the gale.
It was a bright, sparkling day with enough of a swell to let you know you were at sea, but not enough to make you seasick. I stood at the rail and stared out at the horizon. There was no land, no birds, no sign of other ships, just myself alone on a vast ocean. It was a sobering thought. Exciting too—after the crowds of New York City.
The sound of wind and waves must have masked other noises because I didn’t hear the man coming until he spoke, close to my ear.
“Miss Sheehan?” he asked.
I whipped the handkerchief up to my mouth and drew the hood half across my face as I looked up at him. He was young, good looking, with the dark, windswept hair and blue eyes of the Black Irish—not unlike Daniel or Ryan—and he was dressed in fitting shipboard style in blue blazer and striped ascot.
“It is Miss Oona Sheehan, isn’t it?” he asked again.
“It is,” I whispered, “but you must excuse me. I am suffering from a throat complaint and my doctor has forbidden me to talk.”
“I see,” he said. “I hope it's nothing serious?”
“It should clear up in a few days if I rest and don’t use my voice. Please excuse me, Mr—”
“Fitzpatrick,” he said. “I’m sorry to hear you are not yourself. I too am heading home to Ireland. Maybe we shall run into each other again.”
“I’m afraid that's unlikely. I have been ordered to rest.” “Ireland is a small country,” he said. “You never know.”
With that he bowed and was gone.
I’d handled that one well enough, I told myself. I continued my stroll around the deck, holding the hood in place with one hand. I hadn’t progressed far when I heard a voice behind me shouting,
“Miss Sheehan, Miss Sheehan!”
I stopped and waited as another young man came running up to me.
“Oh, Miss Sheehan, it is you,” he said breathlessly. “I couldn’t believe my luck when I heard that you were on board. Do you not remember me? It's Artie. Artie Fortwrangler. I came to every one of your performances when you were in Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines . I was there at the stage door every night. Remember the white orchids?”
“Of course, Artie,” I breathed through the lace handkerchief. “You must excuse me. I am sick and the doctor has forbidden me to talk. It might be catching,” I added, as he was getting too close in his eagerness.
“I do hope you recover quickly enough to dance with me while we’re on board, Miss Sheehan,” he said, gazing at me with hopeful eyes. “They have ripping dances, you know. It would be a lifetime's dream fulfilled to whisk you around the floor in my arms.”
“We’ll just have to see,” I said. “Now I’m afraid I must go and rest again.”
“Here, let me get you a deck chair,” he said. “Don’t take another step.”
“No, really. I must go back to my cabin.”
“Then lean on me. Let me carry you. Let me get you some beef broth, or some tea, or maybe a brandy?”
I could see the door leading to the interior of the ship looming ahead of me.
“I’m afraid I just want to be left alone,” I said, and fled for that door.
“Don’t go, Oona, I love you, I adore you, I worship you,” he called after me. “You know how I feel about you. Don’t leave me in misery.”
I ignored his wails as I pushed my way in through the heavy door. I arrived back at my cabin to find Rose there, straightening the toiletries on the dressing table.
“Poor Miss Sheehan,” I said. “I understand now why she wanted to change places with me, and why it's so hard for her to go anywhere. Ihave just been pestered by a most annoying young man. He hung around me like a puppy dog.”
“They do all the time, miss,” Rose said. “Every time she opens her front door, at least one of them is standing there with a bunch of flowers for her, and when she leaves the theater, she positively has to fight them off.”
“She should get married and have a big fierce husband to drive them away,” I said. “Does she
It was a bright, sparkling day with enough of a swell to let you know you were at sea, but not enough to make you seasick. I stood at the rail and stared out at the horizon. There was no land, no birds, no sign of other ships, just myself alone on a vast ocean. It was a sobering thought. Exciting too—after the crowds of New York City.
The sound of wind and waves must have masked other noises because I didn’t hear the man coming until he spoke, close to my ear.
“Miss Sheehan?” he asked.
I whipped the handkerchief up to my mouth and drew the hood half across my face as I looked up at him. He was young, good looking, with the dark, windswept hair and blue eyes of the Black Irish—not unlike Daniel or Ryan—and he was dressed in fitting shipboard style in blue blazer and striped ascot.
“It is Miss Oona Sheehan, isn’t it?” he asked again.
“It is,” I whispered, “but you must excuse me. I am suffering from a throat complaint and my doctor has forbidden me to talk.”
“I see,” he said. “I hope it's nothing serious?”
“It should clear up in a few days if I rest and don’t use my voice. Please excuse me, Mr—”
“Fitzpatrick,” he said. “I’m sorry to hear you are not yourself. I too am heading home to Ireland. Maybe we shall run into each other again.”
“I’m afraid that's unlikely. I have been ordered to rest.” “Ireland is a small country,” he said. “You never know.”
With that he bowed and was gone.
I’d handled that one well enough, I told myself. I continued my stroll around the deck, holding the hood in place with one hand. I hadn’t progressed far when I heard a voice behind me shouting,
“Miss Sheehan, Miss Sheehan!”
I stopped and waited as another young man came running up to me.
“Oh, Miss Sheehan, it is you,” he said breathlessly. “I couldn’t believe my luck when I heard that you were on board. Do you not remember me? It's Artie. Artie Fortwrangler. I came to every one of your performances when you were in Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines . I was there at the stage door every night. Remember the white orchids?”
“Of course, Artie,” I breathed through the lace handkerchief. “You must excuse me. I am sick and the doctor has forbidden me to talk. It might be catching,” I added, as he was getting too close in his eagerness.
“I do hope you recover quickly enough to dance with me while we’re on board, Miss Sheehan,” he said, gazing at me with hopeful eyes. “They have ripping dances, you know. It would be a lifetime's dream fulfilled to whisk you around the floor in my arms.”
“We’ll just have to see,” I said. “Now I’m afraid I must go and rest again.”
“Here, let me get you a deck chair,” he said. “Don’t take another step.”
“No, really. I must go back to my cabin.”
“Then lean on me. Let me carry you. Let me get you some beef broth, or some tea, or maybe a brandy?”
I could see the door leading to the interior of the ship looming ahead of me.
“I’m afraid I just want to be left alone,” I said, and fled for that door.
“Don’t go, Oona, I love you, I adore you, I worship you,” he called after me. “You know how I feel about you. Don’t leave me in misery.”
I ignored his wails as I pushed my way in through the heavy door. I arrived back at my cabin to find Rose there, straightening the toiletries on the dressing table.
“Poor Miss Sheehan,” I said. “I understand now why she wanted to change places with me, and why it's so hard for her to go anywhere. Ihave just been pestered by a most annoying young man. He hung around me like a puppy dog.”
“They do all the time, miss,” Rose said. “Every time she opens her front door, at least one of them is standing there with a bunch of flowers for her, and when she leaves the theater, she positively has to fight them off.”
“She should get married and have a big fierce husband to drive them away,” I said. “Does she
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