Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 1
The Enchanted Island
By
Frances Penwiddy
Copyright©Frances Penwiddy 2015
The characters in this novel are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental
Footprints in the Sea is not suitable as reading matter for minors.
Volume 3
Chapter 46 Please note the chapter numbers begin where Vol 2 ended.
The Enchanted Island
Introduction
Having completed her operation in England, Charlotte and Will return to their island in the South Pacific. There is a rush to familiarise themselves with the progress made in their absence, make new friends and renew old acquaintances.
Whilst Charlotte is doing this, she makes her first of a chain of discoveries, a hoard of laundered currency and packages of uncut heroin!
Then a trip to the scientific laboratories on the south side of Charlotte Island leads to the second discovery; over twelve thousand miles away from where they should be, evidence of an early settlement is discovered with English Celtic Iron Age roundhouses, altar stones and jewellery dating back to a time before the first Roman invasion of Britain!
Shortly after this and whilst on her honeymoon with Will, Charlotte finds a letter written by the settlers who built their original house and two or three days later a hidden casket with more connections to the past!
But there are other discoveries to come. Is there a touch of magic involved? Charlotte becomes suspicious that this might be connected to her meeting in Berkshire with Penelopeia, ancient wife of Odysseus, the Greek hero of Troy and are the water sprite Undine and Goddess Artemis figments of her imagination, the early signs of a mental breakdown or visitors from another dimension?
Perhaps it is a reaction to the events of the past eight months, shipwrecked, marooned, her sexuality confused? Then a battle for her life on the high seas and the biggest shock of all; discovering that all her life she had been intersexed, a male and female sharing the same brain and body and all of this followed by the recent string of astonishing discoveries. Is that too much to ask of a person with XXY chromosomes?
Chapter 46
Will and I sat at a highly polished, rectangular table on either side of Sir Wilmot Martindale the representative from the Governor General’s office. Running down from our table were two others at which sat a rear admiral from the New Zealand Defence Ministry, a senior civil servant from Home Affairs, another from the Environmental Office and at the second of the tables were a government constitutional lawyer, a chief scientific advisor from the New Zealand Antarctic Survey team and the police chief superintendent in charge of the drug investigation with a representative from the Crown Prosecution Service at his side.
“This meeting has been called to discuss two matters of which one is most urgent and the second, though very important will not suffer from being delayed if it becomes necessary,” began Sir Wilmot, “Charlotte Broughton and William Devonshire are known to you and you have already been formally introduced at the reception we held earlier so as they are currently the recognised chief executives and have sovereign rights over Charlotte Island I would ask them if we may proceed with the more urgent business and that is the incident involving the MS Pacific Wanderer and the motor cruiser operated by the South American drug smuggling operation.”
He looked at me and I nodded, “This is being handled by Mr. Devonshire so I will defer to him.”
“Right.” Will began, “Miss Broughton and I have both made our statements to Chief Superintendent Stone’s officers and so, I believe, have Doctor and Mrs Williams. I cannot speak for the other witnesses on board Pacific Wanderer at the time of the action so I think it best at this stage if I ask him to present us with an update.”
I left the meeting after we had gone into the details of the court case and left Will to negotiate on our behalf when they got down to the business of the island’s status and its relationship with New Zealand. I knew the rough details but as for the nitty gritty of protocols and relationships with other nations, I was lost. I understood that New Zealand would speak on our behalf on the international stage and had undertook the responsibilities of defence and stuff like that and we had agreed that The Queen as Head of State of New Zealand would also be the Head of State for the island and that the Governor General of New Zealand in her capacity of the Queen’s Representative would need to appoint somebody to represent her. That would be a person who would need to live on the island, but I had ideas about that so wasn’t unduly worried.
I was woken from my thoughts as I walked through the reception area of the Governor General’s office. “Commander Broughton, I’m your escort when you are alone.” A tall, rather hard looking character offered me an identity wallet with his picture and a badge from the Governor General’s office but as tough looking as he was he was a good looking man.
“I’m in civvies so I’m Miss Broughton at the moment, well until I get married, then I’ll become Mrs. Devonshire and when they ratify the status of the island, I don’t know who I’ll be. Lady Devonshire, Empress Charlotte or just the Hon, Charlotte Devonshire, Lady Protector of the Sovereign State of Charlotte Island.”
He smiled and walked alongside me towards the doors, already being held open by a security man, “We have a car waiting for you and I will be nearby all the time until this court case is over.”
“What about Will, I mean Mr. Devonshire?”
“He’s ex special forces and only warrants an unmarked police car.”
I nodded, “He’s wearing lace-up shoes and can defend himself so he’ll be okay. What about the other witnesses?”
“All being taken care of.” I smiled a thank you at the security man to acknowledge his salute and allowed my guardian to steer me towards a Mercedes. He glanced around quickly, opened the door and I stepped in and sat on the offside of the rear seat and he followed but sat on the nearside of the seats facing me. “You’re returning to your hotel?”
“Yes please.”
The car pulled away and for a few seconds my guardian looked out of the rear window and then spoke into a button microphone on his lapel. “On our way to the hotel and all clear,” and returned his attention to me. “Sorry about the performance but it is necessary.”
“That’s okay, I had something similar in England. Is it really needed?”
“New Zealand attracts a large number of visitors and though our border checks are thorough, there’s always a small chance that somebody might slip through the net and we know they have one or two people working for them here even though they are only minor players. If we thought there was a real chance of an attempt on you, there would have been a police car in front and another behind.”
“The sooner this court case is over, the better.”
“You’ll still have a chauffeured limousine though because then you’ll be a visiting state dignitary.”
“That’s okay, it will save me the trouble of finding a cab at busy times.”
We arrived at my hotel and I allowed him out first so he could catch me when I swooned if a tough character approached us and he escorted me through to the hotel residents’ saloon. “I won’t be far away and if you do decide to leave the hotel, let the concierge know and we’ll bring the car round to the main entrance. There’s one of our blokes looking after Dr and Mrs Williams so I’m not needed in here,” and with a nod he walked off speaking quietly into his button microphone.
“Does Will know you’re seeing a tall dark handsome stranger?” asked Gwyneth as soon as I joined them.
“He wouldn’t care, he’s happier chatting about democracy, protocols and constitutions with his New Zealand mates, probably chatting about the Rugby World Cup as well.”
“And you got bored and ducked out of the meeting?” asked David with a smile.
“It wasn’t my idea. It was Wilmot, the man standing in for the Governor-General. I think it had something to do with the yawn I couldn’t control when the policeman finished talking.”
“And you protested?” grinned Gwyneth.
“Certainly not, Wilmot was most diplomatic and said, as I had other duties to undertake and if I was agreeable to the acting premier speaking on my behalf and on behalf of the Legislative Council he saw no reason to detain me unnecessarily as I had such a busy schedule.”
“Busy schedule?” asked David.
“Preparing for a state occasion of course. An important state occasion that will, over time, have considerable influence on the manner in which Charlotte Island affairs will be conducted.”
“Wedding dresses, weddings and bridesmaids,” explained Gwyneth.
“Ah yes, of course but you won’t have time for that today.”
“Tomorrow. Today I am caring for the needs of my loyal subjects, where are the other three and their loved ones?”
“Shopping of course,” Gwyneth caught the eye of a waiter, “Could we have another pot of tea please.”
“And cakes, a mixed selection if you would. And perhaps you would ask the tall gentleman sitting at the table close to the door, the man in the dark suit if he would like something.”
“Of course your Ladyship, will he be joining you?”
“I don’t think so, he’ll prefer to sit where he is, but ask him if he would prefer a sandwich instead of cakes.”
Gwyneth was grinning, “Your Ladyship?”
“Of course, I’m a head of state now. The officials keep calling me Commander and most of the others are calling me Miss Broughton or Your Ladyship. Haven’t you seen the courtesy flags outside the hotel?”
“No, I didn’t take much notice.”
“There’s the New Zealand flag, the Stars and Stripes, The Union Jack, the Australian flag and right in the middle is the Charlotte Island Flag, it’s the same as the New Zealand Flag with a dusky dolphin in a curved leap in the middle of the Southern Cross. Will arranged it whilst we were in London and once it was approved by the College of Heralds and the New Zealand Government, they had some made. There’s one on Pacific Wanderer another big one at the island and a few others stored at the island in the cave. The Stars and Stripes is for Faye I expect and the Union Jack for you, Liz and Emma.”
David laughed, “I doubt it’s for us specifically, there are other guests from the countries you mentioned who are staying here and it’s normal practice for larger hotels to fly the flags of the nations represented in their guest list.”
“What about the Charlotte Island Flag, I suppose that’s for all of us as well. There’s Will and I, you and Gwyneth, and Liz, Emma and Faye they are all entitled to Charlotte Island nationality, they have lived on the island for three months which is what you need to do. All the others weren’t residents technically, they were servicemen in the navy.”
“Well whose the man you ordered tea and sandwiches for?”
“You bodyguard, didn’t you notice him?” They both shook their heads. “He’s the only one who looks like a bodyguard, we’ll know when he stands up and walks, he’ll have a limp.”
“Why would he have a limp, he can’t be disabled if he’s a bodyguard?” asked Gwyneth.
“It’s because he probably has a grenade launcher hanging down inside his trouser leg.”
There was the sound of laughter coming from the reception lobby and a worried assistant manager approached our table, “Lady Charlotte, Dr. and Mrs. Williams, some of our other guests have voiced their intention of joining you for tea?”
“Three men and three women, rather disreputable types, noisy, not the sort of people we might wish to share a table with?” I asked.
The assistant manager looked nervously over his shoulder, “I would not go so far as describing them as disreputable but they are certainly noisy and I suspect they are not members of the diplomatic corps.”
“I should hope not indeed. Are they drunk or just in a merry but sober mood.”
The assistant manager looked horrified, “Lady Charlotte I assure you that had we suspected they were drunk they would have been removed from the hotel or as guests, very firmly escorted to their rooms and told to quieten down or settle their bills and leave.
”
“Quite right but they can join us and if they continue to make a nuisance of themselves, I’ll have them executed under Charlotte Island Sovereign Laws. We will need a larger table though and ask them to leave their bags and packages with one of your people.”
“Are you sure they won’t disrupt you own tea?”
“Certain, none of them would dare upset me. You’d best lay a place for Premier Devonshire he may also join us later if he completes his business with the Governor General.”
He raised a hand and signalled one of the waiters, “Set the Queen Elizabeth table for Lady Charlotte’s party please and ask the Maître-D to see me.” He returned his attention to me, “For ten people, Lady Charlotte? You at the top and Premier Devonshire at the bottom?”
“Ten people I expect but that depends on the Premier arriving and just set it for an informal gathering if you would. We shall stay and have tea and then we must go to our rooms to rest and prepare for dinner this evening.”
“A table for ten again?”
“If you would be so kind.” And with a noticeable bow of the head he left to make the arrangements and oversee the setting of the Queen Elizabeth table. Gwyneth was grinning all over her face and David was chuckling. “You are really shoving your diplomatic clout about now.”
“And I’d better make sure my loyal bloody subjects behave themselves as well and you can stop grinning Gwyneth or I’ll make sure your Maid of Honour frock has a hem six inches above the knee.”
“If you do, me and Kate will get up and do the can-can half way through the ceremony.”
The complete version of Footprints in the Sea Vol 3 will be available on Amazon Kindle on or shortly before July 1, 2017 and can be accessed via the URL in the right hand column of the of the Big Closet Top Shelf home page;
Footprints in the Sea Volume 3 - Chapters 47 and 48
The Enchanted Island
By
Frances Penwiddy
Copyright©Frances Penwiddy 2015
The characters in this novel are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Footprints in the Sea is not suitable reading material for minors.
The Chapter numbers of Vol 3 continue from where Volume 2 ended. If you have not read Volumes 1 and 2, it is recommended that you do so before starting Volume 3.Chapter 47
Chapter 47
I ran my hand down the hips of the antique silk of the skirt and watched the flow of the material as I moved. Gwyneth was watching me with a smile on her face, “You’ve come a long way since that first time we spoke. Do you remember it?”
“I’ll never forget. You appeared at precisely the right moment.”
“I saw the uncertainty, in your face, the questions you were asking yourself and finding you didn’t have the answers. Now look at you; a folk heroine, a soon-to-be bride, owner of an island…”
“Sovereign state.”
“Empire soon I expect.”
I shook my head, “An island is enough,” I turned and looked over my shoulder, turned again and stared into the mirror at the dress, “Do you think the neckline is too low?”
“No, it’s perfect, Will is going to love it.”
“I know that but what about all the other people in the congregation?. They’ll think I’m a high class call-girl, not a bride.”
“The women will envy you; the dress, poise and above all the occasion. It’s not every bride who will have important representatives from a major world government at her wedding, nor leading servicemen from at least three countries and the men will envy Will.”
“I can’t believe that the AWAC crew and Maritime 5 are coming as well.”
“Plus the captains of the various ships, don’t forget to make a fuss of them as well.”
“I won’t and Will has warned me not to show my disappointment that North Korea is not sending anybody.”
Gwyneth laughed, “I think they are a bit shy about their haircuts.”
I lifted the front of the skirt and took a few steps forward, “It’s comfortable to walk in without the train and the undies feel comfortable but it’s a pity I will only get to wear it once.”
“A good tailor and seamstress could turn it into a ball gown or perhaps a formal dress for state occasions if you wanted that or you can make baby clothes out of it.”
“State occasions? Yes, I suppose I will have them occasionally. I might even make a law that says my wedding day will become a national holiday and the ceremony is to be repeated every year.”
“Why not every quarter or even every month?”
I nodded enthusiastically, “If I made it every month then I would have an excuse to buy a new wedding dress every year because the old one was worn out.”
“But the time? Won’t you find it a bit of a chore having to spend the best part of two weeks getting everything ready on a monthly basis?”
“Good fun though,” I sighed, “A ball gown is best and then with a few accessories I can make it look a little different every time I wear it.”
“Make sure it’s only worn for balls though, no casual be-bops on Pacific Wanderer.”
“Certainly not, the skirt is too long for jiving and it’s not a full skirt and won’t lift.” I turned away from the mirror and studied Gwyneth, “How about you are you pleased with your dress.”
“Very, David keeps winking at me. Come on, the girls must be dressed by now let’s see how they’re getting on.” Gwyneth went to the door, opened it and peered out into the corridor, “Okay, he’s nowhere to be seen, hurry up he may decide to leave David and wander up here.”
I lifted the front of the dress and petticoat and trotted as fast as my clothes, heels and figure enhancing basque would allow. Fortunately the girls were using Faye’s room next to Gwyneth and David’s suite so I didn’t have far to go and I opened the door ran in and turned to peer back to see how Gwyneth was doing, she had stopped to pick up my tiara and train and was a minute behind me.
“We didn’t ring for room service,” I heard Emma say.
“She’s not room service, she must be a fetish tart and is lost,” answered Emma.
“Knowing her, she’s more likely to be the Madam come for her share of the money.”
Gwyneth came in and I shut the door. “We’ll have to go back to my room if the coast is clear, this is the chambermaids rest room,” I told her.
Gwyneth nodded, “We’re short of time so we’ll use this lot as bridesmaids instead.”
“Come on,” I clapped my hands, “Get your dresses on and let’s make sure everything fits.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Sovereign State of Charlotte Island was absent discussing various technical things in which I was curious but not so much so that I wanted to miss meeting and greeting Auntie Kate, Fred, Penny and Morris. Other than Will just about the entire population of the island was present, David, Gwyneth, Emma, Faye and Liz. When we arrived at the airport accompanied by two of the body guards and a civil servant we were shown to the VIP lounge, “The aircraft will touch down in a little over thirty minutes, Miss Broughton and will taxi close to the entrance to the VIP lounge. Would you like something to eat or drink whilst you are waiting?”
“A pot of tea would be nice,” I looked around at the others, “That suit you and does anybody want something to eat?” There were shakes of the head so I nodded at the protocol man, “Just the tea thank you. Will we be able to walk out to the aircraft and meet them at the steps?”
“If that is what you wish or if you prefer we can have them met by our people and brought here.”
“I would like to go out to meet them and perhaps come back here. Will there be somebody to help them claim their luggage and what about immigration?”
The protocol man smiled, “There luggage will be brought here and there is no need of immigration, their identities were confirmed before they left Northolt. We will have two cars and two security escorts to take you to your hotel and I will accompany you in the first car.”
“Do we need the guards now that the court case is over?”
“You are a diplomatic visitor and your party warrants one despite the drug people being locked away. I’m afraid in this day and age such measures are necessary but they will continue much as they have been doing once you are safely in your hotel.”
“Thank you.” He went away to make the arrangements.
“This is all very awe inspiring,” said Emma. “All this swank is going to my head.”
“One must adjust,” I answered, “There are times when state occasions can be a chore but when we get back to the island, I’ll arrange for you three to have lessons on curtsies, dress codes and general deportment.”
“Not me,” said Faye, “I’m an American citizen and don’t have to put up with that sort of stuff.”
“I’ll remind you that you have been a resident of Charlotte Island for more than three months and as such are entitled to and indeed are recognised as a citizen of the island. As a citizen of Charlotte Island you automatically become a citizen of New Zealand and will therefore be expected to conduct yourself in a suitably dignified manner.”
“Suppose I decline to become a citizen?”
“You’re fiancé has already signed the documents for himself and when you marry, you will, as his wife, automatically become a citizen. There is another point you must consider. If you are not a citizen I can’t appoint you to a swanky position on the Executive Council and you will not be entitle to the clothing allowance that would cover the cost of lavish ball gowns, free meals at state banquets and the best seats in theatres throughout the world.”
“Okay smart-ass, sign me up.”
“I can’t at the moment, here comes the man from the Governor General’s Office, our guests must have arrived, we’ll have to go and meet them.” We gathered our belongings and were shepherded out to the barricaded area outside the entrance just as the aircraft came to a standstill, “That’s them,” I said.
“How do you know, it might be a scheduled flight?” Emma asked squinted as she looked out to the taxi area.”
“Nope, it’s our lot, the plane doesn’t have any airline logos painted on it, just the RAF roundels.”
“It can’t be the RAF,” Liz protested, “There aren’t any guns or missiles under the wings.”
“It’s a transport aircraft for important people like air marshals, prime ministers and mayors. If they are attacked the stewardesses fire pistols out of the windows.” A tractor towing a staircase went hurrying across to the waiting plane and a door opened and Auntie Kate stepped out and peered around looking lost.
“Can we go out now and meet them at the steps?” The Ministry man nodded at the security guards and a section of the barricade was moved to one side and I led the welcoming committee out. Auntie Kate spotted us, waved and then vanished inside again to be replaced by a stewardess. “It’s the guns the security blokes are carrying,” explained Gwyneth, “She probably thinks she’s been hijacked.”
“Here they come,” I answered, “She probably went back to help Ted. Come on now, form a straight line and I’ll introduce you in turn.”
“We already know each other, why the introductions?” protested Faye.
“Don’t you start your revolutionary chat again, now get in a straight line, it’s the way they do it on the television news.”
Any ideas I had on protocols, television news and being interviewed by the press went out of the window when Penny yelled at the top of her voice, “Charlotte! Charlotte! It’s us.”
“Hurry up and get out of the way, Vladimir Putin is behind you and he’s in a hurry to meet Will before President Trump gets here.” Even Auntie Kate and Ted looked behind in case I was telling the truth and increased their pace.
The Ministry man chuckled, “You shouldn’t say things like that, not even as a joke, one of the security guards might open fire. Did they check to see if you were carrying a flare pistol?”
I grinned, “In my stocking top, want to look?”
“We haven’t time, your honoured guests are holding up the Royal New Zealand Airforce and the United States Airforce so it might be better to get them off the steps and a little to one side.”
I looked back to Auntie Kate and sure enough they were stopped on the bottom step with Penny and Morris immediately behind and a whole load of men in RNZAF uniforms and civvies were queuing up behind them waiting to get home and on leave I expect. I hurried over and took Auntie Kate’s hand, “Quick come over to our party, there’s a plane load of men behind waiting to get off,” and I led them over, smiled an apology at the men two of whom winked at me, three gave me a thumbs up and the rest smiled or nodded as they alighted and were greeted by two senior airforce officers and two civilians then led away.
I watched them for a moment, I was sure I recognised the voice of one of the New Zealanders, a sergeant but couldn’t place him and didn’t really know his face. Once we were grouped together we hugged and kissed and then the protocol men took us back to the VIP lounge and as we entered the New Zealanders and Americans were sat around a pair of tables with their escorts and drinking and again I recognised the voice but not the face and then forgot about him as we sat down. "Tea, coffee, drink?” I asked Auntie Kate.
“I think I could do with a cup of tea,” replied Kate, “But Ted will want a pint of beer I expect,”
“Me too please,” said Morris.
“Don’t get drunk, we have a dinner party this evening,” I warned them and got up to go to the bar but a restraining hand rested on my shoulder, “Let me,” said my personal body guard, “It’s government hospitality.”
“Get one for yourself then, a double if you want.”
He smiled, “Not on duty, I’ll share the tea.”
I nodded and was about to sit down when a voice called out from the group of airmen, “You okay for milk, Charlie Mermaid? Papa Alpha Two, over.”
“Got your bearings right this time? Maritime Five, over”
I knew those voices now, I would never forget them and my eyes blurred, “Be back in a minute, Gwyneth will explain,” and I started to walk over to their table.
“Frisk her for a diving bottle,” one of the airmen said.
“And a machine gun,” said another and they stood up and moved away from their table and I ran to them, straight into the arms of the civilian, “You forgot the ice cream, Pacific Wanderer, over.” And I flung my arms around him and started to cry.
“Bloody Yanks, now you’ve gone and upset her,” and suddenly I was being hugged by two handsome airforce officers, my two voices in the wilderness. Another of the officers dressed in civvies eased me away and took a step back, “Let’s have a look at you Charlotte, all we’ve seen so far are pictures in the press.” They crowded around me all grinning, “You’re an eyeful, that’s for sure,” said one of the New Zealanders, “Best contact we’ve ever made on our scanning and surveillance systems,” agreed another. “Makes me want to throw myself into the nearest bit of sea, just to be rescued by the mermaid,” and it carried on like that for two or three minutes whilst I just stood there, grinning like an idiot with tears streaming down my face.
My bodyguard came up, “Sorry gentlemen but I must take Commander Broughton away from you, she has other guests to attend to.”
I didn’t want to leave them, “Come on over to our table and meet some of my family and friends.”
“Aw no, Charlie, we have to be away ourselves, we’re not on leave yet and have to get to our billets and change into uniform. We’re okay tomorrow though, come and have dinner with us, bring your bloke Will so we can strangle him for whisking you away from us before we had a chance.”
“He’s ex SAS and can strangle a bit himself, always wears shoes with laces in them. I have a better idea, why not come to my hotel tomorrow and we’ll throw a party?”
“You gonna dance?” asked the radio operator of the AWAC.
“If you ask me, I expect so.” I turned to my protocol advisor, “That’ll be allowed at the hotel won’t it?”
“If it isn’t, we’ll arrange a different venue.”
They stood looking at me for a couple of minutes until the New Zealand commander nodded, “There’s not two cents worth of you, Charlotte, I still can’t believe you went into that sea and swam. We’ll see you tomorrow, to be sure. If the officials can’t find a place for our party, we’ll have it at the base,” and they turned away and left the lounge and I still had tears left to shed as I watched them go.
There was a discreet cough from my bodyguard and I returned to our table. “Sorry about that, everybody but they were the aircrew from the two aircraft that first found Will and I on Pacific Wanderer. I had to see them, to speak to them…”
“Do you need a drink, you look a bit upset?” asked Gwyneth.
“No, I’m happy upset, I’ll be okay in a moment or two, just getting a bit emotional that’s all and if I have a drink, I’ll get emotional again over Auntie Kate and Ted coming here and you Penny.”
You should have brought them over to us,” said Emma, “They were quite a dishy crowd.”
“I asked them over but they have to get away to report in but they’ll be coming tomorrow, we’ll have a party at the hotel.”
“We need to thank them as well,” said David, “If they hadn’t found you, Gwyneth and I would never have been saved.”
“Or us,” said Faye.
“I didn’t save you, you weren’t lost at sea!”
“If you hadn’t gone and got yourself shipwrecked, Orca wouldn’t have had to put to sea to join in the search and we would have been stuck in the Antarctic for an extra couple of weeks…”
“And we might have been frozen to death,” added Liz.
“On the other hand, we saved her from the pirates,” said Faye and I noticed it was one of the American crew members that she hugged and I’m telling Will and inviting him to hug an American in retaliation and I’m the only American here.”
“You do know he used to be in the SAS and goes around strangling people with boot laces?” said Auntie Kate.
Faye shrugged, “I’ll shoot him with a distress flare if he tries it on me.”
The body guard came back, “Your guests luggage is packed in the cars and the drivers are ready to take you to the hotel,” he said, “There’s time to spare if you want to stay a little longer.”
“No we’re ready now and Auntie Kate and Ted will probably want to bath and get some rest and no doubt Morris and Penny will want to go out and do a bit of exploring.”
Chapter 48
I stood in the corner of the port bridge wing and glanced into the bridge and at the profile of Pacific Wanderer’s new skipper, Byron Wellington. A soldier poet and when I had asked him why his parents had given him the name Byron he had retaliated with, “It wasn’t both my parents, it was my mother, she spent her time reading him, in fact I think she was secretly in love and looked upon Shelley as her greatest competitor.”
“Which one?”
“Both Percy and Mary and always swore that Frankenstein just about summed the family up. My father added my middle name, Alfred by way of compensation.”
I had taken a liking to him from the moment we met in Wellington and I boarded Pacific Wanderer for the first time since arriving from England. He had an amazing shock of curly red hair and eyes that were best described as warm green and were a perfect counterpoint to the warning of a fiery temper from his red hair. They had a strange way of changing colour the warm green would fade as his pupils dilated when he got mad at something and became a glacial shade of ice. They were like looking into the Antarctic sea, pale where there was ice below the surface and deep and warm when the water was deep but his eyes were always alive.
“A romantic Victorian poet, England’s greatest soldier and her greatest king, I have a captain of many personalities.”
He smiled at me, the eyes were deep green, “You don’t do so badly yourself, swimmer, dancer, radio operator and a touch of warrior.”
“I can sing a bit as well.”
And that had been how we made friends on the first day, when after the formalities of boarding, and seeing everybody settled in their cabins, Will and I had joined Byron in the captain’s cabin. I went back onto the bridge and joined him at his post in the captain’s chair, “She looks beautiful, more like a luxury liner than a maid of all work.”
“There’s a little of an iron fist concealed beneath the white paintwork though.”
“I was told. When will you be able to spare somebody to show me around. Will has sorted himself out and gone down to the engine room and holds, he could do it if you haven’t anybody to spare.”
“If you can delay your enthusiasm for a while, Martin has already volunteered, in fact he almost insisted. Once we have cleared Wellington and rendezvoused with Aurora and set course for the island, we’ll be at cruising stations but that won’t be until tomorrow afternoon.”
“That’s okay, thank you. But may I take a peek into the radio shack and introduce myself to the new radio operator?”
“You’re familiar with the way the bridge operates, so yes but if we go to action stations, Andy Bryant has told me to secure you in the chain locker.”
“Just goes to prove how fickle men are, a few months ago he and Harry Fellows were telling me how good I was at defending a ship.”
“He told me all about it so did Chief Petty Officer Evans and Lieutenant Andrews and quite a few other people.”
I grinned, “Victor a Chief now and Martin a full lieutenant, there goes my cook and dancing partner.”
“You still have Garry Phillips as your personal steward.”
“And Mark in the sick bay. Those two are going to settle on the island when their service ends, did you know.”
“Yes and so are a few others I believe.”
“It makes me feel like the Pied Piper.”
“Siren was mentioned.”
I laughed, “That too,” and I went to introduce myself to the radio operator and look at the new radio equipment. When I entered the operator looked up from where he was writing on a radio message slip and held up a finger, signed off and said, “Sorry, just writing this message up. You’re Commander Broughton?”
“I am but if the captain isn’t within earshot, call me Charlotte. Don’t let me disturb you, I just wanted to take a peek at the new radio, it’s a lot smaller than the old one.”
“State of the art this one, we could compete with the BBC if we had a mind. It’s a lot easier to work with as well. I can’t stand down and show you the drill at the moment, we are in contact with Aurora and until the skipper goes to cruising stations I have to keep on the ball.”
“That’s fine, I just wanted a look so let me know when I can be shown how it operates and I’ll be able to give you a break from time to time.”
“As soon as I can. I’m the only radio operator on board at present unless we count, Lieutenant Andrews, the sub or another yeoman who can’t do much more than the basic stuff. The bloke on Aurora told me you stripped the old set down, fixed it and your radio procedure was on the ball so if you can, it will give me a chance to eat, drink and sleep from time to time.”
“Okay, when you’re ready. What happened to the old set?”
“It’s in the radio stores, Commander Devonshire said to keep it and he’ll fix it up on the island for you.”
I laughed, “I’ll keep it as a souvenir, it saved our lives and a few other people as well and in twenty years’ time when I want to boost my pension fund, I’ll sell it at Sotheby’s. Is the copy of ‘I The Jury’ still here?”
“In the box over in the corner with a ball of wool and a pair of knitting needles, another of Commander Devonshire’s requests.”
I left the shack with a broad grin on my face, Pacific Wanderer was still the same ship, even with the crew changes and the makeover. I left the bridge and was about to go downstairs to the saloon when I heard Penny’s voice; “Auntie Kate that’s cheating, you discarded the last time a trump was led and now you’ve just trumped my King!”
“Oh dear, did I? that trump must have been stuck behind another card.”
Auntie Kate cheating at solo again, my life hadn’t changed much either.
As soon as I entered the saloon, Garry came over, “Would you like a coffee?”
“Later, Garry I want to say hullo to Victor first and the crew in the galley.”
“Okay, just tell me when. Mark wants a word when you have a moment, nothing urgent he tells me.”
“I’ll see him after I’ve seen Victor. Is everybody sorted out with cabins now?”
“All done. You and Will in your suite, Doctor and Mrs Williams next door, your Aunty Kate and Ted in the third cabin and Penny in the cabin opposite yours. I’ve put Morris in the cabin that used to be the housekeeping room, I thought it better to keep them at opposite ends until you say it’s okay for them to share seeing as how, well how it is that they’re, you know what I mean.”
“Quite right, Auntie Kate wouldn’t approve of them sharing, they’re not even engaged yet and there’s no way either of them can creep up to the other’s cabin an get past me, Gwyneth and Auntie Kate, not even in the dead of night. What about the girls?”
“On the stab’d side outboard. The three girls are sharing the new suite and the men are sharing two cabins next door and the inboard four are empty at the moment.”
“The girls aren’t sharing with their blokes?”
“No, when they saw the new suite they told their fiancés they were moving into that because it had its own en-suite bathroom and sitting room.”
I laughed, “I wonder how long that will last.”
“I expect the men will crowd into one cabin and keep the other for assignations.”
“That or draw lots to see who sleeps in which cabin but I expect they’ll be too tired most nights whilst we’re at sea. What about you and Mark, you can have one of the spare cabins if you like.”
“Don’t even mention it to the captain, were still serving in the navy, he’d go into orbit.”
“I’d forgotten that. I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes I must go and say hullo to Victor now.”
I walked across the saloon and entered the galley and Victor nearly made me jump out of my clothes as he called his cooks to attention and saluted me so crisply, if he had misjudged it, he would have chopped his own head of. I stood looking at him in surprise for a moment and then it dawned on me, I was wearing naval uniform and I had never worn it before, in fact it was the one they gave me before I came back on board, a horrible thing made from a polyester mixture or something though I did think the hat was rather pretty and then it occurred to me that I was required to return the salute which I did and followed CPO Victor’s example but with care. “Good morning Chief Petty Officer.”
I dropped the salute and Victor followed my example and turned to his men, “Stand-at-ease!” Returning his attention to me he said, “It’s nice to see you back on board, Marm, the Wanderer has been a dull ship since you went to England.”
“I’ve missed you all as well, Chief. Are these your new cooks?” I nodded towards the two newcomers.
“Leading Seaman Thomas and Ordinary Seaman McGregor.”
“Welcome to Pacific Wanderer, I hope you enjoy your time aboard, gentlemen.” I turned back to Victor, I’m changing back into civvies tomorrow, Victor. I keep being saluted whilst I’m wearing this uniform and I forget to return the salute.”
“One of the chores of being a senior officer, Marm. I forgot you prefer a more relaxed regime in the galley but once your back in civvies and the lads have got used to seeing you around a bit, we’ll soon get back to normal. I’ve taken the liberty of instructing the new lads on your preferences as regards the menu, is there anything you wish to change.”
“No, I’ve always enjoyed your food but there is one thing I missed the most when I was in England…”
“What was that Marm, I’ll see it gets added.”
“You remember that first time we met, the day after my swimming incident and the casserole that you had prepared for everybody and I said I wanted that rather than the lobster, I’d like that again one day.”
“I’ll have it on the menu the day after tomorrow, Marm.”
“Thank you, I hope the others don’t mind. If I get my Auntie Kate to visit you, would you show her how to cook it so I don’t have to go without again when I am in England. I think she’ll show you a few of her special dishes as well, she knows a trick or two when it comes to keeping men quiet with full bellies.”
“Be delighted, Marm. I could do with somebody to chat to about menus. Would you like to carry out your daily inspection now?”
“Oh, is that still my job?”
“When the captain suggested giving the task to the OOD I told him you might prefer to do it yourself as the ship really belongs to you though she’s leased to the Navy. So he’s left things as they are until he’s had a chance to speak to you about it.”
“We’ll keep it as it was, Chief if that suits you and I’ll let him know you do a good job of deputising for me when I can’t do it.”
“Thank you, Marm, that would suit us fine.”
I smiled, he was still the same Victor Evans even if they had promoted him to Chief Petty Officer, “I must be off now and take a look at the sick bay, thank you.” I smiled at the men, “It’s nice to see you all again,” and I left before we had to start saluting each other again.
I returned to the saloon and paused for a moment at the table where the girls were playing cards, “Is this poker? I do believe that gaming is forbidden on navy ships and I detect coins on the table.”
“Oh bloody Hell, she’s in uniform,” said Liz
“We’re nicked,” added Emma.
“I don’t know about that,” said Faye looking me up and down, “Whoever her dressmaker is needs a boot up their ass.”
“Her hat looks pretty though, better than those golf caps the men are wearing. Do you need hat pins if it gets windy or is there a chin strap?”
I didn’t say a word but walked around the table and looked at the ‘down’ card they were each holding; “Faye has the queen of spades, Emma is bluffing with the six of hearts and Liz has an ace in the hole and I’m not telling which suit cos that’s cheating. I’ll be back later after I’ve seen Mark, so deal me in and if you kept your down cards on the table, people like me couldn’t see them and spoil the game.”
“Bitch,” said Liz, “There’s nearly four dollars in the pot,” and she threw her ace down, “I’ll raise Emma’s thirty cents regardless,” And stuck her tongue out at me when the other two called her and Faye dealt her a second ace.
“See you later,” and I strode off to complete my journey to the sick-bay.
“I’m looking for Chief Petty Officer Mark Caldwell.” Mark was taking inventory at the drugs cupboard and spun round and his hand was halfway up to the salute before he recognised me. “Oh, it’s you, Charlotte, didn’t recognise you in uniform, it suits you.”
“No it doesn’t, well I like the hat but the rest is terrible but the captain has asked me to wear it today so the new people will realise that I’m an officer and pinching my bum is a court martial offence.”
He grinned, “Does that include Will?”
“No, he’s a commander as well so it’s allowed as an acceptable way of saying he fancies me. I’ve just popped in to say hullo.”
“It’s lovely to see you back on board, we missed you.”
I looked around the sick bay, “They’ve done it up and there’s new bed curtains and equipment, and that drug cupboard is twice the size of the old one. Is that because you’re a CPO now and carry a bit more clout?”
He grinned, “No, just part of the general upgrading but they haven’t replaced the gel boobs I lent you.”
I shook my head, “I don’t need them now, I brought the old one’s back so I’ll let you have them later in case we have another me washed on board.”
“Sign them first, I’ll keep them to remind me of you. How did things go at the hospital?”
“Fine, everything is done, it all works and I’ve been discharged and declared fit for service.”
“I was going to ask to see you anyway because there’s no drugs sent on board for you.”
“Don’t need them, not even a maintenance dose, I’m producing enough of my own. David will bring you up to date, I’ve asked him to and he’ll brief you on Penny as well.”
“She’s down as intersexed as well.”
“That’s right, but David will give you her details and Duncan has arranged for a New Zealand doctor to see us if we have a need and I expect we’ll probably have to go to Wellington to meet him and have a check-up in a few months. In the meantime we’ve been handed over to you and David, you happy about that.”
“Fine,” he smiled, “I’m an expert at it now. You certainly look good, even in the uniform.”
I grimaced, “I can’t wait to get it off and into my own clothes.”
“Do I detect you may be planning another ship’s party on the high seas?”
“That’s a safe bet. At least one and another on the island, a beach party for everybody regardless of rank.” I stepped forward, my eyes were filling and regardless of navy protocols I took hold of his arms and pulled him close to me, “Hug me, Mark, hug me tight, you, Garry and Will probably more than anybody else got me through this, stood beside me and helped me to discover who I was and what I needed to do, just hug me tight.” And he did and I let my tears flow, Mark and Garry were two men beside Will and my family who had shoulders I could cry on anytime I needed.
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Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 49 and 50
The Enchanted Island
By
Frances Penwiddy
Copyright©Frances Penwiddy 2015
The characters in this novel are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Footprints in the Sea is not suitable reading material for minors.
The Chapter numbers of Vol 3 continue from where Volume 2 ended. If you have not read Volumes 1 and 2, it is recommended that you do so before starting Volume 3.
Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 49
It took ten minutes to repair my makeup whilst Mark fussed around and once he was satisfied that I was able to stand unaided he allowed me to return to the saloon. “You’ve been crying,” said Auntie Kate as I sat down to drink my coffee.
“I had an emotional moment, most sailors experience it when they put to sea after a long stay ashore.”
Ted chuckled, “Soldiers are the same but in reverse, they cry when their leave ends and they have to go back to camp.”
“You were never in the army,” said Aunty Katie, "You were too young for Korea and too old for the Falklands."
“My father was in the army in the Second World War and he used to cry. So did Mum but she was crying with relief.”
Changing the topic I asked, “Are you being looked after? I’m sorry I’ve had to neglect you but I had to see people on board.”
“Don’t you worry about us,” Auntie Kate replied, “Garry has been very good and we’re well looked after and the cabin is lovely and we can see the sea from our window.”
“You look very smart and important in your uniform,” said Penny, “I think I might join. Why don’t you wear some smart high heels and stockings instead of woolly tights and low heel shoes, that’s the only bit that spoils the look.”
“It’s against regulations and I have to set an example, I’m even wearing the scratchy bloomers in case I fall down the stairs and expose my legs.”
“Passion killers the lads called them during the war,” Ted informed us, “But that didn’t stop them.”
“You just hush up,” Auntie Kate glared at him, “There’s young people at the table and we’ll have none of your lurid tales of what your father was up to during the war. It’s your call as well.”
Uncle Ted glanced down at his cards, “It’s a misdeal and the cards are sticky,” he looked up, “We need a new pack,” and she just grinned.
I finished my coffee and got up, “I’ll have a quick word with the girls and then it will be time for lunch.” I started to walk away and stopped, “I’m going round the ship after lunch to look at the changes, do any of you want to come?”
“We will,” said Morris, “Penny and I. What about you, Ted?”
“Yes, why not, you coming, Kate?”
“No, I’ll get my recipe book and go and have a natter with Victor the chef.”
I smiled, I knew she’d say that. “You okay with finding your way around on your own?”
“I’ll ask Garry if I need help, you go off and explore.”
I went over to the girls where their game was still in progress and as soon as I neared the table they slapped their down cards onto the table and kept their hands on them. “You said you were joining us?” Emma said.
“Not worth it now, lunch will be ready in less than an hour. Where are your blokes, I haven’t seen them since we came on board.”
“Out on the deck somewhere, probably getting in everyone’s way.” Liz was grinning, “They tried to go below to see the engine room and holds but some huge officer chased them away and said civilians weren’t allowed down there.”
“That will be the chief engineer I suspect but it can be a dangerous place and everything seems to be covered in grease and it gets on your clothes. Will and I are going to take a look in the holds after lunch if you want to come.”
“Not me,” said Faye. “The holds are below the sea level and I prefer to stay in the bit of the ship that floats on top of the water.”
“You’re a geologist, I would have thought you would be interested in the tectonic activity in this area.”
“I am but my interest lies in instruments and movement charts. I don’t want to experience tectonic collisions first hand. It’s bad enough living in California and on land without experimenting with the living experience under the sea. At best it could be described as a volcanic experience.”
“Like watching me dancing.”
“When are we having a ship’s party like we did before,” asked Emma.
“With a bit of luck, the evening after tomorrow after we’ve met Aurora if we have any energy left.”
“Why shouldn’t we?”
“We also have to have a lifeboat drill and then Faye and I will be introduced to the new guns and missiles whilst you two have to spend the day in the galley with Victor and Auntie Kate learning tactics for keeping the crew fed whilst they are standing at the guns.”
“When are we coming back to New Zealand to pick up Undine?” asked Liz, “I enjoyed that trip.”
“I’m not sure when we’ll be able, it depends on us getting back to pick her up unless the Science people or Navy can find somebody to fetch her or, some of the other people I know in England arrive for the wedding but we’ll be able to arrange something, I want her here before the wedding.”
“Who’s coming over?”
“Well there’s Big Joe and Sarah, Mike and Josephine most probably and Leah and Giles from the hospital who may be staying for a month to look at the possibility of starting a farm and there’s one or two others from the village who may be coming.”
“Where will they be staying, on Pacific Wanderer?”
“That depends on whether Wanderer will be free, don’t forget she’s leased to the navy now. There’s our new house which can put up a few and Geoff Roman has said there are a few of those portacabins spare that can be ready in time so we should be okay. If we have to I’m sure Will and Geoff Roman can fix up the cave as well.”
Two hours later we were down in the engine room. Martin and the Chief were showing the girls and boys the wonders of the engines, auxiliary engines, fuse boxes and control stations whilst Will and I had told Martin we’d meet them in the hold and gone wandering off on our own. We went through the entrance to the workshops and I turned into the carpenters section and walked a few paces and stopped at the main bench and gripped it tightly and leaned against it. I felt Will’s hand take hold of my arm, “You okay?” I nodded, let go of the bench and turned into him, “Do you remember the last time we were here?”
He smiled gently, “Yes, clearly, you were wearing tan slacks and a white shirt and I had just told you we were shipwrecked and marooned on an atoll but all you wanted was a cup of coffee.”
“I remember and you must have drugged it cos look what happened afterwards.”
“Don’t blame me, it was happening before you came in here, mind you I do admit I encouraged it a bit.”
“Didn’t you just. Look up there leaning against the bulkhead, do you recognise that?” I took his hand and we walked towards it.
“It’s just timber.”
“Not just any timber, Will, it’s special timber and over there, do you recognise them?”
“Couple of pieces of grating and a collision mat. What’s so special it’s stuff probably left by the dockyard people?”
“And that trolley in the corner?”
He looked puzzled and walked a little closer and then he turned with a grin on his face, “You’ve got good eyes, Charlie, it’s the stuff we used to cover the hole in the ships side when we were on the reef.”
“And the trolley we used to carry it up to number four hold. We have to keep it as a souvenir of our first meeting, I still have the lilac jeans and the sun hat and the bottle of suntan lotion I threw to you from the bridge.”
“And the old radio, I am taking it to the island, I thought you’d want to keep it.”
“Definitely and the copy of ‘I The Jury’ is still in the radio shack.”
He came back to me and took me in his arms, “You’re an old romantic at heart.”
“I still have the binoculars and the circuit tester you used when you got the generator working. Come on let’s get up to number four hold before I start crying, I’m being hit by too many emotional moments today.”
We left the carpenter’s shop and went through to the holds and immediately I was struck by how crowded it was. Number one hold where we had previously kept the valuable small goods and more delicate cargo was filled on both sides with barely enough room down the centre aisle to allow a hand controlled forklift trolley to pass. “What are we carrying, the place looks like an overstuffed warehouse?”
“There’s all the furniture, bedding and equipment we need and the goods David and Gwyneth brought out from England and the new things they bought in Wellington and the things the girls have brought with them ready for when they have their houses finished. Further along there is scientific equipment, furniture and general goods for the scientific labs on the south side of the island plus more domestic and industrial sized solar panels, two more large electricity generators, building materials including a good few tons of cement, ballast and a load of timber. There’s bricks, building blocks and roofing tiles and on top of that we’ve lost the space in number four hold.”
“What happened to that, is it still likely to flood?”
“Not a chance but there’s the hydraulic lift for the modified multi role missile launcher…”
I nearly choked on that, “Multi role missiles, have they changed Wanderer into a battleship or something!”
Will shook his head and laughed, “Not yet but there’s a missile launcher that can be raised to the deck if ever there’s a need and a locker with space for four missiles and there is also a lot of equipment for the diving operations that Wanderer may have to support. The deck reinforcing struts and support pillars for the helicopter also lost us some space…”
I stopped dead, “Will are you pulling my leg?”
“No, it was a condition the navy required because Wanderer will be carrying very valuable cargo from time to time and apart from general work as an inter-island cargo vessel she would also have need to go on South Pacific scientific exploration trips with the research people and there will be occasions when she may be the only armed vessel in company and have a need to defend herself and any other research vessels. We agreed to that in exchange for having her repaired and upgraded.”
“But all these extra things, missile launchers, helicopter pads…Where is the helicopter pad?”
Over numbers two and three holds, that’s why the hatch covers were strengthened.”
“What happens when we want to unload?”
“Same as now, the hatches still slide back and the helicopter pad is only designed for a lightweight, not one of the twin engine jobs. Two or four passengers or a small amount of urgent supplies between the island and wherever Wanderer is located.”
“What about the mast and boom for unloading? That’s going to get in the way.”
“Tracks have been extended and it can be moved back closer to the bridge or forward closer to the bow leaving the area above two and three holds clear.”
I shook my head, “I didn’t notice it had been moved back when I came aboard.”
“You didn’t notice the twin machine gun mounting on the old sauna deck either. Ask Martin to show you that.”
“I bloody well will.”
We had reached number four hold now and I stared at the missile launcher. “There’s not much cover for the men firing it.”
“It only needs shields to protect the launcher. It’s aimed and fired from the bridge, the whole thing is computer and radar controlled.”
“I’ll get Martin to show me that as well, I didn’t even notice that on the bridge, where is it?”
Will shook his head, “Martin will show you where it is. It’s on the opposite side to the radio shack where the flag locker used to be but you can forget any ideas about firing it. In fact you’ll make everybody nervous if you even go near it with your reputation.”
I grinned, “I’ll lean against it when I want to ask for something they might refuse and put my hands on the buttons or switches.”
“Come on, we’d better get back to the others before Martin wonders what we’re up to.”
“There’s something you forgotten.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ve kissed me in most of the places on the ship but never below the water-line.”
“Is that meant to be a double entendre?” He pulled me in close and really kissed me, one of those oh so romantic kisses that often lead to one of those oh so exciting kisses and it was me that broke away, after all I was in uniform and had a position to uphold, “Come on, we’ll do as you suggest and get back to the others.”
“Just when it’s getting so interesting.”
“Precisely because it was getting so interesting I was beginning to wonder if there was a mattress amongst the cargo down here.”
“There’s the collision mat in the carpenters workshop.”
I shuddered, “It was stuck up against the hole for so long it will be full of barnacles, limpets and rotting seaweed.” I grabbed his hand, let go and opened by navy issue shoulder bag, opened my compact and checked my makeup, slipped it back into the bag and took his hand again and pulled, “Come on.”
When we got back to the engine room the others were just about finished with the engines, “Would you like to see the holds?” asked Martin without enthusiasm.
“Are the racks of clothes still in there?”
“No, they were stored in the cave on the island,” I answered for him.
“No point then is there, I don’t want to go into some spooky hold and look at a load of packing cases.”
“There’s more than that in there. Martin, you’ve been keeping secrets from me, you never said anything about a missile launcher.”
“Missile launcher?” said Faye, her eyes lighting up.
“And a twin machine gun mounting up in our action stations position.”
Martin tried to ignore me and hurried everybody over to the lift, “You’ll have to ask the captain about them,” he said and stood aside to usher us in.
“I’m prepared to negotiate,” I whispered as I went past him. “If you promise to let me have a go on a sterling sub machine gun the next time we have firearms practice, I won’t fiddle about with the missile thing when you’re not looking.”
“Don’t dare touch it and anyway its only loaded when we go to action stations but if you fiddle with it, you could blow the bows off the ship and if we are at top speed, we’d dive faster than a submarine.”
“You’ll give me a go on a sterling then?”
“I’ll ask the captain.”
“He’ll say no if he has any sense,” said Faye’s fiancé, Howard, “Especially in Faye’s case, she’d sink the ship whilst she was shooting to miss the enemy.”
“You just watch it,” she retorted, “We shot the helicopter down with parachute flares and we did it without aiming properly.”
“That’s probably why we succeeded,” I pointed out. “If we’d taken time to aim properly we would probably have shot Wanderer’s funnel off. I noticed it was leaning over a bit when I came on board.”
“It’s a new funnel,” protested Martin, “It’s raked because the upgrade on the engines needed it. If it hadn’t been done the ship would have been covered in poisonous fumes.”
“How fast will she go now?”
“We haven’t given her a full speed trial but the captain thinks about eighteen.”
“Is that knots or miles per hour?”
“Miles.”
“We could have a race against Aurora.”
“No chance, Aurora can do better than eighteen knots.”
“Probably got bigger propellers than us,” I explained to Faye.
“And more of them,” Martin said with a smug grin.
“There are rules I understand, Captain Wellington that discourage officers and other ranks from socialising together?”
Byron smiled, “There are indeed, Miss Broughton. Do I suspect that if I give the wrong answer to your next request, your threat to play solitaire on Pacific Wanderer’s missile control system made to Lieutenant Andrews earlier today might become fact.”
“Captain, how could you possibly believe I would use such tactics. No this is a serious request.”
“I have been told, no warned, that to ignore your requests, be they serious or not, might lead to complications.”
“Who told you that?”
“I can’t say for fear of committing an offence under the Official Secrets Acts.”
“Harry Fellows was it. No I am asking you because there is something I want to do when we get back home to the island. I would like to throw a big party, probably a beach barbeque for the officers, petty officers and crews of both Pacific Wanderer and Aurora but I would like everybody to be there.”
“It would be difficult with everybody there at the same time. There’s something close to two hundred and fifty men and women.”
“There are women on board Aurora?”
“Two officers, two petty officers and four ratings.”
“I’ve never met them!”
“There were only two the last time you were here, the second engineer and a sub in the fighting division.”
“Well, they’ll have to come, we’re short of women for dancing partners.”
“Let me speak to Andy Bryant when we rendezvous with Aurora but if it could be arranged so that a third of the crews were to attend over three barbeques there are occasions when rank protocols can be suspended after giving everybody a warning about their behaviour.”
“You order them to misbehave!”
He smiled, “Men or women on defaulters wouldn’t be allowed to attend but I’m sure something can be worked out. You and Will are the heads of state and if you made an official request to Wellington, that would have to be taken note of.”
“Thank you. Can you dance?”
“A little.”
“After the party you’ll be an expert. And will it be okay if I start wearing civvies tomorrow and pretend I’m the head of state of an important nation rather than a senior officer on a ship who nobody takes any notice of.”
“That’ll be the day.”
“I haven’t met the new sub yet. When are you or Martin going to introduce me?”
“Tomorrow would be best, it will give him a better chance to get the feel of the ship and being left in charge as watch officer before we meet Aurora and he comes under the scrutiny of Andy Bryant.”
“Will he be okay if he’s left on his own?”
“My cabin is just a dozen or so paces from the bridge and he’ll be under strict instructions to call me if even the slightest thing happens. I’ve arranged for an experienced petty officer to take the helm and the remainder of the watch are all men I can trust.”
I nodded and thought for a moment, “You’re short of a relief wireless operator as well unless you take somebody off other duties, don’t forget I know a bit about it and don’t mind helping when I can, in fact I enjoy it.”
“That is a bit of a problem,” he was looking at me now, his eyes a deep green, he was taking me seriously. “I might ask you to do that, Charlotte, if only to give my operator a chance to have a break.”
“You should have asked me earlier, he’s been on the set since we left Wellington.”
“Not quite, both Martin and Tamati have given him breaks and so has one of the petty officer yeomen.”
“It isn’t good though is it, no chance to have a good rest and sleep.”
“Tomorrow, after we’ve met Aurora and are settled on course and at cruising stations, it would be handy if you could do four or five hours but what about your guests?”
“I’ll leave Auntie Kate in charge and she can put the girls to work in the galley. She even outranks me and is used to the girls. And if you want, I’ll ask Will to get their boyfriends and fiancés scrubbing the decks or cleaning the lifeboats. By the way, who is Tamati?”
“The new sub. Didn’t you know?”
I shook my head, “Martin calls him sub and nobody else has mentioned him by name. The only time I’ve seen him was in passing and he’s saluted twice and smiled once and that was when he didn’t have his hat on.”
“I’ll make an introduction tomorrow as I promised.”
Chapter 50
We lay in bed, our faces inches away from each other just talking. “I feel as if we are on honeymoon before the wedding has been held.” His arm was resting on my waist, his hand slowly caressing my back and it was such a comfortable feeling. Safe, warm, in love and being loved and the gentle movement of the ship as she rose to a slow wave and then dipped to allow it the freedom to pass gently under the keel, felt as if the sea was agreeing with me and rocking us gently into the wonderful feeling of peace I felt. I ran my fingers down his cheek feeling the days growth of stubble and then along the line of his lips and he kissed the tips.
“We’ve built a beautiful house on a lovely island and soon we’ll be sharing it and the island with family and friends, we don’t need a honeymoon, all we need is what we have already,” he said softly.
“Don’t forget the children, lots of children.”
“Yes and the children, the trips to the sun and moon, the stars and billions of galaxies.”
“At the moment I have a wonderful feeling of being wrapped in a soft, warm blanket.”
“Blankets,” Will corrected, “Yours, mine and soon the childrens blankets. We’ll have enough to cover the whole house.”
I nodded and closed my eyes and went to sleep, the day had been long and tiring and filled with unforgettable moments of joy and this was a beautiful ending.
“Aurora fine on the stab’d bow, sir.”
“Very good,” and Byron raised his glasses to his eyes and I borrowed a pair and did the same, “Who’s that on the bridge wing?”
“Aurora’s new first Lieutenant, Chris Venables,” he turned to the yeoman, “Make ready to dip the ensign.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
“Do you want me to go on deck and curtsy,” I asked with a grin on my face.
“It’s a thought. The Blue Ensign should dip to the white and if Aurora dips her ensign it will be as much a salute to your rank as an acknowledgement of ours to them.”
“I’m tempted but this skirt isn’t made for curtsies so I’ll go and wave to them.” I went out onto the port wing bridge as soon as we were close and as Pacific Wanderer turned to run parallel to Aurora I heard Byron give the signal to dip and I waited for a few seconds and waved. I heard the men on deck start cheering until a petty officer called them to order and then the ensign dipped, the siren sounded and flags ran up her mast. I went to the entrance of the bridge and grinned at Byron, “They’re my pen pals, what do the flags mean?”
“Yeoman?”
“Welcome Home Charlie Mermaid, sir.”
“Do you have a reply Commander Broughton?”
I turned to look back at Aurora and waved again, “Will you send thank you, see you at the beach BBQ.”
There were more cheers and then Pacific Wanderer slowed and fell back to allow Aurora to take the lead and we set sail for home.
I went into the bridge and everything was blurred, I was getting emotional again. If this continued I would have to go and see David because I had a nasty feeling that when we arrived back at the island, I was going to spend the first week just crying and if Will wrapped me in his arms I would dissolve completely. “I walked past Byron and smiled a little weakly, “I’ll be back shortly and relieve Sparks on the radio but I need a moment to compose myself, sorry.”
“Nothing to apologise for Charlotte, take all the time you need.”
I went down to the saloon to find everybody lounging about drinking coffee and eating doughnuts, that cheered me up and I sat down, “Where’s mine, I need something for medicinal purposes.”
“Gareth heard you coming down the stairs and has gone to get you something,” answered Emma
.
“Why have you been crying?” asked Penny.
“I had an emotional moment when we joined Aurora, I was surprised you lot weren’t up there to greet them.”
“We were,” said Faye, “We were out on the promenade deck and waving like mad. It was us they were cheering, not you.”
“It must have been,” said Liz. “Every time you, Pacific Wanderer and Aurora are in close proximity something disastrous happens, people fall into the sea, pirates attack us, ships get shot up or aircraft fall out of the sky.”
“People get rescued as well,” I offered.
“Only so you can try to get them killed later on.”
“Well there’s nothing else that can go wrong is there?” said Gwyneth, “So leave her alone.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” said Faye, “One of us could get knocked up.”
“What does that mean?” asked Penny.
“Bun in the oven,” offered Emma.
“Up the duff,” added Liz.
“Great with child,” added Gwyneth. “Why don’t you open a book and have a tenner each in the pot, winner takes all for the first one of you to get pregnant?”
“Not me,” I sighed, “I can’t get pregnant.”
“You can adopt one, we’ll count that as long as it’s a babe in arms just so you have to go through all the nappy changing torture. We will accept a weaned baby as well cos they can still sick-up all over your best dress ten minutes before you're going out somewhere posh.”
“Not me,” I shook my head, “I have Penny and Auntie Kate to handle that side of things.”
“I’ll help you as well,” offered Gwyneth, “Because if I got pregnant now, David would divorce me for sabotaging his retirement.”
“Does that mean I can adopt one as well?” asked Penny.
“No,” we chorused, “You’re not engaged yet.”
Gareth arrived, placed a cup of coffee in front of me and a plate with three gingerbread men on it, still hot from the oven and complete with raisin eyes, a cherry nose and a smiley cream mouth. “Auntie Kate is showing Victor how to cook these and this is his first attempt. They’re very nice, I’ve tried one and Auntie Kate said they were just the way you like them.”
“What about us!” demanded Liz.
“You had cream doughnuts but Victor is cooking a whole batch later so you’ll have to be patient.”
I glanced at the clock it was fifteen minutes to twelve, “I’ll have to go back to the bridge, I promised Byron I would relieve the radio operator for a while, he’s been working almost non-stop since we left Wellington, I’ll see you at dinner.” I picked up one of the ginger bread men, “You can draw lots for those two or share them,” and went off to report for duty.
“If you’re sure you feel comfortable about it Charlotte,”
“I’m fine, Byron, really, I was just a bit touched by the way Aurora’s crew were cheering and the welcome home message and wanted a few minutes to compose myself.”
“Okay but let me know if you want somebody to take over.” He looked at the ginger bread man, “Where did you get that, have you a private stash hidden in your suite?”
“No Victor Evans cooked it for me, he’s doing a batch for the men, don’t worry, he’s not neglecting his duties, Auntie Kate is helping him.”
“Takes me back to my childhood,” he said smiling looking at mine.
“You can have half of this if you’re hungry.”
“Thank you but I’ll wait.”
“You’ll have to be good and for heaven’s sake don’t go into the galley and start inspecting things or Auntie Kate won’t let you have one. How long do you need me on the radio, I can do the full watch if you want and the first dog?”
“No, that’s too long, officially you’re a passenger and not on a watch bill.”
“I’ll do it, don’t worry. If anything happens Sparks can come back.”
“Go ahead then and tell him to report to me after he’s handed over.”
I went into the radio shack and the sparks briefed me, warned the Aurora operator that a new voice was taking over, eyed my ginger bread man, licked his lips and with a nod went off to his break.
As soon as I sat down and put the earphones on Aurora came on; “Aurora for Pacific Wanderer, hullo Charlie, do you copy, over?”
“How do you know it’s me and I’m not Charlie, this is Her Majesty’s Royal New Zealand Navy Fleet Auxiliary, Pacific Wanderer and I’m Commander Charlotte Broughton, er, still local unpaid, over.”
“Aurora for HMRNZNFA Pacific Wanderer, who else could it be, we saw you wave and it’s nice to hear your voice on air again.”
Pacific Wanderer for Aurora, “And nice to hear yours again. I’ve been crying because I was getting home sick for the island and you lot but we must use correct radio procedure now, cos Pacific Wanderer has a pennant number.”
“Yea, I noticed it but didn’t get a good look, what is it, over?”
“Charlie Mermaid for RNZS Aurora, I told you, use correct procedure. It’s CM 11839, over.”
“Aurora being correct for Pacific Wanderer; CM as in Charlie Mermaid but what do the numbers mean, there are usually only two or three?”
“Our latitude and longitude of the spot where Will and I were shipwrecked, over,” I heard his chuckle and then, “They’ve made you semi-official now, over?”
“Less of the semi, we have a missile launcher and I’m dying to have a go with it. I’m being watched all the time though and they’ve hidden the parachute flares. Is there anything to watch for, over?”
Aurora for Pacific Wanderer, nothing other than listening to 500 megahertz every half hour for five minutes and call us every hour on the hour if you can. There are no planned course alterations currently and we’ll reduce speed after sunset, over.”
“Pacific Wanderer for Aurora, there’s nothing much in the radio log either, it’s boring, I’ll think I’ll start my knitting, the wool is still here, over.”
“Thought you were reading I The Jury? Over.”
“Finished it and forgot to bring a new book from the saloon. There might be a copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover down there or a Dean Koontz horror story. No better not read Dean Koontz whilst I’m on the radio, I might get scared and forget where I am and send out another M-day message, Pacific Wanderer out.” I heard him chuckle again as I flicked the switch.
As it turned out, I forgot the knitting and started thinking about the things Will and I would have to do when we got back to the island and the thinking led me to making a few pages of notes.
I suddenly started feeling uncomfortable and when I looked at the clock I realised I had been thinking and writing for nearly four hours and apart from the odd routine message and three cups of coffee I had ignored everything else and I needed to pee. I stuck my head out of the shack and spotted a yeoman, “Do you know how to operate this radio set?”
“Very basic stuff, Miss Broughton. Send and receive, remember to say over or out but as for changing frequencies,” he shook his head.
“That’s enough, I need to go to the loo, I’ll only be five minutes and I’ll warn Aurora you can send and receive only.
Once he was seated with the earphones on, I left him, found Martin still playing with his missile control toy and whispered, “Martin, keep your ears open I must go to the loo and the yeoman only knows the basics,” and fled out to the toilets on the bridge deck before he had a chance to answer.
If long distance peeing ever became an Olympic sport, I would definitely qualify and I took a minute or two to touch up my eyes and lips and daydreamed of standing on the rostrum and receiving my peeing gold medal. On the way back I met Will, “Are you taking over on the bridge?”
“No, I’ve just done a shift in the engine room.”
“It’s not a shift on a ship, it’s a watch.”
“I know that, I’m just saving the watches for when I want to watch you.”
“That’s okay then. Shall we have a romantic walk around Pacific Wanderer’s decks at sunset?”
“Yes, that would be nice and I’ve found a nice quiet spot where we can be alone for a while.”
“Where?”
“The stern promenade deck behind the passengers cabins. Everybody seems to prefer the side decks or up on the viewing bridge. We are heading southeast so we’ll be able to watch the sun set from the stab’d corner.”
We turned onto the bridge and Byron was there, “Sorry I had to pop out to answer the call of nature but there’s a yeoman on the radio.”
“Martin told me. Are you sure you want to go on and do the first dog?”
“Yes, I’ll still have time to get ready for dinner and I have a date later this evening.”
I gave Will’s hand a squeeze and started for the radio shack. “Will, I’ve made a load of notes whilst I was on the radio,” I told him as I left, “It’s stuff about the island so if you want to read it, I have it in the radio shack and Auntie Kate and Victor have cooked a whole load of ginger bread men but don’t have too many or you’ll spoil your appetite.”
I took over from the yeoman and called up Aurora and told them I was back and was answered by a new voice, “Where’s the other operator” I asked after the formalities were complete. “Has he thrown himself overboard out of boredom?”
“No, it’s because he thinks you’ve gone off him so he went to the mess for his dinner. There’s nothing happening not even on the emergency frequencies, but we’re used to that. We haven’t even picked up a stray blip on radar to go and investigate.”
“Ask Captain Bryant to change course for Panama and we can slip through to the Atlantic and see what’s happening over there.”
“We can’t do that, nobody on board knows their way around on that side.”
“That’s okay, I’ll take over and we can pay a courtesy call on the Falklands and have a bit of shore leave and a party.”
“I’ll ask him later.”
Will and I stood leaning our backs against the hatch cover of number four hold watching the broiling water at the stern of Aurora trailing back to Wanderer’s bows to be neatly cleaved and then broiled up again by Wanderer’s single screw. “I wonder if the screws kill many fish as they chop the water up,”
Will shook his head, “Not often, the krill just get stirred up a bit but the fish hear the ship coming long before it arrives and dive out of the way. As far as they are concerned, a ship is another predator like a whale or pod of dolphins and they won’t wait around to confirm it.”
But once Aurora has passed, Wanderer comes along in her wake and stirs things up again, doesn’t that catch them out.”
“It’s their environment down there and they have had plenty of experience of ships in company, they just go down and swim off as fast as the can and then come back to feed off the krill that’s been stirred up. There’s another advantage for them when feeding in a ships wake. Sharks don’t like bubbles and will shear away so they are that bit safer.”
“I never knew that.”
“Emma was telling me when I asked a similar question.”
We turned away and walked down the starboard rails towards the stern ready to watch the sunset. We were all alone, everybody else was lounging about in the saloon and the men were playing cards in the viewing bridge. “They’re a good bunch, Will said. “The way they’ve pitched in and made themselves busy doing jobs around the ship.”
“I know Auntie Kate has made her second home in the galley and she and Victor get on like houses on fire but what have the others been up to?”
“Ted has been chatting to one of the yeoman who is a gardening enthusiast when he’s at home and they’ve been making a list of flowers and vegetables that might grow on the island with Liz. Faye and Emma have been cleaning the cabins and passageways and the men have been polishing metalwork and helping to sort things out in the holds.” He paused to think, “Ah yes, I nearly forgot, David has been giving Mark a break in the sick-bay and Gwyneth has been helping Gareth and running about with coffees, tea and biscuits. I know Byron appreciates it and so do the crew, it’s giving them a chance to have a rest, working two watches on a ship this size and carrying passengers would have put quite a strain on them, so our guests are winning hearts and minds.”
“And flirting as well.”
“They take their example from you.”
“I don’t flirt with other men.”
“Yes you do but you do it wholesale and flirt with an entire ships company at the same time.”
We had reached the stern and walked into the centre and stood with our hands on the rails looking down at Wanderer’s wake and then up at the sun which still had a few minutes before it touched the horizon. “When we get back to the island, will you mind if I disappear for an hour once we are sorted out?”
“Going to walk around the island to make sure nobody has stolen bits whilst your back was turned.”
“No, I want to go up to the glade where I saw the fawn.”
“Penelopeia?”
I nodded, “And Artemis and Undine if they are there.”
“You really believe she visited you?”
“Yes, well probably yes, it was too strong a dream not to believe it and I told you months ago that the island is enchanted. The girls believe it as well and so does Gwyneth, something or somebody is looking after me, no looking after us, I do know that.”
“I don’t disbelieve you. I know than when I found myself shipwrecked and you appeared and the way things worked between us and started working right from the beginning I have to thank somebody for making it happen, for sending me a beautiful enchantress.”
“I enchanted you did I, cast a spell on you?”
“Yes and don’t ever uncast it.”
“Kiss me then, kiss me properly, there’s nobody watching and if you make it a really lovely kiss, I’ll swear never to uncast the spell.”
He did and then we turned towards the west and watched our only witness, Old Sol touch the horizon and send a gold and red stream of colour straight across the surface of the sea and we were bathed in it’s warm beauty. The Gods approve,” I whispered, “Even the Boss God in heaven.”
We kissed again and without saying anymore we went inside and walked along the passageway to our suite.
Footprints in the Sea Vol 3 is now published on Kindle Ebooks.
Vol 4 will follow in November.
All my work is now available via the link in the right hand column of the BC home page and the Big Closet earns a small commission on sales through that Link.
I will be posting one or two more chapters of Vol 3 here but I cannot publish the full volume because it contravenes the Kindle terms.
Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 51
The Enchanted Island
By
Frances Penwiddy
Copyright©Frances Penwiddy 2015
The characters in this novel are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Footprints in the Sea is not suitable reading material for minors.
The Chapter numbers of Vol 3 continue from where Volume 2 ended. If you have not read Volumes 1 and 2, it is recommended that you do so before starting Volume 3.
Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 51
It was a happy moment, exciting, the anticipation. I was standing right up in the bows of Pacific Wanderer and peering through my binoculars ahead and past Aurora searching for the slightly darker outline, the tiny spot that broke the smoothness of the horizon as the tip of Devonshire Hill rose above the sea.
And suddenly there it was just the tiniest curved triangle of the summit and I turned to the bridge to yell and tell them but I saw a lookout point and call something into the bridge. There was a slight tremble as Pacific Wanderer increased speed and moved to Stab’d to pass Aurora as a row of flags dropped from her mast and a second row ran up. I forgot all my protocols about behaviour, cheered and started to run to the bridge.
I clambered up the ladder to the bridge wing and straight in to the bridge, “We’re home, there’s the island, dead ahead.”
Everybody was smiling at me as Byron turned, saluted and said, “Commander Broughton you have the bridge.”
“I what?”
“You have the bridge, Marm. The captain of Aurora, Lieutenant Commander Bryant, respectfully requests that you take command of Her Majesties New Zealand Fleet Auxiliary Pacific Wanderer and lead us in to the lagoon on the north side of Charlotte Island.”
“What! I what! Me! “What are you talking about?” I looked at the helmsman who had a broad grin on his face, “Course one thirty five – speed half ahead, revs for eight knots, Marm.”
“Byron, what’s going on, Charlotte Island is on the horizon, that’s Devonshire Hill, I’d recognize it from any direction.”
“Yes commander, do you wish me to act as your first lieutenant?”
“Are you and Andy playing tricks on me?”
“Wouldn’t think of it, Commander Broughton. Lieutenant Commander Bryant wasn’t on the bridge the first time Aurora approached the island and is not sure of the procedure for entering the lagoon and as both you and Commander Devonshire are, he requests you take command and lead us into the lagoon.”
I did remember Will explaining it to me when he had put the two lights on the reef the evening we had pulled Wanderer of the reef and beached her and instinct took over. Keep at this speed and be ready to change course to 129 and reduce revs to slow ahead when I give the order.”
Byron repeated the instructions to the helmsman who was still grinning and I heard a voice in the radio shack relaying it to Aurora and then I strode across to the bridge phone and dialled the engine room. “Is Commander Devonshire there?” there was a brief pause,
“He’s with the Chief, Marm and can’t come to the phone at present.”
“I don’t care if he’s with the Prime Minister, get him to the phone – NOW!”
There was another pause and I heard Will’s voice, “Charlie, is there something wrong, you ill?”
“No I’m okay, it’s everybody else that has gone crazy. Andy Bryant has told me to take command of Wanderer and lead them into the lagoon, the island is full up on the horizon.”
“Well do it.”
“Will, are you listening to me, they want me to command Wanderer and play bloody silly games and lead them into the lagoon, I haven’t got a clue, you’ll have to come up here as quickly as possible before we hit the reef, I don’t want to be shipwrecked again especially with these loonies.”
“Charlie, I can’t leave the engine room whilst entering harbour, I’m needed down here, there’s nobody else. You’ll have to do it, I explained it to you when we beached Wanderer. Line the bow up with the centre of the gap between the two lanterns…”
“They won’t be alight now, they will have gone out weeks ago.”
“No they won’t, the people on the island have kept them refuelled and alight until something more permanent can be arranged. Just go through the gap and as soon as the stern clears the reef, go hard to port, line her up so you can turn her around and go stern first alongside the jetty they’ve built.” There was a click and the phone went dead.
I turned around and looked at the people on the bridge. They were just standing there waiting for me to do something and we were running out of time. I could see the island clearly now and the reef looked like a mountain range and the gap appeared so narrow I doubted that a donkey could have squeezed through. In desperation I turned to the helmsman. You see that small gap in the reef and the two lights?”
“Yes, Marm, clearly.”
“Well aim the bow to go through the centre of the space between the two lights and be ready to go hard to port when I tell you and we’ll be changing speed to dead slow ahead as we approach. I seem to remember there’s a bit of a current from stab’d to port as we get close to the reef so make allowances and keep the bow pointed at the centre of the gap.”
I strode back to the captain’s chair and climbed into it and cursed the full skirt and petticoats I was wearing which were pushed up by the armrests until I looked like a head buried in a bunch or screwed up tulle. I let loose a string of curses, forced the skirt down and glanced at Byron who had his glasses up to his eyes and was studying the reef carefully but I’ll swear there was a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. I’d bloody well sort him out later but for the moment I satisfied myself with barking, “Number One, I need a pair of high power glasses, a mug of hot sweet coffee and send a signal to Captain Bryant to keep his bow pointed dead centre on Wanderer’s stern.” Somebody thrust a pair of high power glasses in my hand and I heard somebody call down to the saloon for coffee on the bridge pronto and was dimly aware of Byron dictating a message for the radio. I raised the glasses and looked at the reef and immediately wished I hadn’t, the reef seemed to tower above me, the gap had grown even narrower and the whole lot was bearing down on us at fifty miles an hour.
I coughed to clear my throat, “Byron, tell Andy we’re changing course rapidly to port once we clear the reef and I suggest he clears the reef himself and then stops until I have moored Wanderer. There isn’t room inside the lagoon for two ships to start waltzing with each other.” He didn’t burst out laughing or try to throw me out of the captain’s chair but started giving orders. I checked the reef again and shuddered and then remembered I needed somebody in the stern to let me know when we cleared the reef, assuming of course we weren’t already on the sea bed and trying to crawl through, underwater. “Yeoman,” I called out to the port lookout, “Who’s in charge of the deck?”
“Lieutenant Andrews, Marm.”
“My respects if you please and would you relay a request. I need a reliable man with a phone or radio in the stern to advise me as Wanderer enters the lagoon and is clear of the reef and when we start to enter the gap I need you to keep an eye on him as well and call out as soon as he signals we’re clear.”
“Aye, aye, Marm.”
“Byron, how long does it take for Wanderer to change from slow ahead to dead slow?”
“About two minutes from now if you want dead slow as we enter the reef.”
“Very good, arrange it and advise Aurora.”
I raised the glasses and looked again and with relief I saw the reef reduce itself in size and the gap had widened and Wanderer was aimed dead centre, “Keep her like that helmsman,”
“As she goes, revs for dead slow ahead, Marm.”
I sat back in the chair. I was committed now, there was nothing I could do until Wanderer either struck something or passed through the reef. I closed my eyes and prayed, “Penelopeia ask Artemis to get Poseidon to take us safely through and copy this to God in Heaven as well. PS; I’ll kill Will when this is finished.” I opened my eyes and looked out to starboard and all I could see was the reef and it was the same on the port side, I couldn’t see any water between us or the reef and I braced myself for the crash. Somebody tapped me on the right shoulder and I turned to see Mark holding a mug of coffee out. “Everybody is in the saloon and Gareth was busy so I brought this up.” I took it from him and then he tugged gently at the hem of my skirt to hide the petticoat and whispered, “Hold the skirt to your side when you get up from the seat or it may snag,” and he was gone.
The yeoman called from the port wing, “Stern clear of the reef,” and I twisted in my seat, "Helm hard to port, increase speed to Slow ahead and helmsman, as soon as Wanderer starts to turn, point the bows at the gap between the main reef and the spur and there may be a following current, reduce speed to dead slow once you have her lined up.” I waited until Wanderer had completed her turn to port and then Byron walked over, “Andy suggests that Wanderer might be safer if she was moored stern on to the island in case the weather turns foul and we need to make a fast exit and get into the Aurora inlet for shelter.”
“You can tell Andy he’s second on my hit list, directly below Will and what’s that barge over there?” I pointed towards the shore.
“Penguin sent her barge round to act as a tug if we need it. She’s the only small vessel with engines powerful enough to do the job.”
I lost it them and glared at him before giving the worst order I would ever make, “We don’t need a bloody tug to help Wanderer to turn round, I’ll do a three point turn! Just tell that bloody barge to keep out of the way!” As soon as I said it, I could have bitten my tongue off. “Sorry, Byron, it’s the tension of the past half hour.”
“Think nothing of it, Commander, you’re correct, Wanderer doesn’t need any help from a tug.”
“Are you going to take over now?”
“Prefer not, Marm, there may be hidden hazards you will know and I won’t, you’ve swum in this lagoon I am told and did a quick survey when you were beaching Wanderer.”
I sighed, “As you say, I’ve swum here.” I eased myself out of the chair, remembering to hold the skirt tight to my thighs and walked out to the port wing and looked across to the reef, there was space to spare on that side and when I checked the starboard, it was tight. I went back to the helm, “Will you return to slow ahead and ease Wanderer closer to the reef on the port side, I need more room to stab’d.”
“Should I leave space for the hull to swing when we start to manoeuvre, Marm?”
“Yes, thank you and if I make a cock up, it’s down to you to get us out of trouble.”
“You won’t, you’ve done a bloody good job so far, I’ll serve under you again, that’s for sure, Marm.”
“Yes but now I have to do a three point turn and I nearly ruined that on my driving test and just scraped through.”
“Cars are more difficult, there’s too many other cars swanning about not to mention jay-walking pedestrians. Shall I increase revs a bit to give the rudder more bite?”
“Yes please, go ahead now and I’ll leave the revs to you, increase and decrease as you see fit. I want the tightest turn possible and then I’ll switch to slow astern ten metres off the beach where the water is deep enough even at low tide. I’ll back up until there’s room to complete the turn and I think the best thing to do is head to stop above the jetty and a bit past it and reverse again with a hawser over a bollard and swing her round until she’s stern on.” I looked at Byron with a question on my face and he nodded and returned to stand at the chair.
“Okay go ahead helmsman, Byron will you tell Andy what we’re doing and I ask him to stay where he is until I’ve moored Wanderer.” He nodded and went over to the radio shack, “I could do with a plate full of gingerbread right now,” I said it to myself not realising I was speaking out loud and jumped when I heard Tamati yell down the stairs to the saloon, “Philips, a plate of gingerbread men on the bridge at the double.”
I turned back to the helmsman, “Slow ahead full stab’d helm, let’s go.” I walked slowly back to the chair and arrived as Gareth placed a plate of gingerbread men and a fresh coffee on the small table beside it. I picked a gingerbread man up, bit its head off, gulped a mouthful of coffee, smiled my thanks and with the gingerbread man in one hand and the coffee in the other I went to the window and watched as Wanderer slowly turned and headed towards the beach. “Stop engines, midships helm and slow astern,” I glanced at the helmsman, stop her and go to slow ahead when you think there’s room to complete the turn I took another bite off the gingerbread man, slurped more coffee and longed to go to my cabin and get into bed and stay there, even if we sank but I think Poseidon must have been underneath Wanderer and guiding her hull at just the right speed and helm. I replaced the coffee on the table and walked out to the port wing again, “Martin, when I start manoeuvring at the jetty, I’ll need the stern cable over one of the bollards to hold her whilst I go astern and try to swing her round so she’s stern on to the beach and then I’ll need the cable off the bollard and walked down to the beach end of the jetty as we swing round and go astern down the side of the jetty and then the bow cable sent over to hold her bows as well.” He waved an acknowledgement so even if I got the order wrong, he understood what I intended. I waited until he called up that the stern cable was secured to the jetty and I called into the bridge, “Byron, slow astern and try to coax the bows to swing round.” I went back to the rail and took a deep breath as I felt the tremble as Wanderer’s screw bit into the water and waited with my fists clenched as she backed up and took the slack out of the cable and nearly cheered as I saw the bows begin to swing.
As soon as there was slack in the cable, the shore party slipped the cable off the bollard and walked alongside Wanderer as she slid alongside the jetty as sweetly as a train slowly coming into a station. I saw them slip the cable over the beach end bollard and went back into the bridge. “Dead slow ahead, take the way off her and then stop engines,” and without waiting for an acknowledgement, I turned towards the bow and watched as the bow cable was hauled up and slipped over its bollard and the ship came to a standstill. I sighed with relief as I saw the bows drift slowly as the light current from the lagoon entrance moved her a little. “Martin, start the winches and pull her in to the jetty and don’t forget the fenders cos I’ll keelhaul any man who allows the paintwork to be scratched.”
He grinned, “Keelhauling it is, Commander, I’ll bring it to the notice of the hands.”
I nodded at the yeoman, “Thanks for your help.”
“It was sweetly done, Marm.”
I nodded and went back into the bridge, picked up another gingerbread man, bit an arm off and said, “Lieutenant Commander Wellington, you have the bridge and please log that the helmsman is to be commended for his attention to duty and do the same for the others.”
“I have the bridge, Commander and congratulations that was a first class demonstration of seamanship.”
“Byron, I’ve had a thought. When Aurora came to our aid in the storm, she had cruised at top speed through a force nine with five metre seas, stopped to help us and then entered the lagoon, dropped her anchor and got half her crew aboard Wanderer whilst she was doing it. Andy had to have been on the bridge even if he was only first lieutenant at the time. How come he didn’t know how to enter the lagoon in a calm sea?”
Byron looked embarrassed, “I wasn’t there so I don’t know the circumstances, perhaps he was in another part of the ship overseeing the repairs to the storm damaged equipment. You’ll have to ask him.”
“I bloody well will because he took over command of Wanderer the whole time she was in the lagoon and took her out and brought her back after we had the dustup with the pirates and out again when we came home. He used to be a shipmate of mine, I will ask him because he knew this lagoon better than I did!”
Byron smiled, “He was right though, you brought us in, turned her round and did as good a job as any of us could.”
I looked at him, his eyes were a soft green and when he saluted me, I automatically bobbed a quick curtsy and went downstairs to the saloon and sat down, “Thank God that’s over.”
“What happened?” asked Liz.
“I had to take command of the bridge and bring Wanderer back safely into harbour.”
Emma looked puzzled, “What do you mean?”
“I had command of the ship and had to bring her through the reef, turn her round and moor alongside the new jetty.”
“You what!”
I sighed, “Somebody explain it to her.”
Gwyneth took Emma’s hand in hers, “Charlotte had command of Wanderer when we safely entered harbour, she was driving the ship.”
Emma turned green, “You came through the reef and all that backing and forwarding was done by you…I feel ill, I’m going to be sick.”
“Me too,” squeaked Liz.
Faye remained calm, “I don’t know what you’re worried about. Charlie helped me shoot down a helicopter and bringing a ship into a harbour can’t be that difficult. In fact it’s the same as doing it with a dinghy except a ship is just a bit larger.”
A slim mug appeared on the table in front of me and when I looked up, it was Victor beaming down on me. “It’s cream floating on the top and chocolate chips.”
I stared at it and took the remains of the gingerbread man from out of my skirt pocket, “Is this a goodbye present before you jump ship?”
He chuckled, “Gareth told me you brought her in and it must have been perfect because we didn’t spill a thing in the galley and that’s always a sign that a ship is being well handled.”
“Didn’t you panic?”
He shook his head, “No nor did any of the crew but we didn’t mention it to the passengers in case they all wanted to go up and watch. Who’s in charge up there now.”
I shrugged, “I handed the bridge back to Byron, I just hope he doesn’t break anything.”
“That’s the ticket, Miss Broughton, er sorry, I meant Commander Broughton.”
He left and I returned my attention to the others and Ted was wearing a size ten grin, “I won’t complain the next time you drive the Bentley,” he said.
“Or the Land Rover,” I added.
Footprints in the Sea Vol 3 is now published on Kindle Ebooks.
Vol 4 will follow in November.
I will be posting a little more of Vol 3 here but I cannot publish the full volume because it contravenes the Kindle terms.
Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 52
The Enchanted Island
By
Frances Penwiddy
Copyright©Frances Penwiddy 2015
The characters in this novel are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Footprints in the Sea is not suitable reading material for minors.
The Chapter numbers of Vol 3 continue from where Volume 2 ended. If you have not read Volumes 1 and 2, it is recommended that you do so before starting Volume 3.
Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 52
Martin came down from the bridge, “Captain Wellington’s compliments and Aurora is asking for permission to moor on the other side of the jetty.”
I smiled at him, “At least he’s not asking me to do it. Tell him yes but don’t hit anything.”
“Captain Wellington has already sent him a message reminding him you did it without bow and stern thrusters.”
“Does Aurora have them, that’s cheating. Shall I order him to do it without using them?”
Martin shook his head, “He might hit Wanderer and dent the hull or demolish the new jetty.” He grinned and turned away but Liz stopped him, “Was Charlie really in charge when we docked?”
“Of course, there’s nobody else who knows the lagoon well enough except Commander Devonshire and he couldn’t be spared from the engine room.”
He went off and Penny asked, “Can I do it next time?”
“No, you’re not tall enough for the captain’s chair.” I got up, “I’m going over to the island, there’s something I want to do and Penny, go and get ready to come with me and wear flat shoes.” I looked down at my skirt, I’ll change as well, this skirt and petticoat got in the way a bit when I was conning the ship,” I grinned at them, “I’m wearing flats on board from now on.” I looked at David, “If you have a word with Byron, he’ll tell you when it’ll be okay for everybody to go ashore. They’re unloading the cargo for this side and the day after tomorrow Wanderer will be going over to the south side with their stuff so the ship’s going to be noisy for most of the afternoon. There’s beach loungers up in the cave if you want them, I’ll only be an hour but I need to show Penny something, Will knows about it.”
I went down to our cabin and changed into an A line skirt and collected Penny, “We have to go up to the bridge first and get permission to go to the island and we’ll need a radio so they can get hold of us if there’s a need.” I used the lift and when we arrived at the bridge I told Penny to wait whilst I went in. “Byron, do you have a moment?”
“Yes, are you offering to help to unload the ship?”
“No thank you, I’m not strong enough to carry the crates. First can Penny come onto the bridge, she’s never seen a ship’s bridge before?” We turned to look at her and she was standing where I had left her, her mouth open and looking around her with eyes on stalks. Byron chuckled, “Yes ask her to come over.”
“Penny,” I called and when she looked I waved her over, “Come over here and don’t touch anything,” and almost on tip toe she walked over. “Penny, this is Captain Wellington, I know you’ve spoken to him in the saloon but this is him in his official capacity, the Master of Pacific Wanderer.” For a moment I thought she was going to salute him but he held out his hand, “Welcome to the bridge, Penny.”
“Yes, thank you, isn’t it exciting, all these machines, dials and telephones and so many people. What are they all doing?”
“Nothing at the moment,” I answered, “I generally have to come up here and do it for them.”
“And you was in charge of all this? It’s scary just standing here.”
“Much the same as rowing a boat with an engine in it. Captain, I would like permission for Penny and I to leave the ship and go over to the island for an hour.”
“I’ll need to know where you’re going.”
“We’ll be about three hundred metres up the path that runs off the cave track. There’s a small glade up there I want to show Penny and then I’ll take her down to the house and then back here. Will knows exactly where we’ll be and I’ll borrow one of the two-way radios so we are in touch but we need to go alone.”
“I would rather send somebody with you. Or you’ll need you to carry a sidearm.”
“You’re as bad as Andy Bryant and Harry Fellow’s but okay I’ll take a pistol in case we meet a boar or snake.”
He nodded, “Okay but stay in touch and be careful around the cave, we’ll be unloading your goods and storing some of them there, the same applies to the house.”
“Thank you and I think the others will want to go onto the beach and David will be speaking to you about that. If you ask him to take them up to the area where the reef curves into the beach, to the left of where my house is, they will be out of your way there and most of them are familiar with the island.”
“Very good but stay in touch.” He turned to Martin, “Draw a pistol from the armoury and a two-way radio for Miss Broughton will you please Martin and walk her to the steps down to the jetty, she is returning to her island.”
I stepped of the jetty and took two steps forward, stooped down and picked up a handful of sand and watched it trickle through my fingers then I took Penny’s hand in mine and poured the last of the sand into it. “Here, put this in your bag wrapped in a tissue. It’s your first piece of my island and if you put it into a locket, when you’re old and wrinkly, you can look at it and remember the first day you landed here.”
“Did you keep some from the first day you landed here.”
“I did but it was an accident. On the first day I had to dip below the water to get our boat free and when I got back to Pacific Wanderer and took my clothes off to have a shower there was some in my knickers and I kept that. I kept Will as well because I discovered him that day.”
She smiled, “It’s very romantic, sort of comforting. I think you’re an exciting person and bringing the ship into the lagoon and being in charge of the bridge was awesome.” She looked back towards Wanderer, “Look, from here she looks really huge.”
We reached the steps and climbed up onto the lawn and Penny stopped, “There’s a house, a large house, who lives there?”
“Me or at least I will in a few days’ time.”
“That’s huge as well, was it here when you arrived.”
“No, just a few remains, the fireplace and chimney. The navy rebuilt everything else for us so that it was hurricane proof.”
“Is this what we’ve come to see.”
“Not the main thing but we’ll come back and I’ll show you around when we’ve done what I came here to do and that’s introduce you to a friend of mine.”
"Is she a native girl or a warrior?”
I shook my head, nothing like that though I suppose she’s a native girl in a way. We had reached the corner of the house where the path to the cave began and I stopped and turned round to look back at the lagoon, “What do you think of the view?
“Oh, God, it’s beautiful, just like a postcard, a desert island and there’s even palm trees.”
“Coconuts, be careful when you walk under one, the coconuts have a tendency to fall off and brain people who are unwary.”
“Are they edible?”
“Of course, I’ve eaten loads and the milk inside is really sweet, we’ll collect some on the way back and you can try it. Come on we’ll have to get a move on and we started up the path. “The cave where all the goods are stored is at the end of the path and you can get back onto the beach from there but we’re going a different way this time, up the hill.”
We reached the path to the glade and turned onto it and started to climb. “Are there any wild animals up here?” Penny asked with just a little bit of concern in her voice.
Wild boar we think and I’ve seen a small deer and there are large lizards and snakes but nobody has been bitten yet. The animals are more scared of us than we are of them and vanish when we appear.”
“Hadn’t you better take the gun out of the holster just in case.”
I shook my head, “I can get to it quickly enough but I doubt we’ll need it. We reached the gap beneath the trees and I took Penny through it and stopped. Here we are, this is one of my special places, one of my special, special places. See up there at the far end where the fallen tree is laying, that’s where I finally discovered who I was and where I realised that I was going to stay like I was and always be a girl and never go back to being a boy.”
“It happened suddenly for you? I just sort of grew into it a little bit at a time.”
“Suddenly,” I agreed, “In less than a five days after I discovered I was shipwrecked. I was frightened to death but when I came here for the first time and sat in front of that fallen tree, everything suddenly became okay, it was a magical moment.”
“Where is the person you’ve come to meet?”
“Here somewhere I think.” I looked around and as far as I could into the trees and undergrowth but there was nothing there yet. “She may not appear today she may not want to meet you but don’t worry, she will want to see you soon.” I led her into the glade and up to the tree, “We’ll sit here for a few minutes and see if she comes. If I suddenly start talking to somebody and you can’t see them, don’t worry, that will be her but she may not want you to see her yet.”
“She can make herself invisible to people but allow you to see her?”
“Yes.”
“She won’t know me and will probably not reveal herself.”
I shook my head, “She’s already seen you and knows who you are. She visited me in England, in the house and went into your room whilst you were sleeping and saw you. I’ll explain it all later but there is no need to be frightened, she’s a friend.”
Penny nodded and started scanning the bottom of the glade, “There’s lots of butterflies under those trees, do you think she’s hiding behind them?”
I studied the spot that Penny was pointing to and sure enough, there must have been over a hundred butterflies, they were a lovely shade of mid blue but there was no sign of Penelopeia. “Do you have your mobile phone,” I asked.
“Are you going to phone her, I didn’t think phones worked out here in the middle of the ocean?”
I smiled, No, I’m not going to phone, I want you to take a picture of those butterflies, Emma will be interested in them.”
She rummaged in her bag and took a phone out, “It’s okay, the battery is charged but there’s no signal.” She held it up and started taking pictures, “Use the zoom, Penny as high as you can get it,” and as she busied herself taking shots I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and looked a few metres to the right of where the butterflies were flirting with each other. A figure stepped out from the trees and started walking towards us. I heard Penny gasp, “Who is that?”
I stood up and waved, “The person I came to visit; a friend.” Penelopeia waved back and walked slowly forward the dappled light of the glade playing tricks with her gown, making it appear to move independently of her body. I felt Penny rise to her feet, “She’s beautiful, really, really beautiful and strange.”
“Strange?” I asked as I took a step forward preparing to greet my visitor.
“Her gown seems transparent and yet I can’t see her body beneath it, that too seems half transparent, I can see the trees beyond her. It’s almost as if she were a ghost.”
Penelopeia called softly, “Stay where you are, Charlotte. The afternoon is hot and it will be cooler beneath the trees.” I felt Penny’s hand on my arm and she slipped it between my arm and my body, “She is so really beautiful,” she whispered hugging my arm closer to herself, “Does she live here?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
Penelopeia reached us and stopped. For a moment she said nothing and looked at Penny, “And this is our lost child? Shall we sit.”
We lowered ourselves to the ground and sat in a circle of three so that each could see the others, “You have brought her here safely.”
“Only just, the last part was a trifle testing.”
“But you passed the test.” She was smiling and looking directly at me, “Passed it rather well I thought.”
“Was Artemis behind it?”
“No not at all but I do believe she may have asked Poseidon to assist you if his help was required but it seems it wasn’t, you proved yourself capable.”
“I’m not so sure of that, I had a helmsman and others who assisted me, who corrected my errors before I dashed the ship on the reef or ended up driving her onto the beach.”
“But it was your orders they were following and here you are visiting me and keeping your promise,” she turned towards Penny. “And you are Penny, the Penny who came to Charlotte and asked for help?”
Penny was looking at her open mouthed, “You know my name, you know things were bad for me, you know I went to Charlotte’s house and asked her for help, you know all about it?” There was no fear in her voice, a faint touch of awe but no fear, “How do you know so much about me? Who are you?”
“Charlotte’s friend and I was asked to do what I could when you first cried out for help so I guided you towards Charlotte’s home.”
“Are you an Angel?”
Penelopeia smiled, “Not an Angel, simply a mortal woman like you who once needed help to find the strength to wait a long, long time for her husband to return to her.”
“You have a string of good grades in your GCSE’s, Penny,” I said, “You must have learned something of Ancient Greece, Odysseus and Penelopeia, Homer?”
Penny nodded, Some. I didn’t read all of it but I was taught something of what happened to Odysseus and of his trials and adventures when he was trying to find his way back to his wife.” She returned her attention to Penelopeia. “He was very brave and even more determined to return and if you are Penelopeia, I can understand why. But you said you are mortal and the Battle of Troy was thousands of years ago and happened in a world of Gods and fabled heroes and heroines and strange monsters?”
“A mystical world that perhaps only exists within the minds of men?” Penelopeia held out her hand, “Take it and feel me.” She waited until Penny reached out and took her hands in her own. “Do I feel warm, can you feel my heart beating through the veins in my arms, can you hear my voice?”
“Yes, yes I can but those stories from Ancient Greece, the great battles, the tricks, the weird things that happened to people, Jason, Hercules, Medusa, some mortal some immortal, Gods and people all mixed up, sometimes fighting sometimes helping each other. I always thought things like that happened in Heaven or some magical place, a place where fairies, monsters and Angels lived?”
“And so they do but where do you think that place is?”
“Well up there somewhere I suppose,” she let go of Penelopeia’s hand and pointed towards the sky,” In the sky, no above the sky, out in space, I don’t know really know. I suppose there must be somewhere because I think I still believe a little bit that Father Christmas is real because I still get presents but sometimes they are given to me when it’s not Christmas. Like the time Charlotte took me shopping and bought me all those clothes and makeup, perfume and let me drive her posh car, the Bentley.” She smiled, “Silly isn’t it, a girl of my age still believing in Father Christmas and fairies and monsters that hide under the bed. But I do have an excuse because when bad things have happened to me, there has always been somebody there to help me, first Clementine and then Charlotte and they chased my demons away.”
“It’s not silly,” I said, trying to hold back the tears, “I believe in Father Christmas as well and Penelopeia is here and she’s real enough at the moment.”
Penelopeia stood up and we followed her example, “I must go now, Charlotte but I will be near when you need me and so will the others that I promised. You will not have to call for us, we’ll be watching all the time and will know when we are needed.” She turned to Penny, “We share the same name and if I am beautiful then you too share that with me. Take heed of what Charlotte tells you and let her be your guide,” She held her hand out, “Prepare your camera and point it to my hand,” and when Penny did as she was asked, Penelopeia opened her fist and there in the centre was one of the butterflies and Penny’s camera started clicking. Penelopeia smiled and looked at me, “We’ll always be close and Poseidon was near but did nothing, he had no need, you really did bring your ship into safe harbour…” and she faded away.
I looked at Penny but she was still taking pictures of the butterfly and hadn’t even noticed that the hand holding it had vanished. After a few seconds the butterfly flew off to join it’s friends who were still dancing amongst the trees and she looked up and then around and asked, “Where’s Penelopeia?”
“Gone home, she lives in the Mediterranean. Come on, we have to see the house and if we dally any longer we won’t have time before Byron sends out a search party. Tomorrow, if we have time, I’ll take you up to the cave and then show you the waterfall but that depends on what other urgent work I have to do.”
“This glade is enchanted.”
“Yes, I told you, it’s where I came to terms with who I am and my decision to go on and be the real me,” we started to walk towards the path down the hill, “Penny, say nothing of this to the others, they will think we’re a pair of crazies and blame it on our being intersexed or something like that.”
“Will it make them hate us or accuse us of being witches like some other people would?”
“No, definitely not, of that I am sure. They are real friends, they know about us and have accepted us and we’re as much a part of the group as they are but asking them to believe we can see and speak to people who lived thousands of years ago is asking a lot.” I paused and thought about that and remembered Faye and her insistence on aiming to miss when she was hunting with her father. Emma and Liz and there excitement and wonder whenever they found something new, something a little unique so perhaps they might believe us, might even have little spirits of their own they spoke to when they were touching a flower or stroking a fury animal. The land of Magic, ancient gods and even demons existed in the minds of children and was very real, who was to say there weren’t millions of people who still believed a little of it and just shrugged it off as superstition, wishful thinking. Mankind’s belief in the hereafter was a part of it and most people believed that we went on to somewhere else after we died, “Perhaps one day I’ll mention it to them but until then, Penny, it’s our secret.”
Penny nodded, “Our secret but I like her, I like what happened and I hope this is not a dream. I hope that there are not hallucinogenic plants in the glade that fill the air with pollen or something that makes us have dreams like that. I really would like to believe that the land of magic, the land of heaven, the land of beautiful women and handsome men was real.”
I smiled, “It is, trust me. Will and I have places that are secret. Places where only we know about, places where we are alone.”
“When you are making love?”
I smiled and nodded, “Places where our love-making takes us and don’t you speak about that either, that is our secret.”
“Of course I won’t but I would like you to tell me how I can take Morris and I there.”
I laughed then, a really happy laugh, “If you really are in love and he loves you back, you’ll find the places without any help from me.” I took her hand and gave it a squeeze, “You’ve made up your mind about him then?”
“Yes and I’m pretty sure he feels the same about me but he’s never taken liberties, you know what I mean, never tried to force me to let him…”
“Make love before you feel you’re ready?”
“Yes. The man I lived with and I thought I loved did push me and said it was the only way we could prove we loved each other so I let him and it didn’t work. I’ve often lost boyfriends because I wouldn’t do it straight away and they just went away but with Morris its different, more gentle and when he thinks I am getting nervous, he sort of slows down or stops.”
“Take your time and when that time does arrive you’ll both know and if you ever want to talk about it then do. Speak to me or Gwyneth, she helped me but it still took a while before Will and I went to bed together but it was terrific when we did.”
“Which was best, before your operation or after?”
I thought about that for a moment, “After I think, it’s gentle most of the time but still exciting and lasts much longer but before was good as well. I think that for us it was as much a mental thing as well as physical, we seem to join together, merge with each other’s bodies, become one person and fly away to our secret places.”
“It sounds so romantic.”
“It is and I’m going to have to stop talking about it or I’ll leave you here and go rushing back to Wanderer and tear his clothes of.”
She giggled. “I’ll do the same with Morris.”
We arrived at the end of the path and turned towards the house and I stopped to let Penny admire the setting again. I gave her a minute and then took her to the front porch, climbed the steps and we went into the house, into the sitting room, “That arch leads to a passage and the bedrooms are on the right hand side, then there’s a bath, shower and loo and a door on the left that goes into a small hall where the larder and utility room are and there’s another door that leads into the kitchen.
“Over there is my office and the arch beside the fire place leads again into the kitchen, another larder and a door out to the rear garden. In fact there’s a door to the outside of the house on every side so if there is a big storm, tsunami, volcanic eruption or Zeus tries to hit us with a thunderbolt, it doesn’t matter where you are, there’s a quick way out and a chance to run for the cave. Other than that, it’s very quiet apart from the seagulls, albatrosses, song birds and for all I know parrots and penguins."
“And all this bit is the sitting room!”
“All of it, Gwyneth reckons it’s large enough for a ball or state dinner.”
“She’s right, is that what you’re going to use it for?”
“No, we’re having a building put up when we need it to do all the government work. I don’t want it here because I’d have to spend all my time telling the children to be quiet and I’m not prepared to do that, it’s going to be their home when they arrive.” I took her through to the kitchen and once again she just stood and stared, “All this is just the kitchen? Big isn’t it. Look at the cooker it has six rings and two ovens and there’s two sinks side by side and the cupboards and work areas, my goodness, it’s larger than the whole of Clementine’s flat, almost as big as the kitchen in your other house.”
“I like space,” I led her over to the French doors that led out to the back garden and we went out.
“It’s beautiful and the size of the lawn and all the flowers, what a lovely view and you could have garden parties out here.”
“You see those trees in the distance?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the end of the garden, the trees are fruit trees and the bit in front is the midden and between the midden and the far flower beds is the kitchen garden.”
“How are you going to look after it all?”
“Everybody will pitch in and take some of the fruit and vegetables as pay. There’s far more than we’ll need.” My radio started ringing and I lifted it, “Countess Charlotte.”
It was Will, “The others are on the beach down by the reef and Wanderer is almost unloaded but the stuff is still being moved up to the cave and then our furniture is being delivered to the house. Do you want to leave it to me to organise where the furniture is placed?”
“I labelled everything including the packing cases, just put it in the rooms indicated.”
“Okay, what about you, where are you going?”
“I’ll join the others near the reef and lounge around for a while.”
“Okay, I’ll come over when we’ve finished and carry you back to the ship, should I bring Morris to carry Penny?”
“Of course.”
He chuckled, “Did you meet who you went to see.”
“Yes, she appeared and even Penny met her, she was even more beautiful in the sunlight than she was in the house. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Okay, I’ll get back to work. Bye, I love you.”
“You probably do but I’ve gone off you a bit, you conspired with Harry Fellows, Andy Bryant and Byron Wellington probably to make me take command of the ship.”
“Of course I did, I won a good few dollars as well but I’ll tell you about that later. Bye again.”
Footprints in the Sea Vol 3 is now published on Kindle Ebooks.
Vol 4 will follow in November.
I will be posting a little more of Vol 3 here but I cannot publish the full volume because it contravenes the Kindle terms.
I mentioned in my blog that some of my work under my other name is being moved to my Frances Penwiddy Amazon Author’s Page.
I drew attention to it because they are not TG books and when I add them I will give you notice so that you don’t purchase one thinking it may be TG. They will not of course be sampled or teased here other than to mention the name.
The first of these books will probably be transferred and authored under Frances Penwiddy on or soon after the 9th August 2017and is entitled Pagan Dawn and is a light comedy.
Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 53
The Enchanted Island
By
Frances Penwiddy
Copyright©Frances Penwiddy 2015
The characters in this novel are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Footprints in the Sea is not suitable reading material for minors.
The Chapter numbers of Vol 3 continue from where Volume 2 ended. If you have not read Volumes 1 and 2, it is recommended that you do so before starting Volume 3.
Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 53
When we arrived at the holiday beach, well that’s what it looked like with sun loungers and parasols dotted about and an assortment of human bodies lying on them and a couple of cool boxes strategically placed, Emma’s voice came out from beneath a mask of sun blocker, “We’ve brought a couple of loungers for you and there’s lemonade and white wine in the coolers, help yourselves.”
“Did you like the house Penny?” asked Gwyneth.
“It’s huge and the garden nearly reaches the horizon.”
“We’re all moving in there until our houses are built,” said Liz, “And we’re partying every night.”
“No you’re not, Geoff Roman told Will that he will have enough portacabins set up by the time Pacific Wanderer leaves for the science side of the island. You’ll have to make do with them but I will let you use my bathroom once a week as the portacabins only have shower units.” I went over to the folding table that held the glasses and poured Penny and I a glass of wine and sat on one of the loungers. “Did you bring any snack food?”
Gwyneth held up a large carrier bag, “Small Pasties, crisps, choc bars,” she peered inside, “And there’s still a couple of toffee crunchies left.”
“I’ll have a toffee crunchie please.”
Gwyneth rummaged around and tossed one to me, “Penny?”
Penny looked up from where she was fiddling with her phone, “Crisps please.” She took a sip of wine, opened the crisps and then went back to the phone, “That’s odd,” she got up and came over to me, “Look,” she whispered, “The picture I took of the butterfly that Penelopeia was holding,” she held out the phone and I looked at it, “What’s wrong it’s a lovely picture, show it to Emma.”
“No, look closer,” I did and looked at her again, “It’s perfect.”
“The butterfly was resting on Penelopeia’s palm and her hand isn’t in the picture and look,” she took the phone back and run her finger across the screen, “Look at this one, it was the last picture I took of the ones under the trees,” she flipped to the next picture, “And this is the one I took of Penelopeia when she first appeared,” she held the phone out, “There’s nobody in the picture, just the trees and bushes.”
I took it from her and studied the picture closely and then enlarged it and kept doing it until it started to pixelate and then I studied the pixel line and colours but there was no sign at all that there had been a person in the picture, I flipped forward and did the same with the hand picture and had the same result. “She obviously didn’t want to appear in the picture or spirits don’t leave an image when they are photographed, not even a digital image. I do know she can only be seen by people she wants to be seen by so I suppose photos won’t work because if they did, anybody could see her.” I handed the camera back to Penny, “It’s okay to show the girls, let Emma see them first, it’s her speciality.”
“What are you two whispering about,” demanded Faye, “It’s rude to whisper when in company.”
“We think we may have found a new species of butterfly and Penny was asking me who we should show the pictures to. Emma, you need to see these,” and I nodded to Penny, “Take them over.”
As soon as she went over, Liz jumped up from her lounger and went to join them and Faye went to the table, topped up her wine and sat beside me, “You really were in charge when we came into the lagoon?”
“Yes, it was a conspiracy, Will was behind it I think. They dropped it into my lap, no doubt thinking I’d run out of the bridge having a nervous breakdown.”
“What did you do?”
“That’s the odd thing, Faye. I was in a panic but I started giving orders as if I had been doing it all my life. I suppose survival instincts kicked in and I must have picked up a few tips when I’ve been on the bridge and didn’t realise I was doing it.”
She shook her head, “Not me, I would have thrown myself on the deck and started crying.”
“No you wouldn’t, you’d have done the same as me and started giving orders. The trick is to slow the ship down and give yourself time to think and on top of that the helmsman helped and so did one of the lookouts and Martin on the deck understood me when I told him what I was going to try and do. Once you start, you forget about being scared and rely a bit on common sense and use the bits of information you subconsciously take on board whilst living on the ship.”
“Still, you did do it well. I was sitting in the lounge and I didn’t really believe it was you conning the ship. I was sure they were just pulling our legs. When Victor brought you the coffee and gingerbread men and confirmed it was you, I was shocked.”
“So was I when it was over. I tell you what though, I’m going to blackmail Byron into giving us a go on the missile launcher. He can hardly refuse now.”
“I’d stick to the machine guns for the moment if I was you. We still don’t know how to operate those twinned guns on the upstairs viewing bridge deck.” She grinned, “I’ve found out where they’ve hidden the ammunition and distress flares as well. They’ve put them in a ready use locker concealed under the decking over the Jacuzzi.”
I looked across the beach to where Pacific Wanderer was moored, “She does look pretty now and the new funnel makes her look a bit racy. When she leaves to go to the other side of the island, I’ll ask Byron to make her go full ahead and take a video of her dashing past the reef with an enormous bow wave and smoke pouring out of her funnel.”
“And all guns blazing.”
Emma, Liz and Penny came over to us, “It looks like a long tailed blue but the colour is deeper and the brown edges to the wings is a little lighter. I can’t judge the size from the picture but if it is the long tailed blue, it’s a variant at least, possibly a new variety.”
I opened the palm of my left hand and used the finger and thumb of my right to span a distance, “It was about this size with the wings opened,” I looked at Penny, “What do you think?” She nodded and there was the touch of a smile on her face, “About that, not quite as wide as the palm.”
Emma became thoughtful, “That’s what, about forty or forty five millimetres, much larger than a long tailed blue. Can you show me where you saw them?”
“Not today or tomorrow, we’ll be too busy but in a few days’ time we’ll take you up to the glade, there must have been about a hundred or so fluttering about, a sort of colony but apart from the one that came close, we were too far away to judge the size.”
“Okay, that’ll do but I need to try and catch one. Butterflies are important because apart from being pollinators most of them have preferred plants for laying their eggs and if we can identify the butterfly it will give us clues to which plants are growing here. Can I have a copy of the pictures?”
“We’ll blue tooth it this evening.” My radio went live, “Will?”
“Dinner in about an hour and a half and Mark has instructed me to collect you so that you have time to bathe and get ready.”
“What shall we do with the loungers and parasols?”
“Fold them up and store them close to the reef and well above high tide. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
“Don’t forget to bring Morris.”
I hooked the radio over my gun belt, “Dinner in an hour and a half and Will said to leave the furniture here.”
We had just enough time when we saw a group leave the end of the jetty and start walking towards us. I recognised Will, he stood an inch taller than Faye’s fiancé Howard and David was the shortest and as they grew closer Emma squinted and said “It’s our blokes as well as Will and David.”
“They’ve probably change their mind about the beach furniture and are bringing it back to the ship,” Gwyneth answered.
I studied them, they were a good bit closer and seemed to be laughing and kidding around, “I smell a rat here. It’s not the furniture, they’ve plotted something. Look at them, they’re like a bunch of college students fooling around.”
Gwyneth stopped packing the wine in a cooler and shielding her eyes. She looked for a few seconds, “You’re right, even David’s playing the fool.”
“You’re too suspicious, I reckon they’ve come to carry us back to the ship. I bet it was Will that put them up to it and if Howard thinks he’s chucking me over his shoulder he can think again,” Faye said.
“Quite right,” Emma stood up from where she had been rolling the table cloth and stood watching them, her eyes narrowed. “If Lawrence thinks he’s carrying me, he’s going to do it properly, in his arms and hugging me to his hairy chest.”
“Me too,” said Penny.”
“Lawrence can’t carry both you and Emma,” I pointed out, ” Not unless you lay on top of each other.”
“I didn’t mean Lawrence, I meant Morris and he’s going to have to tell me he loves me first and promise not to take liberties.”
Faye snickered, “Don’t you mean he has to promise TO take liberties.”
“Do you think I should tell him that?”
“No,” chorused Liz, Gwyneth and myself, “It would embarrass us,” I added.
“Well, I don’t know about the others but if David tries to carry me all the way back to the ship, he’ll have a heart attack and I’ll finish up carrying him. I think he’d be better off carrying the cool boxes and I’ll walk.”
They arrived and the others hung back by a pace and Will opened his arms and walked up to me. I began to lift my arms for a cuddle when he suddenly ducked took another step and his head brushed past my hips and his shoulder caught me in the waist and he straightened up and I flopped over his shoulder and his hand slapped my bum and then slid down to cuddle my thighs. My squeal of protest at the slap was drowned out by Faye as Howard did the same to her, “You pinched my ass!”
“Put me down and stop fooling,” I head Gwyneth shout and immediately after her, a surprised squeal from Penny which quickly changed to an “Ooh.”
I started to giggle when I heard Emma groan, “Stop that you perv.”
“Keep quiet or I’ll caress you under the bikini bottom rather than over it.”
“You wouldn’t dare…Eeek!”
As for Liz, she just sighed and said, “Forget the ship, just carry me up to the soft grass.”
The men turned round, forgot the coolers, shoulder bags, the radio and my gun belt and started back towards the ship and Will turned a little and made for the firmer sand just below the high water mark and the others followed his example.
Instead of turning towards the ship when we reached the water line, Will kept going straight on wading into the sea at an angle. I lifted my head and saw the others following. The girls must have been a bit quicker on the uptake than me and were beginning to yell and struggle except Gwyneth because David had stopped and was easing her down into thigh deep water.
By now Will was waist deep and I had to lift my head to keep my hair out of the water, “What are you doing? My hair’s getting wet and my blouse and skirt are being splashed!”
“Sorry,” he stopped and by now the water was halfway up his chest and I had to lift myself much higher and then he stooped and for a moment I thought he was going to duck under and get me soaked but he didn’t. He straightened up and at the same time grabbed me by the waist and heaved. I left him, arms and legs splayed and hit the water flat on my back with a great splash and sank
.
I got mad then, and flipped over managed to turn and kicked with my legs and pulled with my arms and went straight for his legs. He had turned and was forcing himself through the water making for the beach but a girl, a strong swimmer and fully submerged can swim faster than a man trying to push himself through chest high waves and I caught him as his left leg left the sand to force itself forward. I swung my left arm and caught him flat handed just above the ankle and forced his left leg over just at the point where it was passing his right and the foot caught the calf of his right leg and he lost his balance and started to fall forward. I came up for air, glanced towards the others where a general melee was taking place and turned just as Will’s head appeared spluttering and shaking . I swam for my life, no ladylike breast stroke a full blown freestyle well almost full blown except my skirt was slowing my kick. I kept kicking and reached down and jerked the hem of the skirt up and forced it into the waist band and started going for the world record.
Will was coming after me now and his stroke was powerful and he gained on me, “Wait till I get you,” he gasped, spluttered, coughed and finished the sentence, “You’ll wish you were a mermaid.”
I was dead, I knew that, the trick with the waistband of my skirt didn’t work, there was still air trapped in the skirt and it was ballooning at my hips. If I slowed down to fix it he would catch me so I duck dived, kept kicking and turned towards deeper water and swam down at an angle. I fiddled with the fastener on the skirt and managed to get it off and kicked for the surface. As I broke into the sunlight he was in front and well to my left looking forward so I changed to a breast stroke and quietly swam towards him and when he was on the point of discovering me I threw the skirt as hard as I could and scored a bulls eye. The skirt wrapped itself over his head and I broke into a freestyle and went as fast as I could.
I didn’t look back, I could tell by the muffled curses and splashing that he wasn’t coming after me yet so I continued and then I heard his triumphant yell as he started swimming again.
I dived for a second time and guessed he would think I would try and make for the beach but I turned away and went even further out, there was a slight swell to the water but I’d swam in worst and I was gambling that Will wasn’t as swim fit as me and would tire a little sooner and we were still about a hundred metres from Pacific Wanderer. I glanced in his direction, he was still about eight meters behind me and much closer to the beach. He saw me and turned to swim at an angle in an attempt to cut me off. I ignored him and just kept going straight ahead and as he got closer I dived again and for a third time I turned out towards the reef and fooled him. He must have thought I would definitely turn towards him this time because when I surfaced this time he had changed direction and was swimming back to the beach. I changed to a breast stroke and swan as quietly as I could whilst still keeping a decent speed up and managed to gain a few metres before he grew suspicious and turned and spotted me. He came after me again but he was a little slower, tiring a bit, he had been swimming all the time whereas I had dived and slowed down a few times and still had energy left to keep going. I glanced towards the ship, now barely twenty five metres away and the deck rails were crowded with sailors all cheering and yelling to me. My mind travelled back to my final year at school and the annual swimming gala. I was in second places and a metre behind and was being cheered by my house supporters and I grabbed strength from somewhere and really put everything into it and won by a fingertip.
It wasn’t good enough this time though, Will was a lot stronger than the swimmer I was up against in the gala and tiring or not he was gaining so I did the only thing I could and dived. As soon as I was about two metres down I rolled over, turned towards the beach and kicked and actually saw him swim above me making for the sea again so I let him go until he stopped, kicked water and then came powering back. My trick hadn’t worked quite so well this time so I went for the surface and Wanderer’s hull loomed over me, I surfaced, swam three strokes and slapped the side of the hull. “Neutral territory!” I yelled and just in time as well because he was a half stroke behind me.
I thought he was going to push me under and took a deep breath but he just grinned, reached around my waist, pulled me in and kissed me, “I forgot you were a diver and you cheated.”
“No I didn’t, diving’s not cheating.”
“You threw your skirt over my head and then all I could see were your legs and a pair of transparent panties, that is definitely cheating. No red blooded man is going to overtake a sexy bum covered in see-through knickers.”
I placed my hands on his shoulders and kissed him, “I’ll make amends tonight.”
“You’ve got to get out of the water first.”
“We’ll swim to the beach, we can’t wait for them to throw a boarding net down.”
“You’ll swim to the beach and walk out of the water wearing transparent knickers?”
“Oh-my-god, the crew are all up there!”
“And our blokes not to mention the girls who are dead keen on inspecting your operation site and taking pictures.”
I let go of him and swam closer to Wanderer’s hull so I could hide under the curve. “You’ll have to swim to the beach and get my skirt.”
“I’m exhausted.”
“Will, swim and get my skirt or I won’t make amends tonight.”
“I doubt I can take advantage of your offer of compensation, I’ve exhausted myself.”
I glared at him and then reached down with one hand and hooked the waistband of my panties and struggled them down and off and held them up, “In that case I’m taking them off.”
“You’ll get out of the water with no knickers on!”
“They probably got damaged with all that swimming and diving and I’m not being seen wearing knickers with holes in them.” I turned, and with my see-through underwear flapping in one hand I started swimming towards the beach, cheered on by the matelots lining the deck rails.
Faye saved the day and waded into the water and threw my skirt towards me, “Put this on or you’ll catch a chill.”
“More than a chill if I’m not careful, there’s a shark behind me,” And I lifted my feet and struggled into the skirt, no mean task in the water and with it ballooning around my waist I waded up to the beach and pulled the hem down and with one hand on Faye’s shoulder I managed to struggle back into my soggy knickers, smoothed my skirt and curtsied to the spectators up on Wanderer’s deck still cheering me.
Once we were together we walked along the jetty, Penny’s trainers squelching , the others with their flip-flops slapping on the decking, except me, mine were probably washed up on the beech somewhere and when we arrived at the landing stairs everybody held back and waited for me to proceed them. I stopped, “What are you waiting for?”
“You,” and Emma pointed up to the entry port and we could see Byron standing there, feet apart and his arms behind his back silently gazing down at us.
“Well go on then, I need a shower as quickly as possible.”
There was a unanimous shaking of heads, “You know how to handle him, you first,” said Liz.
“Handle him? Don’t be silly, he’s okay.”
“You first,” said Gwyneth, the wife of my physician, and she gently but firmly pushed me so I had to take the first step up. I straightened my back and with as much dignity as a girl, a Commander girl, could muster when she was wearing a soaking wet, dripping sea water skirt, a wrinkled blouse and soggy, transparent knickers and twisted, knotted, bedraggled hair, could muster I started the climb. As I neared the top of the steps I saw Auntie Katie, Uncle Ted, Gareth and Mark standing behind the Captain with frowns on their faces and then I knew I was in trouble, especially as the previously cheering onlookers had grown quiet and there was an ominous silence hanging over the main deck.
‘Take the bull by the horns,’ ‘Meet the enemy head on,’ ‘Pray to the Lord and pass the bullets.’ A string of clichés flashed through my head and I turned when I reached the landing, stepped through the entry port, curtsied to the quarter deck, curtsied to Byron straightened and asked, “Commander Broughton, Commander Devonshire and shore party request permission to come aboard, Captain.”
Byron’s eyes opened wide and he stepped back, obviously whatever he had been expecting, it was not my formal approach. He saluted my curtsy and replied, “Permission granted, Commander, welcome aboard and please ask your party to go to their cabins and get dry and changed, they are dripping sea water and sand all over my deck.”
A commander must always put the needs of the men and women under her command before herself so I turned to the others who were crowding onto the landing behind me. “You heard the captain, get yourselves to your cabins and report to the saloon in 90 minutes, no more. You will be dry, coiffed, correctly dressed and don’t forget to clean under your finger nails.” I turned to Byron, “Thank you Captain, perhaps you and your officers would care to join us for dinner.” I heard Auntie Kate snigger and as I led the way towards the stairs to the passenger deck promenade, Gareth suddenly wrapped a blanket around me and Mark grabbed my hand and started feeling for my pulse, “I don’t need a blanket,” I protested, “Or my pulse checked, I had a swim not a mortal fight with a Great White!”
“You definitely need a blanket,” said Gareth, “Look at the front of your blouse.”
I looked down and immediately folded my arms across my chest. The blouse was as transparent as my knickers and the lace bra underneath it was doing its best to follow the example of the blouse but the worst bit was my nipples, they looked as if somebody has stuck map pins in them and were sticking out like a pair of short, stubby pointers. “I need the blanket,” I agreed and wrapped it around me.
Footprints in the Sea Vol 3 is now published on Kindle Ebooks.
Vol 4 will follow in November.
I will be posting a little more of Vol 3 here but I cannot publish the full volume because it contravenes the Kindle terms.
I mentioned in my blog that some of my work under my other name is being moved to my Frances Penwiddy Amazon Author’s Page.
I drew attention to it because they are not TG books and when I add them I will give you notice so that you don’t purchase one thinking it may be TG. They will not of course be sampled or teased here other than to mention the name.
The first of these books will probably be transferred and authored under Frances Penwiddy on or soon after the 9th August 2017and is entitled Pagan Dawn and is a light comedy.
Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 54
The Enchanted Island
By
Frances Penwiddy
Copyright©Frances Penwiddy 2015
The characters in this novel are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Footprints in the Sea is not suitable reading material for minors.
The Chapter numbers of Vol 3 continue from where Volume 2 ended. If you have not read Volumes 1 and 2, it is recommended that you do so before starting Volume 3.
Footprints in the Sea Volume 3
Chapter 54
“I must congratulate the ladies present this evening on their appearance, bearing in mind that only a short while ago, they were carrying out a difficult exploration of the sea bottom in the lagoon.”
“Marine biology is included within my remit, Captain Wellington,” said Emma with a voice that dripped honey. “My current position in the Anglo-New Zealand Antarctic expedition specifically states that I should explore both the land and sea life forms paying particular attention to the discovery of new species and sub species of both animal and insect life.”
“Did you discover anything?”
“I think I may have identified a new form of salt water plant but as that is within the sphere of Doctor Elizabeth Johnson, I passed further investigation to her.”
“And you Miss Pemberton?”
“Definitely some very oddly shaped grains amongst the sand and a strong presence of feldspar, silicon and pieces of what I am sure are of volcanic origin and perhaps some manganese but as yet, no evidence of precious or semi-precious stones.”
“A pity but it is early days yet and you Commander Broughton, what of your exploration?”
“I had in mind the suitability of the current position of the jetty for mooring and must advise you that there is less than a half a fathom under the keel at the bow of Pacific Wanderer. I would recommend the jetty should be moved to a position closer to the mouth of the river to the right, that’s stab’d in navy English, of the lagoon”
“Thank you, we were aware that there was barely sufficient depth and do indeed intend to move the jetty in the near future, subject to your approval as owner of the island of course.”
“Please feel free, Captain. I hope our unorthodox approach to science and exploration did not interfere with the smooth running of the ship.”
“Not at all, the OOD and petty officers assured me that the crew were paying particular attention to your techniques in avoiding a sea predator and were particularly impressed with your methods of removing clothing to allow you greater freedom of movement. I was also gratified when I won the bet on whether you would touchdown before Commander Devonshire.”
“You were betting on the outcome?”
“Indeed, it is a method that increases the pleasure of the learning experience.”
“She cheated,” said Will.
“Come-come, Commander Devonshire, I’m sure Commander Broughton did no such thing. She simply demonstrated that sound training in underwater techniques helps when faced with adversity and surely one must use every tool in the box to guarantee survival?”
“He might have strangled me with a bootlace had he caught me.”
“I was wearing beach sandals.”
“You could have cut my throat with a buckle.”
“They were Velcro.”
“Scratched my skin then.”
Auntie Kate giggled, “He had to catch you first.”
“I did manage to steal a kiss at the end though,” Will smiled, “It was worth the chase.”
I became serious, “Byron, the water in the lagoon is warm and safe and I think it would be okay for the crew to swim in if you were to allow it. There is a little risk of a stray shark I suspect but I think that if you had a boat out and a man with a rifle on the deck, that would be enough.”
“It’s unlikely that sharks are in the area,” said Emma, “There isn’t very much to attract them, the Antarctic current has moved south, the water is too warm. There’s fewer fish because they will follow the colder water and the predators will follow the fish.”
“I will consider it, the men are familiar with the dangers associated with sharks so I will probably allow swimming parties once the more urgent tasks have been carried out.”
“A shark net across the entrance to the lagoon would help, failing that we might try training a pod of dolphins.”
“I’ll do that, Emma, you just entice them in.”
Gwyneth nodded her head, “Charlotte is very good with dolphins, she has swam with them under the most adverse conditions.”
“I’ve had such a lovely day, such a perfect, perfect day.”
Will smiled, “Even the swimming?”
“Especially the swimming,” and I took a hold of his upper arms, stood on tiptoe and kissed him, “That’s just for starters, the beginning of my making amends.”
“So you admit it, you did cheat?” he asked as I lowered myself.
“Sort of. I had help at hand if I needed it. The sort of help no mortal can compete against.”
“Ah, I see.” He was still smiling but his face was lit by the moon and his eyes sparkled and the tops of his lips had a silvery tinge so I stood on tiptoe and kissed him again. “You see what?”
“Does this have anything to do with your visit to the glade, the visit with Penny?”
“A bit, the butterflies had a hand in it I think.” I took his hand and we continued our walk along the deck of Pacific Wanderer and I told him about the butterflies and the hand and body image that hadn’t shown in the pictures that Penny had taken, “Penny could see her as well though she did say she thought Penelopeia might have been a ghost because she could see through her, see the trees and underbrush through her body. But she was certainly touched by the visit and a little shocked that Penelopeia knew so much about her. I’ve sworn her to secrecy though and she didn’t say a word when she showed the pictures to Emma and the girls.”
“And what about you, do you believe you saw a ghost?”
I shook my head, “No she definitely wasn’t a ghost, she was warm but I really don’t know, don’t understand it, understand how a women who lived thousands of years ago can visit me. I’m not frightened, in fact I like her and I wondered if I was having some sort of hallucination but if Penny can see her as well, it can’t be that. I don’t think I’ll try to work it out, I’ll just have to accept it but she was there, Will and she told me there were others watching over us.” I nodded and smiled, “That’s why you were beaten in the swim today. I was far from swim fit, I’ve not swam since the rescue of David and you should have caught me but Penelopeia sent for Poseidon and he must have been lurking down there and told me what to do. You didn’t have a chance against that sort of opposition but it doesn’t matter, I’ll still make amends.” ‘Where you’re concerned Will Devonshire, I’ll make amends as often as you like,’ but I didn’t say that to Will, a girl still likes to be courted, even chased, chased on land and in the water so I wanted him to know he still had to work at it, keep that look in his eye, that passion for me firmly embedded in his heart.
We stopped at the corner of the stern and looked out to the west. The night sky still had the faintest tinge of yellow light to it and above it a thin band of light blue but above us the sky was the deepest velvet blue and there were a trillion stars looking down on us. To the left stood the constellation of Canis Major with the Dog Star, I pointed, “Sirius, our guard dog and where Sirius stands so does Orion, they are inseparable, Sirius is Orion’s hunting dog so it is waiting in case Orion’s bow misses the target, Lepus the hare. Then Sirius goes after the prey because he is the fastest dog and the only one who can catch a hare, he must be a greyhound. The other dog is in Canis minor and he’s a mastiff and he chases after Sirius ready to protect him if Taurus tries to intervene. I looked a little east and higher, “There’s Orion his bow at the ready and over there, Taurus getting ready to charge.”
“You make it sound like a story. I just look up and see all the stars but you see more, you see the drama.”
“It was the trawler skipper I dived with. He used to tell me the stories when it was dark and we were returning from a dive. He said it was easier to remember a good yarn than the position of a star. Once you’ve found Sirius, the brightest star at night you can locate Orion’s belt and his legs, then it’s easy to find Gemini and then Cassiopeia that’s the one that looks like a ‘W” and moving my hand, “There’s Gemini and there to the north just above the reef you can just see the Big Dipper and just above it, the Pole Star, the sailor’s guide. Well it is in the Northern Hemisphere but down here we need the Southern Cross and if you don’t know what that looks like, just look at the Australian and New Zealand flags.” I turned in to him and we kissed again. With so many Gods looking down, nothing would be allowed to interfere and spoil the moment and when we finished we looked up to the sky directly above us and through an unpolluted sky into the Milky Way and saw a trillion stars lighting the way back to our cabin.
The ship was quiet now, most people were tucked up in their beds and bunks with just an anchor watch under the command of Sub Lieutenant, (soon to be Admiral), Tamati Sandler.
I stopped as soon as we entered the cabin and waited for Will to close the door, “It has been such a wonderful day,” I repeated, “But with all the excitement I’m quite exhausted and we still have to walk all the way across the sitting room to the bedroom and then across the bedroom to our bed, I really don’t think I can go that far. Would you mind if I just went to sleep here by the door, the carpet is very soft?”
“I could fetch you a cushion from the armchairs to use as a pillow or…” he stooped and lifted me into his arms and cuddled me close to his chest, “…I could carry you to the bed.”
“You won’t throw me out of the porthole and into the sea again, will you?”
“No, I want you to tell me more about the stars.”
He leaned his head down and kissed me lightly on the lips and walked across the sitting room and as he turned sideways to pass through to the bedroom, he kissed me again on the tip of my nose and finally as we arrived at the bed, he kissed me on top of my head, paused to bury his nose in my hair and breathed deeply, “You smell like a summer garden, I like it and there’s not a suggestion of seaweed,” and he lowered me gently to stand on the floor. “If you’re still tired, I could undress you?”
“Thank you.”
He slowly undid the buttons on the front of my dress, reached the belt and unfastened that and the fingers of one hand slip round my back and softly lowered the concealed zip before rising again to my shoulders, pausing just for a moment to rest gently on my breasts. He eased the shoulders of the dress down my arms and over my hands and then past my hips and still keeping a hold of it, down to my thighs where I helped him and lifted each leg in turn so he could slide the dress off me and drop it gently to the floor behind him. He stepped back and studied me and then he reached for my shoulders and as I leaned into him he unclipped my bra, eased the shoulder straps down and it joined my dress on the floor. Again he slid his hands slowly down the sides of my ribs, his touch so soft, so gentle and pausing again at my breasts he lightly caressed the nipples with his thumbs before continuing down, past my hips to my thighs until the found the suspender clips and eased them open and then slid his hands round to the back and repeated the operation. Then his hands started gently upwards until they reached my buttocks and I felt the palm of each hand caress me before moving up to the suspender belt fastening and unclipping that he pulled it free from my waist. It too joined the dress on the floor and without losing contact with me, his hands dropped to mid-thigh and with a little pressure lifted first my left and then in turn my right legs and the stockings slid with just a whisper off my legs and fluttered down to rest on top of the suspender belt.
Once again he stepped back and looked at me before reaching out and with just a suggestion of a tickle I felt my panties eased down and off my legs. I still had control but only just and I knew my nipples had hardened and my breathing had deepened, “My turn now,” I managed to whisper in a husky voice, and I loosened his tie and began to unbutton his shirt, slowly pausing twice to let my fingers caress his pectorals and then his shirt and tie joined my clothes, lying across them as if trying to protect their silky softness.
I stepped back and looked at him and reached out and with the flat of both hands I caressed his chest and let my hands lower gently until I reached his abdominal muscles and here I lifted the palms of my hands and let my fingers caress them. They were strong, well defined and it felt as if I was caressing waves as I let my fingers find their way down to his trousers and unclipped the waist band, found the zip and then slide inside whilst my thumbs hooked over the top of his waist band and I slid his trousers down a little before pausing to gather his underpants and easing them down to the tops of his thighs, I let them drop.
I knelt down and eased them off his feet, bunched them up and tossed them onto the pile and then looked directly at the penis that was staring straight at me. I couldn’t resist it, leaned a little forward and kissed the tip, opened my lips and took just the head in my mouth, tickled it for a second with my tongue and then closing my lips, I slowly eased my head back but kept my lips firmly around it until just the tip remained in my mouth and tickled it again before releasing it and heard a soft moan come from him. I straightened up and smiled softly, “I need your help to climb into bed.”
He startled me with his reaction. He lifted me and with his arm around my waist and his hand supporting my thighs with one of my arms flung over his shoulder he turned sideways and releasing the arm around my waist he flipped the bed cover sideways, lowered me onto the satin sheet and then pushed me so I slid to the centre of the bed. Without straightening he slipped in beside me, reached across my chest and rolled over, taking his weight on his hands he hovered over me, his body inches clear of me and looked down.
“I’ll drive,” I whispered and opened my legs, slipped them over his waist and raised myself just high enough for the tip of his penis to touch my labia and then I rocked a little; slowly, backwards and forwards so his penis caressed the labia without entering and almost immediately the shocks began starting at my stomach and fanning out to my breasts and down to my thighs. I wasn’t going to be able to control this, I knew I had to do something, do something that would send both of us into that interstellar world we visited at times like this. I lifted myself a little but still kept up the rocking motion and I felt his penis slip inside a little so that it was now caressing my vulva and then it happened, it touched my clitoris and the shock went through me so hard my body started shaking and I lost control completely thrust myself up and felt him penetrate me and my mouth opened ready to scream as I began to explode but his mouth clamped down on mine, muffled it and then I was gone. He came with me out of the ship and into that velvet sky with the planets, stars, galaxies and nebulae, the home of the gods that waited for us and still the explosion in my body continued and our atoms spun, danced and crowded around us until we were a golden cloud of atomic particles and we swooped through space, danced around stars and flew to the edge of our galaxy and then past it.
Out, out into the void thrusting through space to the next galaxy and the next through nebulae until far out, the explosion slowed and we had reached the edge of our universe and in the quiet moment we approached the edge and then we smashed into a transparent shield, glass, a force field, magnetism, I don’t know what but we smashed through and I felt it and us shatter and there in front of us a void, dark, soundless but far away there was another universe, more galaxies, more stars, more places to visit but not now. I was not in control and this was not the right time to go further so we turned and went through the wall again and exploded back into our own universe, a universe with galaxies and stars I recognised. My explosions were now a slow burn as we flew towards the centre and then I saw Cassiopeia and far beyond it Ursa Major and the Pole Star and between it and the tiny nebular that Will and I had become, a tiny blue speck, our home, Earth and we changed direction and once again I felt the heat build, felt another explosion building and it happened as we burned through the atmosphere, bored our way through Pacific Wanderer’s steel and I blew apart as we collided with the bed and for the third time I felt Will’s orgasm match mine and a thin white line kept his atoms anchored to mine and as we quietened it pulled us back together, we solidified and the string, the thin line of his sperm slowly disappeared inside me and cemented us together.
I lay quietly calming myself down, shivering a little, part with fear of what had happened to us but more with the excitement, the sheer joy of our passion. Will was breathing more steadily and I felt his heart slowly quieten down and I listened half expecting to hear alarm bells sounding on the ship as she rocked with the force of our impact but everything was silent and the only movement the gentle rise as a wave in the lagoon lifted Wanderer’s hull. Nobody had heard us, nobody!
I felt Will move and he lifted himself and looked down at me, “Promise me one thing,” he said quietly, “Promise me that once a month or once a week you will tell me about the stars before we come to bed and then take me out there, show them to me.”
“We went right to the edge of the universe and then through it before turning back.”
“Yes, I felt it, I felt your explosion mix with mine, I felt the slow burn as we came home and then the explosion again as he arrived.”
“It was the nebulae. As we passed through them they fed us the fuel we needed and the colours, they were incredible.”
He smiled, “Tomorrow, a scientist using the Hubble telescope will ponder on the scorch marks that have suddenly appeared on the surfaces of the Crab Nebular.”
I chuckled softly and shook my head, “We were travelling so much faster than light, the scorch marks won’t be seen here on Earth for thousands of years yet. They’ll never be able to pin it on us.”
“We’re clear to do it again then?”
“As often as we like. We’ve never seen anybody else up there, do you think we’re the only people who do that when we’re making love?”
“No, there are others, people so in love they can make miracles like we do but as you say, we’re all travelling much faster than light so we’ll never see them.”
“Perhaps I should try and slow down a bit and then we might meet a few. We could compare notes and discover the locations of other places worth visiting.”
He chuckled and lifted himself and I felt his penis slip out. “I didn’t know you were still inside me!”
“Want me to put it back?”
I shook my head, “Not tonight, I’m exhausted and if we’re to crash through the barrier at the edge of the universe again, I want a clear head or we might get lost and never find our way back.”
“Not you, you love this island and would always find your way back here.”
I smiled and stroked his face “Our launching pad,” and I went to sleep. Such a lovely, lovely day.
Footprints in the Sea Vol 3 is now published on Kindle Ebooks.
Vol 4 will follow in November.
This is the final chapter of Footprints that I can publish here without contravening the Kindle terms but I have other TG writing that I will post until I publish Volume 4 of Footprints later in the Autumn.
I mentioned in my blog that some of my work under my other name is being moved to my Frances Penwiddy Amazon Author’s Page.
I drew attention to it because they are not TG books and when I add them I will give you notice so that you don’t purchase one thinking it may be TG. They will not of course be sampled or teased here other than to mention the name.
The first of these books will probably be transferred and authored under Frances Penwiddy on or soon after the 9th August 2017and is entitled Pagan Dawn and is a light comedy.
To access my Kindle page, use the link in the right hand column of this Big Closet page.