breasts. I felt warm and secure, loving
his salty, sweaty smell, his large, muscular body. I had grown quite fond of
him, and I hated to think that I would soon lose my protector. Jack sighed,
wrapping his strong arms around me, pulling me closer against his sturdy frame.
"We'll
be landin' today," he said. "I reckon it'll be sometime this
afternoon—early on, I figure. Should be able to see th' shore soon as it gets
light enough."
"I—I
hate to think about it," I confessed.
"You've
grown kinda fond-a Jack, ain't-ja?"
"Of
course I have."
"Makes
me feel right proud. I've 'ad my share of women, but I ain't never 'ad one like
you, wench. Strange, ain't it, us meetin' like this? I reckon you wouldn't give
me a second look under normal circumstances. No, you'd be a 'igh 'n' mighty
lady, much too good to even speak to th' likes-a me."
"That—that
isn't so," I lied.
"Aw,
no sense pretendin'. I've been bloody lucky an' I know it. Crude chap like
me—gettin' to 'ave a wench like you. It's a bloody miracle. All my mates're
green with envy. Ol' Jack really landed in a pot o' jam this time, they say.
Not one of 'em wouldn't give every-thin' they 'ave to be in my boots right
now."
"They
never betrayed us."
"Naw,
they wouldn't. Wouldn't dare. Know I'd 'ave their 'ide if they so much as 'inted
to any of th' officers what was goin' on. I could beat any man jack of 'em to a
pulp an' they know it. They're good chaps, though, my mates. They wouldn't-a
told even if they wasn't afraid o' my fists."
"The
stars are almost gone," I said quietly.
"Yeah,
in just a few minutes th' sky's gonna turn all pink an' gold an' orange. I'll
'ave to be gettin' about my duties. I reckon we won't 'ave a chance to see each
other again."
"I
suppose we won't, "I said in a sad voice.
"No
use bein' grim about it," he replied. "We still 'ave time for one
more round. Come on, lass, let's say goodbye to each other in th' best possible
way."
Later,
Jack rolled off me and climbed to his feet, buttoning his breeches and
fastening his belt. Reaching for his jersey, he pulled it over his head. The
cloth strained and stretched across his powerful shoulders and chest. Shoving
the damp blond locks from his brow, he stared out across the railing. The stars
were gone. The sky was a faint, misty gray with a barely perceptible touch of pink.
The ship rocked. I could hear waves sloshing against the hull, hear the creak
and groan of wood. I sat up and adjusted the bodice of my dress, feeling sleepy
and satisfied and extremely sad. This man had come to mean a lot to me. I might
very well owe him my life.
Jack
turned to look at me. His expression was grim.
"Don't
you fret none, lass. I know what you're thinkin'—you're thinkin' of what's to
come. It's gonna be rough, no doubt about that, but you're gonna make it.
You're gonna come through it all with flyin' colors. You got strength an' you
got character, an' nothin' is gonna hold you back for long."
"I—I
wish I weren't so frightened. They're going to auction us off like—like African
slaves. We're going to be sold to the highest bidders. I—I've tried not to
think about it, but—"
"I
know, lass. I ain't never 'ad much ambition, ain't never 'ad any desire to be a
rich man, but this is one time I wish I 'ad me a whole stack of gold. If I 'ad,
I'd jump ship soon as we land. I'd go to that auction an' buy you myself. We'd
set out across America together, regular pioneers we'd be. We'd love and we'd
fight an' even though I'd set yuh free, you wouldn't want your freedom. You
wouldn't want nothin' but Jack Reed—night 'n' day."
"If
only it could be that way."
"Take
'eart, lass. A wench looks like you, 'as such a fine education an' all, she's
gonna fetch th' 'ighest price goin'. Anyone who 'as enough gold to pay for you
is bloody well gonna 'ave enough sense to take good care of 'is
investment."
Catching
hold of the lifeboat, I pulled myself to my feet. The ship rocked precariously,
and I stumbled. Jack caught me,
his salty, sweaty smell, his large, muscular body. I had grown quite fond of
him, and I hated to think that I would soon lose my protector. Jack sighed,
wrapping his strong arms around me, pulling me closer against his sturdy frame.
"We'll
be landin' today," he said. "I reckon it'll be sometime this
afternoon—early on, I figure. Should be able to see th' shore soon as it gets
light enough."
"I—I
hate to think about it," I confessed.
"You've
grown kinda fond-a Jack, ain't-ja?"
"Of
course I have."
"Makes
me feel right proud. I've 'ad my share of women, but I ain't never 'ad one like
you, wench. Strange, ain't it, us meetin' like this? I reckon you wouldn't give
me a second look under normal circumstances. No, you'd be a 'igh 'n' mighty
lady, much too good to even speak to th' likes-a me."
"That—that
isn't so," I lied.
"Aw,
no sense pretendin'. I've been bloody lucky an' I know it. Crude chap like
me—gettin' to 'ave a wench like you. It's a bloody miracle. All my mates're
green with envy. Ol' Jack really landed in a pot o' jam this time, they say.
Not one of 'em wouldn't give every-thin' they 'ave to be in my boots right
now."
"They
never betrayed us."
"Naw,
they wouldn't. Wouldn't dare. Know I'd 'ave their 'ide if they so much as 'inted
to any of th' officers what was goin' on. I could beat any man jack of 'em to a
pulp an' they know it. They're good chaps, though, my mates. They wouldn't-a
told even if they wasn't afraid o' my fists."
"The
stars are almost gone," I said quietly.
"Yeah,
in just a few minutes th' sky's gonna turn all pink an' gold an' orange. I'll
'ave to be gettin' about my duties. I reckon we won't 'ave a chance to see each
other again."
"I
suppose we won't, "I said in a sad voice.
"No
use bein' grim about it," he replied. "We still 'ave time for one
more round. Come on, lass, let's say goodbye to each other in th' best possible
way."
Later,
Jack rolled off me and climbed to his feet, buttoning his breeches and
fastening his belt. Reaching for his jersey, he pulled it over his head. The
cloth strained and stretched across his powerful shoulders and chest. Shoving
the damp blond locks from his brow, he stared out across the railing. The stars
were gone. The sky was a faint, misty gray with a barely perceptible touch of pink.
The ship rocked. I could hear waves sloshing against the hull, hear the creak
and groan of wood. I sat up and adjusted the bodice of my dress, feeling sleepy
and satisfied and extremely sad. This man had come to mean a lot to me. I might
very well owe him my life.
Jack
turned to look at me. His expression was grim.
"Don't
you fret none, lass. I know what you're thinkin'—you're thinkin' of what's to
come. It's gonna be rough, no doubt about that, but you're gonna make it.
You're gonna come through it all with flyin' colors. You got strength an' you
got character, an' nothin' is gonna hold you back for long."
"I—I
wish I weren't so frightened. They're going to auction us off like—like African
slaves. We're going to be sold to the highest bidders. I—I've tried not to
think about it, but—"
"I
know, lass. I ain't never 'ad much ambition, ain't never 'ad any desire to be a
rich man, but this is one time I wish I 'ad me a whole stack of gold. If I 'ad,
I'd jump ship soon as we land. I'd go to that auction an' buy you myself. We'd
set out across America together, regular pioneers we'd be. We'd love and we'd
fight an' even though I'd set yuh free, you wouldn't want your freedom. You
wouldn't want nothin' but Jack Reed—night 'n' day."
"If
only it could be that way."
"Take
'eart, lass. A wench looks like you, 'as such a fine education an' all, she's
gonna fetch th' 'ighest price goin'. Anyone who 'as enough gold to pay for you
is bloody well gonna 'ave enough sense to take good care of 'is
investment."
Catching
hold of the lifeboat, I pulled myself to my feet. The ship rocked precariously,
and I stumbled. Jack caught me,
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