Footfalls sounded nearby and then a pair of black buckled shoes with thick heels stepped into her line of vision.
Lifting her face, she drew a shaky breath, but the stench of vomit and lamp fumes combined with bilge water and waste odors sickened her. She reeled dizzily, her skull throbbing from the blow, while blackness seeped in from behind her eyes.
“George,” she croaked on barely a whisper. Why wasn’t he answering? “Help me.”
She grew fainter, having lost any sense of balance. Was the vessel in motion or was the swaying inside her head?
Panic started her heart racing. With her last moments of consciousness, Lorena lamented she had failed Drew. Then all went black.
Lorena awoke with a flutter of her lids, and through the blur and grogginess a face fell into focus.
The face of a handsome, well-groomed woman of thirty-plus years. A cluster of tight reddish-gold curls gathered at her temples like two rosy bouquets. She gazed down on Lorena with concern, pressing a damp towel to Lorena’s brow and then again to the side of her neck.
The woman’s expression offered comfort, and in response Lorena managed a smile.
“You are awake.” The woman balled the damp linen in both hands, her eyes widening before she returned the smile. “Won’t Mr. Louder be pleased. He’s been terribly anxious.”
Memory of recent events returned and Lorena jerked upright. “Drew!”
Her chest constricted in panic. She attempted to rise, but the sudden movement brought a wave of nausea so fierce, she’d time only to roll on her side before heaving. Thankfully a commode had been set beside her berth.
Lorena swooned, but the red-haired woman slipped a hand behind her neck, supporting and guiding her upright. “Rest easy, Miss Huntley, please. Don’t fret. Mr. Louder is just outside the door.” She brought a small cup to Lorena’s lips and, at Lorena’s hesitation, explained, “It’s salt water. Drink it. It will help settle your stomach.”
Lorena nearly gagged on the stale, salty water yet managed a swallow. Her head ached, though she began to orient herself.
Perched on the edge of the bunk and stripped down to her chemise, she surveyed the narrow, windowless compartment and tried to think. A second bunk stood against the opposite wall along with a bench chest, one large traveling trunk, and a lantern swinging by the closed slotted door. She recognized the rolling motion of the ship, quiet and still but for the occasional squeak from the jaws of its boom. A lonely, eerie sound.
“How long have we been at sea?”
“Thirty, forty minutes,” the woman explained. “You’ve been quite ill, soiling your clothing, in and out of consciousness. Brought on by the bump to your head, I believe, in addition to a bout of seasickness.”
No, that could not be right. Lorena was feeling ill before she’d hit her head. And now she was shipbound on the Lady Julia. What she should have done was gone directly to the brig’s captain, she realized too late. But what of George? He’d stood there in the hold, silent and unmoved, while she lay ill. Why hadn’t he stayed the ship?
And what had happened to Drew?
The red-haired woman frowned at the confusion on Lorena’s face. “I am Jane Ellery, traveling with my husband and his brother to North Yorkshire. We are to be cabin companions, Miss Huntley. When you’re feeling better, perhaps you’ll eat some crackers. I believe it will help.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Ellery,” Lorena croaked, her throat raw and strained, though already her stomach was feeling a trifle more settled. “Tell me. Have you seen a young fair-haired boy anywhere on this boat?”
“Jane. Please. And no. You must be mistaken, Miss Huntley. There are no children—”
A sharp knock silenced her, followed by George’s voice projecting through the slotted door, “Mrs. Ellery, I hear voices. How is she?”
Opening the door, he popped his head in without waiting for permission. “Why, Lorena, you’re pale as a ghost.”
Lorena did not trust the sincerity of his anxious expression. She eyed him warily, unwilling to believe the worst . . . that he could have had a hand in her being stuck on this brig. Worse, that he’d allow anything to happen to Drew. George had his faults, but he wasn’t evil.
“Mr. Louder, please. Miss Huntley is still indisposed.” Jane Ellery stepped before him, blocking his view. “However, when she is feeling up to it, I would suggest you take her above for a walk on deck. I have some experience with seasickness, and it does relieve the nausea. In a measure, at least.”
“No, Jane, wait,” Lorena called before George could be dismissed. “I must speak with him on an urgent matter.”