Page 25 of The Pirate's Daughter

“First mate,” he said withouthesitation.

Ha,” Mia shouted. “What if I be captain and you be first mate. I think I like that arrangement better.” But didshe?

“No Mia, I’ll captain this ship for us. That is how it willbe.”

It didn’t sound so bad. First mate often steered the ship. Still, she huffed at him. “Fine.” She was answered with his snores. Fineindeed.

Chapter 11

“Captain. Captain.”

Devin rolled to his back and tossed his arm over his face. Why was that crazy little china man disrupting his dream aboutMia?

“Captain.”

Devin heard the man call him again, but Mia was naked on the sandybeach.

“Captain, hurry, get up. Come see Mia, not happy.Captain.”

The vision of Mia faded away, but he knew if he reached beside him… he let his arm fall. He was jolted awake when he found an emptyspace.

“Yes, you come now, Mia not happy. You come, hurry, make Mia happy.” The man rushed across the room and grabbed Devin’s pants and shirt from the floor. Holding them out, “Hurry,hurry.”

Devin groaned, his eyes going to the portal where the sky outside showed only gray. What time was it and where had his wife gone? Sitting up he rubbed at hischest.

“Come hurry, you make Mia happy again. Hurryhurry.”

“Mr. Hong.” Both men turned at Mr. Quiggly’s shout. “I told you to leave the captainbe.”

“What time is it, Mr. Quiggly?” Devinasked

“Barely a quarter past the hour five,” Mr. Quiggly said coming to where Mr. Hong stood holding out Devin’s clothes from the nightbefore.

“Past five, yes hurry now. Mia not happy,” Mr. Hongpersisted.

“And she isn’t going to get any less so in the next hour,” Mr. Quiggly said snatching Devin’s clothes. “Nowout.”

“Captain come, make Mia happy,” the man said as he moved towards thedoor.

“Mr. Quiggly, where’s my wife?” he asked holding out his hands for hisclothes.

“On deck,Captain.”

“And do you happen to know what she’s unhappy about?” Devin asked and swung his legs to thefloor.

“She’s been arguing with Lieutenant Coventon about something. Seems the point of contention is about her going aloft. It’s verywindy.”

He didn’t need to be told that; the sway of the ship gave it away. “Have mercy,” Devin said and took the offered clothes. He needed fresh, but these would do for now. “I’ll be up shortly. Don’t let Mia throw the lieutenantoverboard.”

“Aye, Captain,” Mr. Quiggly said with a wicked grin. Mia it seemed was winning over more of his crew. God help him if she was planningmutiny.

Devin dressed and made his way topside. It wasn’t hard to spot Mia, nor to tell something had her up in arms. She was frantically gesturing out to sea. Coventon and Asher both stood beside her at the rail looking out through their spyglass in the direction she pointed. The wind was rather stiff and the waves high, all three reached for the rail more thanonce.

“There’s nothing out there. Now may we dispense with this nonsense?” Coventon asked making to fold the telescope. Mia snatched it away, extended it sharply, and put it to hereye.

“It’s right there. Thirty-two degrees east-southeast,” Mia said and handed back the tool and pointedagain.

“Mrs. Winthrop,” Asher said looking through his glass. “I don’t seeit.”

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