With another tilt of the ship, the candles and dinnerware slid again, this time more forcefully. Several utensils clattered to the floor, along with a goblet of wine, sending a splatter of Burgundy across the planking in every direction. Joseph lurched forward and managed to create a barrier with his arm, preventing even more from falling. Gasps of dismay and murmurs of worry replaced the conversation as passengers gripped the tables to hold themselves in their chairs.

A glance out the salon window showed the sky to be the same dark gray as earlier. And although the rain had held off, Joseph suspected they would have their fair share before the night was over.

The door to the room slammed open, and a ship’s boy entered, bringing with him a gust of wind—cooler and hinting at a coming storm. “Dr. Colville?” the lanky boy called.

Joseph released his hold on the dinner items and stood. “What is it, Harry?”

The boy, not much older than fourteen, was as filthy as the rest of the sailors but gentler in spirit, not yet hardened from life at sea. Early on, Joseph had enlisted Harry’s help in relaying to him the medical needs of the steerage passengers.

“Mrs. Donovan be having her labor pains in a bad way, sir,” Harry said, his greasy hair hanging about his face.

Joseph stood hastily, his chair scraping the floor and nearly tipping over. “How long has she been travailing?”

“Don’t rightly know, sir. Her mister is mighty afeared, seeing as the midwife said there ain’t no more can be done.”

When Joseph had last been down in steerage, Mrs. Donovan was overdue, but since she’d already birthed half a dozen children, Joseph didn’t expect her to have any difficulties with another.

“I shall gather a few supplies and be on my way,” Joseph said. “In the meantime, I would like you to fetch Miss Wilkins.”

Harry nodded and backed out of the room, wrestling with the wind to close the door behind him.

“Please excuse me,” Joseph said to the remaining passengers before leaving the table.

“Lord Colville.” Mr. Scott rose rapidly and held up a hand as though to stop Joseph’s departure. “Surely you don’t need Miss Wilkins when one of my daughters would be most willing to help you.”

Joseph halted. “Mr. Scott, I do thank you for your kind offer, but as I recall, on the last occasion Miss Scott assisted me, she ended up in a faint.”

Several evenings ago, one of the sailors had needed a festering tooth pulled. When Joseph had asked for Mercy’s assistance, Mr. Scott insisted he take his daughter instead.