The Ribbon Weaver by Rosie Goodwin

Author:Rosie Goodwin [Goodwin, Rosie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Family Life, Sagas
ISBN: 9780755386659
Google: Zqkvejm59fwC
Publisher: Hachette UK
Published: 2011-05-11T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

When the carriage had dropped them off at the station, they then caught a train to Dover, and the Forresters watched Amy with amusement. She was so excited that she could scarcely sit still. Amy’s first sight of the docks was nothing at all as she had expected it to be. The smell of rotting fish hung heavy on the air and rats scurried fearlessly here and there. Women whom Molly would have termed as ‘blowsy’ stood here and there in low-cut dresses, trying to get the attention of any matelot who happened to pass them by.

Averting her eyes from them, Amy turned her attention to the ships that were docked, and again her eyes stretched in amazement. They were so much bigger than she had pictured them, and a ripple of apprehension passed through her. How could anything so bulky and heavy ever stay afloat?

Burly seamen with ruddy faces were dragging huge trunks up the gangplank, and as one of them caught Amy looking at him he winked at her cheekily, causing her to blush with embarrassment. Overhead, seagulls dipped and dived as they searched the quay for morsels of food.

It was already late afternoon and Mr Forrester had booked them all a night passage for the twelve-hour crossing to Calais. Taking her elbow he led her towards one of the ships that towered over them and she saw the name of it – the Dolphin – painted crudely on its side. Amy glanced down at the water slapping against the quay. In the books she had looked at with Toby, the sea had always been a beautiful clear blue, but here it was a murky brown colour with litter floating upon it.

Mr Forrester assisted his wife and Amy up the gangplank as Amy studiously avoided looking at the sailors who were scurrying around, and once aboard she was shown down numerous flights of metal steps to her cabin. It was very small, boasting little more than a narrow bed, a washstand and a small porthole. Even so she was relieved to find that it was clean and comfortable. Mr and Mrs Forrester had accompanied her to make sure that she had everything she needed, but now they excused themselves and went off in search of their own cabin to have a rest.

Amy gave the cabin boy who had carried her trunk for her a generous tip, and once she was alone she crossed to the porthole and peered out. There was very little to see except the grimy side of the dock, and eager to explore now she hastily turned about and, lifting her skirts, made her way back through the bowels of the ship and climbed back up the many metal stairs, the heels on her small leather buttoned boots making a clanging noise as she went. Once she reached the deck she made straight for the rail, drawing many admiring glances from sailors and passengers alike, but she was so excited that she didn’t even notice them as she moved through the people who were milling about.

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