England

1764

To my darling daughter Evie,

Time is short so I must write to you hastily, we have arrived in Port Royal. The storm we encountered is long behind us. The accommodations are splendid, the only real threat here is heat deprivation.

Although I have just arrived, I soon need to depart, we sail to the sea, once more to find a lost frigate ship. I feel as though they are long lost but I have my orders. We shall return shortly, wait for my letters to arrive.

Do send letters of your daily adventures, I long to hear them.

Soon my child I hope to see you and your mother.

With all the love in the world,

Henry

I wipe away a stray tear, folding the wriggled and faded letter, I place it inside the small hem of my sleeve. I read it whenever I can just to have something from him.

We have yet to receive a letter from my father, a year now and still no sign of his presence. With no news of his arrival or his whereabouts brings me to wonder what has happened to him. I failed at reaching one of the captains, when they make port here in Essex. But I have heard news that a ship will make port in days time. If I can just get there in a timely manner and find the news I need, we can finally be at peace. I keep quite on the matter for fear my mother will hear of the news. Rudy agrees with my decision, my mother may be head of the household but I have been deciding the ways of things around her.

As I walk down the long hall I wait by the entrance of Mother’s room, waiting for Rudy to finish changing her sheets.

Ever since the letter and only a month later did mother become ill. She has no sickness only the one of the heart, she misses him everyday and prays for his safe return, a return I hope will be soon.

The doctor is called every week, only to come up with the same conclusion, she will only get better if she feels she should be better. She decides her fate, I have begged for her to see reason but she hears no one.

I watch as Rudy walks to the door, she is a very trusted servant and loyal friend, she was here when I was just a baby. I treat her as though she were family.

I stop her before she leaves, “How is she?”

“No better than yesterday Miss Evie.” Her eyes turn down, afraid of her declining health.

I pat her arm lightly, “She will come around, thank you again Rudy.” I only say this for my own sake, if I lost her, I will be alone with no one to go to.

She smiles, squeezing my hand before carefully walking down the stairs.

Taking a deep breath I enter my mother's room, she lays on her bed wrapped up in several quilts and blankets even though the weather outside was quite lovely.

“Mother, the gardens look just wonderful today, shall we go for a small stroll.” I try and sound cheerful, to brighten even these darkest of times. The only way she stands is to wash, which is rarely ever done. She eats, cries, reads, and sleeps here every hour of the day.

Her red, swollen eyes from constant crying, turn to me but do not see anything. They wonder to my face then swivel back to her hands. She clutches a handkerchief in her shaking hands, unaware of the daughter in front of her.

I sigh, hating that I can do nothing to help her, “Mother please, look at me. It's your daughter, Evie.” Your only daughter who loves you and can not stand to see you so broken and frail, the daughter who you used to pine after for not dancing with men at balls, for I shall grow old and alone. I hold back tears, waiting for my mother to speak to me.

She sniffles a cry before tears descend on  her pale face, “Henry, where is my Henry Evie.”

I close my eyes, she sees me, but only as a person who cannot find her husband.

I want to say I can find him, I want to say that he is alive and well, I want to say he is coming home very soon. But I can not, because if I am wrong, it will surely kill her.

I brush a stray strand of her flaxen hair behind her ear, not letting her tears ever fall from her delicate face. I look nothing like her, where she is fair, I am dull. Her golden hair is nothing of mine, it is brown, muddy, like dirt. Where her eyes shine, like sapphires, mine shine of pale seaweed.

I look at her and cannot help but want to help, to bring all the life back into her blue eyes and golden hair.

I whisper softly to her. “I will do everything I can to find him, I promise.” With my frivolous thoughts, I conjure the most unlikely of visions.

I leave her room hastily, careful with the steps of the stair I find Rudy in the kitchen.

“Rudy.” I say breathlessly.

She jumps with a start, then glares at me, “Do you wish for me to faint, my poor old heart can not take such pressure. ”

I giggle softly, “I am sorry, I just have this very anomalous idea.”

I drag her to the living area and sit her down, before she even utters the word bonkers, I quickly speak of the very lengthy and very ghastly proposal.

As she sits holding in every urge to interrupt my thoughts, I speak and speak, my words grow with feverish excitement.

“Absolutely not! I will not hear another word of this nonsense, are you mad child. To ever step foot in such a direction you must be mad, I shall fetch the doctor.” She stands mockingly. I only laugh, waiting for her to finish. “I will not have it, your mother, think of her if she heard of this, to your future husband I wish him all the luck in the world if he should have you.” She batters on, talking of the many failures, of the many ways all this can go terribly wrong.

I am far from swayed, I will do this, I have to, being as though I am my Father’s daughter my stubbornness runs deep and my set of mind runs stiff with excitement.

“Please reconsider your blatant thoughts, for you shall give my heart a few days of nothing but worry.”

I smile, holding her, wrinkled ashened hand in mine, squeezing ever so lightly, I stare at the woman who I love dearly, “My mother weakens everyday, with no sign of my father present, I am afraid. You must see this as nothing but a choice of a desperate daughter who wants nothing more than to save her family from utter sorrow.” She has to see that I am her only hope, I can do this, she just has to trust me.

“If you are to go, I have but one condition.”

I squeal with delight, “Please tell me and I will try my best.”

“My nephew, Peter is to accompany you.”

She can not be serious, I loath him with ever fiber of my being, “Rudy please, do not permit him to accompany me, anyone but him, you know what I feel towards him.”

He is a childhood memory I do not wish to think of, he was cruel and a pain in my behind. I can only imagine how he is today, most likely the same, I am sure.

“Do not be so ill-mannered child, he has grown to be quiet the young man. Do not think of the past, he was nothing but a boy with a temper, you nothing but a girl with such a temper as well.” She folds her arms, her mind is made up and if I am to go she will have him come one way or another.

”Alright, he is to come but I speak and make decisions he is to stand beside me or behind me and utter not one single word.”

She nods, “He shall be mute.” With that she stands, leaving me to fetch Henry and so I can find clothing for my departure.

I trudge up the steps, wiping away the summer heat from my brow, I walk to my mother's room, careful to not desturb bet as I reach my Father's closet, his clothes shall do just fine, for now.

••••••••••••••

Alright this first chapter is short but I promise longer ones in the future!

Don't forget to comment until your hearts content, vote like no tomorrow, and follow to receive updates on this very book.

I will try and update as frequently as possible, do not fret my little mermaids.

Until next time,

-Ash

Xoxoxo