The constant sounds of waves crashing against the sides of the boat were now dull upon my ears, becoming another background noise just as the songbirds in London had. As I stood upon the deck, I closed my eyes and allowed the dim sunlight shining through the clouds to seep into my skin. The salty breeze of the sea brushed against my face, cool and refreshing.
England was far East now, lost in the view of grey waves and overcast clouds. As for New England, I could just barely see its silhouetted hills over the horizon. I kept a neutral expression as the landmass grew larger and larger, revealing tall pine and maple trees dyed in hues of yellow, orange and red for the autumn seasons. It was a sight to behold to say the least. A harbor town came into view as well, Boston it was called. Long wooden docks stretched out into the water, holding an assortment of ships such as Clippers, Dingys, Dorys and Corvettes. Beyond the mass of white sails, a pier held steady in the bay with fishing markets, mills and factories lining the sides. More inland, tall church steeples rose into the heavens, displaying the beautiful craftsmen's ship of the bells for all to sea. Below them, there were more modest houses and small shops. Boston was nothing compared to London, but still a remarkable town and an excellent start for England's colonies.
A warm hand clasped itself on my shoulder and I glanced up to see my mother smiling gently down at me. I smiled back subtly, and then looked on ahead to my new home. My father had been recruited to command the British troops in the colonies to help keep the peace. Lately there had been reports of social unrest and rebellion. I was wary of this decision to move to New England for I had heard of the stories of the Salem witches roaming about in the woods, dancing around fires and making human and animal sacrifices to Satan in the dead of the night. Also, I had heard of wild savages bashing in the heads of settlers while they sleep and bringing them a pointy reckoning in the dead of the night. My mother tried to convince me that these were just wives tails spread by parents to make their children behave. But I knew better, I knew there was something in the woods that the King was unsure about. Why else would he set boundaries on land conquered in his name?
I took a deep breath, which was hard considering my middle was being clenched to death by a damned corset. 'Beauty is pain' my mother said as she fastened the laces… I glanced down at the dressed my mother insisted on me wearing when we made our way into port. It was beautiful, but most uncomfortable nonetheless. Olive green in the bodice, white in the skirt, cream in the lace, it was my nicest dress. The sleeves came about midway, lined with draping lace. The neckline scooped down below my breasts but a lower white bodice that was ridged and button-up covered my cleavage. Tied around the skirt of the dress was a soft, olive colored bustle that also came down the sides of the skirt. As for my hair, the monstrous, untamable dark brown locks were tied into a braided bun on the back of my headed and topped with a simple cream colored visor, secured with a green strip of chiffon wrapped under my chin and over the top of the visor. Mother insisted on keeping my skin fair, so I was forbidden to spend too much time in the full concentration of the sun's rays. She feared I would be mistaken for a savage with my already dark features.
The clipper ship my parents and I were on was maneuvered into port and tied down to the dock. Sailors gathered our belongings and secured a plank for us to descend onto the dock. Waiting on the dock was a man clad in a blue coat with his hair tied back by a red ribbon into a ponytail. He greeted my father and the two began talking. Meanwhile I was fascinated by the new territory yet to be explored by myself. I glanced back at my father when he beckoned me over to introduce me to the man he had been talking to, Mr. Haytham Kenway. I curtsied politely and tried not to seem as distant as I really was. This man didn't interest me, Boston did. I was soon dismissed to go about the town with an exception to be back at the manor before sundown.
In an instant, I was gone, dodging in and out of the mass crowds moving through the cobblestone streets. Moving more inland, there were more seamstress shops, taverns and materialistic shops. There were a variety of people: Germans, Irishmen, Scotts, Italians, Fins, Swedes and even some Frenchmen. They all seemed to have grasped their niche in this new world.
Hopefully I'd be able to as well.
Connor will be introduced in the next chapter.
Remember, I DON'T OWN ANY OF THIS EXCEPT FOR MY OC.