Chapters (51)
- Cover
- Books by Elizabeth Camden
- Title Page
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Historical Note
- Questions for Discussion
- In 2020, look forCaroline Delacroix’sstory in
- About the Author
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- Back Cover
“He will,” Caroline snapped. “You are anathema to him. He is a man of sound logic and reason, and he will accept your help in Boston, but other than that, you are to keep your distance.” She glanced around the cavernous interior one final time. “Make yourself at home,” she said before whirling around to leave.
The sound of the door closing echoed in the horribly empty hold.
As awful as Caroline could be, her absence was even worse. Caroline was confident and knowledgeable about this ship, while Annabelle was a country mouse who’d never been to sea.
She walked to the far side of the hold to sit down and lean against a barrel to wait. A thump startled her, but she smiled in relief at the sight of a snowy white cat that had pounced onto a pallet to look at her curiously.
“Hello, sweetie pie,” she whispered, holding out her fingers and letting the cat sniff her. A moment later the cat jumped onto her lap, and its weight was comforting as she listened to more loads of coal being dumped into the boiler room somewhere above her.
As the hours passed, more voices and footsteps could be heard boarding the ship. The noises seemed magnified in this steel monstrosity—slamming, thumping, and banging. Why did everything have to be made of metal? The rattling of chains and shouts of men were interspersed with hissing noises and what sounded like pressure valves releasing.
A bubble of nervous laughter arose. This was something of an adventure! She stroked the cat, wishing she could be up on deck to see all the excitement, but she’d have to be patient.
She nibbled on a stick of salami she’d brought, sharing bits with the cat as preparations continued above. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the mighty boom of a foghorn. So loud! Two long blasts sounded, and a moment later a dip and a lift of the ship signaled they were leaving port. They were moving! Oh, how she wished she could be up above to see, but just knowing this huge ship was actually on the move was one of the most oddly thrilling experiences of her life.
She settled against the wall, hauling the cat back onto her lap. “Just a few more hours, Sweetie Pie.”
The wait was going to be long and boring, and at the end of it, she’d have to test the limits of Gray’s temper. For all her earlier bravado, weathering the storm ahead was going to take nerves of steel.
Twenty-Seven
By five o’clock, Annabelle was tired and sore from huddling in the cargo hold, but it was time to brave Gray’s wrath and let him know she was aboard the ship. Her legs felt weak as wet straw as she pushed to her feet.