“Madam, are you all right? That looks a nasty bruise,” I asked.
“It is nothing, I slipped and hit my head on some ship’s timbers,” she said.
My arse, I thought, he hits the poor cow.
“I’m Jane Lambert, you must be Mrs Banyard?”
“That is quite correct. I have not been well, the sickness,” she said.
“William was a little sick, but the rest of us seem to have acquired our sea legs. I think my maid, Abigail was a little sick, but she seems all right now.”
“You have your servants with you?”
“Only my husband’s valet, his wife, who will be our cook and housekeeper, my maid, and the groom. We had to let the others go,” I said, and realised how grand it made me sound.
“Gracious, what a large household. How many children have you?”
“We have four, Katie, who is nearly twelve, William who is five, Edward, two and little Emily who is but a few weeks.”
“You do not look old enough to have a twelve year-old.”
“Alas, she and William are the children of my husband and his first wife. She died giving birth to William. Edward and Emily are mine.”
“I see. So you must be Lady Jane Lambert?”
“That’s right, but I make no great noise about the title, as in America it is of no consequence.”
“I read of you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, you are quite famous, if I recall, you and your husband saved the Duke of Wellington’s life in Paris.”
“Ah, that. Yes, we were involved in a little excitement. An assassin decided to take the Duke’s life. I noticed him, so my husband, who was a Colonel of Dragoons, was able to reach the man before he could shoot the Duke. A dragoon’s sabre is not a forgiving weapon.”
Roger came onto the deck and found us conversing. He wrapped his arms about me and kissed me on the cheek.
“Good evening, Madam,” he said to my companion.
“Sir Roger,” she said, bowing her head slightly.
“You’ll be Mrs Banyard?”
“Yes sir. Phyllis Banyard. I had better go.”
“Oh, why so, Phyllis? It’s a lovely evening, and these fine sunsets are so rare,” I said.
“My husband, Madam, he does not like me to mix with people.”
We bade her goodnight, watching as she scuttled below.
“Poor wretch, did you see her face?” Roger asked.
“I did. He is a brute, how I would like to give him a taste of his own medicine,” I said.
Roger laughed.
“Oh, you fearsome wench. Woe-betide any man that crosses you. Did you know you are so beautiful when you are angry?”
“That’s only because I’m not angry with you. And, who is looking after Emily, I thought you were?”
“Abigail, she’s feeling a lot better, I’m pleased to say.”
“Does she want a feed?”
“Who, Abigail, how the devil should I know?” Roger said, laughing at me.
“No foolish man. Emily?”
“Probably, that’s why she is crying.”
“Roger, you’re so awful at times, I wonder why I love you.”
“You love me because I please you in bed,” he said, nuzzling my neck.
“Well, you’ll have to wait, as I have to feed your daughter.”
“How do I know she is mine?” he teased.
“Because she suckles on my breast just like you, and besides, she is as ugly as you.”
Roger laughed and kissed me.
“You’re terrible, madam. Luckily, Emily is so like her mother, she will be the most beautiful girl in the whole of America, after Katie that is.”
“Talking of Katie, is she still with the horses and the groom?”
“Good point, I think I’d better check. I’ll have to watch young Oliver, as he’s rather too fond of Katie for his own good.”
“He’s devoted to her, but Katie is sensible enough.”
“Hmm, maybe, but she’s getting to an interesting stage, and if I were a red blooded young man, she would interest me.”
“You mean you’re not a red blooded young man?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes, you’re a red blooded old man.”
I left him and went below where Emily was beginning to fret, even though Abigail was doing her best.
I took her and undid my bodice, easing my breast out and allowing the baby girl to suckle. I sat on the chair and relaxed. It was one of the most pleasurable experiences I have ever had, so I watched her little face as she fed. Abigail hovered in the background.
“How old are you now, Abigail, twenty?”
“Yes, Mum.”
“Are you excited about your new life in America?”
“I don’t rightly know, Mum. I’m happy to be with you and the Colonel. I had no one back home, so you’re all the family I have,” she said.
I had taught Abigail to read and write, so she and I would often talk away the nursing hours together. I sensed a disquiet about her, and couldn’t work it out.
“There is something bothering you. What is it, child?” I said.
“It’s nothing, Mum.”
“Abby, I know you well enough. What has happened?”
“It was Mr Banyard, Mum, he took to kissing me in the passage way, and he squeezed my breast like.” She was almost in tears, and I felt the anger rise.
“Oh. Please Mum, don’t say nothing. He never meant anything by it. He said I was pretty, and that I led him on, so please don’t say anything.”
“Oh, Abby, you silly girl, you didn’t lead him on at all. He’s a nasty brute of a man, who beats his wife and takes advantage of pretty young girls who are afraid of him. You will note that he hasn’t tried anything with me.”
“That’s because the Colonel would kill him,” Abigail said, with a smile.
“Nonsense, it’s because I’d kill him, and the Colonel would only be left to cut him into bits and throw him to the fishes.”
She laughed and her brow cleared.
“If he tries it again, scream and knee him hard in the crotch,” I said, and she looked quite shocked.
“Believe me, girl, it works, so he’ll never ever try anything again.”
I agreed not to say anything to the man, but later I mentioned it to Roger, who went all quiet.
“I’ll have to watch Mr Joseph Banyard rather closely,” he said.
“So will I, dear, so will I!”
A day or so later, I was feeding Emily again, and I heard a female scream and a man groan. There was the sound of raised voices, and I recognised Roger’s voice amongst them. The argument went on for a long time, and Roger was quite annoyed, but Banyard’s tone turned to pleading and then to a nasty whine.
I was desperate to find out what was happening, when Abigail came into my cabin. She was breathless and flushed.
“God’s teeth girl! What the devil is happening?” I said.
She was grinning and shaking at the same time. When she did speak, it all came tumbling out so the words tripped over each other in the hurry.
“It was that Mr Banyard, Mum. He tries it again, so I does what you tells me. I screams and brings my knee up hard between his legs. It was awful, Mum, he just went a funny colour and fell onto the floor. Then the colonel rushes out, and so I tells him that Mr Banyard had grabbed my breast and tried to kiss me. The man is getting up and he swears that I was lying, and would the Colonel believe a hussy like me compared to an honest man like him.
“Then the colonel says, yes, as he thought he was a cheatin’, swindlin’, money grubbin’ cove, who should be behind bars in England. Then Mr Banyard starts to swear, and the Colonel gets angry and tells me to fetch the Captain. That was when Mr Banyard starts to grovel and whimper, but I brings the Captain, and two sailors drag Mr Banyard off to lock him in the brig. Mrs Banyard starts a-wailing, and the Colonel persuades her to tell the Captain how he beats her, so she does. She has terrible bruises, Mum, all over her body, and the little girl too. Anyway, the Captain is handin’ him over to the authorities when we reaches America.”