“A reservation? I only want to get off my feet and order something to eat,” Heinrich said a bit confused.
The man was not very courteous. “You need a reservation to get a table. Sorry, mister. I need to assist the next people in line if you could step aside,” he stated in an arrogant tone as if Heinrich was not good enough. Heinrich instantly felt embarrassed, and it incensed him. “His presence was not good enough here?” Before he was able to act on his emotion, out of nowhere, he felt a slight tap on the shoulder. Turning, he beheld a …sweet smile of an angel abounding with brown curls running down both sides of her exquisite oval face from under a wide flared bonnet encircled with a blue ribbon. Heinrich stood there like a stone statue completely enthralled with this fair beauty. He was speechless and just stared at this lovely woman. The world as he knew it suddenly froze up around him as if someone somehow held back the clock and time stood at a complete standstill.
“Dear, sir. Would you be so kind as to join my sister and me for a meal?”
It had to be a dream his mind told him. It was not only her striking beauty but that he was also being invited to join her at a table. Her smile … her everything for that matter, was captivating, and Heinrich was still standing there speechless.
“Mister, you’re holding up the line! Don’t just stand there like an idiot; move along,” the same snobbish restaurant worker barked out louder this time to get Heinrich’s attention. The man’s words broke Heinrich’s trance, and he bewilderedly turned his head back to the gruff voice penetrating his ears.
“Go on I said. Or do you want me to show you the way out?” the brash worker followed up and took a threatening step toward Heinrich. Heinrich was just about to respond to the snide remark, when the sweet angel standing near, gracefully stepped between the two men and threw the employee a stern glance, which made him step back immediately. “How could this lovely being have such a power over the man,” Heinrich’s mind flashed questioningly.
“I am so very sorry … ah, Lady Lucy,” the man blurted out in an admonished tone. “This chap was being pushy and has no reservation.”
“On the contrary, he is a guest of ours. We will take our table now with an extra chair,” she adamantly stated.
“Yes, of course, madam. Right this way please,” the worker was disgusted and bewildered at the same time, but did what the well-known patron demanded. After all, she was high society and a frequent diner. He could not go against her wishes without likely losing his job. With a sour attitude, he stepped aside to escort them inside and led the three to a table. Heinrich had not moved and the young Lady Lucy, as she had been called, quickly turned and said, “This way, kind sir. We mustn’t keep everyone waiting.”
As if a puppet on a string and no control over his limbs, Heinrich began to move along with them and followed right behind Lady Lucy outfitted in a white petticoat with blue lacing and over to a table at a window. The restaurant worker pulled out the chair to help seat the other young woman. Seeing this, Heinrich quickly stepped over to the other side and grabbed the chair holding it out for Lucy as she smiled lustily at him by fluttering her lashes, accepting the gesture. “Why, thank you, sir. I knew you were a gentleman after all.”
Heinrich blushed and stood aside as an extra chair was brought over from nearby and was placed at the end of the table. Heinrich found Lady Lucy’s female friend glancing at Heinrich’s hat, and he somehow had the mental notion he should remove it, which he hastily did. For the first time, he noticed that the woman was also very elegantly dressed and was also a lovely sight to behold. He felt out of place in the company of such beauty. Glancing around, he saw that the establishment was stylishly furnished and decorated elegantly. The ceiling held several large candle chandeliers. It must be a very socialite establishment. Everyone around dressed as if they were attending a lavish function of some sort. He wished he was already wearing the new outfit he had just purchased. If he was embarrassed before, he felt even more so now finding himself among a multitude of an elitist gathering.
“I am Lucy … Lucy Bainbridge and this is my sister Laura.” Laura slightly bowed her head as she was introduced. “And your name is …?”
Surprisingly, Heinrich had found his tongue and said, “I am Captain … rather my name is Heinrich Drope, my lady.”
“A captain? A captain of what? Military perhaps?”
“Oh, no madam. I am a captain of a merchant ship in the harbor.”
“Please call me Lucy. Although I would like to be viewed as a lady, which my sister and I both are, I prefer to be more personal and casual. It seems to me much more amiable that way. If I may say so, Heinrich, you don’t look at all like the average sea captains who are usually older with grizzled beards and dirty fingernails,” Lucy stated somewhat amusingly as she looked Heinrich over with a smile showing perfectly-lined snowy white teeth, and the brilliance of her blue eyes showing a kind expression.
“Well, Lady … I mean Lucy. I have been an extremely fortunate young man in having the privilege of securing my own merchant vessel. It is a long story, and I don’t want to bore both of you how I came to be in this position.”
“My, my. Not only a ship’s captain but the full owner of the ship as well. Now that is very impressive,” Laura talked for the first time. “Although your English is excellent, you have a very pronounced accent. It sounds to me like northern European is it not?”
“Ja. I mean, yes, I am from Germany. My entire crew is German, except for one Spaniard and a few Dutchmen.”
Before any of them could continue the conversation, a waitress came to the table to take their order. Both Lucy and Laura assisted Heinrich in ordering a meal since the menu items seemed so foreign to him. The two sisters giggled while helping him choose something to his liking.
So, what kind of merchandise are you in business in,” Lucy asked.
“Well, here again, I am very new to this sort of business. We are open to which type of product. We are open to shipping cotton to European markets because it seems a lucrative business, but desire to see what other products the Caribbean has to offer. I have been recently told that spices from the Caribbean are in heavy demand in America and Europe. We will see. In the meantime, we have decided to sail to the Caribbean islands to check out the viability no matter what.”
“Oh, my,” went Laura once again. “The Caribbean is still rampant with enough pirate scoundrels that make the region very dangerous waters for a merchant seafarer. You must be extremely careful when you go there.”
“I have been thoroughly advised of that by other sea captains and am making efforts on board ship to deal with the threat.”
“And how are you doing that?” Lucy asked very curiously.
Heinrich explained in short what some of his ideas were to counter pirates refraining from explaining specifics in depth for he felt the details would only bore the women. Even if he talked with men, he would not fully divulge the extent of their armament, including the amount he still had planned to purchase. He did not believe that sort of information was prudent to share with just anyone. More than only a few sailors and ship captains at ports had commented to that fact, stating that his schooner looked more like a naval warship than a merchant vessel with the number of cannons. Anyone seeing his ship in the harbor could easily count the number of gun slats to know the amount onboard. He told the women his ship was armed with cannons, which was not unusual for a merchant vessel. Both women acted impressed, but Drope also noted a few questioning glances between them were conveying to him they were skeptical at the same time.
“Well, Heinrich. We certainly hope your business endeavors will come to fruition and will be a great success,” Lucy said. “Oh, here comes our meal.”
The food was served, and as they ate, they continued to converse. Heinrich learned that Lucy and Laura lived several miles outside of Charleston on a large cotton plantation, owned by their father. They explained that the cotton business had taken off considerably well several years back a
nd that there was so much need for more ships to ferry the product across the Atlantic that Heinrich should discuss this with their father. Heinrich mentioned that he might do that when he came back from the Caribbean. Heinrich noticed and felt Lucy’s eyes on him throughout the meal. It made him uneasy. He never had in his life met, and more than that received the attention of a woman of her stature. He sensed she was trying to see right inside of him searching his soul for more intimate answers to his character.
“While you are in town, are there some particular places you are planning to see?” Lucy asked.
“Not really, except I did purchase a new suit at one of the clothing merchants. Beyond that, I just wanted to take a break from the ship’s daily tasks and visit the city to get a feel for its surroundings. He would never of course share that he wouldn’t mind finding a place to hole up for the night with some willing female company. Indeed, he did not equate the two sisters in that particular group of females. They were, however, nice company to be with, even though Lucy intimidated him. On the one hand, he felt a strong desire to get to know her more intimately. She was not only gorgeous, but she was smart. He was attracted to her. Not that her sister, Laura, wasn’t a good catch for the right man, but it was Lucy who appealed to him. He conceded he was nowhere within her league, however.
“Although Charleston is a comparatively young city compared to what you are used to in Europe, we do have a few interesting sites. Would you like me to show you a few after we finish here?”
Heinrich assuredly picked up on her meaning it would be just her and him, and not with Laura. Laura caught that also, as she gave Lucy an eye-squinting look for a brief second.
“I don’t want to keep you ladies from your day’s activities. I have already taken up too much of your time. You’ve been so gracious and kind to have included me in sharing this meal.”
“Oh, nonsense. It’s no bother, Heinrich. It wouldn’t be a problem would it, Laura?”
Laura glanced up at her sister and then at Heinrich. “Ah, well, not really. I have so many places to stop into this afternoon. You know women’s shops, that I’m sure wouldn’t interest you, Heinrich. Lucy can come to get me later on after you finish your tour.”
“I really feel like I am interrupting your plans and time,” Heinrich made one more try to discourage Lucy, but she wouldn’t have anything of it.
“You see, we both insist. So, it’s settled then,” she said confidently with a smug smile.
The bill came for the food, and Heinrich quickly grabbed it up before any of the women could, and he paid for the entire meal.
“That wasn’t necessary, Heinrich. Especially on a sea captain’s salary,” Laura commented.
“It was my pleasure, ladies, let me assure you of that.”
They all got up and went out. The sister’s carriage was hitched just across the street. “I must take my leave here,” said Laura. “There are a couple of stores just down this block that I need to go to.”
“Will you be alright all by yourself, Laura?” Heinrich asked in a serious tone. “No one will bother you while you are alone?”
Laura gave Heinrich a funny look, a somewhat quizzical one at that. “I will be perfectly fine. If you are referring to my safety, please do not be concerned. These people are all upstanding citizens and understand we are all neighbors. We live with genuine respect for each other. It is, of course, the proper etiquette.”
That struck Heinrich awkward. He had always been in places where a woman alone could be easy prey for some unrefined sorts. Lucy said so long to her sister and took Heinrich by the arm leading him across the street.
When they were approaching the carriage, Heinrich saw a large black African man sitting in the front seat at the reins. The muscular man gave Heinrich a hard stare. Heinrich was introduced when he and Lucy stepped up to the carriage.
“It’s alright, Henry,” Lucy assured the driver. “This is Captain Heinrich Drope. He owns and commands the merchant schooner, the See Wolf. It is his first visit to Charleston, and I promised him I would show him around a bit. We will be back in a few hours. I would like you to make sure that Laura is escorted to the places she is planning on going.” Lucy pointed up the street and said to Henry, “There she is making her way to the mercantile store. Please see to her needs.”
Henry had kept his hard stare on Heinrich with natural reddish bloodshot eyes and hesitated. “Oh, come now, Henry. Don’t be such a bore. I will be perfectly safe with this gentleman. I am a big girl so please go and join up with Laura.”
The big man finally budged and stepped down from the carriage without a word. He towered over Heinrich by a few inches and probably outweighed him by a good forty pounds. Heinrich proffered Henry a friendly smile the entire time. It was evident that Henry didn’t like this arrangement at all but finally walked off in Laura’s direction, while occasionally glancing back toward the carriage with apparent hesitation.
“He’ll be fine, Heinrich. Henry has been taking us to town for years now and is extremely cautious, and concerned about us. He is a most trusted servant that our father has put stock in for a long time; in fact, since we were still both young children when he came to the plantation. It is difficult to convince him to allow us by ourselves too far out of sight and reach.”
He helped her board the front seat of the carriage, took the reins and slowly spurred on the single horse, while Lucy directed him onward. They went and saw many parts of the city and after a few hours found them on a high ridge on the west side of Charleston, which overlooked the harbor area on the bay in the distance. Laura had directed him here, and they parked under a large tree that Lucy mentioned was a maple at the side of a fruit orchard.
“I wish I could show you my ship, but from this distance, it is too far to spot.”
“Hopefully some other time, Heinrich. When you return from the Caribbean,” Lucy remarked. “I would like to see you again and introduce you to father. I’m sure he could set you up to run cotton to Europe.”
“That is kind of you. We will see about that. Thanks for taking me all around. This is a most beautiful spot to view things from.”
“Yes, that is why I brought you here. I have come here so many times over the years. You can see for miles on a clear day. It is one of my favorite spots.”
They sat there together for some time and gazed in all directions at the panoramic view. Gradually the wind spooled up and the day for once gave way to a more cooling air front. Heinrich took the light coat he had carried with him just in case he needed it during the evening. He turned to Lucy and began to drape the coat over her shoulders to keep her from the chill.
“Thank you, Heinrich. That is very nice of you,” she softly said as she leaned into him so he could put the coat on her. As Heinrich finished placing the coat on her, their faces were just inches apart, and Lucy placed a firm, moist open kiss on his lips, holding it for a long moment. Her kiss was the sweetest and most succulent Heinrich had ever tasted, and her lips were soft and full. This lovely young woman so entranced him. Her kiss was a total surprise, and yet he wanted it to last a lifetime. She slowly pulled back and parted.
“Why, Captain Drope, you could at least kiss me back instead of acting like a stone statue. I cannot believe you didn’t enjoy that even a bit.”
Heinrich turned beet red from embarrassment. She was right, why didn’t he reciprocate? What was his problem? It wasn’t the first time he had kissed after all. He reached out putting both arms around Lucy and pulled her to him and planted a deep kiss on her full delicious mouth, as she responded by kissing him back with willing passion.
“Now that was more like it. I swear you acted like you never kissed a girl before. What kind of a sailor are you anyways,” she exclaimed and giggled.
“I’ve kissed plenty of women before,” Heinrich stated off the cuff in defense of himself.
“Aha, so you have, have you?” she said with a sly squint of her eyes. “Well, you could have fooled me by that first kiss.
”
“You just caught me off guard, that’s all. I’ve been with other women in other ports.”
“Oh, so you have scored your mark in other places, have you?” she stated with a sultry voice. “You naughty sailor boy! I should have known better to have picked up on a sailorman that’s traveled to many places and probably has at least a woman in every port just waiting for you to come back. I’ve heard stories about sailors.”
“Oh, come on, Lucy. I’m not like that. I try to be a gentleman wherever I go,” he lied innocently, yet he felt out of his element with this lovely lady of higher class compared to those working in harbor taverns, yet her kiss was full with hot passion.
“Likely story!” She was playing it up, toying with him and having fun with it all. “I bet you prey on single young woman everywhere you go. You are a genuine romantic. It reminds of a Shakespeare line … “tis but a kiss I beg, why art thou coy?” But you only act like you are shy.”
“Lucy, please don’t think that. I have always … oh, you’re just playing with me, aren’t you?”
Lucy broke into a gleeful laugh and grabbed Heinrich’s right hand and held it in both of her hands. Her laughter was contagious and Heinrich laughed with her. They looked at each other and Heinrich couldn’t help like her invigorating personality. He went right in and kissed her again and shut her laughter up. After a moment, he parted and embraced her holding her in his strong arms for a long time not letting go. Her sweet powder scent wafted up into his nostrils, and he loved the smell of her. Her tender cheeks although a little chilled by the cool air were soft. The feel of her in his arms was wonderfully captivating. He relished the moment with her held close to him. He felt he could rest in this position for hours on end, but alas, time never stood still for anyone.
Lucy suddenly startled him by taking his left hand and placing it upon one of her thighs. As much as he was shocked at her behavior, he allowed her to keep his hand there as she cooed sensually at the touch. The situation brought memories of several bar girls in his travels. Here he was with a woman he believed to be a high society lady acting the same way very much as a seedy barmaid. As much as he was surprised by her antics, he was also mesmerized and vulnerable as putty in her hands.
Winds of Fury Page 19
