Page 5 of Rose
“There must be another way.” He looked out to sea. “Give me the answer,” he prayed aloud.
Philip moved to stand next to him. “Pray to the sea all you like, but the more I think on it, the more I am certain marital pretense is the answer.”
He scowled at Philip, then turned back to the sea and added to his prayer. “And find me a new quarter master.”
Philip flashed a wide grin. “You say that now, but once you think on it, you’ll realize my genius.” A moment later, Philip’s smile faded, and his countenance grew serious. “Tristan, this truly could be the only way to save your family and yourself. It is a simple enough plan. All you need is a woman.”
Tristan made a show of looking around the deck at the rough-speaking, weathered sailors, moving about their duties. “And where exactly am I going to find a woman?” he asked.
“Captain,” Nelson called down.
Tristan turned and looked to the top of the wide, square mast. “Aye, Nelson. What do you see?”
“Not sure, Captain,” came his reply. “But…but I think it could be…a woman.”
Tristan and Philip locked eyes. Both men stood frozen. Then, a slow smile spread across Philip’s face. “It looks like the sea has answered your prayer after all, Captain.”
