much?”
Kathleen drew in her breath. She had not thought of all those horrible possibilities.
“But Mr. Jenks said—” she began.
“Mr. Jenks is a man out to make a profit,” Erma reminded her.
Silence hung heavy in the room as Kathleen absorbed that observation. If she had felt sick before, she felt doubly so now. She rolled to her side on the narrow bed and put her hands over her face.
“I’m not out to scare you, lovey,” went on Erma quickly, “but we’ve all had to face the facts.”
Kathleen began to sob quietly, her thin shoulders trembling against the worn gray blanket of the bunk.
Erma stood to her feet and crossed to the younger girl.
“Why did you sign on?” she asked quietly.
“Because—because Madam, my stepmother, was marrying again. She didn’t want me—or so I thought. Turned out she did. Would have taken me as a housemaid. Oh, I should have gone. I should have,” sobbed Kathleen.
“But you didn’t have it so good, did you now?”
“No-o. No, it wasn’t good,” admitted Kathleen.
“Then you did the right thing. The man you wed might be—might be just the man you’ve dreamed of.”
“I haven’t dreamed of any man,” sobbed Kathleen.
“Then you are a strange lass for sure,” responded Erma with a shake of her head.
“Madam always said no man would want me with my limp,” said Kathleen, wiping at her tears.
“Such utter nonsense!” exploded Erma. “Why, your limp is hardly more than a little tip. And with your pretty face. Why—I’ve already seen the deckhands givin’ you the eye.”
Kathleen could not believe the report. She waved the words aside with a slender hand and tried to sit up, bumping her head on the overhead planks of the cabin.
“Why did you sign up?” Kathleen asked, her hand rubbing her head.
“Told you—lost the captain at sea. There was a mix-up over money. We found we’d lost all else too. Between the two grieves, Mum couldn’t—well, she just gave up. I lost her, too. I was alone—and well—Peg—I met her at work. She sort of took me in. Talked me into joining—and here I am.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“But Peg—” began Kathleen and quickly checked her tongue. She didn’t wish to criticize Erma’s friend.
“She’s drunk,” said Erma flatly. “Don’t think she’s used to drink and she’s just overdone it a bit. She’ll come round.”
Kathleen nodded.
“Truth is, it’s all a means of bracing themselves a bit,” went on Erma.
“Bracing?” asked Kathleen.
“Oh, I know they talk big—wave their glasses and cheer—but there’s not a one of them that isn’t just a bit nervous over what she’s doing, and that’s the way it really is.”
Kathleen nodded slowly. She was beginning to understand.
Chapter Six
Preparations
In the days that followed his signing up and turning over the passage money, Donnigan had many moments of extreme doubt. There were times when he sharply berated himself and declared himself to be a silly fool to have fallen for such a ridiculous scheme.
But always when he returned to his cabin at the end of a long, tiring day, he found himself thinking of how nice it would be to be met by a warm smile, a few cheery words, and a plate filled with something hot and palatable for his supper.
It was at those moments that he could not keep himself from whispering under his breath the count of days until the ship should anchor in Boston Harbor.
He got through the haying season. He was glad for the heavy labor that sent him home so tired at the end of the day that he scarcely thought at all before he succumbed to sleep.
He had a few days of rainy weather and restless pacing. And then finally he was into the harvest season. He hoped with all his heart that nothing would happen to slow him down. But it did. More rain showers. Donnigan found them hard to endure and was almost jubilant when he heard a horse approaching and looked out his kitchen window to see Wallis tying up at the
Kathleen drew in her breath. She had not thought of all those horrible possibilities.
“But Mr. Jenks said—” she began.
“Mr. Jenks is a man out to make a profit,” Erma reminded her.
Silence hung heavy in the room as Kathleen absorbed that observation. If she had felt sick before, she felt doubly so now. She rolled to her side on the narrow bed and put her hands over her face.
“I’m not out to scare you, lovey,” went on Erma quickly, “but we’ve all had to face the facts.”
Kathleen began to sob quietly, her thin shoulders trembling against the worn gray blanket of the bunk.
Erma stood to her feet and crossed to the younger girl.
“Why did you sign on?” she asked quietly.
“Because—because Madam, my stepmother, was marrying again. She didn’t want me—or so I thought. Turned out she did. Would have taken me as a housemaid. Oh, I should have gone. I should have,” sobbed Kathleen.
“But you didn’t have it so good, did you now?”
“No-o. No, it wasn’t good,” admitted Kathleen.
“Then you did the right thing. The man you wed might be—might be just the man you’ve dreamed of.”
“I haven’t dreamed of any man,” sobbed Kathleen.
“Then you are a strange lass for sure,” responded Erma with a shake of her head.
“Madam always said no man would want me with my limp,” said Kathleen, wiping at her tears.
“Such utter nonsense!” exploded Erma. “Why, your limp is hardly more than a little tip. And with your pretty face. Why—I’ve already seen the deckhands givin’ you the eye.”
Kathleen could not believe the report. She waved the words aside with a slender hand and tried to sit up, bumping her head on the overhead planks of the cabin.
“Why did you sign up?” Kathleen asked, her hand rubbing her head.
“Told you—lost the captain at sea. There was a mix-up over money. We found we’d lost all else too. Between the two grieves, Mum couldn’t—well, she just gave up. I lost her, too. I was alone—and well—Peg—I met her at work. She sort of took me in. Talked me into joining—and here I am.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“But Peg—” began Kathleen and quickly checked her tongue. She didn’t wish to criticize Erma’s friend.
“She’s drunk,” said Erma flatly. “Don’t think she’s used to drink and she’s just overdone it a bit. She’ll come round.”
Kathleen nodded.
“Truth is, it’s all a means of bracing themselves a bit,” went on Erma.
“Bracing?” asked Kathleen.
“Oh, I know they talk big—wave their glasses and cheer—but there’s not a one of them that isn’t just a bit nervous over what she’s doing, and that’s the way it really is.”
Kathleen nodded slowly. She was beginning to understand.
Chapter Six
Preparations
In the days that followed his signing up and turning over the passage money, Donnigan had many moments of extreme doubt. There were times when he sharply berated himself and declared himself to be a silly fool to have fallen for such a ridiculous scheme.
But always when he returned to his cabin at the end of a long, tiring day, he found himself thinking of how nice it would be to be met by a warm smile, a few cheery words, and a plate filled with something hot and palatable for his supper.
It was at those moments that he could not keep himself from whispering under his breath the count of days until the ship should anchor in Boston Harbor.
He got through the haying season. He was glad for the heavy labor that sent him home so tired at the end of the day that he scarcely thought at all before he succumbed to sleep.
He had a few days of rainy weather and restless pacing. And then finally he was into the harvest season. He hoped with all his heart that nothing would happen to slow him down. But it did. More rain showers. Donnigan found them hard to endure and was almost jubilant when he heard a horse approaching and looked out his kitchen window to see Wallis tying up at the
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