Page 57 of Mardon

“I told you,” said Mardon, looking back at Emmaline. “My grandmother is too ornery to die.”

* * *

Once they were back on the ship, Mardon put one arm around Emmaline and the other around Nairnie, giving them both a quick squeeze. “Stitch, take us the hell out of here,” Mardon commanded. No one said much. The entire crew watched in silence as the French ship disappeared under the water and the shuttle boats with the survivors made their way to the shore of France. The crew of the Poseidon was watching as well.

“Look, there’s that girl again aboard the Poseidon,” said Aaron, nodding toward Nereus’ ship. “I wonder who she is and why she’s there.”

“I don’t know,” said Mardon. “But because of her, Nereus agreed to our deal and didn’t give us trouble aboard the ship.”

“We managed to get some booty, Cap’n,” interrupted Goldtooth, nodding to the pile of barrels and trunks they were able to steal before the ship went down. “The men are anxious for their shares of the plunder.”

“Aaron is quartermaster and he will handle that,” said Mardon. “But since it was from Lady Emmaline’s ship, she will be first to claim what she wants.”

“Lady Emmaline?” asked one of the men.

“I thought she was a nun,” said another.

“Nay, I’m not a nun,” admitted Emmaline, looking up at Mardon. “May I explain?”

“Go ahead,” he answered.

Emmaline looked out at all the eyes of the crew staring at her, and decided she wanted to tell them the truth. She no longer wanted to lie. Releasing a deep breath, she looked only at Mardon when she told them.

“I was married to an evil Frenchman who whipped me and treated me horribly. He just . . . died on the ship.” Her body stiffened when she said this. Reality came crashing down around her. Her husband was dead, the evil bastard, and for that she was thankful. But now, she realized that even though Mardon stabbed the man with his sword, it was she who initially killed him by throwing her dagger. A shiver went up her spine. The thought of it all made her stomach clench.

“Then why were ye dressed like a nun?” asked Coop.

“Because I came back to England and my family put me in a nunnery. But I escaped.”

“Why did they put ye there?” asked Ramble. “And why did ye want to escape?”

Now, she really felt ill. In order to explain all this, she’d have to tell them that she was the woman in the naked painting. And once she did, they would all know what she looked like under her clothes. Just the thought already made her feel violated.

“She was a widow, that’s why,” said Mardon. “And she left the nunnery because she was trying to get home to her ill father.”

“Yes, that’s right.” She flashed him a smile for stepping in to help him.

“Well, now that yer bastard of a husband is gone, I suppose we’ll be droppin’ ye off with yer father,” said Goldtooth.

“My father is dead,” she said silently, feeling the loss of him now more than ever. “I can’t go back to his manor because my stepmother is there and I know she poisoned him.”

Everyone remained silent. Finally, Ramble spoke up. “Well, where will ye go, Lady Emmaline? Back to France? Or will ye stay in England? After all, ye have to go somewhere.”

“I – I don’t know,” she said, feeling cold, hungry and tired. She really hadn’t thought of this until now. The idea that she was homeless and had no other living family except her stepmother was a frightening thought, indeed.

“Lady Emmaline will stay right here on the Falcon. With us,” said Nairnie, wringing out her wet skirt.

“Here?” asked one man.

“With us?” asked another.

“Wenches aboard a ship are bad luck,” called out one more. The men were becoming agitated quickly.

“I think it’s time to split up the booty,” said Aaron, stepping in to help change the conversation.

“Emmaline?” asked Mardon. “Do you want to take first look?”

“Nay,” she said, shaking her head.