Page 44 of The Pirate's Daughter

Devin couldn’t say how that warning applied to his wife’s activities other than Mr. Hong’s not wanting her to tear up a dress to use as a sail. “You’ll see she gets some canvas, Mr. Quiggly,” Devin said then headed back to where he’d been watching the men swimming between the ship and a longboat.

“Are you sure, Captain?” Mr. Quiggly actually sounded ratherconcerned.

“Why wouldn’t Ibe?”

“Well, being she actually finished the thing and its water sound, maybe she plans to sailaway.”

Devin snorted and clasped his hands behind his back trying not to roll his eyes. “Why would she dothat?”

“Well,” the man hedged, “she won’t have anything to do again. Idle hands andall.”

Devin stopped in his tracks. It was a good point. Every day, Mia requested he set her ashore pointing out several empty islands they were slowly passing. But as he turned back he could already see she was on board and pulling her raft back up. Grim helped her stow it between the long boats so it was out of the way. It wasn’t possible Mia would be able to board the craft and sail away. Not without help and not before he could stop her. But maybe finding something to keep her busy would be wise. His eyes again went out to the men who’d forsaken swimming laps and started into rough play. “Do you think, Mr. Quiggly, my wife might like to spend some timeswimming?”

“Aye, she might at that,” the quartermasteragreed.

“Then I’ll make the suggestion to her and let her wear herself out with that activity,” Devin said, rather pleased with the idea. He was pleased even more when Mia responded so well to it that night. And after the initial shock of seeing what she wore to swim only as she stepped on the rail and leaped for the water the next morning, Devin found a good deal of amusement watching her cavorting in the waves. She certainly could out swim most and was able bodied enough to pull or push a few beneath the waters then get out of reach before they could retaliate. The waters suited her. She belonged in them as much as on them. What he’d do with her once they returned to England he didn’t know. He couldn’t imagine her happy for long away from the sea, though he’d try to make herso.

For him it was rather difficult to keep Mia happy and not at all hard to raise her ire. But as he’d learn well enough by the end of the week, even when angry and irrational, Mia knew the ocean like no one he’d knownbefore.

Chapter 19

Mia drewthe large needle through the canvas and cast another hateful glare towards her husband. Why she wasn’t allowed to swim today she didn’t know. He’d simply stopped her from pulling on the short pants and shirt and told her flatly she wasn’t to go in today. No explanation, nothing. He made sure she was given a large swath of canvas though and told her to make her sail from it. Good too as she was done with this ship and its captain. They’d be passing close to the last few small habitable islands in the next day or so. She’d need the sail to get her to one ofthem.

The yelling and laughing coming from the waters off the starboard side annoyed her. There was no reason at all she shouldn’t be down there splashing and having fun. She pushed the sound out and focused on listening to otherthings.

The wind was barely moving. The last few days the ship had been struck by the doldrums. Mia made a note to lash an oar to her raft in case the wind didn’t pick up again. Then she lent her ear to the sound of the water. Still as well, with the exception of the small waves hitting against the hull. From farther out, she could hear the squawking of the sea birds that floated on the water waiting to catch a fish as a meal. It was they who first alerted her to something amiss. When they took to the air suddenly and rather than circle back and land again they flew off somedistance.

Mia set the sewing aside and made her way to the portside of the ship. The waters around the ship were quite dark with its depth, but not far out they were lighter, easier to see into. Nothing of interest appeared and she readied to turn and go back. But as she gave the water one last look she saw the large school of fish swimming hard and turning quickly as if fleeing. Mia looked out in the direction they’d come from. The waters were cutting white where the large fins plowed through. Everything she did next was done oninstinct.

Spinning away, she ran across the deck. “Get out of the water,” she yelled, her voice drowned out by the men she tried to warn. “Get out of the water,” she yelled again, hoping not to incite panic in the swimmers. No one heeded her as she yelled to them again, then yelling for the two men she knew listened to her she raced for the cargo nets rolled against the railing. “Grim, get the nets over and secure them fast. Hong, get the ropes out. Hurry.” Turning she yelled out to the swimmers. “Get out of the water. Get out of thewater.”

“Mrs. Winthrop?” Mr. Brinks grabbed her and spun her around. “What is thematter?”

“Get them out of the water,” Mia yelled and pulled away. She headed straight for the gun locker opening it even as she cried out again for the men to get back onto theship.

“Mrs. Winthrop?” Mr. Brinks called again as he tried to stop her reaching for the rifle. “What isit?”

Mia opened her mouth to warn him even as the call from above wentout.

“Shark.” The single word had a chilling effect on the men in the water. “Sharks.” Mia was pushed aside as several men on deck grabbed weapons and went to the rail. The swimmers were already coming in a few grabbing the lines Mr. Hong tossed out and using them to pull alongside. But they were starting to panic, pushing and causing men already trying to climb out to slip and fall back in. Mia grabbed the last pistol and leaned over therail.

“Use the nets,” Mia yelled down and banged on the hull with the butt of the gun she held to catch their attention. “Use the nets. Climb the nets.” The forty or so men in the water were quick to grab on enough to stand free of the water. Then as the first dark fin swished by they began to climb completely up and over the rails, turning quickly to help the next man over. More fins broke the waves, cutting a few men off from theship.

“Aim true,” Devin commanded from behind her. “Fire atwill.”

“Mr. Hong get lines out to them,” Mia said slipping the weapon into her pocket and picking up a rope to throw out. “Swim, swim hard,” she told those still trying to get back. Mia scanned the waters. She knew the men with the guns would be watching the sharks so she watched the waters for any last swimmer. Two more made a reach for the same line and were pulled in as balls of lead rained down into the dark waters turning it from blue to red. The shots might have kept the shark from the men being towed in but the bleeding animal caused more sharks to close in on the area in search of whatever was floundering. Mia again searched the waves for any last swimmer. “God keep us,” she breathed, then sucked in a deep breath and yelled as loudly as she could. “Now, Mr. Coventon. Now, swim through now. Swim.Swim.”

“Come on, Jonah,” Devin yelled, stepping up beside her. “Swim man.” They both watched as Lieutenant Coventon did the only thing he could. He started swimming. Twice they watched him dive below the surface coming up on the other side of the fin heading his way. A line splashed down in front of him even as Mia watched the fin trailing himdisappear.

“Grab the net,” Mia yelled when he was pulled hard against the ship. “Grab the net. Get out of the water.” Mia’s warning came too late and she watched like all the others as Coventon was pulled under even as he reached for the safety of the netting. Again the water churned up red. But before it could clear Coventon surfaced, pulling hard to lift from the waters. “Grim,” Mia yelled but her man was already over the rail working his waydown.

Grim took hold of Coventon’s arm and pulled him clear as another shark, or perhaps the same one, surfaced, rubbed against the hull and disappeared again. Several hands reached down now to pull both men over therail.

“Get the surgeon and get this man to sick bay,” Devinordered.

Mia didn’t want to, fearing what she’d find when she did, but she looked relieved to see only a deep gash running along the man’s calf and not a missing foot or worse. With a nod she signaled Grim to lift the man and carry him below where the ship’s doctor would hopefully have success stopping the bleeding and repairing theleg.

“Pull up these nets men,” Devin ordered before turning to her. “Are you allright?”

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