Inconveniences

Chapter 9

There are a lot of crazy people in the world.
There are a lot of them just in London.
So how, in heaven and Earth, is Mr Lancaster still alive?
Surely out of all the insane people on the planet, at least one of them could have assassinated Mr Lancaster by now.
I am (generally) a compassionate person, and I do not endorse murder.
But if someone just happened to shoot or stab Mr Lancaster, I don't think I would object.
Why?
He woke me up too early.
What is too early for me? 4:00 in the morning! I had a hard enough time falling asleep since the boat was rocking and I was in the same room with a strange man all night. But then he wakes me up because "that is just what he does!"

The blankets were torn away from me.
"Get up," commanded that cold, harsh voice that I learned to hate. I pull my chemise down since it rode up while I was sleeping.
"You creep! Put the blankets back! And what time is it?" Mr Lancaster didn't seem to realize the highly compromising position I was in- almost naked, in a dark room, alone with a man- or he did and just didn't care. Both seemed plauseable since he doesn't care about feelings or understand social cues. Mr Lancaster threw the blankets back at me.
"4:08 and 32 seconds now, I woke you up 12 seconds ago and now you are making me run late. Oh, and do not make me ask you to get up again," he seethed.
"Oh dear, sir, you woke up on the wrong side of the bed!"
"Miss Hemmings-"
"No! Don't 'Miss Hemmings' me!"
Oh no, I actually cut him off mid sentence... Life was nice while it lasted.
"Get. Up."
"What am I supposed to do when I'm up? Why do you want me up right now anyway?"
"You can do anything, as long as you are productive, and idleness is not something I tolerate."
"So I'll run around and try to seduce every man that works for you! Speaking of people who work for you, I don't, so I don't have to listen to you!"
"No. You will not bother my men and yes, you still have to obey me like the good little woman you should try to be."

Obey him? Ha! I'm not a dog, I don't obey people.

"Why are you even up this early, sir?"
"It is just what I do. In fact, I waited an extra 8 minutes and 19 seconds to wake you up. I was generous."
"What were you doing in that 8 minutes and 19 seconds? Watching me sleep?" I tried joking to lighten the mood.
"Fine. Go back to sleep. When you wake up again, do not get in my way. In fact, it would be lovely if I did not see you at all for the rest of the day."
"What?" I feigned disappointment, "a whole day without you? Oh no! But seeing you is the best part of my day! You're so friendly, and talkative, and warm-"
Mr Lancaster slammed the door shut as he angrily left my room.
"And have a great day, sir!" I shouted after him.
Even though Mr Lancaster always knew how to rile up my temper, I had no troubles falling asleep again.
When I woke up the second time, or the first time by my own will, I felt sick. My stomach was churning and hurting too much. I didn't waste the time getting redressed, but I wrapped a blanket around myself so I wouldn't be so naked before running up to the deck and vomiting over the edge. Repeatedly. My body convulsed and contracted every time my stomach pushed the bile out of me. I was coughing and spitting like a madman. I knew I looked unflattering, but I wasn't planning on marrying any of the men on board, so I was safe to look as unflattering as I wanted. Retching again, I felt a hand rest on my mid back. This person also gently held my hair back as I continued to throw up.
"J was right, ye really are new to this."
"Connor!" I managed weakly, "I'm glad it's you! I need something to drink. I have to get this taste out of my mouth."
"Aye, but let's make sure ye stop vomiting first."
It didn't stop right away, but when I was done, my body went limp and I slumped down on the deck.
"Miss Amy, ye need to be careful, I can't 'ave ye gettin' 'urt on my watch. I'll get ye somethin' to drink."
Connor promptly left. I was still fighting for a good breath that didn't threaten another uprising from my stomach. I noticed as Mr Lancaster crossed the deck to the bunks below, presumably going to our- excuse me, my- room. His face was as flat and unmoving as stone. Mr Lancaster reminded me of a diamond: nice enough to look at, hard, can't be scratched unless it's from another diamond, time and pressure made him the way he was now, and even though he's nice to look at, he's really just a piece of coal. Calling him a diamond would be too nice for me to say, though. I believe a diamond has more value than Mr Lancaster.
Okay, maybe that was a little too far, since I can't possibly believe a rock has more value than a human life.
Connor came back with... I'm not sure, but it was some kind of liquid. I still drank it, since I didn't want the taste of vomit in my mouth all day. It burned my throat, like it was whiskey, but I could tell it wasn't. I knew it was very alcoholic though.
"Let's get ye back to yer room. Ye could use some rest."
I held the blanket to me tighter. Connor wrapped an arm around my waist to steady me.
He escorted me back to my room. I was greatful since my legs were shaky. We didn't knock before entering the room. Why would we? It was my room!
Mr Lancaster was sitting at a small wooden desk in the corner of the room, stacks of paper surrounding him.
"Connor, I am also in this room. You could take Miss Hemmings to your room if you two are going to have any sexual engagement."
"Shut up Boss, the lass just needs some rest."
Woah, Connor told him to shut up!
Mr Lancaster turned around, raising a questioning (and challenging) eyebrow at Connor. That was probably the most I've seen Mr Lancaster's face move.
"Okay, I'll take 'er to my room to sleep."
"No. She will remain here," he said in a clipped voice. He turned back around and kept looking through his papers.
I just rolled my eyes.
"I don't really want to stay in the same room with a man that won't stop insulting me! Connor, I'd like to stay in your room."
"No. You will stay here. That is final, end of discussion."
"Yes, your Majesty," I mumbled quietly to myself. Connor heard and chuckled.
I pointedly flopped onto my bed as Connor left. Mr Lancaster didn't say a word. I dramatically sighed as I snuggled deeper into my blankets.
"Be quiet, I am working, Miss Hemmings."
"Of course, your Majesty."
"Stop saying that."
"Sure thing, your Majesty sir."
Mr Lancaster suddenly sat up straight at his desk. I noticed his hands were clenched into fists and he was struggling to control his breathing. Realizing how tense he was, he forced himself relax. He wasn't ever really relaxed though, just less tense. Either way, Mr Lancaster forced himself to be less tense.
"Stop bothering me, Miss Hemmings."
"Okay, I'll go bother Conn-"
"No! Stay where you are, but be quiet!"
"You yelled at me for breathing!"
"No, I told you to stop breathing so loudly."
"And I'm telling you to stop being a bloody bastard!"
"I do not take orders from anyone, Miss Hemmings. You should know better by now."
"And you should know that I don't cooperate with you when you're acting like this!"
"Allow me to finish my work, and then we can discuss how I can improve my behavior."
"Really?"
"Yes. Let me remind you of the fact that I am never finished with my work."
"Okay, so I won't bother you since I'll be leaving," I stated as I got out of bed and started turning the door handle. Mr Lancaster was up in a second, and he shoved me back into my bed.
"Get your bloody hands off of me, or I swear I'll be the last thing you ever touch!"
"Go to sleep, Miss Hemmings."
"No! Just let me leave!"
"No, allow me to do my work."
"What the hell am I supposed to do? Sit here and watch you?"
"You would not be the first female to do that. But I was thinking you could go to sleep and not bother me. If you are conscious, my productivity levels will more than likely decrease with all of the extra stimulus you add to my environment."
"You choose to keep me in your environment, so don't complain."
"Miss Hemmings, I do not whine or complain about petty things like you, and every other woman, do."
"You sound whiny to me right now."
"As do you to me at the moment."
"But I never claimed to not be."
"Nor did I-"
"You basically are right now! So either let me leave or else I'll keep bothering you."
Mr Lancaster's silence felt like victory. He quietly left the room, but came back moments later with a cup of water.
"Your throat must be dry from yelling at me so much," he said... Caringly? He sounded more caring than normal, but the emotions (if you could call them that) in his eyes didn't match.
"Yes, putting up with you is a hassle," I responded hesitantly. He handed me the cup and I drank it. I coughed when I realized it tasted bitter.
That was not normal water, was it? My subconscious taunted me.
"Good night Miss Hemmings," he said in his normal, hateful, expressionless voice when I handed him the empty cup.
"What do you mean-"
But I passed out before I finished.

"Boss, ye can't just drug anybody ye want!"
"No?"
"'Ow long 'as she been out?"
"Three, almost four hours. I got quite a bit done in that time."

Good god!

"The 'ell is wrong with ye, Boss!"
"Sh Connor, don't yell," I muttered groggily.
"Look Connor, she is fine," Mr Lancaster said nonchalantly.
"Oi, fuck off, Boss!"
Woah, Connor's yelling at Mr Lancaster now? Did I miss something?
My eyes widened at Connor's curses.
"Connor!" I gasped, "watch your language!"
"I'm sorry lass, but it 'ad to be said," he stated as he protectivly moved closer to me.
"Connor, you should leave. I would like to have a few words with Miss Hemmings. Alone."
"Nay, I'm not leavin'. Are ye gonna drug 'er again?"
"No, I am low on laudanum and I would like to use it for myself every once in a while."
"Maybe ye wouldn't be so low if ye didn't give 'er a quarter of the bottle!"
"Yes, I will admit to that: I did use a lot, but I needed it to work fast. Do you notice a trend, Connor? I like productivity, I like things that work fast. Do you know why? Because that is how I make money, Connor. Or have you forgotten? Have you been so brainwashed by Miss Hemmings that you have forgotten you work for me? You, of all people, should know that I do not tolerate idleness or insubordination-"
"Which is why I enjoy being idle and insubordinate!" I jumped in to their conversation. Both Mr Lancaster and Connor's heads snapped around to look at me. Connor's eyes screamed "ye shouldn't 'ave said that, lass," and Mr Lancaster's eyes whispered "you would be lucky if I did not kill you tonight."
"Sincerest apologies for interrupting your soliliquy, Mr Lancaster, but first of all, oh yeah, I'm not sorry, and secondly, you can go to hell! Now Mr Lancaster, you can leave since I need Connor's help getting dressed. You are dismissed now, sir."
Connor's jaw dropped and Mr Lancaster's eyes burned cold and dark.
"No," said Mr Lancaster as he got comfortable, crossing one leg over the other, "you can get dressed somewhere else. Or stay here. But I will be here too, so you could either leave or have me witness you getting dressed."
I finally trapped him.
"So you're letting me leave now? Thank you! I wanted that a few hours ago, but better late than never, right? Let's go Connor." As I was closing the door behind me, I said, "thanks again, your Majesty, sir."
Connor and I heard a loud crash, probably Mr Lancaster angrily knocking all of his papers off his desk. I looked at Connor and we surrended  to his room before Mr Lancaster could take his anger out on us.
No, we didn't surrender... It was just a tactical retreat...
Yeah, that's it.