Page 70 of The Irish Gypsy
She got off the bed under her own steam. Shewent slowly up the steps to the deck, and as she did so CaptainHarding below her was given a delicious display of ankles. Hereached up to caress one of them, but Kitty felt too wretched evento protest. The brisk wind smashed her in the face! She struggledto the rail and began to retch. In an instant he was holding her.One arm secured her safely, while the other held her stomach rigidand miraculously her guts stopped trying to turn themselves insideout. He massaged her knotted stomach muscles until they began torelax. Even though she felt so sick, she didn't want any man seeingher vomit. As she looked up at him, she saw his mouth curved withcompassion and was very thankful for his help. She heard himmurmur,Pauvre petite,and vaguely thought him toouncultured to speak French.
"Now," he said briskly, "once around thedeck. Take my arm. I wouldn't want you to be swept overboard."
The entire crew leered at her as she made herway along the deck. They looked more like criminals than sailors.One man was standing so close that she knew she would have to walkaround him if she was to avoid brushing up against him. JimHarding's arm shot out and the man was sprawling on the deck. Kittynoticed the captain had fists like hams, and the impact had made asickening thud. Not one word was exchanged.
He searched her face for some sort of color,but although the wind whipped her cloak and hair about, her pallorwas almost ethereal. The protective urge soared in his breast as hebent his head to caution her, "Never walk alone, day or night.Never forget to secure your cabin door."
She nodded her understanding, afraid to openher lips. He feared she would faint, but at last they had circledthe deck and he led her down to her cabin. He went into his owncabin and returned with wine. "Drink this, slowly now. It will staydown better than water, and it will restore you. Good girl! Nowthen, into bed with you and sleep the clock round. I'll have Jemmybring you dry biscuit to nibble on; that won't make you queasy." Heturned swiftly to the door and bade her, "Lock this after me."
She whispered, 'Thank you', so low shewondered if he had heard.
It was another week before her seasicknessdeparted. She kept to her cabin unless Captain Harding was free totake her up on deck. Sometimes in the evenings he would invite herto dine with him, and after interminable days of her own company,she was glad to do so. Her eyes widened in surprise the first timeshe had dined in his cabin. Snowy, starched cloth and napkins, tallsilver candlesticks, heavy lead crystal goblets and Sèvres chinagraced his table. The captain himself was attired in a very formaldark suit and stiff shirt, which made him look uncomfortable ratherthan elegant. However, he had done it for her and she was glad shehad worn the pale green woolen dress and the dark green velvetcloak. Watching her, he said, "The eye also dines."
Kitty soon discovered that he wanted nothingmore than someone who would listen to him. When he was crude andused thinly veiled innuendos to shock her, she serenely ignored hiswords and pretended she hadn't heard them. She looked at him oftennow and wondered how she could have ever thought him ugly. Hisgolden beard was magnificent, and when he smiled, tanned, crinkledlines gathered about the startling blue eyes.. Proximity had turnedstrangers into friends. He loved nothing better than to sit withher, spinning yarns of his voyages, especially the fights thatpointed out his physical strength.
"Guess how much I measure about the chest?"he challenged.
She hid a smile and guessed a deliberatelysmall forty-two inches.
"Ha! Fifty! More if I expand it. You don'tbelieve me? Go! Go on, fetch your tape measure and I'll prove it toyou."
There was nothing to do but get the tapemeasure. Then he insisted she measure his biceps. Enormous!
He said now, "Did I ever tell you about thetime I was in the fanciest brothel in the world?"
She ignored his coarse talk.
At other times he quoted poetry orShakespeare. Once he intrigued her by speaking at length of a bookhe had been reading. "It's calledEcstatic Voyage.It waswritten in 1656 by a philosopher called Athanasius Kircher. He wenton a celestial voyage to the planets. Venus was the best place hevisited. Its air was perfumed with amber and musk, where beautifulyoung angels sang and danced while strewing flowers about. I'veseen places like that, Kitty. He could be describing Ceylon."
"What about the sun? I love the sun," Kittysaid, listening raptly.
"The sun is inhabited by angels of fire whoswim in seas of light round a huge volcano. I've seen places likethat in the South Seas. Saturn is full of evil spirits who spendtheir time meting out divine justice to the souls of the wicked."The lines crinkled around his eyes. "Genius or crackpot? Who's tosay? Not me, Kitty, not me."
She looked at him and pinpointed hisattraction. He was a paradox. So coarse on the outside; so finewithin. "Are you married, Jim?"
"I was once," he said reflectively. "She wasunfaithful to me. She liked to go dancing. She picked up with thisfellow who liked to go dancing."
"Dancing with him doesn't mean she wasunfaithful," she said gently.
"Oh, aye, she was. I followed them one nightand copped him with his pants down! I half killed him. The next daythey found him on the high road. They thought he'd been run over bythe mail coach. I don't miss her, she was a whore, but I miss mychildren unbearably."
She looked at him with compassion and sawthat he was crying.
The following week they ran into a hurricane.Jemmy came into Kitty's cabin and found her huddled in a corner."The captain ordered me below till it blows over. I know I'd besafe enough up there, but Captain Harding's afraid I'm such alightweight, I'd get swept overboard."
They sat in the cabin for over an hour andfinally Kitty could stand it no longer. "I've got to go up and seewhat's going on. I can't stay below like a rat."
"It's not safe up there, ma'am, you have noidea what it's like," he shouted over the roar of the storm.
Kitty opened the cabin door and crept uptoward the deck. Her eyes widened in amazement as a wall of wateras high as a mountain towered above them, while the ship seemed tobe down at the bottom of a deep valley. Suddenly, without warning,everything switched positions and the ship was perched on theprecipice of a mountainous wave, and a gorge opened up in the seabelow them and threatened to engulf the ship once it plunged fromits great height. Kitty was rooted to the spot, too terrified tomove. A terrific crack like thunder rent the air, and the mast fellamid shouts and screams. The bloodcurdling screams continued untila gunshot rang out. Kitty scurried like a rat back to thecabin.
After the storm, when the sea was calm again,Jemmy went to see what the damage was. He came back to tell Kittythe mast had fallen on one of the crew, and the captain had shothim to put him out of his misery.
"My God, how could he shoot down a man incold blood?" she demanded.
"He had to. His legs were gone, he was almostcut in half."
The captain isolated himself in his cabin forthe next three days.
