Noble Intentions

28. The Tempest

While all hands rang, the air stilled and cooled, presenting a dusty odour. Then, as the small hairs on my neck began their telltale tingling, I strode across to the hutch and picked up the log-book. "I will take this below, Master. Keep it from damage."

"Aye, sir. We will descend to the waist and direct them into the cabin as they arrive."

Sharp claps of thunder, followed almost immediately by lightning, accompanied me while I scurried toward the hatch. Then, as I stepped from the stairs below, I said to the others, "Thunderstorm imminent. All hands will assemble in here rather than on deck."

Gillian's reply was drowned by thunder, and I asked her to repeat.

"Is my culinary flair not to your liking, Jarvis?" She pointed at my right hand and grinned. "Only one bite from your assemblage."

"Seems Nature interrupted my enjoyment of it." I took another bite and savoured it while I crossed the room to set the log-book on the table. Then, grinning back at her, I said, "I have not before had an assemblage so delectable."

She chuckled. "Like with women – nothing for comparison."

"Ah, but ..." I stopped at the sound of the door opening and Evans directing hands into the cabin, and I pointed. "Begin over there, starboard side forward near the bulkhead. You may sit on the deck if you wish – it has been well and thoroughly cleaned, for which we thank you."

While they filed in through the door, I began composing my thoughts about what to say. Then, reaching for my watch, I grimaced.

"What is it, Jarvis? You appear distraught."

Glancing at Gillian, I nodded. "Forgot my watch in the other breeches."

"Oh, dear! No, not you. It is I who forgot. Trying to be helpful, I instead hindered." She turned and rushed across to our quarters.

I was deep in thought when Gillian returned with my watch and said, "The foul weather is a blessing to this."

"Hunh? What? How so?"

"Had there been sun and a breeze for drying, I would have washed your breeches, shirts and stockings in the bathing box with the cloths and towels."

"Oh!" I opened the watch and glanced at the dial, wincing. "Indeed, soaking in water would have impaired it – likely irreparably."

Her face reddened. "I shall take greater care."

"As I must – I ought to have checked my fob. Also, I –"

"Fob? What is this?"

"The name of the small watch pocket. But also, I forgot to wind it; the spring has run down, and it has fallen far behind." Opening the back, I prised the key from its clasp, and as I wound, I added, "Though we have had no sunrise to use, I will set it to eight. Nor will we have merpass, so I –"

"Merpass?"

"The sun crossing our meridian. We measure its height above the horizon and render the angle from tables to find our latitude. But we also use its crossing to set the time to noon."

When I had finished winding and setting, I bent and kissed her forehead. "With my distraction, I need you to remind me to keep this wound."

"And to always ensure it is in your fob when I dress you." She looked at the watch. "It serves as a portable set of sandglasses."

"Exactly! And if we are diligent in keeping it wound, it has higher accuracy. It runs a bit fast in the beginning, and it slows as the spring tension diminishes. I have adjusted it to precisely measure four hours from winding, so it needs resetting and rewinding with sunrise, noon and sunset."