Life for Eileen was hardly boring, she was busy with lessons and she
had Christopher to think about. Their courting was getting very serious,
and her mother even began to talk of marriage. Eileen's life was beginning
to look prosperous. She no longer was sad about living in Port Royal and
she even called Patrick "father" every once in a while.
Christopher was beginning to be quite prosperous in Port Royal. By the time Eileen and her mother had been there two years, Christopher owned two ships and was in charge of two crews. Christopher would sail with one while Justin Tonks would sail the other.
"Eileen?" Christopher began one warm evening as they took a walk down to the docks.
"Yes?"
"Tomorrow I leave for Boston as you know, I won't be back for some time."
"Chris, I don't' like to think about it."
"I know, but I was wondering...." He trailed off and turned away.
"Chris?"
"I have been thinking about, the one thing that lacks in my life." He turned back to her, "A wife." Eileen broke out in the largest smile he had seen on her face and hugged him will all her might.
"Yes, I will marry you Christopher my love."
The next morning Eileen went to see Christopher off at the docks. He gave her, an engagement ring. It wasn't much, just a simple gold band, her mother disapproved of its simplicity, but it was all she needed. It was tearful farewell and he was off.
The first two weeks of their separation were like hell. Eileen didn't know if she could function without him. By the end of the third week it was getting easier for her to go about daily life without any contact with him, and just as Eileen was really beginning to get used to the fact that he wasn't around they received a notice.
"Eileen." Patrick entered the library one sunny afternoon as she did her studies.
"Yes?" She looked up from her French textbook.
"I have something to tell you." He was clutching a crumpled piece of paper in his right hand and a handkerchief in his left. "Christopher's ship was attacked, possibly by pirates. It was discovered a week ago off the coast of Florida." Eileen went back to reading her textbook, and pretended she didn't hear what Patrick had said. "Eileen, did you hear me?"
"Patrick, I would appreciate if you would leave me alone, I am busy studying."
"Eileen, honey." He walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. Stiffly she shrugged it off. Without looking at him she said,
"Leave me alone." Her voice was sterile and cold. He set the handkerchief down on the table next to her and left. She stared at her book until she heard him leave. In a rage she threw the book across the room. A single tear escaped her eye and she gripped the handkerchief with white knuckles. "I won't cry." She said. "My father is gone, and now Christopher is gone."
The family never talked about it around Eileen after that. No one did in fact. Everyone knew they had gotten engaged, and everyone knew not to talk about it with her. Life began to pick up as normal. Eileen went through a stage for the first few months, in which she ran a away for a few nights at a time. She was always found down on the docks, and who ever found her knew not to mention Christopher while they took her home.
Eileen began to dream more and more of the sea. She had nothing in Port Royal anymore and was beginning to formulate in her head a plan to become a sailor. She had no interest in piracy. It's illegal nature turned her off to it. And unfortunately being a woman made it hard to get a job as a merchant sailor or especially a mariner for the Navy.
Christopher was beginning to be quite prosperous in Port Royal. By the time Eileen and her mother had been there two years, Christopher owned two ships and was in charge of two crews. Christopher would sail with one while Justin Tonks would sail the other.
"Eileen?" Christopher began one warm evening as they took a walk down to the docks.
"Yes?"
"Tomorrow I leave for Boston as you know, I won't be back for some time."
"Chris, I don't' like to think about it."
"I know, but I was wondering...." He trailed off and turned away.
"Chris?"
"I have been thinking about, the one thing that lacks in my life." He turned back to her, "A wife." Eileen broke out in the largest smile he had seen on her face and hugged him will all her might.
"Yes, I will marry you Christopher my love."
The next morning Eileen went to see Christopher off at the docks. He gave her, an engagement ring. It wasn't much, just a simple gold band, her mother disapproved of its simplicity, but it was all she needed. It was tearful farewell and he was off.
The first two weeks of their separation were like hell. Eileen didn't know if she could function without him. By the end of the third week it was getting easier for her to go about daily life without any contact with him, and just as Eileen was really beginning to get used to the fact that he wasn't around they received a notice.
"Eileen." Patrick entered the library one sunny afternoon as she did her studies.
"Yes?" She looked up from her French textbook.
"I have something to tell you." He was clutching a crumpled piece of paper in his right hand and a handkerchief in his left. "Christopher's ship was attacked, possibly by pirates. It was discovered a week ago off the coast of Florida." Eileen went back to reading her textbook, and pretended she didn't hear what Patrick had said. "Eileen, did you hear me?"
"Patrick, I would appreciate if you would leave me alone, I am busy studying."
"Eileen, honey." He walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. Stiffly she shrugged it off. Without looking at him she said,
"Leave me alone." Her voice was sterile and cold. He set the handkerchief down on the table next to her and left. She stared at her book until she heard him leave. In a rage she threw the book across the room. A single tear escaped her eye and she gripped the handkerchief with white knuckles. "I won't cry." She said. "My father is gone, and now Christopher is gone."
The family never talked about it around Eileen after that. No one did in fact. Everyone knew they had gotten engaged, and everyone knew not to talk about it with her. Life began to pick up as normal. Eileen went through a stage for the first few months, in which she ran a away for a few nights at a time. She was always found down on the docks, and who ever found her knew not to mention Christopher while they took her home.
Eileen began to dream more and more of the sea. She had nothing in Port Royal anymore and was beginning to formulate in her head a plan to become a sailor. She had no interest in piracy. It's illegal nature turned her off to it. And unfortunately being a woman made it hard to get a job as a merchant sailor or especially a mariner for the Navy.