“Etta, I’m not my sister nor my aunt Martha.” Elise smiled. “I’d just as soon we be friends, and friends keep each other’s secrets.” She winked and chuckled. She couldn’t help wondering what the maid would ever do if something truly exciting happened.
Making her way downstairs to the dining room, Elise wished her father could have remained in Oswego just a few days more. He would have seen how quickly she recovered from her injuries. Then she might have been able to sail with the others. Especially the handsome Mr. Clark.
“Elise, I still don’t think you should be out of bed,” her aunt said in greeting.
“I feel perfectly fine. Very little soreness and moving is quite easy.” Elise took a seat opposite her aunt at the table.
A servant was there immediately. “Would you care for something to eat?”
“Yes, I’m famished. Please bring me breakfast and coffee.” She smiled at her aunt as the servant went off to do her bidding.“I’m really fine, Auntie. I told Papa there was no need to leave me behind, but he worries about me.”
“And well he should. A ship is no place for a woman. I suppose, though, that since you’re eating, I shouldn’t worry. Your sister hardly ever ate much. She’s thin as a rail.”
“She’d have had a healthy appetite out on the water. My mother loved being on the water, and so do I. It’s a life we were both born to. My sister, however, felt like you do. I suppose there is room for each individual heart on the matter.”
“I honestly don’t know what to think. My friends were completely shocked by what you do, but they had to admit you handled yourself remarkably well at the wedding. They said they might never have known you were a . . . well, a . . .”
“Ship’s cook?” Elise wanted to burst out laughing. Her aunt’s tone suggested Elise might as well have sold her soul.
“Yes.” Her aunt took a sip of her tea.
The servant arrived with breakfast and placed a plate of eggs, sausages, and fresh slices of fruit before Elise. He returned to the kitchen and came back with a rack of toast and a pot of coffee. He placed the toast in front of her, then poured her coffee. Lastly, he brought her cream and sugar.
“Thank you. This looks delicious.” She beamed a smile at the servant.
He returned the smile and looked to Mrs. Monroe. “Would you care for something else, Mrs. Monroe?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Just leave us.”
He nodded and gave a curt bow before exiting the dining room. Elise bowed for a brief prayer, then dug into the food with great gusto, not feeling the need to put on an act for her aunt. Meals on the ship were usually quick and without muchconcern for order. Her father insisted on a prayer being said before they started in, but otherwise they were hardworking men, and he didn’t try to rein them in too much when it came to their mealtime and moments of rest.
Often at mealtimes Elise was given the wheel so the men could converse at the table regarding any problems. She thrilled at those moments when she controlled the ship. The feel of the wheel in her hands was like no other. She still remembered the first time her father had let her take charge. She hadn’t even been tall enough to see over the wheel, not that it would have helped. The deckhouse was directly in front of the wheel, making it impossible to see what was in front. Instead, there was usually someone to call out the details in tight spaces. Otherwise, the compass was used. Nevertheless, in that instance, her father had stood at her back the whole time, giving her guidance.
“So with that in mind, we might as well set up a dinner party,” her aunt was saying.
Elise put down her fork. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I said that since you’re feeling recovered and your father won’t be back for a couple of weeks, we should arrange a dinner party for you to meet eligible young men.”
“Oh, I hardly think that needs to happen.” Elise reached for the cream and added a liberal amount to her coffee. “I won’t be here all that long, and there’s no sense in giving a false impression.”
“A false impression?”
“That I’m looking for a husband. I’m not.” Elise smiled, then sipped her coffee.
“But you’re twenty-five. Every single young lady should belooking for a husband. It’s her destiny. You should have chosen one a long time ago.”
“I’m much too busy helping Father to marry anyone.”
“But that isn’t appropriate. I’ve never approved of you being raised on a ship. Why, when your sister arrived here, she was such a hoyden.”
“Now, Auntie, you must surely exaggerate. Our mother was firm that we learn all the social graces she had learned. We knew how a proper table was set and how to have acceptable conversations. We could dance before we were teenagers, and we learned to embroider and speak French as well. Mama was quite thorough in our upbringing, including our religious training.”
“And I’ve no doubt she did a good job, given what she had to work with. No, my criticism isn’t of her, but there are other things to learn as well. For example, how to stroll a garden with a potential suitor and how to ride in a carriage or use a sidesaddle. You can hardly learn those on a ship.”
Elise tried to imagine riding a horse on deck. A hint of a grin formed on her lips. “No, I suppose not. Still, I thought Mama did quite well.”
“She did, bless that woman. Rather than let you climb like monkeys in the ropes—”
