Voyage Out

CHAPTER 1

CHARLOTTE:

London - Paris - Nice - Cairo - Constantinople - Rhodes - Athens - Venice - Florence - Rome - Lugano - Vienna - Paris - Madrid - Seville -

I looked down at the travel documents handed to me, stamped with the Cunard logo, and read them again. "I don't understand," I told my aunt.

Aunt Merry paused in her fussing and started to explain - I suspected it may have been her second round for she was in full flow of excitement and, admittedly, I had not been very attentive since my hasty arrival home in answer to her summons.

"So," I cut in, "you are not ill? Nobody else in the household is ill? The house clearly hasn't collapsed. I know the Exchange hasn't collapsed. Has something gone wrong in the business? Is it Lucia? Matthias?"

"No, no, nothing of that sort!" Aunt Merry burbled. "Quite the reverse. A Grand Tour of the Continent after attending the Hartley wedding -"

"So... I didn't rush back for an emergency? I could've -"

"But my dear Charley, your childhood friend Tessa Hartley is marrying Christopher Tremaine! The wedding is in a little over a fortnight. Surely you would've taken me to task if I had not immediately sent word for you to hurry back?"

"Well, perhaps a little more detail would have helped. 'Urgent. Come home at once' is..." Histrionic? Goading? Incendiary? Heart-stopping? I took a deep breath. "...not becalming. I thought somebody was dying."

"Oh no, we're all in perfectly good health," said Aunt Merry. I was relieved to see that she did indeed look in in the bloom of health. "Have you lost weight, Charley? Let me look at you... You seem... Didn't they feed you in Charleston - or were you having too much fun to think about eating? It's a good thing that you are back, Mrs. Stone's cooking will plump you up nicely. But we really haven't any time to lose. The passage has been booked for you and Lucia but you have a lot of packing to -"

"Lucia? Lucia is involved in this?"

"Charley, dearest, what's upset you?"

"Nothing. Sorry, Aunt Merry. I'm all right. I - I'm still a little tired after - from - Charleston - the journey was tiring. A mild headache. So, you and Lucia arranged this - this Grand Tour?"

"Lila Bernhardt came to me about a season in Europe for her daughter rather than one in New York after, well, after that nasty business of Lucia's broken engagement to Nathaniel Knowle. She suggested that you and Lucia be traveling companions again as you were when you were children. You've been restless here in New York, Charley, running away at every chance. A complete change of scenery would do no harm. The Hartleys would be delighted to see you both, as would Matthias. He was very helpful with the European -"

"Matthias is involved in this?"

"Charley?"

"I'm sorry, Aunt Merry, I didn't mean to shriek at you. It's all - Aunt Merry, am I in disgrace?"

"Charley, why -"

"Wasn't that the custom for young gentlemen who found themselves in a spot of bother - to be sent away on a lengthy tour of the Continent until such time that the cloud had blown over and they could return to the fold of society which had moved on to the next scandal? Is this why I'm to be exiled to this Grand Tour, Aunt Merry?"

"The things you say, Charley! This trip isn't a punishment, dearest. There is no need to be so tense. I should hope that this is a timely rest cure to bring you back to smiling, rosy cheeks. You've been away for so long, Charley, and I wouldn't ordinarily have thought to send you away again under other circumstances, but I do think this will do you good. Your birthday is approaching. You will enjoy the holiday."

"You make me sound like a wraith, Aunt Merry. I'm nothing of the - Are you sure I'm not -"

"Charley."

"Well, all right, Aunt Merry, I - I might just... I might go lie down for a bit. My brain isn't taking it all in right now. Just a small headache. I'm sure it will pass."

"Of course, Charley dear, I've been thoughtless in my excitement." Aunt Merry fluttered about me with concern. "It's lovely to see you are well after so long an absence - and so very - grown-up, so modern and stylish. But you have gotten thinner, dearest, a little worn. Your cheeks... You've been keeping late nights and neglecting yourself, haven't you? Mrs. Stone's most hearty recipes are due, I think. I shall miss you when you go away again shortly. Oh, here I am, still keeping you from your rest. I shouldn't have taxed you with so much at once and so soon after your arrival, only we've so little time to prepare. You go rest now. Let me make you a cup of rose hip and chamomile tea. We'll talk about this later. I'll call Tilly to see to getting your trunks from Charleston unpacked and ready for the Grand Tour while -"

"No! It's fine, Aunt Merry, please don't trouble yourself. I'll do it. I'm positive this headache will pass very soon once I lie down."

I did not technically have a headache as I had told Aunt Merry although I could feel one swiftly approaching. Before I went to my room, and while Aunt Merry was bustling about in the kitchen, Mrs. Stone's domain, annoying Mrs. Stone in interfering with the making of the tea, I made sure of one important task: I dashed off a short note to Diego which I bribed our maid, Tilly, to discreetly deliver to the Montrose firm offices as a matter of urgency. If the travel documents Aunt Merry had thrust upon me were to be believed, I was leaving New York in three days. Three days to make arrangements. I opened my trunks, emptying them of the cheap working girl's clothes (which I stuffed into the drawers of the semainiers and into the back of the wardrobe beneath piles of last season's silk and chiffon) and the stacks of documents (which I locked into the walnut Eastlake davenport desk). The headache came and burst. There was so much to be done.