“Likely in a few weeks, Miss.”
“Thank you.” I turned back to the shopkeeper. “I’m certain I could have twenty made for you then, with a variety of different shells. But I’d best buy a new roll of this velvet ribbon, please.”
As we walked back to the ship with Larry carrying a pile of wrapped packages, I suddenly felt guilty. “Do you think the Captain would mind me spending his money on ribbon to make things for a shop? Should I have asked his permission first?”
Larry laughed, his rumbling chuckle making the dockworkers we passed laugh with him for no reason. “Aye, my pappy used to say ‘tis best to ask forgiveness later than to ask permission in advance.” He smiled down at me. “I’m sure it will be fine, Miss. Spending money on something you need isn’t thievin’.”
As we approached The Fortune’s Favor, I looked up to see the Captain on deck. The way his expression lit up as he saw me thrilled me to bits.
He rushed down the plank to greet me, sweeping me up in a huge hug. His lips brushed my ear as he whispered, “I missed you, lass.” Pulling away, he kissed my forehead so quickly I don’t think anyone else noticed. “How did your shopping go?” he asked as he led me onto the ship.
“Wonderfully, sir.” I saw that Larry was already carrying the parcels down to the sewing table. “I got everything we needed, but also some velvet ribbon.” I pointed to my necklace. “The shopkeeper liked this so much that she asked me to make more for her to sell.”
I watched his eyes carefully, hoping that I hadn’t stepped past any rules.
“Brilliant,” he grinned. Then he turned to call out to O’Doule. “Aren’t we passing the wee beach at Sonderlee on our way to Grimmington?”
“Aye, Captain. Did you want to make a stop?”
“Yes. Just for a few hours. We’ll pick up some fresh fruit, and we can all have a run on the beach.”
“Aye,” O’Doule nodded. “We could all use some time ashore.”
The Captain led me to a bench on the deck, sitting me close beside him. “That shell you’re wearing comes from Sonderlee, and we can go help you find more.”
I was stunned that he’d make a special trip just for me. “Thank you, sir. I was planning to just use the bits from the little treasure bowl.”
He shook his head, leaning in to examine my necklace. “I see the pink bits in the shell that I bet women like. This will be a fun excursion. We’ve never treasure hunted for shells before,” he chuckled. Then he looked at me carefully. “What’s wrong, lass?”
“I’m… I just… I’m surprised,” I stammered. “I wouldn’t think that anyone would go out of their way to help me sell some tiny bits of jewelry.”
He took my hand in his. “Lass, out here we help each other. If you want to make things, we’ll get you what you need.” He nodded to where Teeth and McGee were loading barrels, lashing them to the deck with ropes. “We get plain bread when we can because Teeth’s stomach can’t stand the heavy grains. We sail to Laurel Point every June so that McGee can attend his mother’s birthday dinner. We care for our ship, and that includes the people on it.”
I squeezed his hand. “Thank you,” I said softly, looking up into his deep eyes. I still couldn’t quite believe how close I felt to a man I’d known for less than a week.
~ Chapter 12 ~ The Captain ~
* Sonderlee Beach *
It was hard to believe that the girl running across the sand with her skirts hitched up to her knees was the same timid little lass who had seemed so worried about being proper.
Her long blonde hair flew
in the breeze as Davy chased her, threatening to drop a wee fish down the back of her dress. They were the youngest crew members, and it warmed my heart to see them carrying on like brother and sister.
Larry and O'Doule had gone a bit inland with giant baskets to fill with fruit. O’Doule knew all of the safe varieties and was brilliant at selecting fruit that was ready to eat today, and what would ripen over the coming weeks. Larry's long arms could easily reach everything we needed.
McGee had just returned with buckets from the stream a short walk inland, so we could stock up on fresh water. Before we left, we’d all carry a few buckets to lighten the load.
Flora, Davy, and Teeth had been collecting shells and stones, until two of them ran off. Flora’s little squeals filled the air until she finally held up her hands in surrender. "Please," she begged, "I can't run anymore."
Davy waved the fish in front of her face until she shrieked, then tossed it back into the sea. The two of them got back to work where Teeth was sorting piles of shells.
It was admirable how intensely Teeth was taking his task. I strolled by to see he had found dozens of small shells in the appropriate size, and had them all sorted by styles and colors.
"Instead of traders, we’ll soon be jewelry artists," I joked.
Teeth looked up at me in delight. "I've always thought about becoming a silversmith," he said. "My Uncle Rupert crafts things from silver. It's an interesting trade."