Chapter Twelve
Just after noon they arrived to board Prince Magnus’s ship, the Jewel of Thrudheim.
Magnus had wasted no time in ensuring their quick departure: Selina was sure she’d seen trunks being carried down the stairs even during the cutting of their cake.
Unfortunately for the prince, her father had somehow invited himself along for a tour of his ship before they left.
So they’d all climbed aboard his royal coach and travelled to the London Docklands so that her father could have his tour before waving them off. The prince’s carriage would then return her aunt and father to Great Yarmouth—Prince Magnus had insisted—much to her father’s chagrin.
She wondered what would become of the beautiful house and coach when the princes left England.
She supposed the house would be closed up with minimal staff to maintain it.
The beautiful mahogany and gold-leafed furniture would be covered with dust-sheets, the coach polished and stored in the mews.
It made her sad to think of such a beautiful home being shut away and put to sleep until it was of use again.
Her melancholy was not improved by the carriage ride to the docks, which was almost as uncomfortable as the stagecoach.
Not because of the furnishings, which were as sumptuous as ever even with five of them seated inside, but because of the company.
Her father spent the entire journey asking countless questions about Magnus’s fleet, all of which he politely answered.
Selina was beginning to wonder if her father had been tasked with spying on Thrudheim’s navy, his questions were so thorough.
When they did eventually arrive, her father was not disappointed by the sight of the Jewel.
Prince Magnus’s ship was most impressive with three huge masts and many sails.
They’d already been informed via her father’s questions that it was equivalent to a first-rate ship of the line, with one hundred guns over three decks.
Painted bright blue-and-white it was beautiful as well as imposing.
She was shocked it had been allowed to dock at all considering its immense size, but she supposed royalty were allowed special dispensations.
‘Heavens! At one point, I thought your father was about to ask for a full account of the bed linens,’ muttered Aunt Mary as they walked towards the Jewel.
The men were walking ahead of them, her father pointing out specific details in the rigging, and asking even more exceedingly dull questions about them.
‘If we’d been delayed even a moment longer, I fear he would have,’ replied Selina gravely.
Aunt Mary chuckled and looped an arm through hers. ‘What a long day! Well, I, for one, have no inclination to see its poop deck, galley or whatever else your father wishes to inspect. Perhaps we could take tea in the captain’s quarters rather than go on this infernal tour?’
‘Oh, that would be nice! Do you think the prince will allow it?’
Aunt Mary stopped walking and turned to face her with a creased brow. ‘You are a married woman and a princess. You can do whatever you please! Do not forget that, Selina, otherwise people will walk all over you.’
Selina blinked, before a wave of irritation engulfed her.
‘Well, that is true. But I am surprised to hear such stern advice coming from you, Aunt Mary.’ The betrayal of earlier rose up in a wave of resentment.
‘Considering you have never done as you wish! Always allowing Father to bully you into doing his bidding, and behaving as if you were his unpaid servant!’
Aunt Mary’s eyes widened, but she took the reprimand with dignified resignation and nodded before retaking her arm. ‘You are angry with me because I am not joining you.’
Tears threatened to spill and Selina nodded. ‘I am… You could have warned me sooner.’
The men were significantly ahead of them, as they made slow progress up the long gangplank to board.
Aunt Mary winced but nodded in agreement.
‘I should have told you sooner. It was cowardly of me not to. The truth is you did not choose this match, and it worries me. You have always been so eager to please others, and I suppose you get that from me. But I beg you to make your own choices from now on and to take charge of your own life. I cannot help you in that regard. As you know, I have always struggled to say no to people that need me—especially your father.’
‘I am sorry,’ Selina said contritely, guilt washing in after her anger had burned away.
‘You sacrificed so much to look after me when my mother died. It was wrong of me to criticise you for your kind nature or expect any more from you.’ Aunt Mary had never spoken of it, but Selina had heard rumours that her aunt had been set to begin life as a governess for one of her father’s friends in the West Indies but had decided to stay after Selina’s mother had died.
‘Looking after you was a blessing,’ said Aunt Mary firmly. ‘I chose that life, so do not believe otherwise. However, you are right. I have allowed your father to rely on me, and as I am expecting you to be brave, I should probably do the same.’
‘He can get a housekeeper,’ Selina grumbled, jerking her head up towards her father’s back. ‘You and Mrs Pearce can travel all you want then, even farther than Brighton if you wish it!’
Aunt Mary laughed, and Selina’s father glanced at them with a perplexed frown. When he turned back, the older woman gave Selina a sly and conspiratorial look. ‘You are right. I will endeavour to raise my voice, if you promise to do the same.’
Selina nodded. ‘I promise!’
When they reached the deck, they were introduced to Captain Jensen and the other officers. The crew were all lined up, their backs as straight as broom-handles for inspection.
‘As there is quite a lot you wish to see, Admiral, shall we start from the bottom and work our way up?’ asked Prince Magnus.
Selina was quick to interrupt before her father answered, and they yet again charged off without them. ‘My aunt and I would like to take tea in the captain’s dining room, if that is agreeable to you, Captain Jensen?’
‘Of course, Your Serene Highness,’ replied Captain Jensen in a stilted and heavy accent, before barking orders in Norwegian to his purser and one of his lieutenants, who immediately showed her and Aunt Mary into the captain’s quarters.
‘Well, this is a fine start,’ said Aunt Mary as they left the men to their tour.
After a leisurely and pleasant tea, the men’s tour was complete, and it was time to bid farewell to her aunt and father.
As she’d already cried twice over tea with her aunt, she was exhausted.
Her father, spotting her red eyes, made short work of saying goodbye, kissing her cheek briskly and wishing her a safe journey.
He’d never been an openly affectionate man, so that kiss was as much of a declaration of paternal love as she could have wished for.
As she watched them return down the gangplank, Prince Magnus came to stand beside her. The deck was a flurry of efficient activity as the crew prepared to raise the anchor and set sail.
To lighten her miserable spirits, she joked, ‘I think my father is more reluctant to part from the Jewel than he is to part from me.’
To her surprise, Magnus’s denial was swift and firm. ‘I disagree. Your father cares for you deeply—he wanted to ensure this ship would keep you safe. I am sure he only requested a tour so that he could inspect me too and reassure himself that I would do the same.’
Selina blinked up at him, tearing her gaze away from her family who had now boarded the prince’s carriage after a brief wave. ‘Do you really think so?’
‘How a man cares for his ship reveals a lot about him.’
Selina couldn’t help it; she laughed, and Magnus scowled down at her with confused disapproval.
She turned away from him, unable to hide her smile.
Her father and Magnus were unbearably similar, but she was beginning to think that wasn’t as bad as she’d first thought.
‘I am to sleep in the captain’s quarters, according to Liv—the maid you hired for the crossing.
I think I will go there now and rest before dinner. ’
* * *
Dinner in Captain Jensen’s dining room was served after the ship had left the River Thames and England’s coastline.
The narrow room, which was dominated by a mahogany table, had lamps hanging over it and a simple dinner setting to avoid spills. The wine was served in flat-bottomed decanters to stop them tipping over in a swell, and the glasses were equally short stemmed for the same reason.
However, Magnus had already checked on the weather and was confident the Jewel would hold steady on her northerly course back to Thrudheim.
Magnus should have been relieved at succeeding in his goal of securing an English bride, but he wasn’t.
Now that he was married, the next challenge would be convincing his people and, in particular, the House of Solberg that Selina was an appropriate match. He’d given her a good incentive to work hard, but he hated that it would be ultimately out of his control whether they accepted her or not.
‘Thank you for providing me with the use of your quarters, Captain Jensen,’ said Selina, as their simple meal of beef stew with dumplings was served.
Captain Jensen beamed in response. ‘Of course, Your Serene Highness. Prince Magnus always commands my quarters when on the Jewel, even when he is not in charge and just helps. It is only right, I say.’
Magnus gave a polite inclination of his head in agreement, despite the alarm in Selina’s eyes.
Captain Jensen spoke terrible English. He’d probably meant to say that Captain Jensen usually insisted Magnus used his quarters when he travelled on the Jewel and occasionally Magnus would captain the ship himself.
But he wasn’t going to correct the man and risk embarrassing him.
If she thought her husband a commanding brute, so be it.