She wanted to shout that she had no intention of sightseeing with Joseph today, that she’d beg Joseph to spend the day with Charlotte and Lavinia so long as Mr. Scott allowed the rest of the women to go to shore. She’d even volunteer to stay behind on the ship if she had to. She couldn’t bear the thought that everyone had to suffer and remain on the ship on account of her.

The women’s protests grew louder still, so much so that Mr. Scott and Mrs. Robb ordered them back to their cabins. As the door closed behind her and the cold darkness of the tiny room encased her, Mercy stood there frozen in place.

Muffled sobs echoed in the room as the girls threw themselves onto their beds and cried out their misery. But Mercy felt only dread. If she wasn’t more careful, she had a feeling Mr. Scott would find a way to ruin her completely, ruin her chance of getting a job on Vancouver Island, and maybe even ruin the opportunity for Patience to come on the next ship.

She couldn’t spend any more time with Joseph. She couldn’t look at him, couldn’t speak to him, couldn’t be near him—not even in the smallest way. If she could prove to Mr. Scott that he had nothing to fear regarding her stealing Joseph’s attention away from his two daughters, maybe then he’d forget all about her.

Being an invisible, poor nobody was for the best, she decided. She would be wise never to forget that.

eighteen

Joseph waited at the rope, leaning against the ship’s rail with what he hoped was a casual posture, one that didn’t reflect his inner turmoil and angst.

Mercy wasn’t coming.

He glanced again in the direction of her cabin. But the door remained as resolutely closed this morning as it had yesterday.

The sun was rising, sending its brilliant rays across the now-calm bay, turning the water into dazzling blue sapphires and the distant hills into vibrant emeralds. It was a sight he would have enjoyed sharing with Mercy, just as he had many times before during their early-morning encounters.

He didn’t want to admit their meetings had become the highlight of his day, yet he couldn’t deny the fact any longer. He looked forward to being alone with her at daybreak, when he could watch as her beautiful features filled with wonder and her eyes widened with delight, when he could share all he’d been learning with someone as eager to learn, when he could simply be himself without any pressure to perform as someone who was titled.

True, they’d had but a few minutes together most days, and it had never been quite enough time. But he didn’t want those moments to come to an end.

And now clearly they had.