But she was very determined and walked over to Ben as though on a mission.
"Ben?" she said once she'd reached him.
"Yes?"
"Could I . . . Could you . . ." Emy forget what she'd been meaning to say and struggled for her words, "C-Could I talk to you for a moment?"
"Of course," Ben nodded, following Emy a few feet away from the other men.
"I-I'm sure you know my sister Nora," Emy began, fidgeting with her thumbs, "She's, er, she's right over there," Emy pointed to Sawyer and Nora and Ben nodded, "Well, she, er, she rather wanted to dance with you tonight and I was hoping that you might possibly . . ."
"Ask her to dance?" Ben finished for her.
Emy nodded.
"Well, I suppose so," Ben said, "Do you want me to do it now?"
"If it's not too much trouble."
"'Course not."
Ben strode over to Sawyer and Nora and tapped Sawyer on the shoulder, "May I interrupt?"
Sawyer looked a bit bashed, but stepped aside, while Nora was so taken aback her mouth fell open. She couldn't even get out a word, and let Ben lead her around the floor. Time seemed to have sped itself up and before Nora knew it the song was over and Ben had left her after thanking her for the dance and telling her she was a marvelous dancer. Nora managed to thank him as well, once he was out of sight she bounced up and down and ran over to embrace Emy.
Gail danced with Rory and Zooey a bit, but then decided she was rather sick of it; she'd never been a huge fan of dancing. Instead, she sat beside Jess and he taught her how to play his fiddle. By the end of the night, she could only play a simple song, but Jess assured her that he was willing to teach her more any time she wanted.
Sara enjoyed a few dances with Michael and Jacob before she realized that Charlie wasn't even taking part in the festivities.
Thanking Jacob for the dance, she walked over to Charlie, who was leaning on the ship's railing and looking out at the sea.
"Having a good time?" he asked.
"Of course I am," Sara replied, "Why aren't you?"
"What makes you say I'm not?"
"You haven't danced once yet," Sara accused.
"Yes, I know, I just . . ."
"Would you like to dance with me?"
"Oh, I'm really not very good," said Charlie, "You wouldn't have much fun."
"But how will I ever know?"
Charlie sighed, "Why don't you go dance with one of the sailors? I'm sure at least one is in need of a partner."
"I don't want to dance with them," Sara refused, "I already have! I want to dance with you."
She grabbed his arm and pulled a rather unwilling Charlie over to the other dancers, setting her arm on his shoulder and waiting for him to take her free hand. When he didn't, she had to move his arms herself. Then she tried to get him to dance, but Charlie had told the truth; he really wasn't very good and had absolutely no coordination. He kept stepping on her feet and muttering sorry, but Sara assured him it was fine. She said she didn't care how good of a dancer he was.
As a blanket of stars filled the sky, everyone began to quiet down a bit. Emy and Nora were sitting in a group with five of the sailors, listening to their exciting tales of life on the high seas. Charlie was steering the ship while Sara sat beside him, enjoying a cup of tea. Mary sat with another group of sailors, giggling as they each tried to gain her affections by offering to do her favors.
Although she may be betrothed, Mary refused to stop being the flirtatious girl she'd always been. She would do so, she pledged, until the day she said her vows. After all, what was the harm as long as she didn't do anything she might be ashamed of later?
Gail, meanwhile, crept away and slipped downstairs. She swung open Nathaniel's door to find him hidden behind a large newspaper.
"Catching up on your current events, hmm?" she asked, her arms crossed against her chest.
He lowered the paper with a confused smile, "I'm surprised to see you back so soon."
"Well you were so sure that you wouldn't see me on my birthday I thought I'd prove you wrong."
"So
"Ben?" she said once she'd reached him.
"Yes?"
"Could I . . . Could you . . ." Emy forget what she'd been meaning to say and struggled for her words, "C-Could I talk to you for a moment?"
"Of course," Ben nodded, following Emy a few feet away from the other men.
"I-I'm sure you know my sister Nora," Emy began, fidgeting with her thumbs, "She's, er, she's right over there," Emy pointed to Sawyer and Nora and Ben nodded, "Well, she, er, she rather wanted to dance with you tonight and I was hoping that you might possibly . . ."
"Ask her to dance?" Ben finished for her.
Emy nodded.
"Well, I suppose so," Ben said, "Do you want me to do it now?"
"If it's not too much trouble."
"'Course not."
Ben strode over to Sawyer and Nora and tapped Sawyer on the shoulder, "May I interrupt?"
Sawyer looked a bit bashed, but stepped aside, while Nora was so taken aback her mouth fell open. She couldn't even get out a word, and let Ben lead her around the floor. Time seemed to have sped itself up and before Nora knew it the song was over and Ben had left her after thanking her for the dance and telling her she was a marvelous dancer. Nora managed to thank him as well, once he was out of sight she bounced up and down and ran over to embrace Emy.
Gail danced with Rory and Zooey a bit, but then decided she was rather sick of it; she'd never been a huge fan of dancing. Instead, she sat beside Jess and he taught her how to play his fiddle. By the end of the night, she could only play a simple song, but Jess assured her that he was willing to teach her more any time she wanted.
Sara enjoyed a few dances with Michael and Jacob before she realized that Charlie wasn't even taking part in the festivities.
Thanking Jacob for the dance, she walked over to Charlie, who was leaning on the ship's railing and looking out at the sea.
"Having a good time?" he asked.
"Of course I am," Sara replied, "Why aren't you?"
"What makes you say I'm not?"
"You haven't danced once yet," Sara accused.
"Yes, I know, I just . . ."
"Would you like to dance with me?"
"Oh, I'm really not very good," said Charlie, "You wouldn't have much fun."
"But how will I ever know?"
Charlie sighed, "Why don't you go dance with one of the sailors? I'm sure at least one is in need of a partner."
"I don't want to dance with them," Sara refused, "I already have! I want to dance with you."
She grabbed his arm and pulled a rather unwilling Charlie over to the other dancers, setting her arm on his shoulder and waiting for him to take her free hand. When he didn't, she had to move his arms herself. Then she tried to get him to dance, but Charlie had told the truth; he really wasn't very good and had absolutely no coordination. He kept stepping on her feet and muttering sorry, but Sara assured him it was fine. She said she didn't care how good of a dancer he was.
As a blanket of stars filled the sky, everyone began to quiet down a bit. Emy and Nora were sitting in a group with five of the sailors, listening to their exciting tales of life on the high seas. Charlie was steering the ship while Sara sat beside him, enjoying a cup of tea. Mary sat with another group of sailors, giggling as they each tried to gain her affections by offering to do her favors.
Although she may be betrothed, Mary refused to stop being the flirtatious girl she'd always been. She would do so, she pledged, until the day she said her vows. After all, what was the harm as long as she didn't do anything she might be ashamed of later?
Gail, meanwhile, crept away and slipped downstairs. She swung open Nathaniel's door to find him hidden behind a large newspaper.
"Catching up on your current events, hmm?" she asked, her arms crossed against her chest.
He lowered the paper with a confused smile, "I'm surprised to see you back so soon."
"Well you were so sure that you wouldn't see me on my birthday I thought I'd prove you wrong."
"So
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