“Mebbe. But I ne’er seen him order the crew’s hands off any female before. An’ aye, he’s had women on board more’an once.”
So hedidcare if she were harmed. She shook off the spark of hope that rose at Charlie’s words. “As I said, he wants me for something.”
One of Charlie’s brows arched as she scanned Emeline’s breeches, shirt, and waistcoat. “The garb suits you, Miss. We may make a pirate out o’ you yet.”
Chuckling, Emeline balanced her shoes on the heaving deck. “No offense, but I don’t wish to spend my life in thievery.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing. But very well. Your dress is dry. I’ll bring it t’ your cabin later.”
“Thank you.” TheSummonsdipped into a trough, sending foamy spray over them. A familiar sensation, a good one. Emeline wiped her face. “Do you know where we are heading?”
“Aye. The captain’s island.”
“He has an island?” Emeline asked, baffled. Of course the pompous pirate would have his own island.
“You’ll see,” Charlie responded, leaning forward on the railing.
Emeline longed to keep the woman talking. ’Twas nice to have female company. “How did you become one of the best master gunners in all the West Indies?”
“One of? You meanthebest.” Winking, Charlie flung her long hair behind her.
“Your confidence does you great credit, Charlie.” A quality Emeline sorely lacked. Her father and mother always told her she was special with unique talents, but they could never voice precisely what those talents were.
“A fearless certainty in my skills along wit’ a cocksure attitude is the only thing these thieving toads respect.” Charlie’s eyes snapped to Maston across the deck, shouting orders to topmen. “It is the only way a woman can earn wealth wit’out a man’s help.”
Emeline thought of Delphine and wondered how she fared. “Surely you weren’t always this confident.”
Charlie stared over the sea for several moments.“Believe it or not, I used to be a decent woman raised by good parents. My father were a blacksmith. I were taught that if I behaved an’ married well, I’d be happy an’ fulfill my place in society.” She blew out a snort.
Wind blasted over them as the captain’s shouts to trim sheets bellowed across the deck. Still Emeline waited for Charlie to continue, not wanting to press her.
“I learned the hard way that life don’t always work out like we plan. In the end, I’d much rather be a master gunner than some man’s subservient wife.”
Emeline pondered her words. In her family, she’d seen naught but happy marriages with love and respect flowing equally between husband and wife. Still, she wasn’t naïve enough to believe that all marriages were so.
Sails flapped and thundered as theSummonstacked slightly to starboard.
“Truth is,” Charlie continued, “I dressed like a man an’ joined a merchant ship pretending t’ be a lad. The master gunner took me under his wing, treated me like a son, an’ taught me everything I know. I kept getting better an’ better. We was captured by a pirate, an’ I were given a choice t’ join or walk the plank. I joined.”
Emeline stared at her friend, amazed. “They still didn’t discover you were a woman?”
“No. Stupid blokes.” She chuckled.
“Then when the master gunner got cut in half by a Royal Navy twenty pounder, I was put in charge. The captain liked what he saw an’ made me master gunner in his place.”
“Captain Keene?”
“No,a different captain, though he had a bit of gentleman in him.” Sorrow tugged on her features, andEmeline knew deep inside that this pirate captain had treated Charlie cruelly.
“What happened?”
“Nothin’. I escaped while at port an’ a year later joined up wit’ Captain Keene.”
“I’m sorry that captain mistreated you.” She laid a hand atop Charlie’s, but the master gunner jerked away, her eyebrows colliding.
“How do you…?” Anger sparked in her eyes. “You proper ladies think you know what it’s like for the rest o’ us women. I have work t’ do.” Shaking her head, she marched away, leaving Emeline baffled as to what she’d said that upset her.
b
