Chapter 4
The ocean was relatively calm today. The waves showed white caps as they rolled in their stately manner past the Amelia Rose, but Elizabeth Bennet had seen far rougher seas during her two weeks aboard the ship.
Elizabeth, her gloved hands folded on the wooden railings, gazed into the dark blue depths and felt a modicum of peace.
She had never seen the ocean before this voyage and if asked, would have suggested that surely water was water, even vast quantities of water.
But no, that was not true. The ocean seemed almost alive to her; angry at times, peaceful at others, sometimes even mischievous, as when an unexpectedly large wave slapped against the wooden hull of the boat and threw salt spray onto her hair, face and gown.
It was well that Elizabeth had always been an energetic girl with a high tolerance for being messy.
Dear Jane, so tidy, so neat, had always been distressed when her boots and clothes were muddy, wet or otherwise in disarray.
Here on the Amelia Rose, Elizabeth found herself wet every day, and the salt spray left an annoying residue on her gowns.
Nonetheless, she could not bear to stay below for hours on end; her cabin had no outer portholes and was lit either by candles or light from the dining room upon which the cabin faced.
No, far better to stare out over the ocean and breathe the fresh air, even if the price was an occasional mild wetting.
The sailors on board the Amelia Rose had looked askance at her the first few times she stood by the railing for hours on end, but now they treated her as one of the ship’s furnishings, it seemed.
They were a hardworking lot, the sailors, climbing the high masts with the apparent ease of a troop of monkeys, pulling ropes with strong and hoary hands, singing sea shanties at the top of their voices as they did so.
She had never had the least idea of all that was involved in sailing a ship across the ocean.
Perhaps the most surprising thing on the voyage was the first time the crewmen broke into song.
They did not have fine voices, but the men singing these ‘sea shanties’ together was strangely moving.
There were a number of tunes they would sing, some with coarse lyrics in places – sailors were not known for their discretion.
In some cases a single man would sing a part, and in others the whole crew would sing.
Elizabeth’s favorite was a song about sailors on a voyage to South Australia.
It, like some of the other songs, was never quite the same from one time to the next as the verses would change or new ones would be added when inspiration struck.
She was not sure if there was a name for the song, but ‘South Australia’ was fitting enough and the tune was a lilting one which lifted her spirits considerably.
South Australia
In South Australia I was born
To me heave away, haul away
In South Australia ‘round the Cape Horn
And we’re bound for South Australia
Haul away you rolling kings
To me heave away, haul away
Haul away, you'll hear me sing
And we’re bound for South Australia
As I walked out one morning fair
To me heave away, haul away
'Twas chance I met Miss Nancy Blair
And we’re bound for South Australia
Haul away you rolling kings
To me heave away, haul away
Haul away, you'll hear me sing
And we’re bound for South Australia
There ain't but one thing grieves me mind
To me heave away, haul away
That’s to leave sweet Nancy Blair behind
And we’re bound for South Australia
Haul away you rolling kings
To me heave away, haul away
Haul away, you'll hear me sing
And we’re bound for South Australia
And as we wallop around the Cape Horn
To me heave away, haul away
You'll wish to God you'd never been born
And we’re bound for South Australia
Haul away you rolling kings
To me heave away, haul away
Haul away, you'll hear me sing
And we’re bound for South Australia
I wish I was on some lonesome strand
To me heave away, haul away
With rum and whiskey in my hand
And we’re bound for South Australia
Haul away you rolling kings
To me heave away, haul away
Haul away, you'll hear me sing
And we’re bound for South Australia
This lilting, roaring song made her thankful that she was not in fact on a voyage to South Australia. What a journey that would be! The trip to St. Croix was but four or five weeks, compared to what must be several months through far more dangerous waters.
She had never thought about sailing, about sea voyages, about lands across the wide and wild ocean. Was it only a few months ago that she was home in Longbourn, sitting by the fire in the library, speaking to her father about Shakespeare’s As You Like It?
Tears blurred her eyes and she swallowed hard. She was not ashamed of her sorrow over her father’s death, but to cry here at the railing, in full view of everyone, was unacceptable. She often sobbed into her pillow at night, and when she woke in the morning, her face was encrusted with dried tears.
At least Elizabeth felt physically well now.
Two weeks ago, when the Amelia Rose had set sail for St. Croix in the Caribbean Sea, Elizabeth had been amazed and literally sickened by the swells which rolled the packet ship from stem to stern and back to stem.
To her great relief, after two days of discomfort she had found her sea legs and had since been entirely comfortable on board, save for a few hours when the ship had encountered a minor storm.
Elizabeth glanced to the east, filled with wonder yet again that no land was in sight, but only swells of greenish blueish gray water, which stretched to the horizon.
It was wild and beautiful and free, and she felt free as well, unshackled from her mother’s fear and fury, from the unnerving possessive behavior of Sir Claude.
She missed her father desperately, of course.
She missed Jane and worried for her gentle sister, now a paid companion to a spoiled heiress in London.
But Elizabeth was thankful that those she trusted agreed she was safer away from England, away from her land of birth where parsons hurled gentle women from their homes, and where a man old enough to be her father sought to take her as an unwilling bride.
Where Mr. Darcy lived, who no doubt now was entirely recovered from his former love for her.
She had wept over the tall gentleman from Derbyshire as well, grieving the loss of his good opinion.
She had rejected his offer of marriage with high handed passion only a few months ago, deceived by her own prejudice and idiocy in trusting the reprobate, George Wickham.
If she had known the truth, if she had realized what a good man he was, if she had known that within a few weeks, her beloved father would die suddenly, she might have accepted his proposal with gratitude.
Well, perhaps not gratitude, no. His proposal had been insulting, but she was quite certain that Mr. Darcy had not intended it to be so.
Mr. Darcy was a fine man, an intelligent man, an honorable man and a rich man.
The latter had never seemed that important but she had, she knew, been rather naive about the reality of poverty.
Her dear friend Charlotte had leaped at the chance to become wife to Mr. Collins, heir of Longbourn, and now reigned as the leading lady of Meryton.
Elizabeth knew that Charlotte loved her, but she was unable to restrain her husband’s stupidity regarding Lady Catherine.
When the mistress of Rosings insisted that Elizabeth marry Sir Claude, nothing could shift Mr. Collins from his obsession that the lady’s directive be carried out.
“Elizabeth.”
“Helena,” she replied, turning toward the woman who had just joined her at the railing.
Mrs. Helena Kendall was a young woman, only a few years older than Elizabeth, with nearly black hair and very blue eyes which made a somewhat exotic contrast. She was not as handsome as Elizabeth, but she was a striking woman.
Mrs. Kendall was also expecting her first child with her husband, the rector.
Perhaps that was why the lady had struggled much more with seasickness than Elizabeth.
While the two women had only known one another for a few weeks, they had quickly become friends.
“It is beautiful, is it not?” Helena commented with a gentle smile, gazing around at the swelling ocean. “I am thankful that the sea is relatively calm today.”
“It is lovely,” Elizabeth agreed, peeking at her watch. “Oh! It is much later than I realized. I have been in a brown study, it seems. I apologize.”
“That is quite all right, I assure you, Elizabeth,” Helena replied. “I was absolutely exhausted and took a long and welcome nap. How are you today?”
Elizabeth hesitated for a moment before replying, “I mourn my father, of course. I have always found comfort and peace in being exposed to the glories of nature, and I love the way the ocean changes from hour to hour. I thank you again for bringing me with you.”
“Oh Elizabeth, it is I who must thank you! I will follow Mr. Kendall to the ends of the earth, but I did not expect that he would be sent off to a Caribbean island so soon after our marriage. To have you along as a friend is such a relief, as my husband will no doubt be busy organizing the affairs of the Anglican Church there in Christiansted.”
“We have not had the opportunity to speak much of St. Croix. Do you know much of the history of the island?”
Helena nodded, “It is currently under the authority of the English crown but was a Danish possession only a few years ago. It has been a pirate’s haven in the past and was entirely abandoned at some point due to the prevalence of malaria.
There is a bark which is known to help fight malaria and my husband obtained some and brought it along, so I hope we will be well enough.
In any case, we will largely live in the main city of Christiansted.
I have no intention of hacking my way through the jungles of the island, and while I know you are an inveterate walker, dear Elizabeth, I hope you will restrict yourself to walking the town. ”
Elizabeth lifted a thoughtful brow, “Is Christiansted on the ocean?”
“Oh yes. It has a harbor where our ship will dock. In fact the island is quite small, so much of it is near the ocean.”
“Then yes, I believe I can be quite content if I am permitted to stare over these great waters from Christiansted.”
“I am glad. Well, I do believe it is time for dinner.”
Elizabeth suppressed a grimace. All of their food was provided as part of their fare, but it was not fine dining. She knew she had been thoroughly spoiled at Longbourn where her mother set an excellent table and there was never fear of hunger.
She had learned much in these last weeks, all of it difficult.