afternoon spent with Miss Ashford, “like my own. Miss Ashford says he is always remembering her with small gifts, and will probably surprise her with something when he returns from his present trip. She showed me several lovely pieces of jewelry he has given her, as well as a few animal figurines—a gold turtle, a porcelain hare, and an ebony cat. She collects them, and whenever he sees an unusual one, he acquires it for her. She said the cat came from Egypt. Is that not a sign of good character in a man? Not the presents themselves, or the money spent—the thoughtfulness. I think how a man treats his sister or mother is a test of how he will treat a wife.”
Elizabeth agreed. The manner in which Darcy took care of his sister had influenced Elizabeth’s own affections for him. And still did. It was under his guardianship that Georgiana had developed into the remarkable young woman she had become, and Elizabeth trusted that under his influence, Lily-Anne would grow to be as accomplished and amiable as her aunt.
While Georgiana was enjoying the company of Miss Ashford, Elizabeth and Darcy occupied themselves by watching the
The ship appeared closer to completion each time Elizabeth saw her in the harbor. Masts, rigging, and sails gave it a more finished outward appearance to her untrained eye. The status of the lower decks was less apparent. Thus far no guns peeked through the gun ports—real or painted—but it seemed that something or other was being hoisted or lowered on the ship whenever she visited the Cobb. Captain Wentworth, lending his powers of observation, mentioned things like tillers, sweeps, and capstans, but to her this was a foreign language. He further observed that although the vessel looked to have plenty of seamen already hired and expediting the fitting out, only some of them appeared to be living aboard yet.
She believed that Captain Tourner had already moved into his cabin. As Sir Laurence had predicted, the ship spent part of its time moored outside the seawall, where it could better withstand the shifts of wind and tide than could the fishing vessels and other small watercraft that called the harbor home. She and Darcy had seen Tourner being rowed out to the ship one day in a boat whose cargo comprised assorted chests and furnishings, including a handsome desk and a large wardrobe. She found it amazing that many captains and admirals furnished their cabins as they would their homes, but Captain Wentworth had pointed out that, for most of a captain’s time, his cabin
At last, to Georgiana’s happiness, Sir Laurence returned to Lyme. The Darcys’ cottage was his first call.
“Wish for fair weather on the morn, Miss Darcy. I came to you by way of the harbor, where I found a skipper delighted to take us out in his boat. At this time tomorrow afternoon, we shall be upon the water.”
“I have been looking forward to it all week,” Georgiana said.
“As have I.” He regarded her in great earnest. “There is something very particular I plan to ask you when we are away from shore.”
Georgiana fairly floated through the rest of the evening. As the sun set that night, she watched the sky for signs of clouds. Not one appeared on the horizon to trouble her.
Twenty-Eight
“Being lost in only a sloop, nobody would have thought about me.”
On the morning of the boat excursion, a heavy blanket stretched across the sky, creating a seascape so grey that the Portland lighthouse and other familiar landmarks of Lyme Bay disappeared from sight, and patches of fog enveloped parts of the harbor. At noon, the sun, grown impatient with this moodiness, attempted to dispel it by lancing the clouds. The resulting rays of light were rays of hope to Georgiana.
“There is no need to postpone our excursion, is there?” Georgiana asked Darcy. Her expression was more than merely optimistic; it was determined.
Darcy knew how much this afternoon’s plans meant to his sister. Elizabeth had been present when Sir Laurence mentioned his “particular” question, and Elizabeth had, in turn, shared his statement with Darcy. He was nearly as pleased by the hint as Georgiana, and he did not want to disappoint her.
“We will keep a watch on the weather,” he said. The day indeed appeared to be improving.
By the designated hour of departure, the sky remained grey, but the fog had dissipated, no rain had fallen, and the sun appeared more often than not. The wind was steady, strong enough to fill sails. As Darcy, Elizabeth, Georgiana, Sir Laurence, and Miss Ashford gathered at the harbor, it looked as if this would prove a pleasant day for sailing after all.
“Are you ready for one of the most memorable days of your life?” Sir Laurence asked Georgiana.
She answered him with a smile brighter than any Darcy had seen on her before. “I am.”
They boarded the boat, seating the three ladies first, next the two gentlemen. All seemed part of a tacit conspiracy to ensure that Sir Laurence and Georgiana sat beside each other. Darcy and Elizabeth shared a seat with Miss Ashford.
The skipper oared them out of the harbor and made sail. They were off.
Darcy leaned toward Elizabeth and spoke into her ear. “Are you enjoying yourself thus far?”
“Yes.” She glanced toward Georgiana. “Though not, I think, as much as a certain other passenger. Perhaps you ought to declare yourself to me again.”
“Will you accept my first offer this time?”
“Perhaps.”
They passed the
“She is becoming a fine-looking ship,” Georgiana said, though she had her eyes so much on Sir Laurence that Darcy could not have said how much of the merchant vessel his sister actually saw. For his part, Sir Laurence heard her praise as if she were complimenting his own appearance.
The wind propelled the boat across the waves. Unused to the movement, Georgiana several times placed a hand on Sir Laurence’s arm to steady herself. They skirted the coastline of the bay, its rugged terrain so very different when viewed from the water. It was a highly pleasant beginning.
Until the wind shifted. No longer their ally, it teased their sails and tormented their skipper with its indecision over which way to blow. It wanted to gust strongly, of that it was sure. As strongly as the waves of the incoming tide leaped toward shore in ever-higher swells.
“Are we still safe?” Georgiana asked Sir Laurence.
“Most assuredly,” he replied. “We have an experienced skipper. Nevertheless, I shall tell him to turn back.”
Georgiana did not appear convinced. Neither did Elizabeth, who now rested an anxious hand on Darcy’s arm.
They turned around, the skipper working hard to control his boat while the silent, apprehensive ladies clung to their seats against the force of each wave, and the gentlemen assisted with minor tasks as directed. The skipper had seen worse, he assured them, and so had his boat. There was nothing to dread.
Thus they tossed their way toward Lyme, gratefully watching the Cobb rise in the distance. They neared once more the
As they skirted round its side, a great breaking wave caught them. It heeled the boat to such extreme that its passengers slid to one side with the force, upsetting the vessel’s balance.
The boat overturned, and all were suddenly, shockingly, plunged into the water.
Darcy surfaced first. He had reached for Elizabeth just as the boat capsized—but had lost hold of her hand. Panic seized him until he spotted her nearby, struggling to reach the surface, weighted down by her skirts. He pulled her up. Struggling to keep both himself and her afloat, he looked round wildly for the others. On the opposite side of the capsized boat, Sir Laurence supported Miss Ashford.
The skipper and Georgiana were missing.
