scoop Julie quickly to her feet, and she sagged gratefully against him as he wrapped his arms about her to hide her nakedness.
“Take her to her cabin,” Edsel ordered. “Make sure she’s all right. Watson, help me get this bastard below. We’ll put him in chains. I’ve a feeling this time his neck will stretch, for sure.”
Julie kept her face pressed against Floyd Justice’s chest as he helped her away from the scene. “Would you like for me to carry you?” he asked worriedly.
She murmured feebly that she could walk. She felt so foolish, so embarrassed. A few more seconds and Shad would have succeeded in ravishing her. Only by struggling with every ounce of strength she could muster, twisting her hips from side to side as he tried to penetrate, had she been saved from his full assault. Shuddering, she thought how terrible it had been, and how much worse it would have been had the officers not arrived when they did. And it was so humiliating for everyone to have seen her that way—naked…exposed…vulnerable…
Floyd felt her trembling and patted her awkwardly as they reached the steps leading below. “It’s going to be all right,” he tried to comfort her. “It’s over. I just hope you aren’t hurt.”
Just as they were about to descend, the outraged bellow came, splitting the heavens with its vociferousness. They turned to see Shad struggling against Edsel and Grover as they held him between them.
“I’m gonna get you!” he screamed at Julie. “You wanted me! I know you did! You led me on, you little trollop. I’ll fix you good…”
And then he turned his face upward, in a direction beyond Julie’s view, and he bellowed once again: “I’ll get you too, you son of a bitch. I’ll see you dead! Goddamn you, Ironheart…”
Then he slumped forward, making a grunting sound, and hung limply between the two officers. Julie knew one of them must have silenced his tirade. Her body quivering, she allowed Floyd to help her on down the steps, thankful to depart the scene.
Just as they reached the door to her cabin, the one opposite swung open. Her mother stood there, clutching her robe to her throat, mouth agape. “Oh, dear God!” she whispered, swaying, reaching out to steady herself against the door facing her. “Julie, what has happened?…”
Floyd helped Julie inside the cabin, where she slumped gratefully down to the bed. Her mother hovered nearby, demanding to know what was going on.
When he had covered Julie with a blanket, Floyd turned to her mother and told her as gently as possible about Shad’s attack.
“I’m all right, Mother.” Julie was surprised at the calmness with which she could speak. “He didn’t succeed with what he was trying to do. The officers got there in time.”
Her mother sat down and put her arms around Julie. “But what were you doing up on deck? You said you were going to bed a long while ago.”
Wearily, she shook her head and sank back on the pillow. “It doesn’t matter now. It’s over. I just don’t want to think about it anymore.”
Closing her eyes, she tried to shut out the sounds of Mr. Justice telling her mother what little he knew of the incident, and that Shad Harky was being placed in chains. “There’s no telling what the captain will do to him now. Mr. Garris says he’ll probably hang.”
Julie didn’t want to think about that possibility, either. She just wished none of it had happened. And why did Shad Harky accuse her of leading him on? Because she had not turned away in horror and disgust when she first saw his scarred face? The man must be mad. But then, she never should have gone on deck. It had all seemed so harmless at first, so pleasant. The quiet of the night, the singing…
There was a soft rap on the door, and Floyd opened it and murmured, “Oh, Jenkins, it’s you.”
Julie opened one eye and saw a disheveled crewman standing just inside the cabin, looking quite uncomfortable as he explained to Officer Justice that
“Take her to her cabin,” Edsel ordered. “Make sure she’s all right. Watson, help me get this bastard below. We’ll put him in chains. I’ve a feeling this time his neck will stretch, for sure.”
Julie kept her face pressed against Floyd Justice’s chest as he helped her away from the scene. “Would you like for me to carry you?” he asked worriedly.
She murmured feebly that she could walk. She felt so foolish, so embarrassed. A few more seconds and Shad would have succeeded in ravishing her. Only by struggling with every ounce of strength she could muster, twisting her hips from side to side as he tried to penetrate, had she been saved from his full assault. Shuddering, she thought how terrible it had been, and how much worse it would have been had the officers not arrived when they did. And it was so humiliating for everyone to have seen her that way—naked…exposed…vulnerable…
Floyd felt her trembling and patted her awkwardly as they reached the steps leading below. “It’s going to be all right,” he tried to comfort her. “It’s over. I just hope you aren’t hurt.”
Just as they were about to descend, the outraged bellow came, splitting the heavens with its vociferousness. They turned to see Shad struggling against Edsel and Grover as they held him between them.
“I’m gonna get you!” he screamed at Julie. “You wanted me! I know you did! You led me on, you little trollop. I’ll fix you good…”
And then he turned his face upward, in a direction beyond Julie’s view, and he bellowed once again: “I’ll get you too, you son of a bitch. I’ll see you dead! Goddamn you, Ironheart…”
Then he slumped forward, making a grunting sound, and hung limply between the two officers. Julie knew one of them must have silenced his tirade. Her body quivering, she allowed Floyd to help her on down the steps, thankful to depart the scene.
Just as they reached the door to her cabin, the one opposite swung open. Her mother stood there, clutching her robe to her throat, mouth agape. “Oh, dear God!” she whispered, swaying, reaching out to steady herself against the door facing her. “Julie, what has happened?…”
Floyd helped Julie inside the cabin, where she slumped gratefully down to the bed. Her mother hovered nearby, demanding to know what was going on.
When he had covered Julie with a blanket, Floyd turned to her mother and told her as gently as possible about Shad’s attack.
“I’m all right, Mother.” Julie was surprised at the calmness with which she could speak. “He didn’t succeed with what he was trying to do. The officers got there in time.”
Her mother sat down and put her arms around Julie. “But what were you doing up on deck? You said you were going to bed a long while ago.”
Wearily, she shook her head and sank back on the pillow. “It doesn’t matter now. It’s over. I just don’t want to think about it anymore.”
Closing her eyes, she tried to shut out the sounds of Mr. Justice telling her mother what little he knew of the incident, and that Shad Harky was being placed in chains. “There’s no telling what the captain will do to him now. Mr. Garris says he’ll probably hang.”
Julie didn’t want to think about that possibility, either. She just wished none of it had happened. And why did Shad Harky accuse her of leading him on? Because she had not turned away in horror and disgust when she first saw his scarred face? The man must be mad. But then, she never should have gone on deck. It had all seemed so harmless at first, so pleasant. The quiet of the night, the singing…
There was a soft rap on the door, and Floyd opened it and murmured, “Oh, Jenkins, it’s you.”
Julie opened one eye and saw a disheveled crewman standing just inside the cabin, looking quite uncomfortable as he explained to Officer Justice that
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