Chapter Four
At the top of the gangplank, a middle-aged man took my bag and guided me inside. I promptly scoured every nook and shadow for yellow eyes, but the world-famous electric lamps (molded into fish, I might add) clearly illuminated everything—and I quickly realized there was nowhere a person could hide. The bloodred carpet, the wood-paneled walls, and the velvet-padded handrails were constantly trod on or grasped at by servants in black uniforms scurrying past.
By the time we reached a wide staircase at the ship’s center, where a large mermaid balustrade stood guard, my pulse had slowed to its normal speed.
I’d had to steal a ticket to get on this boat, so unless Marcus had bought that final, expensive ticket, he couldn’t get on board. Except rules like that don’t apply to Marcus . I ignored that thought. If he got on the steamer, if that raging wind and those baying hounds followed me here, then I would deal with them.
We finally reached my stateroom, and after I tipped the porter, he left me with a key and scooted off into the flow of server traffic. Just as I was about to unlock the door, it swung back on its own.
My heart leaped into my throat, but it was only a pretty young woman in black. “C’est votre chambre?”
“Uh . . .” I was too busy trying to calm my pulse to follow her French. “What?”
“This is your room?” She dipped her head and peered at me from the tops of her eyes.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Then we are roommates.”
“Roommates?” I repeated stupidly. I hadn’t even considered the possibility, but of course second class would mean sharing a cabin.
“Mais oui.” She stepped aside so I could trudge in, and with a wave to a set of bunks in one corner, she said, “I took the top bed.”
“Oh . . . all right.” I crossed to the bunk and heaved my carpetbag on it. Then I shifted around to inspect the stateroom.
My eyes instantly lit on two more bunks and two elegant black trunks stacked beside them. So, not roommate but roommates.
I turned my attention to the rest of the room. White enamel walls with walnut fittings surrounded portholes and large electric lights. The beds were made up with crisp, white linens, and a navy curtain hung elegantly over them. Squeezed into the center of the room were two navy satin armchairs.
At that moment, the young woman stepped in front of me. “I am Mademoiselle Laure Primeau,” she drawled, holding out a dainty hand. “And you are?”
“I’m Eleanor Fitt.” I gulped, suddenly hot with embarrassment. “I-I’d shake your hand, but . . .” I lifted my bandaged wrist.
Her eyes widened. “Mon Dieu. ” She hastily withdrew her hand. “I am sorry. That looks . . . painful.”
“Yes, it was.” I twisted around to my carpetbag, not wishing to dwell on my injury. “Where can I put my things?”
She sighed. “I fear the other ladies ’ave already claimed most of the space.” Skirts rustled behind me, and when I glanced back, she was draped over one of the chairs. “If you do not ’ave much, then you should use the drawer beneath the bed.”
I nodded and set to placing my few items—extra underclothes, a hatbox, a nightgown—in the drawer. At the bottom of the bag, I found the stack of Elijah’s letters.
Gnawing the inside of my mouth, I eyed them warily. Then, as quickly as possible, I withdrew them and stuffed them beneath my spare petticoat before finally crawling onto my bed.
Laure eyed me from her chair, and I eyed her right back. She looked to be a bit older than Jie—
twenty-five years at the most.
“You are traveling alone?” she asked.
“Yes. And you?”
“Oui. But I am an old maid—you are so young. How can you travel alone? You ’ave no family?”
My stomach twisted. My daughter is now dead to me. I dropped my gaze. “No . . . I have no family.”
“Ah. But that is sad, non? I ’ave a family, but—”
The cabin door flew open, cutting her off. I shot to my feet, ready to fight . . . but it was only an angular, gray-haired woman shuffling in. An auburn-haired girl of eight or nine skipped happily behind her.
Laure’s expression soured, and with clear displeasure, she stood. “Bonjour, Madame Brown. We
’ave our final roommate.” She motioned to me. “This is Mademoiselle Fitt.”
The older woman curtsied primly, all the while openly examining me. “You are traveling alone?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” I said, not bothering to hide my own return-examination. She was long faced and unfortunately hairy around the chin.
“This is my granddaughter, Lizzie.” Mrs. Brown motioned to the girl, who gave me a bright grin—
revealing her own unfortunate feature: exceptionally large front teeth. “Lizzie, get your parasol. We are going to the promenade deck to watch the ship depart. Would you care to join us?”
Nothing about her expression suggested she wanted me, so I forced a polite smile. “No thank you, Ma’am.”