Straw in the Wind (27 page)

Erasmus Thornton went about his duties in his usual thorough manner. He'd signed on two former employees of the Thornton Shipping Company in Melbourne. Not that he'd needed them, but both were former employees who'd sailed with Nick on the
Saramand
before she'd foundered. Nick had told him that, without them for companions and the help of the local natives, he probably wouldn't have survived in the wilderness.

Erasmus had decided to keep the cook on, since Red had a good reputation for doctoring as well, something that his daughter-in-law Marianne could attest to. Although the younger man was competent, his heart wasn't in the sea. He was ready to put his youthful adventures behind him now and settle down on shore. He just wanted to get home, and no doubt Nick would find him a job in that emporium of his. The pair had a pouch of gold dust and small nuggets apiece as the result of their foray into the goldfields.

‘It's not a fortune, Captain,' Red had said with the humble confidence of a man who knows he finally has some worthy savings behind him. ‘But there's enough for Sam here to buy his mother a small house, and if the crew gets wind of it, it might prove to be too much of a temptation. We know you're honest, Captain, which is why we waited for the
Daisy Jane
to arrive in port.'

His reputation as being honest pleased Erasmus. Thievery wasn't the type of trouble he wanted on board, and neither would he tolerate it, though he conceded that gold might incite the greed in men. So he'd made room in his personal strongbox, which was bolted to the deck and had a stout padlock.

The ice shelf in the Southern Ocean had been larger than usual this year.
Daisy Jane
's sails and deck had been coated in ice, making the ship dangerously top heavy so he'd had to shorten sail, lest they capsize. The water under them had been sluggish.

The man who'd been keeping a watch for icebergs had gone to sleep in the crow's nest, and had never woken up. His body had been frozen stiff when they got him down. The life of a seaman was hazardous on all counts, but Erasmus didn't feel easy when there was a mysterious death on board. He'd said a prayer over the body and they'd buried him in the deep. As soon as the body had disappeared under the water the wind had changed, the air had grown warmer and the ship had regained its former suppleness.

The Southern Ocean had taken its toll, and the atmosphere on board lightened as a result. Not even the Atlantic doing its furious best to blow them in circles could get them down.
Daisy Jane
would have none of it. She was a ship who knew her own mind, and who knew her way home, and as Erasmus set a course that would take them across the short stretch of water from the Isle of Wight into their home port, he could almost smell that home.

So could the crew that morning, and they could obviously smell the delights of shore leave, shouting cheerful insults at each other as they scrubbed the deck, each looking forward to some time ashore. Most had grog and women on their minds, though some had wives and children waiting for them.

He was a family man himself, with Daisy and Nick, Marianne and little Alex. He'd been looking at the moon the night before when he'd thought of the girl he'd possibly fathered. Serafina they called her, and he'd wondered if Adam Chapman had managed to track her down. He wished he hadn't listened to Marianne now, but she had such a way with her . . . and he smiled.

Providing that the detective had tracked her down, and should she prove to be his child, what could he offer a girl of her age? A home? He had none but his ship. A father? Eighteen years was too long for him to claim any authority of kinship. He could offer her a future, perhaps? He had money, and plenty of it. He'd intended to leave it to Nick.

Erasmus sighed. He had the feeling that he may have opened a Pandora's box. Then he remembered – the girl may have been fathered by George Honeyman. He wouldn't feel any responsibility for her if that was the case, so he needn't worry about it until he knew.

‘So why do I feel so disappointed at the thought she might belong to George,' he said out loud to a seagull flying overhead, and he found his own answer. The girl would be the result of the love he'd shared with Caroline Honeyman – a gift from beyond the grave that he'd never thought to have.

When Serafina woke she rushed to the window and searched the harbour with the telescope. Nothing! But beyond the harbour on the horizon were two ships in full sail. From here, she couldn't tell if they were coming or going.

She washed with the jug of water a housemaid had brought her earlier. It was lukewarm now, so it raised goosebumps on her flesh. She scrambled into a stiff petticoat, pulled on her stockings followed by some pretty pantalettes and a chemise top. She grinned. The pantalettes were certainly feminine, if a little wicked, but she loved the feel of them against her skin. Over the top went her prettiest skirt and matching day bodice, one of pale-blue taffeta with a lace collar and cuffs.

She hadn't braided her hair yet, and it hung down past her waist.

‘Serafina, are you awake?' It was Adam's voice, soft against the door panel.

‘Come in.'

He was careful to leave the door open, and smiled at her. ‘That's the first time I've seen your hair loose. It's like a length of silk.'

She made a face. ‘I'm not very good with hair.'

‘Allow me to see if I can do something with it for you.'

Deftly he divided it into three, braiding it neatly. She tried not to shiver as his hands gently handled her hair. He coiled the braid around her head and secured it with pins, then threaded some silk violets behind each ear.

‘You should be a lady's maid. How did you learn to do that?'

He laughed. ‘Celia sprained her wrist once, and she told me how to do it. She said it was a pretty, no fuss hairstyle that anyone can do. I'm pleased to have been of service.'

‘Thank you, Adam.'

He placed a kiss on the top of her head. ‘Shall we go down for breakfast?'

But her eyes had been drawn to a ship just coming from behind the largest island. Still shivering from the effect his kiss had on her she swooped in a breath. Forgetting to exhale when she lifted the spyglass and saw the flag fluttering at the mast, she squeaked, ‘There's
Daisy Jane
.' Her gaze sought out the small dark figure standing at the wheel. Was that Captain Erasmus Thornton? It was too far away to see him properly.

She had a sudden attack of nerves and turned to Adam. ‘Would you mind if I went to see him alone?'

‘If that's what you want, though I imagined you'd feel more comfortable being introduced.'

‘It would be better if we met each other without anyone looking on waiting to see our reaction to one another. Otherwise I'll feel awkward and I won't know what to say to him. Then I'll probably faint dead away, fall into the harbour and drown.'

He chuckled at her fanciful reasoning. ‘You might be run over by a horse, too. Shall we eat breakfast first? There's time before the ship ties up at her berth. Then I'll escort you down to the harbour and let you off the leash.'

As if she was straining at it like a dog needing to chase after a rabbit! All she felt at the moment was that she might run in the other direction. No, that wasn't true. ‘Everything is darting madly around inside me, like lightning.'

‘I know. Sparks are coming out of your ears and I can hear them crack.'

She laughed. Their table was in the dining room window, and she gazed down the slope to where the roof of the house they were building next door was just visible behind the tops of the trees that marked the boundary. ‘That cracking noise is coming from the house they're building next door. It's a man putting slates on the roof. There must be hundreds for a house that size.'

‘I daresay.'

‘I'm talking about nothing, aren't I?'

‘You're filling a space with words because you need to stop yourself from thinking. Calm yourself. If you need me I'll be within shouting distance, and I promise I'll slay all your dragons. Now, eat. Your stomach will gurgle if it's empty, and that will make you laugh at the wrong moment.'

Serafina laughed, just to prove him right. Adam was so confident and sure of himself. She tried to draw on his calmness but couldn't find any inner quietude.

‘I'm as jumpy as a bag of fleas.'

Now it was his turn to laugh, an unexpected and slightly muted guffaw that made her giggle. She tried to eat, but couldn't manage much since she was too nervous. But she ate some fruit preserved in juice, and she nibbled at a slice of toast spread with gooseberry jam on, just to please Adam. She washed it down with some tea.

Finally it was time to leave.

‘It's a fine day, so we can walk to the harbour,' he said.

Her eyes slid his way. ‘Adam Chapman, have you ever been punched by a woman?'

‘Not yet. I'd better hold your hand by way of a precaution,' and he did, smiling in that calm way he had. ‘Erasmus will have things to supervise first up.'

‘I don't give two figs about what Erasmus has to do first. He may have hired you to find me. But that doesn't mean he owns me. Let him put his life on hold for five minutes. I'm scared . . . I'm really scared and shaking all over. Allow me to get this over with . . . please.' She picked up speed, dragging him behind her.

‘Slow down, you'll be all hot and bothered when we get there.'

‘I don't care.'

There was a cab passing and Adam hailed it. Soon they were deposited on the quay, not far from where
Daisy Jane
was berthed.

The quay itself was all a bustle, the stalls selling eels and cockles doing good business. Ships' provisions, crates of chickens, barrels of water and salted beef were waiting on shore to be loaded. Men stood amongst what seemed a disorganized mess to Serafina, ticking off items on lists with thick stubby pencils.

Daisy Jane
was a hive of activity. Great bales of wool were being swung ashore and loaded on to carts.

‘I'll wait here, by the Guildhall,' he said, and gazed at his watch. ‘You have half an hour before I come on board to rescue you.'

‘Now who's nervous.'

He pulled her against him in a brief hug, then turned her to face the ship and gave her a gentle push. ‘Go now, and good luck.'

Her knees were shaking as she dodged round the many obstacles in her way. She was crossing the gangplank when somebody cried out, ‘Get out of the bloody way, woman!' An arm snaked around her waist and she was lifted off her feet. There was a glimpse of dark water below her as she was swung across the gap and over the side, where she was set firmly on a planked deck. A pair of dark, furious eyes stared into hers as a large crate sailed across the space Serafina had previously occupied.

She knew without telling who this man was. He was taller than she'd expected, slim and muscular with grizzled hair and a weather-beaten face that still possessed a rugged, but well-formed grace. No longer angry, those hard, dark eyes of his were scrutinizing every inch of her face. He must recognize something in her . . .
he must!

‘Captain Erasmus Thornton? I'm Serafina,' she whispered.

‘Aye, I know who you are; you should have shouted out that you were boarding.'

‘I've never been on a ship; I didn't know I had to. I'm sorry.'

‘Aye, you wouldn't have known then.' His smile came easily and warmly, so she wondered why she'd ever imagined that she'd be scared of him. ‘I thought you would look like your mother, but you don't . . . rather you resemble mine, I think. My sister Daisy will know. She pays mind to such things.'

With that Serafina knew she'd been claimed, but with reservations. A couple of tears trickled down her face. She was going to cry. Taking out her handkerchief she surreptitiously dabbed at the tears.

He gazed at his crew, each with an ear or an eye directed their way. She'd given no thought to the notion that he might have preferred some privacy for the meeting. ‘I'm sorry, I should have thought you wouldn't have wanted to meet this way.'

‘I'm not ashamed of you, if that's what you're getting at girl. Let's go aft where we can find a quiet place to talk.'

‘You don't mind me coming unannounced then? Adam said you would be busy at this time. I'm sorry I got in the way.'

‘You would have been sorry if that crate had clouted you. It nearly parted my hair. And I guess I'm not too busy to meet you, young lady, but you're right, I'd have picked a better place.'

‘I was too impatient, I know, but it's been months, and I couldn't bear to wait any longer.'

‘Never mind, what's done is done.'

‘I was keeping watch, and Adam made me eat breakfast, even though I saw the ship coming in. He's waiting on the quay. He said he'd come to rescue me in half an hour.'

Erasmus laughed at that. ‘I guess I do frighten strangers off if they don't know me, since I don't suffer fools gladly. Have you met the rest of the family yet?'

‘No . . . Adam said . . . well, I wanted to meet you first . . . it was only right that I should, just in case you didn't like me.'

They sat together on a short flight of steps and looked at each other. A grin appeared on his face. ‘I'll be damned.'

Laughter bubbled up inside her. ‘I'll be damned too. I thought that this day would never come. What should I call you?'

‘What do you want to call me?'

She shrugged. ‘I don't know, I've never had a father before . . . that's if you
are
my father.'

‘And I've never had a daughter before. Call me Erasmus if you like, like Marianne does.'

Worry filled her eyes. ‘You
are
convinced, aren't you? Adam said there's a slight chance that I might be a girl called Mary Fenn.'

‘Let's assume you are my daughter . . . what does Adam know?'