Stowaway (A Pirate Novel) (Completed)

Chapter 56 Hours Upon Hours

Elle woke with no idea of the time. The restricted section didn't even have a small grandfather clock. Nor did it have a window to let in sun or star light. Deciding that it didn't matter because she was awake regardless of the time, day or night, she opened the book and continued reading. By the time she finished and closed the bindings her body was thoroughly protesting. Her back and neck hurt. Her left leg had gone numb. She stretched and walked around searching for another book.

This one took merely an hour to read. She replaced it on the shelf.

Feeling slightly rebellious she sat at the desk. She wrote down her observations and thoughts about the material she had read so far. She addressed the recipient as Father Leo. She made it very clear, she thought, that she found nothing offensive, inappropriate or very captivating about any of it so far. She admitted that the biggest factor in her interest had been the fact that the works were more or less being hidden.

Closing the ink well she let the pages she had written air dry.

She found another slim pamphlet and soon read it through. With a sigh she sat at the desk and wrote the following sentence: "Father Leo, is it perhaps that the church wishes us to read these books and pamphlets?"

She named the author and the pamphlet she just read. Again she explained what she thought. She was disappointed and told him so.

Hunger clawed at her belly so she took a break and ate some bread, cheese, and fruit as she drank a bit of water.

She longed for some mint tea but had no way to heat the water or acquire the leaves. By the time she lay down to sleep she had read two short stories and written down her thoughts on both.

The next book took considerably longer to read.

Although the writing style was exceptional the content of this one left her disappointed, if not angry, with the writer. He seemed to believe that God didn't exist.

It was quite frankly ridiculous. Of course God exists. All you need to do was look around at all the miracles that happen on a daily basis. Birds that fly, fish that swim, trees, earth, insects, sunsets, sunrises, babies and all manors of other daily life.

She didn't say that the mans ideas were complete lunacy. However she did disagree with him that it was all chance.

She wrote her opinions on the pages of paper. Before she knew it she had two pages for that book alone.

She saw the hand of God in creation as well as that of evolution.

She didn't once wonder what the priest would think of her ramblings. Finally at a loss for words she sat the pages aside.

She ate a small meal of fruit, cheese and water. Her body let it be known that sleep was in her near future. Before she could make her way to the bed she heard a grumbling noise from the dumb waiter.

Inside she found a pot of hot mint tea, a cup and saucer, as well as a piece of paper.

She poured out some of the tea, sat at the desk and read the letter with apprehension.

Rachel,
I am very sorry. They have decided to stay a few days in the hope that you will return.
I have assured them that according to you, you have never met Talbot Alexander James.
They didn't insist on a search of the grounds as I expected them too.
I do not know how long they will stay. I truly am sorry, my dear.
I will send some provisions down in the morning before mass. If you need anything else please leave me a missive in the dumb waiter. It opens in my office so it will not be seen by anyone else.
Father Leo.

Elle finished the tea and scribbled a note to Father Leo. She placed the empty pot, cup and saucer back in the dumb waiter with the short note. She pulled the rope until the contraption reached the top.

The next morning Elle ate the last of the dried meat and fruit as soon as she woke. She selected a book, this one a book of poetry. She saw no reason for it to be in the restricted section. She was a quarter of the way through when the dumb waiter whined it's arrival.

She mumbled a soft thank you to Father Leo at the sight of the mint tea. She put the food away in the wooden crates under the desk. Then she sat, sipped tea, then read poems about love and passion.

She finished the book late much later. She wrote down her thoughts naming a few of the poems by name.

She had decided to keep the written record of her thoughts to herself. She didn't hold back any of her emotions, except one. Even here she couldn't bring herself to write Captain Talbot's name.

She admitted that love had infected her heart and soul. She admitted the words of some of the poems had left her reeling in love, passion, longing, pain, heartbreak or sorrow. Not once did she write his name.

The time started to drag on as she searched for something to do. Her eyes hurt from reading and writing so much. She sat, stood, lay down on the bed, practiced the dance steps Mrs. Johnson had tried a teach her. She prayed that the James left soon so she could leave the restricted section.

It was funny. She had spent so much time and effort trying to convince Father Leo to let her past the door. Now she could hardly wait to get out of here. Vaguely she wondered if she would have given up sooner if he had told her how dreadfully boring it was in here. She snickered softly out loud. Probably not, she admitted.

Father Leo sent down tea every morning for the next three days. By the end of the fourth day she was extremely upset that the room was not sound proof. She suspected that a few screams at the top of her lungs would have gone a long way in calming her down and easing her frustration.

Then she heard it. The sound she grown to dread and appreciate every morning.

The soft whine of the dumb waiter lowering, signaling another day of confinement.

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