Cinders in the Waves Read online

  “So she’s a gold digger.” Spades bass voice filled the void left behind by the Lady. “She’s right though.”

  Eleanor gawked at him in horror. He held up his hands defensively as she snarled “Right about which part?!”

  It was her father who answered. “Right in that when I pass on you will have no legal guardian.”

  “Spade can be my legal guardian.” Eleanor promptly responded.

  “Spade is going to have his hands full being the steward of my assets until you reach your majority.” Her father countered tiredly. “Also making him your legal guardian would tie his hands in the future. Which would make things sticky for him at best.”

  Eleanor threw a confused glance up at Spade but he only smiled enigmatically back at her. Mentally shrugging Eleanor filed that away for later and turned back to her father.

  ‘You aren’t seriously thinking of marrying that out and out fortune hunter are you?” She asked disbelievingly.

  Her father rubbed his temples as if trying to ward off a headache.

  “Unfortunately I might not have a choice.” He said with a grimace. “I’ll hold out as long as I can of course but once I’m dead someone needs to take my place. A stepmother is the most logical answer.”

  “So why can’t you marry someone else?” Eleanor asked exasperatedly. “Literally anyone else would be better than that woman and it’s not like there aren’t plenty of other gold diggers out there willing to tolerate my poor manners.”

  “You’re not wrong.” Her father agreed. “Unfortunately she’s not nearly as stupid as you seem to think she is. I guarantee that right now half the city knows that I’m dying and the other half know about her proposal.”

  Father reclined into his pillows. “No woman truly wants to tie themselves to a dying man with a teenage daughter raised outside of the normal parameters of polite society. Especially if they know that said dying man spurned a perfectly willing candidate.”

  “Not to mention the fact that people perceive the Lady to be friends with your late wife.” Spade added grimly.

  Eleanor slumped to her stool in amazement. “We’ve been home for less than twelve hours and she has us hook, line and sinker. I’m impressed.”

  Eleanor had a grudging sort of respect for the woman. She had the maneuvering proesse of a general.

  So is that it then?” She asked softly. “You’re going to die and I’m going to be left behind with that horrible woman?” Unbidden tears welled up

  in her eyes. Her father held out his arms and Eleanor crawled into them.

  Soon her body was wracked with sobs. Spade took her place on the stool. He wrapped one of her curls around his finger. “You won’t technically be alone.” he rumbled. “She does have two daughters.”

  Father fixed his eyes on Spade as Eleanor cried harder. “Not helping Spade.” He said drily. Spade winced. “If nothing else you’ll have me, Ace.” He added softly. Eleanor didn’t reply. She just held out her hand towards him. Spade clasped it and said nothing else as she clutched his hand and sobbed into her father’s shoulders.

  Chapter three

  Goodbye

  And so time passed. Lady Prissa made good on her threat and married Eleanor’s father. It was not a grand affair but legal and binding nonetheless.

  A few short weeks after the marriage was finalized the Lady and her daughters moved into Merchant’s Manor.

  Eleanor despised the twins almost as soon as they opened their mouths. As far as Eleanor could tell the only thing that lay between their ears was a hamster wheel. She could have forgiven them their idiocy only it appeared their hamster wheel was being powered by shrews.

  Now words to describe Eleanor would not be words such as congenial or cordial. No one would uphold her as a paragon of virtue; but Eleanor was not cruel. (Spade would even go so far as calling kind; when the situation called for it) The same could not be said of Lady Prissa’s girls.

  They were sadistic. What they lacked in creativity they more than made up for in ruthlessness.

  On their first night in the house Eleanor found a scullery maid crying in a closet, cradling a burnt hand the eldest twin Dolly had held over a fire as punishment for smudging her dress. The younger twin Polly was just as bad. The least little thing that caused inconvenience for a rational person would send her into screaming hysterical fits; usually involving throwing whatever was handy at whoever was nearby. Spade ended up sporting a swollen and cut eye on the first week when she shattered a porcelain plate over his head because she was forced to side step him.

  Naturally such hideous behavior towards her people sent Eleanor on the warpath. Bedridden as he was Father relied on Eleanor to keep him abreast of the goings on in the house. Eleanor wasted no time in denouncing her new step sisters before him. Watching her father's face purple in rage though Eleanor wished she had opted for exacting revenge against the girls herself.

  His bellowing voice could be heard clear out into the gardens as he commanded Lady Prissa’s daughters to be packed off to boarding school. No amount of hysterics on Lady Prissa’s part could dissuade him otherwise.

  Nor could they stop a snickering Spade and crew from loading luggage and ladies bodily into the carriage that swept them out of the house.

  This outburst set Father back severely though. He spent several days lying on his back gasping for air after the twins were sent away.

  Eleanor suspected that the Lady Prissa deliberated provoked her daughters into such outlandish behavior. When she vocalized her suspicions to her father and Spade they both agreed. Neither of them would put it past the Lady to deliberately antagonize the Count so he would die faster. From that point on Eleanor took care to keep all stressful information pertaining to the Lady Prissa to herself.

  Not that there was much after her daughters left. After the dressing down the Count gave her, Lady Prissa moused around the house; but Eleanor knew she was only biding her time. They all knew that the only way out of a marriage in this country was death. Eleanor quietly made preparations.

  True to his word; Eleanor’s father held on to the bitter end. But even the most stalwart of men cannot resist the siren call of death forever. The night he lay on his deathbed would forever be etched in Eleanors mind as the bitterest night of her life.

  Her father should have passed away peacefully in his sleep. Only that would have been fair. Instead he was delirious. Ranting and crying he begged Eleanor to forgive him for leaving her with a monster. He could not

  hear Eleanor’s tearful reassurances though; or perhaps he could not understand them.

  Only when the screaming had faded away in father's room did the Lady Prissa dare try to intrude. She found her way barred by grim faced men who stood barefoot in the hallway. An act of foresight by Spade. Beyond the barred door a different wail echoed out; one that lanced through the hearts of the entire crew. Lady Prissa’s indignant huffs and demands to be let through so she could comfort the poor pitiful dear fell on deaf ears. The sailors left the care and comfort to Spade, who had kept vigil over father and daughter until the very end. Behind the closed door of Fathers room Eleanor clung to Spade as she begged her father to come back.

  Three days after Father's passing, Eleanor stood on the docks; a large urn clutched to her chest. All around her sailors bustled to and fro, casting off lines and loading cargo and generally doing their best to pretend they were not eavesdropping.

  Not that there was much for them to overhear. Spade and Eleanor stood side by side, watching the activity without saying a word. Father had planned for this day the moment he signed the marriage papers; for on that very same day he had his will drawn up. It was a straightforward sort of will.

  Spade was appointed steward of all mercantile business affairs until Eleanor reached the age of inheritance. Lady Prissa was given care of Eleanor and by extension all household affairs. (This included a percentage of all monthly earnings.) An amicable agreement to satisfy all parties. Or so they thought.

  Eleano
r had no intention of letting the Lady Prissa run her staff ragged and had quietly taken measures to minimize the damage that could be done. During her father’s final days Eleanor secretly approached each of the staff and offered them a generous lump sum for retirement. Everyone but the gardener accepted the out, promising to discourage anyone else from taking the vacant posts at the manor.

  With the number of potential casualties lessened Eleanor resolved herself to a life plagued by her stepfamily, but at least with the comfort of Spades company when he reported the latest state of affairs of her business.

  (Something that Spade had promised to do as often as possible) Neither of them anticipated how far Lady Prissa would take her new found authority as the head of household. No sooner had her father's ashes been sealed in his jar did the constable arrive at the door with a writ of eviction for Spade and all members affiliated with the company.

  When pressed for an explanation Lady Prissa haughtily explained past the constables shoulder, that the financial matters of her late husband's business has no bearing on the household. Furthermore a respectable household is no place for sloven, unkempt, bilge rats. Men such as Spade were offensive and a bad influence on proper young ladies of society. With that, Spade was strong armed out of the house for good.

  The only reason Eleanor was present at the docks at all was due to her refusal to heed Lady Prissa’s commands. Eleanor had left Lady Prissa shrieking in her nightgown in the courtyard as she galloped away into the early morning gloom.

  That had been hours ago. Eleanor knew that her time among her fathers men was diminishing but it didn’t matter. The tide would be going out soon and Eleanor was determined to send them off on her own terms; not Lady Prissas.

  A sailor approached Eleanor and Spade saluting them smartly.

  “We’re ready to cast off captain.” He said respectfully. Eleanor nodded. (it appeared to have been a given amongst the crew that she would inherit her father's position.) She turned to Spade. “You are acting captain until I can return.” She declared. Spade nodded gravely.

  A clamour rose behind her and Eleanor knew her time was up. The pounding of boots on the wooden planks offset Lady Prissa’s husky yet strident voice. Eleanor swallowed hard. Reaching into her pouch she pulled out her ivory pipe. She clutched it tightly for a moment before handing it to Spade. “I won’t be able to use this for awhile.” She remarked sadly. “Keep it safe for me will you?” Spade tucked it securely in his pocket.

  Eleanor held out the urn next. Her arms trembled.

  “They’ve been apart for so long I don’t want to scatter them just yet.”

  She whispered. “Can you make sure they won’t disturbed until I come back?” He nodded, carefully lifting the urn out of her hands. He held it tight against his own chest. Eleanor sniffled. Reaching up she plucked the hat her father gave her off her head and laid it tenderly on top of her parents urn.

  She didn’t say anything else.

  “You shameless wench! How dare you run off to fraternize alone with such a disreputable man?! What would your mother say?”

  Eleanor rolled her eyes in disgust. She was sure her mother would have far kinder things to say about Spade than Lady Prissa ever did. Spade flashed his wicked grin at Lady Prissa before returning his attention to Eleanor. Despite his laughing mouth his eyes were somber.

  “Chin up, Ace.” He commanded gently. Eleanor raised her face reluctantly. She barely heard Lady Prissa’s gasp of horror or the cheers and whistles of the crew as Spade took her face in his spare hand and leaned down to lay a kiss slowly on her lips. He tasted like oranges. As he pulled away he whispered “I told you when you reached the age of consent I would give you your first kiss. Happy Birthday.”

  With that parting gift Spade snapped a salute and strode away, barking orders to cast off. Eleanor watched him disappear up the gangplank in a daze before turning away. Squaring her shoulders she faced Lady Prissa, letting words such as brazen, hussy, uncouth, brassy and indecent wash over her. Two years Eleanor resolved in her heart. Just two years.

  Chapter four

  A new reality

  Two years was promising to be very long indeed. Scarcely a month after Spade sailed away on her fathers ship, Dolly and Polly came prattling up the cobblestone driveway; freed from their forced sojourn abroad.

  They were every bit as horrible as Eleanor remembered them. Dolly flounced up the steps, her face already pale with rage that no one had greeted her prepared to collect her luggage. Upon hearing that the household staff had gone and there were no replacements to be found Polly began screaming shrilly without end and flung her trunk down the steps. Eleanor watched this fit of temper dispassionately. When Dolly demanded that Eleanor bring their things to their rooms, Eleanor simply laughed and left the trunks sitting outside.

  Unfortunately that was Eleanor's first mistake. Though Dolly and Polly were not particularly clever they had long memories and they vividly remembered Eleanors involvement with their banishment from the manor.

  The first night after their return Eleanor was rudely awakened when something heavy fell on top of her. Eleanor woke with a shout and a curse to find Dolly straddling her over her blanket. Eleanor got one solid punch in before Polly grabbed her arms and pinned her down.

  From behind her back Dolly produced a wicked pair of kitchen shears. Eleanor could barely see Dolly’s face but she knew she was grinning.

  Polly began to giggle maniacally. Eleanor kicked and bucked but no matter how hard she struggled nothing stopped Dolly from hacking away at Eleanor’s hair. Eleanor eventually stopped fighting when the edge of her ear got nicked.

  They left as suddenly as they arrived when they finished. Eleanor struggled into a sitting position and lit a candle to access the damage. She could hear the twins giggling down the hallway. When she saw the remains of her hair and the state of her ear she cursed. “Those stupid festering cows!”

  She thought furiously as she swept bloodied curls off the bed. She had known they were spiteful and evil. She hadn’t counted on them being psychotic and willing to collaborate.

  From that night on it was all downhill with Eleanor’s new life with her step family. It wasn’t long before every stitch of clothing Eleanor had

  was ripped and stained beyond recognition. Her bedding was slashed with the stuffing pulled out and her mirror was smashed beyond repair. Each act of defiance on Eleanors part led to double the retaliation from the twins.

  Presiding over all of it was Lady Prissa. She delighted in explaining to Eleanor in her clear calm voice that all of these things were her own fault and that it was only reasonable that she was punished for being difficult. She also insinuated that Eleanor should be the one responsible for the cooking and laundry since she was the one who dismissed the staff to begin with. It was taking responsibility for her own actions after all…

  Eleanor endured all of this abuse stubbornly. But for all that her spirit was willing her body was quickly becoming unfit for society. Polite or otherwise. Her clothes were held onto her body with large clumsy stitches.

  She sported a new collection of cuts and bruises every week. Her hair was an uneven, stringy rats nest. (The twins somehow managed to break the teeth off of her comb) Eleanor bore all of these indignities with stubborness even if she couldn’t manage grace.

  The straw that broke the camel's back for Eleanor was when she walked out into the yard to find Polly screaming and stomping on every chicken that was in reach while Dolly systematically smashed every egg in

  the hen house. The senseless violence of this act shook Eleanor and forced her to reconsider her position. It was galling to her that she was the woman in the house with any sort of moral compass.

  In light of this Eleanor chose to concede the chores. This did not mean that Eleanor rolled over for her tormentors. No instead Lady Prissa and her demon spawn children had to contend with burnt toast and greasy flatware. Gowns were returned with bleach spots. No amount of harassment could compel Eleanor
to perform these chores well.

  This resulted in a stalemate between the warring personalities.

  Dolly and Polly seemed unable to tell that the food on their plates was inedible which annoyed Eleanor to no end but much to the twins chagrin no matter how they taunted; Eleanor would not rise to their bait.

  It was not all horrible in the merchants manor though. Eleanor had a hidden ally. The gardener who refused the retirement payout became a staunch supporter of Eleanor. Lady Prissa and the twins never stepped outside if they could help it and the gardener herself had a keen ability to make herself scarce when she wanted to and as a result her presence in the household was soon completely forgotten by all except Eleanor. ( which was

  sheer folly on Lady Prissas part since the gardener was the one who kept all the job hunters away.)

  At any given time Eleanor could be found in the vegetable patch pulling weeds or sitting at the small outdoor table drinking the gardeners (Whose name was Flora ironically.) own special blend of tea. Flora also provide one other critical service for Eleanor. She acted as the go between for Eleanor and Spade.

  Eleanor had not been aware of this arrangement until one day when Flora discreetly handed her a letter with Spades mark (which was a simple black suit of spades) and assured her that if needed Eleanor could send a reply through her. (Lady Prissa was insufferably nosy and religiously dedicated to discarding every single calling card, note or catalog with Eleanors name on it) Once again Eleanor was forced to appreciate the extent of Spades foresight. The man might be hopeless at distinguishing between counterfeits and the real deal but his ability to predict future events was scary accurate.

  Spades letters were brief and they only outlined the business transactions he completed but Eleanor burned each word into her memory before tossing each letter in the kitchen fire. They were her only connection

  to her crew but Eleanor would be damned before she let her stepfamily catch wind of her continuous ties with her father's business.