by Cherie Shaw
He’d caught a glimpse of an angel’s face a few seconds ago, or was it minutes or hours ago? He wasn’t sure. Logan didn’t think he’d died, as he wouldn’t hurt so much if he had, nor have such hunger pangs.
So who was the angel then? And where was she? Her cool touch sure had felt good, though he felt a bite of food would possibly be just what he needed about now, if that were at all possible. He heard a door open, and, turning, could just barely make out an older man, white haired, but regal in stance, tall and stately. A gentleman, no less. Logan sighed, a raspy sound, and relaxing, he felt safer than he had felt in over eight years. Possibly eight? Maybe.
Lord Beckford approached the bunk where the injured young man had lain for over four days now, and said, “I hear you have come back among the living, young chap.”
Logan rasped, “Not sure if I’m living or not, but sir, could you tell me just where I am, and how long I’ve been here? You remind me of my pa, but he smells like horses, and you don’t. So you can’t be him.”
Beckford laughed in relief. The young man certainly would recover now that he had awakened. “From what I hear in your dialect, young man, you must be an American. Tell me, just how did you come by all those injuries? Some bruises look like they’ve been acquired quite some time ago. And I’ve a feeling that I know just about what you’ve been through. Before you answer though, this is the ‘Silver Queen’, an ocean liner, of which I am the owner. You collapsed in the doorway of one of my warehouses on the docks of London, but we are over four days out to sea from there now.”
Logan waited a full minute before giving his answer, then in a low raspy weak voice, “The ‘Silver Queen’? I’ve heard of her. Luxury liner. Before I tell you my story, may I ask why you didn’t just turn me over to my captors? How come you’ve taken me in? I’m sure there is a reward out for my hide.”
“Well, I certainly don’t need any reward, and besides my niece wouldn’t let me turn you in.” Lord Beckford chuckled, then, “Anyway, I wouldn’t have, in all good conscience, turned you in to that blackguard. I think I know pretty much your circumstances anyway. And if the captain of that slave-trader ship is the one you escaped from, I would have done everything in my power to escape that devil ship too, young chap.”
A key turned in the outer door lock and Claude heard Maria’s voice calling out from the entry that she had brought lunch. And right about that time, Logan’s stomach growled again.
Lord Beckford patted the patient’s hand, and said, “We’ll continue this conversation after you’ve eaten. We will have a lot to talk about then.” Maria walked into the patient’s room carrying a large tray full of hot steaming food.
CHAPTER 3
Olivia answered the light tap on her stateroom door, and smiled as she greeted her uncle. “I guess I’m not in the best of moods today, Uncle Claude,” she began, “and I’m really sorry. I must have over-reacted to the mumblings of a half-conscious man. I was so used to the peaceful life I’ve been living at the manor, then all the turmoil of this sea voyage, and finding that bondsman at the warehouse has gotten to me. I heard Maria return. So after lunch, I believe I’ll stroll the deck for awhile, that is if she is with the patient.”
“At the moment, niece, Maria is feeding the poor man. He looks like he hasn’t had a decent meal in years, and although the man appears to have strength in his arms and shoulders, his body certainly hasn’t had much nourishment for awhile, along with his clothing being in tatters. It really doesn’t speak like a bondsman, and I’m not so sure that he is one, as he appears to be more like an unkempt slave.
“There are certain vessels that use nothing but slave labor, mostly men who have been taken captive from some of the ports around the world. They call it ‘shanghaiing’, and I know of several notorious ship captains who practice this, thus saving themselves a few coins to pay a crew. They only hire a small crew to keep the ‘bondsmen’ in line, and I know of one captain with the reputation of being the worst of the lot. His name is Devlin, Captain Devlin that is. I’ve heard that he has forged papers for these supposed ‘bondsmen’, although they are more than likely, most of them at least, just some innocent chap who has been kidnapped, thus forced to work at slave labor for the captain, until they die, or jump ship, most of them are never heard from again.
“Too, it has been suspected though never proven, that Devlin also deals in the selling of slaves, those of whom they capture off some island, then transport to a southern seaport in the new land, some other countries also. They hold secret slave auctions then. I have always hoped that the scoundrel will at some point in time, be exposed and arrested for his crimes on the high seas.”
“Oh mercy,” Olivia exclaimed, “what a horrible life that must be, Uncle. I’ve heard of such things before, but it’s hard to believe none-the-less that anyone can be that cruel and heartless.” She paused, then inspected the tray of food that was setting on the small table, “You know uncle, I’m not really hungry yet after all, and I believe that a walk on deck in the cool air is what I need. “
With that, she started for the door, but Claude touched her arm and said, “I’ll walk with you Ollie. Just let me tell Maria that we’ll return in about an hour.”
Ten minutes later Olivia and Claude were standing at the railing of the main deck, and breathing in the fresh salty air of the sea. Olivia had taken a light wrap with, and was glad as she gathered it close. The sea was calm, though the breeze a bit chilly, however refreshing. Just as they turned to continue walking, Olivia grasped her uncle’s sleeve, and gasped, “Uncle Claude, did you see that man who just entered that stateroom on the far end of the deck, near to the dining hall?”
Claude answered, “No, Olivia, I caught sight of someone, but didn’t notice who he was. Did you recognize him? Was he someone we know?”
She hesitated then, but said, “I can’t be sure, but just from a glimpse of him, I’d swear it is that loathsome cad, who was courting me a few years back. You remember Henry J. Adams? It certainly looked like him, though slightly older, but I could be mistaken.”
Claude’s expression turned serious, as he spoke, “Well Olivia, if he is on this ship, we’ll soon find out, that is if he is going by his own name, you never know what a bloke like that will do. I’ll have a little talk with our captain just as soon as you are back in the stateroom. If he is on this ship, I can assure you that he will not in any way be anywhere near you.” With that, he took her arm and walked her to the winding stairway that would lead her to the safety of her stateroom suite.
<><><>
Henry Adams, alias Henry Birch, the name he was traveling under, and had used off and on through the years whenever it suited his fancy to go incognito, stared in the gold-plated hand mirror at his aging face, and mused aloud, “Maybe she likes older men now, well we’ll see about that. How lucky can I get? Just when I had just about given up my search for a wealthy bride, who do I see on this voyage? Well, if it wasn’t my beautiful Olivia Worthington. Ah, but I have missed her.”
“Well, she’ll be glad of my companionship once she no longer has the old uncle to squire her around. My, what a pity. I owe his Lordship, and that brother of hers too, so much for the ungainly way I was treated during my last visit with Olivia, and I shall enjoy every minute of my vengeance once my plans are made… and carried out.
“I wonder where they’re going. Well, it shouldn’t be too hard to follow and ‘accidently’ run into my lovely former fiancé. However, I’ll keep a low profile during my journey to the states, then when she needs a friend the most, I shall just happen to appear.”
When Henry looked into the mirror these days, he only saw what he wanted to see. He never noticed the sagging jowls or the bags under his eyes, gained from too much night life and fancy foods, nor did he notice the thinning hairline with the gray streaks, nor the stomach paunch he had grown. Those attributes never showed in his gold-plated mirror. He saw himself as an older distinguished gentleman, of whom all ladies would swoon and beg f
or his attention. He also felt that Olivia had cared for him, but had to do as her uncle and brother told her, and probably grieved over losing his ardent courtship. He never knew of the many possible suitors she had turned down, and would not have believed it anyway. He felt that he was the only one for her. His ego was beyond belief, and he had no inkling that Olivia couldn’t stand the sight of him or that she had caught a glimpse of him as he had entered his stateroom.
Henry decided to have his meals brought to him, for the remainder of the trip, thus keeping a low profile, but with a little bribery he could have one of the stewards keep him informed of the beauty’s every movement; he thought as much anyway, not having been aware that her uncle owned the very ship he was traveling on, and that all the employees on this vessel worked for the Lord Beckford, and that the majority of them were loyal to him beyond reason. Also they were well-paid, and most wouldn’t risk their employment by spying on the Lord, or his niece, for any of the passengers. However, as in every business, there always were a few who would sell their souls for a shilling. Those few were usually weeded out and then dismissed.
Henry thought back over the last five years, and how he had wormed his way into society in Paris, under another name, then Rome, and had wasted months courting first one debutante, then another. Disgusting overweight young ladies who couldn’t even carry on an intelligent conversation, but their bank accounts were sooooo very nice. Even then, the parents had stepped in and stopped any long-term entanglement. Though now, just maybe his luck was changing, and it was worth a try. He was at the end of his rope, and his current funds were running dangerously low. Even the thousands he’d won gambling on the Riviera were gone. It was time his luck changed for the better, and Henry again picked up the mirror for another glimpse of the face that he thought he still had.
<><><>
Olivia didn’t sleep well, tossing and turning most of the night, then dozed off long towards morning. She took her meals in her stateroom the next day, but claiming a headache, refused to enter the other room, where the injured man lay. Maria didn’t mind tending the patient, and voiced her opinion of him to all who would listen. “The dark-haired one is a well-mannered gentleman, Miss Olivia. Not as handsome as my Ricardo, but once his injuries have healed, he will be one fine looking gringo.” She had told Olivia that morning, then again at lunchtime.
“I honestly have not noticed the rogue’s looks.” Olivia had stated firmly, “My only wish is that the ‘gentleman’ heals well, so he can be off the ship at the first port we come to.” Of course she had no intention of mentioning how flushed she became whenever she approached the ‘rogue’, nor how his conversation with her was less than honorable the last time she had tended him, nor how just being in the same room with him, made her feel all flustered. She knew she had overreacted when he was slightly delirious, and had said those forward things to her, she also knew that she couldn’t use the ‘headache’ excuse much longer for not tending him, as Maria had other duties to take care of. Lord Beckford had told Olivia that he would dine with her that evening in her stateroom, so she waited until the supper trays had been delivered by Ricardo, then changed her dress quickly, and washed her face and hands, finishing just as her uncle tapped on the outer door.
Ricardo had wheeled in the cart full of trays of steaming hot dishes then Maria had set out everything, from expensive cutlery to gold-edged plates and linen napkins, along with crystal goblets, also a pot of steaming hot coffee for after dinner. Maria had then taken the extra tray of food into the other room to feed the patient.
As Lord Claude reached for a warm dinner roll, he chuckled, then said, “You know, Niece, Maria tells me that young rascal in there has developed a huge appetite, and would most assuredly eat the cutlery if she didn’t haul it out of there in time.”
Olivia smiled, and said, “Of course uncle, I suppose that is to be expected. He’s had a bad few years, of which I rather feel sorry for the chap, but tell me, once he has recovered sufficiently, just what will he do? I mean, where will he go? We can’t just smuggle him off the ship at some out-of-the-way port.”
Claude took another bite of the tender beef steak, chewed and swallowed before answering, then said, “I had a long talk with the young chap, Ollie, last night after supper, and although he’s still very weak and couldn’t talk that much, it does seem as though I was right in my estimation of his situation. For one thing, yes he was shanghaied, and then held prisoner on the very vessel of which I suspected, the Red Dragon. Captain Devlin’s ship.
“He claims that he was on that ship around eight years, and it’s no wonder he’s in such bad shape, and half-starved. Three other chaps escaped at the same time, but he’s not sure they survived, though they do have a meeting place set up for a few weeks from now, if they all were successful in their escape that is. It is in the Wyoming territory, and that is where this young man is from also.” Claude began eating again, and Olivia nodded. She was enjoying the tasty meal.
After a few more minutes she asked, “By the way, Uncle, did you find out the man’s name? If he lived in Wyoming, does he have family there?”
“Actually yes,” Claude began, “I could tell right away that he wasn’t British, as he has that very distinctive way of talking that the Americans of the western part of that continent have, and he confirmed that right away. His name is Logan Wakefield, and he believes to be around thirty years old now. So many years stolen from his young life.”
“Yes, it is a tragedy.” Olivia mused, and dropped her eyes to her plate, then slowly began, “I really am glad, uncle, that we were able to rescue him, though will he be able to travel all the way back to his home now? Is it still risky for him to be seen?”
“Well, Ollie, I have a plan. Just as soon as he is able, gets his strength back and is healed, I plan on having him outfitted and spruced up a bit, then he will miraculously appear from one of the ports where we stop at, and I will hire him on to assist Ricardo in my stateroom. If the captain or no one in the crew happens to see him board the ship, well, dare they question my judgment?”
“I hadn’t thought of that. Do you think it will work?”
“Of course it will work, Ollie, and I have already spoken to Mr. Wakefield about my plan for him, and he is more than willing to work his way back home.”
“So, his name is ‘Logan’? Logan Wakefield. Hmmm, and just where was he when he was taken? It couldn’t have been from the Wyoming territory, as that is nowhere near any seaport.”
“He told me that he was shanghaied on the docks of Seattle, Washington. That’s way up to the northwest part of the country, however what he was doing there, I have no idea. He’d talked a lot, and was tiring, so I left him to rest. Perhaps I’ll speak to him again tonight before I leave for my room. Oh, and he did say that he had parents living in Wyoming, at least hopefully anyway.”
Lord Beckford paused and took a long sip from his cup of after-dinner coffee, and Olivia stirred a spoonful of sugar into her cup of hot flavorful tea, then she looked up at Claude and asked, “By the way, Uncle, not to change the subject, but did you check with the captain? Is there a passenger named Henry Adams on this ship?”
“I did that.” Beckford replied, took another drink of coffee before continuing, “And I did look through the passenger list. There is no Henry Adams listed, although there is one chap named Henry, though his last name is Birch. Henry Birch. It seems he is staying in the cabin where you thought you saw Adams. Strange, don’t you think?”
Olivia answered, “I believe it was him, Uncle Claude. Just our luck to run into the arrogant scoundrel. Well, I shall ignore him if I see him again.”
“Don’t worry, Ollie, I have already spoken with several of the crew members, and he will be watched. It seems that he has taken to having his meals brought to him at his stateroom, and is keeping to himself at this time. I wonder why.”
“Well, if it is the same man, let’s just hope that he leaves the ship at some port, and not where we are going.”
“I’m afraid not, Niece, as it seems, according to his travel plans, that he will depart the liner at the same place as we will. New York harbor.”
Olivia arose from her chair at the table, then took a deep breath, and walked over to her uncle giving him a light peck on the cheek, then said, “That was a wonderful meal anyway, Uncle Claude, and thank you so much for all your kind attention to my comforts on this trip. Things will work out, I’m sure of that. As for now, I believe I’ll take a turn in watching over the patient, though I feel he doesn’t need that much care now that he’s awakened, and getting his strength back, and Maria certainly does need a break from caring for him. Maybe I’ll take a book with me and read to him for awhile, that is if the poor man understands good literature.”
Lord Claude laughed, “If I didn’t know better, Ollie, I would think you have been avoiding seeing the poor soul since he awakened.”
“Heavens, no! Perish the thought.” She exclaimed.
“Well, anyway, I believe our Maria has been enjoying this little adventure of ours, so if you can tear her away from that sickroom, well and good. I hear they’ve had quite the conversations also, weak as he is, she’s been entertaining him with stories of when she was young and in love with Ricardo, and how long it took him to realize it.”