in that ridiculous stance. Regardless of my anger at him, I couldn’t find the strength to look him in the eye and held my gaze over the water as I spoke.
“No, I’ve no intention of doing such a thing, and you know damn well I never would. Now stop this nonsense, please, before we draw attention. We’ve much larger fish to catch than the prying eyes of our crew.”
I dropped my arms at my sides and let out a sigh and then stroked my throbbing arm. “Now what?”
“You’re right. If I was going to treat ye like a helpless girl, I should have sailed without ye and dealt with your wrath upon my return. I do trust ye, and ye absolutely deserve all of my respect, but if you’ll allow me the respect I, too, deserve and contain that inferno in your belly, I give you my word I’ll not stifle any further attempts on your part to act as a true member of this crew.”
I didn’t know what to say. What I did know was, once this was all over, and this day was done, I’d have to lay down my shield and face myself and the ugliness I’d shown this man. His words were like cool water poured on molten steel, and yet the level of my anger evaporated it instantly. Although my mood had changed from red to orange, my expression and squared shoulders never wavered. I couldn’t let him in.
“So, do we have an understanding, Razor?” he asked quietly, slipping his hand into the deep front pockets of his gray surcoat and retrieving his watch.
“Aye, Captain. May I ask permission to assist Mister Robertson unless, or until, my service is required in the sick berth?” I asked, looking up at him at last. The sun was setting, and when I glanced past his shoulder, the arse end of the Belle appeared so close I could reach out and slap it.
“Now, why didn’t I think of that?” I felt the tone in his voice shift from that cool water into a warm and welcoming bath and knew instinctively he was smiling. I could not bear to look.
“I’ll report immediately to Mister Robertson, Captain.” I nodded at him without raising my head and stepped around him to take my leave and set off to find James.
“Oh, one more thing, Razor; when this is over, and we’ve claimed what we came looking for, when we make port I’ll need to have more than a few words with you…privately.”
“Please, don’t do this now. Just be my Captain, and I give you my word, I’ll not cause any more trouble.” I didn’t look back.
“Mister Robertson…I mean James…what is our position?” I found him on the port side of the forecastle, reading his charts by the moonlight and shaking his head. The Belle was still at least a half mile ahead of us in the channel, but knowing what Rasmus planned to do, I assumed we weren’t quite in position yet to follow through.
“Excuse me? We’re not cooking or doctoring anymore?” he asked, slipping his charts under his arm and leaning back against the gunnel.
“Not until we’ve succeeded in boarding the Belle and taking what we came for,” I answered, leaning back next to him.
James turned facing out and over the sea and said, “We’ll continue like this a bit longer, and then, out there…we’ll move in.” He pointed in the southwest direction of the port side. The channel was flanked by two islands, each approximately a mile in length. We’d begun our course to pass between them, staying directly behind and in line with the Belle , as the depths were precarious. Fifty yards port or starboard could mean the difference between running aground or smooth sailing.
“Out there in the dark? Are you mad?” I asked. The most I could discern in the moonlight was the gentle swaying of palm trees in the distance on either island aside us.
“Yes, as a matter of fact I just may be, but if I succeed, every ship on the sea will know my name.” He grinned.
I leaned back against the gunnel, looking over at his face as the wind whipped at us. The only sounds we heard were of the Jade’s keel slicing the
“No, I’ve no intention of doing such a thing, and you know damn well I never would. Now stop this nonsense, please, before we draw attention. We’ve much larger fish to catch than the prying eyes of our crew.”
I dropped my arms at my sides and let out a sigh and then stroked my throbbing arm. “Now what?”
“You’re right. If I was going to treat ye like a helpless girl, I should have sailed without ye and dealt with your wrath upon my return. I do trust ye, and ye absolutely deserve all of my respect, but if you’ll allow me the respect I, too, deserve and contain that inferno in your belly, I give you my word I’ll not stifle any further attempts on your part to act as a true member of this crew.”
I didn’t know what to say. What I did know was, once this was all over, and this day was done, I’d have to lay down my shield and face myself and the ugliness I’d shown this man. His words were like cool water poured on molten steel, and yet the level of my anger evaporated it instantly. Although my mood had changed from red to orange, my expression and squared shoulders never wavered. I couldn’t let him in.
“So, do we have an understanding, Razor?” he asked quietly, slipping his hand into the deep front pockets of his gray surcoat and retrieving his watch.
“Aye, Captain. May I ask permission to assist Mister Robertson unless, or until, my service is required in the sick berth?” I asked, looking up at him at last. The sun was setting, and when I glanced past his shoulder, the arse end of the Belle appeared so close I could reach out and slap it.
“Now, why didn’t I think of that?” I felt the tone in his voice shift from that cool water into a warm and welcoming bath and knew instinctively he was smiling. I could not bear to look.
“I’ll report immediately to Mister Robertson, Captain.” I nodded at him without raising my head and stepped around him to take my leave and set off to find James.
“Oh, one more thing, Razor; when this is over, and we’ve claimed what we came looking for, when we make port I’ll need to have more than a few words with you…privately.”
“Please, don’t do this now. Just be my Captain, and I give you my word, I’ll not cause any more trouble.” I didn’t look back.
“Mister Robertson…I mean James…what is our position?” I found him on the port side of the forecastle, reading his charts by the moonlight and shaking his head. The Belle was still at least a half mile ahead of us in the channel, but knowing what Rasmus planned to do, I assumed we weren’t quite in position yet to follow through.
“Excuse me? We’re not cooking or doctoring anymore?” he asked, slipping his charts under his arm and leaning back against the gunnel.
“Not until we’ve succeeded in boarding the Belle and taking what we came for,” I answered, leaning back next to him.
James turned facing out and over the sea and said, “We’ll continue like this a bit longer, and then, out there…we’ll move in.” He pointed in the southwest direction of the port side. The channel was flanked by two islands, each approximately a mile in length. We’d begun our course to pass between them, staying directly behind and in line with the Belle , as the depths were precarious. Fifty yards port or starboard could mean the difference between running aground or smooth sailing.
“Out there in the dark? Are you mad?” I asked. The most I could discern in the moonlight was the gentle swaying of palm trees in the distance on either island aside us.
“Yes, as a matter of fact I just may be, but if I succeed, every ship on the sea will know my name.” He grinned.
I leaned back against the gunnel, looking over at his face as the wind whipped at us. The only sounds we heard were of the Jade’s keel slicing the
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