“Getting by. The Burks treat us like a bunch of little kiddies, they do. I can’t wait to be rid of them.”
“This whole Emigration Society is a joke,” another woman nearby said. “ ‘Good Christian lassies who’ll settle down the wayward gold miners and raise wholesome families.’ Ha!” She snorted with laughter, and the other women looked uneasy. “I can’t wait to get out of this stinking hellhole and have some fun in the colonies.”
“This is Alice Webb,” Sarah said. “She’s from London.”
I guessed Alice was no more than eighteen or nineteen, but her demeanour was that of a woman who had seen much of the underside of life. In spite of the harsh conditions of the voyage, she was done up with plenty of gaudy jewellery, rouged lips, and even a dyed, limp feather in her upswept red hair. Her tight bodice showed off an ample bosom, only partly shrouded by a black lace shawl.
“What do you plan to do when we arrive, Alice?” I asked politely.
“Not sure, but I know whatever it is, it’ll be my choice, and it’ll be a relief that me dad won’t be demanding me wages so’s he can buy gin.”
“Maybe you’ll become an actress like Florence here,” Sarah said.
Alice waved the suggestion away.
“I’m afraid actresses don’t make a lot of money,” Florence said. “I expect I’ll have to take another position until I’m established.”
“Not planning on marriage, then?” I asked.
“No. Several of us are hoping for something else,” Florence said. “Of course no one mentioned that at the emigration interview back in London. It’s just that this will be our first chance at freedom. Many of us want a taste of it, for a while at least. And you, Charlotte? What are your plans when we get to the colony?”
It was refreshing to hear women talk of a future that did not revolve around the man they hoped to marry. “Me? I expect I’ll marry, if things go according to plan. What with family expectations and all.”
Sarah nodded. “I used to be married myself. My man was in the army, killed in China, in the opium wars. He always told me that if anything happened to him, I was to go live with my father in the New World…” Her voice trailed off and she rubbed her belly, lost in a memory.
“Oh, Sarah. I’m so sorry,” I said. I had wondered what had happened to force her to hide her pregnancy and come alone on this journey. She was brave, I realized, braver than I.
On the surface of it, I was in a better situation. I was a gentlewoman supported by my sister, not unmarried and pregnant. While most of these sixty women would marry, they had skills and the chance to work at any job. The choice was up to them. And if they chose marriage, they were free to follow their heart.
I had no option other than to make a respectable marriage, but the thought left me feeling cold. Perhaps with Lady Persephone’s connections, I told myself, I would meet the right sort of gentleman with whom I genuinely felt a connection.
I wished Sarah well and said goodbye to the others just as Mrs. Burk appeared out from behind the ship’s large funnel, a smug look on her face. How long had she been standing there? I wondered. I couldn’t deny the uneasy feeling her presence always invoked in me.
Chapter Seventeen
“Charlotte, where have you been?” Harriet said, rushing over to me the minute I stepped into our cabin. She was edgier than usual, but I searched her eyes. It wasn’t because of the laudanum.
“I was… out walking,” I replied. “Why? Has something happened?”
“It’s Lady Persephone. I was sitting with her in the cardroom and she mentioned how impressed she was with you, how she would like to help you find a good husband when we get to Victoria. I didn’t even have to ask her for the favour.”
“That’s wonderful news,” I said without conviction. “But why are you so upset?”
Harriet began pacing the room. “Persephone went on to tell me that Sir Richard is extremely concerned about the threat of American annexation. Apparently, there has been a parade of politicians from the south, visiting the colony. They’re trying to raise the expectation of American rule and they’re speaking directly to the large number of gold seekers from California.”
I didn’t completely understand what she was saying. “But what does it have to do with us and my marriage prospects?”
“Everything. Sir Richard is writing to the prime minister, strongly advising him to send a contingent of senior members of the government to counter the American effort. He’s gone so far as to make a suggested list of people to send. Charles is on that list.”
“Isn’t that good news? He’ll be alone. It would give you a chance to reconcile with him.”
“He’s not the only one on the list.” She stopped her pacing and turned to me. “So is George.”
A wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm me as an image of George, standing over me, struggling to remove his trousers, flashed in my consciousness. I shuddered. “Can I never be quit of that man?”
She sat on her bed. “There’s more.”
“For heaven’s sakes. What?”
“Lady Persephone knows George well, and she saw the two of you out on the boat together at my party. She thought you made a lovely couple and wondered why George had let you go without proposing.”
I sank down on the bed next to her. “And you said?”
“That it seemed there simply was no spark between the two of you.”
“She accepted that?”
Harriet shook her head. “She said that sparks have nothing to do with it, that George needs a wife and you would fit the bill nicely.”
“At least she hasn’t heard the rumours about me.”
“Not yet. But if George does venture to the colony, she will sit him down and push him to make an offer for you. Of course, he’ll no doubt tell her his dreadful story about
