Souls Aflame (4 page)

Julie had not closed the door, and a faint glow of light filled the opening. Then a man appeared, his face framed in the halo of the small candle he held. She could see that he was over six feet tall, for he looked as though he were stooping to peer inside. Large framed, there was a military set to his wide, broadcloth-covered shoulders. His expression and high forehead beneath curling dark hair gave an impression of great intellectual possession, and she sensed at once that he was a man of importance.

Was this the famed and feared Captain Ironheart? There was a glint in his wide-set dark eyes that hinted he would be quick to anger.

Lifting the candle higher so he could see better, he all but growled, “Harky! What are you doing down here? You have no business in Miss Marshal’s cabin.”

Shad snapped, “I brought her some tea. Thought it might settle her down. It’s bound to be unnerving to a lady whilst we’re running the blockade, knowing we could get fired on any second…”

“We’re through the blockade. Get to your post at once.” His eyes glowing in the candlelight seemed to sparkle with tiny red dots of rage. “This will be reported to the captain.”

So, Julie realized with surprise, this was not Captain Arnhardt. Then who was he? He certainly seemed to have authority, because Shad quickly obeyed. He scurried past them, out of the cabin, and she heard him moving quickly up the steps.

The tall man bowed slightly. “I am First Officer Edsel Garris, Miss Marshal. Allow me to welcome you aboard, and please accept my apology for Boatswain Harky’s intrusion upon your privacy. He’s aware of the captain’s rules where female passengers are concerned. He will be punished, I assure you.”

“Not on my account, please.” Julie raised her hand in protest. “He was only trying to be nice, and the tea will be welcome. He did nothing to offend me. He was concerned that I would be frightened as we ran the blockade.”

He laughed softly, a warm sound that put her at ease. “I don’t think you have anything to fear. Captain Arnhardt is one of the best when it comes to navigating. Only once has the
Ariane
even been fired upon, and we were able to show our heels and make a rapid escape.”

He glanced about. “Are your quarters comfortable?”

Julie followed his gaze. “I suppose. But Mr. Harky tells me my mother and I will not be allowed on deck.”

“That’s true. Our crew can be an unruly lot at times, and the presence of women as lovely as you and your mother could present problems.”

She felt herself bristling. “We can handle ourselves. You can tell your Captain Ironheart we don’t intend to spend the next few weeks staring out a porthole.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Ironheart, did you say? It seems Mr. Harky has done a lot of talking.”

“Your captain’s reputation travels before him. I’ve already heard how the crew calls him that behind his back, and I’ve seen the scars on Mr. Harky’s face from being keelhauled. That sounds quite barbaric to me.”

“The crime he
committed
was barbaric.” He stared at her thoughtfully, a muscle in his jaw twitching slightly. “I’m afraid you don’t understand the law of the high seas, Miss Marshal. A captain is almost godlike in his powers. He can sentence a man to death if he so chooses. I won’t go into details of Mr. Harky’s crime, however, as a lady should not hear such.

“I would suggest,” he continued, “that you obey the captain and show him the respect he deserves. By so doing, you will ensure that your voyage upon our ship will be quite pleasant.”

She gave her long black hair an indignant toss. “I’ve no intention of being dictated to. I do happen to be a paying passenger. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to enjoy the tea Mr. Harky so thoughtfully brought to me.”

She placed her hand on the door and waited. Edsel Garris stared at her intently, pursing his lips as though he wanted to say more but decided it was best to keep his silence.

“As you wish.” He blew out the candle, and for a moment they were alone in the inky shroud of night. Then she heard him step outside, and she quickly pushed the door shut and threw the latch.

If he and his captain thought they would order her about, they were in for a surprise. As for Shad Harky, there might be something slightly ominous about his manner, but that could be the result of his scarred face and the mental anguish he must suffer. Whatever he had done in the past was just that—in the past—and as long as he behaved himself around her in a gentlemanly fashion, then she would be his friend.

She poured herself a cup of tea, grateful he had thought to provide lemon. She found the tea relaxing, and when her cup was drained, she did feel drowsy.

Getting back in her bed, she pulled the blanket up to her chin and lay there tensely, wanting to fall asleep so it would soon be morning. Maybe things would be better then. After all, she had never been on a ship, and it would be nice to gaze at the rolling ocean and taste the fresh salt air on her lips.

Closing her eyes, she thought of Myles, and wondered once again whether he was all right. If only she could have seen him before he left, but there had not been time. Had he been captured, he would have been lynched by an unruly mob.

It wasn’t fair, she thought angrily. Myles had a right to his opinions about the war. He hated slavery, and he’d often told his mother how, if it were left up to him, he’d free every slave at Rose Hill.

Their mother had argued that the Negroes at Rose Hill were treated very well. She also pointed out that if they were freed and turned away, many would starve. They would have no home, nowhere to go. She had also told him that she would never ask him to think any way except that which his heart dictated, but she did ask that he keep his views to himself in such tense, tumultuous times.

But Myles had not kept silent, and he and those who shared his opinions had angered many people in Savannah. So perhaps it was best that he had gone away, for his own safety. She only wished that he were not wanted for murder. That was a heavy burden for a man to carry. Myles was gentle and kind, and he would never have hurt anyone unless he was provoked to the breaking point.

The attack upon her had been that breaking point.

Once more the sound of someone coming down the steps made her instantly alert. Julie sat straight up, hoping that Officer Garris was not returning. She wanted no more company this night. She knew it would not be Shad, for he was already in trouble because of his earlier visit.

The footsteps stopped outside her door. She waited for a knock, but there was no further sound. Why was he just standing there? Why didn’t he move on down the hall?

Then a chill gripped her as she heard the doorknob turning. Thank goodness the door was bolted. She was about to demand to know who was there when she heard the hoarse, rasping breath, and she could only lie there in frightened silence.

After what seemed hours, shuffling sounds told her that whoever he was, he was leaving. She let out her breath with relief, hoping and praying that sleep would come soon, for this had to be the longest night of her life.

Pulling the blanket over her head, she vowed to lie there and not move, no matter what further sounds she heard.

Chapter Three

The
Ariane
had been at sea only a few days, but already Julie was bored and restless. Each time she appeared on deck, First Officer Garris inevitably emerged also, seemingly out of nowhere, to remind her apologetically that she was not allowed topside. With careful politeness, he would escort her below.

She had a choice of remaining in her cabin or sitting in the officers’ dining area. The latter was furnished comfortably, with magazines and books aplenty, and tea or coffee was offered all day long. Her mother seemed quite satisfied there, chiding Julie for refusing to settle down and make do with the situation.

“I’m sure it’s for the best, dear, and the captain has his reasons for his orders,” she pointed out. “Once we reach Bermuda, we’ll change to a nicer and larger ship, better equipped for passengers. We’re fortunate Virgil was able to get us through the blockade. There wasn’t time to think about comfort.”

She quickly added, “Besides, this ship is probably full of rowdies, and it’s best you aren’t around them.”

“They can’t all be bad,” Julie argued, pacing restlessly up and down the room, pausing now and then to stare through a porthole at the rolling ocean. “Anyway, we are
paying
passengers, and we should be allowed to do as we wish.”

Her mother sighed and turned her attention once again to the book she was reading, ignoring her daughter’s impatient grumblings.

One evening Julie arrived for dinner wearing a ball gown of champagne silk. The bodice dipped low, accentuating her generous bosom. There were no straps; the material was fashioned beneath her arms, with slip-on puff sleeves from the elbows to the wrists. The skirt hung in graceful scallops, each caught with a tiny rosette of red lace below the tight-fitting bodice which came to a point over her firm stomach. Julie had brushed her black hair till it shone, and let it flow softly about her shoulders, with only a bright crimson ribbon for adornment.

When she appeared in the doorway, Officer Garris gasped out loud as he jumped quickly to his feet and made her a slight bow. Second Officer Grover Watson and Third Officer Floyd Justice sprang from their chairs also, eyes wide with appreciative awe.

Julie took her seat next to her mother, who frowned and leaned over to whisper coolly, “Why did you wear that dress, dear? This is a ship, not a ballroom.”

“I thought dressing up might buoy my spirits a little,” she replied, blinking back tears and not bothering to whisper. “I just wanted to do something different, so I decided to dress for dinner. Is that so wrong? Being confined below night and day is going to drive me insane.”

She didn’t add that she had too much time alone, when she brooded and remembered the anguish of the past. She needed to be with people, keep busy, and dwell on the future. But who would understand if they did not share her secret pain?

Edsel Garris reached across the table and patted her hand in a gesture of sympathy. “Well, at least you’ve buoyed
our
spirits, Miss Marshal. It’s seldom we have an opportunity to witness such beauty. I’m just sorry that your confinement is necessary.”

Mr. Watson joined in. “We’re merely following the orders of our captain. You don’t realize how rough and crude some of our crewmen are. He doesn’t want you exposed to them.”

“Captain Arnhardt is a strict and forceful officer,” Edsel continued. “He demands that his ship be run efficiently and in an orderly manner. He frowns on his crew members even having the usual drunken binge when we put into port merely to take on a cargo. They have to wait until we reach our destination. Even then, he doesn’t tolerate revelry to an extreme.”

“That’s right.” Mr. Justice nodded. “The result is that the men work better, but their dispositions leave much to be desired. It’s best you keep your distance from them. Take our word for it, please.”

The cook’s assistant appeared, and Julie held out her wineglass to him. When he had filled it from the bottle he held, she took a slow sip, then gave each of the three officers a glance before saying, “I met one of your men my first night on board. I believe his name was Harky…Shad Harky. He brought me a nice pot of tea because he thought I might be nervous and unable to sleep, what with our running the blockade and all. He seemed quite polite, certainly not the ruffian you portray all your men to be.”

The officers exchanged looks with raised eyebrows, then Edsel said, “Yes, Miss Marshal. I know about Harky going to your cabin and, if you’ll recall, I told him to leave. I reported his actions to the captain, and Harky received five lashes—”

Julie set her glass down so quickly that its red contents sloshed over the rim and onto the white linen tablecloth. Her heart was racing furiously as she cried indignantly, “Do you mean to tell me you had him beaten? Merely because he was being a friend?”

Edsel squirmed uncomfortably, aware that all eyes were upon him, but only Julie’s were blazing with fury. “I didn’t give the order. I merely reported his action to the captain, which was my duty. The captain ordered him flogged. But if I
had
been in command, I can assure you I would’ve issued the same orders. This fellow Harky is a miscreant by nature, and it wouldn’t take much provocation for the captain to have him hung.”

“I’ve never heard of anything so sadistic and barbaric,” Julie exploded. “My God! His face is a mass of scarred flesh now from being dragged beneath your ship while he was tied to a rope! I don’t know why he puts up with such tyranny.”

Her mother reached out to touch her hand, and Julie turned to her and quickly said, “I’m sorry, Mother. I don’t mean to embarrass you by my behavior, but I’m shocked that such things go on. When we get to England, I’m going to talk to Virgil. I’m sure he has enough influence to have this ‘Ironheart’ removed from command.” She was shaking with rage.

“Captain Arnhardt happens to
own
this ship, Miss Marshal.” Officer Justice spoke, eyelids lowered to angry, narrow slits, his face reddening. His hands were gripping the table edge, knuckles white from the pressure. “He may do whatever he wishes, as is the law of the high seas. He would have full command of this ship even if he didn’t own it. And it matters not who your fiancé is or how much influence, power, or money he possesses. He has no control over Captain Arnhardt, and I’m sure Captain Arnhardt doesn’t stand in awe of him. I’ve never known him to be intimidated by any man.”