took it and with an inward shrug jammed
it into her jaw and broke off a bite. She already learned these
delicacies were not easily broken by front teeth. “I was tired,”
she said around her food. With a yawn she slid down beside the boy.
“What are you doing?”
“Keepin’ watch.”
Anne followed his gaze. First in view came
Stymie sitting on his haunches with three other men. They were
playing a game, each tossing a knife into a circle and seeing who
came closer to hitting a piece of sailing. So far none had
succeeded.
Beyond them, on the quarterdeck, stood the
captain. He was leaning against the rail, looking out to sea, his
back toward Anne and Joe... and Stymie.
“I figure, if the cap’n won’t watch out for
hisself, then I’ll have to do it.”
Anne turned toward the boy, her eyes wide.
“Then you’re not mad about last night?”
“Nay.” Joe grinned. “I just ain’t me best
when someone wakes me.”
Anne smiled back, then her expression
sobered. “I better talk to Captain MacQuaid. Perhaps he’ll listen
to me.”
“Doubt it.” Joe took another bite of his
breakfast. “But go ahead and try if’n ye like. I’m tellin’ ye he
just ain’t scared of Stymie.”
By the end of the day Anne was thinking Joe’s
assessment was correct. The two kept their watch over the captain
every time they weren’t called upon to do anything... and on this
boat that was nearly all the time. Captain MacQuaid went about his
duties and a considerable amount of rest time, with seemingly not a
care in the world.
Stymie appeared equally at ease.
No hint of a mutiny.
“Ye think ye could ’ave been wrong?”
“No. I know what I heard?”
Still she wondered as the sky darkened on
another day at sea. A day with no sign of d’Porteau, a stomach that
never really felt calm, and watching the captain and his adversary
do nothing. Wondered not if she heard correctly, but what she was
thinking when she stowed aboard in the first place. Why she even
asked Captain MacQuaid for his assistance.
Anne lay on the deck watching the stars
appear, waiting for Joe to return. He’d gone below to use the head,
still apparently not suspicious that Anne never went at the same
time. At least that much of pretending to be a boy wasn’t
difficult. Actually none of it had been too bad; she probably
wouldn’t even worry about fooling Jamie MacQuaid if he hadn’t known
her as a woman.
Desired her as a woman.
Anne sat up, disgusted with herself for
thinking of that. So he’d kissed her. Knowing him, he probably went
after anything in petticoats. She tried to suppress a giggle as she
folded her hands beneath her head. What would the captain think
when he discovered she’d been on board all along? She’d tell him
after this was all over. When they captured d’Porteau and found
Arthur, then she’d yank off her cap and wipe the dirt off her face.
A smile curved her lips. She couldn’t wait to see his
expression.
Anne realized she fell asleep thinking about
the captain when she awoke, her body humming. “Oh my heavens.” She
sat up, wiping trembling hands across her brow. She’d been
dreaming, but it seemed so real. The captain was lying beside her
doing things to her with his hands and mouth and she hadn’t been
able to resist... hadn’t wanted to resist.
Anne tried to push those thoughts from her
mind. She found the pirate captain repulsive. She did. Anne leaned
back against the rope... and realized Joe wasn’t there. Unless he
came and went while she slept, he’d been at the head way too
long.
Anne pushed to her feet, stretching and
taking a look around. All seemed calm enough. The Lost Cause lolled about on a peaceful sea, what wind there was, filling her
sails and taking her skimming into the night.
There seemed to be even fewer pirates on
watch tonight. Deciding if she could fool the pirate in the light
she could certainly do as much to the blackamoor in the dark, Anne
climbed the ladder to the quarterdeck where
it into her jaw and broke off a bite. She already learned these
delicacies were not easily broken by front teeth. “I was tired,”
she said around her food. With a yawn she slid down beside the boy.
“What are you doing?”
“Keepin’ watch.”
Anne followed his gaze. First in view came
Stymie sitting on his haunches with three other men. They were
playing a game, each tossing a knife into a circle and seeing who
came closer to hitting a piece of sailing. So far none had
succeeded.
Beyond them, on the quarterdeck, stood the
captain. He was leaning against the rail, looking out to sea, his
back toward Anne and Joe... and Stymie.
“I figure, if the cap’n won’t watch out for
hisself, then I’ll have to do it.”
Anne turned toward the boy, her eyes wide.
“Then you’re not mad about last night?”
“Nay.” Joe grinned. “I just ain’t me best
when someone wakes me.”
Anne smiled back, then her expression
sobered. “I better talk to Captain MacQuaid. Perhaps he’ll listen
to me.”
“Doubt it.” Joe took another bite of his
breakfast. “But go ahead and try if’n ye like. I’m tellin’ ye he
just ain’t scared of Stymie.”
By the end of the day Anne was thinking Joe’s
assessment was correct. The two kept their watch over the captain
every time they weren’t called upon to do anything... and on this
boat that was nearly all the time. Captain MacQuaid went about his
duties and a considerable amount of rest time, with seemingly not a
care in the world.
Stymie appeared equally at ease.
No hint of a mutiny.
“Ye think ye could ’ave been wrong?”
“No. I know what I heard?”
Still she wondered as the sky darkened on
another day at sea. A day with no sign of d’Porteau, a stomach that
never really felt calm, and watching the captain and his adversary
do nothing. Wondered not if she heard correctly, but what she was
thinking when she stowed aboard in the first place. Why she even
asked Captain MacQuaid for his assistance.
Anne lay on the deck watching the stars
appear, waiting for Joe to return. He’d gone below to use the head,
still apparently not suspicious that Anne never went at the same
time. At least that much of pretending to be a boy wasn’t
difficult. Actually none of it had been too bad; she probably
wouldn’t even worry about fooling Jamie MacQuaid if he hadn’t known
her as a woman.
Desired her as a woman.
Anne sat up, disgusted with herself for
thinking of that. So he’d kissed her. Knowing him, he probably went
after anything in petticoats. She tried to suppress a giggle as she
folded her hands beneath her head. What would the captain think
when he discovered she’d been on board all along? She’d tell him
after this was all over. When they captured d’Porteau and found
Arthur, then she’d yank off her cap and wipe the dirt off her face.
A smile curved her lips. She couldn’t wait to see his
expression.
Anne realized she fell asleep thinking about
the captain when she awoke, her body humming. “Oh my heavens.” She
sat up, wiping trembling hands across her brow. She’d been
dreaming, but it seemed so real. The captain was lying beside her
doing things to her with his hands and mouth and she hadn’t been
able to resist... hadn’t wanted to resist.
Anne tried to push those thoughts from her
mind. She found the pirate captain repulsive. She did. Anne leaned
back against the rope... and realized Joe wasn’t there. Unless he
came and went while she slept, he’d been at the head way too
long.
Anne pushed to her feet, stretching and
taking a look around. All seemed calm enough. The Lost Cause lolled about on a peaceful sea, what wind there was, filling her
sails and taking her skimming into the night.
There seemed to be even fewer pirates on
watch tonight. Deciding if she could fool the pirate in the light
she could certainly do as much to the blackamoor in the dark, Anne
climbed the ladder to the quarterdeck where
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