Convictions (26 page)

“And being a guard?” Jennie asked more boldly.

“There weren’t many choices, and my father pressed me into it. But most guards are brutal. They love to bully and hold sway over others, especially when it comes to women. They’re even worse than the sailors!” His eyes flashed with contempt. “Many are more criminal than those they hold captive…like Chilcott – Red Bull was.”

She gave him a puzzled look. “So you know about Red Bull’s past?”

He nodded. “Yes. He bragged about it one night when he was drunk, after he’d beaten Lizzie. About how he’d murdered another man and had gotten away with it because they didn’t have enough evidence to convict him.” Nate went on to tell her how someone had thwarted Red Bull who had planned the murder to look like an accident…on some lake in the North Country. But those who were involved in the investigation knew the bruises and cuts on the victim were from more than hitting a head on the side of a boat, or being washed about in the rocks on shore.

“And Lizzie recognized him from the Old Bailey where he was tried,” Jennie said thoughtfully, almost to herself. Her mind flitted regretfully over the memory of Lizzie. If only she hadn’t tried to bribe Red Bull.

Nate nodded again. “Recognition by happenstance. Only then, she used an assumed name. She was working as a…” Nate stopped, blushing.

“A doxy,” Jennie filled in for him matter-of-factly. She smiled over at Fanny, emerging through the hatch. Jennie no longer had any qualms about what doxies were, or what they did, or about speaking of them openly. Lizzie and Fanny had become her friends. They’d only been doing what was necessary to survive.

Nate looked at her with discomfiture.

“You learn things you’d rather not, being in such close confines with convicts,” she said with the hint of a smile still on her lips. “Mostly you learn to stick up for yourself and what you believe in.”

“You do the best that you can do,” said Nate.

“Though, look where it gets you sometimes,” said Jennie with a hint of bitter regret.

“You, too, were only trying to survive,” said Nate tenderly. “I’d probably have done the same.”

Her eyes watered, but she held her emotions in check.

“And what about you? How do you feel?” she almost whispered.

“I despise what’s happening in England. The poverty, the hunger and the despair. Most of these women – including you –
wouldn’t be here, except that you were hungry, or had families that were hungry.”

“At least
you
found honest work,” Jennie said, feeling her face flush. She glanced away and then back again, swallowing. “I should have tried harder. I still shouldn’t have stolen.”

“You
did
have honest work. Your landlord stole what was owed to you and your family. He had no call for the way he treated you in your work, or over what his wife tossed in the rubbish, which was clearly spoilt. He should be here, not you!” He clasped her hand. “There wasn’t any other decent work for you to do.”

Jennie was shocked that Nate knew so much about her. She was sure she hadn’t told him. She glanced over at Alice and Sarah, who were busy feeding Mary. They would never say anything. Meadows must have told him.

Nate continued gravely, “I couldn’t find any other work besides this quickly enough to help my family. Nor do I have any other training, and I abhor what I do!”

He clenched the railing. “This work wouldn’t be necessary, if people had some way to feed themselves. The government is to blame for that, and for locking decent people up because they’re starving. I want to do something more worthwhile in life. Something with honour. I’d rather starve than do this again.”

“Brave words coming from a naive young pup,” Captain MacGregor interrupted.

Jennie tensed. She hadn’t heard the captain’s approach. Nate dropped her hand and faced him.

“Only speaking the truth,” he said humbly.

“Aye, the truth, as you know it. And you may be right at that.” Captain MacGregor looked at them thoughtfully. “After what I’ve just heard, I guess it’s out of the question to ask you if you’d like to continue on with my ship. It would be good to have a hard-working young man of your morals amongst us.”

Jennie was proud of the captain’s regard for Nate. Nate was the nicest man she knew and she wished she wouldn’t have to be parted from him when they docked. She knew that was exactly what would happen though. She was still a convict and he a guard.

Nate shook his head. “Sorry, sir. But I thank you for your offer.”

“What will you do then?” Captain MacGregor asked.

“I have no idea at the moment.” He shrugged again. “I guess that partly depends on you and what you and Meadows decide about the rest of us, once we land at Tenerife.” Nate stared into the captain’s eyes.

Jennie’s heart did a little flutter at the “us” again.

“About that,” said the captain, breaking the glance and stroking his chin. “Seeing as how you want to change your post, we can probably find a ship to get you back to England and your family.”

“Begging your pardon, sir,” Nate said in a hoarse voice, “but that would be the last place I’d like to return to. There is nothing for me there, except more poverty and hunger.”

Captain MacGregor tilted his head in thought. “The Commonwealth has many countries in its realm with opportunities, but none more full of prospects right now than the new Province of Canada.”

Nate’s eyes lit up. “That sounds like a good choice.”

Jennie’s mind became alert. She’d heard about immigration there. A cousin of her mother’s had gone to the Province of Canada a year earlier and had reported success.

“There’s a good likelihood that there will be ships in Tenerife heading that way,” the captain said.

“We’ll see, I guess,” said Nate. There was slight glimmer of hope in his accompanying smile. “Thank you, sir.” He gave the captain a little bow.

When he straightened again, his expression had turned serious. “That is a fine idea for me, but, by us I meant the women too.”

He moved closer to Jennie and indicated the women grouped in the centre of the ship. Jennie clutched the blanket tighter around her.

Nate’s close presence gave Jennie added courage to ask loudly, so the others nearby could hear. “Yes, what about us, sir? Us…uh…convicts?”

Nate touched her elbow in encouragement.

Captain MacGregor said, “You’ll probably be put onto a ship bound for England to start for the Van Diemen’s Land colony again. Unless there`s one headed there that has space when we arrive in Tenerife. Then they could decide to send you straight there.”

Jennie gulped. “Is there something else you might consider, sir?”

Behind her, she heard the women murmuring, but not loud enough to discern what they were saying. They were all apprehensive about their futures.

The captain waved a hand as if to dismiss her. “I don’t hold with most of the laws, but what you want is out of the question. I have my reputation and my appointment to take into account.” He stomped away.

“What will we do now?” Jennie headed over to the other women to relay her exchange with the captain. She threw the blanket down in frustration.

“There must be a way we can convince him,” said Fanny.

“Maybe we could offer to make ourselves useful,” Sarah said. She looked over the ship. “This tub could use a good cleaning.”

“That might be the way to get into his good graces,” Hildy said, “but that’s not going to convince him to free us.”

“Too bad he has to tell anyone about us at all,” said Alice, frowning.

“That’s it!” Jennie grabbed Alice and swung her around. “I’ll see if I can convince him.”

As Jennie hurried off, she heard the women discussing what to clean first.

“Angus, fetch us a bucket and a mop,” Sarah called out.

“I’ll coil these ropes out of the way,” said Fanny.

Hildy volunteered to sort out the sails that needed fixing from the pile at the stern.

Jennie approached the captain hopefully, standing beside him for a few moments as he stared out to sea. She noted an occasional bird on the wing in the distance. They must only be a couple of days from Tenerife.

At last Jennie broke the silence. “Sir, I
may
have a solution about us. That is, it would depend on you…if you’d be willing.”

Captain MacGregor motioned for her to proceed.

Jennie bit her bottom lip. “Seeing as how there were very few survivors from the shipwreck, maybe the authorities need not know about the rest of us at all.”

She clasped her hands in front of her waist and continued, “Maybe you tell them we all perished. You could forget you ever rescued any of us, and just let us go our own way.”

Jennie paused to judge the captain’s reaction, glancing at the women nodding their encouragement. Nate sauntered over to her and the captain.

“Not turn you over to the authorities?” Captain MacGregor said with a frown. “That’s out of the question.”

Nate cut in. “The authorities probably won’t want to concern themselves with the fate of a few poor women they don’t know what to do with anyway. They’ll be more set on compensation for the loss of the ship than the
cargo
, once they discover it was lost in a storm.”

The captain rubbed his chin as he thought.

Nate continued, “They’d likely prefer to wash their hands of the women entirely. Maybe you would too, sir, especially if you’re not keen on preparing the heap of official documents required.”

As the captain considered the situation, Jennie asked quietly, “
Would
you consider letting us go?” She took a deep breath. “I doubt anyone would find out, especially now that Red Bull – I mean, Chilcott – is gone.”

Nate said, “Coombs and Edwards will be happy they have work on your ship, and I’m sure I can convince them and Meadows to say all convicts were
lost
at sea, as it were.”

“Please, sir.” Jennie couldn’t keep the pleading from her voice.

She glanced at Sarah and Alice again, holding their hands up to their chests with bowed heads as they waited for the captain’s answer. The others had stopped working and looked on wide-eyed.

“Still there are those who
might
speak,” said the captain hesitantly.

Jennie motioned Sarah and Alice to join her. “None of us would say anything,” Jennie added hopefully. “I’m sure the other women would agree to a vow of silence without a second thought.”

“Indeed we would,” said Sarah.

“Yes, sir,” Alice agreed.

Jennie continued, as the other women made their way over. “We’ll make our own way, just disappear, and you’ll never hear from us again. I promise.”

The women nodded.

The captain wiped a drip of spittle off the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. He was a drinker and probably wouldn’t be able to hold his own counsel.

Jennie added, “If any rumours surface, you can always say we tricked you, that we told you we were ordinary passengers.”

The captain frowned. “I
might
be convinced to hold my tongue with the right persuasion.”

Jennie’s hopes plummeted. Surely he knew that the women had no money to pay a bribe and nothing else with which to trade. Another thought made her blanch. She certainly wasn’t going to become a doxy on this ship, if that’s what he was suggesting.

Then she thought again about being on a convict ship and the beatings. Would they end up on another ship with a captain who sanctioned cruel treatment? Maybe being a doxy would be an alternative she would have to consider seriously. But she certainly wasn’t desperate enough to do so yet.

The captain spoke casually, “Of course, it was
my
goodwill that rescued you and brought you all on board
my
ship without any thought of recompense.” He eyed them expectantly.

Jennie stared at him coldly. She had not thought him to be so unscrupulous, even if he was a man often in his cups.

“Wait a moment, Captain MacGregor,” Sarah said, stepping forward. “Most of us are able-bodied women, or at least we will be if you feed us. We could cook, clean the ship and mend sails.” She pointed to the women already hard at work. “And Jennie could tend to your sick.”

The captain snorted.

“But aren’t any of those things worth anything to you?” asked Jennie.

The captain threw her a look of disdain.

“Won’t it at least help pay for our passage?” Sarah asked.

“Not enough.” Captain MacGregor narrowed his eyes slightly as he scanned the sea.

Now what?
Jennie knew he was considering the sailors on his ship and how far he could trust them. She learned from Old Ruddick that several men had been in cahoots with Davis in selling off the ship’s supplies before they even set sail. They had hoped to overpower the captain and the ship mid-voyage and prey upon any unsuspecting ships that happened by. Or at the very least, sell off some of the illegal contraband that they’d smuggled on board in place of provisions. They’d want a hefty fee for keeping the women’s secret.