had seen us chatting. I remembered well Lizzy's report that Captain Morrow usually held himself aloof from the prisoners and wondered why he had chosen to speak to me.
“I trust you are not considering a swim ,” he said with a charming humor. “We are well under sail and I fear you would be lost to the winds if you were to hurl yourself from the vessel.”
I assured Morrow that I was not contemplating such a move and I must confess that I smiled yet again, and perhaps a little wider than his humor really required.
There was little time to bask in the handsome captain's presence however, for Roake had emerged from below and was approaching the spot where we stood with a good measure of haste. I was still holding fast to the railing for the sea had grown increasingly choppy even in the short time I had been on deck, but he had admirable sea legs and moved with the rise and fall of the boat as if it were solid ground.
Though he had been pleasant enough when he dismissed me to take exercise, Master Roake no longer appeared to be in good temper. As he drew nearer he gave me a look of pure displeasure that quailed me in spite of the fact that I knew very well I had done no wrong. “You should be walking about the ship, Miss Wilde,” he instructed me. “Stretch your limbs and take the air in motion please.”
I glanced towards Morrow to see if he might object, but the captain merely chuckled and waved me on my way. Once I had moved out of earshot I saw that the two men became engaged in quite an animated conversation. I sensed that it had something to do with me, and it made me rather uncomfortable – as did the curious glances from some of the sailors who then expressed uncouth opinions regarding my person to one another.
Within a few minutes exercising alone had lost its charms. I would have gladly been lumped in with the others; my separation from their ranks was already causing me no small measure of grief. Some were accusing me of being Roake's favorite, though the evidence to the contrary was striped across my hindquarters. If they were to find out that I had a private audience with Captain Morrow, no matter how brief, their jealousies would no doubt rise against me.
Making my way across to the other side of the ship with an unsteady gait I once more took hold of the railing. Being at sea took quite some time to acclimate to, though some of our number were doing better than others. Poor Lizzy had been sick almost every morning since we left port, and her nausea was increasing by the day.
My stomach was a little more robust, I had not experienced any upset below decks and the vicious predictions that I would soon feel ill when I saw nothing but ocean and sky proved to be false. As I looked out over the sea I came to quite enjoy the rise and fall of the ship and forgot about my problems with the other prisoners. We were moving at quite a pace and I leaned slightly over the railing to watch as the timbers moved through the water, little waves buffeting the ship at her stern and behind us a low frothing wake trailing out into the deep gray blue beyond.
I was startled when a hand grasped low on my dress and tugged me firmly back onto the deck. I had not realized it until that moment, but my feet had begun to dangle as I leaned out trying to get a better look at what lay under the sprinting water. “Miss Wilde! You will abstain from leaning on, bending over or leaping off the railing for the duration of the journey, have I made myself clear?” Roake's deep graveled tones rasped near my ear as he held me in place and scolded me before all on the ship.
Squirming out of his grasp, I turned to defend myself. “I was just...”
He held up a hand, cutting my objection off. “If I see you over the railing again, it will be the worse for you, understand me?”
“Very well, Master Roake,” I demurred. There was no sense in arguing with the man; he held ultimate authority after all.
Morrow happened to wander past at
“I trust you are not considering a swim ,” he said with a charming humor. “We are well under sail and I fear you would be lost to the winds if you were to hurl yourself from the vessel.”
I assured Morrow that I was not contemplating such a move and I must confess that I smiled yet again, and perhaps a little wider than his humor really required.
There was little time to bask in the handsome captain's presence however, for Roake had emerged from below and was approaching the spot where we stood with a good measure of haste. I was still holding fast to the railing for the sea had grown increasingly choppy even in the short time I had been on deck, but he had admirable sea legs and moved with the rise and fall of the boat as if it were solid ground.
Though he had been pleasant enough when he dismissed me to take exercise, Master Roake no longer appeared to be in good temper. As he drew nearer he gave me a look of pure displeasure that quailed me in spite of the fact that I knew very well I had done no wrong. “You should be walking about the ship, Miss Wilde,” he instructed me. “Stretch your limbs and take the air in motion please.”
I glanced towards Morrow to see if he might object, but the captain merely chuckled and waved me on my way. Once I had moved out of earshot I saw that the two men became engaged in quite an animated conversation. I sensed that it had something to do with me, and it made me rather uncomfortable – as did the curious glances from some of the sailors who then expressed uncouth opinions regarding my person to one another.
Within a few minutes exercising alone had lost its charms. I would have gladly been lumped in with the others; my separation from their ranks was already causing me no small measure of grief. Some were accusing me of being Roake's favorite, though the evidence to the contrary was striped across my hindquarters. If they were to find out that I had a private audience with Captain Morrow, no matter how brief, their jealousies would no doubt rise against me.
Making my way across to the other side of the ship with an unsteady gait I once more took hold of the railing. Being at sea took quite some time to acclimate to, though some of our number were doing better than others. Poor Lizzy had been sick almost every morning since we left port, and her nausea was increasing by the day.
My stomach was a little more robust, I had not experienced any upset below decks and the vicious predictions that I would soon feel ill when I saw nothing but ocean and sky proved to be false. As I looked out over the sea I came to quite enjoy the rise and fall of the ship and forgot about my problems with the other prisoners. We were moving at quite a pace and I leaned slightly over the railing to watch as the timbers moved through the water, little waves buffeting the ship at her stern and behind us a low frothing wake trailing out into the deep gray blue beyond.
I was startled when a hand grasped low on my dress and tugged me firmly back onto the deck. I had not realized it until that moment, but my feet had begun to dangle as I leaned out trying to get a better look at what lay under the sprinting water. “Miss Wilde! You will abstain from leaning on, bending over or leaping off the railing for the duration of the journey, have I made myself clear?” Roake's deep graveled tones rasped near my ear as he held me in place and scolded me before all on the ship.
Squirming out of his grasp, I turned to defend myself. “I was just...”
He held up a hand, cutting my objection off. “If I see you over the railing again, it will be the worse for you, understand me?”
“Very well, Master Roake,” I demurred. There was no sense in arguing with the man; he held ultimate authority after all.
Morrow happened to wander past at
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