“Well, Lass,” O’Doule said, “Although some is in silver, it’s the value of twenty gold pieces.”
“Wow,” McGee breathed. “There’s more money in ladies' fancywork than rum-running. Who knew?”
I shook my head. “I hadn’t added it up in some time. This is crazy.”
Teeth, Davy and Larry all hurried to the bunk room to their private stashes. With O’Doule keeping count and making change, they traded in a few gold coins for the silver, until we had twenty gold pieces gleaming in the lamplight.
Slipping them back into the makeshift purse, I asked, “How does one go about bribing a guard?”
Everyone grew very serious. “In calm little towns like this, they usually put their worst guard on the late-night shift,” Davy said. “It’s often the man who’s a bit…” He tapped his forehead with a grubby finger. “Slow. They only hired him because he’s someone’s cousin or the like.”
“True,” O’Doule said. “These small towns are always family first. Let’s use that.” His eyes darted around to the other men. “I’d rather use cunning than the pistols, lads. That’s what the Captain would want.”
They nodded in agreement.
“If he’s been on the night shift a while, he might be jumpy all alone,” Teeth said thoughtfully. “Maybe we give him some sort of scare?”
“Aye,” McGee said. “What are slightly slow small town men afraid of?”
“Ghosts.”
“Pirates.”
“McGee’s rotten attempt at meatloaf.”
“Their own shadow.”
“Women!” Davy laughed.
The men all howled with laughter, then Larry stared down at his hands, thinking. “He’s right. Many of these young men haven’t dealt with many women beyond family. A gorgeous lass strutting in and availing herself to his mercy would shake him to the core.”
They all turned to me with questioning glances.
“They would never arrest a woman, would they?” I whispered.
“No, lass, never,” O’Doule said quickly. “Not unless you’d murdered someone right in front of them. For a minor inconvenience, they’d turn you away and threaten to tell your father on you, at worst.”
My hands were in fists, squeezing my skirt as I tried to think. “What sort of woman goes down to the jail to ask for a man to be released?” I asked.
McGee snapped his fingers. “His wife! You say that you’re his poor little wife, and the Captain is a drunken lout, and you need to drag him home.”
“Before his mother finds out what he’s done this time,” Teeth added. “Every man is a bit scared of his mother. We’re also scared of other men’s mothers.”
The men all nodded. McGee looked at me very carefully. “Do you think you can act a bit hysterical, lass? Crying and yelling? No man could stand it if a sweet lass was pitching a fit.”
“He’d do anything to comfort you,” Larry agreed. “Miss Flora, this is a lot to ask. But if you were the one to go in, there would be no threat of violence. I’d be right outside.”
“Me too,” said Davy. “You say the word ‘pumpkin’ and we’ll rush in and start breaking bones.”
I shuddered, then felt Larry’s heavy hand on my shoulder. “It won’t come to that,” he said gently. “Even the sharpest guard’s defenses will fall apart at the sight of you being flustered. It’s truly playing dirty, in a way, but it is pretty much guaranteed to work.”
“Have you been working on your yelling, lass?” O’Doule asked. “Would be best to yell at the start, then cry. Shock him.”
“Aye, put him off kilter,” Teeth agreed.
Larry patted my shoulder again before pulling his hand away. “You just finished that lovely blue dress, didn’t you? You’ll look delicate as a fresh flower in it. Any man would be desperate to help you.”
Looking around the table at five eager faces, I began to nod. They had all been so helpful to me. And the Captain himself had given me this new life full of more beautiful things than I ever could have imagined.