Even living and working in coastal harbor towns like Edinburgh and Leith and even having companies that moved goods by ship, Clare had never been on one and had no knowledge of how they worked. This one was not the largest she’d seen or the largest in this harbor. It had three masts and lots of square sails. More than that, she did not know the details. As she walked along it towards the ramp, she was impressed by it in spite of her ignorance.
“Lady Clare,” an older man, tall and bearded with bright green eyes and gray flecks in the dark brown of his hair, said in greeting at the ramp. “I am Captain Charles Ramsey.”
“Captain Ramsey.” She nodded.
“Sir Iain has asked me to welcome you aboard.” He held out his arm to her. “May I escort you? The ramp gets quite steep near the top.”
She accepted his help and was glad of it by the time they reached the deck of the ship. Turning around as she caught her breath, the view of Leith and up to Edinburgh was completely different than any she’d seen before, and it fascinated her.
“Wait until you see if from offshore.” Clare turned to find Iain watching her. “Thank you, Captain. We are ready to depart now.”
“Aye, sir,” Captain Ramsey said. “My lady, I hope you enjoy the day.”
“Welcome to my latest acquisition, my lady,” Iain said. “I thought you might like to accompany me while we take her out for a few hours.”
Shocked into silence. Stupefied. He had surprised her in a way she could never have dreamt of.
“From the expression on your face, I am concerned that you don’t like being on ships?” Iain stepped closer and studied her face. “Does it make you ill?” He turned and called out to the captain.
“Iain, nay,” she said. Reaching out to him, she tugged his hand. “I am surprised, that is all.”
“Do you get seasick then?” He covered her hand with his.
“I have never been on the sea to know such a thing,” she admitted. He laughed loudly then and called out to Ramsey that all was well.
“’Tis a good day to be at sea, Clare. Smooth seas, blue skies, winds to fill the sails. Come, let’s go forward and watch as we leave the harbor.”
He grabbed her hand, not in a formal hold, but a friendly one and they walked forward to the front of the ship and stood along the railing. Iain stood behind her, surrounded her with his arms and kept her steady as the ship began to move.
“Here we go,” he leaned against the side of her bonnet and whispered in her ear.
With his strong body behind her, she felt no fear, just a sense of exhilaration she’d not experienced in a long time. The gentle winds blowing in her face relieved some tension. When she relaxed against him, he leaned into her.
“Once we clear the harbor, the winds will be stronger,” he said. Pointing out into the water, she followed his arm to where he indicated. “We leave the shelter there.”
“Where are we going?” she asked, turning her head towards him so he could hear her. The captain and a number of others were shouting out orders and running across the deck creating a cacophony that was hard to hear over.
“Down the coast a few hours, then back in the morning,” he said. She shivered and he leaned closer. It was heat that made her tremble, not cold. “The captain is testing out new sails and new crew.”
Because they headed into the firth from the harbor, the island of Inchkeith lay ahead of them and the city of Edinburgh lay behind them, and Iain turned them for a better view. The medieval castle high on Castle Rock was impressive even more at a distance than close up. She could trace the steeples of the High Street down towards Holyrood Palace. The terraces and New Town sloped northward from the base of the castle.
There were a few minutes of roughness when the ship left the safety of the harbor, but soon, they were gliding smoothly over the sea, out into the North Sea and then south. Iain spoke often, pointing out places and interesting things to see along the coast. Clare marveled at the different perspective from the sea.
It grew windier as they reached the sea and the ship rose and fell on the waves. She laughed at the motion which forced her to adjust her stance and shift her legs to keep her balance. They indeed rode the waves for some time, away from the firth and south along the coast. Several landmarks she’d seen or visited on land gave her context for their location—Bass Rock and the ruins of Tantallon Castle were familiar to her.
“Are you well?” he asked as he shifted behind her.
She answered, but could not help but tease him. “Nomal de merat all, Iain.” He was so close that his laugh rumbled through her.
“Good news, for the captain has invited us to share his meal.” Iain turned away for a moment, then stepped back from her. “If you would like to take refuge from the winds for a bit, or if you are hungry...?”
He held out his arm to her and she clutched it tightly, using it to support her steps as they walked along the deck. And he continued explaining the workings of a barque, its masts, its sails, its cargo and so on until they reached a set of wooden stairs leading below.
“You know much about this ship.”
“Hold on here and I’ll guide you down.”
He stepped down onto the first step and patted his shoulders. Seeing no railings to grasp, she did as he said and followed him down step by step. He timed their movements to the rise of the ship in the water, so they were firmly on a step when the ship dropped. Like a man used to walking on such a vessel.
