the bags of gold dust he had deposited in the Seattle bank, then folded it
carefully, and tucked it under his pillow, although he hoped that his pa had
taken at least some of the money out, and put it to use by now, as he had put
pa’s name on that account too. Thankfully he’d wired him all the information,
along with the account number, the amount deposited, along with the name of the
bank, before he’d been shanghaied.
He wasn’t even sure of starting a cattle ranch now,
although that had been his dream for so many years, years of backbreaking labor
trying to save for the ranch. Maybe he’d just help pa for awhile now, with his
horses, as he wasn’t sure of his parent’s health after so many years. Maybe
they’d need him at home. Logan thought how surprised his folks would be in
hearing from him now, and wasn’t sure if he should wire them from New York, or just show up at the horse ranch in Wyoming. Well, there was plenty of time to
think of what to do, as the years behind him had been long. In just a few more
weeks he would be home, thanks to Lord Beckford and his niece, Olivia. He
thought of the blue-eyed beauty, with the golden-blonde hair. Well, he can
dream anyway. “She’s not for you Logan.” He thought to himself.
After the ceremony of seeing the last of the old boots
flying well out to sea from the small porthole, then bouncing out across the
dark expanse of water, Logan fell into a deep sleep, to dream of poetry, and
the gentle voice of a beautiful woman, a sound he hadn’t heard in more than
eight years, if he had ever heard a voice that sweet and soothing before.
<><><>
The days flew by, and Olivia busied herself with her
sewing, books and embroidery, writing a few letters to be posted later on when
they landed, and often on an evening she would stroll the deck with her uncle,
to gaze out to the never-ending expanse of sea. They had only gone through one
bad storm so far, two days back, though it hadn’t done much to damage the ship,
as the liner had been expertly built to withstand even the worst of gales, and
Olivia had kept to her staterooms during the worst of the storm.
The weather was only a bit cool now, though sunny and
nice, and very refreshing, as one evening she stood at the rail with her uncle,
she said, “No one has seen anything of the scoundrel, Henry Adams, or Birch,
whatever his name is now?”
“Not out on deck, Ollie, as I believe the man is
trying his best not to be seen. Though I have had word from several of the
crew members.” Claude gave a slight laugh and lowered his voice, as he
continued. “It seems that the aging gentleman, named Henry Birch, has
attempted on several occasions, when a member of the crew was tending his
cabin, or bringing his meals, to bribe that person with a few measly coins, to
watch our movements, and try to find out just where we are headed.”
“Oh, mercy!” Olivia said, “The worthless lout does
know that we are on this ship then. I certainly hope he wasn’t successful in
recruiting any member of the staff to do his dirty work for him!”
Claude laughed lightly, “Not hardly, dear, in fact
they flatly refused him, and informed the cad that they wouldn’t ‘spy’ on the
owner of this ship, nor his niece, for any amount of coins he could offer. I
guess he was a bit surprised to learn of my ownership of this vessel, but each
one that he approached so far, came to me immediately and reported the
incident. I guess one of the burly servers from the kitchen, became so
agitated with him, that he grabbed the man by the shirtfront, threatening to
toss him over the rail of the main deck, into the raging waters, (that was
during the storm the other day), if the lout dared approach him again. Also
he offered to feed him his own coins that he had offered! The server from the
kitchen used stronger wording though, but I won’t use his exact
carefully, and tucked it under his pillow, although he hoped that his pa had
taken at least some of the money out, and put it to use by now, as he had put
pa’s name on that account too. Thankfully he’d wired him all the information,
along with the account number, the amount deposited, along with the name of the
bank, before he’d been shanghaied.
He wasn’t even sure of starting a cattle ranch now,
although that had been his dream for so many years, years of backbreaking labor
trying to save for the ranch. Maybe he’d just help pa for awhile now, with his
horses, as he wasn’t sure of his parent’s health after so many years. Maybe
they’d need him at home. Logan thought how surprised his folks would be in
hearing from him now, and wasn’t sure if he should wire them from New York, or just show up at the horse ranch in Wyoming. Well, there was plenty of time to
think of what to do, as the years behind him had been long. In just a few more
weeks he would be home, thanks to Lord Beckford and his niece, Olivia. He
thought of the blue-eyed beauty, with the golden-blonde hair. Well, he can
dream anyway. “She’s not for you Logan.” He thought to himself.
After the ceremony of seeing the last of the old boots
flying well out to sea from the small porthole, then bouncing out across the
dark expanse of water, Logan fell into a deep sleep, to dream of poetry, and
the gentle voice of a beautiful woman, a sound he hadn’t heard in more than
eight years, if he had ever heard a voice that sweet and soothing before.
<><><>
The days flew by, and Olivia busied herself with her
sewing, books and embroidery, writing a few letters to be posted later on when
they landed, and often on an evening she would stroll the deck with her uncle,
to gaze out to the never-ending expanse of sea. They had only gone through one
bad storm so far, two days back, though it hadn’t done much to damage the ship,
as the liner had been expertly built to withstand even the worst of gales, and
Olivia had kept to her staterooms during the worst of the storm.
The weather was only a bit cool now, though sunny and
nice, and very refreshing, as one evening she stood at the rail with her uncle,
she said, “No one has seen anything of the scoundrel, Henry Adams, or Birch,
whatever his name is now?”
“Not out on deck, Ollie, as I believe the man is
trying his best not to be seen. Though I have had word from several of the
crew members.” Claude gave a slight laugh and lowered his voice, as he
continued. “It seems that the aging gentleman, named Henry Birch, has
attempted on several occasions, when a member of the crew was tending his
cabin, or bringing his meals, to bribe that person with a few measly coins, to
watch our movements, and try to find out just where we are headed.”
“Oh, mercy!” Olivia said, “The worthless lout does
know that we are on this ship then. I certainly hope he wasn’t successful in
recruiting any member of the staff to do his dirty work for him!”
Claude laughed lightly, “Not hardly, dear, in fact
they flatly refused him, and informed the cad that they wouldn’t ‘spy’ on the
owner of this ship, nor his niece, for any amount of coins he could offer. I
guess he was a bit surprised to learn of my ownership of this vessel, but each
one that he approached so far, came to me immediately and reported the
incident. I guess one of the burly servers from the kitchen, became so
agitated with him, that he grabbed the man by the shirtfront, threatening to
toss him over the rail of the main deck, into the raging waters, (that was
during the storm the other day), if the lout dared approach him again. Also
he offered to feed him his own coins that he had offered! The server from the
kitchen used stronger wording though, but I won’t use his exact
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