“A peculiar man, who, I believe, dissembles,” said Sir Nepean. “But Needham’s inaction leaves us with a problem.”
“The return of Miss Needham to her father?” Elizabeth saw where this discussion was going. It did not sit well with her. “I’m still astonished as to why Lord Needham does not return to Bombay. Surely, for his daughter’s sake…?”
“I must apologise, Mrs. Darcy, for my indiscretion, but there’s another lady in his lordship’s life, and hisofficial business, as far as we can tell, was following this lady to Cape Town. He’s obsessed with her and is content to leave the daughter with Mr. Forbes.”
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave,” murmured Elizabeth, not intending her thoughts to be heard.
“His wife was a very genteel lady, and her company is sorely missed in town.” Lady Nepean spoke quietly to Elizabeth, “The daughter, Eleanor, has been left to fend for herself. Perhaps being at table is not the appropriate place to discuss such, but my husband and Mr. Forbes believe you may be the best person to accompany the girl to the Cape. And, given her behaviour, you’re the only person to whom she listens.”
“Think on this, Mrs. Darcy, for I know that over the coming months, you’ll have other issues with which to cope.
“Would it be appropriate, ma’am, to visit Thursday next?” she asked of Mrs. Forbes, who sat next to her husband.
***
“I cannot go! Why can’t my father come here to Bombay? He knows I hate travelling by ship—I hate it, I hate it!”
“Miss Eleanor,” said Elizabeth gently, taking the young girl’s hands in hers. “Why do you hate ships so? When did you last take a sea journey?”
The girl’s brow furrowed; she screwed up her face. It was clear to Elizabeth that her memories of such were distant, if they existed at all. But her distress was very real; and, if she could not be persuaded to travel, then either she would remain here in Bombay, a burden on the Forbes and Sir Nepean, or the journey to the Cape would be one of tantrums, aggravation, and continuous pique.
At tea with Lady Nepean and Mrs. Forbes, all had seemed so easy. Yes, by journey’s end at the Cape, she would be some seven months into her pregnancy, but she was certain she could cope—as long as the journey was not delayed. “Oh,Lizzie Darcy, I’m still impetuous—I could have refused to accompany the child.” But she knew the distress of being separated from loved ones. Surely, Miss Eleanor would be better cared for by her father? She rather wished it were so.
“But it’s all in the book. Do you not know what happens to ships at sea? There are great storms, lightning shivers the mizzenmast, the hold springs a leak—it’s all so terrible.”
Elizabeth paused in her rebuttal. The child had read, or been read to, a story of shipwreck and calamity. Perhaps at too young an age for her to distinguish reality from amusement.
“Which book is this? I would certainly like to see it, for if what it says is, indeed, true, then we must rethink our journey to the Cape.”
Miss Eleanor ran to her room and returned clutching a well-worn copy of theNew Robinson Crusoe, an abridged version for children. Elizabeth had read the original French book of ‘88; this was a recent English translation. Eagerly, thegirl riffled through the pages, pausing at the illustrations: a ship on fire, a man washed ashore, knocking coconuts from a tree, and a great thunderstorm with a man lying prone on the ground. In all, there were thirty-two such woodcuts. Miss Eleanor pored over each in great detail until she had, once again, made herself hysterical with distress and dismay.
In the background, one image showed a herd of llamas. Elizabeth turned to it and exclaimed, “We’re safe, Miss Eleanor, for Robinson Crusoe was wrecked upon an American shore; and, we travel to Africa, far to the east.”
“Why so?” said the girl, looking intently at the picture.
“Those animals arellamas—the book says they come from Peru, and the castaway had come ashore near there.”
The young girl’s face once again furrowed as she thought about this. Could it be that travelling to Africa was different from travelling to the Americas? She had little knowledge of such things. But Mrs. Darcy appeared so confident. The child’s opposition to sailing diminished, just a little, for she had an overpowering desire to be reunited with her father, of whom she had many fond memories.
“What say you,” said Elizabeth, “that we put together a barrel containing all those things we would need if we were cast away? Only a small barrel that will fit easily in our cabin. Then, we could be like Robinson Crusoe and could seek food and shelter for ourselves.”
This was a risky gamble, for the girl might see the contradiction—that the ship would not be wrecked sailing to Africa; but they should insure themselves against such an event happening. As often with young children, the idea was taken up with great alacrity and completely displaced the fear of journeying by ship: firstly, they were not sailing to the Americas; secondly, they would be as well outfitted as Robinson Crusoe himself.
Elizabeth and Miss Eleanor put together a list of thosethings thought necessary. Of course, they sought the advice of Mrs. Forbes, who joined in the game. Thus, their small keg, taken from Mr. Forbes’s warehouse, contained two knives, spoons, bowls, a pair of scissors, a comb, a housewife, pins, flint, steel and tinder, a small fire pot, a water skin, a knapsack, and trinkets for trading with the natives. The last items had Miss Eleanor spending much time gathering glass beads, brass rings, and other similar items. As was her way, the girl soon had the whole household collecting items for theCrusoe Keg, as she called it, but then discarding them because of the limited space, as not all could fit inside. But the servants were happy to oblige because, in just a week, they would no longer be at the beck and call of the little tyrant.
“Miss Eleanor, why are you putting a chemise into the keg? Do you imagine us washed ashore without clothes?”
“Oh no, Mrs. Darcy, that would be most improper. But what if natives stole them, or they were eaten by tigers? Robinson Crusoe was never unclothed.”
Elizabeth found argument fruitless; thus, two light cotton chemises were folded into the keg—one for Elizabeth, and the other for Eleanor.
***
“Ladies, gentlemen, please keep to your cabins until the start of the forenoon watch.” Captain Coxon entered the cuddy and spoke to the passengers assembled there. “We up anchor at sunrise, six bells of the morning watch, and the quarterdeck and poop will be no place for gentlefolk.”
“I want to see the harbour,” complained Miss Needham to Elizabeth as they made their way to their cabin.
“Captain Coxon is a fair man, Miss Eleanor. We’ll be able to go on deck at the forenoon watch when we’ll see the lighthouseonOld Woman’s Island. But now, the crew is very busy and we shan’t get in their way. The tides are irregular in the harbour, and with the southwest monsoon failing, the winds are fickle. The captain will work very hard to bring the ship safely out.”
