Fair Stands the Wind by Catherine Lodge & Zorylee Diaz-Lupitou

Author:Catherine Lodge & Zorylee Diaz-Lupitou [Lodge, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781681310183
Publisher: Meryton Press
Published: 2017-09-12T22:00:00+00:00

His reply was light-hearted enough. “Luckily, we captains are not expected to go aloft, having a ship full of men and junior officers to do that for us.” If she was not wholly reassured, she was at least cheered by his promise to find her some books to help her understand his life at sea. She knew she was lucky to be marrying a man so ready to consider her worries and do his best to assuage them and did her best not to repine at the lack of time they would have together. She wondered whether he too regretted their imminent parting but found herself reluctant to ask, although the reason for this reluctance quite escaped her. Her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner and their children came for the ceremony, bringing a delightful dress and bonnet for her trousseau. The inn at Meryton filled with such of the captain’s friends who were at liberty, including an immensely tall Captain of Marines and his tiny, doll-like wife, two sea captains so absurdly alike they had to be brothers, a man who looked like a prosperous farmer but turned out to be the new sailing master of the Achilles, and a deeply shy young man called Playford, who was to be its new third mate, having recently passed his examination for lieutenant.

The night before the wedding, Mr. Bingley held a dinner in honour of their marriage. All the guests from the Netherfield ball and more were there; Miss Darcy and Mrs. Darcy came down and did their best to express their hopes for their future happiness. Miss Darcy even followed Elizabeth into the ballroom to say how very glad she was that her brother had found her and then found herself being introduced to Lieutenant Playford, who summoned his courage to solicit his captain’s sister as a dancing partner.

Elizabeth danced with Mr. Bingley, she danced with Jack Catteral whom she had known since childhood, and finally she danced with her intended. She was so proud of him, so tall, handsome, composed, active and successful in his profession and in scenes of life so far from anything she had ever known. He was attentive and considerate to her and patient with her mother and Mr. Collins, who could not politely be missed from the invitation.

Over supper, as her friends and acquaintances interrupted to congratulate them, he told her something of his travels, of Africa and the Orient, of strange people and animals, of friends and enemies made and lost. She saw him fully as a man of consequence and power and regretted ever more deeply that he must leave so soon after she had come to know him.

They closed the ball together, and every time they touched hands, her heart warmed. He had a slight smile on his face as they danced, and she hoped that he was feeling as happy as she was. They hardly spoke; it did not seem necessary. All had been decided, and all that remained was the ceremony; she refused to consider the parting that would follow.

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