Disclaimer: I don't own anything ok? K!
When Evalyn Henley grows tired of being ordered around like one of her servants, she decides she is in need of her own life, independence and adventure. And where does she go looking for it? On the open seas, of course.
Chapter 1
Evalyn Henley was your average nineteen year old girl. She still lived with her mother and father, since she refused any men who came calling. In fact, since her debutante ball, Evalyn has basically sworn off the idea of men and marriage, which is why her mother was being so obstinate right now. Only a few moments prior, the tall, elegantly featured Mrs. Henley called her daughter into the study.
Evalyn was often referred to her mother's sister, or twin. They were the split image of one another, with a 22 years age difference. Even though, with all her might, Eva had tried to make herself look nothing like her mother. She had spent countless hours in front of the mirror, trying to style her long auburn hair in anyway that her mother would find atrocious...and she couldn't find any style that accomplished it.
She will always look like her mother.
But, at the moment, Eva's face was dark and brooding, her grey eyes set in a cloudy glare pointed toward her parents and the young man that stood in the room. "Eva, this is Mr. Carter. He's your father's new advisee. Your father hopes to put Mr. Carter at the head of the company. Won't you say hello?" The thick, southern accent of her mother's was milky and smooth. Eva saw right through it.
She knew why the young, and attractive Mr. Carter was standing their. Her mother and father wanted them to marry. Of all the low-down schemes, Eva thought, hiding her fuming anger with a sweet, sugary smile. "How do you do?"
"Very fine, thank you. Might I say, Mr. Henley, you're daughter is as beautiful as a garden full of roses." Mr. Carter smiled just as sweetly to Eva as she had to him. However, despite the disgust hidden behind hers, she was almost certain this man was just trying to get into her sheets. Eva glared harder at her mother as the older woman giggled like a little girl.
She turned to her husband and touched his wrist, and as if that was the secret movement, Eva's father stood up and showed the new advisee out into the foyer. They turned at the last second, said their goodbyes and shut the doors behind them. As soon as the 'click' of the door echoed through the dead silent room, Eva turned on her mother. "That was what you interrupted my tennis game for?"
Her mother looked startled, hiding her disapprovment behind a smile. "Why, of course, Evie. He was such a nice gentleman; we just had to introduce you two. And he's only 25. Doesn't look a day over 20 does he?"
"He looks," Eva spat, crossing the room to the window. She glared as the watched her father walk Mr. Carter out to his automobile. "Like a sneaky, little weasel!"
"Evalyn! That was the most...inappropriate, the most un-ladylike thing I have ever heard you utter. I'm ashamed of you."
The teenager spun on her heel and pointed her dark-painted fingernail at her mother. "You've always been ashamed of me! Ever since I announced that I'd rather spend my life as an old maid than with some stuffy, pushy husband! You've never forgave me for embarrassing you in front of your friends at my debutante ball!"
By now, Eva's father had reappeared. He was a very tall man, with broad shoulders and a thick neck. He thought he ought to be royalty by the way he struts around town. Eva had long since realized her father wasn't the hero in her life like he was when she was a child. In fact, Eva was beginning to realize that her parents were no better than the rats that gossiped in town. "Evalyn, I will not tolerate this behavior. I'll be damned before I see my daughter become an old maid. You will marry a very fine man, like Mr. Carter, and bear him children."
This speech, which had grown very tiresome in the past few months, made the girl groan. She gripped handfuls of hair above her ear and stomped across the room, throwing the door open. One of the servant girls, who had obviously been listened squeaked and hurried off down the halls. "You sound like you're from the Old Testament, father! If you haven't noticed, it's the 20th century...I may choose my future for myself!"
"Oh really? Well, as long as you're under my roof. I'll make your decisions! And very soon, you'll be asked to marry Mr. Carter! Now, go to your room." Mr. Henley pointed toward the spiraling stair case with his meaty finger. Eva, seething at this point, spun on her heel and slammed the study doors so hard, the hinges rattled. She applied the same treatment to her own bedroom doors, not caring when her hanging mirror fell from the wall and shattered.
Eva stomped a shard of glass with her heel and before kicking a few of the pieces across the hardwood floors. She paced the room, steaming with fury, before settling at her window. The sun was shining so brightly and yet her mood was as dark as a thunderstorm. Only half an hour earlier she had been playing tennis with Jeanie, laughing and having a wonderful day...
And now, she was thinking of running away.
She was thinking of leaving her family and her family's name behind to start her own life. Her father decided things for her now, but he couldn't make her come back home once she wasn't under his roof anymore.
Hours later, after thinking long and hard about this brash idea, one of the kitchen maids knocked on the door. Eva bade them enter and stared as the timid woman set a tray of food on the side board. "Your mum requested I bring you some supp'ah." From her accent, Eva knew she was from England. It sounded like cockney. "Thank you. Uhm, can you bring me some bread, please?" Eva stood from her window seat and started eating.
It was only vegetables, since her mother believed strongly in being a vegetarian. Although, Eva was a big fan of steak and bacon. Hungrily, she ate her steamed vegetables and bread that the maid brought up a moment later. As the sun went down and the voices of neighbor children playing died, Eva stood at her window seat, looking down at the yard. The tennis court was straight ahead, maybe a good 20 yards away.
The fence was behind it, separating their property from everyone's peeping eyes. It wasn't news that the Henley's were one of the wealthiest families in town, but it seemed that they were accustomed to showing it off more than others.
Eva changed clothes into a modest outfit and slipped her summer jacket on her shoulders. She kept her tennis shoes on to better her for the trip down the lattice along the side of the wall under her window. She locked her door, threw a bag of fresh clothes out onto the lawn and descended down to her escape. Once her feet touched the ground, Eva crept along the side of the house.
Peeking into her parent's library, she found her father and mother reading under the lamps. Her mother's face was deep in concentration on the classic novel she held while her father was quietly taking notes at his desk. They were unsuspecting, which was perfect. As Eva crept out the front gate, she didn't have one ounce of doubt or remorse for what she was doing.
Now, the thought of where to go and who to go to sprung into her mind. She hadn't actually thought of that, since the fury of her argument had been fresh in her mind. But, now that she was out of the prison cell, and on her own, her mind reeled with possibilities. Going to Jeanie's was out of the question. She could keep a secret, but since they were neighbors, it would be pointless.
Eva stopped at the corner and faced two different directions. One, the one to the right, lead into town. While the one pointing left went to the port and harbor. The port was the kind of place she avoided on a daily basis. Sailors weren't exactly her association of people, but town led her into family friends who would wisk her back to the Henley estate in a heartbeat.
Sighing, Evalyn picked up her pace and turned to the left, heading straight to the bay. The lighthouse on top of the hill flashed every so often, and in the distance a crisp bell could be heard ringing. The closer she got to the harbor, the more rowdy voices she heard.
Clamping her teeth over her lower lip, Eva reached the docks and gagged at the fishy smell. Of course, the smell of the sea had stained the town, and she was quite used to it. But, she had never been this close. A fish market was ahead of her, where fishermen were taking their day's catches to sell. A woman who looked to be in her late life was buying a barrell full of fish. Eva wondered how many children and grandchildren she had to feed with that much.
She watched the woman walk away before Eva approached the market. The man behind the counter looked at her like she was crazy. A rich girl like her belonged at parties and home, not at a smelly dock at 10:30. "Uhm, could you point me to where the ships may be?" Her voice, usually strong, had turned shy and meek as she looked around carefully.
The burly man raised his eyebrow and pointed further down the boardwalk. There were groups of ne'er-do-wells standing close to a tavern of sorts, with lady's of the night on their arms. All of them looked like sailors. But, one looked quite familiar in the faces of the drunken men.
Eva gasped and tried to busy herself at the rack of fresh salmon as the face of Mr. Carter looked up from the sleezy woman he had in his arms. She prayed to God above that he hadn't seen her. But, her luck wasn't very good. "Miss Henley?" Came a slur from behind her. Eva shook her head and tried to walk past Mr. Carter, but he snatched her arm.
"No use hiding, like tha'. I've already seen you. Now," He breathed on Eva's wide-eyed face. "what are you doin' here, so late? I wouldn't want you to fall into the wrong crowd and spoil yourself before I get the chance to do it for you." Dispite his horrid breath which nearly burned the hair on her face, Eva gathered her composure and wrenched her arm free. "You are not my keeper, Mr. Carter. I can be...here...if I wish to be."
"No! No you can't. I'm sure you're father would have a heart attack if he knew you were here. I'm takin' you home!" He sounded as if he was so proud that he had found her, as if in happiness to having her returned, Mr. Henley would make Eva his wife.
Before he could reclaim property of Eva's arm, she took off running down the docks. She silently thanked heaven above that she had kept her tennis shoes on. She could hear confused shouts from the half-drunken sailors as they caught sight of her spree. Mr. Carter was on her tail, but she refused to slow down. What would she face if she went back home submissively? Her father would beat her, no doubt.
Especially for fleeing to the docks of all places.
She would have to go to the doctors to prove that she was still a virgin, and have a blood transfusion for even associating with scum like this. The thought of this made something pump in her legs. She sped up, weaving through the crowd. As she turned toward the row of ships lined up at the docks to ship out in the morning, she slammed into a broad chest of a man.
He gripped her shoulders, steadying her on her feet. Eva looked up and widened her eyes. She hadn't expected to see a handsome face here of all places. Still, she didn't let herself become to hypnotised by the piercing blue eyes. "Help me! He's after me! He's going to rape me!" She pointed out Mr. Carter quickly before taking off once more. Hopefully the handsome man would help a damsel in distress.
She paused to catch her breath, hiding behind a stack of boxes. They smelled like rotting fish and musty straw. It wasn't a good combination. Eva pinched her nose and crept out from behind the boxes, looking around at the row of ships. Most of them were just for fishing or sailing, but one, a cargo ship, was docked and anchored. Eva looked up and spotted the lookout in the crow's nest. He was asleep and looked like he barely fit in the basket.
Heaving a sigh, Eva gripped the shoulder straps of her backpack and slinked quietly up the plank of the ship. She slid against the walls and made her way around the unfamiliar maze of hallways. Only once did she narrowly miss being caught. A man, mumbling about having to be a lookout on the ship, came out of no where, forcing Eva into a room barely big enough to fit into.
Thankfully, he hadn't seen her and she slinked lower and lower in the ship before she reached a smelly room. It looked like a room made to store dirty laundry. Perhaps this is where the crew threw their soiled clothes. Eva sat down on the floor, clearing a spot large enough for her to sit, and tried to still her thumping pulse. For a long time, almost an hour, she sat quietly, listening for any sign that Mr. Carter had followed up on the ship and was looking for her. But nothing came.
Her heartbeat had stilled long ago, but something was still making her extremely jumpy. No doubt Mr. Carter would go straight to her parents house, and they would insist that every ship and ever building on the docks be searched.
However, the ship jerked slightly and a loud horn blasted through the air. Even in her cubby hole in the back of the ship, Eva could hear it, and recognized it almost immediately. The ship was taking off! Gasping, a sudden fear leapt up into her chest. How could she be so stupid? Running away and stowing herself on a ship? It was absurd! She should have never left the comfort of her bed...
But, instead of running out in the open, making the crew know of her presence on the ship, she sat back down. After a moment of hearing the engine (which must have been right below her) Eva opened her backpack, pulled out a pack of cards and played solitaire into the morning hours. Only then did she find that she was too tired to keep her eyes open. She curled up, among the sweaty, dirty laundry and fell asleep.
When Eva awoke, she sat upright with a jolt, not knowing where she was at first. Then the realiazation struck her, making her heart still in it's pounding. She checked her watch and saw that it was 9:15 in the morning. The ship could be halfway to Africa by now.
Smiling, Eva picked up her cards, making sure the entire deck was intact before stowing them back into their place in her bag. Her stomach rumbled, making her wish for some breakfast. However, she couldn't just stoll out and demand fresh strawberries and a glass of milk. Instead, she settled back against the wall and pulled out a wrapped chocolate. "Now, all I have to do is make this last...until we reach another port." The thought made her scoff before she placed the chocolate candy into her mouth.
Just as she started to swallow it, the door was wrenched open and a pile of clothes hit her square in the head. Eva shrieked, appalled that a pair of trousers had landed on her head. She thrashed around, throwing clothes off of her. It was a moment before she realized that someone else was also pulling garments off of her head. As the pair of trousers, which had impaired her vision, was snatched off of her head, she gasped.
She was staring into the face of the man she met on the docks. The very handsome face of the man that probably saved her. However, he didn't look so nice this time. "What are you doing here!" He demanded in a foreign accent. Eva, her eyes wide with fear and surprise, shook her head.
"I-I-I fell asleep..."
"Why were you sleeping on my ship?" For this question, she didn't have an answer for. And as Eva was jerked to her feet by this man, she felt her eyes tearing up at the mere thought of having to go back home.
AN- Ok! this is my first attempt at a Captain Englehorn story! flinches It may suck, or it may not..I dunno. But, uhm..Does anyone know his first name? smacks forehead I think I'm just going to have to make it up! Anyway, review please!