“Naw, she doesn’t need to cheat. The girl’s a natural. Never seen her lose except to her pappy. Of course, he’s the one who taught her how to play…and how to cheat,” Old Tom chimed in.
It was the most the man had spoken in the past ten days. Jack shifted his attention back to Miss Jamieson. She sat perfectly at ease in the galley, surrounded by a bunch of sailors, and beating them handily at cribbage.
“Good evening, Captain,” she said. “Hungry?”
“Um, yes, I missed dinner.”
“I’ll get something put together right quick for you, sir.” Cooke jumped up at once.
“Well, gentlemen, that’s my cue to leave. I must get abed.” Miss Jamieson stood and gave a quick curtsy.
“Wait, I’ll walk you back to your cabin. Cooke, send Johnny with the food to my cabin.” Jack ushered her through the door then swept the room with a disapproving look. He hoped it expressed what he thought of them inviting a young lady to spend the evening gambling with them in the galley.
Jack followed Miss Jamieson from where the galley lay in the bow of the ship past the stalls which held barrels filled with food staples, and fresh water. As they passed the cages of live chickens, he could hear the rustling of feathers as the light from his lantern disturbed their sleep. Miss Jamieson made soothing, shushing noises and the birds settled down.
“The ladder is twenty feet ahead, to the right.” He directed.
“I know.”
She didn’t have any trouble navigating through the maze of hammocks as they passed through the crew bunks. At the end of the row, she turned to the right and began to climb the ladder.
“Miss Jamieson, I think it would be wise if you would stick to the upper decks and the companionship of Miss Beaumont in the future.” He held his light high so the ladder’s rungs were well illuminated.
Miss Jamieson paused halfway to stare down at him. “Why?”
She began to climb again, and he scaled the ladder behind her, admiring the view of her trouser-clad legs. “Because you are an attractive woman and your safety is my duty on this journey.”
“Don’t be silly. Tom would never let anything happen to me.”
As he gained the landing, Miss Jamieson look amused. He moved closer to her, purposely crowding her against the wall. “And where is he now?”
She smelled of lavender and seawater. Why that would be so intoxicating, he didn’t know, but he found he could not step back. Instead, he bent down to speak softly in her ear, “Who will stop me from taking liberties in this dark hallway?” He felt her quick intake of breath. Trailing a hand down her arm, he took hold of her wrist and pinned it behind her back.
Her other hand pushed against his chest as she panicked. Perhaps now she would realize that on a ship full of sailors, bad things could happen. His crew was a good lot, and knew not to cross their captain but still she needed to be cautious. He leaned back to look down at her face but found she didn’t look frightened at all. Eyebrows raised, the corner of her mouth turned up in a half smile.
“Captain, if you are trying to teach me some sort of lesson, you have miscalculated. Did you not just say my safety was your duty?” Her hand gave the front of his jacket a little pat.
He dropped her wrist and took a step back. Damn it, he had just said that. She grinned up at him, and he found himself returning her smile. Taking her elbow, he escorted her down the hallway to her cabin.
In a last attempt to drive his point home he asked, “Wouldn’t Miss Wilmma-hoo find playing cards with a bunch of sailors to be unseemly?”
They came to a stop outside her cabin door. “Well, I am not in London yet. So I will take my amusements where I can have them. Goodnight, Captain.” Turning the knob, she disappeared inside.
Chapter Five
Several days later, Jack strode on deck after a meeting with his carpenter. He came to stand by Smith. His gaze swept the ship, seeking a head of pale blond curls.
“Status?” he asked.
“We are making excellent headway, sir. The winds have been in our favor for this first leg. All is clear as we head up the coast of the Carolinas. We will head due east by tomorrow or the next day at the latest,” Smith replied.
Jack scanned again, but could not find the ladies on their mid-morning walk. “Have you seen our guests this morning?”
“No, sir, but word is Miss Beaumont is not feeling well and is still abed.”
“All right, carry on.” Jack headed down the stairs from the helm, checking the progress of the sail mending, making sure the yards of rope were correctly coiled and at the ready. He stopped to chat with Kelly and check on supplies. Still he saw no sign of Miss Jamieson. He caught hold of young Johnny’s arm as the boy scurried past.
“Johnny, have you seen Miss Jamieson this morning?”
