Rough Passage to London by Robin Lloyd

Author:Robin Lloyd
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Historical
ISBN: 9781574093209
Publisher: Sheridan House
Published: 2013-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

The days passed by with favorable summer weather, ideal for romantic walks on deck, shuffleboard games, and decoy shooting for the gentlemen. Invariably, the sight of Eliza striding along the ship’s rail with one or two suitors on either side became the talk of the ship. In the roundhouse, at the head of the companionway where the shipboard gossip gathered like rockweed on a tidal shoreline, all the ladies could talk about was which gentleman the spirited Miss Robinson would pick. Morgan often heard such conversations as he walked by groups of women crocheting and reading. He listened with interest as one woman jokingly commented that the captain should preside over a contest where the three suitors would compete for Eliza’s hand.

“What are you suggesting?” another woman asked. “A boxing match or shooting competition?”

“Perhaps Miss Robinson’s suitors should be made to rescue her.”

Morgan stopped and pretended to monitor the work of the men aloft.

“Who do you think she should choose?” another woman questioned.

“Why, the Frenchman, of course. He has a title, and besides, did you see the way he kisses her hand every night before dinner? He’s like a prince.”

“I think I would choose Sir Charles. He may be older and a little round around the edges, but he would be a safe choice. My friends in London say he has plenty of money.”

All of this romantic drama was also playing out in the main saloon of the Philadelphia. There was no doubt this was an elegant setting for romance with soft carpets and comfortable mahogany sofas and cushions. But it was the piano that made Eliza’s courtship memorable. She was an accomplished pianist and often showed off her skills after dinner. There were two violinists among the passengers who would accompany her in a series of Mozart piano concertos and Bach sonatas. Morgan remembered how her three suitors applauded the loudest when the trio played from Haydn’s Lo speziale. The evenings usually ended with much singing around the piano and each of Eliza’s three suitors trying to outdo the other with their voices.

When they neared the outer tributaries of the Gulf Stream, the weather was unusually sultry. Captain Morgan ordered Lowery to bring around champagne to all the staterooms with a note saying the journey was almost over and that he predicted fair winds to New York.

One evening after dinner when Morgan was alone by the stern rail, Eliza approached him. She was dressed in a white empire-waisted dress with a gold faux buckle under her bosom. A gauzy black-laced shawl covering her shoulders fluttered in the breeze.

“May I have a word, Captain,” she whispered demurely. His voice was locked in momentary paralysis and his skin began to tingle at the sight of her. She had smiled at him one time earlier that day, but then had turned away quickly when her mother approached. He wondered if he had misinterpreted that gesture.

“Well, of course, Miss Robinson,” he stammered. “Pray tell, what can I do for you at this late hour?”

He wasn’t sure what her intentions were.

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