nothin’, but the cap’n, he
made me promise not to help ye none.”
“That’s all right. I’m nearly finished.”
Merideth sunk her hands into the murky rinse water. Wringing out a
white linen shirt, she took considerable pleasure in pretending it
was the captain’s neck. She brushed hair from her cheek with her
shoulder and plopped the shirt over the makeshift clothesline that
crisscrossed the cabin. She’d strung it earlier, when rope, along
with two buckets of seawater and a bar of soap, was delivered to
the cabin by a smirking sailor.
She imagined the entire crew knew of her
escapade with Tim, as well as their punishments. When Tim arrived
shortly thereafter to watch her wash the captain’s shirts, he
confirmed her speculation.
Not that she cared one way or the other.
Getting off this vessel and returning to Land’s End were all that
concerned her.
And punishing her father’s killer.
“Guess ye ain’t used to this, ye bein’ a lady
and all,” Tim mumbled as he bit into an apple.
“Actually, sometimes ladies have to do more
than you might think.” Merideth dragged another shirt through the
wash bucket.
“Ye mean ye washed clothes before?” Tim
stopped munching and looked at her wide-eyed.
“Not exactly,” Merideth admitted. “But I have
helped Belinda. She’s one of the servants.” One of the few servants
left. If indeed there were any at Banistar Hall now.
“Hmmm.” Tim seemed to ponder this as he took
another bite of his apple.
“What about you? Was your punishment so
bad?”
“Nay. Cap’n had a talk with me about how
important it was to follow orders on a ship. Me bein’ sent down to
clean up and not doin’ it was goin’ against orders, he said.
‘Tweren’t so bad this time, but durin’ a battle it could be real
dangerous.”
He quoted the captain as if it were the
Gospel. Merideth reminded him of the rest of his punishment.
“Aye, well, Cook didn’t give me any
puddin’—which I felt was right and just. But when I was cleanin’ up
the dishes cap’n said he didn’t have much of a sweet tooth tonight,
and that I could eat his if I’d a mind.”
Merideth straightened, drying her hands on
the skirt of her riding habit. “He gave you his bread
pudding?”
“Aye.” Tim started straightening the charts
on the desk. Merideth just stood, her mouth open in disbelief.
“But you said he’d skin you good. You were so
afraid to cross him. And he gave you his dessert?” She didn’t receive any bread pudding with her simple fare of
pork and potatoes last night.
“He did. And the cap’n’s one who likes his
desserts,” Tom proclaimed in all sincerity. “But the cap’n ain’t
like old Luke was. The cap’n, he ain’t the kind to go hurtin’
ye.”
Such a shadow of dread came over the young
face at the mention of Luke that Merideth moved toward the desk and
touched Tim’s arm. “Who’s this Luke?”
“Ain’t nobody important.” He shrugged off her
hand, and Merideth imagined it was more to keep her from seeing how
afraid he was than because he didn’t want her touching him.
From the open doorway Jared watched them,
Lady Merideth and the boy. He hadn’t heard what they were
discussing, but he knew he didn’t want the woman getting too close
to Tim. She may have made him laugh yesterday, but she wasn’t to be
trusted. Not with her country’s secrets. And not with Tim.
“Mr. Padriac’s looking for you, Tim.” They
both turned, and Jared thought he saw a flicker of guilt flash
across Lady Merideth’s face.
“Time for me lessons?” Tim asked, his face
contorted into a scowl.
“ ‘Past time’ would be more like it.”
“Sorry, Cap’n. I was just gettin’ a start on
yer cabin. But I weren’t helpin’ her with the laundry none,” he
added quickly.
“Didn’t think you were.” Jared jerked his
chin in the direction of the companionway. “Better get along with
you now.”
Merideth hoped the captain would follow his
young charge, but he
made me promise not to help ye none.”
“That’s all right. I’m nearly finished.”
Merideth sunk her hands into the murky rinse water. Wringing out a
white linen shirt, she took considerable pleasure in pretending it
was the captain’s neck. She brushed hair from her cheek with her
shoulder and plopped the shirt over the makeshift clothesline that
crisscrossed the cabin. She’d strung it earlier, when rope, along
with two buckets of seawater and a bar of soap, was delivered to
the cabin by a smirking sailor.
She imagined the entire crew knew of her
escapade with Tim, as well as their punishments. When Tim arrived
shortly thereafter to watch her wash the captain’s shirts, he
confirmed her speculation.
Not that she cared one way or the other.
Getting off this vessel and returning to Land’s End were all that
concerned her.
And punishing her father’s killer.
“Guess ye ain’t used to this, ye bein’ a lady
and all,” Tim mumbled as he bit into an apple.
“Actually, sometimes ladies have to do more
than you might think.” Merideth dragged another shirt through the
wash bucket.
“Ye mean ye washed clothes before?” Tim
stopped munching and looked at her wide-eyed.
“Not exactly,” Merideth admitted. “But I have
helped Belinda. She’s one of the servants.” One of the few servants
left. If indeed there were any at Banistar Hall now.
“Hmmm.” Tim seemed to ponder this as he took
another bite of his apple.
“What about you? Was your punishment so
bad?”
“Nay. Cap’n had a talk with me about how
important it was to follow orders on a ship. Me bein’ sent down to
clean up and not doin’ it was goin’ against orders, he said.
‘Tweren’t so bad this time, but durin’ a battle it could be real
dangerous.”
He quoted the captain as if it were the
Gospel. Merideth reminded him of the rest of his punishment.
“Aye, well, Cook didn’t give me any
puddin’—which I felt was right and just. But when I was cleanin’ up
the dishes cap’n said he didn’t have much of a sweet tooth tonight,
and that I could eat his if I’d a mind.”
Merideth straightened, drying her hands on
the skirt of her riding habit. “He gave you his bread
pudding?”
“Aye.” Tim started straightening the charts
on the desk. Merideth just stood, her mouth open in disbelief.
“But you said he’d skin you good. You were so
afraid to cross him. And he gave you his dessert?” She didn’t receive any bread pudding with her simple fare of
pork and potatoes last night.
“He did. And the cap’n’s one who likes his
desserts,” Tom proclaimed in all sincerity. “But the cap’n ain’t
like old Luke was. The cap’n, he ain’t the kind to go hurtin’
ye.”
Such a shadow of dread came over the young
face at the mention of Luke that Merideth moved toward the desk and
touched Tim’s arm. “Who’s this Luke?”
“Ain’t nobody important.” He shrugged off her
hand, and Merideth imagined it was more to keep her from seeing how
afraid he was than because he didn’t want her touching him.
From the open doorway Jared watched them,
Lady Merideth and the boy. He hadn’t heard what they were
discussing, but he knew he didn’t want the woman getting too close
to Tim. She may have made him laugh yesterday, but she wasn’t to be
trusted. Not with her country’s secrets. And not with Tim.
“Mr. Padriac’s looking for you, Tim.” They
both turned, and Jared thought he saw a flicker of guilt flash
across Lady Merideth’s face.
“Time for me lessons?” Tim asked, his face
contorted into a scowl.
“ ‘Past time’ would be more like it.”
“Sorry, Cap’n. I was just gettin’ a start on
yer cabin. But I weren’t helpin’ her with the laundry none,” he
added quickly.
“Didn’t think you were.” Jared jerked his
chin in the direction of the companionway. “Better get along with
you now.”
Merideth hoped the captain would follow his
young charge, but he
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