Chapter 4
I woke from sleep the following morning with the distinct impression of being excited. Snapping open, my eyes could see nothing but blackness, so I attempted to close them again only to find that I had failed to keep them closed. Opening them once again, my eyes took several seconds to adjust to the darkness of the room, and I looked about to find everything exactly as I had left it the night before. Looking towards the drawn curtains, I could see that it was going to be a rather warm day. The sun was already peaking its way through them.
Stretching a bit before I finally decided to rise, I heard the gentle knock of the chambermaids at the other end of the door. "Miss?" they asked, knocking once again after they had called out to me. "Miss, are you awake yet. Your father has sent us up with a request that you dress soon. It appears that the Earl has sent word that he will be arriving sooner than expected." My eyes widened slightly at the news. How long had I been asleep?
I took a deep breath before answering. "Miss Romola?" I heard my chambermaid call out once again.
"Yes, of course. Come in!" I called out, rising and taking a seat on the end of the bed. Reaching up, I began to undo the braids just as the door opened to reveal the woman, all up long before I had been, each entering and holding some freshly placed linens.
"Good morning, young miss." The oldest, a woman called Gretchen said. In her arms she carried several folded sheets of linen. Nodding to me and receiving a smile in answer, she pushed passed and into the room, setting about her chores. Behind her, three other women followed.
Two of the women set about immediately to opening the shades, brightening the room with the light of the streets and the breeze of the early mornings light. "Have you decided on what to wear today, miss?" I heard the youngest ask me, a teenager named Anne.
"I think I will wear the blue gown, the one with the gold cloth and embroidery. It looks like a naval officer's uniform, with the buttons and all. It shall suit a day upon the fighting ship rather well." The young woman's smile of approval was all I needed to know that I had made the right choice.
"I think you are right, miss. It will suite the day perfectly." She set about immediately to search my closets. I, finally unbraiding my hair, took to brushing it, the waves of my tresses falling down and across my back. Another woman set my corset down beside me, expecting me to put it on.
"Your corset, miss. Would you like me to help you?" I nodded, taking it up and placing the straps across my shoulders.
"Alright, miss, let me know if it becomes to tight. Today is going to be a warm day, and we need to provide some breathing room for you in case you feel faint." I nodded slightly, rising and gripping my hands about the bedpost.
Taking a deep breath and releasing it, the maid immediately set about tightening the corset as gently as she could, given that it was one of the most difficult garments to put on a woman. Never mind take off…
-
-
-
-
-
-
It must have been the air in the day, or maybe the exhilaration of knowing I was about to board a fighting ship, but I could not help but feel my heart start at the mere thought of leaving solid ground and stepping onto a floating object.
I looked around the docks, and all around me I found these ships of the line floating. I imagined each one had a captain on board, ordering the hands on deck to do this or that chore such as cleaning sail or mopping below decks.
"I can tell by the smile on your face that you're enjoying yourself." Major Gates said, snapping me out of my reverie. I looked to him and smiled.
"Yes, I am, actually." I answered. "I've never seen them so close before, they're beautiful." The Major laughed lightly, reaching out to take my hand, clasping it around his own as we rode along on the carriage. In front of us, the horses whinnied in annoyance as they felt the snap of the whip once again on their backs.
"Beautiful on the outside until you've been onboard one of them for more than a week. It's rather stifling after a while, you know." He answered, squeezing my hand. I smiled at him, but said nothing.
For several minutes we traveled along, receiving more than one curious look from sailors as we passed. After all, what in the world were an army officer and a woman doing at the naval docks?
"A rather hot day it is, isn't it?" he asked me, bracing himself as he felt a slight jarring of the carriage as it lumbered along. "I suppose it would be better for you, my dear, if you remained inside, at least until we've left port."
"I suppose." I answered. "I do not mind, given that I have some company." He turned his gaze to face me, his blue eyes shining with playfulness.
"That can be arranged." He said in reply. Though he said it innocently enough, it could not help but elicit a blush from me. Turning his lips up slightly in a smile, he turned back to searching out our destination. I, on the other hand, instead decided to concentrate on one particular aspect of him, which never ceased to intrigue me. His hair.
It was a habit that I had formed only several years earlier, when he had begun to court me. That was in his early days of his commission as an officer. His hair had been the first thing that I had noticed about my would-be-husband.
I had asked him once to let it down for me, but he had refused, pulling his head away when I had reached out to touch it. Though I could see he had been somewhat flustered by my attempt at physical contact, I could remember the playfulness in his expression as he looked back at me.
But, today, though he kept it hidden behind his hat and severely tied back in a ribbon, I could see that, through all his attempts at providing an appearance of straight hair, it was most certainly curly, blonde hair. I was almost positive that he did that on purpose to make pretend that he was older than he actually was.
"There it is." My fiancé said, bringing me out of my reverie. Nodding his head in the direction of one of the many fighting vessels, I quickly followed his eyes. It was larger than the rest, the cannons peering out of the hulls most noticeably outnumbering that of the other ships lying at anchor beside it. On the ship's deck, I could see people hurrying about as they moved to finish their work, their clothes appearing somewhat tattered and beaten from years at sea.
"Where is the Commodore?" I asked him, looked at the pier and hoping to find him there. I found nothing but crates stacked, on upon another, greeting my hopeful gaze. "I do not see him anywhere. Are we early?"
"I do not think so…" Samuel answered, relinquishing his grip upon my hand. Calling out to the carriage-man to stop, he looked to me. "I think he said we were to meet him onboard the Dauntless."
"I suppose." I answered. Feeling the carriage lurch to a stop, he immediately stepped off, holding out his hand to help me. Taking it, I climbed down, looking past him to look at the ship once again.
"This way." Samuel said, taking my arm and leading me towards the docks. Finding a man loading crates on a lift, he immediately addressed himself.
"Good afternoon, sailor." he said, waiting for the man to turn. When he finally did, tipping his hat in recognition of officer's rank, Samuel continued. "I was told to meet the Commodore aboard his ship, the H.M.S. Dauntless. Tell me, man, am I in the right dock?"
"Why, yes, sir!" he said enthusiastically. "I was told to bring you to the Captain's quarters should you come while the Commodore is away. This way." He said, moving towards the ramp leading to the deck of the ship.
"The Commodore has been out all of this morning. He did not tell any of us where he was going, save for the Left tenant Gillete. That's him there." He said, pointing out the officer that stood overseeing the loading of the cargo. "If there is any problem, you go to him. He'll be able to help you until the Commodore can look after you."
Our feet finally touching the deck of the ship, I could feel it lurching slowly back and forth in a gentle rhythm, which to me resembled a child's bassinet. I looked about, seeing all the hands up on deck lowering various shipments into the lower parts of the ship through an opening in the grating on the floor. I heard our new guide continue.
"Mind your step, miss." The man said when he had notice me trip slightly over some rope which had been laid out on deck. My fiancé reached out and steadied me, looking back towards the sailor. "Everything's a bit of a mess today, we've been busy loading shipments onto the ship."
The man continued walking, and when he found he was within earshot of the ranking Left tenant, he opened his mouth to speak.
"Sir!" he called out. "The Commodore's guests have arrived!" The Left tenant did not hear him immediately, so engrossed he had been with the loading of the cargo and ordering this and that sailor about. The man called out once again. "Sir!"
"What is it, man?" the Left tenant said again, raising his gaze slowly to meet us. "Can't you see that I'm busy right at the moment. This has to be done before the Commodore returns!"
"But, sir!" he answered, realizing that the Left tenant had not noticed us standing behind him. "The Commodore's guests have just arrived on deck!"
Immediately, when those words had been spoken, his eyes widened in surprise and embarrassment and looking towards a fellow Left tenant he called out. "Mr. Groves, would you mind taking the reigns here while I greet some guests!" the man called Groves turned to him and nodded.
"Yes, of course!" he called out in return. Turning away from the first Left tenant, he resumed from where Gillete had taken off. A loud crash was heard, and then the angered cry of Groves. "You there! Be more careful with those barrels, or would you rather have a dozen lashes for a broken one!" Groves continued, noticing a barrel fall carelessly into the hold.
"Welcome to the H.M.S. Dauntless, my lord." Left tenant Gillete said, finally approaching us. I could see the curious smile of amusement as he noticed the folds and colors of my skirt complimenting his uniform. Though his eyes burned with question as to whether I had chosen it on purpose or by pure chance, he did not say a word until he was introduced.
"Yes, yes, of course. Left tenant….Gillete, was it?" Samuel asked. Taking my hand and gently leading me up beside him, he continued. "This is my fiancée, Romola Polignac. I've invited her today with me in the hopes of convincing her that your ship is as safe as a baby's bassinet." He said. I smiled to myself, realizing that I had made that same comparison only seconds before.
"A pleasure to meet you, miss." Gillete answered, smiling in my direction. "I hope that you will leave today with a bit more faith in our ships than what you came with. I can understand the fears that you may have, what with pirates roaming about everywhere." He continued. I nodded and smiled.
"I hope you are right, Left tenant." I answered. He smiled, gesturing for us to follow him.
"I'm quite positive that I am…" the left tenant said, starting his way down towards the Captain's quarters. "Please be sure that the Commodore will be back directly…."
A man approaching us quickly immediately stopped the left tenant from saying anything more as we followed him. "Sir, he is coming aboard!" Gillete immediately snapped to attention, his surprise evident at the sudden return of his commanding officer.
"Well, then. That was sooner than anticipated." Gillete responded. Turning to look at us, he smiled.
"The Commodore is coming aboard." Gillete said, hearing the steps of his commanding officer. As he finally came into view, stepping onto the deck of his ship, I smiled, recognizing him as the same man from yesterday.
He looked about for a bit, looking to see if everything was in order. Receiving a greeting from one of his Left tenants and a whispered notification, his eyes slowly came to rest on us. Nodding to his officer, he quickly made his way towards us.
"Nice to see you again, Major!" Commodore Norrington called out, smiling in my direction when he finally caught sight of me. Samuel nodded in acknowledgment of his greeting.
The dark navy blue of my gown caught his attention as he approached. I noticed as his eyes brightened somewhat in amusement, realizing the compliment I had done him by deliberately matching the uniform that he had worn yesterday. "I did not expect to see you again so soon, Miss Polignac." He finally said when he was close enough to kiss my hand in greeting.
"My fiancé invited me onboard today to see your ship. I hope you do not mind." I answered.
"Well, then, I am sure you have heard of the drills we are supposed to carry out today, then?" he asked. I nodded.
"I should very much like to see them, if you would not object to having me onboard, that is. I have heard that it is bad luck to have a woman on a ship." The Commodore laughed.
"A silly old wives tale is all it is, Miss Polignac. It is nothing to be afraid of." He answered. Turning to my fiancé, he continued. "Now, if you both will excuse me for several moments, I must see to it that the cargo is loaded and the ship prepared for sail. Would you be so kind as to wait in my quarters until I am ready?" he asked. We both nodded.
"Very well. Gillete, show them the way." The Commodore answered. Nodding quickly, Gillete began to walk away, gesturing for us to follow him. And so we did.