Trade Winds (Choc Lit) (32 page)

‘They hae tae greet the city itself too, but I think tha’s the end of it.’

Jess ate her breakfast while staring out the porthole. The view was lovely – beautiful houses surrounded by large city walls, all built of the same type of stone and bathed in brilliant sunlight. She wondered if she would be allowed to go ashore to explore a little before being sent home. There was a fort to the south with towers and fortifications and the countryside around it was covered with trees of a kind she had never seen before. Their dusky green leaves fluttered in the almost constant breeze.

A boat came into view and Jess felt her spirits plummet. Although she was happy to have reached harbour, she was worried about what was to happen to her now. Was this it? Had they come for her? And how was she to travel all the way back to Sweden on her own?

It didn’t bear thinking of.

Killian watched the smaller vessel come up alongside the ship. Several men climbed up onto the main deck and Campbell went over to them. Killian followed, although he stayed in the background.

‘You must be Mr Graham,’ Campbell greeted the first man affably. ‘I’ve had good reports of you, pleased to meet you.’

‘How do you do? And this is Mr Pike.’ Graham, who had a pleasant smiling face, introduced his companion, a rather thick-set man with a double chin who looked a bit discontented. Campbell greeted him too, but in a more reserved manner, and introduced them to Killian as the final two supercargos for their journey.

‘You’re very prompt, I must say,’ Campbell commented.

‘Yes, but I’m afraid we bring bad news,’ Graham said. ‘There’s been an embargo placed on all merchant ships by order of the Court here. We’ve heard that even foreign ships are being forced into service on behalf of Spain on some sort of secret expedition into the Mediterranean. We thought it best to warn you immediately.’

‘Forced into service? Goodness! Oh, no, we have to avoid that at all cost. That would be disastrous.’ Campbell thought for a moment, then waved at the captain, who was standing over to one side. ‘Captain Trolle, could you order the man-of-war’s pennant to be hoist immediately, if you please?’

‘Why?’

‘Because we’re going to pretend we’re not here as merchants, that’s why.’

‘But we’re a merchant ship.’

‘Yes, I know that, but we must
look
as if we’re not.’

It took Campbell a while before he made the captain understand what he meant, but Trolle finally went off to do his bidding. Campbell shook his head in exasperation, but didn’t comment this time. He turned to the others. ‘I think it’s best if we don’t let anyone come aboard, nor allow anyone to go ashore for now. Apart from ourselves, of course. Then hopefully no one will question our status. We won’t unload the cargo until we know more about this situation. Has everything been arranged for our arrival, Mr Graham?’

‘Yes, indeed. Mr Gough, our local contact, is at your disposal and we’re all lodging with him during our stay here. He already has the necessary silver
piastres
which he’ll give you in exchange for whatever goods you have brought from Sweden.’

Killian had learned from Campbell that the Chinese refused to trade with anything other than pure silver coins. The best way of obtaining these was to bring goods to sell here in Spain. With their rich South American colonies, the Spaniards had a seemingly endless supply of silver, unlike countries such as Sweden. They would be taking away dozens of chests filled with the shiny
piastres
or ‘pieces of eight’ when they left Cadiz.

‘Excellent,’ Campbell said. ‘I’ll just tell the captain no one is to leave the ship, then we can proceed into town.’

‘So Killian has gone into the city then?’

Jess was still staring out the porthole, since there was nothing else to do at the moment. Adair was lounging on Killian’s bunk, taking advantage of his master’s absence by being idle.

‘Aye. He said he didnae ken how long they’d be, but we’ve tae stay here ’til he comes back.’

‘I suppose he’ll be trying to arrange passage for me.’ The thought was depressing, and Jess realised a part of her wanted to continue this journey instead of returning to Sweden. Having come this far, it seemed a shame to have to turn back.

‘He didnae say, but I reckon he will.’ Adair sighed. ‘A pity we cannae go ashore. I’d love tae feel land under ma feet again.’

‘Yes, me too, but we’ll have to be patient.’

‘Fancy a game o’ cairds? Nothin’ much else tae do.’

‘Very well, but I’m not playing for money. I leave that sort of thing to Killian.’

‘Ye’re jus’ afraid I’m goin’ tae beat yer,’ Adair smirked. ‘He’s taught me a thing or twa, ye ken.’

‘We’ll just see about that. Now deal the cards.’

A week passed with no sign of Killian. There was a constant bustle, with boats coming and going, unloading the ship and bringing new provisions. There were more live animals to replace the ones that had been slaughtered already, fresh vegetables and fruit, barrels of water and sacks of grain. It seemed to be a never-ending stream and Jess wondered how it could all possibly fit in the hold.

As the days wore on, her nerves stretched to breaking point while she waited to hear what arrangements had been made for her. Killian stayed in the city with the other supercargos, presumably kept busy by Campbell, and there were no messages for her.

‘How can it possibly take so long?’ she complained to Adair. ‘All he has to do is book my passage on a ship going north, surely?’

‘But there might no’ be ony goin’ tae Sweden.’

‘Well, then I could sail to England first, perhaps, or Holland, and find another ship there. I’m not completely helpless.’ She knew this wasn’t quite true though. She’d rather not have to fend for herself in a strange country.

Finally, at the end of the second week, Killian came into the cabin after knocking only briefly.

‘At last. I thought you’d have been back long before now,’ Jess burst out, the moment he stepped inside.

‘I’m sorry, but I’ve had a lot to do.’ He scowled at Adair, who hurried to gather up the playing cards and make himself scarce. When the door banged shut behind him, Killian sat down on his bunk and looked at Jess. He came straight to the point. ‘I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us. Mr Campbell and I haven’t been able to find you passage back to Sweden. I’m sorry.’

‘What? But surely there must be a way, if not directly, then via another port?’

‘Well, yes, but there’s no one to go with you unless we hire a local woman. Mr Gough could recommend someone, but how do we know she doesn’t abandon you somewhere? It’s one thing putting you on a Swedish ship which we know would take you straight home, or at least to somewhere in Sweden. But there aren’t any of your countrymen here right now and we can’t wait.’

‘There’s really no one who could take me?’

‘No. You’d be at the mercy of a stranger, who might just take the money and return from the first port the ship reaches. You simply can’t travel by yourself, it would be too dangerous. I talked it over with Mr Campbell and he agrees with me.’

Jess drew in a deep breath, trying to stay calm. ‘But the alternative is just as dangerous, if not more so.’

‘I know, but at least you won’t be alone or with people you don’t know.’

Jess digested this for a while, then bit her lip. ‘I’m sorry. You must think I’m a great nuisance, but I swear I didn’t mean to cause trouble.’

He shrugged, his expression bleak. ‘I’m sure I’m equally to blame, but it doesn’t matter.’ He was silent for a moment, then added, ‘Believe me, I would much prefer to send you back so that you’d be safe. You’re right, this journey is going to be long and hard. There’s no saying we’ll even make it to China.’ He dry-washed his face. ‘I’d better just forget about going myself and take you back.’

Jess could see that he was genuinely concerned for her, but she knew how much he’d wanted to go on this journey. She tried to reassure him. ‘No, I’m sure I’ll be fine and if anything happens, it will happen to us all and that will be that.’

‘But you’re a woman.’

‘So what? I’m every bit as healthy and strong as everyone else. Adair is as small as I am and if he can stand it, then why can’t I?’

Killian nodded. ‘I suppose when you put it like that, it makes sense.’

‘I’m not a child. Let’s not worry about what may be, it might never happen.’

‘Very well, so be it. I’m glad you’re taking this so calmly. I have to admit I had expected a major tantrum.’

‘Then perhaps you don’t know me as well as you thought you did.’

He threw her an enigmatic look. ‘Maybe not. We’ll have plenty of time to do something about that though, won’t we? But for now, I have to go and help Mr Campbell oversee the loading of the silver.’

When he’d gone, Jess sank down onto her bunk and closed her eyes. She was shaking, but with relief, not fear, and she felt strangely at peace. She was staying with Killian and even if they were at loggerheads, she knew in her heart this was where she wanted to be.

‘I’m very sorry, sir, but all the ships bound for China have left for this year. There won’t be another one until after next Christmas now. You just missed the last one, I’m afraid.’

Farquhar stared in disbelief at the East India Company clerk. The man had to be lying. ‘Not a single one? Surely you’re not serious?’

‘The ships can only sail at certain times of the year, sir, otherwise the winds will be blowing in the wrong direction. No point going then, they’d only have to kick their heels somewhere for months on end.’

Farquhar ground his teeth and felt like punching the officious little man. Although outwardly polite, he looked as if he was pleased to be able to thwart Farquhar. ‘Is there another way of reaching China?’ he asked curtly. ‘Via India perhaps?’

The man considered this, then shook his head. ‘I don’t think so and overland is not an option. Just a moment though …’ He scurried off to confer with a portly man sitting at a desk behind him and came back, nodding. ‘Yes, it may be a possibility.’

‘What?’ Farquhar was fast losing what little patience he had and the man sent him a nervous glance.

‘We heard a couple of ships were leaving from Ostend rather late. It may be they’ve not gone yet so you might be able to catch them.’

‘Ostend? Fine. How do I get there then? I suppose you’re now going to tell me there aren’t any vessels bound for the continent either.’

‘On the contrary, sir, as luck would have it, the
Porpoise
is just about ready to leave and her first port of call happens to be Ostend. If you’d care to make your way down to the docks, I’m sure the captain will be able to take you with him.’

‘I’ll go immediately.’ Farquhar added a perfunctory, ‘Thank you,’ as an afterthought, although he didn’t much feel like thanking the man.

As he headed towards the London Docks, he cursed silently to himself. If he didn’t reach the Ostend ships on time, he might as well stay at home and wait for Killian to come back. Why did he always have such bad luck? Surely, it was his turn now for a helping hand from Fate.

‘It had better be,’ he muttered.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Friedericus Rex Sueciae

They left Cadiz the following day and headed for the Barbary coast. There they hoped to pick up the northeast trade winds and the current that quickly drove ships southwest towards the Canary Islands. The weather was good and the sea relatively calm. Killian was therefore surprised to find Jess retching into a bucket when he returned to the cabin to fetch a ledger he’d forgotten.

‘Jessamijn? Haven’t you found your sea legs by now?’ he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up with a stricken expression, her face ashen. He felt very sorry for her, it must be miserable to suffer
mal de mer
for so long. Most people became used to the motion of the ship after less than a week.

‘Apparently not. Perhaps the stay in Cadiz fooled my body into believing the journey was over and now I have to start all over again,’ she said, attempting a light tone despite her obvious discomfort.

There was a knock on the door and Adair entered with a tray. ‘I’ve fetched ye some bread an’ cheese fer later. Shall I leave it here?’

‘Yes, please.’ Jess nodded and lay down on her bunk, no longer retching, but still very pale. ‘Thank you.’

Killian glared at Adair. ‘Don’t be an oaf. I really don’t think my wife wants to look at food right now. Can’t you see she’s ill?’

‘Oh, no fer long. She’ll be in fine fettle in an hour or twa,’ Adair said cheerfully. ‘An’ then she’ll be hungrysome, trust me.’

‘How do you know she’ll be better so quickly?’ Killian looked from Adair to Jess and back again. Jess avoided his gaze by looking at the ceiling, then shivered and curled up on top of the blankets, almost as if she was afraid. What was going on here, he wondered. Did she have some illness she didn’t want him to know about? Something catching? ‘Tell me,’ he barked, sudden fear making his tone sharper than he intended.

Adair stared at Killian as if he was a half-wit. ‘Ye really dinnae ken?’

‘Know what? You’re not making sense, boy.’ Killian was getting angry now at Adair’s insensitivity and felt like clouting him around the ear.