The Convenient Felstone Marriage

by Jenni Fletcher

  He arched an eyebrow sardonically as he pulled her towards him, resting his chin on the top of her head. ‘Tempting as that sounds, this may not be the best time.’

  ‘No.’ She bit her lip, listening to the howl of the storm outside and trying not to think about the feel of his skin against her cheek. His body felt warm and solid and surprisingly smooth. What did that mean, not the best time? The words implied there might be other occasions...

  ‘How long do these storms usually last?’ she asked the question to distract herself.

  ‘It depends. Sometimes twenty minutes, sometimes hours.’

  ‘Hours?’

  ‘Scared of being alone with me?’

  She opened her mouth to retort, before practically leaping into his arms at the sound of a heavy pounding on the door.

  Robert reacted at once, setting her gently to one side as he heaved it open to reveal a man in sailor’s clothes, soaking wet and wild-eyed, looking as if he were being pursued by some kind of monster.

  ‘Steady!’ Robert grasped the man’s arms as he stumbled inside. ‘What’s the matter?’

  ‘Wreck... Saltwick Bay.’

  ‘What?’ Robert’s jaw tightened at once. ‘There’s a shipwreck?’

  ‘Aye.’ The man hauled in a deep breath, gasping between words. ‘I was up...on the cliffs. Saw it...hit sandbank.’

  ‘What kind of ship?’

  ‘Merchant vessel.’

  ‘How many crew?’

  ‘About a dozen.’

  ‘Is it damaged?’

  ‘The mast...doesn’t look good.’ He’d regained some of his breath now. ‘But it’s still salvageable. I ran down the cliff, went to the first yard I found. They told me to come here and find you.’

  ‘Why?’ Ianthe heard the quaver in her own voice.

  Robert paused for a moment before answering. ‘I’m on the lifeboat crew.’

  ‘But you said it was dangerous out there!’ She whirled on the sailor in panic. ‘You can’t ask men to go out in this!’

  ‘I know that, ma’am.’ He looked faintly guilty. ‘But I had to do something.’

  ‘It’s our job.’ Robert’s voice sounded stern.

  ‘But...’ She felt the blood drain from her face as the full horror of the situation dawned on her. Without Robert and the lifeboat, the crew of the stricken vessel would be doomed. But if he went, he’d be risking his own life. She felt appalled by the impossibility of the choice.

  ‘It might not be possible anyways.’ The sailor seemed to be trying to comfort her. ‘In this weather, they’ll have a job getting the lifeboat past the harbour wall. And even if they manage that, they’ll be fighting the current just to get round the cliff.’

  ‘But isn’t there some other way to help?’ She didn’t know which side she was on now.

  Robert met her gaze, holding it sombrely for a few seconds before his expression cleared abruptly.

  ‘There is. We won’t go around the cliff. We’ll go over it.’

  ‘You mean carry the boat over?’ The sailor nodded appreciatively.

  ‘It’s been done before. Then we can launch from the other side.’

  He strode back into his office, re-emerging a few seconds later wearing a large oilskin overcoat. ‘It’ll take a few hours, but it’s the safest option. There’s no lightning, only rain and wind.’ He rested a hand on the sailor’s shoulder. ‘Go over to the workshop and ask for my foreman, George. Tell him I need volunteers. Then you have a rest. I’ll be there in a few minutes.’

  He advanced towards her as the other man ran outside, grasping her shoulders as he stared down into her face.

  ‘I’ll take you across to the workshop, too. You can stay there until the storm passes and then...’

  ‘No.’

  He frowned. ‘Ianthe...’

  ‘I’m coming with you.’ She jutted her chin out determinedly. ‘You said you needed volunteers.’

  ‘You can’t carry a boat!’

  ‘No, but you’ll need someone to look after the crew you bring back to shore. I can do that.’

  ‘I’ll have enough to do without worrying about you, too.’

  ‘But you’ll leave me here to worry about you? No!’ She stamped her foot angrily. ‘You said you wouldn’t stop me from doing anything I wanted!’

  ‘What?’

  ‘When you proposed. You said I could do whatever I wanted.’

  ‘Within reason!’

  ‘This is a good reason. The crew on that ship need help. I want to help them and you said you needed volunteers.’

  ‘That’s not what I meant and you know it! Dammit, Ianthe, see sense!’

  ‘I am seeing sense. And you’re wasting time! Now are you going to let me come or not?’

  ‘Fine.’ He swore violently before kicking open the door of the other office, wrenching another oilskin off a peg by the entrance. ‘Put this on and stay close to me. It won’t be easy, but once we get going, you can’t change your mind.’

  ‘I know that.’ She pulled the coat over her shoulders. It was several sizes too big and smelt of oil and tar, but it felt reassuringly thick, enough to keep out the worst of the elements. ‘I’ll keep up, I promise.’

  ‘All right.’ He looked her up and down approvingly before taking hold of her hand. ‘If you’re sure about this then let’s go.’

  He opened the door, and she staggered backwards at once, caught off guard by the force of the wind. Fortunately, Robert seemed not to notice, pulling her on towards the workshop as she clutched the hood of her coat tightly around her face.

  ‘Mr Felstone.’ George met them at the door. ‘He says you’re planning to go over the cliff?’

  ‘Aye.’ Robert’s expression was grim. ‘Any volunteers?’

  ‘Ten men here. I’ve sent some lads round t’other yards as well so we should get a few more.’

  ‘It’s a long way and the storm’s not over yet. No one’s under any obligation.’

  ‘We know that, sir.’

  ‘Good. Then we’ll meet at the lifeboat station in twenty minutes.’ He glanced down at her for a moment, as if he were on the verge of saying something, before changing his mind. ‘The sooner we get started, the better.’

  Chapter Fifteen

  Robert kept a tight hold of Ianthe’s hand, muttering under his breath as they hurried along the edge of the harbour wall towards the lifeboat station, a large wooden shed with a steep slipway into the water.

  ‘The boat’s in here!’ he shouted over the tempest, pulling her into the shelter.

  ‘Phew!’ Ianthe pushed back her hood once they were inside, revealing red cheeks and glittering eyes.

  ‘Changed your mind?’ he asked hopefully.

  ‘Not at all.’

  He glowered, knowing it was useless to argue. Insane as it was, he didn’t have a good enough argument to stop her from helping. Just as long as she didn’t do anything crazy like want to go out on the lifeboat itself—which he absolutely would not allow—she ought to be safe enough.

  ‘There are blankets and medical supplies in that cupboard. We won’t be able to take a cart in this weather so you’ll have to carry everything you need. Hopefully you’ll have some help, but I’ll need some people to carry oars, too. Just remember to wrap up the blankets so they don’t get wet. And walk on the leeward side of the boat for shelter.’

  She nodded, rifling through the cupboard and making a pile by the door as men started to arrive. Robert watched for a moment, nodding in approval before turning his attention to the volunteers.

  ‘Ready?’ He pushed open the doors of the shed with an effort, then shouted directions to the others as they lifted the boat up and carried it backwards out on to the harbourside. Once there, they rested it precariously on its
side, before flipping it over so that the hull was pointing upwards, making it easier to carry. Slightly easier anyway, he thought ironically, counting the number of volunteers. There were twenty-four altogether, himself included, twenty for the boat, another four for equipment. That would have to be enough.

  ‘All right, lads? Nice evening for a stroll, eh?’ There was a cheer as he took his place at the head of the lifeboat and they lifted it up on to their shoulders, setting off at a crawl.

  He twisted his head, trying to catch sight of Ianthe. There was no risk of her not keeping up at such a slow pace. The biggest danger was in the fierce gusts of wind trying to blow them into the harbour. As they reached the bridge, however, he caught sight of her, walking exactly where he’d instructed, holding a huge tarpaulin bundle in her arms. There were a couple of other women with her, too, also carrying bundles. He gave a reluctant smile. Unpredictable and skittish as she was, there was something indomitable about his wife, too. He doubted he’d have been able to stop her from helping even if he’d tried.

  They reached the eastern side of the harbour and turned right, away from the steep cliff steps and towards the road that ran along the side of the Esk before curving gently up the hillside. It was a longer route, but they had no choice. The storm was showing no sign of abating and the stone steps were streaming with water. If even one man slipped and fell, the rest might go down with him, dragging the boat down on top of them. He couldn’t risk that.

  Instead, they trudged on for what felt like hours, stopping every so often, though not for long. Rest brought no relief, only an increase in anxiety as he looked out at the turbulent sea, thinking of the stricken ship. At least when they were moving, they were doing something. When they stopped, he could feel precious seconds slipping away, seconds that might be needed later. There were only a couple of hours of daylight left and they had to make the most of them.

  At last they came within sight of the bay, a secluded cove with a sweeping expanse of sand and rock. At any other time, the view might have been beautiful, but now his gaze was drawn inexorably towards the vessel on the sandbank. It was still in one piece, though barely. Towering waves were pounding the sides as if determined to break them apart, enveloping the rigging in a raging torrent of froth and foam, while the mast was broken already, hanging uselessly over one side as if admitting defeat, though he could see men clinging to it, too, their desperation obvious even from a distance.

  The sight seemed to give his own men fresh impetus as they accelerated their pace down the narrow path that led to the beach, going so fast that he had to warn them to be careful. At long last, however, they made it, dropping the boat on to the sand before flipping it over again.

  ‘Ianthe?’ He hurried over to her as the men distributed oars, needing to make sure she was all right before doing anything else.

  She smiled, though her exhaustion was obvious. ‘Aren’t you glad I wear sensible boots now?’

  ‘Extremely.’ He managed an answering grin.

  ‘Be careful, Robert. Please.’

  He didn’t need any other encouragement, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her with an ardour he hadn’t known he possessed, savouring the taste and feel of her lips until they were both breathless.

  ‘I will.’

  He released her just as abruptly, striding back down the beach and jumping aboard the lifeboat as it launched into the water.

  Ianthe watched the lifeboat bounce up and down on the roaring waves, half-terrified, half-enthralled by the sight. It didn’t seem possible that something so small could attempt something so daunting, but it was ploughing through the water like a teetering arrow seeking its target.

  She turned away, unable to bear the sight any longer, searching instead for a sheltered spot on the hillside, somewhere to take the crew once they were rescued, but there was nothing, nowhere, not so much as a dip where they could build a fire. There’d be nowhere to warm them whilst they waited for the carts Robert had arranged to collect them once the storm was over.

  ‘They’ve reached them!’ one of the other women called out.

  ‘What’s happening?’ She didn’t dare to turn her head.

  ‘They’re throwing a line. It’ll take a couple of trips to get them all, I reckon.’

  Two trips! Her heart stalled. She could barely stand the tension of one.

  ‘Is the line holding?’

  ‘Can’t tell. Wait...’

  ‘What?’ She whirled around just in time to see a particularly huge wave hit the side of the merchant ship, sending the rigging teetering over precariously. Instinctively, she gripped the other woman’s arm for support.

  ‘They’ll be swept away!’

  ‘No.’ The other woman shook her head with an air of authority. ‘That ship’s stuck fast on the sandbank, don’t you worry. Your husband’ll get them back. Look, he’s pulling some of them in now!’

  Ianthe watched in agitation as the lifeboat came about, heading back towards the shore with five members of the shipwrecked crew aboard. Once it reached the shallows, she ran with the other women to help, splashing out into the water to help the weary sailors back on to dry land, wrapping blankets around their shoulders as they sank to the ground in weary relief.

  ‘Does anyone need bandaging?’ She moved between them, passing around a bottle of gin as she tried not to notice the lifeboat bobbing away again.

  ‘Thank you, miss.’ One of the crewmen grabbed her hand, squeezing it in gratitude. ‘We thought we were done for.’

  ‘You’re safe now.’ She smiled reassuringly. ‘We’ll get you back to Whitby soon.’

  Though exactly how they were going to manage such a feat, she thought anxiously, was a whole other matter. The rescued sailors were exhausted, shivering and probably starving, too, lying immobile on the sand as they watched their sinking ship with expressions of morbid fascination. Some of them looked half-unconscious already. None of them were in any fit state to walk, though if they stayed where they were they’d freeze for certain. Not to mention that the lifeboat crew would be wet and exhausted, too. It was already obvious that the few supplies she and the other women had managed to carry weren’t going to be anywhere near enough. They needed more help and quickly.

  ‘They’re coming back!’ a sailor called out and she looked up at once. He was right. The lifeboat was swinging around a second time. Just in time, too. The ship looked as though it were about to be snapped in two by the force of the waves. Urgently, she counted the number of heads in the lifeboat, shoulders slumping with relief as she caught sight of black hair.

  That was it. She couldn’t just stand there and watch any longer. If they didn’t find help or shelter then all of this would have been for nothing. They’d freeze before the carts ever came for them.

  ‘I’m going for help!’ she shouted over the wind to the woman standing beside her.

  ‘It’s almost dark!’ The woman looked at her as if she’d run mad.

  ‘That’s why I have to go now!’

  She grasped her skirts in one hand and made her way determinedly back up the cliff path, walking as fast as she dared. The sky was a mottled dark grey, though the rain had eased slightly, allowing occasional moonbeams to break through the cloud and illuminate the path ahead of her. Her feet felt like lead, but she refused to stop and turn back. There had to be somewhere she could go, someone to turn to for help, even if she had to walk the whole way back to Whitby and demand that the carts follow her at once!

  She reached the top of the cliff at last and sat down, straining to get her breath back. Strange how being outside now didn’t bother her. She wasn’t afraid of the open space or the sky or even the wildness of the elements any more. Instead, she let out a sob of relief as she made out the faint shadowy outline of the lifeboat below, finally returning to shore. Robert was safe. Until that moment, she hadn’t truly real
ised how much she cared, but now she knew the full, terrifying extent of her feelings. She hadn’t come to rescue the crewmen, though she’d truly wanted to help. She’d come because the thought of being away from him, of his being in danger without her there to help, had been too much to bear.

  She heaved herself back to her feet, turning in the direction of Whitby before spinning around again abruptly, hoping her eyes weren’t deceiving her and she wasn’t simply imagining what she wanted to see—a cluster of lights in the distance, just below her in the next bay. Lights—which meant houses! She started towards them at once, slipping and sliding her way unsteadily down another path as she made her way towards a row of fishermen’s cottages.

  ‘Help!’ She pounded frantically on the first door.

  ‘What on earth?’ The door swung open almost at once, revealing a middle-aged woman with a friendly face and curly hair tied up in a scarf. ‘What are you doing out in this weather, miss? Come inside.’

  ‘There’s a shipwreck!’ Ianthe grasped the woman’s hand desperately. ‘The crew have been rescued, but they need shelter. Help me...please!’

  A man emerged out of the darkness of the cottage, already pulling on a coat and hat. ‘I’ll get the others.’

  ‘There you go, miss.’ The woman smiled reassuringly. ‘The lads’ll go and fetch them. Why don’t you come in and rest? I’m Nancy.’

  ‘No.’ Ianthe shook her head. She’d no intention of resting, not until Robert was there beside her. ‘I have to go with them.’

  ‘All right then.’ The woman moved away from the door for a moment, before returning with a mug of tea. ‘But drink this first. You look like you need something.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She gulped the liquid down gratefully, feeling a deep sense of relief as a group of fishermen started to gather behind her with lanterns.

  ‘Now then, miss.’ The man at the head gave her a terse nod. ‘Let’s go.’

  * * *

  Robert was the last man out of the lifeboat, relishing the feeling of wet sand beneath his feet as he threw off his cork life jacket and staggered back up the beach. It had been one of the worst rescues they’d ever attempted, the currents even more treacherous than he’d anticipated, but amazingly they’d succeeded without any losses. That fact alone made him feel buoyant despite the freezing conditions. The dangerous part was behind them. Now they just had to get the hell out of there.