The River Maid Read online

  ‘You’d best get going,’ Ben said urgently. ‘The tide is on the turn and if you delay the ship might sail without him.’

  Essie reached up to kiss him on the cheek. ‘Thank you, Ben. I’m very grateful.’

  ‘I’ll call round when I finish, just to make sure you’re all right.’

  ‘I will be. Don’t worry about me.’

  ‘Let’s get this boat into the water.’ Ben untied the painter and Essie helped him drag the boat to the water’s edge. ‘Get in and I’ll give you a push.’

  Essie bundled up her skirts and leaped on board, settling quickly and taking up the oars as she had done on countless occasions when she was with her father. She began to row, heading into Limehouse Reach and using every last ounce of strength in an attempt to reach the Santa Gabriella, but the small, overloaded craft was low in the water and the wake created by a passing paddle steamer spilled over the gunwales, leaving them ankle-deep and in imminent danger of sinking. Essie hailed the Gabriella and a rope ladder was flung over the side, but getting Raven on board was no mean feat. He managed to haul himself painfully step by step until willing hands reached out to drag him on board. Lady Alice followed but Sadie cowered in the rapidly sinking boat, refusing to move.

  ‘I can’t swim. I’ll fall in and get drowned,’ she moaned, covering her face with her hands.

  ‘We’ll both drown if we stay here,’ Essie said urgently. ‘I can’t bail out fast enough so you’d better grab the ladder and jump for it.’

  Sadie dropped her hands, gazing at Essie in horror. ‘I can’t.’

  ‘Yes, you can, and if you don’t go now it’ll be too late.’ Essie reached out to grasp the ladder. ‘Hold on to me. We’ll go together.’

  Sadie clutched her round the waist and Essie took a deep breath. ‘Now!’ she cried, clinging onto the rope with both hands as the boat sank beneath them. Shouts from above encouraged her to hold tight and they were hauled up the side of the ship, inch by inch until they were dragged over the side. Essie landed on the deck with Sadie falling on top of her.

  ‘Pa will kill me,’ Essie murmured.

  When she opened her eyes she was lying on a narrow wooden bunk in a tiny cabin. A lantern hung from the ceiling and it swayed to and fro with the movement of the ship.

  ‘Are you all right, miss?’ Sadie jumped to her feet and leaned over Essie, peering into her face. ‘You fainted dead away.’

  Essie raised herself on her elbow. ‘What’s happening? Are they going to put us ashore?’ She looked down at her bare arm and realised that beneath the coarse blanket she was stark naked. Sadie was wrapped in what looked like a sheet. ‘Where are my clothes?’

  Sadie sank back on the chair, which appeared to be the only other item of furniture in the cabin. ‘I undressed you, miss. Our duds were soaked and they’ve taken them away to dry.’

  ‘But we must get off this vessel at the first opportunity,’ Essie said urgently. She sat up, wrapping the coarse blanket around her. ‘I have to go home and look after Pa. Where is Lady Alice? What does she say to all this?’

  Sadie shook her head. ‘I dunno, miss. I was put in here with you and I’ve been sitting here for ages, waiting for you to wake up, and I’m frozen.’

  ‘Give me your sheet.’ Essie swung her legs over the side of the bunk. ‘You can have the blanket.’

  Reluctantly, Sadie unwrapped the cotton sheet and handed it to Essie, snatching the blanket to cover her bare flesh. ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘I’m going to find someone who can give me some answers. You’d better wait here.’ Essie opened the door and stepped outside into a narrow passage. She could feel the engine pulsating beneath the deck as her bare feet padded along the corridor to the next cabin. She knocked on the door.

  ‘Who’s there?’

  Essie breathed a sigh of relief as she recognised Lady Alice’s cultured tones. ‘It’s me, my lady. Essie Chapman.’

  The door opened and Lady Alice stood aside to let her in. She was wearing a man’s velvet dressing robe and her long blonde hair hung loosely about her shoulders. ‘Are you all right, Essie? I was afraid you had injured yourself.’

  ‘I’ve got a sore head, but that’s all. I want my clothes and I must get home before Pa wakes up.’

  ‘I’m going to find the captain and order him to put us ashore, but first I need to make certain that Raven is being cared for. You can come with me because I don’t want to wander round this ship on my own and in a state of undress. It’s highly improper.’

  The sudden desire to laugh took Essie by surprise. They were in a dire situation, having aided a felon to escape the law, very nearly drowning in the attempt, and now they were on a ship, bound for heaven knows where. It was utterly ridiculous, but she could see the funny side even if they were in serious trouble. ‘I’m sorry, my lady. I know I shouldn’t find it amusing.’

  Lady Alice stared at her, frowning. ‘No, it most certainly isn’t the least bit comical. Raven might die from blood loss, and I’ve put myself beyond the law by helping him to escape. I don’t know what I was thinking.’

  ‘You said you wanted to pay the captain to look after him, my lady. Did you lose the money when my boat sank?’

  A slow smile curved Lady Alice’s lips. ‘I had it concealed around my waist.’ She moved to the bunk and drew back the coverlet to reveal two large leather pouches. ‘These are filled with gold. If I’d gone overboard I would have sunk to the bottom of the river.’

  ‘Were you going to give it all to the captain?’

  ‘Don’t be so naïve, Esther. Of course not – I’ll treat him generously, but this is for Freddie. He sent word some time ago that he’s ill and in desperate need, and this will help him in more ways than one. He’ll be able to hire a good lawyer to plead his case and he’ll be able to live well until he’s free to return home.’

  ‘But it’s Raven’s money, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, it’s a small part of his fortune. His solicitor, Watkin Gilfoyle, has invested the rest and no doubt taken a large fee for representing Raven and Freddie, but then he’s the best solicitor in London.’

  ‘And will he continue to plead their case, even though they’re absent?’

  ‘Of course he will. That’s what he’s paid for. Anyway, I’m going to find the captain. I want a word with that gentleman.’ Lady Alice opened the door and, wrapping the robe more tightly around her slender figure, she marched along the passage, knocked and entered a cabin at the far end without waiting for a response.

  Essie hurried after her. Wearing nothing but a thin sheet made her feel vulnerable and extremely uncomfortable, but she forgot her own problems when she saw Raven prostrate on a bunk with a strange man standing over him.

  ‘How is he, Capitano Falco?’ Lady Alice asked anxiously.

  ‘I am not a doctor, my lady. All I can say is that he is a strong man, and I have seen worse injuries. By the time we reach Brindisi he should be able to leave the ship.’ He spoke perfect English, with a strong accent that Essie found very attractive, and with his dark good looks he had the romantic appeal of a corsair.

  ‘But you will put us ashore as soon as possible, Capitano.’ Lady Alice gave him a direct look. ‘And we need our clothes, whether or not they are dry.’

  ‘Alas, I cannot put into port along the river, my lady. If what you said is true, the authorities will have been alerted and the police will be looking for him. We make our way full speed to the Channel where we will be safe.’

  ‘But you must allow me to go ashore,’ Lady Alice protested. ‘I will be missed and you will be accused of kidnapping me and my maid, not to mention this poor girl.’ She waved her hand in Essie’s direction. ‘Her father will be distraught.’

  Falco shrugged his shoulders. ‘Perhaps you should have thought of that before you boarded my ship, my lady. I am not responsible for you or your companions. Now, please go back to your cabin. Your clothes will be returned to you when they are dry.’

  For a moment Essi
e thought that Lady Alice was going to argue, but she merely nodded and walked out of the cabin with her head held high. ‘Come with me, Esther. I know where I’m not wanted.’ She marched out and headed for her own cabin, swaying with the movement of the ship as it met the opposition of the incoming tide.

  ‘What are we to do?’ Essie asked anxiously.

  ‘Come inside and close the door.’ Lady Alice slumped down on the bunk. ‘There must be a place where Capitano Falco could put us ashore. I refuse to accept his decision, but perhaps a little tact and a few charming smiles might do the trick.’

  ‘Pa won’t notice I’m missing until morning, but I’m afraid he will call a constable and report me as lost, stolen or strayed – like a pet dog.’ An irrepressible giggle bubbled to the surface and Essie covered her mouth with her hand. ‘I’m sorry – I know it isn’t funny, but our predicament is so unbelievable that any minute I think I might wake up and find it was all a dream.’

  ‘A nightmare, more like.’ Lady Alice ran her hand through her hair. ‘I really don’t understand you, Esther. This isn’t at all funny – I haven’t got a hairbrush or a mirror, let alone a change of clothes. When I’m dressed I’ll speak to the captain again, and this time I’ll back my demands with money. It never fails to work; everyone has a price.’

  Next morning, seated in the small saloon where the captain and officers ate and took their brief moments of leisure, Lady Alice was even more downcast. Sadie seemed to be the only one of them who was enjoying the experience, and she chattered endlessly until Lady Alice silenced her with a searing glance. Sadie subsided, eyeing her mistress nervously, and Essie felt sorry for her. None of them had had a good night’s sleep, and, as there was not a spare cabin for Sadie, she had slept on the floor in Essie’s cabin. Her groans and the sound of thuds as she turned over and bumped herself on the bulkhead had kept Essie awake until the small hours, and even then she had slept fitfully. The movement of the vessel and the rhythmic throbbing of the engine created an alien environment, and she could not help worrying about Raven, whose life might hang in the balance. Captain Falco had insisted that he would be cared for by the first mate, who had a smattering of medical knowledge, but Essie had met the man at supper and she was not impressed. She had come across many seafarers during her days on the river, and the officers and crew of the Santa Gabriella were more like her idea of Barbary pirates than a disciplined bunch of professional mariners.

  Lady Alice toyed with a slice of stale bread and rancid butter. ‘If this is their daily fare no wonder the crew look like rabid dogs. What possessed Raven to hire the captain’s services is beyond me.’ She pushed her plate away and sipped her coffee, pulling a face. ‘This is so strong it tastes like tar. Maybe it’s what they use to caulk the ship, but it’s filthy stuff. Just wait until I get a chance to speak to Falco. I’ll tell him what I think of him and his vessel.’

  ‘And what is that, my lady?’ Captain Falco strolled into the saloon and pulled up a chair. ‘You wish to speak to me?’

  Essie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wondering exactly how much he had heard of Lady Alice’s candid opinion, and Sadie shrank into a corner, eyeing the master of the ship as if she expected him to rant and rave, even though he appeared to be mildly amused. Lady Alice’s cheeks flushed rosily but she met his quizzical look with a defiant stare.

  ‘Yes, Capitano. I could complain about the food and this disgusting brew you call coffee, but as we will only be on board for a short while, I will refrain from doing so. However, I demand to be put ashore at the first possible opportunity. Keeping us here amounts to kidnapping and that is against the law here, as I am certain it must be in Italy.’

  ‘You boarded my vessel of your own free will, my lady,’ Captain Falco said smoothly. ‘As to the food, I can only say that the crew have never complained.’

  ‘They wouldn’t dare,’ Lady Alice countered. ‘And as to the accommodation, I am speechless.’

  Captain Falco rose to his feet. ‘Then that is the end of our conversation. Now if you will excuse me I have work to do.’

  ‘Just a moment,’ Essie said boldly. ‘You’ve ignored my lady’s request, which is perfectly reasonable. Circumstances forced us to come on board, and the least you could do is to set us back on dry land as soon as possible.’

  His wolfish smile revealed canine teeth that looked suspiciously like fangs. ‘And your wish will be granted – in a week or so, when we reach Brindisi.’

  ‘But that’s ridiculous,’ Lady Alice protested. ‘I don’t want to go to Italy. For one thing, I haven’t any clothes to wear, and for another, I will be missed. The police will already be looking for me.’

  ‘They won’t find you unless they hire a faster ship than the Santa Gabriella.’ Falco bowed and backed out of the small saloon, still smiling.

  ‘He thinks this is a joke,’ Lady Alice said angrily.

  ‘Maybe Raven can help,’ Essie suggested. ‘Surely getting him better is the most important thing to do now. I’ve never sailed as far as the estuary, but I know it’s a long way off.’

  ‘You’re right.’ Lady Alice rose to her feet. ‘Come with me, Esther. I might need your help.’

  ‘What about me?’ Sadie asked anxiously.

  ‘You could give our cabin a clean.’ Essie stood up, swaying with the movement of the ship as she gained her balance. ‘It looks as if we might be on board for some time yet.’

  ‘Not if I can help it.’ Lady Alice steadied herself by grasping the door handle. ‘Come along, Esther. Don’t dawdle.’

  Raven was propped up on grubby pillows and fully conscious. He looked pale, and dark circles underlined his eyes, but he was awake and alert. There was no sign of the man who had been assigned to tend to his needs and last night’s bloodied dressings had been left to congeal in an enamel bowl.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ Lady Alice glanced round the cabin, wrinkling her small nose. ‘It smells foul in here.’

  ‘I’m all right, Alice. You needn’t worry about me. I’d get up, but I’m not dressed.’

  She laid her hand on his forehead. ‘You feel cool enough. Thank heavens for that, at least.’

  ‘I’m sore but I don’t seem to have a fever. I’ll rise as soon as Hooper returns my clothes.’

  ‘Esther, I want you to examine the wound,’ Lady Alice said imperiously. ‘You’ll have to do the necessary. I’m sure you’re a born nurse, whereas I am not.’

  Essie edged past her, but she hesitated, eyeing Raven warily. ‘Do you mind?’

  ‘No, go ahead,’ he said, closing his eyes. ‘I suppose you’ll do as you wish, whatever I say.’

  His grudging attitude was uncalled for and unfair. Essie folded her arms, glaring at him. ‘You are a very ungrateful man. If it weren’t for me you might be in prison at this moment instead of lying there like a lord, while the rest of us are virtual prisoners on this rusty old bucket of a ship.’

  His eyes opened and he stared at her in surprise. ‘Well now, so you can stand up for yourself, Essie Chapman. I was beginning to think that your father had bullied the spirit out of you.’

  ‘Stop fidgeting or this might hurt.’ Essie unwound the bandage and eased off the blood-soaked pad.

  ‘I’m going to my cabin,’ Lady Alice said, backing out of the door. ‘Call the girl in if you need assistance, Esther.’

  ‘Alice never could stand the sight of blood,’ Raven said with a wry smile. ‘Do your worst, Essie. I can take it.’

  Hooper, the first mate, had left a pile of torn cotton sheeting, presumably intending to change the dressing at some point. Essie did not think the material looked too clean, but there was no alternative. She worked quickly and was relieved to find that the bleeding had stopped and there was, as yet, no sign of putrefaction.

  ‘It looks as if you’ve been lucky,’ she said as she secured the bandage in position. ‘But you must rest or you might start bleeding again.’

  ‘I need to see Falco. I want you and my cousin put ashore as soon as
possible.’

  Essie met his gaze with a steady look. ‘He says he won’t put into port until we reach Brindisi. Was that your plan?’

  ‘For myself, yes, but I didn’t know that Alice and her maid would be on board, let alone you, Essie. You helped me, and for that I’m grateful, but I didn’t intend for you to become so involved. This is my business.’

  She piled the soiled dressings into the bowl. ‘It’s become mine as well, and short of jumping overboard I don’t see how we’re going to get ashore.’

  His eyes lit with a smile. ‘Don’t do that, you might drown and then I’d feel really guilty.’

  ‘I’m serious, Raven.’ Until this moment Essie had never called him by name, but the time for observing the rules of etiquette was past, and she faced him angrily. ‘You seem to think this is a joke, and I can see the funny side of most things, but this has gone too far. You must make the captain put into port before we leave England.’

  His smile faded. ‘You’re right. Send Falco to me. I’ll put an end to this charade.’

  Chapter Six

  They disembarked in Brindisi after what seemed like a lifetime on board the Santa Gabriella. Despite Raven’s alternate pleas and attempts at bribery, Captain Falco had refused to put ashore in England. Lady Alice had tried everything from tears and tantrums to mild seduction, all of which were ignored, leaving them no alternative but to accept their fate.

  If she were to be truthful, Essie had enjoyed some aspects of life at sea. The sunrises and sunsets over the water had been magical and she had seen dolphins playing in the bow waves, a sight that filled her with joy despite the dire conditions on board. The sanitary arrangements left everything to be desired and the food was awful, but, for the most part, the crew were friendly and cheerful, and Captain Falco was not only an entertaining host but was also a talented singer with a beautiful tenor voice that could move Essie to tears. Lady Alice was frequently at loggerheads with him, but even she had to resort to her crumpled handkerchief when the captain came to the end of a particularly passionate rendition of a love song.