by Nancy M Bell
The next thing she knew the car was pulling to a halt amid the bustle and noise of the Liverpool docks. The driver bade her stay in the car while he went and saw about the arrangements. Just when she was starting to get bored he returned with a ship’s porter to escort her safely on board. She thanked the driver and felt suddenly set adrift when he climbed back in the car and departed. The porter waited politely until she indicated she was ready to follow him. He took the valise from her and commandeered a trolley for the small trunk. Bella followed him closely through the throng of people waiting to board. Most of the rougher crowd was kept at bay by rope barricades for which she was very grateful.
She stepped on the gangway and stopped dead. The porter halted and waited for her to move on.
“Is something wrong, miss?” he inquired.
Bella shook her head. Standing with one foot on the gangway she realized she was leaving English soil for good. The thought was overwhelming.
“We need to get a move on, miss. There’s others waiting,” the porter urged her.
“Yes, of course. How foolish of me.” Bella followed him onto the ship where he escorted her to her stateroom. It was larger than she expected with a small porthole which provided some natural light. She shuddered at the thought of the poor souls stuck below decks in steerage. Bless D’Arcy Rowan for allowing her to travel in comfort.
Bella freshened up and instructed the room steward on where she would like things before leaving him to do his work. She made her way up to the promenade deck to join the other passengers waving goodbye to loved ones. Bella knew no one in the throng below but she waved anyway. The blast of the ship’s whistle startled her and then she grasped the rail for support as the vessel began to move. The ship moved down the Mersey River toward the Irish Sea. The wind blew her hair out of the confines of the pins she’d secured it with, but Bella remained at the rail long after most passengers retreated inside.
Bella sought the shelter of the dining room before the Empress of Canada passed Holyhead and Wales on the port side. She ordered a pot of tea which the waiter brought along with a tiered arrangement of dainty sandwiches and scones. Finishing her tea, Bella found she was tired again. Doc had warned her that even though she wasn’t showing yet, the baby was taking its toll on her energies. He’d warned her she must be careful and to seek out a doctor as soon as she was settled. She lay down and dozed.
A while later she rose with an irresistible urge to go out on deck. She shrugged into a short jacket and made her way up to the promenade deck. The wind pulled at her but couldn’t mask the sound that drew her to the rail. In the far distance the lights of Sennen and Sennen Cove twinkled. Bella knew that coastline like the back of her hand. This might well be the last she would ever see of her beloved Cornwall. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes.
She caught sight of a line of seaweed bobbing in the swells. The high pitched sound above the wind grew stronger. She looked closer and gasped. A pod of seals rode the waves keeping pace with her position on the rail. The Selkie’s Song sounded clearly over the distance and Bella joined in the melody. As she sang with them a sense of peace settled over her. She almost jumped out of her skin when a soft voice sounded in her inner ear. “Blessings on you and the child. Never fear we will keep your secret from our loved one as long as you wish. Safe and happy journey, Arabella Elizabeth Angarrick. Beloved of the selkie Vear Du.”
The strains of the song rose and fell with the waves and faded as the tip of Cornwall disappeared in the distance. Bella stayed at the rail, gazing at the spot until the chill sea wind drove her indoors once more. She retired to her cabin to settle in and rest. There was a long voyage ahead and an even longer journey waiting.
The End
More Books by this author from Books We Love
The Cornwall Adventures
Laurel’s Quest – Book One
A Step Beyond – Book Two
Go Gently – Book Three
Romance
Storm’s Refuge (A Longview Romance Book One)
Historical Horror
By N.M. Bell
No Absolution
About the Author
Nancy M Bell has publishing credits in poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Nancy has presented at the Surrey International Writers Conference and the Writers Guild of Alberta Conference. She loves writing fiction and poetry and following wherever her muse takes her.
Please visit her webpage http://www.nancymbell.ca
You can find her on Facebook at http://facebook.com/NancyMBell
Follow on twitter: @emilypikkasso
Books We Love, Ltd