by Kara Louise
She settled into an easy conversation with a young lady just about her age who was travelling with her husband. Her name was Jenna Michelson, and Elizabeth discovered that when they arrived in America they would make their way to the Dakotas, where her husband’s brother owned some land. Elizabeth listened in awe as Jenna read a letter from her brother-in-law describing the winters there. They would be housebound for days, even weeks on end, when severe snowstorms came upon them.
“And this is your dream, to live in such a place as this?” asked Elizabeth incredulously.
Jenna smiled and nodded softly. “It is the only way. We had no hope for a better life in England. At least here we shall have some land and our own home.”
Elizabeth smiled sympathetically. She was grateful for Longbourn, their modest home, yet knew that unless one of her sisters made a marriage with someone of fortune, they had little hope for much more. With their home entailed to a distant cousin, whom they had never even met because of a family dispute between her father and his father, they could hardly hope that Longbourn would always be there for them.
Jenna interrupted Elizabeth’s thoughts. “We saved for years, giving up many things so we could make this trip. For us this trip means everything.” The young friend looked over at the gentleman sitting off by himself. “We sacrificed quite a lot to make this voyage. For that gentleman,” she discreetly motioned toward him, “it was probably no sacrifice at all for him to take this trip.”
Elizabeth, with her eyes turning back to the gentleman, whose impeccable dress and manners more than hinted at his wealth, asked, “Do you know anything about him? His name or where he is from?”
Another woman at the table, a Mrs. Nichols, answered for her. “His name is Darcy, so I hear. Has a home in London and in Derbyshire somewhere.”
Another one answered, “I heard he owns a great estate.”
From across the table, someone added, “No, I think I heard he owns his own castle and allows no one near.”
Elizabeth was amused at the rumours that were already circulating about this man of wealth.
“Perhaps he even owns his own island, or even his own country somewhere,” said another.
Everyone laughed.
“Not a very sociable person,” added Mr. Michelson, “but from the looks of him and his dress he is definitely a man of wealth and therefore has no need for any of us. Almost certainly the only sacrifice he is making in taking this voyage is being in the same room with people he deems beneath him.”
“You are not far from the mark there, Mr. Michelson,” Elizabeth smiled. “I overheard him say to the captain that the women on this ship were not handsome enough to tempt him, and most everyone decidedly beneath his station.”
Michelson added, “I am glad to hear that for the sake of the ladies on this ship. He may have the looks and the wealth to attract any number of ladies, but I would wager that he would consider it a punishment even to speak to any lady on this ship.” He nodded toward a table where a young lady was seated with some other passengers. “Now she has had her eye on him all evening. I would wager that she deems him someone most suitable for herself.”
“Well she looks like she deserves him. But you do not have to worry about me,” Elizabeth stated emphatically. “I believe I can safely promise you never to cast an interested eye in his direction.”
At this, her eyes gave a teasing glance at Darcy just as he looked up to see three sets of eyes upon him. Somehow he suspected that they were talking about him, and he shifted uncomfortably on the bench. At times he wished he was more like his outgoing friends… Bingley, for instance, who could speak so easily amongst strangers and would, in very little time, be acquainted with the whole room.
Yet in reality, when Bingley was with him in situations where he had few or no acquaintances, he would watch Bingley circulate about the room while he remained anchored at some window or mantel, unable to keep up with him, unwilling to make the effort. No, having Bingley around did not always help.
Darcy had brought in with him a book to read, but no longer had a desire to remain in here. He knew that in time he would get to know a select few of the passengers, most likely as he found opportunity to speak to them alone. When in the company of one or two, he more often than not could summon up all effort at civility and get through the very basics.
He looked over to the woman who had boldly come up to him earlier, noticing that she was still eyeing him most overtly. If he really wanted to, he could put on a charming façade and a civil demeanour, endure her company, and charm her and her companions. But at the moment, his thoughts were not inclined toward viewing this voyage as something that would offer him any modicum of pleasure or refined enjoyment. He was solely focused on the task at hand: to secure his sister and return home with her. Finally, deciding he needed the solitude of his room, he slid himself out from the bench.
Elizabeth had turned back to her friends and she excused herself, wanting to get back down to steerage before darkness settled across the ship. As she turned toward the door, she again inadvertently collided with Darcy, who was also walking hurriedly in the same direction.
Elizabeth gave a wry smile as she saw whom she had bumped into again. “Perhaps we ought to stop meeting like this, sir. One of us is bound to get hurt!” Her eyes flashed a lively, almost mischievous look his way that caught him off guard and seemed to pull him in and, at the same time, back to some fleeting memory again.
“I would hope not. Again, I apologize.”
He walked on ahead of Elizabeth and she thought, Just as I would expect. He wants to distance himself from the likes of someone like me. He cannot endure being in the presence of one so decidedly beneath him!
But instead of continuing on, when he reached the door, he opened it, stood off to the side, and allowed her to pass through ahead of him. His unexpected action pleasantly surprised her, and at once she regretted her previous thought about him. At least he can choose to display good manners when he wants to, she thought. “Thank you,” she replied and made her way to the stairs that took her down below, wondering at the difficulty she was having in attempting to sketch his character.
Darcy stood still and watched as she left, noticing that she was headed down another flight of stairs. He found himself captivated by her eyes and found it difficult to pull his away. As he finally turned to proceed to his cabin, he had to abruptly divert his direction to avoid encountering yet another woman he determined had planted herself in his path to make certain to attract his attention. His decision to walk completely around the other way to his cabin brought him to it in a most exasperated state.
Chapter 4
As darkness encased the ship, the environment within steerage became markedly bleak. Elizabeth made her way toward her bed and found Mrs. Rawlings still tending to her daughter, Pauline, who felt exceedingly ill. Penelope had fallen asleep in her mother’s bed, and Mrs. Rawlings decided she would sleep on the floor, as she did not want to disturb her sleeping daughter. Moreover, in the state she was in, she would not be able to fit upon the narrow mattress next to her daughter.
Elizabeth would not have it and offered her bed to the woman. “Please, I insist that you take my bed. Allow me to sleep on the floor!”
“Thank you, Miss Bennet, but no. I cannot do that.”
“Mrs. Rawlings, I am younger, and you need a good night’s sleep to keep yourself and the baby healthy.”
“I appreciate your generosity, but we chose to save money by having our girls sleep together. It is my dilemma.”
Elizabeth shook her head firmly. “Mrs. Rawlings, I have oft slept on the floor in my sister’s room. I would sneak into her room at night and we would lie on the floor whispering and giggling, falling asleep before we knew it.”
Elizabeth extended her hand toward her bed while gathering her coverlet and a coat to use as a pillow, placing them on the floor. “Please.”
Mrs. Rawlings was more than grateful to Elizabeth, but remorseful for
causing Elizabeth such discomfort. They sat and talked for a while, Elizabeth continually reassuring her. Elizabeth eventually changed into her nightdress and robe, and then crawled between the folded warmth of her coverlet.
As Elizabeth lay there in those first few moments of darkness, she thought it was not so much the hard floor that might keep her awake, but the rocking of the ship and the noises from this crowded room of women and children. At home, she had her own room and she was a very light sleeper.
As she lowered her head upon the pillow, she remembered the words of her father and offered up a silent prayer thanking God for taking them through this first day. She was grateful she did not seem affected by the swaying of the ship and prayed for those who were, especially little Pauline. As she closed her eyes, she added to her prayer a request that she would be able to sleep well on this ship for the duration of the voyage. But the noises from children crying out and other odd sounds of so many people sleeping together did little to help this part of the prayer being answered that night.
***
They were blessed with pleasant weather, allowing the hatch to steerage to be left open all night. This allowed for a meagre amount of light to seep down into the depths of the ship as soon as the sun began announcing the new day. At the earliest signs of dawn, Elizabeth awoke, silently cursing her propensity to awaken with the morning sun. At some point in the night she had fallen asleep, but now she was stiff and sore, and believed herself to have had only a few hours of sound sleep.
She sat up slowly, working out sore muscles and stiff limbs. Most of her steerage companions were still asleep, and she sat quietly, leaning her head against the wall, contemplating what this new day would bring.
She looked up toward the hatch and watched the thread of sunlight sneaking through. She stifled a deep breath because of the variety of odours that were building throughout. As she sat motionless, she thought of her father’s words again, and thanked the Lord for her first night on the ship and then beseeched Him that He would continue to carry them safely across these waters.
Her attention was drawn to Pauline, who had awakened and began to whimper. Elizabeth stood up as Mrs. Rawlings awoke and they both went to the little girl. Elizabeth felt the little girl’s forehead and found it to be feverish. “She does seem to have a fever, Mrs. Rawlings. Perhaps her illness is something other than seasickness.”
Mrs. Rawlings pulled the blanket off the bed and brought it up to Pauline, covering the little girl, who had begun to shiver.
Elizabeth gently reassured the woman, who was quite concerned for her daughter. “Let me go freshen up, and then I will go up on deck and see if I can secure another blanket for her.”
“Thank you.”
Elizabeth changed into a simple muslin dress and quickly brushed out her hair, easily pulling it up. She put on a bonnet and tied it securely under her chin, then set out for one of the small necessary rooms they had for the women. When she had readied herself, she wrapped a shawl around herself, climbed the stairs, and instantly felt strengthened by the gradual increase of sunlight that poured down on her. Upon reaching the floor just below the top deck, she obliged herself and took in a well-needed deep breath. She filled her lungs with the fresh air and immediately felt strengthened and more alert.
She decided to walk down the hall, looking for some sort of linens storage room. To her delight, she found a door that was marked with the word Linens.
She did not see anyone around, so she turned the door lever and was pleased to find it unlocked. She walked into a very pleasant, clean room that had shelves of blankets, pillows, towels, and assorted other items. A small window let in some light and a fleeting thought passed through Elizabeth’s mind that she could curl up in here and sleep for the night so soundly and no one need to know. It would be much more endurable than steerage. As she was musing over this very foolish, yet appealing, idea, the listing of the ship closed the door behind her, bringing her back to her purpose in being there, and she set out to collect a few things she needed. She decided to pick up an extra pillow for herself, as well as two more blankets in case they were needed.
Her arms were full as she managed to open the door. As she backed out, she slowly closed the door behind her. She turned and found herself staring into the face of Mr. Darcy, who was walking down the hall.
A look of surprise crossed his face as he saw her arms laden with linens. He smiled slightly, tilting his head as he spoke, “I did not know when I collided with you yesterday that you were a stowaway.”
“I am not a stowaway, sir,” Elizabeth declared as she shook her head in irritation and for emphasis. She looked down at the blankets and pillow. “I am bringing these down to steerage for a little girl who has a fever and the chills, and where, I might add, I am a paid passenger.”
“I see,” he said. “I am sorry to hear that a child is unwell.” He had never seriously considered that she was a stowaway, but he should have known that his attempts at teasing usually were not taken as such. This was unfortunately one of those occasions. “Were you not given enough blankets and pillows, then?”
Elizabeth was eager to let this gentleman know what she thought about this very poor policy on the ship. “We would have had enough if only one person was assigned to each bed.”
“There are people doubled up down there?” asked Darcy incredulously.
Elizabeth started at his question. She tilted her head and looked at him askance, pondering yet another example of his unpredictability. “Many of the children are. Unfortunately one of them is the sick little girl. The child’s mother, who is again with child, gave up her bed to her other daughter.” Elizabeth pondered whether to go on to tell him that she gave her own bed to the mother, but decided against it.
Darcy looked at her with feelings of disbelief and displeasure at what he learned his ship’s policy was and what had happened as a result. “So this woman is left to sleep on the floor?”
Elizabeth now looked at this man, whose character was becoming increasingly difficult to sketch. That he seemed concerned did not harmonize with the image she had of him.
“No, I could not allow her to do that.” Elizabeth paused. “I gave her my bed.”
Darcy nodded. “So you slept in the linens room instead?”
“Not quite, sir,” Elizabeth let out a sparkling laugh. “I went in just a few moments ago to secure these items.” She paused, and when Darcy said no more but seemed highly disconcerted about this whole thing, she added with a touch of mischievousness and a sly smile, “Although while I was in there, the thought did cross my mind that it might be just a bit more comfortable sleeping in there than on the floor in steerage. Do you think that anyone will mind?”
She did not wait for an answer, but pressed the need to get the blankets down below. “If you will excuse me, these are required downstairs.”
Elizabeth walked away, surprised by this man’s character. Her first impression of him had been that he entertained feelings of superiority and disdain for the common passengers on this ship, and that out of his own mouth. Now she had just seen evidence that he might possess a little compassion for others. And then there was something about the way he reacted to her comment about the sleeping conditions. What was it? Why would he even be concerned about how people in steerage were faring? She was exceedingly puzzled.
***
Darcy sought out the captain immediately upon leaving Elizabeth. He was not aloft, so Darcy made his way to the captain’s cabin, which was at the front of the ship, just down the hall from his own room. He knocked firmly and impatiently at the door.
Captain Wendell opened the door, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a piece of bread in the other. “Come in, Darcy. I am just having a small breakfast. Would you care to join me?”
“No, thank you, sir. That is not why I am here. I was disturbed by some news I heard and wanted to inquire about it.”
The captain looked up at him questioningly. “What is it, Darcy?”
“I understand that in steerage some of the passengers, the children to be specific, are doubled up in the beds.”
The captain turned and returned to his chair, sitting down and motioning for Darcy to sit down. “That is true. Several ships allow this policy to enable more passengers to afford the crossing. Usually the children do fine sharing their bed with a brother or sister.”
Darcy walked over to the table and sat down opposite Wendell, regarding him intently. “There is a young lady down there who has been forced to sleep on the floor after giving up her bed to a sick child’s mother. She did not ask me to inquire about this, Captain, but might there be another bed available for her? I would gladly make up the difference in her fare.”
The Captain eyed him suspiciously, wondering at his sudden generosity. “I am sorry, Darcy. The ship is full to capacity. There are no extra beds at all on this ship… except the one in your cabin, and I most certainly will not allow her to take that one.”
“There is not another available anywhere?”
The captain shook his head, wondering whether his concern over this matter was directed toward the young lady or how people would feel if they were to find out he was the owner of the ship and go to him with complaints.
“I am sorry, Darcy. This particular young lady friend of yours should claim her bed back. I am sure the child down there will improve in time. It is most likely the motion of the ship, and that should pass soon enough once she is used to it. If I were you, I would not worry about it. There is nothing you can do, and unfortunately, it happens all the time.”