Souls Aflame Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Patricia Hagan
to lie there and not move, no matter what further sounds she heard.
Chapter Three
The Ariane had been at sea only a few days, but already Julie was bored and restless. Each time she appeared on deck, First Officer Garris inevitably emerged also, seemingly out of nowhere, to remind her apologetically that she was not allowed topside. With careful politeness, he would escort her below.
She had a choice of remaining in her cabin or sitting in the officers’ dining area. The latter was furnished comfortably, with magazines and books aplenty, and tea or coffee was offered all day long. Her mother seemed quite satisfied there, chiding Julie for refusing to settle down and make do with the situation.
“I’m sure it’s for the best, dear, and the captain has his reasons for his orders,” she pointed out. “Once we reach Bermuda, we’ll change to a nicer and larger ship, better equipped for passengers. We’re fortunate Virgil was able to get us through the blockade. There wasn’t time to think about comfort.”
She quickly added, “Besides, this ship is probably full of rowdies, and it’s best you aren’t around them.”
“They can’t all be bad,” Julie argued, pacing restlessly up and down the room, pausing now and then to stare through a porthole at the rolling ocean. “Anyway, we are paying passengers, and we should be allowed to do as we wish.”
Her mother sighed and turned her attention once again to the book she was reading, ignoring her daughter’s impatient grumblings.
One evening Julie arrived for dinner wearing a ball gown of champagne silk. The bodice dipped low, accentuating her generous bosom. There were no straps; the material was fashioned beneath her arms, with slip-on puff sleeves from the elbows to the wrists. The skirt hung in graceful scallops, each caught with a tiny rosette of red lace below the tight-fitting bodice which came to a point over her firm stomach. Julie had brushed her black hair till it shone, and let it flow softly about her shoulders, with only a bright crimson ribbon for adornment.
When she appeared in the doorway, Officer Garris gasped out loud as he jumped quickly to his feet and made her a slight bow. Second Officer Grover Watson and Third Officer Floyd Justice sprang from their chairs also, eyes wide with appreciative awe.
Julie took her seat next to her mother, who frowned and leaned over to whisper coolly, “Why did you wear that dress, dear? This is a ship, not a ballroom.”
“I thought dressing up might buoy my spirits a little,” she replied, blinking back tears and not bothering to whisper. “I just wanted to do something different, so I decided to dress for dinner. Is that so wrong? Being confined below night and day is going to drive me insane.”
She didn’t add that she had too much time alone, when she brooded and remembered the anguish of the past. She needed to be with people, keep busy, and dwell on the future. But who would understand if they did not share her secret pain?
Edsel Garris reached across the table and patted her hand in a gesture of sympathy. “Well, at least you’ve buoyed our spirits, Miss Marshal. It’s seldom we have an opportunity to witness such beauty. I’m just sorry that your confinement is necessary.”
Mr. Watson joined in. “We’re merely following the orders of our captain. You don’t realize how rough and crude some of our crewmen are. He doesn’t want you exposed to them.”
“Captain Arnhardt is a strict and forceful officer,” Edsel continued. “He demands that his ship be run efficiently and in an orderly manner. He frowns on his crew members even having the usual drunken binge when we put into port merely to take on a cargo. They have to wait until we reach our destination. Even then, he doesn’t tolerate revelry to an extreme.”
“That’s right.” Mr. Justice nodded. “The result is that the men work better, but their dispositions leave much to be desired. It’s best you keep your
Chapter Three
The Ariane had been at sea only a few days, but already Julie was bored and restless. Each time she appeared on deck, First Officer Garris inevitably emerged also, seemingly out of nowhere, to remind her apologetically that she was not allowed topside. With careful politeness, he would escort her below.
She had a choice of remaining in her cabin or sitting in the officers’ dining area. The latter was furnished comfortably, with magazines and books aplenty, and tea or coffee was offered all day long. Her mother seemed quite satisfied there, chiding Julie for refusing to settle down and make do with the situation.
“I’m sure it’s for the best, dear, and the captain has his reasons for his orders,” she pointed out. “Once we reach Bermuda, we’ll change to a nicer and larger ship, better equipped for passengers. We’re fortunate Virgil was able to get us through the blockade. There wasn’t time to think about comfort.”
She quickly added, “Besides, this ship is probably full of rowdies, and it’s best you aren’t around them.”
“They can’t all be bad,” Julie argued, pacing restlessly up and down the room, pausing now and then to stare through a porthole at the rolling ocean. “Anyway, we are paying passengers, and we should be allowed to do as we wish.”
Her mother sighed and turned her attention once again to the book she was reading, ignoring her daughter’s impatient grumblings.
One evening Julie arrived for dinner wearing a ball gown of champagne silk. The bodice dipped low, accentuating her generous bosom. There were no straps; the material was fashioned beneath her arms, with slip-on puff sleeves from the elbows to the wrists. The skirt hung in graceful scallops, each caught with a tiny rosette of red lace below the tight-fitting bodice which came to a point over her firm stomach. Julie had brushed her black hair till it shone, and let it flow softly about her shoulders, with only a bright crimson ribbon for adornment.
When she appeared in the doorway, Officer Garris gasped out loud as he jumped quickly to his feet and made her a slight bow. Second Officer Grover Watson and Third Officer Floyd Justice sprang from their chairs also, eyes wide with appreciative awe.
Julie took her seat next to her mother, who frowned and leaned over to whisper coolly, “Why did you wear that dress, dear? This is a ship, not a ballroom.”
“I thought dressing up might buoy my spirits a little,” she replied, blinking back tears and not bothering to whisper. “I just wanted to do something different, so I decided to dress for dinner. Is that so wrong? Being confined below night and day is going to drive me insane.”
She didn’t add that she had too much time alone, when she brooded and remembered the anguish of the past. She needed to be with people, keep busy, and dwell on the future. But who would understand if they did not share her secret pain?
Edsel Garris reached across the table and patted her hand in a gesture of sympathy. “Well, at least you’ve buoyed our spirits, Miss Marshal. It’s seldom we have an opportunity to witness such beauty. I’m just sorry that your confinement is necessary.”
Mr. Watson joined in. “We’re merely following the orders of our captain. You don’t realize how rough and crude some of our crewmen are. He doesn’t want you exposed to them.”
“Captain Arnhardt is a strict and forceful officer,” Edsel continued. “He demands that his ship be run efficiently and in an orderly manner. He frowns on his crew members even having the usual drunken binge when we put into port merely to take on a cargo. They have to wait until we reach our destination. Even then, he doesn’t tolerate revelry to an extreme.”
“That’s right.” Mr. Justice nodded. “The result is that the men work better, but their dispositions leave much to be desired. It’s best you keep your
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