“You have no problem doing this?” I asked. With her independent streak, I’d almost expected her to rebel too.
“Of course I do,” she said matter-of-factly. As I studied her more closely and took in the emotion in her eyes and lines of her face, I realized that her calm tone masked a swelling of rage and sorrow. She was just better at keeping it locked down than I was. “But getting shipped back to Osfrid isn’t going to accomplish anything. I need to go forward, get to the next stage. And you do too.”
I pulled back and nodded. “I know. And I mean . . . I really do understand what I signed on for. I want to do it. But Tamsin . . .” I started to choke up, unable to go on. Mira squeezed my hand.
“I know,” she said. “I feel the same way. But it’s not your fault.”
Cedric had said the same thing. I couldn’t believe either of them.
But I followed Mira’s lead, trying to go forward and on to the next stage. I put on a gown of gray velvet, worn over a chemise and petticoats of purest white. Bows of glittering silver decorated the sleeves and bodice, and a shawl of white lace covered my shoulders. The shawl would do little against the damp, cold weather, but Jasper had been adamant we not go out covered in heavy cloaks.
We pulled our hair up into elaborate buns and chignons, and my wavy hair allowed fine tendrils to frame my face. On board the ship, fires were limited, so those who didn’t have naturally curly hair couldn’t heat up the curling wands we usually used. Miss Bradley assured us that even if we weren’t done up to our regular level of precise detail, we were still by far and away more than what usually came ashore in Denham Colony.
By the time we’d finished and come up to the deck, the Good Hope had nearly reached the docks. Sailors and the other passengers stopped and stared. My grief still weighed heavily on me, but I kept my expression cool as I assessed the approaching shore. Triumph Bay was a huge expanse of water, enclosed by land that “hooked” around it. Cape Triumph was located on the inside of the top of the hook. A great deal of our education had focused on the strategic location of this large port city, in an area protected by the worst of sea storms, creating safe waters for docking ships. The rest of Denham was accessible overland or by sailing along the coast. Opposite the city, on the far side of the bay, lay uncolonized lands whose rocky shore made docking more difficult.
I again studied the large and towering trees, many still standing despite years of colonists clearing them for lumber and farmland. This close, I could see some of the city’s buildings now. I couldn’t help but feel fascinated, despite my desire to remain indifferent. There was an entirely other feel, compared to Osfro. There, in Osfrid’s capital city, everything was old. Stone castles and churches that had been around for centuries marked the skyline, surrounded by well-established wooden houses and shops that were sometimes fortified with stone or brick. Of course new construction and renovation took place all the time, but Osfro’s overall feel was one of solidity and prestigious antiquity.
Cape Triumph was . . . new. Hardly any buildings had that venerable feel. Most were made of wood, with the planks’ light color showing their young age. Much was still under construction as Cape Triumph grew in size and importance. None of the buildings, even some of the older ones, were very tall. There were no castles here as a memory of ages past. The largest structure I could see was a fort far off on a hill, and it too was mostly made of fresh timbers. That lack of stone, that lack of wear . . . it made everything feel so young. With such newness and instability, it seemed as though this town was fighting fiercely for its survival.
A crowd had gathered at the wharves, by far and away made up of men. These docks too had that same young feel, though some aspects were the same as in Osfrid’s ports. Water lapped against the wooden posts, darkened by the gray sky overhead. The smell of fish and refuse washing up to shore filled the air.
The sailors tied up our ship, and much went into securing it before we were allowed to disembark. By then, the crowd had further increased. I could see men dressed in finery, who might very well be legitimate suitors, lined up with those in common clothes who’d simply come to see the show. All wore heavy cloaks and coats against the weather, and I regarded them with envy as a bitter wind cut through me.
A group of burly men with guns strode up to the dock, and Jasper walked down to meet them. I gathered by what little of the conversation I could hear that these were men hired by Jasper to see us around safely. While I was used to being escorted in Osfro, seeing that squad of rough-and-tumble men drove home what a different world we were in. I’d dreamed of the excitement and adventure of Adoria, but this was still a dangerous and untamed place.
When we were given permission to leave, Miss Bradley lined us up and put me at the head of the line. “You’re the diamond,” she explained. “You must be the lead.”
I stared, speechless. I didn’t fear the attention, exactly, but after everything I’d been through, this seemed like too much. Before I could protest, Mira asked, “Why are you putting me third?”
Miss Bradley fixed her with a look both hard and sad. “Because you are third now. Everyone else above you was on the Gray Gull.”
The world swayed around me, as thoughts of Tamsin and that ship bobbing like a toy filled my mind.
“Adelaide,” said Miss Bradley. “You need to go. Now.”
I shook my head, rooted to the spot, and then I felt Cedric’s steady presence beside me. “Follow me,” he said. “We’re just going straight to my father, that’s all. Keep your eyes ahead.”