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Authors: Jennifer L. Holm
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always said that young ladies should never use foul language. “Loose tongues mean loose morals, girls,” Miss Hepplewhite preached.
Jehu seemed unfazed by my words. “So tell me, Miss Peck. Why are you making this trip?”
Even though I had been on the
Lady Luck
for many months, I had not circulated much with the crew and hardly knew what to say.
There were twenty-five men, but only three of them were American—Jehu Scudder, Samuel, and Sturgis the surgeon. The rest were foreigners—Scandinavians, English, Spaniards, Irishmen, and Italians. Most of them had shown up inebriated at the docks, having drunk their wages the night before our departure. No liquor was allowed on board except for medicinal purposes, which seemed to me a very sensible precaution.
I hesitated. Deportment on the Street (Chapter Thirteen) discouraged conversation with gentlemen when not accompanied by a chaperone. I also imagined it discouraged conversation when one was seasick.
“My betrothed is on Shoalwater Bay,” I said at last.
“Your betrothed,” he said, studying me. “Long way to go to get married, especially a young lady like you. What’s he doing there?”
“He is endeavoring to start a timber business.”
Jehu looked at me with sharp eyes. “Hard work, that.”
“William is very capable. He’s a surgeon.”
“You’re marrying a bloody sawbones, you say?” he said, looking out to sea, not sounding the least bit impressed. He looked over at me, rubbing his scar. “I never met a sawbones worth a bean.”
The man was rude.
“I’ll have you know, my father is also a surgeon. And furthermore, William will be a wonderful husband. He’s already built usa splendid house. Two stories with windows and an iron stove,” I said, feeling unaccountably defensive. Oh dear, why had I told a falsehood? In actual fact William had been rather vague on the subject of where we were setting up house, and had written only that he’d arranged comfortable accommodations for us.
“A stove, you say,” Jehu said dryly, eyes twinkling. “You’re gonna need it to stay warm.”
Jehu was most disconcertingly forward. “Mr. Scudder—”
But at that moment, the ship pitched wildly and I tumbled into him. A wave of nausea washed over me and then passed.
As the ship gained equilibrium, Jehu held me firmly, steadying my footing. His chest felt warm against my back, I realized with dawning horror. Miss Hepplewhite always said that a young lady should never allow a man to touch any part of her body, not even her elbow, and here was Jehu Scudder holding
all of me
!
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Scudder,” I said, attempting to extricate myself.
Then my stomach heaved and I was sick all over his boots. When I looked up, he looked a bit ill himself.
“The pleasure was all mine,” he said.
CHAPTER FIVE
or,
A Cheerful Countenance
“A true lady is ever cheerful,” Miss Hepplewhite liked to say.
But I was having a hard time being cheerful in the face of Mary’s fevered moaning. I was terribly worried.
Several days had passed, and the rat bite on her arm was now oozing a putrid yellow pus. Angry red welts streaked up to her neck. I remembered a patient of my father’s, an orphan child, who’d been bitten by a rat and later died. “The damnable creatures make disgusting wounds, Janey,” Papa had sighed at the time. Just thinking of him made me wish he were here, although our parting had been strained. He had given his permission, but never his blessing.
I summoned the ship’s surgeon.
“I could lop off the arm,” Sturgis offered. He belched loudly, and the cabin was suddenly redolent with the smell of whiskey. It was rumored that he drank the liquor intended for his patients.
I shuddered.
“Well? Do you want me to lop it off?” Sturgis barked. I looked at his bloodshot eyes and wondered at the wisdom of letting the man near Mary. He wasn’t any class of surgeon that I could tell. One thing was certain. I was determined that
Jehu seemed unfazed by my words. “So tell me, Miss Peck. Why are you making this trip?”
Even though I had been on the
Lady Luck
for many months, I had not circulated much with the crew and hardly knew what to say.
There were twenty-five men, but only three of them were American—Jehu Scudder, Samuel, and Sturgis the surgeon. The rest were foreigners—Scandinavians, English, Spaniards, Irishmen, and Italians. Most of them had shown up inebriated at the docks, having drunk their wages the night before our departure. No liquor was allowed on board except for medicinal purposes, which seemed to me a very sensible precaution.
I hesitated. Deportment on the Street (Chapter Thirteen) discouraged conversation with gentlemen when not accompanied by a chaperone. I also imagined it discouraged conversation when one was seasick.
“My betrothed is on Shoalwater Bay,” I said at last.
“Your betrothed,” he said, studying me. “Long way to go to get married, especially a young lady like you. What’s he doing there?”
“He is endeavoring to start a timber business.”
Jehu looked at me with sharp eyes. “Hard work, that.”
“William is very capable. He’s a surgeon.”
“You’re marrying a bloody sawbones, you say?” he said, looking out to sea, not sounding the least bit impressed. He looked over at me, rubbing his scar. “I never met a sawbones worth a bean.”
The man was rude.
“I’ll have you know, my father is also a surgeon. And furthermore, William will be a wonderful husband. He’s already built usa splendid house. Two stories with windows and an iron stove,” I said, feeling unaccountably defensive. Oh dear, why had I told a falsehood? In actual fact William had been rather vague on the subject of where we were setting up house, and had written only that he’d arranged comfortable accommodations for us.
“A stove, you say,” Jehu said dryly, eyes twinkling. “You’re gonna need it to stay warm.”
Jehu was most disconcertingly forward. “Mr. Scudder—”
But at that moment, the ship pitched wildly and I tumbled into him. A wave of nausea washed over me and then passed.
As the ship gained equilibrium, Jehu held me firmly, steadying my footing. His chest felt warm against my back, I realized with dawning horror. Miss Hepplewhite always said that a young lady should never allow a man to touch any part of her body, not even her elbow, and here was Jehu Scudder holding
all of me
!
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Scudder,” I said, attempting to extricate myself.
Then my stomach heaved and I was sick all over his boots. When I looked up, he looked a bit ill himself.
“The pleasure was all mine,” he said.
CHAPTER FIVE
or,
A Cheerful Countenance
“A true lady is ever cheerful,” Miss Hepplewhite liked to say.
But I was having a hard time being cheerful in the face of Mary’s fevered moaning. I was terribly worried.
Several days had passed, and the rat bite on her arm was now oozing a putrid yellow pus. Angry red welts streaked up to her neck. I remembered a patient of my father’s, an orphan child, who’d been bitten by a rat and later died. “The damnable creatures make disgusting wounds, Janey,” Papa had sighed at the time. Just thinking of him made me wish he were here, although our parting had been strained. He had given his permission, but never his blessing.
I summoned the ship’s surgeon.
“I could lop off the arm,” Sturgis offered. He belched loudly, and the cabin was suddenly redolent with the smell of whiskey. It was rumored that he drank the liquor intended for his patients.
I shuddered.
“Well? Do you want me to lop it off?” Sturgis barked. I looked at his bloodshot eyes and wondered at the wisdom of letting the man near Mary. He wasn’t any class of surgeon that I could tell. One thing was certain. I was determined that
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