River Queen

Chapter 1

LATE MAY 1858

The only sounds that could be heard this late at night was the lapping of the water against the hull of the boat.

“Elle…….Elle….” Zurie whisper to her best friend.

“Hhmmm?” Giselle grunted. She had almost drifted off to sleep.

“What are you thinking about?” Zurie nudged her.

“Nothing I was just about to fall asleep.”

“You weren’t thinking about the new boy that started? What’s his name again?” Zurie teased her friend. She knew what his name was, she just wanted Giselle to say it. Luckily it was dark in their shared bedroom and Zurie couldn’t see Giselle blush at the mention of the new boy her father had hired.

“Henry, Zurie you know his name is Henry. Henry Clemons.”

“He seems like a nice boy, very interested in some redhead girl I know,” she teased again, “bet he’d make a fine husband.”

Giselle laughed, “I’m not even 18 yet and therefore can’t marry. And, what if I don’t want a husband anyway?”

“What would you rather do then? Be can old spinster like you’re aunt?” Zurie laughed.

“No…” Giselle frowned, “I want to be a captain like Père(father).”

“You’re a woman Elle….”

“You don’t believe I can do it?”

“I didn’t say that, I believe in you. I just don’t know who would let you. I was only teasing about Henry, I see the way he looks at you though.”

“I am not blind I also see the way he looks at me. He is a nice looking man……what about the deckhand Isaac? I’ve seen him looking at you.” Giselle poked Zurie.

“Mama says I’ve been on this boat too long and shouldn’t look for a man aboard here.” She laughed.

“Is that part of the reason  you and your mother are staying with us in New Orleans for our birthdays?” Giselle asked.

“ I believe so…” Zurie yawned, “Goodnight Elle.”

“Goodnight Zurie,” Giselle whispered.

Giselle and Zurie drifted back to sleep as the steamboat headed down river towards New Orleans. They would both be turning 18 in a few days time and would be spending their birthday with their mothers in New Orleans. The girls have spent their entire lives together on this boat. As they got older they were allowed to share a room all to themselves. They already shared everything else. In the morning the girls dressed, washed their faces from the water pitcher in the room, and braided each other’s hair. Growing up on the boat came with some privileges. The girls knew who do to every job on the steamboat, even piloting or driving the boat. While they stand down at the crew counter in the kitchen to eat breakfast others were waiting breakfast tables for the passengers.

Arnold the chief put plates of eggs and ham in front of the girls, “Essen(eat).”

“Merci,(thank you)” the girls said in unison. While eating Estel came flying into the kitchen clearly aggravated. “I’ll be so happy when we get to New Orleans today. If I ever have to see Mrs. Blessing Barber again it will be too soon! She is anything other than what her name suggests.” Her face was getting red as she tried to calm down.

“Mère (mother) what’s wrong? What does she want now?” Giselle tried to hide her smile at her mother’s expense.

“I’m not sure there isn’t one thing she hasn’t complained about or asked me to change! The bed wasn’t soft enough, the room wasn’t big enough, she watched me change the sheets because she believed they were still dirty, every meal has had an issue. Either the food is too cooked or too raw. I’ll be happy to be rid of her.”  Just as Estel had calmed down Alvita and a waitress walked into the kitchen.

“Mrs. La Rue……” the waitress was flustered, “Mrs. Barber is requesting you again. She says her eggs are too runny.”  Upon hearing this Arnold handed Estel a plate with eggs. Estel huffed and walked into the dinning room to confront Mrs. Barber once again.

“That woman is never happy. I hope she finds a different boat for her passage back up the river. She had to practically stand over me as I cleaned her room! She believed I wasn’t doing a good enough job!” Alvita exclaimed. She eyed the two girls, “Hurry up and eat there are more chores before we get to port.” She hurried left the room. The girls thanked Arnold again and parted ways. Zurie went to help clean rooms and check laundry status. Giselle went to find her father. Bastien was on the hurricane deck which is just below the pilot house. His booming voice carried over the boat, “CALLS FOR THE LEAD!!” Giselle could see some of the men checking the river depth on each side of the boat.  Bastien listened for the leadsmen to yell back, “NO BOTTOM!” He smiled and turned to his face daughter, “Giselle! Ma petite reine de la rivière (My little river queen).” He lifted her up in a hug so much that her feet didn’t touch the deck. “Bonjour père (good morning father)” she smiled as he placed her back on her feet, “what do you have for me today?” she asked.

“I need you to make sure Henry is ready to be on his own as mud clerk before you stay in New Orleans.”

“Yes père (father),” Giselle tried to contained her blush and smile as she walked away to find Henry.  His first day on the boat was a rather rocky one. He was not pleased to find that Giselle would be one of the people to show him around and train him.  She remembered their first encounter all too well. “Henry this is my daughter Giselle. She will give you a tour of the boat and begin your training. Good luck.” Bastien shook Henry’s head and walked up to the pilot house. Henry had looked her up and down which Giselle did not appreciate. “A girl is to teach me?” he asked skeptically.

“This girl monsieur,” she said with a lot of attitude, good thing her mother wasn’t around to scold her, “knows more about this boat than you. I will be happy to assist you in learning so that you do not fall flat on you’re face.” She smiled trying to be sickeningly sweat.

“And if I don’t want to have a girl teach me?” he crossed his arms.

“I am the only person currently available to do so, however, if you do not wish to have my help you are more than welcome to get off this boat.”

“We are not at port and are currently traveling…….”

“And????” Giselle stated. She was in no uncertain terms telling him he was more than welcome to walk his arse off this boat while it is moving.

He uncrossed his arms and smiled at her, “I like you. Ok I’ll take the first offer.”

“Very, well. Follow me.” she turned quickly around to hide her blush and began the tour. Giselle first checked the crew kitchen and then the main dining all looking for Henry.

“What are you up to?” Zurie asked her. She was cleaning the main dining room with the waitresses.

“ Père(father) wants me to find Henry and make sure he is confident with his training before we get to New Orleans today.”

“OOOhhhhh…….Henry huh?” Zurie teased.

“Stop that,” Giselle tried to scold her, “quit trying to play match maker. Although Henry is a good looking man I’m sure that he has no such feelings for me.” Zurie stiffened and looked over Giselle’s shoulder.

“HHHmmmm good looking eh?” Henry had seen Giselle walking into the main dining room and followed behind her.

 Merde (s**t) she thought to herself. Giselle tried to pretend she didn’t hear him, “Père(father) wants to make sure you are ready to be alone when once we get to New Orleans.”

Henry smiled at her. She is a very pretty girl with red hair, brown eyes and freckles. He delighted in making her blush so her skin matched her hair. “I could always see more of you Giselle…..” he winked. His efforts worked as she blushed and pushed past him. “You’d better be careful Henry,” she teased, “or you’ll be taking a short walk off of this boat.”

He nodded towards Zurie and the other girls before following behind Giselle. The dining room erupted in laughter when they left. After going back over all the training Henry and Giselle were walking across the boiler deck. “So you will be staying in New Orleans when we arrive?” Henry sounded interested.

“Yes. Mère(mother), Zurie and Alvita will also be staying until the boat returns. We will be celebrating Zurie and my birthday.” She could feel Henry watching her as she stopped and looked out over the railing.

“You will be coming of age right?” Her cheeks flushed again.

“Yes……..” Henry turned Giselle toward him and stood so close her chin was touching his chest. Her eyes made a quick dart around to see if anyone else could see them. She had never had a man romantically this close to her. Henry raised her chin up so she was looking at him.

“I just want to wish you a happy birthday,” he smiled down at her. “I look forward to your return to the boat.”

“Really??” she asked almost skeptically.

“VERY much so,” he said in a lowered voice. He took a step back when Giselle heard someone clear their throat behind her. She spin around to see Hennrick glaring at Henry.

“Bonjour oncle(hello uncle),” she gave Hennrick a small hug. He continued to glare at Henry. “Henry there are some problems that need attending to in the cargo hold.” His voiced commanded.

“Right away,” he nodded to them both but this gaze lingered on Giselle as he walked away. She was both slightly relieved and embarrassed that Hennrick had sent him away after seeing them.

“I can’t believe you and Zurie will be 18! How time has flown!” he turned his attention to Giselle. Hennrick had been like another father for Giselle because their families had been so close for so long. She couldn’t image her life without their family. “I came to tell you that Zurie was looking for you. Your mothers want you to pack your things. We will be at port very shortly.”

“What are the problems in the cargo hold?” she asked him concerned.

“I never said there was,” he winked and laughed at Giselle. She laughed and went to her and Zruie’s room. Zurie already had her things packed.  “So….how is Henry?” she teased.

“Well….”Giselle put her suitcase on the bed and began to pack, “he got very close to me on the boiler deck and told me happy birthday. He also told me he was ‘very much looking forward for my return to the boat’ after our birthdays.”

Zurie stared wide eyed at her friend. “He likes you more than I thought! How did it feel being that close to him and not working?”

“My face felt hot, I’m sure it was red, and I had small butterflies in my stomach when your father saw us.”

“How embarrassing. What did papa say?”

“He lied to Henry saying there is a problem in the cargo hold to send him away.” Giselle closed her suitcase. They carried their suitcases to the main deck.

“I haven’t seen Isaac yet today,” Zurie admitted, “I think our fathers threated him to stay away from me.”

“I would not put it past them to do so.” The bell sounded as the boat came to the dock. They’re mothers then joined them on the main deck with several other passengers.

“Are you ready to get new dresses today girls?” Estel asked.

“We’ve decided to allow for one party dress for each of you for your birthdays,” Alvita said excitedly. The girls were both excited to hear this. They shared many dresses, mostly just plain cotton or wool dresses in dark colors. They never had a party dress before. As they stepped onto the dock Bastien called out to Estel. “Estel! Don’t forget about tonight!”

She smiled and waved to him. “What’s he talking about?” Zurie asked. “The boat will not be leaving until the morning. There will only be cargo for the trip back up river so the crew decided to have a birthday party for the two of you!” Alvita couldn’t contain her excitement.

This will be a larger party than the girl’s have ever had. Complete with food and dancing. On a tight schedule to get to the dress shops the women hurried to Ida’s house. Ida had opened her house before to Alvita and Zurie whenever the boat stopped in port. Not of her own choosing of course, she only offered because she knew Estel wanted to have them there also. Ida only wanted to see her sister. She didn’t even mind admitting to herself that she wasn’t particularly fond of her niece ither. Only because she seemed so much more like Bastien than her dear sister Estel. Ida threw open the door and pushed past everyone to tightly hug Estel.

“Your back!” She exclaimed. This time, Ida thought to herself, I will convince her to stay. She then turned her attention towards Giselle.  “We must find you a suitable dress! To find a suitable husband,” she ushered them all inside. “I’m not looking for a husband tante(aunt) Ida,” Giselle told her.  Ida scoffed at her niece and yelled for a servant to take their bags up to their rooms. They left the house, Ida in the lead towards the dress shops.

By late afternoon when they returned both Giselle and Zurie never wanted to set foot in a dress shop again. They had received many looks and stares considering they were not of wealthy class and could only afford linen dresses instead of silk. Both of their families had saved for some time to be able to afford them both a single silk dress for their birthdays. Even these were not as lavish as the others that many women were buying in the shops today. Giselle went to the couch to rest but was stopped by Ida, “Don’t sit down! We must get everyone ready for the party!” At this several servants come out of the kitchen carrying buckets of hot water upstairs. The girls were each pushed into a bathroom to bathe. Giselle melted into the hot water. Estel came in to scrub her hair and brush it out.

“I just can’t believe you are 18! It seems like yesterday you were a little baby.” Estel gushed while brushing Giselle’s hair.

“Mère(mother), you act like I’m walking out the door and never returning. I may be 18 but I have no plans to do anything that I don’t currently do.”

“Does this include marriage?” Estel pried. Hennrick had told her and Bastien about finding Giselle and Henry on the boiler deck today. Bastien of course wanting to confront him but Estel was able to calm him down.

“Yes…that does include marriage…..unless I find someone who allows me the freedom to do as I please.” She answered her mother matter of factly.

“Hhhmmmm I see. Your hair is brushed and braided, dry off and out to get your dress on.” Estel left Giselle alone so she could also get dressed. With the help of one of the servants Giselle slid into her silk dress. It was green with gold trim. The neckline was lower than she had expected. Père(father) will not like that, she thought. It had small sleeves that stopped at her elbow. She was looking at herself in the mirror when Zurie walked in.

“You look great!” Zurie exclaimed and went to stand next to Giselle looking into the mirror.

“I feel ridiculous….” Giselle tugged up at the neckline of the dress. “You however look great.” Zurie’s dress was light blue with silver trim. Her neckline and sleeves were like Giselle’s dress but she felt it looked much better on her friend.

“I thought mama was never going to stop crying while she brushed and braided my hair.” Zurie did a twirl in the mirror.

“Girls! We are ready to see you!” Ida’s voice came from downstairs. They walked out together and down the staircase.  Everyone was smiling and saying how grown up they looked. They could see Estel’s eyes watering and Alvita’s puffy eyes from crying earlier. Both mothers had on linen dresses in the same matching color as their daughter’s. Broken from her trance Estel announced, “We must get going to the boat! The party won’t start until we arrive!” The girls trailed a small distance behind their mothers and Ida.

“What is your aunt wearing?” Zurie whispered trying not to laugh. That was one of the first things Giselle had noticed when coming down the stairs. Her aunt’s dress was red with large floral patterns and in Giselle’s opinion a neckline even lower than hers. “I have no idea, I’m just glad she didn’t pick out my dress.” Giselle giggled. Catching a warning glance from their mothers the girls became silent. Getting closer to the boat they could see their fathers waiting on the dock to escort them onto the boat. Bastien and Hennrick couldn’t believe the women walking towards them were their daughters.

“You look beautiful, just like your mother,” Hennrick hugged Zurie and Alvita.

“Ma petite reine de la rivière. Tu es jolie.”(My little river queen. You look beautiful!) Bastien picked up Giselle and spun her around. He set her down and kissed Estel.  “Everyone is waiting for you, let’s go.” Bastien held out his arm for Giselle to take and escorted her onto the boat. Hennrick did the same with Zurie.  Everyone had gathered into the main dining hall to cheer for them as they walked in. They came to congratulate the girls and their parents. There were tables and tables full of different foods and cakes.

Giselle’s stomach growled, “I feel like I haven’t ate all day!” She grabbed Zurie’s arm and steered them towards the food. Once the food was gone tables were cleared to make a dance floor. The band began to play when Bastien asked his daughter to dance. Twirling her around on the dance floor made him reminisce about when she would stand on his feet to dance. “I couldn’t be prouder of the woman you have become. I don’t know how ta mère(your mother) and I got so lucky.” He beamed at Giselle.

‘’May I cut in ?’’ Giselle turned to see Henry. He looked nervous when he asked Bastien to dance with her. Her father tensed and gave him a warning look, ‘’You may….’’

When Bastien’s back had turned Henry’s eyes wondered all over Giselle. This of course made her blush which made a smile spread across his face. They began to dance. At one point Giselle could see Zurie across the room dancing with Isaac. The two girl’s eyes met and they smiled at each other. Giselle also saw Hennrick and Alvita dancing, but Hennrick’s eyes kept a very close watch on Isaac. She suddenly looked up at Henry, ‘’Mon père(my father) is watching us isn’t he ?’’ she whispered.

‘’Like a hawk,’’ he whispered into her ear. She could feel his hot breath on her neck and it made her heart race. He stared into her eyes, ‘’You look beautiful in that dress.’’

‘’Th….thank you. You also look very……. handsome ……tonight….’’ Although Giselle liked the attention she was getting from Henry she was not used to it at all. The girls had several more dances with other crew members and their fathers. Giselle’s last dance was again with Henry. In the middle of the dance Bastien cut in, ‘’Giselle it’s time to go back to your tante’s house (aunt’s house).’’

‘’I look forward to seeing you again soon Giselle,’’ Henry kissed her hand. Bastien gave him a hard stare as Henry turned and walked away. Giselle had butterflies in her stomach and was trying to hide her face from her father. Bastien and Hennrick walked back to Ida’s house with the women. They hugged goodbye and promised to see each other in a few days time. Giselle couldn’t wait to get out of the dress. Sleep came fast for her. She danced with Henry all night in her dreams.