The Gentlewoman's Deception

Ch. 8 // Above Board and Below Deck

Scrambled eggs, slightly burnt toast, kippers and two servings of assorted fruits were piled high on a plate in front of Louisa. She hadn't had a sufficient dinner the previous night, which meant a hearty breakfast was in order. Louisa shoveled food into her mouth, so absorbed by the abundant flavors unleashed with every bite that the disapproving glances from the other passengers went unnoticed by her.

Thanks to Mr. Taylor and the connections that the Sons of Sovereignty had with international travel, Louisa had been enjoying the many perks of first class. So far, her lodgings, access to the deck and mess hall meals were all making her journey considerably more comfortable than she had anticipated. Louisa was also satisfied to have taken kindly to sea travel, having experienced none of the horrible symptoms of the motion illness that many of the other passengers had succumbed to given the recent storm. 

Although she was traveling first class and had access to prepared meals in the mess hall, the mess hall itself was rather plain and barren. Wooden structural beams created low ceilings, forcing many of the taller passengers to duck their heads while navigating the spread of wooden benches and long tables. When the boat pitched unexpectedly, which was often, the sound of a metal utensil clanging onto the floor would punctuate the constant din of conversation and interrupt Louisa's flavor-induced reverie.

"Apparently, there was quite the commotion caused last night!"

"I knew from the moment I stepped foot onto this wretched ship that something was amiss!"

"I heard that this ship was cursed by a siren, jealous of a previous captain marrying his betrothed on board while passing through the Caribbean ports. On their return passage, the siren lured the captain over the handrail to his grisly death. His new wife was so devastatingly heartbroken she leapt from the crow's nest, letting out a final wail that reverberated across the still night water before she crashed onto the deck!"

At that, Louisa ducked her head down feeling the beginnings of embarrassment start to heat her face. The Dresden? Haunted? The amount of people worried about the cursed state of affairs on board was almost too much for Louisa to bear.

Just when I decided to truly lay low and stay out of trouble, the whole ship decides to make me its prime topic of discussion, thought a miffed Louisa. Maybe a few years from now, Louisa will look back on this journey and find humor in her faux haunting. Running amok in the middle of the night while drenched in flour and wearing a white nightgown does make for the perfect ghostly getup. However, there is no time like the present, and, presently, Louisa wanted the ship to capsize so she wouldn't have to hear the ridiculous rumors from her fellow passengers.

Huffing, Louisa started to eat faster so she could get this meal over with. Picking up her fork and taking a stab at a piece of fish, she didn't notice the looming figure making his way over.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

Louisa stopped mid mouthful. Eyebrows still drawn tight, her eyes were locked on the plate of half-eaten food as the voice that had made its way into her dreams cut through her thoughts. Memories of last night flooded her mind, causing another round of blush to creep onto her cheeks. Louisa had been so focused on the talk of The Dresden being haunted that she momentarily forgot about her visit to Taron's room.

"Mind if I sit?" Head still down, Louisa looked up through the wisps of hair covering her forehead. Taron was gesturing to the open seat on the bench across from her. The last thing she wanted was to have a conversation with him this early in the morning, especially since it had only been a few hours since she escaped from his cabin. But something told her that even if she said no, he would find a way to convince her otherwise.