CHAINS TO FREEDOM.✔

Chapter Eighty-Two

"Well, Master Copeland, what do you think of my granddaughter?"

Louis looked up from the cards he was holding. They were playing, as they had most afternoons, a barrel as their table. The ladies were seated on stools. Louis used an empty crate.

He looked at Mrs. Charmers and smiled; surprised it had taken the matriarch of the family this long to pose the question. From the first moment he had met her he knew she was searching for a suitable husband for her granddaughter.

Having walked the deck with Sarah on many occasions, Louis had made sure to keep his distance. He smiled, thinking perhaps in the past he would have enjoyed this game. However, Sarah did not interest him. Even if he had never met Jessica, she simply wasn't his type.

Louis looked at the old woman with a mischievous glint in his eyes and said, "Mrs. Charmers. What game are we playing today? Not cards obviously." He leaned back casually against the mast where his crate had been positioned. His now sun bleached hair hung in his eyes. His face was covered with half grown stubble and he wore a white cotton shirt that wasn't completely done up. This casual attire gave him the appearance of a roguish young man.

Mrs. Charmers fluttered her eyes at him. Even though she was a grandmother, she was still a woman and had not neglected to notice Louis's finer qualities. "You evade my question, Master Copeland?" she said raising her eyebrows.

"Yes I do," he replied, and then laughed.

She laughed with him and said, "Now, now, a handsome young man like yourself needs a wife to keep you out of trouble."

"Do I now, Mrs. Charmers?" Louis's twinkled his eyebrows. "Perhaps I like trouble."

"I'm sure you do," she tittered. "But surely there comes a time for every man to take a wife."

Louis stretched his arms above his head, and then ran a hand through his hair, sweeping it away from his eyes. The wind caught it and blew it back across his face. "And you have your Granddaughter in mind."

"You are very frank, sir, so I shall be also. That is exactly what I have in mind."

Louis rubbed his chin. "And if I were to tell you, madam, that I already have a fiancée, what would you say?"

"I would say you were lying, sir."

Louis roared with laughter. "I am sorry, Mrs. Chambers. I'm afraid you have it wrong. I travel to Ireland now to claim her."

She peered at him with uncertainty. "Do you love her?"

"Yes I do, madam. Very much."

Mrs. Chambers huffed and waved her hands franticly in front of her face. "This wind is such a nuisance." She looked at her sister and snapped, "Play, Hilda. Play!"

Miss Bell had sat quietly listening to their conversation. She nervously laid her cards down.

Louis felt sorry for poor Miss Bell. Her sister had dominated her for the whole journey. He had a sneaking suspicion that Mrs. Charmers would not give up on the idea of his becoming Sarah's husband, so easily.

*****

They were one month into their journey when the storm began. A belt of dark clouds hung on the horizon two days prior to the rains commencing. An ominous calm surrounded the Navarino, and it was another twenty-four hours before strong gales began. At first the atmosphere murmured quietly with the sounds of thunder. The noise pealed across the sky, to explode so close to the ship that the women screamed in fear for their lives.

Louis worked with the crew. They secured the longboats to the deck and lashed the forestay sails to the deck rails. The ships master called for the square-rigged foremast sail to be dropped and set the forestay sail on the bowsprit. He demanded they reef the mainmast fore and furl the rest. Sailors sheeted them tight wanting to hold Navarino steady. They set the sea anchor ready in case they needed to attempt to make her drag a little. Everyone said a silent prayer hoping that the Navarino wouldn't broach. She was an old ship and that would be the end of them all.

At first the waves were mild. As the violence of the winds increased each surge grew and grew until gigantic walls of water swept across the deck. Torrents of water burst the hatchways opened. Men worked the hand pumps in despair in order to expel the salty water back out into the black depths. The ship heeled as livid flashes of fork lightening lit up the sky, illuminating the fine white spray of the waves that oppressed and almost swallowed her.

As the hours wore on, the awe-stricken faces of all on board grew dimmer and dimmer with appalling thoughts of what they thought was to be their end. Only the necessary crew stayed on deck to combat the hazards the mighty sea cast upon them. Everyone else huddled in the hull. When Navarino dropped from each wave they were thrown down and smashed against the timber of hull and lower deck.

Louis fought his way toward Mrs. Charmers' cabin. The roar of the wind stung his ears and grabbed at his clothes. With every pound of the waves more water swirled around his feet. He pushed the cabin door open hearing their shrieks of terror. The dim light cast by the swinging lamp allowed Louis to see their wet and sodden bodies folded together in an attempt to protect themselves from the tortures of the storm.

"Oh! Master Copeland," Miss Bell cried. "Whatever shall we do?" Her face was red and her glasses sat askew on her face.

Louis stumbled toward them. He knelt in front of them holding tight to one of the bunks. "There's nothing to do but wait, Miss Bell. Place yourself where you can hold onto something so when the ship jolts you won't be thrown down." As he yelled above the sounds of the storm the ship began to lay over on her side, to then be thrown violently leeward.

Sarah tumbled from her place at the end of the bunk and landed at Louis's feet. He pulled her toward him and held her trembling body hard against his. "Are you hurt, Miss Sarah?" he yelled. She shook her head but Louis saw tears in her eyes. 

Copyright © 2019 Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

Please let them survive this storm.

I'm sure Jessica will never forgive herself if Louis dies :(