Enticing Temptation

Chapter 5

The English Channel

            Cat stood on deck in her brand new clothes and boots the next morning at the railing of The Graceful Lady, she’d watched as the English coastline faded away. She’d been up before first light not wanting to miss a single minute of their departure. Staying out of the crew’s way she’d watched enthralled earlier as they readied the ship for its voyage to China. She marveled how each sailor knew what his duties were to get the ship away from the dock and on its way to France, their first destination.

            She hoped she remembered all tonight when she sat down with her journal to record her first day at sea with her new husband and his ship. Maybe later this morning, she would put all that transpired since boarding in her journal before the excitement of how she felt as the English coast disappeared and their journey began.  She'd longed for years to be able to travel further than Paris for new gowns but between her father and grandfather they'd never have allowed her to do so.

            The breeze felt wonderful, as she stood at the railing watching the ship slice through the waves like a knife, her hair in one long braid as Amanda had suggested keeping the tangles out. Myles was busy with his crew making sure everything was as it should be for the start of their voyage. She was being the good wife and staying out of everyone’s way as promised but she couldn’t keep down the excitement inside of her that kept bubbling up to the surface. She knew at this very moment she probably wore a silly grin on her face but she didn’t care. She had a whole new life ahead of her and though she was extremely worried about her uncle and his fate, she wouldn’t let that take away from these precious moments of happiness she now felt.

            Last night between some very wonderful lovemaking, which made her blush to think of what all they did to one another after a look in her book and a few of his own, she learned their trip would take twenty or more days at sea for them to reach Hong Kong. The length of their voyage however would depend on the weather and how long their stops were at different ports along the way. Their first stop was in France to unload some of the ships cargo and take on more before they traveled through the Suez Canal with another stop in India this time to replenish their supplies and take on still more cargo before they set sail on to China.

            “Here,” Myles said handing her a cup of steaming hot coffee surprising her, Cat welcomed it. She was starving and wondered when they served breakfast but she wasn't about to ask that question of her husband.

            Last night she kept hearing bells and Myles informed her that each watch was four hours long, the bell rang every thirty minutes, and the number increased with each half-hour so by the end of the watch they would ring the bell eight times. He told her it would be something she would become accustomed to hearing before they reached their first port-of-call.

            “Oh, thank you,” she told him and took the cup from his hand.

            “I hope I remembered correctly,” Myles told her as he leaned his hip against the railing. “Two sugars, a little cream.”

            “Yes,” she replied with a smile then took a sip. “Oh, this is delicious.”

            Myles couldn't help but chuckle as her face took a dreamy look at her first sip from her mug. “I’ll be sure and let Phillippe know you like his coffee.”

            “Phillippe?”

            “You didn’t think I would travel without a superb chief, did you,” he replied.

            “Serait seulement un Chef Francais ne que votre cuisinier,” she asked Myles if only a French Chef would do as his cook.