Where Seagulls Soar

by Janet Woods

  ‘Your father avoided me, he ducked out of sight into a shop when he saw me. Gabriel Tremayne and Son was painted on the sign over the door. Tobias Darsham a shopkeeper?’ He shook his head.

  ‘He’s opened a shipping agency as well.’ Alarm overcame her happiness and she gazed back to James. ‘I’ve had trouble with Lord Durrington snooping around.’

  ‘Lord Durrington? What did he want?’

  ‘As Toby’s grandfather, he wants Toby to live with him and become his heir. He’s gone so far as to threaten to abduct Toby and take him back to London to live with him. He said my shipboard marriage to Alex wasn’t legal and has set an investigator on to me, who’s also guessed the truth about my relationship with Tobias – though it seems that the marriage doesn’t appear in the church records. What if he learns the truth about my father’s supposed death, too?’

  Charlotte gazed from one to the other. ‘I have a confession to make. I told Richard Lind of my fears regarding your marriage, Joanna. I told him I thought you were my long lost granddaughter. Although he laughed, after Tobias disappeared at sea Richard removed the marriage entry from the parish records. He hid the page in his journal. With his dying breath he asked me to burn it. So I did.’

  James groaned. ‘A felonious marriage will probably bring twelve months with hard labour. But more charges can be brought against us. Tampering with parish records. And conspiracy carries a heavier penalty. Although he’s not liked, Durrington has a lot of influence. If he wants the child, all he’d need to do is prove you’re an unfit mother, Joanna.’

  ‘The investigator said that under the circumstances he wouldn’t work for Durrington. He’s promised not to tell him anything. He doesn’t know that my father’s still alive, though.’

  Thaddeus shook his head. ‘You can’t trust anyone, Joanna Rose.’

  ‘I have to trust him; I have no choice.’ She brightened. ‘Lord Durrington only came here once, so perhaps he’s changed his mind. Having Oliver here is reassuring, though. James, this affects us all. We must tell Oliver and his sisters. Then I must think of what to do.’

  ‘I have a solution,’ Edward said calmly, and they all gazed at him. ‘Mrs Morcant and her son can sail with me on the Joanna Rose. She’ll be out of Durrington’s reach in Melbourne.’

  ‘Smuggle her out as a passenger on one of Durrington’s own ships?’ Thaddeus began to chuckle. ‘Damn it, Edward, you’re a devious so and so. I didn’t think you had it in you.’

  ‘I had a good teacher, Thaddeus.’

  ‘I have another idea,’ Charlotte said a trifle breathlessly, her casual manner not quite hiding her excitement at the daring of it. ‘Why don’t we all go to Melbourne? Not on the Joanna Rose, since Thaddeus and I would need to sell the house and settle up here. We could follow on later – make an entirely fresh start.’

  They fell silent for a few moments, then Thaddeus grinned. ‘You know, that’s something worth considering.’

  ‘Aye,’ said, Edward. ‘I’d be happy to join you, and so will my woman and my sons, since we’ve already discussed the possibility.’

  James grunted. ‘I don’t know what my wife will say to such a scheme.’

  ‘Imagine what she’d say if you went to prison.’

  ‘There’s that.’

  Joanna couldn’t leave Oliver and the girls to fend for themselves, she just couldn’t. ‘We’ll have to tell Oliver and the girls the truth, since I can’t just go and leave them behind.’

  ‘Of course you can’t. What truth, and where are we going?’ Oliver said from the kitchen doorway, a broad smile lighting his features at the sight of Thaddeus and Edward.

  James began, ‘We were discussing whether or not to go to live in Australia, and Joanna said—’

  ‘I heard what Joanna said. Is there a reason for this migration of the families – or must I guess?’

  Those present gazed from one to the other.

  ‘Could it be something to do with Tobias perhaps?’

  ‘How long have you known?’ Joanna said, so indignantly that everyone laughed, relieving the tension in the room.

  ‘I’ve suspected for some time. There was the way you and Alex used to exchange glances and carefully change the subject whenever Tobias was mentioned. You referred to Charlotte as great-grandmama once when you were playing with Toby. And you sometimes wear Honor Darsham’s brooch and ring. But the biggest clue is in the way you carefully tend Honor’s grave, as if she means something to you.’

  ‘I also tend your father’s grave, Oliver. Why didn’t you say something?’

  ‘I figured that if you thought it was my business, you’d have told me. As for tending my father’s grave, you feel you have a connection with him. Thaddeus told me the tale of your cradle coming ashore in the storm with the seagull guiding it.’

  ‘It was just an old tale my pa told me.’

  ‘Didn’t he also tell you that Lucian Morcant, the master of the Cormorant, was the spirit of that seagull?’

  A smile touched her lips at the reminder of the tale. ‘Yes, he did, and although you might think it fanciful, I believe it. I like to think of Lucian as my protector, since my pa told me that only a true seaman could have rigged my cradle to bring me safely ashore in such a sea. I first met Tobias right next to Lucian’s grave, too, as if he’d meant to bring us together.’

  Oliver grinned. ‘I don’t think it at all fanciful. Seafarers are a superstitious lot and set a lot of stock in the lore of the sea.’

  ‘Especially when they’ve had a skinful,’ Edward muttered.

  Charlotte murmured, ‘Lucian would have been so pleased to have heard Joanna say that, wouldn’t he, Thaddeus?’ And she nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

  Clearing his throat, Thaddeus announced, as he tried to hide his grin, ‘Aye, I reckon he would at that. Lucian always fancied being a seagull. Remind me not to look up at the sky when he’s flying overhead, though.’

  Joanna joined in the general laughter. ‘What was Lucian like?’

  ‘You don’t have to look far. Oliver has the same look and the way of him.’

  ‘Then he must have been a nice man, and now he’s the nicest seagull in the sky.’

  Leaving Oliver looking abashed by the compliment, which served him right for teasing her, Joanna went off to make some tea. In the kitchen a medium-sized cod lay on the table. Already gutted, it was big enough for a meal, and the head and bones would make a delicious soup stock. Having Oliver living here had certainly eased the workload on herself.

  There was a sudden commotion as Irene and Lydia arrived home. Not at all shy, they greeted the visitors with cries of delight and an animated conversation began, as if they’d been starved of social contact.

  They probably had been. The life they were living was a far cry from what they’d been used to and, although they never complained, they must be bored with such a simple and relentlessly hard existence, as she was herself. Joanna sighed. Now everything would have to be explained all over again, for the simple lie her father had set in motion seemed to be growing out of all proportion.

  But as she set the kettle on the hob and began to unpack the hamper Charlotte had brought, the thought of a new life in far off Melbourne sent a thrill of delight running through her. How wonderful it was that she had accidentally uncovered a family and friends who would support her through thick and thin.

  Then she remembered Tilda and felt uneasy. Should she trust her friend with the secret of her first marriage, she wondered?

  Her thoughts were interrupted when the girls came through, expressions of enquiry on their faces. ‘Oliver said there’s something important you must tell us.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said quietly. ‘I rather think I must. It’s about Tobias Darsham . . .?’

  The pair weren’t as shocked as she’d thought they’d be.

  ‘How wonderful,’ Irene cried. ‘I wonder if Australia is anything like America.’

  ‘It will be better,’ Lydia said caustically, ‘for the Nash
family doesn’t live there.’

  In Melbourne, Gabriel gazed at his second son and shook his head. ‘Jonathan is the image of Christopher.’

  ‘Both of them look like you, Gabe.’ Her smile came spontaneously as she gazed at her husband. ‘Thank you for my sons.’

  ‘And thank you for mine, Jane my dear. You’ve made my life worth living.’ He stooped to tenderly kiss her cheek. ‘You look tired.’

  ‘It won’t be long before he sleeps all night.’

  Rising to his feet, Gabriel stretched. ‘I’m going into the agency to see if there’s any mail arrived from home.’

  ‘It’s too soon to receive an answer to your letter.’

  ‘I know, but I thought James might have written to tell me the latest news. The last time I heard from him he said the two smaller clippers had been sold and the Joanna Rose would be going on the market shortly. If I had the money, I’d buy her myself.’

  He gazed around at the house, which was a far cry from the large residence he’d once owned in England. However, thanks to Joanna’s foresight in drawing money from the company for him to use, their home had progressed from the little wooden shack it had first been to a comfortable size. Two large bedrooms had been added to supplement the smaller ones.

  He’d had the back of the house extended, too, using ballast blocks, which were easy to obtain. A decent sized kitchen for Jane to cook in had replaced the lean-to, and a new drawing room had doors that opened out on to the veranda for summer. He’d hung curtains on Jane’s instructions, blue velvet that tied back and lace at the windows for privacy.

  Gabriel grinned. Not that anyone could overlook them, for his house was set back from its neighbours and surrounded by a high wall. On the river side, he’d erected a sturdy fence of wrought iron to keep his sons within the confines of the garden.

  In winter Melbourne was cold and wet. He’d had a fireplace built with a stone chimney. There was also a still room, where he’d once kept his home-made wine, though his first attempt had been a disaster, with corks popping off at odd times of the day and night, like bullets. Now he sold his grapes to a vintner, who paid him well and supplied him with a crate of the finished product. There was also a room to bathe in, with a cast-iron bath coated in enamel.

  Generally, they lived a simple life, now and again socializing with a few of his business acquaintances and their wives. Most of the business was conducted at his club.

  After discussions with an architect, Gabriel had every intention of dividing the block and building a splendid two-storey house for his family in the years to come. But not yet. He wanted money put behind them, so Jane wouldn’t have to worry if anything happened to him.

  He’d discussed with his wife the possibility of moving after his encounter with Edward Staines, for seeing his old employee and friend had driven home to him how very much he missed his family and former acquaintances. It had also made him aware of the precarious position he’d placed his daughter and friends in.

  Edward was bound to mention the incident to someone, for he had a dogged nature. And he’d probably come looking for him the next time the Joanna Rose docked in Melbourne, so Gabriel would have to make himself scarce.

  If he hadn’t been so stupid as to panic over his ill-fated and outwardly incestuous marriage to Joanna, then the Darsham and Morcant Shipping Company would still be solvent, and he’d still be running it, he thought.

  But then, he wouldn’t have met Jane, and his life wouldn’t have been given a new meaning. Having Jane and two fine sons to care for was a blessing he’d never thought to experience.

  Jane had talked him out of moving. ‘You’ve worked hard to establish yourself here,’ she’d said. ‘If the Joanna Rose is up for sale, Captain Staines is unlikely to come here again. Besides, didn’t you have plans to buy a paddle steamer and ply your trade upriver?’

  It had been an idea that had appealed to him at the time, a symptom of his restlessness. For he knew nothing about steamboats, and had enough work to occupy his time with. He missed his former life and friends, that was all. He’d get over it. He’d have to! And if Joanna and his grandson decided to join them, all the better.

  Brian Rushmore didn’t know who’d helped him escape from Newgate. In the dead of night, he was freed from his fetters and was bundled along the filthy corridors, to be shoved unceremoniously outside a wall. The door was locked behind him.

  There was a chill wind blowing and grit swirled around his ankles. Brian dragged his ragged clothes close to his body and crossed his arms on his chest, wondering which direction to go in, for he couldn’t stay here. The law would be after him by morning.

  A darker shadow detached itself from the shadows.

  Toughened by several years of incarceration, where survival of the fittest was an unwritten rule, Brian spun round, his only weapons his large, meaty hands. But before he could react further, an arm came round his neck and a cold blade pricked against the throbbing pulse just under his jaw.

  ‘At the end of the road is a carriage. Get inside it,’ a voice said quietly against his ear.

  ‘And if I don’t?’

  ‘I’ll kill you.’

  The voice was so unemotional it chilled Brian to the bone. ‘What do you want of me?’

  ‘We want a job doing.’

  ‘And after it’s done?’

  ‘You’ll be given a ticket to go abroad.’

  ‘What about money.’

  ‘That too.’

  ‘I want the money first.’

  ‘I’ll take you to a place where you can clean yourself up, give you a new suit of clothes and an advance for your immediate needs. Do you accept, Rushmore?’

  ‘What about a woman?’

  ‘Don’t take me for a fool,’ the man snarled. ‘I can always arrange for you to go back inside, though I wouldn’t go to the bother. Life can be very short when the need arises. Would you like me to demonstrate how quickly it can be snuffed?’

  A chill ran through Brian. ‘Like hell, I would. What do I have to do?’

  The man’s laugh sent goosebumps racing up Brian’s back. ‘It’ll be as easy as taking a child from its mother.’

  11

  The crowds visiting Portland to see the Great Eastern seemed endless, the harbour was crowded with boats coming and going, the narrow streets were bustling with sightseers. Local children took advantage of the rush of visitors by selling fossils. Oliver couldn’t stop laughing when Joanna sold her doorstop. ‘We’ll be leaving in a few days and I can’t take it with me,’ she said.

  Uneasily, she thought of Tilda. She’d put off telling her friend she was leaving, but knew she must tell her by the end of the week. She intended to give Tilda the cottage, too. Being a genuine Rushmore, Tilda had more claim to it, anyway. It would bring in rent to supplement David’s modest income.

  Joanna looked round the cottage with very little regret. ‘I’ll be off on my travels again, Ma and Pa, and this time I won’t be coming back.’ The sense of connection inside her had lessened, as if her emotional ties to the cottage were unravelling. It seemed to be telling her that she didn’t really belong any more. The island was letting her go.

  Joanna knew she’d need to sell her mother’s jewellery to give herself a stake in her new country – something she’d managed to avoid doing so far. Even though she’d never known her real mother the jewellery held some sentimental value for her, especially the rose brooch and the ring her father had slid on to her finger. Oliver had pleased her by handing back her wedding ring, which she intended to keep.

  She wasn’t going to the Barnes brothers, though, for they’d cheat her. Instead, she intended to go to Poole, where there was a proper jewellery shop. She’d ask Thaddeus to negotiate a price for it on her behalf.

  She set off down the hill in a blustery wind with Toby strapped into his carriage, hoping Leonard would be there to help her to board the ferry.

  Because of the crowds she didn’t notice the man who fell into step behind her. As the
y were passing the open gate of a dingy net-maker’s yard, a hand grasped her arm and she was steered swiftly through it.

  Joanna hardly had time to gasp when she was pushed forward. As she tried to scramble to her feet she was hit from behind.

  ‘No,’ she whispered, fighting desperately to hold on to her fading senses as her knees buckled under her.

  As she fell forward to the floor, something heavy was thrown on top of her, pinning her down. The light began to darken. Fighting the weight just tangled her up, like a fly in a spider’s web. After a moment or two, she was too weak to move. Her wedding ring was wrenched from her finger.

  ‘Bitch,’ somebody grunted against her ear. ‘I’d give you the length of me if I had the time, just to teach you a lesson. You can have this instead.’

  An unexpected kick to the stomach robbed her of breath and she began to retch. ‘Toby,’ she gasped out as she heard her son begin to cry.

  Hands closed around her throat, squeezing relentlessly.

  The last sound Joanna heard before her world went black was the steamship whistle.

  Joanna had been unable to hang on to the consciousness she’d drifted in and out of. When she fully regained her wits it was to the soft charcoal light of evening.

  Pain hammered in her head. Her ears were assailed with a clunk followed by a swishing noise, as if somebody was using a pump nearby.

  She groaned as she tried to move, felt her bonds tighten. Cautiously, she moved her hands to see if she could loosen them, her fingers encountering many knots. She was caught in a fishing net, so she must still be in the yard of the net-maker. There was a weight on top of her body, pinning her down.

  The thought of Toby brought her to full awareness, and she began to struggle and shout. The swishing noise stopped as there was an alarmed screech. ‘Get yourself out here, our Ernie! Something be caught in the nets.’

  ‘It’ll be Tommy Snodgrass’s auld tomcat. I’ll slice its balls off this time, just see if I don’t.’

  ‘It’s me. Joanna Morcant.’

  ‘Well, I never did. ’Tis the devil’s magic. Ernie!’ she shrieked, ‘The cat says his name be Joanna.’