Chapter 39

When Nathaniel turned up after his two days leave he had a wide grin on his face. He also appeared to be in need of a night’s sleep, much to Bea’s, and indeed general, amusement. The ship was now repaired and fully laden, the cargo being mainly for Hawaii. This would be their first stop where they would also top up the bunkers. They would then proceed to Shanghai as instructed, largely in ballast unless there was a cargo for them in Honolulu. They had taken on more deck hands, and there was a gang of Lascars in the boiler room to stoke the boiler.

Two days before they were due to sail a smartly dressed young man made his way up the gang plank and asked for the captain. He was directed to the chart room where Fitz was bent over the chart table going through a parcel of charts he had just received.

“Captain Fitzherbert.”

Fitz straightened up.

“Aye,” he said, “and you would be?”

“Denholm Upson-Downes, sir. Usually just Downes, for ease.”

Fitz detected a slight lisp.

Downes handed Fitz his papers. Fitz went through them carefully.

“You’re ex navy, you’re a qualified navigator and you’ve a couple of years merchant navy experience. Sail, hmm, steam experience?”

“No, sir.”

“Well, you’ll soon learn,” Fitz hoped he would too. “Welcome aboard Mr Downes,” they shook hands. “You’ll be mate. We’ve one other navigator besides myself, Zeke. So, you’re a welcome addition.”

“Zeke, sir? Does he have another name?”

Fitz looked thoughtful, “D’you know, I’ve no idea. He’s just down on the crew list as Zeke,” he paused, “I’d guess that is short for Ezekiel. He’s an ex slave, black as you like, but a damned good man and totally loyal. You may rely on him. Perhaps he should have a surname, I’ll have to ask him.”

The crew had checked all the rigging and the sails, coaling was complete as was the inevitable clean up, the cargo was all stowed safely, and all the port dues paid. Engineer McClean and Nathaniel had tested he engine, and they had a full head of steam. The passengers were on board, Sisters Frances and Joan occupied one cabin and there were four others bound for Honolulu.

Standing on the bridge Fitz surveyed the ship. The gang plank was on the quay. There was just one small pile of trunks which there had not been time to stow, and that was piled on the deck just in front of the bridge. The Overland Transport Company had finally tuned up with the trunks that they had been unable to take on the stagecoach. There had not even been time to send Amanda’s traps to her, but, Bea mused wickedly, in her new profession she probably wouldn’t need them. The pile could be stowed before they left harbour. It was time to go.

“Let go aft, Mr Downes, half astern.”

The propeller wash pushed the stern away from the wharf.

“Stop engine. Let go forrard.”

‘Rigel’ gently moved away from the wharf and as soon as the bow was clear Fitz called for half astern again. They went astern for a few minutes describing an arc to the north before Fitz called for the engine to stop. The ship continued to turn as it slowed until the bow pointed south.

“Half ahead, steer two points to starboard.”

As soon as the ships head was pointed to the open sea Fitz gave the helmsman the course for Honolulu and called for ten knots.

“The wind is fair, we’ll make sail Mr Downes,” Fitz grinned.

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Downes returned the grin and set about his task.

The voyage, and perhaps further adventures, had begun.

“A letter,” said Hermione, “from the Countess Natalya Evgenyevna Geremoff. Why, do you think, I thought we should hear from Natalya again?”

“I’m sure I don’t know,” Jake replied. “Why don’t you read it and then we may find out why we have heard from her.”

“You have a rather beautific smile on your face, Jake. Carnal memories?”

“Yes, well,” said Jake. “No more than you, I dare say. It was a memorable umm, encounter.”

“Yes,” Hermione smiled. “Oh! Oh! I shall have to get Myrtle to help translate in the morning, but what I read is that she has a problem ... and she is in hiding ... with little Jakub. I’m sure I recognise that name! And she implores us to help. So, when are we leaving?”

“We are not leaving.”

“What? You are going to abandon a friend and a little boy whose father you undoubtedly are? Have you suddenly become a cad; you’d leave a lady in the lurch?”

“No,” said Jake, firmly. “And you’ll not shame me into going, because I shall be going. Neither will you nag me into taking you. I am going alone. There is no ‘We’”

“I most certainly will be going, and you will not stop me. If you mean that I should not go because I am with child, then you are sadly mistaken.”

“In your condition you are certainly not going. I have lost one wife to childbirth, and another to an accident most likely caused by not being too steady on her feet due to being with child. You are not going. And tears will not change my mind.”

“Worth a try,” Hermione sniffed.

“Besides,” said Jake. “You have to pass water every five minutes, and that would be damned inconvenient. ‘I say, Mr Villain,’ Jake adopted a falsetto, ‘would you mind standing with your hands up while I nip to the privy.’”

“Don’t be silly, Jake. No one would do that.”

“Exactly. You are not coming.”

Hermione was determined to sulk, but as usual Jake managed to overcome her resistance, and she fell asleep fully satisfied by his efforts.

It was as well that Lord Kingswood was away for a few days because Victoria had been very introverted for a day or two contemplating a very serious and seemingly insurmountable problem. Had he been at home he would soon have had the explanation. She was now sitting behind her desk deep in thought. Why on earth had she allowed that photograph with Josephine to be taken? Edouard’s painting ‘Olympia’ had caused a sensation, and not entirely in a good way, in Paris, what on earth would the photograph of her, and a pregnant her at that, together with a very black girl cause in Bristol? What on earth would her husband say, and really, more importantly what on earth was Lord Totterdown going to say about his wife’s photograph? And if he objected to his admittedly very pretty wife displaying her charms, would he go to the police? He would say that she had seduced his wife, an appalling thought, well, his actually saying it was, the thought of the act made her smile for a moment. He had every right to go to the police, of course. And if he did, and they decided to raid the premises and found the ‘gallery’ that would be the end of everything. She could just see the headline in the Mercury, God that woman, what was her name, ah yes Belinda Cooper, would enjoy it, forgetting that they had a compromising photograph of her. And what charges would they level? Would she end up in gaol? The thought horrified her. Was she so weak willed that she just allowed these things to happen? She shuddered at the thought that Jake would express disappointment, just that, only disappointment. And that would be worse than anything else. She felt she should break into tears, but that would just be self-pity, and she refused to succumb to that. The alternative was to build up to the sort of fury that had caused Jake to administer the smacked bottom that she had not enjoyed when they first started in business. In this mood she would sweep up to the studio, read the riot act to Doone and McCavity and get all the pictures out of the gallery and destroy them.

The mood was just beginning to build when there was a knock on her office door. At her instruction to come in, Becky put her head in and announced Lord Totterdown. The mood disappeared in an instant, and she felt sick as she stood to greet her visitor.

“Good morning, Lord Totterdown,” Victoria forced a smile and held out her hand.

“Good day, Lady Kingswood,” replied Lord Totterdown taking the proffered hand.

“Will you sit down? Coffee?”

“Thank you,” Lord Totterdown sat and indicated that Victoria should join him.

Victoria nodded to Becky and sat down.

“I am not used to Ladies who, well, work I suppose m’dear. Run businesses. Would you call it trade? I presume Kingswood approves.”

Victoria smiled. Whatever, His Lordship seemed in a good mood, and whatever he had in mind it did not seem to include tearing her or her reputation to shreds, disembowelling, or any of the other things that crossed her mind.

“Peter agreed to take me as I am,” Victoria laughed. “But I suppose it is trade, m’lord, and many look down upon it. We design and make dresses for ladies of all classes. We work with a fashion house in Paris and many of the dresses we make are worn by French ladies. We provide a lot of employment locally, and we import silks and damasks and brocades from the middle east and India, and linen from Ireland. We have materials printed in Manchester, many unique to us. It gives me and my staff a lot of satisfaction and excitement. And of course, I fear m’lord, in some quarters it is a dirty word, but we have to make a profit. And before you ask, if I didn’t, yes, the bank, even though my husband is a director, would foreclose on me.”

Totterdown laughed, “Not just a pastime for you then, got to make it all happen. It is true, m’dear that far too many of our class look down on trade and as you say, regard profit as a dirty word.

Becky arrived with coffee.

Lord Totterdown savoured the coffee, “A particularly fine blend, Lady Kingswood.” He thought for a moment. “I was delighted with Lady Totterdown’s portrait,” he went on. “A very fine piece of work, yes indeed.”

“I’m pleased you like it, Lord Totterdown.”

Since there had been two portraits, Victoria was unsure as to which one His Lordship was referring. Her uncertainty was dispelled by Lord Totterdown’s next words.

“I shall hang it in m’study,” he smiled. “‘Course the other one will be for my eyes only, what! But it does show her great beauty. Yes indeed. I am a very lucky man.”

Victoria felt herself blush, something she did not think she could do at her age.

“Hmm ... umm, yes, excellent coffee.”

“Another cup, m’lord?”

“No, no...”

She knew that there was something else that he wanted to talk about and wondered just how long it was going to take him to get to it.

“M’wife, yes, Lady Totterdown, Christina. She, well, she enjoyed posing for the photographs, y’know. Yes, well, not to beat about the bush she wondered if she could, umm, model dresses for you. Can’t see a problem m’self, I mean, I’m not going to be accused of sending her out to work. Well, I hope not. No need to pay her, what? No, of course not. I told her I’d ask you, has my approval of course, except none of the umm ... private ones, y’know?”

As if, Victoria thought, she had any hope of stopping those ‘private ones’.

“I don’t see why not. It’s a problem we’ve never really got to grips with, we’ve always used some of our girls, some are good, but some look, shall we say, somewhat uncomfortable. We have some dresses in our new collection for ladies in her condition, and after she has had the baby I’m sure she would enjoy showing off our usual range. Perhaps she could call on me and we can discuss it.”

“Yes, excellent! I’ll get her to do that.”

After Lord Totterdown left Victoria sat behind her desk again. But now she was in good spirits. The prospect of having someone who was happy to model dresses and who could be trained to get the best out of them was excellent. Particularly as it would be a ‘Lady’ doing it. Christina, or Chrissie as her husband had called her was also a tasty morsel for her to contemplate. Had she thought of seduction earlier? She laughed.

When Jake woke Hermione was sitting at her dressing table brushing her hair.

“Good morning, darling,” she chimed cheerfully.

“Good morning,” Jake returned, slightly worried remembering the conversation the previous evening.

“I have been thinking,” said Hermione, whilst Jake waited for the bomb to drop. “You obviously can’t go alone; you are far too likely to get into trouble. So, Susan will go with you.”

“What?” said Jake. “Certainly not. Have you no thought for Susan’s good name? Travelling with a married man, what will everyone think? Out of the question.”

“No one will think more than a lady travelling with her maid under the protection of a gentleman.”

“But she doesn’t have a maid ... Oh no, you are not sending Myrtle as well.”

“That is what I have decided. They will both be able to take care of you. In many ways.”

“What will you do for a maid? And have you mentioned this to Susan and Myrtle?”

“For heaven’s sake Jake, give me a chance, I’ve only just got up.”

“And you have decided. Do I not get a say in this?

Hermione had returned to bed and now grasped Jake by his upstanding part and kissed him.

“Of course you do, Darling. You get to say yes. And you will have two women to look after your every need.”

Jake turned towards her and returned the kiss. “Not every need,” he said.

Hermione smiled a knowing smile.

It took just short of eleven days for ’Rigel’ to reach Honolulu. The weather had been largely fine and even on the one day that it had rained the sea state was no more than long ocean swells. Even so there were one or two cases of sea sickness. Over all Fitz was pleased with the ship and the crew had settled in well. Their passengers had expressed satisfaction with the accommodation and particularly with the meals provided by Jemima and served by her brother Ben.

Winnie who, with better food had acquired some womanly curves, had settled in well as Bea’s maid and was proving to be a great asset. On board ship Bea had to behave herself and her nocturnal visits to Fitz came to an end. Whilst she had been able to see him in the house, in the confines of the ship that was really not possible. Everyone would have known before the night was out and that would not do.

It was on the fourth day from San Francisco that a rather pensive Winnie was tidying Bea’s cabin when Bea came in. Bea looked at her.

“You look as though you have a heavy weight on your shoulders, Winnie. Do you have a problem? Are you regretting coming with me?” Bea asked.

“Oh! No, m’lady. It’s just...”

“Just what?”

“You have such lovely things, m’lady.”

“Ah! You mean I wear silk underwear and you wear cotton?”

“I suppose so ... but I’m not ungrateful, honestly. I have so much better things now, that you have bought for me. And I feel safe with you and the captain ... but...”

“Come on,” said Bea. “Tell me.”

“Umm, well. What is the difference between ladies and maids? I mean we’re all women I’m sure ... I’ve seen you ... I mean, we both got tits an’ a cunt ... I saw you with that other lady an’ you don’t do that with me.”

Bea already knew that Winnie was highly intelligent, and now she was asking questions where an ordinary girl would just accept the status quo. Winnie clearly wasn’t ordinary. So, what to do?

“Well now, to start with a lady wouldn’t use that sort of language. I would say something like, ‘you have the same female attributes as me’. The other differences are education, how you are brought up and learning for instance how to behave and how to eat properly, how to walk, how to talk to people. And of course, money always helps as does the title. As to that other lady. She started this trip as my maid, and along the way became my companion. And she’s ended up running a brothel with her aunt. So, by your definition she isn’t a lady.”

“So, she’s a ho’”

“I guess she is,” rejoined Bea thoughtfully. “And as to that other thing. Well, you are very young, and very tempting. I do not want to hurt you, and what you saw might not be the thing for you.”

“I won’t know until I try, will I?” said Winnie with a grin.

Bea caught Winnie around the waist and pulled her in for a kiss. Which went on for, some time, but who was measuring? It ended up with a slightly breathless Winnie.

“I think I’d like to try more.” she said after taking a minute to recover. She presented her lips for another kiss, but Bea just pecked.

“Later,” she said. “Right now, there are things to be done.”

Jake returned to his own room, dressed, and then went down to the dining room for breakfast. Drinking his first cup of coffee was all the time it took for Mrs Footman to produce his breakfast and Footman to bring it in. He was very glad that the staff had found his idea acceptable, a freshly cooked breakfast was definitely preferable to having the contents of the chafing dishes that might have been there for some time. It also cut down on waste too, and only the pigs would regret that. After his second cup of coffee he decided that he needed to get out and walk to clear his mind, so before the ladies or Dennis appeared he left.

As he walked along several farm employees doffed their caps and wished him a cheerful good morning. All of them seemed to be happily carrying out their work, proof in a small way Jake thought, that they had done some good.

The next person he saw was Mrs Waterford. She was attending to her garden and the myriad plants that she used to prepare her herbal remedies.

“Good morning, Sir Jacob,” she greeted him. “It’s a fine morning.”

“It is indeed,” said Jake. “And how are you keeping, Mrs Waterford?”

“Oh well enough for my age, thank you, Sir Jacob. The house is lovely, and my Mary is like a dog with two tails. She loves working with the horses. Mind you, Mr Jonathon keeps her in line. If she don’t do what he wants she gets a real telling off. But sometimes she needs it. One time,” she went on, warming to her subject, “he threatened to smack her backside. She told me she said to him she didn’t want black handprints on her bum. Well he held his hand up and the palms all pink you know. She was so ashamed of what she’d said she told him he’d best do it to teach her a lesson. But he just laughed. He told her where he came from, she’d have been tied to a post and whipped. She didn’t like the idea of that. Is that what they do, Sir Jacob?”

“I’m afraid it is, Mrs Waterford. They do worse than that too. By her age Mary would have had two or three children as well as doing hard work out in the very hot sun,” Jake grimaced. “And if the plantation owner who owns them wants, he will just take the women, particularly the young girls.”

“Oh! That’s dreadful. Well, I shall be happy we live here, sir. I wouldn’t want anything like that happening to my Mary.” Although when she thought about it later she realised that he could do just that, and little anyone would say about it.

Jake walked on. It wasn’t that he was thinking about Natalya, or anything specific, but he knew that something in his unconscious mind would come up with perhaps a solution or a route to a solution. It always did.

As he walked past the end of the gallops he saw Mary coming on one of the horses that were being trained, and stopped to watch. There was no doubt that this side of the business was doing well. Some of the poorer quality horses had run well at various venues, and the better ones had won several places. Mary stopped when she reached him and simply leapt off into his arms. He found himself being thoroughly kissed before she broke off and grinned at him.

“If you keep doing that young lady you’ll find yourself in trouble,” Jake told her. “I might have to put some red hand marks on your backside.” He was rather surprised when he felt a ripple of pleasure run through her.

“Ooo,” she said. “You’d have to take my drawers down to do that.”

She grinned at him, and then an inquisitive nose came between them.

“I think this lady needs your attention,” he told her.

He helped her remount with his hand under her backside. As she reached the saddle, she was rather red faced and appeared to be slightly distressed. Jake grinned, she shook her head and rode off. Jake adjusted his trousers before he could walk on. There was no doubt, he thought, that girl could tempt a saint.

He walked along the beach, throwing the odd pebble into the water, as one does, and returned to the house. As he left the boot room he was intercepted by Footman.

“Lady Hermione, Miss Susan and Myrtle are in the library, Sir Jacob. I was asked to tell you.”

“Orders to attend, I should think.”

“That may well be the case, sir.”

Jake was laughing as he walked towards the library. As he entered, he saw the three of them sitting around a table.

“Ah!” he said. “A coven meeting.”

Hermione looked at him. “And which one is the hag?” she asked. “And would you like to remove the lipstick from your mouth?”

Jake instinctively put his hand to his mouth before he realised that Mary wouldn’t have worn lipstick.

Hermione laughed. “You see, ladies. You can never trust a man. Out of your sight for two minutes. Mary, I suppose?”

“Umm, well, she just leapt of the horse and grabbed me into a clinch.”

“And the big strong man could do nothing about it.”

Susan and Myrtle appeared to be enjoying this exchange.

Jake was quite sure that if Hermione stuck a pin through a bug, she’d enjoy watching it squirm.

“So, I’m sure you remember, ladies,” Hermione went on, “you are supposed to be looking after him for me so don’t let him out of your sight, you know how much trouble he can cause. Come and sit down Jake. Now, Myrtle has helped with the translation of Natalya’s letter, and it is largely as I said last night. Susan and Myrtle have agreed to come with you and act as your bodyguards. We’ll have to find out if there is a boat from Hull or Grimsby to Kristiania where, with a bit of luck, you’ll be able to get a passage with Captain Olsen to Konigsberg.”

“You make it sound so simple, my darling. But after we get to Konigsberg, which is in Germany by the way, where do we go from there to find the lady?”

“Oh, Smolensk. It’s somewhere in Russia.”

“And do you remember that the Russians were very anxious to get rid of us last time?”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous Jake. That was ages ago, they’ll have forgotten all about that,” said Hermione airily.

Jake shook his head. He was a good deal less certain of that.

The day after Lord Totterdown’s visit Becky showed Lady Totterdown into Victoria’s office.

She was, thought Victoria, both lovely and obviously keen. Well, that was good.

“I hope you don’t mind,” said Lady Totterdown. “But I was so taken with posing that I felt I would enjoy modelling. There is little for me to do at home, and my husband agreed, so, here I am.”

“Let’s start off with introductions,” said Victoria. “I’m Victoria, Miss Victoria to my staff. Do you mind If I call you Christina?”

“I’d prefer Chrissie if that’s all right. I know I’m not supposed to refer to this as work,” she smiled, “and outside I must be Lady Totterdown to them, not you, of course, Victoria, but while I am here, I am happy, and indeed prefer, to be called that.”

“Excellent,” said Victoria. “Let’s get started. Sometimes things can be a bit hectic, but we’ll see how you get on. The normal sales floor you know, although that wouldn’t be part of your area. We’ll start with Nerissa our milliner.”

As they entered the millinery department Nerissa recognised the visitor, stood and started to curtsey.

“No need,” said Victoria holding her hand out palm up to indicate that Nerissa should stand. “This is Chrissie, she is going to be modelling for us.”

“Oh!” said Nerissa, somewhat at a loss. “But...”

“You call me Victoria?”

“Yes.”

“Same thing,” said Victoria. “At work she’s Chrissie. Outside, Lady Totterdown. Now, can you explain what you do.”

“Of course,” said Nerissa, on firmer ground. “I design hats and make the first one,” she told Chrissie. “That goes to the workshop where they pull it apart and make it easier for the girls to make. The easier it is, then we can either make more money, or sell it for less. That isn’t my department. Then there are the bespoke hats. We do a range of rather better hats for ladies, and if you want something special then we can do a one off. They are the ones that make husbands cough.” She laughed as she relaxed. “That’s all there is to it umm, Chrissie.”

Nerissa picked up a hat and settled it on Chrissie’s head. “There,” she said. “You have to be very nice to your husband to get away with that one.”

Chrissie looked in the mirror, adjusted the set of the hat and tried a couple of poses.

Nerissa looked at Victoria. “If she’s that good with a dress she’ll be worth every penny,” she laughed.

Chrissie continued posing, a smile on her face.

“I’m not allowed to pay her,” Victoria averred.

“Hats and dresses?”

“Her husband pays for those.”

“Must be something.”

“I’ll think of something. We’ll go and beard the photographers in their den next, Chrissie.”

Chrissie had had a rather neutral expression on her face as she concentrated on various positions to display the hat. At Victoria’s words she acquired an anticipatory smile. Worrying, thought Victoria. She was unable to see Nerissa’s expression, but from the shaking of her shoulders she guessed she was laughing.

They arrived to find the studio door closed but Phil came out of the darkroom to greet them.

“Ben is just taking a photograph,” he said. “And back so soon, Lady Totterdown.”

“Chrissie is going to model for us, more of course in a month or two after the baby arrives. She’ll be Chrissie whilst she is at work.” Victoria told him.

“That’s really good news,” Phil told them. “I’m afraid most of the girls look as though they want to go to the privy. Yourself excepted of course Miss Victoria. But, umm, Chrissie just looks so good in whatever she puts on.”

“Or takes off,” said Victoria.

The studio door opened, and a young woman came out. The smile she had on her face lasted for only a second when she saw Victoria and Chrissie.

“G-good morning, m-my ladies,” she stuttered to their greeting.

Victoria reached out and adjusted the woman’s dress.

“I really must have a word with Josephine and Myfanwy,” she said rather absently. “That design is very difficult to get straight without a maid.”

The woman went off down the stairs as Ben came out of the studio blushing.

“Good photograph?” asked Victoria with a glance at the ceiling. “This is Chrissie who is going to model for us. Her husband has told me she is to be fully clothed in front of the camera in future.” She looked at a glum faced Chrissie.

“Oh for heavens sake! I don’t suppose anyone will take any notice of that anyway,” she finished.

Victoria took Chrissie to Josephine and Myfanwy’s studio and workshop next. The introductions followed the same pattern as before with Victoria impressing on them that Chrissie was Lady Totterdown if they met her outside of work. If Chrissie was surprised at Josephine, she certainly showed no signs of it.

“And she will be our model? We can use her as a pattern?” asked Myfanwy.

“Yes,” said Victoria.

“Oh good,” Josephine ran her eyes over Chrissie. Victoria wasn’t quite sure what this implied. Hopefully that they needed a model. This was confirmed by Josephine’s next statement.

“We are working on the gowns for expectant ladies, and she will be a big help.”

“Come and see me in my office when the girls are finished with you,” Victoria told Chrissie.

With that she left to return to her office, hopefully all would be well.

Jake agreed with Hermione’s assessment of the situation, since it coincided with his own, but although he knew that both Susan and Myrtle were attractive and capable women, he was less that happy about taking them along. In Hermione’s absence they were going to prove a great temptation. The odd thing was that he felt sure from what Hermione said that she would not object. It would be best though, if he didn’t push his luck.

He was rather taken aback when the three women decided that they simply had to go to London to ensure that they had all the dresses and other things which Jake knew went with the dresses, to undertake the trip. He felt they should travel reasonably light, but if accidents happened and the vast quantities of luggage were lost, well, that was one of the misfortunes of foreign travel. So, the next day the ladies would go to London, returning the day after, and Jake would go to Grimsby to see if he could find a ship going to Kristiania.

Honolulu was exiting. ’Rigel’ had been guided into a pier where she could be unloaded. Almost within the hour an invitation had come for Captain Fitzpatrick and Lady Beatrice to attend a reception with the governor, visitors were always a welcome relief. The cargo they had brought from San Francisco was unloaded by dockers wearing very little and the engineers prepared for coaling, refilling water tanks and revictualling. There was no cargo for them to take to their next stop and it was decided that they would take on extra coal. It was a long run to Shanghai, about 4500 nautical miles and Fitz estimated that it would take between 30 and 35 days.