Page 54 of Once Upon a Reckless Rogue

“What is it?” she asked him, pulling the ribbons that secured her bonnet.

“It is from my contact. There is a ship sailing back to England on the early tide tomorrow morning. He has secured us a cabin.”

Elena looked away, hugging herself as she paced in front of the bed. Thomas knew she was anxious about the journey.

“What is wrong?”

“Up until now it was a journey in the future. Now it is a journey that starts tomorrow.” She went to the window. “I will never see Spain again.”

“That is not true. We can return, but why? To see whom?” He took her in his arms, her head resting over his heart. “We will grow our own family. And you can cook us Spanish meals and teach the children how to speak it. They may one day find it useful. We will make our own little Spain in the heart of Dorset. Will you build it with me?”

“I hate that you have an answer for everything. You promise you will build me a house of glass for my garden?”

“I promise.”

“And you will eat my food and let me sing my songs when there is a storm?”

“I want you to make my home your home. It will be fun.”

“Your mother may not like Spanish food.”

“My mother doesn’t cook. We have a cook and a maid of all work who keep the house and do the laundry.”

“Oh, I keep forgetting you are adinerado.”

“Not as rich as some but we live comfortably. I have not been home in a long time; I mostly lived in London as it was far easier to travel from there. I will not leave you, my darling wife.”

“Good. You understand my worries?” She hugged him.

“Of course. You are my wife. I am always on your side.”

This seemed to ease her mind and allow her to concentrate on packing all their goods. A cart would arrive early, before dawn, to collect them. They would leave the main part of town for a little-known cove to meet the longboat.

Chapter Fifteen

Elena was gently shaken awake and given a glass of orange juice before they dressed and made their way downstairs. There were three men there who went up and brought down their trunks and bags. Elena held on to her father’s doctor’s bag and refused to let it be stowed with the other baggage. They soon rumbled through the ballast-paved streets to the outer edge of the city.

A pink hue filled the horizon as they jostled and bounced on the cart. She held her hand to her side even though she knew the wound was in no danger of reopening. After what seemed an age, they finally made their way down a dirt path towards the cove. The slap of the waves and the sting of the salt assaulted her senses. The sun was just peeking over the hills behind them as they got off the cart and made their way down to the beach. The morning was cool, and she was glad that Thomas had insisted on buying her a woolen cape to keep her warm. She would need it in England, he said.

The longboat was already there, and Tomas left her to greet the man with the lantern. He pointed back to her, and she wondered what he was saying about her. She clutched her father’s bag to her chest as if it were the only thing keeping her standing. The waves crashed on the beach, and her mind turned to how they would get to the large ship sitting just inside the cove.

“It’s time, my love.” He picked her up and carried her to the boat and, walking into the water a little, put her on a hard wooden seat. He soon joined her, and the boat suddenly cast off the shore and into the waves. They rocked and slapped down hard, and Elena clutched Tomas and buried her face in his arm. Soon, the up and down eased, and before long they were bouncing off the side of a huge ship.

“This will be the hardest part. You need to climb the rope ladder. I will be right behind you.”

She looked up and saw the grimy faces of the crew far above her. Ropes were thrown down to secure their trunks.”

“What if I fall?”

“We can tie a rope around your waist, but I didn’t think you would like that.”

“No.” She took a deep breath. “I can do it.”

She gave him her father’s bag and took hold of the rope ladder. She just kept looking up and tried to block everything else out until some large hands grabbed her arms and hauled her over the edge of the boat. Only then did she look over to see Tomas climb up the ladder with her father’s bag slung over his shoulder. Once he was on board with her, she hugged him; he knew how important that bag was to her. “Thank you for taking it yourself.”

Before he could reply, a tall man came up to them and bowed. “Welcome aboard the Louise-Marie, Captain Markham, Mrs. Markham. I am Captain Leeton. Let me show you to your cabin. It is simple, I am afraid, but it will be yours for the trip.”

“Thank you so much for accommodating us; we know it was last minute.”