Where Seagulls Soar (36 page)

The four men were rowed back to the ship, and scrambled aboard.

The thought that this ship was his awed Seth. She was as beautiful as the woman she’d been named after. He wondered what to do with her as he stood on the deck and felt her gently move
beneath his feet.

‘Well, lad, what do you think of her?’ Thaddeus asked him.

‘That she’s going to be quite a responsibility. I’ve only just realized how much organization must go into sailing and maintaining her.’

‘You have a good manager to advise you. Henry Wetherall knows the business inside out and he’ll do his job if he’s left to it. Durrington kept undermining him.’

‘I guess my first task will be to secure cargo and passengers.’

‘We have Irish migrants waiting to board, and some other passengers already aboard. We were talking it over when we came down the hill. We could pool our money and supply our own cargo.
We’ll get a good return for it from the merchants in Melbourne if we auction it straight off the ship.’

‘What type of goods?’

‘Anything domestic. Clothing, fabrics, china, books, building materials, farming tools, tents, furniture, liquor.’

‘
Saggitario
brandy?’ Seth suggested wryly, and they all laughed. ‘What about return cargo?’

‘Mostly wool, some gold. Royal mail and passengers. There’ll be a cargo waiting for us.’

‘Provisioning?’

‘Some provisions are already on board. We still owe for them, by the way.’

‘I’ve only just bought the ship, but I’ll honour the chandler’s bills and crew wages, since we’ll need both in the future.’

Although Seth didn’t know it, his grasp of the situation and his single-mindedness were impressing his three companions.

‘Provisions will depend on the number of passengers and the size of the crew. We’re short of crew and a couple of officers. Since some of them heard Durrington was going under, they
found berths elsewhere. But we can sail the ship short-handed if we don’t take a full complement of passengers.’

‘What about the Irish migrants? They would have paid their fares.’

‘Aye, and most can’t afford to forfeit them. But their fares are lost to you, so you won’t have to honour them. The migrants would have brought most of their own provisions
aboard, though.’

‘I’m not about to rob the poor of their hard-earned cash, gentlemen. I’d rather lose money first up than lose the goodwill. If you explain the situation, can you pick crew up
from amongst the Irish in exchange for their passage?’

‘Aye. They’ll also keep their quarters clean. Irish women seem to be able to fend for themselves, whatever environment they find themselves in. They’re used to hardship and
will help with menial work if needed, like taking a holystone to the deck.’

Excitement coursed through Seth, though he hesitated for a moment. ‘What if I wanted to base the ship in Melbourne?’

The three gazed at each other and grinned.

‘Good,’ said Seth. ‘I’m going back to London tomorrow. I’ll have a cargo ready for you in one week, and I intend to stuff this ship to the gills. I take it
you’ll need a second in command, Edward?’

Consternation registered on Edward’s face. ‘You’re not expecting to learn seamanship that fast, are you?’

Seth slid a wink towards the other two before he contemplated the captain. ‘Not all at once, of course, but I thought that if I went to Melbourne with you, you could instruct me on the
way. It shouldn’t take long, and what better a way to learn a trade than taking a hands-on approach?’

‘Did you now, mister?’ Edward growled, looking ready to throw him overboard. ‘This is a profession for real men, not some fancy-pants weekend sailor, who doesn’t look as
though he can work up a sweat.’

‘Perhaps you should teach me to dance the hornpipe, then?’

Oliver and Thaddeus exchanged a glance with Seth and the pair howled with laughter.

Seth chuckled. ‘Don’t fret, Captain. I wouldn’t be foolhardy enough to come between a master and his ship. It just seemed to me that there’s some skilled labour going to
waste at the moment, so I thought Oliver might like to keep his feet wet, if you’ve got room for him.’

‘Damn it, I’ll take him and defer to him, for Oliver is a better master than I’ll ever be.’

‘No need for that, Edward,’ Seth said with a smile. ‘If I can make this venture pay, I might take on a partner, buy a second ship and expand.’

‘And I might just know the perfect person,’ Thaddeus murmured.

Seth nodded. ‘I thought you might. Now, where’s that brandy you promised us, Edward?’

When Thaddeus patted Seth on the shoulder, pain shot through him. Letting out a groan, he clapped his hand over his arm. Blood seeped through his fingers.

‘Jesus, he’s bleeding,’ cried Oliver.

They helped him into Edward’s cabin and uncovered his arm.

‘There’s the tip of a knife broken off in there, and it will need a stitch or two after it has been removed,’ Thaddeus said. ‘Fetch the surgeon’s bag, would you
please, Oliver.’

‘Bring the surgeon with it,’ Seth added hopefully, as an afterthought.

Thaddeus planted a hand on his stomach as he tried to rise. ‘Don’t panic, lad. I’ve done this hundreds of times before, and every one of my victims survived.’ He turned
to Edward. ‘We’ll clean the wound with that brandy, then pour a dram or two down his gullet. It will help calm him. Chin Lee, see if you can clean up his coat, and find him a clean
shirt. We can’t have the new owner looking like a ragamuffin.’

Thaddeus inspected the wound. ‘It’s a good sharp cut and should heal as clean as a whistle. How did you come by it, lad?’

‘Bisley’s knife. I got between it and Toby.’

‘That’s what comes of playing the hero to impress a lady.’

Seth said seriously, ‘Do you think Joanna was impressed then?’

Thaddeus grinned. ‘Aye, lad, she couldn’t fail to be. Now, stop talking and take a slug of this. It’s real brandy.’

The brandy was excellent when applied internally. On the surgery it hurt like hell, but Seth wasn’t about to let them know it. Afterwards, he drank some more and listened to the
seamen’s tales with a warm glow of contentment. The adventure of it all fired him up. It was a good feeling. Later, Chin Lee took out a flute and Thaddeus taught him how to dance the
hornpipe, to the guffaws of the other two. Eventually, they all collapsed on to chairs and opened another bottle.

‘What name will you register the new shipping company as?’ Edward asked.

Head buzzing, a brilliant idea occurred to Seth. He smiled expansively at them all. ‘The Shegle Sipping Company. Jonah likes shegles.’

‘No Jonahs are allowed aboard the
Joanna Rose
. That deserves a toast, gentlemen.’ Grinning at the others, Edward refilled Seth’s glass for him, then held up his own
glass. ‘To the Shegle Sipping Company, then.’

‘The Shegle,’ they said solemnly and clinked glasses.

Seth carefully placed his glass on the table, slumped sideways in his chair and began to snore gently.

There were grins all round. ‘What’s a shegle?’ Oliver said.

Edward refilled the glasses. ‘Beats me.’

Thaddeus shrugged as he examined the contents of his glass. ‘’Tis a female gull, I reckon.’

The twins had gone upstairs and were talking in low voices, making plans.

Charlotte and Joanna sat by the fireside. Toby had been bathed and his wounds properly cared for. Now he slept in his mother’s arms.

‘He should be in bed, dear.’

Joanna refused to part with her son. She gently kissed his curled palm. ‘Not tonight, Grandmama. I want him to forget what happened and begin to feel safe again. And I can’t bear to
have him out of my sight yet.’

‘It’s been a bad two years for you, my love. First Alex, then this.’

‘We have to go forward. I’m going to tell Tilda everything tomorrow. She had to face her past tonight, and although she was trying to be brave, she was shattered. History nearly
repeated itself. Her brother tried to force himself on her in that cottage.’

Horrified, Charlotte stared at her.

‘Oh, he didn’t succeed. Yet Tilda risked her own life and put my son first. It made me realize how very much I love her. I owe her too much to just go off to Melbourne without
another word.’

‘And what about Seth Adams? Don’t you owe him something?’

Colour rose to her cheeks. ‘Obligation doesn’t come into our relationship. In the first place, he was working for Lord Durrington, so I could never quite bring myself to trust him
until right at the end.’

Charlotte gasped.

‘But even so, I allowed him . . . we became lovers.’ Joanna closed her eyes, remembering the exquisite lovemaking that had occurred between them, something more passionate and
gloriously intimate than she’d ever experienced before. Her eyes came up to Charlotte’s. ‘Seth has never mentioned marriage. What if he doesn’t love me in the way that I
want him to?’

‘But, my dear—’

‘He never told me so. I thought he did once, but I may have imagined it because I wanted him to so much, and I had been drugged. Oh, I’m so mixed up. He might not even respect me
now, since mainlanders are different from the islanders in that respect. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love Seth. Not even Alex, and I feel so guilty because I thought I would love
Alex for ever. But I rarely think of him now, my mind is filled with Seth.’

Charlotte smiled at that. ‘You mustn’t feel guilty. It’s not healthy to grieve all your life, and you’re too young to remain a widow.’

‘Why aren’t you shocked, now I’ve told you my secrets?’

‘Oh, Thaddeus and I were lovers for years. It started not long after your grandfather died, and I felt as you do now. We’re not meant to live life alone. Alex wouldn’t have
expected you to remain celibate, I’m sure he wouldn’t have.’

Or even remain faithful, Joanna thought sadly.

‘But as I was going to say earlier, anyone with half an eye can see that Seth Adams is totally besotted with you. He strikes me as being a man who likes to do things his way, but will
listen to reason.’

‘He certainly does like his own way,’ Joanna said darkly. ‘I didn’t expect him to lock me in the back room.’

‘He did it only to protect you from harm. I didn’t think you’d be so foolish as to climb out of the window.’

‘I’d climb the highest mountain to find my son.’

‘And so would he. Be guided by that man, Joanna, my dear. In return he will nourish and protect you every day of your life, and he’ll work only to ensure your happiness.’

‘But what if he doesn’t want me, now?’

Charlotte’s smile was complacent. ‘Don’t be so ridiculous.’

The magistrate cleared his throat and began to read from a piece of paper.

‘29th day of November 1859. Portland. Having heard the sworn testimony of Tilda Lind and Leonard Rushmore, it is the finding of this enquiry that Fanny Rushmore and her paid companion, Ada
Cooper, were murdered by the escaped prisoner, Brian Rushmore, and, furthermore, that their bodies were disposed of by means unknown. It is further found that the said felon, Brian Rushmore, a
person known to the courts for violent acts towards his fellow men, as his court record will attest to, and who was under the sentence of life imprisonment at the time of his escape from Newgate
prison, perished along with Charles Durrington, peer of the realm with the esteemed title of Earl, and his servant, known only as Bisley, who were conducting business together with the said felon
when their boat was swept into the tidal race off Bill Point, and was taken by God’s hand into the deep. It is concluded that the conspiracy of the men involved an attempt to smuggle brandy
without the payment of due duty. Kegs of illicit brandy marked
Saggitario
were found hidden in caves nearby.’

A ripple of laughter went through the people in the court.

The magistrate, who’d been on the clifftop two nights before and had caught a cold for his trouble, gazed severely around him and banged his gavel on the bench. ‘Justice has now been
done and the matter is closed. May God rest their souls. Amen.’

As they were heading back home a horrible suspicion came into David Lind’s mind. He’d found Fanny Rushmore’s crutches lying beside an open grave, which had
been filled with mud, washed there by recent rainfalls. He wondered if he should dig up Jimmy Upton and take a look.

He decided against it. Tilda had been through too much already, and something else was worrying her.

His heart went out to her when she threaded her arm through his and said, ‘Are you happy living here, David?’

He wasn’t. The islanders were mostly methodists, and they were self-sufficient and insular. His congregation was too small and nobody needed his help. David was looking forward to the
birth of their child as something that would make him feel slightly less redundant.

Sometimes he thought his nature wasn’t suited to being a minister of the church. The routine of it bored him, and when he prayed for guidance he rarely received an answer. People were
stiff with him, treating him with a deference he didn’t deserve, so it set a distance between them. His retiring nature often made him awkward with people too, and he was happiest when he was
studying, or helping someone less fortunate than himself. Often he thought he might like to do something else. Teach, perhaps.

‘I’m happy to be where you are, Tilda. What’s troubling you?’

‘There are too many bad memories here. I still can’t go near my father’s cottage without feeling ill.’ A rueful smile touched her mouth. ‘I seem to have no
connection with the island now my mother’s gone.’

‘What about Joanna?’

‘Joanna and I love each other, but I’ve always needed her more than she needs me. Joanna follows her heart.’

‘And you sense she’s going to spread her wings and fly away from you?’

Tears in her eyes, Tilda nodded miserably.

David turned her round to face him. ‘My love, Joanna has her own life to lead. You have to let her go.’

‘I don’t think I can bear living here without her. We’ve been through too much together. She’s had something on her mind for some time. Now she wants to talk to
us.’