hurried up the quarterdeck and down the companionway to the captain’s cabin, where he was greeted by the fragrant scents of mutton stew, cheese, and buttered rice. His stomach growled. Far too loudly, for everyone in the room swept their gazes his way.
But it was only one gaze he was interested in. And her golden eyes sparkled when they met his.
Eliza hoped the captain had invited Colonel Wallace to dinner. She so wanted a chance to get to know him better. Now as he stood in the doorway, looking quite dashing in his suit of brown broadcloth, she could hardly take her eyes off him. He limped into the room with more authority than most did without disabilities to impede them. She lowered her gaze, hoping he hadn’t noticed her staring at him, hoping he didn’t find her too bold, and wondering if she hadn’t lost her mind. After Stanton, Eliza wanted nothing more to do with marriage. She found the institution confining, restricting, and far too empty of the promises of love and romance she’d read about in Jane Austen novels. She had also found that she wasn’t good at it. To even think of entertaining attentions from a man could only lead to disaster and heartache for them both. No, all she wanted was to escape her past and start over in a community in which she could use her nursing skills to help others. Then why, oh why, did Colonel Wallace affect her so? He was a Rebel officer! Of all the men on the ship, he was the one man she should avoid at all costs.
Introductions and greetings abounded between those in attendance: Mr. and Mrs. Scott, the wealthy plantation owners, and their daughter, Magnolia; Eliza’s cabin mate Angeline Moore, whom she’d had to all but drag out of the cabin to attend; a man Eliza hadn’t met, Mr. Dodd who was a sheriff from Richmond with an apparent problem keeping his eyes off the ladies. Then there was James Callaway, the doctor, of course, and Parson Bailey, who seemed too tiny a man to evoke fear of damnation from the pulpit.
A slave girl stood against the bulkhead behind the Scotts. Across from her, squeezed between a large chest and enclosed bookshelves stood two sailors awaiting commands.
Everyone took a seat around the table laden with bowls of stew, various cheeses, rice, and platters of biscuits and greens. Much to her delight, Colonel Wallace pulled a chair out for her right beside his own. The doctor, or should she say preacher, held out a chair for Angeline, placing her beside Eliza while he took the seat on her other side. Angeline thanked him and slid onto her chair, but her tone was strangled and her normally rosy cheeks had gone stark white as her gaze flitted between the doctor and Mr. Dodd.
Eliza laid a hand on her arm and gave her a concerned look, but the girl waved her off with an attempted smile.
The parson said grace in a rather loud and oversanctimonious tone that grated over Eliza, though she quickly reproved herself. She shouldn’t think poorly of a man of God. Yet before he’d even intoned his lengthy “Aaaaaaaamen,” the captain had already scooped a healthy portion of rice onto his plate.
“We won’t be dinin’ so well for the remainder of the trip, I’m afraid.” Captain Barclay glanced across the table. Though his voice was as rough as rope and his face wore the age of the sea, his demeanor was pleasant and his eyes kind. “But I thought for our first night, it would do well to enjoy a hearty meal with some of my guests.”
The ones paying for a cabin, from the looks of things. All except Sarah, who had begged off with an excuse of an unsettled stomach.
“How fares this stowaway of ours?” the captain asked.
“His name is Hayden Gale, Captain,” Eliza offered, grabbing a biscuit from a passing platter. “At least that’s the name he gave me in his delirium.”
Through the stern windows behind the captain, moonlight cast sparkling pearls over the ocean, swinging in and out of Eliza’s vision with the rock of the ship. How the
But it was only one gaze he was interested in. And her golden eyes sparkled when they met his.
Eliza hoped the captain had invited Colonel Wallace to dinner. She so wanted a chance to get to know him better. Now as he stood in the doorway, looking quite dashing in his suit of brown broadcloth, she could hardly take her eyes off him. He limped into the room with more authority than most did without disabilities to impede them. She lowered her gaze, hoping he hadn’t noticed her staring at him, hoping he didn’t find her too bold, and wondering if she hadn’t lost her mind. After Stanton, Eliza wanted nothing more to do with marriage. She found the institution confining, restricting, and far too empty of the promises of love and romance she’d read about in Jane Austen novels. She had also found that she wasn’t good at it. To even think of entertaining attentions from a man could only lead to disaster and heartache for them both. No, all she wanted was to escape her past and start over in a community in which she could use her nursing skills to help others. Then why, oh why, did Colonel Wallace affect her so? He was a Rebel officer! Of all the men on the ship, he was the one man she should avoid at all costs.
Introductions and greetings abounded between those in attendance: Mr. and Mrs. Scott, the wealthy plantation owners, and their daughter, Magnolia; Eliza’s cabin mate Angeline Moore, whom she’d had to all but drag out of the cabin to attend; a man Eliza hadn’t met, Mr. Dodd who was a sheriff from Richmond with an apparent problem keeping his eyes off the ladies. Then there was James Callaway, the doctor, of course, and Parson Bailey, who seemed too tiny a man to evoke fear of damnation from the pulpit.
A slave girl stood against the bulkhead behind the Scotts. Across from her, squeezed between a large chest and enclosed bookshelves stood two sailors awaiting commands.
Everyone took a seat around the table laden with bowls of stew, various cheeses, rice, and platters of biscuits and greens. Much to her delight, Colonel Wallace pulled a chair out for her right beside his own. The doctor, or should she say preacher, held out a chair for Angeline, placing her beside Eliza while he took the seat on her other side. Angeline thanked him and slid onto her chair, but her tone was strangled and her normally rosy cheeks had gone stark white as her gaze flitted between the doctor and Mr. Dodd.
Eliza laid a hand on her arm and gave her a concerned look, but the girl waved her off with an attempted smile.
The parson said grace in a rather loud and oversanctimonious tone that grated over Eliza, though she quickly reproved herself. She shouldn’t think poorly of a man of God. Yet before he’d even intoned his lengthy “Aaaaaaaamen,” the captain had already scooped a healthy portion of rice onto his plate.
“We won’t be dinin’ so well for the remainder of the trip, I’m afraid.” Captain Barclay glanced across the table. Though his voice was as rough as rope and his face wore the age of the sea, his demeanor was pleasant and his eyes kind. “But I thought for our first night, it would do well to enjoy a hearty meal with some of my guests.”
The ones paying for a cabin, from the looks of things. All except Sarah, who had begged off with an excuse of an unsettled stomach.
“How fares this stowaway of ours?” the captain asked.
“His name is Hayden Gale, Captain,” Eliza offered, grabbing a biscuit from a passing platter. “At least that’s the name he gave me in his delirium.”
Through the stern windows behind the captain, moonlight cast sparkling pearls over the ocean, swinging in and out of Eliza’s vision with the rock of the ship. How the
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