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answered.
     
    The captain smiled, while patting his lips carefully
with a white linen napkin, “Fine, fine,” he answered, “I wonder if,” he nodded
in the direction of Lord Beckford, and continued, “with your uncle’s permission
of course, you would care to take an excursion around the deck, so that I can
show you the entire ship.  It would be most pleasurable to me to show you
around.”  He leaned back in his chair very proud that he had finally broached
the subject of spending some time alone with Olivia.
     
    Olivia was most flattered, and did not want to hurt
the captain’s feelings, but needed to tactfully decline, as she was most
anxious to return to her suite of rooms below deck.  Before she could think of
a proper way to refuse the captain’s kind offer, she was saved by her uncle
answering for her, “Actually,” Claude began, as he kindly nodded toward
McBride, “I was planning to show my niece around ‘my’ ship myself.  Although we
appreciate your kind offer, I believe I can find my way around after all these
years of sailing on ‘her’.  I know how ‘busy’ a captain you are sir, and we
would certainly not wish to part you from your ‘duties’, though if you feel
that you can ‘spare’ the time, maybe the Petersons and the Becks would
appreciate a personal tour from such a gracious host as yourself.  I’m sure
that in ‘all’ of their previous travels they have never been given a personal
tour from the captain himself, and how very kind of you indeed to offer.” 
Ignoring the captain’s flushed and irritated countenance, Lord Beckford stood. 
     
    Olivia choked back a snicker, and swallowed, as her
uncle quickly excused them from the table. Standing tall then taking Olivia’s
arm, he thanked the red-faced captain again for his hospitality, and he
escorted her back to her three-room suite off the lower deck.
     
    The sea was calm and peaceful as they walked into the
sitting room area.  Lord Claude spoke to the chambermaid, who just entered from
one of the other rooms, and he asked, “Maria, how is he?  Is there any change?”
     
    “No, sir, the gentleman still sleeps, though more
peacefully now.  A bit of the ranting and raving, talking nonsense as of the
last few days, but not as much as when you first brought him.  I did get a few
mouthfuls of broth down the lad, but not all that much.”
     
    Olivia said, “Why don’t you have a bite of food, Maria,
and rest a while.  I’ll watch over the patient now, just be sure and be back
here by lunchtime, but please bring me a tray.  I don’t think I want to sit
through another meal in the dining room today.  Bring an extra plate too; we
need to try to get some nourishing food in him if at all possible.”
     
    Maria, a petite little Spanish lady, answered and
nodded, “Si, Señorita.  I’ll be sure and do that, and thank you for trusting me
this way.  I’ll not let you down, my husband, Ricardo, told me of the
situation, and you can rest assured that no one else on the ship knows of the
young man.”  With that Maria picked up a tray stacked with bowls and spoons,
and after nodding, left the stateroom. 
     
    Lord Claude shook his graying head, “What have I done,
Ollie, putting you in the middle of a situation like this?  But I just couldn’t
live with myself if we’d left the bloke to the street ruffians back there, and
then we were due to sail.  What more could we have done?”
     
    Olivia smiled and hugged her uncle, “Uncle Claude, you
are just an old softie, as I have often told you.  Sometimes you put on that
stern exterior, but I know you better.  You couldn’t have left him there, even
if I hadn’t insisted in bringing him with, in spite of your protests.  It’s a
good thing the men hadn’t loaded my steamer trunks yet, as he did fit nicely in
the larger one.  That is after unloading all that extra clothing I shouldn’t
have packed in the first place.  It did work out, now didn’t