His features were more somber than she’d ever seen them.
“Then what’s bothering you?” she asked.
He removed his hand from his pocket, crossed to her, and held something out. As she took it, she realized it was a simple gold ring with a tiny engraving of roses at the front. “You’ll need a wedding band,” he said. Without waiting for her to slip it on, he returned to stand at the rail once again, his back and shoulders stiff as he peered out over the water.
She knew she shouldn’t be hurt by his abruptness, that their marriage was in-name only and would be over in a month. Even so, she couldn’t hold at bay the doubts that came creeping back in. What if God didn’t want them to play at an institution meant to be revered? Was Tom having doubts too?
When they docked in Bourne, they boarded a stagecoach. She’d expected the coach to take them north along the coastal road to Boston and was surprised when, after only an hour or so, they stopped in the small town of Sandwich.
They purchased tickets and headed up the gangplank of another steamer, this one a far cry from the private luxurious boat they’d ridden on that morning. Not only was it small, but the white paint that hadn’t yet peeled away was a dirty, smoky gray. The deck was warped in places and some of the rail slats had fallen away. She was taken aback further when Tom led her down the steps to the boiler deck filled with children running around, babies fussing, and parents attempting to manage the unruliness. She started to protest and insist that Tom take her upstairs to nicer accommodations, but he ushered her to an empty spot, claiming that the crowded area was the best place to hide.
Before she could argue with him further, an older couple took the bench across from where she sat. The man unrolled a newspaper from under his arm and began reading. not seeming to notice her and Tom in the least. However, his dour wife, attired in all black, apparently decided that she and Tom were to be her entertainment for the afternoon. The woman stared openly as Victoria instructed Tom to fetch her shawl from her bag. When Victoria proceeded to ask him to close one of the windows because of the draft, the older woman pursed her lips as if she didn’t believe in men doting on women.
“He’s such a good husband, isn’t he?” Victoria held up the wedding ring Tom had given her on the Lady Caroline. “We just got married.”
The woman’s brow quirked skeptically. “Is that so? I would have guessed he was your manservant.”
“Oh no,” Victoria said quickly. She obviously wasn’t playing her role believably enough. Although Tom had doted on her, he’d been much too silent and aloof, always on duty, noticing everyone and every detail. Even now, he was standing next to their bags, his feet braced and his arms crossed. Indeed, he looked more like her hired help than her husband.
Victoria stretched to reach his hand. “Come sit down and relax, dearest.” At first he began to pull away, but she tightened her grip on his fingers and forced a smile. “This woman doesn’t believe you’re my husband,” she said under her breath. “We certainly can’t have her thinking that, can we?”
Tom glanced at the woman, who was now looking at him cynically. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her lips pinched tightly, making her look like a severe school teacher who would rap their knuckles for the slightest infraction. He hesitated only a moment longer before sitting on the bench next to Victoria. Even then, he kept a proper distance between them and relinquished her hand.
Victoria had to refrain from elbowing him. She wasn’t an actress by any means, but she’d been to enough theatrical productions over the years that she wasn’t completely ignorant. If they were going to convince anyone they’d just been married and were on their wedding trip, she would have to do the work herself.
She scooted closer to Tom and reached for his hand again. This time she laced her fingers through his. “Don’t mind him,” she said to the older woman. “My devoted husband is prone to sea sickness. As a matter of fact, his stomach is always queasy whenever we go sailing. The last time we were on my father’s yacht, he had a little accident. He ate too much shrimp