Where Seagulls Soar

by Janet Woods

  ‘It’s daylight robbery,’ she grumbled, thinking it a disgrace that the reverend’s mother-in-law had to sell her jewellery to these thieves to survive. And she’d tell Tilda Lind so the next time she saw her. She fumbled in her bag and threw the money on the stall. Sliding the ring on her finger she stalked off to catch the cart back to Portland with her purchases.

  ‘Yes, missus, it probably was,’ Barnes the elder said, and grinned at his brother. ‘But it’s no business of ours where Fanny Rushmore got it from, is it, Bob?’

  As Mrs Abernathy made her way back home, a ship was coming into harbour. She hardly gave it a glance. It was one among hundreds to her. Gazing at the ring as she opened her front door, she wished she’d stayed to haggle him down. She’d spent much too much on it.

  But what was going on? She could hear one of the Misses Nash talking and the other one answering. Then the piano started and one of them began to sing.

  It was irritating not being able to tell the two apart, and sometimes she thought the pair was laughing at her because of it. Well, that was all right, as long as the second one didn’t expect to be paid as well.

  Her husband’s deeper voice joined in with the chorus. Her eyes narrowed. What was he doing home?

  There was a momentary silence when she threw the sitting-room door open. One Miss Nash was seated on the piano stool, with Harriet standing next to her. The other was sitting on the sofa with Mr Abernathy.

  ‘Mrs Abernathy,’ the one on the sofa said. ‘I trust you had a good day shopping. You’re just in time for the concert. Mr Abernathy has just taken his turn with my sister. Now it’s Harriet’s turn.’

  As if she were mistress of the house. Mrs Abernathy intercepted a smile between her husband and the girl siting next to him. There was barely twelve inches of space between them.

  ‘Hussy!’ she said, her voice as outraged as she felt.

  Both Misses Nash looked startled and the one on the sofa said, ‘Are you referring to me, Mrs Abernathy?’

  ‘Who else could it be, carrying on with my husband in my own house, and behind my back.’

  The Miss Nash on the piano stool stood up. ‘How dare you make such a wild accusation against my sister. Singing together in the company of others cannot be classed as carrying on, a rather vulgar expression, don’t you think, Lydia? I demand that you apologize to Lydia, and at once.’

  ‘Well?’ her husband said.

  Mrs Abernathy’s hand fluttered to her breast. ‘I will not.’ Oh, why did she feel so intimidated by these superior girls? ‘May I remind you that we pay these people to work for us, not to sit around singing. And where is Joanna Morcant, when she’s supposed to be cleaning my house today? That’s what I want to know.’

  ‘She was called urgently to London,’ Lydia said. ‘Today, in the absence of Mrs Morcant I have cleaned your house from top to bottom, so you will not be inconvenienced.’

  Irene’s glance narrowed in on the ring. ‘You’re wearing Mrs Morcant’s wedding ring. Pray, where did you get it?’

  ‘Joanna Morcant’s ring?’ she stammered, suddenly realizing why it had seemed familiar to her.

  ‘Don’t pretend you didn’t know it was hers. I heard you admiring it a few weeks ago. She told you it was bought for her by her late husband when they were in Melbourne, Australia. She must have left it here the last time she cleaned. It’s very precious to her. May I have it, please? I’ll give it to her when she returns.’

  Mrs Abernathy opened her mouth to refuse, then closed it again. ‘I bought this from a stall in Weymouth.’

  ‘And you didn’t question where it came from?’

  ‘Of course I did. The man told me that Tilda Lind’s mother sold it to them. The dreadful woman drinks gin, I believe. She must have stolen the ring, for I certainly didn’t.’

  Her husband was observing her in a rather speculative manner now. He wouldn’t approve of her spending all that money on a ring. She capitulated because she had no choice. ‘You can have the ring back for the price I paid for it.’

  ‘Exactly how much was that?’ her husband asked silkily.

  She hoped her lie sounded convincing as she hurriedly removed the ring from her finger. ‘Only five shillings. I thought it was bargain.’

  ‘Yes, no doubt it would have been,’ her husband said dryly ‘Perhaps you would hand it over to Miss Irene.’

  ‘And which one of these women is Miss Irene, pray?’

  ‘The one nearest the piano, of course.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Irene said when her employer handed over the ring with a hard look. ‘Perhaps you’d care to deduct the money from what you owe us, Mrs Abernathy. We haven’t yet decided whether we will return to work for you, have we, Lydia?’

  Lydia shook her head. ‘A favourable decision may be considered, if an apology is forthcoming.’

  ‘But what about Harriet’s music lessons and my cleaning?’

  ‘We’ll let you know if we can accommodate you in due course. At the moment we’re offended by what has taken place here today. We’d be obliged if you’d now pay us for our services, and may we remind you that last week’s is still owing.’

  Irene gazed at the small amount of cash Mrs Abernathy pressed into her palm. The Saturday academy provided a much better return for their skills. But Joanna had said they must earn as much as they could and be thrifty in their spending, and finding ways and means of saving money had been turned into a game.

  Joanna was saving up for a pair of sheep. First to provide wool, then fertilizer for the garden. Afterwards, they would pay a shilling for the service of a ram to breed the next season’s lambs. Cheese would be made from the milk, and finally the animals would provide mutton for their table. The sheep would cost several shillings apiece, but once they were purchased they’d save them money. Sheep were truly remarkable.

  It was quite interesting to learn how one thing depended on another. Irene hadn’t realized how complicated maintaining a kitchen garden was. Or, indeed, how essential such an animal was, when one had to live off the land. It was much easier to buy commodities from the market, but now they’d learned how to produce these goods they had a much better understanding of how they had got to the market in the first place.

  Obviously being a business owner was better than working for an employer, though, Irene thought. She must discuss this with Lydia when Joanna was home and after little Toby had been restored to them. Women like Mrs Abernathy had too much power over ordinary women who worked to eat.

  She sniffed as she slid the money into her pocket. ‘Perhaps an increase in our hourly rate might convince us. Good day, Mrs Abernathy. Mr Abernathy.’ After mischievously offering Mr Abernathy a dazzling smile apiece, they swept off.

  They’d hardly closed the door when Harriet burst into copious tears and yelled at her mother. ‘You spoiled our concert, you beastly woman, and I didn’t even get to sing.’

  ‘Whatever have those girls been teaching her? Fetch the cane, Mr Abernathy,’ her mother shrieked.

  The twins felt sorry for Harriet, but at least they’d been spared her singing. They hurried home, their strides lengthening as they saw the Joanna Rose furling her sails, in case there was news of Joanna.

  Tilda was visiting with Grace, and Charlotte Scott had a pleased look to her.

  ‘James asked Henry Wetherall to telegraph the harbour master, who told Thaddeus and Oliver that the Joanna Rose is on its way. We understand that Joanna and Seth Adams are aboard.’

  Lydia and Irene exchanged a grin. ‘The ship is in the harbour now.’ They had high hopes regarding Joanna and Seth, and had discussed endlessly the likelihood of a match between them.

  Lydia nodded and Irene said, ‘We found Joanna’s ring. Mrs Abernathy was wearing it.’ She gazed apologetically at Tilda. ‘I suppose I should tell you, because we wouldn’t want you to find out accidentally. Mrs Abernathy bought it on a market stall in Weymouth, and was told by the stallholder that your mother sold it to them.’

  ‘My mother? H
ow on earth would she have got hold of it?’

  ‘Mrs Abernathy said she must have stolen it. We thought your mother was crippled.’

  ‘So did I,’ Tilda said bitterly, ‘but David found some crutches and an empty gin bottle in the churchyard, which could have been hers. And I could almost swear that someone was watching me through the kitchen window the other night. Vegetables were pulled from the garden the next morning, and a piece of clothing was stolen from the line. One of Grace’s smocks. The same night somebody broke into the church and stole the contents of the poor box.’

  ‘I doubt if your mother would have had the strength to do that.’

  ‘She’s not as feeble as she pretends, Mrs Scott, and is as crafty as a coot.’

  ‘Perhaps your mother was hungry, my dear. She might have been desperate.’

  Tilda looked doubtful. ‘David has hired someone from Weymouth to look after my mother and she is provided with money for food. I do hope she’s not going to start wandering into people’s houses to steal things. She would do anything to get her hands on some gin, though. I must ask David to go up there and talk to the woman who looks after her.’

  ‘Joanna could have lost the ring in your garden, and your mother might have found it,’ Charlotte said kindly. ‘And if she was looking through your window, I expect she just wanted to catch a glimpse of her daughter. She must be very lonely in that isolated cottage.’

  ‘Perhaps.’ Biting her lip, Tilda stopped to fuss with Grace’s hair, regretting that she’d sounded so uncharitable towards her mother. Guilt attacked her. She should find out how her mother had got hold of Joanna’s ring. If she left Grace with David she could be back before Leonard and his family arrived for dinner.

  She was pleased Joanna was on the way back. She intended to visit her friend in the morning to find out the details of Toby’s abduction.

  The two men were sitting on the top of the cliff.

  ‘Look at her, Oliver. Isn’t she a grand sight.’

  Oliver had to clear the lump in his throat before he could answer. ‘She is that, Thaddeus.’

  Thaddeus pointed the stem of his pipe at the clipper. ‘She’s light in the water.’

  ‘Aye. She can’t be carrying much cargo and she was only half rigged when she came over the horizon.’

  Thaddeus handed Oliver his telescope. ‘Here, you’ve got better eyesight than me. What else do you see?’

  ‘There’s not much activity on board. She seems to have sailed short of crew.’

  Edward won’t sail her to Melbourne like that. Can you see Joanna?’

  ‘I can’t see much going on at all.’ Oliver swung the telescope round. ‘There’s a bunch of men coming off a boat down at Chiswell. They’re after trouble by the looks of them. They’ve gone into the inn.’

  ‘And Tilda Lind is coming up the hill.’ Oliver swung back to the Joanna Rose. ‘A dinghy is going out to the ship.’ A seagull flew into his vision and Oliver chuckled. ‘Duck, Thaddeus, my father’s flying overhead.’

  Thaddeus’s face cracked into a smile as he punched Oliver on the shoulder. Then he said with some seriousness, ‘That young woman is more vulnerable than she seems. When she was young, her pa provided her with Lucian. When her life began to fall apart and she needed someone to cling to, she turned to him. She knows Lucian was responsible for saving her life and I reckon he’d be pleased to know she looks to him for guidance.’

  Oliver nodded, then turned to gaze at him. ‘Alex wasn’t really the right man for Joanna, you know, although he loved her in his fashion.’

  ‘In case your thoughts are wandering in that direction, neither are you, Oliver.’

  ‘I know.’ His glance went back to the Joanna Rose. ‘I’ve had no thought of marrying again. All I want to do is to get back to sea, and it’s not through want of trying.’

  The afternoon light was beginning to dull, the air was drawing moisture into it and the sea was the colour of unpolished pewter. There was movement on the water.

  ‘Two men are going ashore in the dinghy. And the Dunn brothers’ fishing boat has just disappeared behind the Joanna Rose. It looks like things are moving.’

  ‘Let’s get on down then. I want to be at the house before they arrive. Seth Adams is a canny sod, I understand. He must’ve had it all worked out in advance.’

  Oliver grinned. ‘I believe he’s got Joanna worked out in advance, too. I’m looking forward to meeting him.’

  ‘Aye . . . she could do worse, I reckon. She needs a man who can out-fox her.’

  Seth went over the side first, followed by Joanna, who was less nimble footed and had her skirt to contend with. Seth helped her as she neared the bottom, his hands spanning her waist to lift her down.

  They exchanged a glance and an intimate smile with one other. Seth chuckled when she gave a faint blush, and planted a kiss against her hairline.

  Having observed the exchange, Edward grinned and, sure footed, dropped down beside them. Immediately, Jack Dunn shipped the boat hook holding them to the side of the clipper and the fishing boat turned about and headed for a different part of the shore from where the dinghy was at.

  The Dunn brothers nodded pleasantly to them. ‘Captain . . . Joanna Rose . . . Mr Adams. It’s nice to see you again, that it is.’

  ‘I bet it is, you thieving varmints.’ Seth turned to Edward. ‘Never buy brandy from this pair, Captain Staines.’

  ‘Off the pirate vessel Saggitario, was it?’ Edward said with a grin. ‘These gentlemen have been selling it for years, I believe. They’re a legend.’

  ‘A pity someone didn’t warn me until after the event, then.’

  ‘The Saggitario brandy was a good brew, indeed. It fetches a good price.’ Dunn the elder said, nodding his head sagely. ‘It might interest you gentlemen to know there’s a group of Weymouth men getting themselves all liquored up at the inn. There’s talk of revenge.’

  ‘Are they after Brian Rushmore?’ Joanna said directly.

  ‘This be men’s business, girlie.’

  Joanna’s hands went to her hips. ‘He stole my son, so that makes it my business.’

  The brothers exchanged a glance. ‘There’ll be no arguing with you, Mother. That’s a wicked thing, to steal a child from its mother’s arms. That Brian Rushmore’s a bad bugger, and no mistake.’

  The younger brother advised, ‘Now you let your man here handle it, dearie. He might be daft about some things, but he’s a thinkin’ man for all that. In some situations that’s better than going in with a gut full of drink, blood in your eye and with fists flying willy-nilly all over the place. A woman could get hurt.’

  ‘Can we do anything about the Weymouth men?’ Edward asked them. ‘We need to find where the child is and get him out before they get there.’

  ‘Seems to me they’ve got right on their side for revenge, since the man wronged their sister, and she’s been touched in the head ever since,’ the older brother said.

  To which the other answered, ‘Could be they can be delayed, so Joanna Rose’s lad can be found first. One thing’s for certain, he’s got grudges against him. Nay, if Brian Rushmore is on this island, he won’t be gettin’ off it without takin’ punishment. The fishermen will see to that.’

  They both nodded. ‘As for his whereabouts, he ain’t in the cottage he grew up in. That place has been as quiet as the grave since Peter Rushmore was shot by the revenue men. The fisher folk would have noticed any comin’ and goin’. There be only one person who would take him in. His mother, Fanny Rushmore, sozzled auld crow that she be. Lives up Southwell beyond the village.’

  When they reached the shore, the group saw that Durrington and Bisley hadn’t made much progress.

  ‘Not very good at rowing, that Abe Watson, on account of him having two left hands. He tends to go round in circles,’ Dunn the younger remarked, as Seth helped Joanna on to the beach. ‘I shouldn’t be at all surprised if you didn’t get to where you want to go faster than they do.’

  ‘I do hope s
o,’ Seth said as the three strode off across the beach. ‘Is Fanny Rushmore’s cottage hard to get to?’

  Joanna told them how to get there as they neared her cottage, slightly surprised at how thoroughly he questioned her.

  Edward said, ‘I’ve got the feeling that the islanders know more of what’s going on than we do.’

  Joanna slid her hand into Seth’s. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me in the least.’

  16

  Tilda was annoyed that she’d been placed in the position of visiting her mother. The woman had not only abandoned her when she’d been small, but she’d never made any attempt to prevent the abuse Tilda had been subjected to by her father and two of her brothers.

  Tilda had never had wild, adventurous dreams for herself like her friend Joanna had. She’d never even possessed the courage to think like Joanna. If Tilda had imagined marriage, she’d never thought past a humble quarry labourer, and life in a modest cottage.

  She hadn’t expected anyone as nice as David Lind to come along and fall in love with her, nor imagined that her modest artistic endeavours would bring her an income. Indeed, she would never have known she had any talent if Joanna hadn’t encouraged her to discover it.

  Her hands covered the child growing in her womb and she quietly glowed with the contentment of the way her life had turned out. This child was her personal miracle. David said it was God’s reward for bearing her past treatment so bravely.

  He always said something sweet like that. But only Joanna and herself knew the truth. That she’d been as near death as anyone could come, and only hate had kept her hanging on to life until Joanna had rescued her and nursed her back to health.

  Despite David’s plea to her to turn the other cheek, she felt only disgust for her mother. There could be no true reconciliation between them. Not ever.

  As for her father and his two younger sons, she still feared and despised them in a way that sometimes sickened her, even though two of them were dead. She often prayed that Brian would soon follow them into hell, for she would not be free of her past until he was gone from this earth.