Romance at Sea
by Maureen Steinhoff
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Note to the Reader: This short story is based on two real-life characters: my aunt Rita Bradley from southern Ireland and Hugh Kelly, her companion in life from Northern Ireland. Rita and Hugh shared a lifelong friendship because marriage between a Catholic and a Protestant was forbidden. They emigrated to the United States in the 1920s. Rita worked for the Vanderbilt family as a nanny to Gloria Vanderbilt and then joined the Whitney family as their head mistress for the household staff, remaining with them until she died in 1985. The family provided a burial plot for her on their Long Island estate, Greentree, following her long and loyal tenure with them. My mother and aunt were invited to stay at Greentree for the funeral, and Mrs. Whitney attended. Hugh had a tougher life and worked on the docks as a longshoreman. He died from a mugging one night along the Hudson River in the 1970s.
Despite their different lives, Hugh and Rita always found time to meet and travel together, especially to Detroit, Michigan, where my grandparents, John and Mary Bradley, lived and raised their three daughters. They would treat us to stories about growing up in Ireland and their work lives in New York City. If times had been more accepting, perhaps this is how their story would have unfolded.
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For decades in the early 1900s, poverty and the lingering effects of the potato famine shaped life in Ireland. Families became poor. And depressed. Rita Bradley grew up with scarcity all around her. She stayed awake at night, wondering what was to become of her. At age 23, in 1925, she changed all that. She needed to find new meaning in her life. She wanted to make something of herself.
After a lot of thought and discussion with her family, she was ready. She had friends and family who had moved to the United States of America, so her destination was New York City on a ship called the RMS Baltic.
She packed her bags, said her teary goodbyes, and with her head held high, walked up the gangplank of the ship. Young, tall, and beautiful with long, flowing red hair, Rita made her way to the bow of the ship. She allowed herself to dream of a new life. Maybe she would find love, something that had eluded her so far in life. She knew she was leaving behind her parent’s marriage choice, Joseph Murphy, a family friend who didn’t thrill her in the least. Her parents had been trying to set her up with this man, albeit he was a looker, for years. She didn’t care for him or his clingy obsessiveness about knowing her whereabouts. Rita wanted to make her own choices in life. It was archaic to think she wouldn’t.
***
Hugh Kelly, age 25, had a handsome face, dark blue eyes and jet-black hair. He turned the heads of passengers as they strode past him on the ship. More than eager to set sail and start a new life away from the troubles that weighed him down, and tired of hiding from the law, he was holding his breath until the ship was underway. Gunrunning to support the cause to keep Britain out of the North had taken its toll on Hugh, and he knew if he was going to live a better life he needed to leave his home country. Traveling from Belfast to Cork, a journey of 300 miles, had been risky. Hugh didn’t have many family members to bid goodbye, so he kept it short, tenderly hugging his parents who stood with tears in their eyes as he boarded the ship. Now he dared to envision the possibilities that lay ahead. Would he find happiness, companionship, and even love on this new adventure?
***
Hordes of people, bags, bumping and jostling, it was a wonder anyone could find their way around the ship. Rita was taking in the ship’s grandness and the overall excitement of the passengers when suddenly she collided into a man. She was shocked when she saw who it was.
“What are you doing here, Joseph?” She had thought she had left him behind in her hometown.
“I thought I would never see you again,” Joseph said.
Aghast, Rita voiced, “Did you follow me? Did my parents tell you I was leaving?” She was feeling like a school-age girl who needed chaperoning, which she didn’t, dammit!
He answered her with a smile. “Of course they did, and I wanted to make sure you were safe. We are supposed to be with each other, Rita.”
“Well,” she announced. “I have a choice in this matter, Joseph. It is my life and I will decide whom I share it with.” She needed a plan to lose him, as the trip would be cumbersome with him in tow.
Joseph grabbed her arm. “I am so relieved to have found you amongst all this mayhem, Rita. Thank goodness we can travel now in the safety of each other. Do you have any idea of what you are heading into, traveling alone as a single woman with all these men lurking in the shadows?”
“I do not need a protector, Joseph!”
***
From across the bow of the ship, Hugh watched with increased interest in this tall, gorgeous red-haired lass who overwhelmed him to the core. His stomach did somersaults, his blood rushed through his veins, and he stumbled for something to hold onto. His only coherent thought at that moment was to meet this beauty sooner rather than later. He began walking towards her, noticing but ignoring the fact that she was with another man whose hand was gripping her arm.
“Pardon me for interrupting. I’m Hugh Kelly. I have been admiring you from across the deck. Are you quite alright ma’am?”
The young woman continued to struggle to free her arm while the young man looked at Hugh with barely a glance. “Of course I’m alright. The two of us were just having a discussion about this wonderful ship. I’m Rita Bradley, and this is my friend Joseph Murphy. Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Rita said, finally freeing her arm.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Joseph said in a quiet voice to Hugh. “The lady and I are traveling together to New York City. Where are you headed?”
“To that city as well, sir, nice to make your acquaintance.”
“You’re a Northerner, aren’t you, Hugh? An Orangeman? I hear the accent,” Joseph accused.
Hugh raised his chin. Although it was forbidden for the “Orange” and the “Green” to socialize, he said, “I am from Belfast in the north of Ireland, sir. Does that concern you?”
“Of course that concerns me. I am here to ensure that Rita has safe passage to New York City.”
“I am quite capable of taking care of myself, Joseph,” Rita said.
***
Hugh, Rita, and Joseph stood among the hundreds of passengers, all looking toward new beginnings: one hoping to claim the hand promised to him, another hoping to leave her anchor below deck with seasickness, and the last, with a wish to capture the eyes of the girl of his dreams, his future.
***
The cabins were small but sufficient, and after stowing her items and tending to her necessities, Rita rushed to the dining area to locate a table of people she could dine with before Joseph found her. She was surprised when Hugh appeared and pulled back a chair for her.
“Hello Rita, I’m Hugh. We met earlier today on deck. Please join me. I am so happy to share this time with you.”
“Thank you, Hugh. Everything was such a blur upon boarding, and I appreciate your kindness. I would love to dine with you as well.”
Rita was admiring the overall splendor of the table: white linens, crystal flutes, and china plates. The lighting cast a romantic glow. As she turned to look at Hugh, she had an unexpected realization: she was drawn to this man more than any other man she had ever met.
“I didn’t think I could leave my family behind to start a life with new hopes and dreams, but I am glad to have begun this journey,” Rita said as she looked into his shatteringly dark blue eyes. “My parents were anxious about me taking such a huge trip, but ultimately agreed it was my life,” Rita said. Hugh, without interruption, listened to her when she talked about family. It made her feel important, unlike Joseph, who only talked about himself.
When she finished, he spoke in agreement. “My parents, too, were hesitant about me leaving, but in the end felt it was safer that I left Ireland altogether. I have been running from the law too long now and need a fresh start.”
“Do you support the North or the South, Hugh?” Rita asked.
“In my activities as a member of the Irish Republican Army, I see how much damage has been done and now I just want Ireland to be free and for people to live their lives how they see fit,” he said.
This mysterious man, who risked his life to fight for a cause he believed in, was someone she could admire, yet she worried about the dangers he was running from. Was he a man she could trust her life with? Even so, the urge to touch him was so strong that she slipped her hands under her legs to keep them still. Hugh Kelly generated a world of exciting adventures, and she couldn’t wait to learn more about him.
Rita and Hugh were locked in on each other as if there were no other passengers on board. She was entranced by his storytelling, and noticed his eyes never left her face. Long after dinner ended and people dispersed, they sat hand in hand, gazing into each other’s eyes.
She trembled when he whispered, “I have never felt this way before with anyone. I want to know everything about you, Rita.” He escorted her out of the dining room as the wait staff worked around them, clearing tables and sweeping floors.
They walked arm in arm from bow to stern for hours, passing other passengers while gazing at the stars and stealing warm hugs. With the sun rising in the east, she leaned on his shoulder and he took her in his arms for a warm and luscious kiss.
“We must part ways now before other passengers see us in our evening clothes,” Hugh said. “I won’t risk your reputation.”
“I really don’t want this night to end, Hugh.”
But they reluctantly parted as daylight was upon them.
“I will pick you up for breakfast in front of your cabin in three hours. Rest for a while, and we will plan our future together,” he said.
And with arms possessively wrapped around each other, in unison they whispered, “I love you.”
***
Joseph approached Rita’s room the following morning as she was exiting her cabin.
“I missed having dinner with you last night. I really hoped we could share this time together onboard ship,” Joseph said.
“I had dinner with Hugh, the gentleman we met yesterday upon boarding, and it was delightful,” Rita said.
Joseph reached for Rita and encircled her in his arms. “I want to share dinners with you, and moonlit walks on deck. We can plan the life we have been looking forward to for years,” he said.
***
At that very moment, Hugh turned the corner and saw Rita and Joseph in what appeared to be a romantic embrace. Neither Joseph nor Rita knew they were being observed. Hugh inhaled sharply and retreated. Not knowing what to think and feeling like a fool, he ran as fast as possible towards the nearest exit to take in the fresh sea air.
Downtrodden, yet angry at himself for being so gullible, Hugh vowed to elude Rita for the remainder of the trip.
***
Rita struggled to free herself from Joseph who was clinging to her like a lifeline.
“Joseph, I never promised myself to you; I want your hands off me now!” His jaw dropped as he slowly removed his arms from around her and looked as if he had been punched in the stomach.
“I cannot understand what you see in that no-good Orangeman!” he managed to say.
“He is a good man. You don’t even know him, Joseph. You make assumptions based on nothing but hearsay and gossip,” Rita said.
Joseph stared at her for a long minute with spite in his eyes before turning and angrily walking away.
Not wanting to wait a minute longer to meet Hugh, Rita headed to the dining room, but he was nowhere to be found. Rita waited and waited at the table where their blissful encounter began, but he never appeared.
***
Once she landed in New York, Rita started looking for work as an au pair. She applied for a job with the Vanderbilt family, who needed a nanny for their infant daughter, Gloria. Rita was thrilled with her new position and enjoyed the company of this precocious little girl and her family. Six months passed quickly as she traveled to Newport, Rhode Island, and back to New York City several times during the summer months. Once fall came, the family settled in Manhattan.
Although she loved her new job, Rita continued to wonder why she had been stood up for breakfast after giving her heart to Hugh on the ship that night. She knew she needed to forget him, but how could he have been so callous? Her heart hurt, and so she tried to move on.
A year passed, and Rita was approached about a new position as head of housekeeping with the Whitney family on Long Island. Their estate was called Greentree, and Rita couldn’t believe her fortune, which entailed oversight of all the maids working in the Whitney household. It would be advantageous for her future regarding wages and promising promotions. Once a new nanny was in place for Gloria, Rita accepted the head of housekeeping position. While she was proud of the life she was making, she continued to pine for Hugh.
***
In Hugh’s time since leaving the boat, he quickly became a man known around Manhattan for his wit and charm. He gained employment in the financial field, chumming up to the likes of the upper class, including the Vanderbilts and Whitneys. He finessed his way into the circles of the elite and was eventually invited to parties on the well-known estates of Long Island. But he had never forgotten the beautiful, charming Rita who stole his heart and occupied his every thought. He had many girlfriends, but he never stopped searching for the girl with the long red hair.
***
Nearly two years after meeting aboard ship, Rita was busy overseeing the staff working at a gala on the Greentree estate. Everything was in place, and she took a moment to observe the grandeur of the manor: crystal chandeliers, velvet curtains, and Rembrandts hanging in plain sight. She suddenly felt a tingling up her spine, signaling excitement or alarm. She slowly turned and noticed a dark-haired man near the bar. It didn’t take long for Rita to muster her moxie and approach him.
As he raised his glass to sip his martini, his eyes caught hers and the glass slipped out of his hand, startling her as it shattered on the marble floor.
“Hugh?” she said as she waved a butler over to clean up the broken glass.
“Rita!” He stared at her in shock. “I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
“I work here as headmistress,” she replied, not knowing what else to say. She collected her thoughts and led him to a more private area of the mansion, lest they make anymore of a scene in front of the guests and her employer.
Now they were alone, her first thought was, “Thank God he is alive.” However, she still wanted answers. “I thought you were dead or fallen overboard. If you weren’t dead, why didn’t you look for me? I thought we had something special,” she said.
“When I saw you in front of your cabin, wrapped up like a Christmas package in Joseph’s arms, I assumed I was just one night of entertainment for you. I admit I avoided you for the rest of the trip, but I haven’t been hiding since coming to New York,” he said.
Rita, caught off guard by his explanation, defended her innocence by saying, “I was trying to push Joseph off me. I was on my way to meet you, just like we agreed. When you didn’t show up at my door, I waited in the dining room for hours. You left me to wander around on a ship for weeks, assuming the worst. You disappeared! I was so worried and didn’t know what to think.”
“Since the morning I left you at your cabin, I never stopped thinking about you.” He moved toward her and reached for her hand. “I have been working everyday trying to make an honorable living, hoping to glimpse you somewhere in my travels. I feel so lucky to be with you again,” he said.
Rita found a chair to sit on so she could take it all in. “And I never stopped thinking about you either, Hugh.” She was so nervous as she spoke; her hands shook and she folded them on her lap to keep them steady.
“Please forgive me, Rita. Do you think we can start over now that we’ve found each other again? I do love you.”
Through teary eyes, Rita said, “Hugh, please let’s not waste any more time. I love you too.”
Through tears, fierce hugs, and passionate declarations, Rita and Hugh began their new life together, wrapping themselves around each other, as though neither ever wanted to let go again.
Rita Bradley in 1967
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About the Author
Maureen is a retired school counselor from Connecticut. She lives in Warren, Vermont with her husband and travels frequently to visit her two grown sons and grandchildren.