Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Three loud knocks rasp the library door a few hours later, disrupting the peaceful ease that encompassed the room.
My gaze breaks away from the book in my hands to the door, then trails over the confused expression on the others as it finally settles onto Grandad.
My hands grip the book as I hold in a breath, waiting for him to address our visitor.
“Come in,” Grandad says.
Focusing back on the door, the Captain of the S.S Charlotte peers inside, one foot in and one still in the hallway.
“Excuse me, Lord Claremont,” he says, bowing slightly.
“We’ve received confirmation that we can change course for Venice.
With its accessibility to the Orient Express, it is the closest city that will get Miss Fairfax and Mr. Ashford back to England the quickest. Before I order the crewmen to make the directional changes, I wanted to verify that this is still what you wish to do.
Are you certain you want to forgo the rest of the journey? ”
We all glance at Grandad, knowing this moment will determine the fate of our expedition. I can’t help but wonder if he might change his mind.
“Yes,” Grandad replies, without hesitation. “Have we received any word yet from Major General Fairfax?”
The Captain shakes his head. “Not yet, sir. They’re having a hard time pinpointing which base he’s currently at. But we will inform you as soon as we receive a telegram from him.”
“Very well. Thank you, Captain.” The door closes behind him, leaving us in a tense silence as the reality of the decision settles in.
“Venice, huh? It’s been a while since I was last there,” Dr. Alarie says, turning toward me with a small smile. “You’ll like it. The food is exquisite.”
I smile back, appreciating Dr. Alarie’s use of frivolity to ease away tension.
“And the wine,” Amina adds.
Dr. Alarie’s expression pinches as he feigns offense, waving Amina off. “I’m pretending I didn’t hear that.”
Grandad taps two fingers against the tabletop, thinking.
“This may mark the end of our expedition, but that doesn’t mean we must end it feeling sorrow and morbidity.
We did make a remarkable discovery in such a short time.
We should celebrate the time we had together and the achievements we were able to make. ”
I glance at him skeptically. “Shouldn’t we avoid celebrations? Do I need to remind everyone what happened last time we had one?”
Grandad crosses the room and rests a reassuring hand on my arm. “Don’t worry, dear. It will be right here on the ship, with only the five of us. Nothing will happen this time. I promise.”
I cover his hand with mine and give it a light squeeze. “I hope so,” I mutter.
We make our way to the dining room for dinner. Dr. Alarie leads the way, with Grandad walking alongside Amina, leaving Henry and me to trail behind. It feels like it’s been forever since we last spoke, but it’s only been a little more than a day.
“A lot has happened since that night in Crete,” I whisper, “and time has both sped up and aged me within those thirty-six hours.” A chuckle escapes me as I peer up at him.
Henry laughs with me. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“Are we sure this celebration is a good idea?” I ask. “It doesn’t feel right given my current circumstance.”
“I know this must feel strange with everything that has happened,” Henry says. “But we deserve a moment to acknowledge our time together and make a toast to what we’ve achieved. Just because we’re about to begin an unprecedented journey doesn’t mean we shouldn’t.”
I let his words sink in, forcing myself to stop wallowing in helplessness and guilt. But no matter how hard I try, I cannot allow myself to stop. I glance up at Henry as we walk, desperate to tell him every secret, every thought since the night everything changed.
If anyone would understand, it would be him.
“It’s hard to enjoy oneself when I know I’m the reason why we have to end our trip so soon,” I confess. “To know that I’m the reason why everyone is heading off to unknown journeys, facing possible dangers.”
I stop at the doorway to the dining room, meeting Henry’s worried eyes.
“I try not to think about what could happen if someone tracks us down, desperate to get their hands on the artifacts, but that thought gnaws at me every second. That’s a feeling I’ll have to live with until all of this is over.
No amount of denial, willful ignorance, nor a celebration can distract me from that. ”
“Clara…” he begins, but I slip inside before he can continue.
I take a seat beside Dr. Alarie as dinner commences. A three-course Mediterranean meal is served, and afterward, we relocate to the parlor with one rule in place: no talking about the artifacts or what lies ahead.
Amina sets the gramophone spinning with lively jazz, while glasses of wine and whiskey are poured.
Grandad and Dr. Alarie light their pipes that I know will remain alight throughout the night.
For a few hours, we leave our troubles at the door.
A hard rule to follow on my part, but after having my first glass of wine and a few sips of whiskey, my mind surrenders to a pleasant ignorance.
While the men, Pontoon. Amina and I attempt the jazz-era dances popular in city clubs, unable to contain our laughter.
“Wait! This dance is too fast,” I pant. I plop down onto the settee for a breather. “And American women do this Charleston dance all night?”
Amina remains standing in front of me and nods. Both hands at her hips as she catches her breath. “I don’t know how they have the energy for this. I mean, I know I’m no longer a young woman, but I’m not that old.”
I use my hand as a fan to cool down, beads of sweat forming at my nape. “I’d love to see the boys try to do this.”
Amina sits down beside me on the settee, and we both gaze at the chaotic game of cards the men are playing. “Something tells me Mr. Ashford is a surprisingly good dancer.”
Blood rises to my cheeks. My inebriated mind wonders what it’d be like to dance with Henry. I glance over at Amina, hoping she thinks the blushing is from the dancing. “What makes you think that?”
Amina shrugs. “Just a hunch, I suppose. Henry does have a knack for pleasantly surprising people.” She smirks, her eyes shifting toward mine.
“What?” I laugh.
“Oh, nothing,” she says into her wine glass, smirking.
As if he could sense we were talking about him, Henry turns toward us, giving a smile and a wave. Cracks of wariness flash onto his face before quickly turning to resume the card game.
Amina reaches for my hand, giving me a reassuring smile. “We will have plenty of time to improve our dancing once we find out how to break your connection to the arti—” She lets go of my hand to cover her mouth, eyes wide.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell anyone.”
Dr. Alarie jumps out of his seat, cheering with raised fists.
Chuckling, I tilt my head toward Amina. “I guess he won the game.”
After his loss, Grandad stands too, but takes his whiskey glass with him.
Clearing his throat, he catches everyone’s attention.
“Before we all call it a night, I wanted to say a few words. Working with you all over the last few weeks has been an immense pleasure. I could not have picked a better team to work with.”
Small smiles are shared amongst the group, sharing the same sentiment.
“I know the road ahead of us is long, but rest assured, this is not the end of our journey, only a detour. Soon we will be back together and pick up right where we left off.” Grandad raises his glass. “Thank you for being part of this team, and I wish nothing but luck for us in our new journeys.”
“Thank you for inviting us, my friend,” Dr. Alarie says, raising his glass as well.
One by one, the others privately go to Grandad, expressing their gratitude and leaving the library once we all bid each other goodnight. I’m left alone with Grandad when Dr. Alarie closes the door behind him.
Grandad reaches out for my hand, placing it in the crook of his arm, and guides us out of the library. “Come, Thena. I’ll walk you back to your room.”
I give his arm a comforting tug, placing my head comfortably on his shoulder as we walk along the hallway. “I’m so sorry I cut our expedition short, Grandad.”
He places his free hand on top of mine. “There’s no need to apologize for something that isn’t your fault. Your safety is the most important thing now, Thena. There will be plenty of time to resume our expedition once this is all over.”
Once we reach the door of my cabin, I’m able to look into his eyes and see the conviction in his eyes, knowing he is telling the truth. I wrap my arms around him in a tight embrace, taking in his familiar scent of tobacco.
“I love you, Grandad.”
He places a kiss on the side of my head. “And I love you too, my brave Clara. Now try to get some rest.”
Heading inside my cabin, I jolt at the sight of the eudaemon chest resting on a table in the corner of the room. Despite having it with me in my cabin over the last few days, I haven’t quite adjusted to it yet, even though I’m connected to it. I’m not certain if I’ll ever get used to all of this.
I let out an exhausted sigh as I take off my shoes, letting out the pent-up apprehension I’ve been holding inside.
I’m a few steps away from plopping onto my bed when I hear a light knock coming from the cabin door.
Thinking it must be Grandad, I open it without a second thought and am surprised to see clear hazel eyes bore into mine.
“Henry, is everything alright?”
I’ve never seen him this unkempt. His shirt sleeves are rolled up, the top two buttons undone, exposing his collarbone.
His suspenders hang loose at his sides. His hair, no longer slick with pomade, falls in free curls, some cascading down his face.
It’s not the messiness that startles me, but the vulnerability in it.