His eyes narrowed. “Dare I ask?”
“I am surprised you know about libraries.”
When he growled, she knew they were in for yet another row. However, a familiar voice stifled the budding conflict.
“Mrs. Byrd. Miss Hancock. Mr. Ashford.”
They turned to find Mr. Barlow approaching alongside a stranger who appeared to be constructed of leather stretched over powder kegs.
“Mr. Barlow,” Jane greeted him.
Barlow motioned to his companion. “This is Mr. Pugh of theWayfarerdocked just there.”
Jane peered at Mr. Pugh. He eyed her as if he’d just scraped her off his boot. She gulped. “Is theWayfarerour means of passage north?”
“Indeed. It belongs to a client who owes me a small fortune in unpaid legal fees. In consideration for an extension, he granted me this small favor.”
“Is Mr. Pugh our steward, then?”
Barlow laughed. “No, ma’am. You misunderstand. The favor is not free. You are not a passenger on this vessel, but rather a hand. As Mr. Pugh is bosun of theWayfarer, he is your lord and master for the duration of the voyage.”
Jane glanced at the bosun to find him glaring with annoyance. His patience seemed stretched as tight as his leathery skin.
“We are to perform physical labor?” Her question burst forth with more hostility than she had hoped.
“Well, yes.” Barlow seemed hurt by her animus. “You said you wished to save time and money. If you work, passage and meals are free, and we will arrive at Newcastle in two days. Little time, no money.”
Jane breathed deeply and offered a reassuring nod to Aunt Hester. This was not what they had expected, but neither were they strangers to menial work. “What tasks will be required of us, Mr. Pugh?”
“Whatever I ask of you, short of murder.” His gravel voice reverberated with irritation.
“However,” said Barlow, “if you find this arrangement unacceptable, I will cancel it and let Mr. Ashford book passage.”
She shook her head, knowing the steep cost of the alternative. “That will not be necessary. Aunt Hester and I will strive to be of use. Although I fear for Mr. Ashford’s gentle hands, unaccustomed as he is to manual labor.”
Ashford folded his arms. “You need not fear for me, Miss Hancock. You should concern yourself instead with the voyage ahead, as you will be casting up your accounts in no time.”
She glared at him coolly. “I never vomit, sir.”
“No? Are you above such human frailties, then?”
“I merely possess a highly resilient stomach.”
His features grew a wicked grin. “I can hardly wait for this.”
Aunt Hester stepped between them and addressed the solicitor. “Mr. Barlow. Speaking of gentility, I find it surprising that a man of your station would stoop to physical labor in exchange for passage.”
He laughed again. “Now you misunderstand. I paid for my berth. I am a passenger, not a hand.”
Ashford frowned. “As I am funding the rest of us, perhaps I should pay for a berth as well.”
Jane’s hands instinctively found her hips as she shot him a scathing glare that would have burned a lesser man to the ground. He winced visibly, and his nostrils flared. Having apparently received her message, he looked to Barlow.
“However, it might be more prudent to work and save the money for later.”
“More prudent, yes,” said Barlow with a glance toward Jane, “and less dangerous to your health.”
Mr. Pugh literally stepped into the middle of the conversation. “I’ve a mind to endanger the health of the lot of you if you don’t stop gabbin’. Follow me before I toss your pampered hides into the Thames.”
