“Build you a boat?” I said, “Can’t you just use one of your family’s boats? Or even just take passage on the next ship travelling through?”
“All our captains fear my mother and have been forbidden from taking me anywhere without her approval - she even has people on the estate to make sure I do not run away.”
“They are not doing a very good job”, I remarked dryly, “What’s to stop you just walking south?”
“Syrene gave me an incredulous look, “A Lady does not walk!”
“I looked at her, looked at our surroundings, then looked back at her.”
“A Lady does not walk when other people are watching!” she amended.
“Right, so you could travel at night and rest during the day!” I brightly exclaimed.
“Syrene gave me a deathly glare, then wrung her fingers, “I have no money of my own”, she said. Mother has Maria buy whatever the estate needs and I would need money to travel any distance.”
“So, this boat that you want me to build, just where do you expect me to find all the timber and materials for it?” I asked.
“I can sort that”, she said, trying and failing to sound mysterious, “I do actually have a plan, i’ll get Maria to authorise it!”
“You’ll get the person, keeping you from running away, to help you make a boat to run away on?” I said.
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“Exactly!” She said, “I’ll tell her that I want to have it presented to the Duke as a wedding gift!”
“You know, that might actually work… if she believes you?”, I hesitated, “I would need a place out of the weather to build it and probably an apprentice to help with the scut work, still it will be a close thing to get it ready by Spring.”
“Syrene beamed at me, “So you’ll make me a boat so I can escape?!”
“I’ll make you a boat” I said, “but the escaping part is up to you!”
“We sat for a while longer and discussed what sort of boat she would need and how to best sell the idea to Maria without her getting suspicious.”
“I suggested that she might write some letters to the Duke and have Maria send them out and mention that she was preparing a gift for him. Syrene thought that was very clever and said I had missed my calling as a conman to which I just snorted then suggested we use Flotsam as a go between before the ‘gift’ became official knowledge and a request was sent out for a shipwright - to which I would reply.”
“How would we make sure that I am the best qualified applicant?”, I asked.
“Would your friend Master Burley be able to help out?” Syrene said.
“Hmm..” I thought to myself, trying to think of the best way for it to work. “Perhaps, I could have him draw the design from the notes we send him and I could build it for him while he takes the credit and a commission. We could say you want to contact the master shipwright that built the Callista and request a commission from him - Maria would be familiar with the ship and your mother would probably also approve. Having his name attached to the boat would also look good for the Duke and none would question me working once again with Master Burley as we are known to be friends.”
“Our plans laid, Syrene and I shook hands and parted. I watched while she disappeared back into the fog thinking what a truly strange night this had been. I shivered as a chill breeze began to move the fog aside, then began the trudge back to town and the very important letter waiting for me to write it.”