Page 24 of The Ship of Brides
She could hear the effort in his joke, and held him tighter.
‘I wish – I wish...’
‘Dad...’ Her voice held a warning.
‘Right.’ He pulled away from her, took several swift glances around him, as if his mind was already elsewhere. He swallowed. ‘Well, we’d better let you get on board. Want me to carry your bags?’
‘I’ll be fine.’ She slung the big bag over her shoulder, jamming her hand basket and food parcel under her free arm as she balanced herself. Then she took a deep breath, and made towards the ship.
Her father’s hand shot out. ‘Hang on, girl! You’ve got to go through Customs first.’
‘What?’
‘Customs. Look – they’re sending everyone that way before they get on board.’
She peered through the jostling crowds to where he was pointing: a huge corrugated-iron shed across the quayside.
‘That’s what the Red Cross woman was saying. Everyone through there first.’
Two girls were talking to the officers at the doorway. One was gesturing at her bag and laughing.
Her father peered at her. ‘You all right, girl? You’ve gone awful pale.’
‘I can’t, Dad,’ she whispered.
‘I can’t hear you, girl. What’s the matter?’
‘Dad, I don’t feel good,’ she said.
Her father stepped forward and took her arm. ‘What is it? Do you need to sit down?’
‘No... It’s the crowds. I’m feeling a bit faint. Tell them they’ve got to get me aboard.’ She closed her eyes. She heard her father bark at Daniel, and him sprinting off.
Several minutes later, two naval officers were standing beside her. ‘Are you all right, madam?’
‘I just need to get aboard.’
‘Right. Have you been—’
‘Look, you can see I’m expecting. I feel faint. The baby’s pressing on my bladder and I’m afraid of embarrassing myself. I can’t stay in this crowd a minute longer.’ Desperation had made her tearful, and it embarrassed them, she could tell.
‘This isn’t like her,’ her father was saying, his voice concerned. ‘She’s a strong lass. Never seen her come over faint before.’
‘We’ve had a few already,’ said one of the officers. ‘It’s all this commotion. We’ll get her aboard. Give us your bags, madam.’
She let go of her bag and the food parcel, the brown paper now softened with the sweat of her hands.
‘She going to be okay? You got a doctor aboard?’ Her father hovered by them, his face drawn.
‘Yes, sir. Please don’t worry.’ She felt him pause beside her. ‘Sorry, sir. You can’t come any further.’
One of the officers had reached for her basket. ‘Want me to take this for you?’
‘No,’ she snapped, pulling it to her. ‘No, thank you,’ she added, and tried to smile. ‘It’s got all my papers and things in it. Be terrible if I lost it.’
He grinned at her. ‘You’re probably right, madam. Today’s not the day to lose anything.’
They had each supported her under an elbow and were now propelling her towards the ship. Unlike theVictoriaitself, she noted absently, the gangplank looked tired, its wooden struts half rotten from years of feet and seawater. ‘’Bye then, Maggie,’ her father called.
