When the first passenger reached the boat, Daniel lifted up a hand to help them into the boat. As his fingers found another pair, this one delicate, a pleasant static shock ran through from his fingertips all through the rest of his body. Daniel jerked his head up and looked straight into a pair of big, brown eyes framed in long black lashes. He took in the rest of the girl's features: a round face framed perfectly by long, thick, wavy, black hair that was coming loose of its haphazardly put together bun, milky white skin, freckles dotting along her nose, an open coat over a white chemise with a black ribbon tied around her waist that accentuated her girlishly curvy figure, and her slight hands encased in black, lace, fingerless wristlets. It was her! She was here! Daniel stood there, still holding her hand, in shock until she cleared her throat.
"Are you going to help me into the boat or just stand there holding my hand and gawking like a little boy?" She smiled. Daniel shook his head and helped her into the boat.
"My apologies miss." Daniel said, stunned. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Lucinda was here!
"Apology accepted. I'm Lucille." She said, lightly stepping into the boat and seating herself on one of the benches. She looked up at Daniel expectantly, shielding her eyes from the sun.
"Pleasure to meet you, miss. My name is Daniel." Daniel said, placing a kiss on the hand he still held. Lucille blushed at the action, before suddenly jerking her hand out of his, a small frown creasing her forehead. Daniel's heart rate accelerated, his breathing becoming laboured. Please don't die. Please don't die. I don't want to live another seventeen years without you. I want this all to end so we can just be happy and in together, he thought to himself.
Taking a deep breath, Daniel composed himself before helping the next passenger into the boat.
"Have we met before?" Came a small voice from behind him. Daniel threw a quick look over his shoulder before looking back up to the boat deck as the next passenger began climbing down with a small boy clinging to their back.
"No. I don't think so." Daniel said, grabbing the small boy and placing him in the boat before helping his mother into the boat.
"Hmm. You look absolutely familiar. Are you quite sure that we have never met before today?" Lucille asked, cracking her knuckles. Daniel flinched at the knuckle cracking. How he hated when she did that. He knew it was a nervous habit of hers that she had never been able to rid herself of, no matter how hard she tried in all her previous incarnations.
"Quite positive." He threw a quick smile at Lucille and tapped his forefinger against his left temple. "I have a photographic memory." Once there were enough passengers from the ship seated as comfortably as can be, Daniel set off for shore just as another boat pulled up to the side of the ship. All the while, he knew he was being studied by all the ladies, one in particular. When he thought she wasn't looking he would steal quick glances at her. At one point, they both looked at each other at the same time. Lucille quickly looked away, but not before Daniel saw the blush that highlighted her cheeks. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. But he knew that it wouldn't last long and that he wouldn't get to see it again for quite a long time. Life without her was like living in his own personal hell; the heart break, the loneliness, the rage. And each time she came back, he would be absolutely overcome with happiness, only to remember and try to leave her, to keep her safe and alive. He knew that this time would be no different. Except that this time he couldn't leave. He'd purposely committed a crime to escape England after previous death and was sentenced to live here on this barren landscape.
The water became shallow and Daniel immediately jumped out of the boat and began pulling it up onto the sand. Signalling it was alright to get out; Daniel held his hand out to help the ladies and their children out of the boat and safely onto dry land. A few ladies fell to their knees and began kissing the sand once their feet hit solid, sand. While others danced for joy and chatted about how glad they were to be off of the blasted boat. Daniel watched them, amusement evident on his face, before turning back to the boat only to see Lucille still sitting in the same spot she'd sat in when she first boarded the boat. Lucille was looking out to the other boat which was making its way towards them. A hopeful look on her face.
"Miss?" Daniel asked tentatively. Lucille jumped and turned to look at him. The wind blowing her, by now, loose hair about her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. It's just; I was wondering why you haven't left the boat yet?"
A distant look crossed her face as she pulled strands of hair away from her face, "I promised my brother and sister, that I wouldn't step on dry land until they were safely off the ship and in my arms. My mother is staying behind and will leave the ship only when my father does."
By then, the other boat had pulled up neatly beside them and little voices began shouting, "Lucy! Lucy! We're over here! We've made it!" Lucille jumped up and stepped carefully over to the other boat.
"Freddie! Katherine! Oh, my little darlings! Please, ma'am. My brother and sister, please pass them over to me? Oh! Thank you!" Lucille grabbed the two small children and pressed them closely to her. Pressing kisses to their foreheads as they laughed. Finally, Lucille looked up at Daniel. Silently, he held his arms out.
"Children first." The two young children began arguing over who was to be helped onto the sand by this kind stranger, Lucille laughing in the background.
"How about you both go first?" Daniel suggested. Both children stopped arguing long enough to shoot him looks of amusement. Lucille straightened in her seat, her attention focused entirely on Daniel. Having all threes attention, especially Lucille's, made just that tiny bit uncomfortable.
"Now, how do you propose you do that?" Asked the small girl, Katherine.
Daniel bent down so he was at her level, "Easy. I put each of you under an arm and carry you to shore. Then I'll come back for your sister and help her to shore." The little girl gently laid her hand on Daniel's arm. Daniel looked down at it.
"Thank you!" She beamed. Both children moved to stand on either side of Daniel; he scooped them up and carefully stepped out of the boat and waded through the water, gently placing them upright on the sand. Katherine gave Daniel a little curtsy, while Freddie bowed to Daniel. Daniel bowed to the both of them.
"Shall I fetch your sister now?" he asked, a smile on his face.
"I'd like to help." Freddie piped up. Daniel tilted his head to the side, studying the small boy. Freddie, noticing Daniel's look, straightened out his tiny frame.
"I have a better job for you to do." At this, Freddie perked up and focused his attention on Daniel. "Stay here and guard Katherine while I go and get Lucille." Daniel said. Freddie grinned and gave Daniel a little salute. Daniel saluted back and turned back to the boat.
Lucille was already standing, waiting for Daniel. He held out his hand waiting for her to take it.
"Thank you for doing that." She said, taking Daniel's hand. The static shock passed through their fingers again and this time Lucille pulled her hand out of Daniels and cradled it to her chest as if it had hurt her.
"Did you feel that?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing into a frown.
"It was only a slight static shock." Daniel replied holding his hand back out towards her. "I promise not to shock you again." Lucille laughed and placed her hand in his.
"You were good with Freddie and Katherine. Normally they don't talk to strange people. Especially Katherine. But yet, she was the first to speak to you. There must be something about you they find reassuring?" she said as she jumped lightly onto the sand. She sighed, bent down and picked up a hand full of sand, letting the coarse grains fall through her fingers.
"I guess I'm one of those lucky people that know how to gain the trust of other people. They wouldn't have gone willingly onto the sand with me if they didn't trust me. The same goes for you and all the other women and their children. You all would've stayed huddled and frightened in the boat." Daniel said. Realising he still had ahold of her hand; he quickly let it go and began walking up to the settlement, leaving Lucille behind on the beach with her brother and sister. At the top of the sand dunes, Daniel turned around to glance once more at his doomed love as she watched her young siblings play on the beach as they waited for their parents.