Stormy Seas: Part 15

 I let Vivian climb down the ladder to the hold first. Every time we went up or down she had to gather her skirts and put them over her arm. It was delicate business.

“I made it,” she called up.

I started down. “It might be easier if you borrowed a pair of trousers,” I suggested.

She looked horrified. “Absolutely not!”

“Then you'll have to live without seeing the crows nest,” I said. I grinned at her when when she started stuttering about it. I ducked through a doorway and headed toward the lavatories. “Come on, there's washing to be done,” I said. I opened a closet and dragged out a large basket full of coal smeared and sweaty shirts. Vivian peered into the closet and her eyes went wide when she saw the number of baskets.

“When was the last time you did the washing?” she asked.

“It gets done every week or so,” I shrugged.

She sighed. She did that more and more as I showed her more of the ship. I almost wanted to show her the engines but was afraid she might faint. “We bring the baskets in here.” I dragged the shirts into the washing room. It was a smallish room with nothing but a few metal tubs and a hose hooked up to one wall. I emptied the basket into the tub and turned the hose on to let it fill.

“Then we let those soak and fetch another one.”

She looked uncertainly at the murky water filling the tub.

“They'll get clean,” I assured her.

She shrugged and followed me back into the hall. “Will you use soap at all?” she asked.

“They won't get clean without soap,” I said over my shoulder. “Can you carry this one? I think it's the lightest.” I pushed the basket of dirty underclothes toward her.

She yelped and averted her eyes. I couldn't help laughing a little.

“I'll wash everything else if you don't make me touch those,” she tried to bargain.

“I'm very tempted to take that offer,” I grinned. I picked up the basket as best I could and carried it past her into the other room. “If you wash the shirts I'll do these.”

“Agreed,” she said hastily.

“Palmer? You down here?” Captain Peck called. I could hear the thud of his boots as he came down the hall.

“Here sir!” I called.

He stopped in the doorway combing his mustache. “Ray was just telling me about your predicament,” he said.

My heart started beating faster. He had found a way around my contract!

“I thought I should remind you that you signed that contract for five years of service to this ship, any less and I can have you arrested and brought back for another five years. Also I sent a wireless message to the CTC offices in Boston about our stowaway and they are locating Miss Winters' parents.” He walked off without another word.

Thoughts of mutiny ran through my head.

“What a brute!” Vivian whispered behind me. She had her hands on her hips again. “He's worse than Aunt!”

“Except that I can't run away,” I said pointedly.

Her eyes immediately took on a soft, watery look and she turned away.

“Vivian?”

“They'll find Aunt before they find my parents.” Her voice was shaking. “She'll come and get me, and now that I've run away no one will ever want to marry me. I was supposed to run away and find someone.”

I sighed. The water in the tub of shirts began to overflow. I jumped and turned off the water.

“Mother and father will be so disappointed,” she continued. “I never thought of what could happen!”

I stuck my hands in my pockets and thought about my own predicament. I remembered father warning me before I signed my contract. If I had stopped and listened to him I might have at the very least bargained for a shorter time of service. No wonder my mother had cried so much when I left.

I sighed. “Come on,” we might as well keep doing the washing.

She nodded and knelt at the side of the shirt tub in a little pile of skirts. She looked so crushed but I had no idea of what I could say to cheer her up. I was feeling rather defeated myself.

There were more footsteps out in the hall and Ray leaned in through the open door.

“There you are Eldon,” he said. “I was talking to Peck earlier,”

“He's already been by,” I interrupted him.

“What!” He uttered a string of words that sailors are well known for.

Vivian coughed loudly and Ray went silent. “Does she follow you everywhere?” he asked.

“Because he's the only one I can stand to hear speak!”

I nearly laughed at both of them. “Keep your tongue in check long enough to help us with this,” I told Ray. He shrugged and went to get another basket while I turned the water back on to fill the tub of underclothes.