day to you, sir. I venture to say we’ll enjoy a smooth trip. Allow me to introduce my wife.”
“A pleasure, ma’am,” Captain O’Mally said. “Miss Butler,” he added, bowing slightly to Irene. “You’ve business in Sacramento, Mr. Butler?”
“Yes indeed. We will see you this evening, Captain.”
Byrony followed Ira and Irene along the deck. She peeked quickly into the large dining salon that was enclosed with glass windows. I am indeed a princess and am aboard my own floating palace.
Their cabin was small but luxuriously appointed. There was a soft blue carpeting on the floor and two narrow beds along the far wall of the cabin, two chairs, and a dressing table.
“It’s lovely. Oh, Irene, come, you must rest. Would you like a cool cloth on your forehead?”
Ira led Irene to the bed and helped her lie down. He sat down beside her and gently stroked her gloved hand. “Yes, Byrony, please,” he answered for his sister. “There should be washcloths in the armoire and cool water in the basin.”
A silent Eileen appeared at the doorway, looking impassively toward Irene. Without saying a word, she took the damp cloth from Byrony and walked to the narrow bed. “I will see to her, sir,” she said, her voice a soft, hoarse drawl.
Ira rose, his brow knit as he looked down at his sister. “You rest, Irene. Perhaps you will feel more the thing by dinner. Byrony, my dear, I will go along to my cabin now.”
She walked him to the door and said, “Would it be all right if I explored, Ira?”
“Certainly. You are a married lady now, Byrony. You do just as you please.”
She felt a stab of guilt leaving Irene, but her sister-in-law, seeing her excitement, waved her away.
“No need to worry, Miz Butler,” Eileen said. “I’ll stay with the mistress.”
Byrony spent two glorious hours exploring the Scarlet Queen. She clung to the rail until the steamboat left the wharf and turned north. She waved to the masses of people on the dock, not caring that she knew none of them. They were never out of sight of land. Desolate land, from what Byrony could tell, and so many islands dotting the bay. She wished she could speak to someone who could tell her where they were going and what she was seeing. Several men looked hungrily at her, but she ignored them. In her short time in San Francisco, every man she’d seen had looked hungrily at her.
“So few ladies, my dear,” Ira had said after several men had simply stopped in their tracks and stared at her. “And, of course, you are beautiful.”
“But, Ira, I’ve seen many ladies.”
“Not exactly ladies, Byrony. The largest part of the female population are—well, not ladies.”
“Whores?”
“Yes,” he’d said, looking startled.
She didn’t enlighten him. How could she tell him that it was but one of the insults her father had hurled at her head?
Byrony sneaked a look into a small salon that was obviously for men only. There was a thick cloud of smoke, occasional spurts of laughter, and, of course, gambling.
She returned to the cabin to find Irene still abed, Eileen seated in a chair beside her mistress. Eileen placed her finger over her lips.
“She’s asleep, poor lady. I’ll see that she gets some soup later when she awakens. Come, Miz Byrony, I’ll help you dress, but quiet now.”
She met Ira outside her cabin, and his soft whistle of admiration made her feel wonderful.
“Lovely, my dear, simply lovely.” He looked at the closed cabin door, a question in his eyes.
“Irene is sleeping. Eileen thinks it best.”
“Then come along.” Ira offered her his elegant black-coated arm.
“We won’t be sitting with the captain this evening. There are several business friends of mine who requested a separate table. You will, I believe, enjoy them, my dear.”
This proved to be the case. There was a Mr. Lacy, who owned a foundry, a Mr. Dancy, who was an investor from New York, and a Mr. Cornfield, who owned one of the newspapers. She was
“A pleasure, ma’am,” Captain O’Mally said. “Miss Butler,” he added, bowing slightly to Irene. “You’ve business in Sacramento, Mr. Butler?”
“Yes indeed. We will see you this evening, Captain.”
Byrony followed Ira and Irene along the deck. She peeked quickly into the large dining salon that was enclosed with glass windows. I am indeed a princess and am aboard my own floating palace.
Their cabin was small but luxuriously appointed. There was a soft blue carpeting on the floor and two narrow beds along the far wall of the cabin, two chairs, and a dressing table.
“It’s lovely. Oh, Irene, come, you must rest. Would you like a cool cloth on your forehead?”
Ira led Irene to the bed and helped her lie down. He sat down beside her and gently stroked her gloved hand. “Yes, Byrony, please,” he answered for his sister. “There should be washcloths in the armoire and cool water in the basin.”
A silent Eileen appeared at the doorway, looking impassively toward Irene. Without saying a word, she took the damp cloth from Byrony and walked to the narrow bed. “I will see to her, sir,” she said, her voice a soft, hoarse drawl.
Ira rose, his brow knit as he looked down at his sister. “You rest, Irene. Perhaps you will feel more the thing by dinner. Byrony, my dear, I will go along to my cabin now.”
She walked him to the door and said, “Would it be all right if I explored, Ira?”
“Certainly. You are a married lady now, Byrony. You do just as you please.”
She felt a stab of guilt leaving Irene, but her sister-in-law, seeing her excitement, waved her away.
“No need to worry, Miz Butler,” Eileen said. “I’ll stay with the mistress.”
Byrony spent two glorious hours exploring the Scarlet Queen. She clung to the rail until the steamboat left the wharf and turned north. She waved to the masses of people on the dock, not caring that she knew none of them. They were never out of sight of land. Desolate land, from what Byrony could tell, and so many islands dotting the bay. She wished she could speak to someone who could tell her where they were going and what she was seeing. Several men looked hungrily at her, but she ignored them. In her short time in San Francisco, every man she’d seen had looked hungrily at her.
“So few ladies, my dear,” Ira had said after several men had simply stopped in their tracks and stared at her. “And, of course, you are beautiful.”
“But, Ira, I’ve seen many ladies.”
“Not exactly ladies, Byrony. The largest part of the female population are—well, not ladies.”
“Whores?”
“Yes,” he’d said, looking startled.
She didn’t enlighten him. How could she tell him that it was but one of the insults her father had hurled at her head?
Byrony sneaked a look into a small salon that was obviously for men only. There was a thick cloud of smoke, occasional spurts of laughter, and, of course, gambling.
She returned to the cabin to find Irene still abed, Eileen seated in a chair beside her mistress. Eileen placed her finger over her lips.
“She’s asleep, poor lady. I’ll see that she gets some soup later when she awakens. Come, Miz Byrony, I’ll help you dress, but quiet now.”
She met Ira outside her cabin, and his soft whistle of admiration made her feel wonderful.
“Lovely, my dear, simply lovely.” He looked at the closed cabin door, a question in his eyes.
“Irene is sleeping. Eileen thinks it best.”
“Then come along.” Ira offered her his elegant black-coated arm.
“We won’t be sitting with the captain this evening. There are several business friends of mine who requested a separate table. You will, I believe, enjoy them, my dear.”
This proved to be the case. There was a Mr. Lacy, who owned a foundry, a Mr. Dancy, who was an investor from New York, and a Mr. Cornfield, who owned one of the newspapers. She was
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