to wake herself up.
She began settling herself in the room, taking the essentials out of her bag and organizing herself to feel as at home as she could. The stack of unread books she placed in the corner gave her a little thrill of anticipation. She sat back down on the bed, trying to get comfortable, and pulled out The Prince and the Pauper to lose herself in the tale of the identical men from two different worlds.
She could not focus on the printed words. Strange, for her. She was restless, wanting to explore. She had read about ships, but had never been on one and felt that as she was now living her own adventure she truly had to make the most of it. No one had said she had to stay in her cabin, and most people would be asleep at this time. She pulled a dressing gown over her nightclothes and let herself out into the hall, trying to be quiet so as not to disturb Martha and Harry. She thought Martha seemed slightly overprotective and would not approve of Victoria wandering the ship alone.
Victoria tiptoed down the corridor until she came to the winding narrow staircase, and she made her way up a level to the deck.
The air was crisp and cool on this June night on the open sea, but it was refreshing. So different from the foggy London air, with its smells of every kind, none of them very pleasant. She tightened her dressing gown and breathed in deeply, as she felt her heart soar and her shoulders relax.
Victoria looked up to the sky. The constellations her father had taught her about, which were so visible in the country, yet often hidden by London street lamps, were clear in the naked sky tonight. She tried to find her favorite, Orion, but June was too late in the year for it to be truly visible. She kept a hand on the railing as she walked around the deck, gazing at the mysteries above her.
Then “Oomph!” She ran into a wall. She almost bounced right off, but the wall stretched out an arm and caught her, drawing her in.
“Steady, lass,” he drawled in a thick, Scottish brogue. “Ye best watch where you’re walking. You never know who might be out here this time of night.”
Her heart hammered against her rib cage. She could pretend it was fear, but something told her otherwise. She had thrown her hands out in front of her for balance, and now they were sitting atop hard muscles. She could feel where his top abdominal cut into his powerful pec muscles. Usually being this close to a man gave her the desire to pull back with a cold comment, but this time a heated feeling ran through her unlike ever before.
She looked up and saw a strong, square jaw. His dark hair, falling to the nape of his neck, blew in the wind. It made her want to run her fingers through it, to see if it felt as silky as it looked. His dark eyes were looking down at her, almost like he was going to…
Victoria willed herself to stop her line of thinking. This was a stranger on a ship — she should push away. She wasn’t in the proper state of mind, and certainly not in the proper state of dress. And yet she took a moment to stand there, appreciating the strength of the arms that held her close and the heady smell of man that filled her.
“I…” she shook her head, finally coming back to herself, and moved away from him. She was angry, at her own loss of sense simply from being held by a man. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you. I don’t know where you came from… Did you not see me coming? I’m sorry… really, you shouldn’t touch a lady like that, not — it’s just not proper…what I mean to say is…” Victoria’s stream of words, coming out in a fit of nerves, seemed to jerk him back to his senses as well.
“Aye, that’s right. You’re a Lady and not fit to be talking to the likes of me. I’ll be on my way.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. What I was saying—”
“It’s all right, I understand. Do not worry, lass, I won’t tell anyone of our run-in. It was an accident, that’s all. Although I would suggest that parading around in nightclothes on the deck of a ship filled with all kinds of people really isn’t the most intelligent thing a lady of your status should be doing.” He nodded at her in a sarcastic type of bow.
“But I really just—”
Then he was gone, cutting off her words
as he twisted on the heel of a scuffed boot and went back the way he came. She was left standing alone on the deck, thoughts running through her mind that she was unable to put into words.
After she was over her initial shock, Victoria started steaming. Of all the nerve, she thought. So they ran into one another. He had certainly made a few major assumptions within about ten seconds of meeting her. Not that she would call that a meeting. More of a run-in.
She hated that this always happened to her — thoughts and emotions that she couldn’t find a way to put into words when she needed to. If she had a pen and paper, she would write him a scathing letter. But face-to-face she struggled.
He’d thought she was a Lady. She only called herself a lady in regards to her values, but he had jumped to his conclusions rather quickly. Couldn’t he see she was struggling to find the words? The more she thought about it, the angrier Victoria became. She would plan out what she would say, find him again, and tell him exactly what she thought. As she formulated her words in her mind, she stalked back to her room and slammed the door, forgetting to care about not making any noise.
Her eyes were the most amazing shade of purple he had ever seen. Callum couldn’t get them — or her — out of his head. When she had looked up at him, just inches from his face, his heart stopped and his arms froze around her, while his blood pumped quicker and his maleness begged for attention. Her eyes had pierced into his before his gaze dropped lower to her full lips.
He could tell she’d felt something, whether it be shock or attraction or simply awareness, he wasn’t sure. Then she came to her senses and realized who she was, who he might be, and what she was doing. He hadn’t meant to have been so harsh with her, but the strength and immediacy of the attraction took him by surprise.
The best course now was to take care to stay away from her on this voyage. He could avoid her for ten days and all would be fine. He didn’t think he could sacrifice his late night walks, but he suspected she would no longer be taking midnight strolls after tonight. What had she been thinking, walking around in her nightclothes like that? They covered her but they certainly were suggestive. She was lucky it was him she had run into and not someone who would have taken more advantage of a beautiful woman on a lonely deck.
Quest of Honor Page 17