Page 76 of Lady Edith and the Registry Office
Once back outside, he directed his driver to Ashford’s home in Grosvenor Square. When Nathaniel was settled in the carriage, he relaxed against the squabs and closed his eyes.
“How are you?” Ashford asked.
He replied tightly, “I need a few moments.”
They remained silent on the journey to Grosvenor Square. Very often, time to himself was all he needed, and he was grateful Ashford had let him have it rather than pester him.
As the coach came to a halt in front of Ashford’s townhouse, Nathaniel opened his eyes. “I don’t imagine we can or should force our way onto the hulks in Woolwich.”
“That would be unwise, even for Cecil.”
“We accomplished a lot today. Now we have to think how to proceed.” Feeling more himself, he smiled at his friend. “Do give my best to Diana and Charlotte.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Edith listened intentlyas Mr. Lambourne described the process of transportation.
“The convicted men or women are kept on hulks or in gaol until they are transferred to the ship that will take them to New South Wales. Convicts are not usually transported unless they have a sentence of seven years or longer.”
She shuddered. “I’ve heard the hulks are overcrowded and a breeding ground for disease.”
“As are the gaols, which is the primary reason Britain is transporting convicts to New Holland.”
“And to provide you with inexpensive labor,” she replied dryly.
The man sighed. “My lady! The convicted, if well behaved, will be freed after their sentence is served.”
“Do many prisoners perish on the long voyage?”
“Despite the voyage taking eight months or more, only a few convicts expire each voyage.” When Edith gasped, he added pragmatically, “There are deaths on nearly any voyage of such length.”
She conceded that was probably true. “Parliament is not in session, yet you made the same perilous journey to England.”
“I’m here to speak with the Transport Board, my lady.”
Edith knew little of the board other than it was under the jurisdiction of the treasury rather than the navy. “The ships are hired?”
