Eileen's 19th birthday took place a week before their arrival in Port
Royal. It wasn't much of a celebration but at least the passengers of the
ship recognized it. Her mother took her aside after the more elaborate
than normal supper. "This is for you." She held out a small black box.
Eileen took it.
Inside was a beautiful blue pendant necklace. The pendant was silver with a large blue stone in the center. It was surrounded by very ornate silver work and hung on a thick silver chain. "Oh, it's beautiful Mother."
"It was your father's. He meant it for you but never had a chance to give it too you. He was going to give it to you on your eighteen birthday, and unfortunately I was too preoccupied to remember to give it to you then." Eileen slipped it around her neck and admired it.
"That's beautiful." Christopher said to her.
"It is from my father." Despite Christopher's openness about his father, Eileen had told him hardly anything about hers. He knew that Patrick wasn't her real father, but beyond that he only knew what he picked up through conversation.
Christopher lay down on deck to stare at the stars. He slept up on deck for most of the trip, using his coat as a blanket. The stars seemed to look more beautiful with each passing day. Each star seemed to wink at him as he drifted off to sleep. His dream that night was about Eileen. She was a Spanish princess and he was had come to court her.
"Eileen, last night I had a dream about you."
"Did you now?" It was morning and Christopher and her sat eating what seemed the be the best apples they could find, which were the only ones left without too many rotten spots or that weren't half eaten by rats.
"Yes. I had a dream you were a Spanish princess." Eileen's eyes widened.
"A Spanish princess?"
"Yes."
"Might I be forward with you?" Eileen asked in a whisper.
"Yes. But why are you whispering?"
"I hope that you and I might court when we settle in Port Royal." It was quite a lot of courage for Eileen to say such a thing. She had never known such strong feelings for a man before, and it wasn't like her to keep her mouth shut about many things. She did have enough propriety and class to know when things were inappropriate to mention, or things people didn't generally speak out loud. "Please forgive me." She said right after.
"I won't." Christopher retorted a bit more forcefully than intended. "I mean, I don't want to forgive you. I only wish I had said it first."
Two days later they docked in Port Royal. Eileen stood at the helm as the coasted into Port. She looked wind-torn and dirty after three months on a ship but Christopher couldn't have loved her more as she became antsy with anticipation of the activity in the port. She had never seen anything like Port Royal. She had lived in merchant towns before but this was beyond anything she had seen. The bay was filled with boats coming in and out, and the docks were filled with grubby sailors.
"This is so much fun!" She exclaimed as they pulled up to the dock. From the docks she could see the market square and the bustle of life. It has been so long since any of them had seen other people besides those on the ship that even Jacqueline was getting anxious.
The house Patrick owned in Port Royal was incredible. It was three stories high with a tower that went up another floor. It was stone with blue roofs and doors. It was beautiful. "Oh it is like living in a castle." Eileen cried when their carriage pulled up the long circle driveway. It was beautiful with carved wood handrails, hand made tile floors with gold inlays and an enormous stone fireplace in the front room. The yard outside was one vast garden stretching from the back yard around the sides to the front. Despite Eileen's qualms about moving, she wasn't ashamed to admit that she loved the house.
Life began to settle down. They got moved in, hired servants, and Christopher came to call nearly every day. Eileen began learning Latin as well as arithmetic and astrology. Eileen secretly wanted to be a sailor and sail around the oceans. She felt learning the stars could help her learn navigation.
Inside was a beautiful blue pendant necklace. The pendant was silver with a large blue stone in the center. It was surrounded by very ornate silver work and hung on a thick silver chain. "Oh, it's beautiful Mother."
"It was your father's. He meant it for you but never had a chance to give it too you. He was going to give it to you on your eighteen birthday, and unfortunately I was too preoccupied to remember to give it to you then." Eileen slipped it around her neck and admired it.
"That's beautiful." Christopher said to her.
"It is from my father." Despite Christopher's openness about his father, Eileen had told him hardly anything about hers. He knew that Patrick wasn't her real father, but beyond that he only knew what he picked up through conversation.
Christopher lay down on deck to stare at the stars. He slept up on deck for most of the trip, using his coat as a blanket. The stars seemed to look more beautiful with each passing day. Each star seemed to wink at him as he drifted off to sleep. His dream that night was about Eileen. She was a Spanish princess and he was had come to court her.
"Eileen, last night I had a dream about you."
"Did you now?" It was morning and Christopher and her sat eating what seemed the be the best apples they could find, which were the only ones left without too many rotten spots or that weren't half eaten by rats.
"Yes. I had a dream you were a Spanish princess." Eileen's eyes widened.
"A Spanish princess?"
"Yes."
"Might I be forward with you?" Eileen asked in a whisper.
"Yes. But why are you whispering?"
"I hope that you and I might court when we settle in Port Royal." It was quite a lot of courage for Eileen to say such a thing. She had never known such strong feelings for a man before, and it wasn't like her to keep her mouth shut about many things. She did have enough propriety and class to know when things were inappropriate to mention, or things people didn't generally speak out loud. "Please forgive me." She said right after.
"I won't." Christopher retorted a bit more forcefully than intended. "I mean, I don't want to forgive you. I only wish I had said it first."
Two days later they docked in Port Royal. Eileen stood at the helm as the coasted into Port. She looked wind-torn and dirty after three months on a ship but Christopher couldn't have loved her more as she became antsy with anticipation of the activity in the port. She had never seen anything like Port Royal. She had lived in merchant towns before but this was beyond anything she had seen. The bay was filled with boats coming in and out, and the docks were filled with grubby sailors.
"This is so much fun!" She exclaimed as they pulled up to the dock. From the docks she could see the market square and the bustle of life. It has been so long since any of them had seen other people besides those on the ship that even Jacqueline was getting anxious.
The house Patrick owned in Port Royal was incredible. It was three stories high with a tower that went up another floor. It was stone with blue roofs and doors. It was beautiful. "Oh it is like living in a castle." Eileen cried when their carriage pulled up the long circle driveway. It was beautiful with carved wood handrails, hand made tile floors with gold inlays and an enormous stone fireplace in the front room. The yard outside was one vast garden stretching from the back yard around the sides to the front. Despite Eileen's qualms about moving, she wasn't ashamed to admit that she loved the house.
Life began to settle down. They got moved in, hired servants, and Christopher came to call nearly every day. Eileen began learning Latin as well as arithmetic and astrology. Eileen secretly wanted to be a sailor and sail around the oceans. She felt learning the stars could help her learn navigation.