She breathed deeply, regretting the action almost immediately. "Melly, I believe I'll just open the door and let some air in."
"Yes, miss, that's a good idea."
Thea opened the door and was startled by the presence of a young seaman on the other side.
The sailor's arms were full of bundles, which he thrust toward Thea. "Compliments of Mr. Drake."
She stared down at the bundles wrapped in rough cotton that rubbed against her skin. The odor of ginger and cinnamon was unmistakable in the small confines of the cabin.
"What are they?" She didn't understand. Why had Drake sent her spices?
"Ginger tea, miss, and soda crackers. There's some salt beef and biscuits too."
"Salt beef?" Did her voice sound as confused as she felt?
The sailor nodded, his mouth split wide in a grin. "Nothing better aboard ship for settling a stomach. Most passengers won't eat it. Think it's fit only for the crew. Be a lot less green around the gills if they did, miss."
Drake had sent seasickness remedies for Melly.
"I'll try it. I'll try anything," vowed the maid as she attempted to sit up on the bunk.
"Yes'm. I'll be back with some hot water for the tea."
Thea collected her wits about her. "Thank you. That is very kind. Please thank Mr. Drake as well."
"Yes'm. I'll go for the water now."
She let him go without further protest. Drake had shown concern for Melly's comfort. Thea did not generally associate overbearing arrogance with consideration. Surely he was too busy with the repairs to his ship's engine to be bothered.
However, the inescapable fact was that he had bothered. "Mr. Drake is a thoughtful gentleman."
"He's shown us consideration," Thea agreed.
Remembering the way he had held her in the warehouse that morning, Thea doubted his gentlemanly instincts were overpoweringly strong, however.
"I know your sainted mother warned you against giving your heart unwisely, but I'm sure she didn'
t mean you to mistrust every man you meet."
"I don't. I trust some men."
Melly snorted. "Who, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I trust Uncle Ashby. I trust Jacob and Philippe."
In fact, she'd trusted Philippe enough to tell him a little of her plan and ask him to watch over Uncle Ashby while she was gone. Surprisingly, he'd agreed without a huge argument about her stated intentions to investigate the ledger discrepancies.
"That's three men you've known most of your life and all of them old enough to be your father or grandfather. You don't fool me, miss. You don't trust young gentlemen and that's a fact."
Thea finished depositing the bundles on top of the small table that made up part of the meager furnishings of her cabin. "I see no reason to trust a man just because he calls himself a gentleman. My mother trusted my father, and look where that got her."
Melly gripped her stomach and moaned.
Thea rushed to her side and pressed a biscuit into her hand. "Try to eat this. The sailor said it would help, and he ought to know."
The maid took a small bite and chewed it slowly. Her mobcap had gone askew and her black bombazine dress was rumpled. Thea had often wondered how the maid could stand the heavy folds of fabric she insisted were proper to a woman of her station.
"Your mother had you, and she never regretted it."