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

Part Three-Sunsets Over the Ocean

Part Three- Sunsets Over the Ocean.

“I know I’ve said this to you before, but it’s beautiful isn’t it? Asked, Captain Jeffries. The sun was setting over the horizon. I had made it a habit in the last few months, to be at the helm of the ship, when the sun went down. I liked the view from here, and I like the captains company. I knew his habits well, now, and I knew he took the afternoon watch at the wheel. There was a seat off to the side, next to the rail, and I sat there as I looked out over to the west. The sun made the sparsest of clouds, glow in various shades of oranges, and the rays that made it through the openings between them hit the water casting off sparks of crystal, sometimes forcing me to shade my eyes. In a few moments, I knew it would all, turn into shades of purple. The air had become noticably warmer over the past few weeks and I revelled in the warmth of the ocean breeze, playing in my hair, and over the exposed parts of my skin. I looked up to the captain, to find him, looking at me. This man had been a pillar of strength through this entire trip.

In the evenings, after I watched the sun go down, he would escort me back down into his cabin, where Lady Townshend and Ashley would be, to meet us for supper. Lady Townsend suffered terribly from the motion of the ship for the first week. I think it had something to do with the incident just before she came aboard.  After Lady Townshend was finally convinced by Will, to make the treacherous dash, to the ship. A man roughly collided into her side, causing her to fall, and hit her head on a crate, that was left abandoned near her path. She was ok after the fall but then swooned, into Wills arms. It was all a bit too much for the gently bread Lady Townshend. Hence she spent the first week in her assigned cabin, recovering.

“Yes, you have said it before, and again you are right.” I turned my attention again to the horizon. This was our last night on board; by sun set tomorrow, we should be in the Sydney harbour. It seemed sad actually, to think that my adventures on the high seas, were about to be over. Two months were a sufficient amount of time to develop a routine and life style. It almost seemed impossible to think I could ever fall asleep again without the rocking of the ship to aid me.

Ashley and I shared a cabin. In the long hours of the night, we would often fantasize about living on the ship with our handsome captain, or talk about what it would be like to be a hostage waiting to be rescued. We would giggle like children; it was freeing to be talking with such abandon. And in the few times when I felt restrained, from not being able to venture off the ship we were on, day in and day out. These little fantasies, Ashley and I came up with, would keep my mind nicely occupied.

“What is it like captain? Would you explain it to me again?” I asked. He took a seat next to me and proceeded to say.

“Conditions on the Dock lands, is much the same in London. The buildings are newer but have the same look about them as back home.” Back home. I thought about that a lot over this voyage. England wasn’t my home anymore. I had made up my mind, that no matter the conditions, in which Pa lived. I wouldn’t be going back. I knew there was the offer to go, when eventually, the Townshends left. But I knew I couldn’t. I didn’t have anything to go back to. Well, I didn’t think that I did. “The town is mainly made up of convicts, who have been given their ticket of release and soldiers. Like I’ve mentioned to you before though, most of those people were sent there for menial things such as stealing bread, or being at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Or, they were sold off, for money.” I said, keeping my eyes ahead. Captain Jefferies was well aware of what happened to our family eight years ago, as he was the one who captained the ship with Pa, Nash and Lord Townshend aboard.

“Yes, well, don’t get me wrong It’s also a bit rough,” he said knowing of whom I was referring.  “There were men sentenced for real offences. Though quite recently, there has been a big push for it to become more than just a penal colony. Mr Townshend resides in an area called The Rocks when he is in Sydney that is. He has instructed that you Ladies are to stay there, before I take you all on to Van Diemen’s Land, and that will depend on how long it takes to secure the cargo we have.”