She glanced at Jonathan, but he was still sneering at the dock. Poppy had long ago realized that changing the subject was the wisest thing to do when Jonathan was in one of his dour moods.
She pointed to the long row of warehouses which ran along the back of the recently constructed London Docks. “Just think how easy operating out of the more modern dock will be for us, Jonathan. No more lengthy delays while we wait to offload our cargo.”
A sigh of disgust came from the man standing beside her. “Urgh! Don’t remind me. I almost went mad the last time we were in London. What was it, a month we had to wait for an available berth further down the river?” replied Jonathan.
“Something like that.” Poppy had done her best to forget that last trip. As captain, she had endured not only a long delay, but a ship full of grumpy sailors.
Time was money for everyone. In the years since it had opened, the expansive London Docks on the River Thames at Wapping had become a godsend to shipping merchants and crews alike. The fact that the Basden Line Shipping Company owned a piece of the docks made things even sweeter. The berth at which the Empress Catherine now sat was also theirs.
Poppy pointed to the building which loomed in front of them. “That’s our warehouse—the one on the corner. Number fourteen.”
Our new home. I can’t wait to move in.
And while Jonathan might yet again be in one of his dark moods, nothing was going to dampen her enthusiasm. She had a million things to do over the next few days. Her list of jobs was long and detailed. The thought of successfully working her way through them all had Poppy clasping her hands together in delight.
They both stepped deftly out of the way as the crew lifted and set the gangplank into place. A grim-faced Jonathan offered Poppy his hand. “Are you ready to go ashore, Captain Basden?” has asked.
Grateful that he was making any sort of attempt at ceremony, she took his hand and stepped up onto the walkway. A lifetime spent at sea meant Poppy had no problem moving on or off a ship unaided, but they both knew this was a special day. Such an occasion was worthy of all due pomp and ceremony.
It’s a pity we don’t have someone to pipe us ashore.
As soon as she reached the far end of the gangplank, Poppy jumped down. Her boots made a pleasing slap as they connected with the stone embankment which ran alongside the wharf. Her heart leapt at the sound. Long years of planning were finally coming to fruition.
Today is the day!
Jonathan, who had trailed behind in a more sedate manner, stood slowly shaking his head while Poppy performed an impromptu dance of joy. When her feet finally came to a halt, he nodded at the warehouse.
“What’s first?” he asked.
She rummaged in her coat pocket and produced a large folded up piece of paper. Grinning, Poppy grandly unfurled it. “Top of the list. We need a key,” she announced.
She pointed in the direction of a building situated at the western end of the quay, some fifty yards or so away. During her last visit to London, Poppy had paid a special visit to the docks and drawn up a plan of their layout. She had a captain’s mind for organization. Knowing where everything was located would make the task of settling in that much easier.
Her first piece of business was to visit the superintendent’s office and present her papers, after which she would receive the key to the front door of warehouse number fourteen. As soon as they had access, Jonathan would take charge of managing the crew. The cargo of cinnamon bales was to be carefully offloaded from the Empress Catherine and brought upstairs into the warehouse for secure storage.
Only after that task was successfully completed would she dismiss her chief mate and the rest of the crew. The faster they got the job done, the sooner they could find their way to the nearest dockside tavern and drink themselves into oblivion.
It’s been a long sea voyage; the lads deserve a good drink and to have some fun.
Reaching into her coat pocket once more, Poppy pulled out a small leather pouch and handed it to Jonathan. “There should be enough coin in there to get all the crew fed and watered many times over. Of course, it goes without saying that the offer of drinking money should be held back until after the cargo has been offloaded.”
A knowing grin crept to Jonathan’s lips. “Aye, aye, captain. You go and fetch the key, and I shall make sure that the lads have the boat emptied in quick time.”
As he headed back onboard the Empress Catherine, the first real doubt of the morning settled uncomfortably in Poppy’s mind. Would there ever come a day when Jonathan stopped calling her captain and actually used her first name?
Give him time. Once you are both fully onshore, he will have no reason to continue addressing you that way.
She had been the one determined to draw a line under that life, but it would take time for her to get used to no longer being Captain Basden. After today, she would simply be Miss Poppy Basden. The concept was a strange one, and it left her emotions in an odd jumble.
Even stranger was the idea that at some point she would become Mrs. Jonathan Measy. She would still be notionally in charge of the shipping business, but as her husband, Jonathan would be able to wield some power over her—something he couldn’t currently do.
Will we be a partnership in life and business, or will I have to fight for every inch of ground? I don’t want a marriage where I am lost as me.
Poppy pushed that thought firmly back to the dark recesses of her mind, to the place where it usually lurked.
Checking one last time to make sure that the company papers were in her possession, Poppy straightened her spine and with head held high, went in search of the superintendent’s office.
Today was a day for taking a great leap forward.
