New to Town With a Made Up Name

Evening of April 3rd, 1891 - Aboard the Santa Antonina
@Penelope Fawcett

It had taken a little bit to get her sea legs beneath her, as the term went, but Elsie wasn't quite so nauseous as she had been the first few days aboard the ship. It seemed worse in the mornings, but tended to fade after breakfast. The ginger her cook had insisted she bring had been a lifesaver, but even then the nausea had started before the trip. Elsie had chalked it up to nerves, but the boat made it worse. Thankfully the fresh sea air was helping immensely as she and Penny strolled the deck after their stop in Spain today.

Truthfully she was still shocked she'd been able to come. Her mother had seemed reluctant at first, but Elsie had tried to phrase it as one last adventure before she settled down (which Stella almost seemed pleased about?) and having Penny's mother aboard had seemed to help as well. Things were finally starting to go her way in life. Once this little trip was over, she and Tyb would be on the courting course officially and it was hopefully just a matter of time before everything was fully settled.

Watching the waves crest over the horizon, a sinking sun in the background as the orange of day faded into night, Elsie had a thought strike her. "Have you worked things out with Mr. Fisk?" Elsie had been dying to ask, but afraid to pry too much. It would come up eventually and so she figured now was a safe time to inquire. She'd meant to ask sooner, but they'd been having all kinds of adventures on the first leg of the voyage, the ports were fun and interesting, something new and different. To say she was thankful she'd been able to experience this was truly an understatement. Still, she couldn't help but to wonder how things had gone between Penny and Mr. Fisk after their conversation in January.

---

The guilt Penny harbored over missing Xena's wedding only grew the further they sailed from England. She felt as though she'd abandoned Nemo in a way, not that she ever interacted with his family much. Dorian was a bit too much for her, and Zelda and she had never clicked much. Still, the wedding marked the first occasion Penny ever declined to attend at Nemo's request. Who knew, by the time the cruise returned home they might not be friends anymore at all.

She was enjoying the trip otherwise, though. Elsie was an excellent travel companion, even if her mother hovered everywhere they went. As it was, Cassandra was but fifteen feet from them on a chaise enjoying the sunset. Really, Penny quietly wished her mother would give them some leeway but knew any such hopes were held in vain.

"No, we haven't," Penny answered without looking over at her friend. "Aside from a few letters we haven't spoken since January. His sister got married a few days ago, I missed the wedding."