Isabella Awakening Ch. 03

But there was no time to interrogate Beatrice. They both heard the sound of hooves and carriage wheels in the front courtyard and had to hurry to have Isabella dressed and presentable. Isabella dressed quickly and Beatrice simply threw on her dress. They then walked arm in arm into the drawing room just as Carla knocked and entered, announcing that Madam's carriage had arrived.

"Tell them to wait five minutes, thank you Carla" said Beatrice.

Carla surveyed the two women and smiled knowingly before closing the door on them.

"Isabella," said Beatrice, turning to face her and meet her eyes, suddenly serious and a little sad "however unlikely it seems to you now, we will see each other again before a year has passed. I want you to know that you have nothing to fear. You are safe."

Isabella did not understand exactly what Beatrice was trying to say. Fear was the furthest thing from her mind at that moment. She hugged Beatrice and whispered, "Beatrice, you have erased all my fears, and your promise that I will see you again will make anything bearable." They kissed.

Beatrice suddenly remembered something and moved hurriedly to a table on the other side of the room. She picked up two parcels and handed them to Isabella.

"This," she said of the first, "is the bottle of Honey Oil I promised you. And this, indicating what was obviously a book wrapped in oilskin and tied with string, is something special from my library. I hope you like it."

Isabella was thrilled. "Anything from your library would be a treasure to me, my darling Beatrice. Are you sure you can…."

"Of course, I am sure you will find it … illuminating."

Beatrice walked her to the door and down the steps to the waiting carriage. Simon was again sitting next to the scruffy driver. He said nothing and did not meet Isabella's eyes. He was leaning against the driver's shoulder and Isabella guessed that he must have been asleep.

Beatrice gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek and a whispered farewell as she climbed into the carriage, telling the driver to take her back to the wharf via the most scenic route, past the Cathedral and through the town. Isabella's earlier desire to play the tourist had waned and she was, frankly, feeling quite exhausted.

She waved as the carriage left the Angostini compound and settled back to enjoy the scenery and the warm feelings still radiating through her body. The carriage ride was soothing and when it stopped briefly for traffic in the town she leant out of the window and called to Simon. He stirred and climbed down to the door, clearly not well. He slurred a greeting.

"Simon, are you drunk?" asked Isabella in disbelief.

"No, marm," said Simon, as if any speech was a great effort. "Sailors don't get drunk, just titsy, I mean, tipsy"

"But Simon, you are only, how old? Twelve?"

"Levin, marm" he replied, hiccoughing

"Get in," she said in a proper schoolmistress tone, "I don't want you falling from up there. What would the Captain say?"

"Yes'm" he replied sheepishly climbing into the carriage.

She studied his pallid face all the way back to the wharf where the carriage driver dropped them at the Della Virago's gangway. Isabella paid the driver and, carrying her parcels, ushered Simon onboard and down to her cabin. The decks were clear and it was apparent that the remaining crew had finished their loading and unloading and was waiting on the return of those who had been given leave before they themselves could hit the town. Her own return was barely noticed.

Down in her cabin, Isabella made Simon drink two tumblers of water and promise to go immediately to sleep off his stupour. He was contrite and pleaded with her not to tell the Captain of his drunkenness. She agreed, saying that she felt at least partly to blame, as it was she who had given Simon both the money and the time to indulge. He thanked her and left.

Isabella suddenly felt exhausted. She lay on her bunk to rest but was soon fast asleep.

The dinner bell woke her almost two hours later. She woke, washed and tidied her hair before making her way to the Captain's dining room. There she found only Captain Bertrand and a single officer, the others having taken shore leave for the evening. They ate a hearty meal of fish, it being Friday, and toasted Palermo and the next stage of their voyage with fine Sicilian wine.

The Captain asked a few leading questions about Simon and his whereabouts that Isabella parried without incriminating him. She herself asked after Father Thomas only to be told that he had not yet returned to the ship. When the meal finished, Isabella took her leave and returned to her cabin for an evening of letter writing and keenly anticipated reading of Beatrice's little book.

To be continued … (possibly)

(If you like the Isabella story, or have comments or suggestions, please send feedback! Paul T.)