Another Country by Kate Hewitt Read Free Book Online

“How
terribly dull, to be in such good health,” she said with a pretty,
tinkling laugh. “I’d much rather be confined to my bed, with
someone to administer cloths to my forehead, and hold my hand.”
Another tinkling laugh, and Eleanor barely refrained from rolling
her eyes.
    “What nonsense,” she replied briskly. “If you had
the seasickness, you’d be spilling your guts into a bucket, not
swooning on a bed, longing to be mollycoddled.”
    Caroline’s eyes narrowed in anger, and Mr. Barker
chuckled dryly.
    “Mrs. McCardell has the right of
it, I’m afraid. I’d be obliged if you ladies would look in on your
fellow passengers. Seasickness can take some people terribly, you
know.”
    “A sound idea,” Eleanor said, but Caroline merely
pursed her lips and looked away.
    Eleanor longed to shake some sense into her. When
she considered her own life, she was sure she’d never acted as
thoroughly spoiled and vain as the young miss across the table. She
wondered what Caroline Reid was traveling to in Boston... fancy
frocks and a season?
    The tiny twinge of envy stabbing her made Eleanor
bite her lip and look away. She was too old for those things, and
she’d never wanted them anyway.
    She simply wanted freedom.
    Sure enough, the weather worsened, and the captain
had to excuse himself to look after the ship.
    “We might as well check on the others,” Eleanor told
Caroline. “Has Miss Cabot been very ill?”
    Caroline shrugged. “She was sleeping when I left. I
wouldn’t know.”
    “You didn’t bother to ask, I
suppose?” Eleanor returned. “You really are the most selfish
creature.”
    Caroline’s eyes flashed. “I’ll thank you to keep
your opinions to yourself,” she replied with cold haughtiness.
    “Very well, but the others might be gravely
ill.”
    “It can’t be as bad as all that, surely.” Caroline
waved a hand in dismissal. “Miss Cabot was perfectly well when I
departed for supper, I’m quite sure.”
    “You are, now?” Eleanor said
sarcastically. “We should check on her, and the others, just the
same.”
    The ship was pitching and rolling so badly by that
time, the two women were practically thrown into each other’s arms
as they made their way down the narrow corridor.
    The smell in the confined space was rank with
illness, and even Eleanor shuddered. She’d a feeling it was as bad
as ‘all that’, and worse.
    She knocked once on Caroline’s cabin door. “Miss
Cabot, are you in there? Can you hear me?”
    The only answer was a feeble groaning. Eleanor
opened the door, and Caroline hurried into the small cabin with
her, gasping at the wretched sight of her chaperone.
    The older woman lay in bed, moaning faintly, a
puddle of vomit drying beside her berth.
    Caroline drew back, fumbling for a handkerchief.
    “You stay here with Miss Cabot,” Eleanor ordered.
“I’ll check on the others.”
    “I cannot!” Caroline cried. “The stench
alone...”
    “You’d better be good for something,” Eleanor
snapped. “I can’t manage everyone on my own. There’s water in the
bucket on the hook, if it hasn’t sloshed all over the floor. Dampen
your precious handkerchief and clean poor Miss Cabot’s face. I
won’t ask you to clean up the sick. I know you wouldn’t do it.”
    “No, I wouldn’t,” Caroline retorted. Still, Eleanor
watched with grim satisfaction as she went to the water pail and
cautiously dipped her handkerchief in.
    When Eleanor entered the other
cabin, she found Mrs. and Miss Standish lying pitifully in their
beds, just as badly off. She groaned herself, all thoughts of a
pleasant crossing flown from her head. The sick needed tending to,
and it would be a difficult task indeed.
    “Oh, not them too!” Caroline wailed, skidding to a
stop in the cabin doorway.
    “Why have you left Miss Cabot?”
Eleanor asked sharply. “She’s hardly in a state to be by
herself.”
    “I didn’t know what to do!”
Caroline’s voice rose in a helpless wail, and she looked