His Spoilt Lady (9 page)

The captain,
obviously at home on his ship, leapt around these potential death
traps with the grace and ease of a nimble but portly cat.
Eventually, they arrived safely by his side, and the captain
gestured to a small dark stairway leading down. “Ladies first!” he
shouted genially.

Linnett took a
firm hold of the rail and stepped down. She waited at the bottom of
the stairs for the captain, whom she now recalled seeing at her
wedding. He led them to a cabin, flinging the door open into a
pleasant, if smallish, room. Linnett glanced around curiously. In
one corner stood a large table or desk covered with charts, and on
the side of this was a box with many rolled up maps, tightly packed
together. Various strange brass instruments were dotted about on
the table, along with quills and an ink stand. At the other end of
the cabin, a table was laid with a white cloth. Set out on this
were glasses and bottles, along with plates of small pasties and
sweetmeats.

Linnett
suddenly felt very hungry. The captain poured them all drinks and
handed out round pewter plates. Linnett barely listened to the
conversation so intent was she on eating pasties and sipping her
Madeira wine. She realised that the men had all turned to look at
her and that the Captain had spoken to her. “I am so sorry, Captain
Pettigrew, could you repeat that please?”

“Of course, my
dear. I asked if you had been to sea before.”

“Well, no,
actually. Why?” Linnett asked curiously.

“Just wondered
how your sea legs were, that’s all, m’dear. Still, we’ll soon
know!” He winked and chuckled.

Linnett was
surprised but not too concerned. Naturally, he assumes that I am
returning with John to the colonies, she thought to herself. She
was about to put him right on the matter when he suggested that he
show them to the owner’s cabin. They all followed the captain out
into the passage, and he led them down and away from the stairs.
The passage was lit from oil lamps that hung from the ceiling; they
swung gently to and fro with the ship’s gentle movement.

They turned
right and came to a door. The captain stopped, withdrew a large key
from his coat pocket and lent forward to unlock it. “Here we are,
then. Now, anything you need, just let my first officer know, he’ll
see to it. I will leave you to settle in. Dinner is early aboard
ship; we eat at eight bells.”

He then turned
to Linnett’s father, ‘Sir Thomas, your servant sir, we set sail in
one hour so don’t get caught on board!” With another of his
irrepressible chuckles the Captain bowed to Sir Thomas and left
them alone. John opened the door and they all entered the cabin.
Sir Thomas coughed. “I think I shall leave you to unpack and get
yourselves sorted. I’ll say my goodbyes now.” Alarmed, Linnett spun
round to face her father. Had she heard correctly?

He said, “My
dear, I wish you all the happiness in the world. God willing, we
shall see each other again”

Her father took
her in his arms in a great bear hug, holding her tightly against
him. Linnett gasped, stuttering, “B-but, I am n-not leaving, Papa.
I am coming home with you!”

Sir Thomas
Wainwright gripped her arms firmly and looked into her face
sternly. “No child, your place is at your husband’s side and that
is where you will be….. now that is quite enough, Linnett!” he
added, although feeling much pity as she started to protest. “You
are married now and there is no more to be said, so kiss your
father and let me remember you with pride. Stand bravely beside
your husband and enjoy the adventure of a new life together.”

John stepped
forward, placed his arm around Linnett’s waist, and solemnly said,
“Be brave for your father, dearest, and do as he bids; you wouldn’t
want his last memory of you to be a sad one.”

Linnett
trembled and cried, “No, Papa, no! I cannot leave you! How can I
leave? I may never see you again!” She flung herself forward into
his arms, tormented and sobbing with disbelief, her hands clutching
at his coat front.

Sir Thomas
lifted his hand and stroked her hair, “My precious child, you know
that you could return with me and I may die tomorrow. I am an old
man, puss; if I should die, then what will become of you? John is a
good man, and he will look after you, and God willing, you will
give me many grandchildren who will come and visit their old
Grandpapa! Life goes on my child...life goes on.”

He placed his
hands over hers and lifted them from his coat. He turned to John,
holding Linnett’s clasped hands out towards him, saying gruffly,
“Take her with my blessing, John. Protect her and love her.”

John took the
weeping Linnett from him, folding her in his arms, “You know that I
will, Sir…. thank you.

Sir Thomas
Wainwright reached forward, placed a hand on John’s shoulder,
giving it a squeeze, and said, “Good man.” With one last lingering
look at his sobbing daughter, he turned and left the cabin.

Linnett
screamed and hurled herself after him, but John restrained her,
holding her tight against him. Finally, he led her to the bed and
sat, down scooping his wife onto his lap. John clasped Linnett
against his shoulder, his arm about her protectively, and so they
stayed while Linnett wept. Eventually when she was a little calmer,
John laid her curled up on the box bed. He pulled the eiderdown
over her and stroked her hair tenderly back from her forehead.

“Sleep now,
sweetheart. I’ll wake you later for dinner. Just rest; all will be
well, you’ll see.” He left her to sleep and began to sort out the
various trunks piled high in the corner of the cabin.

When Linnett
awoke some two hours later, she found herself alone. At first, she
simply lay on the bed feeling desperate and very alone, and as she
pondered, a white hot blaze of fury shot through her. It was all
that man Foster’s fault; he had tricked her into marrying him and
under false pretences. Linnett sat up and looked around and noticed
various details that in her distress earlier she had missed. The
bed she was lying upon was a box bed, a square wooden frame,
in-filled with a hair mattress, topped with a down quilt. A rail
ran around the bed secured on the wooden ceiling, dark red curtains
hung from them on either side of the bed, enabling the bed to be
surrounded, closed off from the rest of the room. It was secured to
the floor to stop it moving around in high seas. To the right of
the bed, there was a window, made up of tiny diamond-shaped pieces
of glass; this was framed by some rather ragged dark curtains.
Under the window sat a pair of large ornate oak chests.

Linnett noticed
that her set of silver hair brushes and combs had been laid out
upon them. Sitting up in the bed, Linnett looked up to the other
end of the cabin, where a round table stood, fixed to the floor by
its central pedestal. Beside it were two stuffed, leather-covered,
comfortable-looking brown chairs, and these, she saw, were not
anchored to the floor. In the far corner, beyond the table, a
screen stood, and Linnett assumed that behind this, the pitcher and
ewer could be found ready for ablutions. Of their travelling trunks
there was no sign.

Linnett leaned
back in the bed and, pulling the covers up under her chin, began to
think about her home. Why had Lottie not told her that she was to
go with John to the Colonies? Linnett recalled the conversation as
she was leaving that morning. It began to dawn on her that Lottie
had assumed that she knew of the travelling arrangements. Linnett
closed her eyes in pain; she hadn’t even said goodbye to Lottie, or
any of the other staff for that matter, all of whom she had known
since she was a small child. Pango! Who would exercise him now? Oh,
this was terrible.

Tears began to
slide down her cheeks as she remembered all that she had left
behind. If only she had been able to marry Charles, she would still
be near her home, living the way of life that she loved, with all
her loved ones close by her. Yet, here she was, cast adrift out in
the wide oceans with a man she called husband but one whom she
barely knew and was sure she disliked.

All of this was
all down to his interference with her carefully made plans.
Gradually, the resentment she already felt towards John
intensified, until it burned hotly within her. John unwittingly
chose that moment to quietly enter the room bearing a tray with
teapot, cups and saucers and with a plate of freshly baked
scones.

“Oh, good, you
are awake,” he said cheerily. “The captain has an excellent cook.
I’ve brought you some of his delicious biscuits to try. He called
them some strange name, scones, I think he said.”

John set the
tray down on the table and went over to the bed. He sat on the edge
and took Linnett’s hand, turned towards her and was moved to see
tear stains on her cheeks. “Poor darling girl, please don’t fret. I
swear to you that if we can, we will visit your father, possibly
even next year, providing that you are not in a delicate condition
of course.”

John gave a
slow smile and pinched Linnett’s cheek affectionately.

He couldn’t be
quite sure what happened next. He appeared to be covered in bed
clothes lying on the floor. As he struggled to sit up and finally
freed his head, he was doused in cold water, the shock of which
left him gasping.

“Delicate
condition?!” screeched Linnett from where she stood clutching the
empty water pitcher. “Let me tell you, sir! I have no intention of
sharing a bed with you EVER AGAIN, let alone ever being in a
delicate condition, as you put it! When we reach the colonies, I
shall arrange my passage straight back home to England and
Lavenstock Hall, which is where I belong and not with some colonial
half-wit who decides to drag me half way across the world when it
pleases him!”

Linnett,
exceedingly angry as she was, nevertheless took a stumbling step
backwards when she saw the open fury on her husband’s face. His
eyes had narrowed to steely slits as she ranted, and any sympathy
he had felt for her earlier was gone, replaced by a deep burning
anger. Slowly he hauled himself upright, kicking the bedclothes
aside and shaking his head. He looked like a wet wolf shaking dry.
John passed a hand over his head and slicked his wet hair back.
What sort of a harridan had he married? Well, he intended to start
as he meant to go on.

John took a
deep breath. He would not allow her to goad him into losing his
temper; therefore, he must make things absolutely crystal clear to
her and then surely she would settle down and remain calmer. He
walked over to the table and picked up a cup and saucer, enquiring
in an icily polite tone, “Shall we take tea now...my dear?” When he
got no answer, he went on, “Sit down, for I have a few things that
I wish to say to you.”

Linnett
flounced into a chair, her expression sulky. She was somewhat
relieved that John was behaving in so civilised manner after her
attack, but she was also somewhat disappointed.

Linnett would
have quite liked to have had the opportunity to vent more of her
anger; she was still simmering and wanted to throw something hard
at his vile head. John, fully aware of her volatile nature,
nevertheless felt some sympathy for her state of mind. He decided
that he would naturally subdue her, teaching her to respect her
husband. John was determined to soothe Linnett and make her
understand that their marriage was a fact that she could not
change.

He poured them
both a cup of tea and sat across the table from her. “I trust that
you are now feeling calm enough to talk?” When she failed to reply,
he continued regardless.

“As you know,
Linnett, your father wished for this marriage to take place. It did
so because
I also wished it
. You are now my wife, and I want
our union to work well for the both of us. As your husband, these
are the things that I expect from you: first and foremost, respect,
and then, your loyalty and your obedience. In fact, I expect you to
fulfil your wedding vows and promises to me absolutely. I hope that
in time you will learn to love me. I am a fair and patient man, but
I am prepared to teach you to love, respect and honour me. This can
be done most pleasantly, or unpleasantly. At the end of the day,
the choice is yours. As for the marriage bed, well you do still
have a lot to learn, but it will be my pleasant task to teach you
the joys of that. You are my wife, Linnett, and as such,
you
will
share my bed and you will respect your husband. Otherwise,
there will be consequences. In return, you have my love and
protection in all things.”

John picked up
his tea cup and drank from it, watching her reaction to his speech
over the rim. Linnett’s emotions swung from a resentful anger to
incredulous embarrassment. Her face blanched and then blushed
furiously.

She took a deep
breath and then replied in a shaky voice, “Firstly sir, you have to
earn my respect. Secondly, I make my own decisions. Thirdly, I
loathe you, Mr. Foster, and I promise you that I will not be
falling in love with you now or in the future! As a gentleman, you
will be bound to leave me in peace at night and take your pleasure
elsewhere, for I will not endure it sir!” Linnett lifted her chin
haughtily, her green eyes flashing.

A muscle
twitched once in John’s cheek. “I warn you, Linnett: do not push
me, for you would not enjoy the outcome.”

“Do you
threaten
me, sir?” Linnett stood up and faced him as John
watched Linnett’s performance, for performance it was. He admired
his new wife and was inwardly proud of her strength of character,
but she had to learn quickly that he was her destiny and it would
be dangerous for her in the Colonies to try and go her own way. She
must learn to trust his judgement and do as he instructed. This
voyage would be a good opportunity for him to school her on her
wifely duties, and John found himself looking forward to the
prospect. He gazed at Linnett’s heaving bosom and flushed cheeks.
His new wife had no idea of the effect that she had on a man, and
that was going to be part of the danger that lay ahead for someone
as lovely as she in a country as untamed and as wild The
Americas.