“Nice to meet you,” I nodded back.
“This ‘ere’s Teeth, obviously,” Larry grinned.
I smiled back at the wiry man flashing three front teeth of gold.
“And I’m Davy,” said the strong-looking younger man with a gray scarf around his head.
The other men shot him a glance until Teeth grinned, “That’s Dirty Davy. Keep your distance, Miss. We’ve been told that he’s not bathed this year.”
“Lies and half-truths with this lot,” he grinned saucily to me, leaning in. “Ye best not believe half of what these beggars tells ya.”
“Aye, and here’s O’Doule,” Larry said quickly, nodding to an older man with spectacles. He looked hardy, nearly as strong as the rest. “He’s the one who reads the maps and charts, and knows the details and histories of the places we visit.”
I reached out to shake his hand. “Lovely to meet you, O’Doule.”
“Miss Flora,” he smiled warmly. “Welcome to The Fortune’s Favor. I’m sorry the circumstances were a little… untoward. But you’re just in time for some quick voyages to rather beautiful, elegant towns. Some towns are more picturesque than others, you’ll find.”
Teeth rolled his eyes. “He’s a poet, that one. Loves to stare at old buildings even more than the girls and the treasures.”
“I’d like to learn a little history of the places we visit, if you don’t mind,” I said softly. He had to lean in to hear me.
“Certainly, Miss. It’ll be nice to teach someone.” O’Doule nodded to me, then took a bowl and plate from McGee and left the galley. In a moment, the Captain returned, and I realized that the men must be taking turns at the wheel.
As soon as the Captain sat down beside me, McGee served dinner. It was a light stew with lots of fresh vegetables, and bread that was obviously from Miss Celena’s bakery.
“We eat light the first day out of port, so that tomorrow seems like a feast,” the Captain explained. “We’ll only be out five days but it’s our way. That gives us a better idea of how to ration our supplies as well.”
I nodded. “I don’t need much food, really,” I said quickly. “I’m grateful for whatever you can spare.”
The men seemed to glance around at each other, and I noticed a few frowns.
“Here,” Teeth said, slipping an extra slice of bread onto my plate. “Larry was right as you came on board. You could do with a bit more food. And I don’t much like the dark grainy stuff anyway.”
“Thank you very much,” I whispered, devouring every morsel. This was the first time in my life I didn’t feel judged for every bite I consumed.
I noticed the Captain giving me an encouraging smile and nod. “That’s right, lassie. You eat as much as you need. It gets cold in the fall before we head south, and you’ll need a bit of meat on those little bones.”
During dinner, the men got a bit rowdy, drinking deeply from their tin mugs. I sipped water from mine, even though Larry offered me a taste of his.
“No, thank you,” I said, hoping I didn’t offend him.
“Are you such a fancy lady that you don’t drink the devil’s water with the rest of us?” laughed Davy.
“No,” I said quickly. “I’ve just never had it before. And as it’s my first night here, I don’t want to fall overboard quite yet.” The men laughed uproariously.
Larry beamed. “Captain, you realize she makes this a seven-person crew?”
I turned to see his eyes grow wide. “Aye, you’re right.” The Captain flashed me a wide grin. “She also touched my ripped collar without knowing what that meant.”
Teeth and Davy clanked their mugs together.
“That’s good luck indeed,” McGee said, wiping rum from his mustache. “Maybe with her as a lucky charm, we should look into running the straits with a load of–”
“That’s not dinner table conversation,” the Captain said, cutting him off. “We’ll see what’s what after we visit Parrinport.”
His head snapped up. “Bugger it. O’Doule was right. The wind changed.”
He stood up quickly. “I’ll be back shortly,” the Captain said to me before dashing from the room.