Noble Duty

15. Finding a Mate

I looked back and forth between Gillian's Aunt Camille and Uncle Charles, bemused. "For how long did you play the ruse?"

Camille sighed. "Five weeks. The first few days were rather daunting as I learned his ways - and my own responses. Then, it became increasingly easy when he took me as a ward and began regarding me as a son he wished he had."

"Oh!" Gillian grinned. "What age had you?"

"Eighteen, but pretending to be an innocent lad of fourteen." She shrugged. "This was simple because, even though finished my coming of age, I was still completely unaware of what men and women do together in private."

"Unaware, as I had been until recently." Gillian looked back and forth between Charles and me, nodding. "But as it had been with me, your emotions and body must have told you there is more."

"Oh, for sure. I was increasingly drawn to him in unfamiliar ways." Camille chuckled. "I contrived to have him tell me about coming of age and what to expect. Of course, he told me about the changes boys experience, so I probed to find the reasons for the changes, wanting to know how women are involved. Through this, I realised how much Mother had avoided - and how distorted was the little information that she did offer."

Gillian nodded. "Your new awareness making it all the more difficult to maintain the ruse."

"Increasingly so as our affinity grew. He told me of his desire for a wife and family, and in the fifth week, we began greeting each morning with an embrace and wishing each other good night with another. I ensured that each was longer than the previous."

Charles chuckled. "I had begun questioning my feelings and response."

I nodded. "And this caused you to finally realise."

"No, I was also completely innocent in such matters - except in theory - and she gave me no reason to suspect."

"So, how did you?"

"She had learnt from the crew that I believed evil would befall a ship that takes women as crew, and she questioned my reasoning."

"Ah, one of the old myths." I tilted my head. "And from there, how did you realise?"

"She appealed to my logical mind by using common sense to demonstrate the fallacy of this and the other nautical myths that I held. Her deft suasion clearly showed their lack of credulity, and she did this so brilliantly that I expressed my love."

Camille chuckled. "Yes, but love as a father for a son. I had to change that, so I asked: If I were a girl, would you love me as much?"

"Oh, my, my! I still remember that as if it were yesterday." Charles put an arm around Camille and drew her to his side. "I would love all my children the same."

Camille grinned. "And were I a woman, would you want me as your wife?"

"I would." He bent and brushed his lips across hers. "Forty-two years, and my desire for you continues to increase."

"Oh, how delightful. From attraction to affinity to love, as it has been with Jarvis and me." Gillian chuckled. "But ours took only one day."

"One day?" Camille looked back and forth between the two of us, tilting her head. "So quick. How had you met?"

"I first saw him on the quarterdeck when we left Kingston. Such a striking man, exuding calmness and confidence as he directed the ship past all manner of reef and shoal on the way out of the harbour."

"And you found an opportunity to introduce yourself."

"No. Mother regarded him as a sailor, a commoner, and she forbade me to approach him."

Camille pursed her lips and shook her head. "Caught up in the noble prejudice."

"Completely. She demanded I marry a title or an heir to one, telling me that with a proper match, love often develops." Gillian winced. "I now see that it never did between her and Father."

"As it had failed to with my parents. So, how did you contrive to meet him?"

"The pirate attack did that. In the aftermath, while we were held captive, we comforted each other."

"Pirate attack? Held captive?"

"Last week off the Florida coast. They disabled and captured our ship. Only one-third aboard survived." Gillian trembled and withdrew her handkerchief to dab her eyes. "My mother and Jarvis' father were among those we lost."

"Oh, dear God!" She winced. "Your loss is recent. I had thought it was some time ago. All the more reason for your tears. Please, do not shy from asking for my comforting and guidance."

"Ummm. Thank you."

"Captured by pirates, as my father had been. What horrid tales he told about it after we rescued him." Camille shook her head. "But to here and you. How were you freed?"

I placed an arm around Gillian's waist and pulled her to my side. "Through her cunning ruse, we disabled the guards."

She snuggled closer. "Then, with patience, ingenuity and skill, he led the remaining crew to recapture the ship."

"Oh! And you sailed here for repairs."

"It was a complex process. We had lost over half our rig and were making water, so first, we had to limp to a place where we could careen ..."

I paused as Cookery Mate knocked and entered, followed by two lads bearing trays. "Your tea, sir. And more of the macaroons."

"Thank you, Mate. We will take it in my quarters."

A short while later, after we had settled around the table and tea had been served, Camelia watched Gillian caressing my hand. "Only one day? I cannot comprehend such affinity and affection growing so quickly. I have tried with so many men, some of them for weeks, finding little but boredom."

Gillian grinned. "Ah, but before that, there were days of anticipation while we sailed west and then northward, stealing admiring glances at each other from afar. Catching each other doing it."

"Aha! And because you obeyed your mother's proscription and dared not approach, the lure of forbidden fruit grew all the stronger."

"True. As it had been for him, since his father forbade the crew to fraternise with the passengers. By the time we were forced together in the aftermath of the attack, we were both intrigued, and the intensity of the situation drew us closer for mutual comfort. During the following hours, he constantly proved his mettle in extreme circumstances."

Camelia sighed. "Perhaps I should change my plans and instead, try being captured." She shook her head. "Hah! But with whom? That is my problem. Finding someone to captivate me. Because of the fecundity of my grandparents and aunts and uncles, the prime choices from the better families are my cousins. Many of the other young men here are unschooled indentured labourers, or if they are free and have education beyond basic letters and sums, they are bible-thumping, proselytising boors."

Camille patted Camelia's hand. "Now, now, sweetheart. It is not so bad as that."

"Oh, but it is, Grandmama. I turn twenty next month, well on the road to becoming an old maid. I cannot even find intelligent, free-thinking intercourse beyond our family, so how am I to find a compatible mate here?"

"But your idea is so impulsive, and you would be imposing on them."

Gillian tilted her head. "Impulsive, I like, Camelia. But imposing, I do not understand. It appears I am missing a portion of the story."

"Oh, yes, of course. We skipped over that. I had been sitting with Grandmama, discussing ways to find a man, when John rushed in to tell her of your arrival at the wharves." She winced. "We thought it was your parents. So sorry for your loss."

"Thank you. I am mostly beyond it now. But please, explain the imposing aspect."

"My immediate thought was to ask if I could visit with them in England until I found a suitable man." Camillia reddened. "I now see what Grandmama meant."

Gillian reached across the table and placed her hand on Camelia's. "I would not see it as an imposition. Rather, I would welcome your visit."