ROCKED BY THE WAVES (7 page)

LIFE IS MADE OF TRAVELS

“The most mysterious place you can discover is a man’s heart.”

Maruja Torres

We needed to do two things. Sam needed to tell Angus he had something to do outside London: this would give him the chance to go away for a few days. He would take my luggage with him and hide it somewhere. He would then deliver in secret my father’s reply to my letter to me. On the morning after, I would pretend to go shopping. I would tell Alex I also needed to borrow some books from the British Library and would join Sam instead.

We had it all worked out. When I finally joined Sam, at nine o’ clock in the morning, we hurried to the railway station. We needed to take the train first, then we would take a boat and then another train. We would therefore sail to North America. Sam provided me with fake papers to show to anyone who needed to check on our identity.

We were a young couple. We were the Campbells. It was a very popular name. We had second class tickets. We would stop in Halifax for a few days and look for an estate to buy.

I was happy, I loved him very much. He had had a good night’s sleep and he seemed much more relaxed than the previous week. When we met, we didn’t kiss. We were still being careful.

When we got on the train, I hugged him and he hugged me back. He kissed my hair every so often. I smiled at him. There was no need to talk.

When we got on the boat, I saw that my beloved country was becoming smaller and smaller. When it disappeared, I kissed Sam. He was the one and I didn’t care about anything else.

I felt the wind upon my skin. I felt like screaming, laughing and jumping. I held Sam’s hand and we looked each other in the eyes. Our dream was coming true.

«I love you, Claire. I love you so much. I always think of you... I don’t want to part from you ever again.»

I caressed his cheek. His lips were perfect and he was beautifully charming.

«I love you too. I don’t want to see... him... ever again.»

We got on the second train and I felt asleep upon Sam’s shoulder. We got to Le Havre and Sam led the way. It was noisy and the the air smelt bad.

It started raining but I didn’t notice, not until my clothes got completely wet. We got to the guest-house we were staying at. It was packed with sailors and... well, women. They were wearing provoking outfits and kept looking at Sam.

We got to our room and he shut the door behind us.

«I’m sorry, it’s not a very nice place. But no one will ever look for us here».

I sat on the bed. He was still standing on the doorway, his back against the door. I told him to sit next to me.

«Please, come here, Sam. The door’s shut. There’s nothing to be worried about. Come here... come on, help me get undressed. My clothes are terribly wet and I don’t want to catch a cold».

He turned red. I had provoked him.

«Don’t you want to help me? Come on... please... I’m too tired to take off my corset by myself...»

He looked at me. He was thinking about something. Things were becoming real. We had left London for good. We needed to rebuild our lives.

He finally approached and helped me get undressed. He hugged me and I felt happy.

«Are you okay, Sam? Why are you worried?», I asked smoothly.

He caressed my cheek and then he kissed me.

«It’s just that... you’re so beautiful. You’re so perfect... I’m not sure I deserve you».

I started undressing him. I kissed his chest and said: «I love you».

We hugged. We were happy, because we were together. He protected me with his body and I felt comfortable. I liked the way his head touched my cheek. I could feel him breathing.

He raised his head and looked into my eyes. He was trying to guess what I was thinking about.

He kissed me and we made love. It was true love and I knew he really cared for me. I was free and I was with him. It was a perfect moment.

When we woke up, we heard the sailors screaming and getting ready to leave. Le Havre was an important harbor, so many ships stopped there. I looked out of the window: it was packed with people. Some of them were shouting, others were sleeping on the ground. Seagulls kept playing in the water, while many women were trying to sell their own bodies in order to make ends meet.

The air smelt bad. It was a mixture between fish, salt, oil and rotten fruit. It was topped with the dirt of those people. I felt like I was part of that life; I was used to seeing such poverty, but I was also used to coming back home at the end of the day. That very moment, I felt as if I were one of them.

Some of the people willing to leave had bought their tickets from tricksters. They had been told that in Nova Scotia everything would have been easier for them, that it was a wealthy country and that they would become rich soon. The truth was many people would have been sent back to England as soon as they had gotten to Nova Scotia.

We were waiting on the quayside. It was raining. Sam was hugging me.

«Come on, we’re going to go shopping today. And we’ll also need to check on our new documents».

I kissed him. Around us, many young women were trying to catch Sam’s attention. Some of them were especially regardless towards me.

«Sam... how did you get to know this guesthouse? Just out of curiosity», I was jealous.

He laughed. «I’ve been told to come here. It’s a safe place. And I had never been here before, I swear. I hope your husband won’t look for you here».

He smiled at me and help my hand.

The streets around us were narrow and dark. They smelt bad, just like the harbor.

«Come on, we need to have breakfast».

I follow him.

«You know, our tickets included a night’s stay in that guesthouse. Come on, we must collect our tickets and then we’re going to go have breakfast. We’ll also need to go shopping, you know».

«Where do we need to collect our tickets?»

«Somewhere safe. I know someone...»

We entered a small building. We took the stairs and then stopped in front of a door. I looked at the inside. It was very small, sort of a two-room apartment.

The walls must have been white when the house was built. Now they were dirty and covered with pictures. Were those Scottish views?

We entered the main room. A bunch of men were writing. They spoke a language I didn’t understand. They saw Sam and – I believe – they welcomed him.

A tall red-haired man came to us. He looked at me with his huge green eyes, then he greeted Sam. His hair was long and tied in a tail. He said something to Sam, which went red. I didn’t understand what had just happened, so I asked.

«What did he just say?»

Sam looked at me. He was embarrassed and avoided the question.

«Our papers are ready. We must pay for them and then we shall go».

We went to the desk where the other men were sitting. They all raised their heads to look at me.

«You must sign here, Claire».

I read them. I was Claire Campbell and I was married to Samuel Campbell. I signed using my new signature, and so did Sam. We paid and took the papers.

I heard those men screaming as I left the room.

«What did they say? Sam... tell me».

«Nothing... they just said you’re very charming. They’re Scottish and, well... they say things their way».

I laughed. «Come on, let’s go get some breakfast. And, please, don’t hold my hand like that. I’ll need it for the future».

«Oh, I’m sorry».

We got to the city centre and stopped in front of a bakery. We got in and Sam asked for tea, orange juice and brioches. I couldn’t help it but notice his French was perfect. When we were finished, we got up and decided to walk for a while.

«Where did you learn to speak French so well?»

«I have lived in Paris for a few years. I had business to take care of».

«You mean... for Alex? What kind of business?»

«I don’t really feel like talking about it», he said. His voice was sharp.

«So...», I changed the subject, «where are you taking me?»

He smiled. «We’re going shopping. You’ll need something new to keep you warm. It’s windy, in Nova Scotia, and the weather is constantly changing. And Halifax’s really foggy».

«Have you ever been there?» I was stuck.

He smiled. «No, but my mother’s friends have been living there for many years».

«Your mother? You never told me about her».

«My parents don’t love each other anymore. She was a rich Scottish lady; she was very catholic and she married against her father’s will. As the time went by, she got sort of... a call. She now lives in a convent. That’s where I went when I told you I’d go to Edinburgh for a few days.»

Then he continued. «She’s part of a monastic order. It was funded by an Italian nun. My mother travels a lot. She visits hospitals and so on with her sisters... she is going to help us and you will be able to help young women and their children. Just like you did in London».

I hugged him.

«I love you more and more. You’re always so caring...»

He kissed me on the forehead.

«My mother once told me that when I found the right woman for me I would inherit all of our family’s money. I told her about you. I told her you were married, that I loved you so much and that we want to be together from now on. I told her you’re the one for me. So now I am... rich. I inherited her money and we don’t have to worry about anything».

I was speechless.

«Sam...»

A sudden thought stuck me.

«Sam... talking of women...»

I must have gone red. He looked at me and smiled.

«You want to know about my past... experiences», he said.

I shook my head. I was unable to look him in the eyes.

«When I was fourteen, I gave my first kiss. At sixteen, I fell for someone. At eighteen, I had sex. It happened with a blond blue-eyed girl. She was a friend’s daughter. She was very nice. We used to walk together and have tea. I didn’t enjoy the sex much, though. It was not like... I didn’t feel what I feel with you. And that girl... she was keen on parties, clothes and gossiping with her friends. We were very different. My mother never approved of her. And she was right. And then... well, then I met you».

I looked at him. «You’re really telling me you haven’t been having sex for three years? but you’re... charming!»

He smiled at me and he kissed my forehead. «I was waiting for you».

I hugged him at once.

«I’m sorry I married Alex. I shouldn’t have».

«We’re together now».

We bought a trunk, two cases, warm clothes, boots, jackets, shirts and bed linen.

We were supposed to look wealthy, but not too much, so we avoided flashy outfits. I was happy about that, because I didn’t like it when women belonging to the upper-class got changed five times a day. It was silly.

Every shop assistant that we met looked at Sam in a... certain way. He was charming and he was always helping me choose the most appropriate item to buy. At the end of the day, we were exhausted. We asked a bunch of children to help us with our bags and paid them. We washed our hands and got out once again. We needed to get something to eat.

We had meat in roquefort sauce and roasted potatoes. We drank an excellent wine.

The day had been very tiring, so when we got to our room we fell asleep at once.

We woke up very early because someone was screaming. It looked like a gentleman had something to say about his «lady» for the night. He was complaining to the innkeeper. Sam and I got dressed and left.

We got to the harbor very early. It was already packed with people: families, sailors and bags were just everywhere. It was windy and I appreciated that. It smelt a bit better than the previous day.

Wealthy people were keeping an eye on their belongings. They were clearly impatient to occupy their suites. We were fine with our second class tickets, Sam and I. I was feeling sorry for those who were clearly unable to pay for their journey: they must have asked friends and relatives for money before they reached the amount needed. We were 1300 passengers.

Third class passengers were asked to undergo medical controls. Luckily, we were not, so we got on the boat and showed our documents to the captain.

«Mr and Mrs Campbell. Right, please follow the man over there. He’ll take you to your room.»

We were taken to our room. It was a small, but tidy one. The bathroom was well equipped, even if it was really tiny.

We looked at the bed. I was really willing to lay there with Sam...

«Sam, will you undress me? I’d like to rest for a while...»

It was nine o’clock in the morning, I had woken up few hours before and it was way too noisy to rest.

He looked at me.

«Right... “rest for a while”...»

I turned pink and tried to act cool, but he quickly undressed me and took me to the bed.