A Friendships Love - Settler series book 1 (Wattpad version, first draft)

Clear to Sail

Clear to Sail            

Captain Jefferies was a tall man, well built from the life he lived at sea. If I had to guess his age, I would think he was in his, late thirties, early forties. And he was a charming man. From the moment, we greeted him at the door, Ashley and I, and our fickle hearts, were lost to his charm. He was witty and smiled a lot. His dark brown hair had lighter streaks running through it, no doubt the consequence of being in the sun a lot. Lady Townshend had met him before, and so had Ashley once, but only as a child. The rugged, confident man atmosphere he had about him, wouldn't have affected a child as it did young women. He stayed the night on Saturday ensuring that our trunks were loaded properly. Not once did he mention that we may have over packed, needing all three wagons that Lady Townshend had Nathan order, in ready for our departure. We left the manor Sunday morning after we broke our fast with Nathan, the girls, Louise, Cook and Mary. It was a very tearful event. When we were loading ourselves into the cartridge, Nathan had to pry little Sara away from me. With her screaming vows, echoing in my head, that she was going to come and live with me, in the demons land. As our cartridge pulled away, my heart broke. Three crying women held each other as we left on our trip to a land we had never seen, on the trust that we would make it safety, riding on a horse alongside us.

"It's going to be ok girls, were going to be ok." I think Lady Townshend was repeating these comforting words, over, and over for her own sake, as much as for ours. We watched the Manor fading into the distance, the place that was home to all of us, but for Lady Townshend, it was perhaps even harder for her. She not only had grown up on this estate, the same with her children and me; it had been in her direct line of family for four generations. In a few days, her niece was coming to attend to things while she was away. I'm not too sure how well she trusted that her home would be in good hands. I don't think anyone would do as well as her own husband and son. But Lady Alicia needed somewhere to call home, for reasons unknown to me. And her aunty had kindly offered The Townshend Manor to be hers for the duration of her absence. It was all very good timing really.

I'm not sure when I fell asleep, but I woke up to the jolting of the carriage becoming more pronounced as it stopped and started. We had arrived in London. I could hear the wheels turn over the cobblestone ground. I pulled the flap back that covered the window and marvelled at the sights I beheld.

"Mother why hadn't we come sooner, we could have done some shopping before we left. We rarely come into London; it would have been a last hurrah for us." Ashley said she was doing the same as me in the opposite seat.

"And where would you have put all your new purchases Ashley dear, you have no room for the things you bought from home." Lady Townshend laughed softly at her daughter's idea.

"Well, what are we going to do for the afternoon?" Ashley said with a sigh.

"We have to go to our hotel first, and eat something; I now know why I don't like coming into the city. The trip here is far too un nerving, it messes up routine." Ashley and I smiled at each other. We both knew that even though Lady Townshend had a casual air about her. Meal times were always served on time.

We travelled on for another half an hour, and then our carriage came to a halt. The door opened, and Captain Jefferies was there waiting to help us down. Once we were all out in the open, Captain Jefferies directed us into the lobby, and left us there to be attended to by the staff. I looked around the splendid room in awe of the sparkling chandlers and fine furnishings. The Townshend manor was nicely decorated but in a country style. This was very elegant, and I felt as though I was in a dream. We were then ushered up a grand stair way to our rooms. Lady Townshend had acquired two adjoining rooms. One room, for Ashley and me to share, and one, for herself. As we watched the porters take their leave, Ashley and I ran around the room like little girls. I had never been in a hotel before. I had always refused to come to London when they came. I just didn't feel right amongst the aristocratic London society Lady Townshend was obligated to attend on the occasions that she and Lord Townshend came together. Ashley had only been allowed once before.