Her heart beat far too hard. Why wasn’t he searching for her? Had her plea been effective, then?
Virginia suddenly flinched as voices sounded behind her. She ducked her head, pressing against a shop door as she tried to look at the pair of men.
They were obviously sailors. As obviously, they were drunk and boisterously discussing the merits of a wench at the Boar’s Head Inn. She did not recognize either of them. But then, she could not possibly recognize all of O’Neill’s crew.
Virginia ran up to them, lowering her voice as she spoke. “Hey, mates. I’m lookin’ fer a ship to get home to London.” She hoped to mime a cockney accent. “D’ye know who’s bound that away?”
The men paused, one of them drinking from a mug. The stout one spoke. “Mystèresets sail on the first tide, boy. I heard the cap’s short his crew, too, an’ he’s takin’ anyone who can walk.”
Virginia could not believe her good luck. She beamed. “Why, thank you!”
The man suddenly shoved his face closer, peering at her. “Hey, you look familiar, boy. You been on theDefiance,sailin’ with us?”
Virginia turned and ran without answering, aware of how fortunate she was that the two sailors were so drunk. TheMystèrewas a sloop, half the size of theDefianceand berthed close by. Virginia hurried up the gangplank. Instantly the watch called out to her.
“Name’s Robbie,” she growled. “I’m looking to set sail tomorrow with ye boys if the cap’n will allow it.”
A lanky sailor came forward, shoving a torch toward her. “Cap is dinin’,” he said. “But we’re real short of men. C’mon, Rob. I’m sure he’ll speak with you.”
Virginia followed the other youth, her heart continuing to race, relieved he carried the torch while walking ahead of her.
“How old ye be?” the watchman asked.
She hesitated. “Fifteen.”
“Ye look twelve, maybe,” the lad laughed. “Don’t worry, Captain Rodrigo won’t care if yer eight. We got a few boys just out of nappies on board.”
Virginia grunted as they paused before the small cabin that was just beneath the quarterdeck. The watch knocked, was told to enter, and Virginia followed him in.
“Got a boy here, Cap, lookin’ to sail with us.”
A barrel-chested man with a gray beard and dark piercing eyes sat at a small table, apparently finishing a supper of bread, cheese, mutton and ale. He eyed Virginia, who stood as close to the door as possible. “Step forward, boy,” he said roughly. “Ye ever sailed a ship before?”
Virginia came forward, avoiding looking him in the eye. She needed to get to London, and decided there was no choice but to lie. “Aye, sir. Been at sea since I was, er, eight.”
“Really?” The ship’s captain wiped his hands on his thighs, then belched. “Which ships?”
Virginia felt herself pale. Then a brilliant idea came to her and she said, “TheAmericana,Cap.”
“Never heard of it.”
“We were seized by theDefiance,sir. Just a few days ago. TheAmericanais probably at the bottom of the sea right now—she’d never have had the sail to outrun the gale that hit us. I was lucky enough to be taken aboard theDefiance,” she said, and she smiled at him.
“An’ why jump ship?” Rodrigo stared far too closely at her. “Most of my men would give an arm to sail with O’Neill.”
Virginia hesitated. “Not me, sir. He likes boys, if you know what I mean, Cap.”
The captain’s broad face never changed expression. “O’Neill’s reputation for fine women is well-known. Seize her, Carlos.”
Seize her, Carlos.
Seize her.
Virginia whirled as the lanky youth, Carlos, reached for her. She ducked under his arm easily enough and bolted out the door.
“Get the girl,” Rodrigo shouted. “She’s O’Neill’s fiancée, goddamn it, and there’s a pretty reward for her return!”
It all clicked then, as she raced across the deck. O’Neill had not bothered to search for her, knowing she would try to find a ship to London. She hated him then as she ran toward the gangplank.
