My Dear Sophy

by Kimberly Truesdale

  Chapter XVII

  Sophy eagerly took in the sights and sounds around her as the carriage drove the last few lengths into Watchet. Indeed, she suspected that her head was probably quite an unladylike distance out of the carriage window. But as no one had yet scolded her, she reveled in the small freedom which allowed her to see more of the town. Even as they drove by the small lanes of houses, Sophy could see the masts of the ships. The early afternoon sun glinted off the gently undulating water, making the ships seem to exist in a mirage. She could not look at the picture too long without feeling disorientated.

  So she shifted her focus to the bustling town around her. Men and women of all types moved along the streets, most carrying goods to or from the seaside. Those moving the same direction as the carriage soon spilled out onto a larger road that ran parallel to the harbor. Here were even more varied specimens of humanity selling, trading, hawking some item or other to passersby and other merchants alike. Though Milverton hosted a local market, it had none of the outright mercenary qualities of what Sophy saw before her. Here was almost a new type of human being, a new side of life she had never witnessed. There was so much in the scene that she hardly dared to blink for fear of missing something.

  As the carriage moved parallel with the water, the glare from the sun lessened and Sophy was able to examine the great variety of life further away from shore. Captain Croft leaned over her and, with the same childlike enthusiasm for new things that had infected Sophy, pointed toward a ship in the distance.

  “There she is!” He exclaimed.

  Sophy's eyes excitedly followed his finger. She wasn't sure what she had expected – something out of a swashbuckling romance perhaps. A beautiful wooden ship with sails all unfurled, their cloth caught by the wind, the sun glinting down on the freshly scrubbed deck, sailors scurrying up and down the rigging, calling out cheerily to each other as the sun browned their already-weathered skin. The ease with which she conjured the mental image told her that she had read one too many (and probably much more than one too many) novels.

  For the reality was quite different. Sophy felt disappointed at the discovery. It was a hearty shock to discover that her imagination far outstripped the reality before her. She would have to start rebuilding her mental picture all over again. And so she took careful stock of what she saw. Which was not much.

  What lay at the end of Captain Croft's finger was a ship much smaller than she had imagined. Sophy was able to count three masts rising from the front, middle, and back of the ship. She knew each one had a special name, but she couldn't quite remember what each one should be called. “Something-mast” was all that her memory could conjure.

  But what had truly dashed her mental picture more quickly than anything else was the absence of sails. Of course, she reasoned with herself, the ship is not at sail. So why would the sails be unfurled? And she saw no activity on the deck. No swarthy sailors climbed aloft. Though, again, she reasoned, how could she truly tell if they were swarthy or calling to each other from this distance? In truth, the ship toward which the captain had pointed looked not unlike half a dozen other ships in the same area.

  “So what do you think, Miss Wentworth?” Connie asked her eagerly. She turned to look at him, her brow furrowed in apology.

  “I must confess that it does not quite fit the romantic notions I had in my head of what a sailing vessel would look like,” Sophy smiled apologetically as the three Crofts hooted with laughter.

  Mrs. Croft spoke kindly, “I know, my dear. I was sadly disappointed the first time we ushered Connie off to sea, and that was on the Baron, a much bigger ship. My ideas of sailors and ships have taken quite a battering over the years.”

  Captain Croft was still laughing. “I am sorry to have disappointed everyone! A ship in harbor, it is true, is not much of a sight. You were expecting flurries of activity and fully furled sails, were you not?”

  “Indeed, I was,” Sophy cringed, embarrassed of her naivete.

  “Well, I hope one day you might see the Pleasant at sail. Then you will see your scene from your novel. There is nothing so beautiful in this world.” The captain sounded wistful as he shifted his attention to the ship. “When we are in harbor, we unfurl the sails to dry them and repair them, but they've been stowed because we're sailing tomorrow.” The captain explained easily.

  As they talked, the carriage arrived at the seaside inn where they would stable the horses for the day. Freddy and Edward rode up and began asking questions of Connie even before he could climb out of the carriage and help the ladies down. After he had handed his mother and Sophy out, Connie turned to point out his ship to the boys. Sophy laughed with him as he watched their faces fall.

  “Now, don't everyone get down on my little ship! Wait until you are aboard and then I shall show you something!” Captain Croft went off to talk to the grooms about the horses.

  “It's not really what I expected,” Freddy sounded disappointed.

  “I know, my love,” Sophy comforted him. “The Crofts positively laughed at me when I admitted it myself. But I am sure we shall be impressed when we are aboard.”

  The party stepped into the inn for some refreshment as the captain hurried off to find a boat to ferry them out to the Pleasant. He returned shortly, having spotted a boat from the ship itself. When they had finished their drinks, they wandered unhurriedly down to the water.

  Captain Croft introduced them to the sailor who was standing next to the craft.

  “Able Seaman Mackenzie, I would like to introduce my father, mother, Miss Wentworth, Mr. Wentworth, and Frederick Wentworth.”

  “Pleased to meet you all,” the sailor raised his knuckle to his forehead. Here was a swarthy naval gentleman at last, Sophy thought to herself. She eyed him as he and the captain talked. Mackenzie looked to be in his thirties. He had long hair – even longer than Captain Croft's – pulled back into a queue at his neck. His hair was blonde on top and darker below, probably bleached by the sun, Sophy thought. He wore an open shirt and long trousers with no shoes. His feet were as tanned as his face and hands. He was the very picture of a seaman out of one of her novels. Had he only been singing a sea shanty, climbing a rope, or both at the same glorious moment, the picture would have been absolutely complete.

  As it was, Sophy's picture was filled fairly well as soon as they had all embarked on the little boat. The captain had removed his coat and was rowing freely alongside Mackenzie. Even with the physical effort, the two men kept up a conversation about the events of the last week. As captain, it seemed that he had left his lieutenant in charge, but Mackenzie seemed to be extremely knowledgeable. She guessed that Mackenzie heard a lot as the ferryman for the ship.

  Sophy let the conversation drift into the background as she surveyed the scene around her. Theirs was not the only barque moving back and forth between shore and ship. She saw boats full of sailors, boats carrying cargo, and boats – she hoped her brothers had not noticed – that seemed to be full of ill-dressed women. It was probably too much to hope that these were all wives of men on board whatever ship they had visited. Sophy was not so naive as that.

  The thought that Captain Croft might have known some of these women made her aware of the feelings she had sworn to repress. Sophy put them quickly aside. She would only see him for a few more hours, at best. Then he would be gone.

  Nevermind that he had grabbed her hand in the carriage and had been about to say something when Edward – silly Edward – had hallooed. It had been an unexpected moment of quiet intimacy. Like at the pond when they had, she was certain now, been almost about to embrace. Sophy flexed her hand with the memory of his hot touch. Something had passed over his face at that moment, something that had made her heart leap in her chest it had been so intimate and dear. The heat had raced from her hand throughout the rest of her frame. She had thought nothing of twining her fingers through his. In a way, it had been a more intimate moment than she could ever imagine an embrace could be. The very memory of it alone was
making her whole body heat up again.

  They were nearing the Pleasant now, so Sophy dragged her attention away from the memory of what had happened in the carriage and toward an evaluation of the ship in front of her. It did look much more impressive from a closer distance. She could hear the lapping water against the sides of the ship as it rocked gently back and forth. Sophy realized, and was thankful for it, that no one had yet showed signs of sickness from the motion of the sea. In fact, she herself was feeling invigorated from the salt in the air and the new smells and sounds around her.

  Able Seaman Mackenzie called out “Captain alongside!” to the ship above and Sophy saw a head poke over the side. When they saw who it was hailing them, the sailors above began to lower thick ropes. One by one, the passengers in the skip below ascended to the deck. The ladies and Reverend Croft were hauled up on a makeshift seat, with the sailors above pulling them. But the boys preferred to climb aboard. The captain followed closely behind them to prevent any accidents. Sophy did not see them ascend, however, as her attention upon boarding was immediately caught by the fascinating sight of the ship around her. Here was where over a hundred men – she thought it was a significant number more than that – could spend months or years at a time without ever setting foot on land. It was bigger than she had imagined from shore, but she was not sure she could lead such a circumscribed life with the same walks and faces to see everyday. Though was her life in Milverton much different? She saw the same faces and walks there.

  Sophy had not long to ponder this before Captain Croft and the boys clambered onto the deck with a maximum of noise and bustle. The captain leaned over the side to dismiss Mackenzie back to shore. A few moments later, Sophy again saw Mackenzie rowing steadily the opposite direction they had come.

  “Will no one go back to shore with him?” Sophy inquired.

  “All the sailors on shore leave have already gone for the day and the rest must remain on ship. His Majesty requires that we be ready at all times with a certain amount of crew on board should we be attacked. But do not worry,” the captain smiled, “that has not happened for at least a month.” The man laughed as it took her a moment to realize he was joking. “And, because I know you will be concerned about them, each sailor has been amply rewarded with extra rations and leave-time. I probably spoiled them this week.” This last he whispered confidentially to Sophy. “But they all needed some solace after the disappointment of our short stay in Jamaica and the loss of their prize money.”

  Reverend Croft chimed in, “Seems like you do a fine job of keeping the men happy, son.”

  “I will leave that for others to answer, father,” he replied, glancing at the sailors who had helped them aboard ship. The men grinned back at him. It was clear to everyone that Captain Croft enjoyed a generally good humor on his ship and a good relationship with his crew.

  As this exchange played out, another sailor joined them on deck. He was a tall, very thin man who towered over even Captain Croft. He seemed to be older than the captain, too. This thin man was dressed immaculately, his uniform coat neatly pressed, the cloth at his chin white and simply folded. The uniform told Sophy right away that he was an officer. This fact became very clear when the captain turned and loudly hailed the man.

  “O'Brian!” The two men grinned and exchanged hearty handshakes. “The ship is still floating and in one piece. I hope that I have you to thank for that?”

  “I believe that good fortune has more to do with your generosity toward the men in regards to grog and shore-leave, sir, than to my able management – expert as it was.” The officer threw a wink towards Reverend Croft as he uttered the last comment.

  Reverend Croft laughed and moved forward to shake the man's hand. “Glad to see you again, Lieutenant O'Brian! It looks like you've been keeping my son in line.”

  O'Brian responded in sober tones but with a twinkle in his eye, “It is an arduous task sometimes.” Sophy watched this friendly exchange with interest. This officer O'Brian had a quick humor that exactly suited the Crofts. It was easy to see that the man was on good terms with both the captain and his family. And Sophy noticed how fondly the man looked at his friend.

  Captain Croft made the introductions of the rest of the group as Sophy continued observing O'Brian. “Miss Wentworth, Edward, Frederick,” the captain said, “may I present my first lieutenant and oldest friend, Brandon O'Brian.” They made formal bows before O'Brian forever endeared himself to her brothers by announcing that cook had prepared a special luncheon for their guests and that the meal was waiting for them in the captain's cabin below.

  “I propose,” Captain Croft spoke, “that we eat first and then, after we are sated, I will show you around the ship. What say you?”

  “Aye aye!” The boys said loudly and saluted as best they could. Their laughter carried them downstairs – or “belowdecks” as Sophy began schooling herself to call it in true nautical style. Sophy was surprised how narrow and steep the steps were. Mr. O'Brian helped her down as she needed one of her hands to hold her skirts out of the way. They turned toward the right and headed to the back of the ship. Here Captain Croft showed them around his quarters. And again, Sophy was surprised at the small dimensions of the rooms. They were comfortable and well-furnished, but not spacious. Sophy had the fleeting thought that she might be quite comfortable living in a place like this.

  The captain's quarters were divided into a few spaces. The main room, where they stood, featured a large table with enough places to seat their party and quite a few more. To the sides of the main room were a few more private cabins which Captain Croft did not show them. She assumed one housed his bed and personal items.

  As Sophy looked around, Freddy and Edward were inspecting the two large cannon that occupied the front part of the main room. The cannon stood like sentinels on either side of the door. The boys seemed hesitant to approach them until the captain said, “Come, lads, the guns won't go off if you touch them!”

  “They're real?” Freddy asked in amazement, never having seen anything like this before.

  Captain Croft and Lieutenant O'Brian boomed with laughter that seemed to echo around the small room. “Of course they're real!” The captain exclaimed.

  O'Brian explained with the same patience the captain had shown on the main deck. “Nothing must be wasted on a ship this size. Every little bit of space is terribly important. So even the captain must sacrifice some of his rooms. If we come to an engagement in battle, we can tack up the doors of the smaller cabins.” Here he moved toward one of the closed doors in order to demonstrate. “We latch those doors up to the ceiling and have room to move the guns or set sharpshooters at those windows.” The boys looked up at the ceiling to spot the hooks where the doors would be latched. Sophy could see her brothers drifting off into dreams of battles and shooting guns. They ran to look out the windows.

  Sophy was also heading towards a window, though at a more sedate pace than her brothers. The windows at the back of the cabin, which also happened to be the back of the ship, were angled outward so that she could look down and see the sea below. The sight made her a bit dizzy and she reached out to steady herself on the window frame. Sophy needed a few moments for her mind to adjust to the sight, but then she discovered that she actually found it quite soothing. Everything else seemed to disappear as she watched the soft motion of the sea when it caressed the side of the ship.

  Before she lost herself in reverie too much, a short and stout man entered the room with a tray of food. He had thick, bare arms and no hair and wore a stained half apron. Behind him followed three boys, each of whom could not have been over Freddy's age, also carrying trays. The group of four made their way to one of the closets along the wall, which Sophy now saw was a kind of pantry. The short man was spreading out food on the counter there.

  Captain Croft addressed him. “Foster! What delicacies have you prepared for us today?”

  The man grinned and answered in a heavy northern accent, “May I say welcome back
, sir?”

  “Thank you, Foster. It's good to be back. And may I introduce my guests today?” The round of introductions was dutifully made again as the three young boys began to lay dishes on the long table. The food smelled delicious and reminded Sophy how hungry the journey had made her.

  “Please, everyone, let's sit and eat the delicious creations I am sure Foster has prepared for us. He is a most excellent cook!” The man blushed and raised his knuckle to his forehead in what Sophy now recognized as a naval salute. “Thank you, Foster, I believe we can serve ourselves now.” Foster raised his knuckle again and led the three boys out of the room.

  So the party sat down to a luncheon of simple but tasty food. The boys asked questions about everything they had seen so far. Sophy was content to eat and listen. The sun streamed through the windows, which were closed against the sea breeze, and cast a warm light over the room.

  Sophy could now see that the furniture, though well-made, was worn with use. The table on which their luncheon was spread showed signs of constant and heavy use. Scratches in the surface could not be hidden even by the high-shine of many polishings. There were two wingback chairs in the corner of the room with places that she could now see had become shiny with use. But these signs of use only made the room seem more comfortable, like the place had been used and yet still lovingly maintained. The more time she spent here, the more she settled into and enjoyed the atmosphere it all created, one of cozy and comfortable ease. And the sailors she had met so far made it seem like that was the way across the whole ship. They all genuinely liked being aboard.

  All of this placed Captain Croft in a different light. Until now, she had only seen him in parlors and over tables, telling stories to entertain his guests. But something had changed when they had stepped aboard his ship. She began to see a new side of him. The burden of command seemed to sit quite easily upon his shoulders. Sophy had noticed that his sailors listened carefully when he talked, as if he was an oracle uttering prophetic words. She assumed he didn't have many discipline problems aboard ship. The men seemed eager and pleased to do whatever he asked of them. And Captain Croft seemed more than willing to reward them for the work that they did. Hadn't the cook blushed when his captain had complimented him even on this simple fare? How easy men could be, Sophy thought.