Whispers of the Sea (The Compulsion Bride Series) Book II (Unedited)

Part 11 ~Chapter Sixteen

The ship was a sanctuary, with no bustling of crew members prancing about, sharing jokes, and prattling about some great tale, they heard or experienced at sea. All the windows to her knowledge were opened and cool breeze traveled around the interior of the ship, making the occupants feel comfortable and strangely peaceful, along with the lulling of the hull, which seems to barely shake or cause a ruckus in fact for the past few days, Samantha had been aboard, the ship was so smooth and steady that she forget they were still at sea. Fires were lit throughout the cabins that accommodate a fireplace at nights, no cabin was left in darkness and, at nights, she would lay awake listening to the crackling of fires and the quietness of it all.

When she stepped out of her cabin on mornings, she usually went to Adelynn's and as always, the child was already gone. Samantha's irritation had inclined drastically, and she retorted to the galley to help the cook, for Jake was not jesting when he said the man's food was horrible; well, he didn't used such a strong word, but she did. Her first taste of food was suicidal, she had even tasted whiskey in her tea. The cook had protest at first of her intrusion, as a lady now, she wasn't supposed to be in the galley, she had thought so too unrelenting to do any duties aristocratic deemed as beneath them. She had wanted to follow the rules, but it was impossible and why must she? She'll never be like them, was never pampered to be. So, every day after her daughter had abandoned her for her father, she spends her time with the cook who was most entertaining sober and she commend Jake for scolding and keeping him away from the bottle, for Adelynn's sake.

Samantha was enclosed in her cabin, when she heard whispers outside, the sky was just breaking into dawn, a reflection of the start of a new day. Jake and their daughter had been absent lately, only a selective number of times she had seem him as opposed to Adelynn, whom she saw only at luncheon and when it's time for her to go abed. In fact, the last time, she saw Jake, was when he had knocked on her door days ago, to give her a brush, another beautiful present. She placed the breeches, she had been sewing to fit on the bed and rushed from the armchair, prying the door opened. She caught a glimpse of Jake's back and heard Adelynn's giggles before they disappeared.

Frowning, she closed back the door and quickly finish her sewing. Jake was right about the breeches, being more adequate for the ship, She, had almost fell climbing down the ladders because her feet got stuck in her long skirts and the ends were always sweeping the dust on the ship. Samantha stepped out of her chemises and got dressed, today she was going above. No more galley or spending time reading in that book, Jake had brought her even though it was about midwife, the same one Smity had given her years ago, she was shocked that it had what she was looking for, about the first birth she had done one the island, on Mrs. Rosebery and her strange position baby. It was distracting and sometimes she wondered if Jake deliberately brought it to her, so that he could steal their daughter away from her.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, turning this way and that way. Admiring her handy work, everything fit perfectly now. Too perfectly, her nose wrinkled at the profound roundness of her derriere. "Oh well, there's nothing, I can do about that." She sighed, already making her way to the door. Stepping on deck she welcomed the cool breeze, closing her eyes and inhaling softly. Opening her eyes once again, she looked around the deck, as she took further steps.

"Lady Clairwood!" She turned towards the wheel deck and waved at Ambrose.

"Ambrose! Have you seen the captain!" She shouted, trying to keep her wild hair out of her face. She should have used one of Adelynn's ribbons to tie them.

"You mean your husband!" He grinned and it reminded Samantha of how much she despises him.

"Mama! Mama!"

She twirled around searching for where her daughter's voice came. "Mama! Up here!"

She looked up and wished she didn't for she almost fainted, there in the crow's nest was Adelynn, waving frantically at her with one hand, while the other held a spyglass, behind her stood Jake, looking like a child that had been caught stealing biscuits.