The kind doctor looked wary.
I began to clear the table as Timothy, Hawk, and Jack left, though Marcus lingered.
“You may leave,” the captain said to Marcus.
“I can help Carl clear—”
“Leave!” the captain bellowed.
Marcus frowned and tossed me a concerned glance, but he nodded and then stepped out of the cabin.
I tried to clear the table as quickly as I could, wanting to stay small and inconspicuous. It wasn’t uncommon for me to remainbehind and finish my work, though the captain usually left with the other men.
“What seems to be the trouble this time?” Dr. Hartville asked the captain with a sigh.
The captain stood close to the table, his arms crossed, as he stared at me. “’Tis not me that needs assistance,” he said. “’Tis Carl.”
I paused, holding my breath.
“He has recovered nicely from the diving sickness,” the doctor said. “I haven’t heard him complain once about another ailment.”
“’Tis not an ailment,” the captain said. “’Tis a question that has been plaguing me this past week.”
The doctor and I waited as my hands began to tremble. I set down the dirty dishes I had been holding, so they wouldn’t rattle.
“What question is that, Captain?” Dr. Hartville asked.
“Whether Carl is a boy or a girl. I suppose I could have checked myself, but I thought a professional would be best suited to the task.”
Sweat broke out on my brow as I started to back toward the door—but where would I go on a ship?
Dr. Hartville knew the answer to the question, though he said nothing as the captain continued to stare at me.
“Does the doctor need to examine you, Carl?” Captain Zale asked. “Or are you willing to tell the truth?”
I felt like a cornered animal with nowhere to run. I couldn’t endure the humiliation of an examination, but I didn’t want to admit the truth, either. Not this close to Boston and the answers I needed. If only Marcus had stayed. He could step in and save me from answering.
The captain and doctor watched me. Dr. Hartville lifted a shoulder, as if he was telling me to give in.
“Dr. Hartville,” Captain Zale said, “it appears that Carl wants to be examined. Proceed.”
“No!” I put out my hand, realizing I had no other choice but to tell him the truth. “I am a woman.”
The captain’s lips curled up in a satisfied smile. “As I thought. Dr. Hartville, you may leave us.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want the doctor to leave, but he didn’t have a choice, either. He slipped out of the room without a moment’s hesitation.
“I’ve been watching you closely since Ned left.” He took a step closer to me, and I backed up. “I started to notice the secret looks you and Marcus gave each other. The subtle touches and the early nights when he went back to his cabin. It all started to make sense.”
Where was Marcus now? Had Dr. Hartville alerted him?
“How long has Marcus known?” the captain asked.
I licked my dry lips, trying to decide what to say. Would Marcus be in trouble if I told the captain that Marcus had known almost from the start? I opened my mouth to respond when the door opened, and Marcus strode in.
The captain turned at the arrival, giving me the opportunity to move around him and get out of the corner.
Marcus reached for my hand, and I took it, relief flooding through me.
