forward.
“My father was a captain,” Erma responded. “He used to take us with him on some of his trips. I think he just couldn’t bear to be away from Mum for that long.”
“It must have been exciting,” panted Kathleen.
“Aye. It was. I loved the sea when I was a girl.” Then her voice lowered and her demeanor changed. “And then I hated it,” she declared.
Kathleen stared at her wide-eyed.
“It took my father,” said the girl, her voice flat—empty.
“I’m—I’m sorry,” breathed Kathleen.
Laughter rippled out into the dark narrow hallway and led them the rest of the way to the celebration party.
The whole small room seemed to be filled with swirling skirts and raucous laughter. Mr. Jenks and a few waiters were the only gentlemen present. Kathleen looked about her in stunned silence. Here were the ladies addressed in the posting. Many ladies. Tall ones, short ones, plump ones, thin ones, dark ones, fair ones, young ones and, surprisingly, a few rather old ones.
They were not all pretty. They were not all well dressed. They were not even all well kept. But they all did appear to be celebrating.
As the two girls stood back, taking in the scene before them, Peg stepped from a cluster of laughing women, waved a hand that held a glass of sloshing liquid, and called rather loudly, “Over here. Join the party.”
Kathleen held back but Erma pulled her forward. “Come. Let’s join the fun.”
Someone passed Kathleen a glass filled with—something. She took a tentative sip, didn’t like it, so just held the glass in her hand and tried hard not to look too uncomfortable and conspicuous.
“I thought Mr. Jenks said about twenty girls,” she managed to whisper to Erma.
“Twenty from England. The other twenty have joined us from the Continent.”
“From the Continent? Mercy me!” exclaimed Kathleen.
“Many of the American men came from the Continent,” Erma explained carefully. “They wish wives from their home countries. Only makes sense.”
Kathleen nodded. She supposed it did make sense.
She hardly had time to think about it before a shout was heard over the din. “Here’s to America,” someone called, lifting her glass high in the air. More shouts followed. The party seemed to be getting more and more rowdy.
“Here’s to the men,” came another cry.
“Here’s to their wealth,” called a third girl with a hiccup and a giggle, and such a commotion followed her words that Kathleen could hardly think.
Mr. Jenks stepped forward then. Kathleen wondered if he intended to get control before things were entirely out of hand.
“Ladies!” he called. “Ladies!”
It took several cries before he made himself heard.
“Ladies. I wish I could ask you to take a seat,” he smiled at them. “But as you can see, there are no chairs available.”
“No problem!” shouted Peg, waving her glass in the air, and she plopped down on the carpeted floor, her skirts swirling out around her.
Giggles followed as one by one the women took her lead and settled themselves unceremoniously on the floor. Kathleen stood, her glass clutched in white-knuckled fingers, her eyes wide with shock at the scene. Never had she observed such unruly conduct.
“Ladies,” said Mr. Jenks again. “I know you are all excited about this new adventure. And it is exciting. I wish you all the very best as you begin your new lives—in a new home—with a new—” He stopped and raised an eyebrow, then smiled at them all, “—husband,” he finished, and was rewarded with loud cheers and lifted glasses.
Mr. Jenks had to wait further for the commotion to subside.
“We will be at sea for a number of days. I have a cabin located on the lower deck. It is easy to find, and I have posted my name on it in big letters. I will wish to see each one of you individually during the trip to make all the final arrangements.
“Many of you already have all of the particulars about the man you will be marrying, but a
“My father was a captain,” Erma responded. “He used to take us with him on some of his trips. I think he just couldn’t bear to be away from Mum for that long.”
“It must have been exciting,” panted Kathleen.
“Aye. It was. I loved the sea when I was a girl.” Then her voice lowered and her demeanor changed. “And then I hated it,” she declared.
Kathleen stared at her wide-eyed.
“It took my father,” said the girl, her voice flat—empty.
“I’m—I’m sorry,” breathed Kathleen.
Laughter rippled out into the dark narrow hallway and led them the rest of the way to the celebration party.
The whole small room seemed to be filled with swirling skirts and raucous laughter. Mr. Jenks and a few waiters were the only gentlemen present. Kathleen looked about her in stunned silence. Here were the ladies addressed in the posting. Many ladies. Tall ones, short ones, plump ones, thin ones, dark ones, fair ones, young ones and, surprisingly, a few rather old ones.
They were not all pretty. They were not all well dressed. They were not even all well kept. But they all did appear to be celebrating.
As the two girls stood back, taking in the scene before them, Peg stepped from a cluster of laughing women, waved a hand that held a glass of sloshing liquid, and called rather loudly, “Over here. Join the party.”
Kathleen held back but Erma pulled her forward. “Come. Let’s join the fun.”
Someone passed Kathleen a glass filled with—something. She took a tentative sip, didn’t like it, so just held the glass in her hand and tried hard not to look too uncomfortable and conspicuous.
“I thought Mr. Jenks said about twenty girls,” she managed to whisper to Erma.
“Twenty from England. The other twenty have joined us from the Continent.”
“From the Continent? Mercy me!” exclaimed Kathleen.
“Many of the American men came from the Continent,” Erma explained carefully. “They wish wives from their home countries. Only makes sense.”
Kathleen nodded. She supposed it did make sense.
She hardly had time to think about it before a shout was heard over the din. “Here’s to America,” someone called, lifting her glass high in the air. More shouts followed. The party seemed to be getting more and more rowdy.
“Here’s to the men,” came another cry.
“Here’s to their wealth,” called a third girl with a hiccup and a giggle, and such a commotion followed her words that Kathleen could hardly think.
Mr. Jenks stepped forward then. Kathleen wondered if he intended to get control before things were entirely out of hand.
“Ladies!” he called. “Ladies!”
It took several cries before he made himself heard.
“Ladies. I wish I could ask you to take a seat,” he smiled at them. “But as you can see, there are no chairs available.”
“No problem!” shouted Peg, waving her glass in the air, and she plopped down on the carpeted floor, her skirts swirling out around her.
Giggles followed as one by one the women took her lead and settled themselves unceremoniously on the floor. Kathleen stood, her glass clutched in white-knuckled fingers, her eyes wide with shock at the scene. Never had she observed such unruly conduct.
“Ladies,” said Mr. Jenks again. “I know you are all excited about this new adventure. And it is exciting. I wish you all the very best as you begin your new lives—in a new home—with a new—” He stopped and raised an eyebrow, then smiled at them all, “—husband,” he finished, and was rewarded with loud cheers and lifted glasses.
Mr. Jenks had to wait further for the commotion to subside.
“We will be at sea for a number of days. I have a cabin located on the lower deck. It is easy to find, and I have posted my name on it in big letters. I will wish to see each one of you individually during the trip to make all the final arrangements.
“Many of you already have all of the particulars about the man you will be marrying, but a
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