Page 45 of The Pirate's Daughter

“Aye, of course,” she said although at the moment she felt like she’d been swept into the rocks. The sudden lack of activity was thatjarring.

“Good work, Mia. Dropping the nets was brilliant,” Devin said as he set his hands on hershoulders.

“I should’ve been able to warn them sooner.” And she would have if she was more connected to the ship. If she was allowed to be part of the crew. But she wasn’t. She was disconnected, flapping in the wind without purpose. “I want off this ship,” she said but was drowned out by a new excitement as a shark tangled in the netting was pulled on deck. It thrashed around, chomping at anything that got close. Mia watched a few men poke at it with hooks. It was quite a sport they found at the animal’s torment. Pulling the pistol from her pocket she cocked back the hammer stepped through the crowd and pulled the trigger. The animal went still and the crowd around it moaned indisappointment.

“I guess we have dinner, men,” someone shouted and again the crowd cheered. Turning Mia could only shake herhead.

“Mrs. Winthrop?” One of the younger topmen called as he came over,dripping.

Mia tried to smile at him, but couldn’t quite make ithappen.

“Mrs. Winthrop, thankyou.”

“For?”

“For helping us all out. We’d have been bait if not for you,” he said and stepped forward like he might try to hug her, before jumping back like he realized he almost did. “Thankyou.”

“Yes, well, I wasn’t quite fast enough, was I?” she told him and saw his lack of understanding. “Not all of you made it out unharmed.” She watched then as the man realized they did have a seriously hurt member of the crew. And while he didn’t lose his leg to the shark, Mr. Coventon could still lose his life to aninfection.

“You couldn’t have done more, Mia,” Devin said dismissing the man with a nod. “There must be at least fifteen sharks out there now. If not for you, Mr. Hong, and Grim, half my crew or better would be dead ordying.”

“I didn’t hear them soon enough. I wasn’t listening to the right things when they came in,” she said and looked up to see his complete confusion. It didn’t matter if he didn’t understand. How could he if he wouldn’t let her be part of the crew. “I want off thisship.”

“We’ll make for port at Port-au Prince, take on supplies and see if another surgeon will be needed for Mr. Coventon’s injuries.” Devin said matter-of-factly as he reached under her chin and forced her head up. “Injuries which in no manner were your fault. He and all the others are alive because of you. I’m rather proud of you, I mustsay.”

“Cargo always has a use,” Mia snapped and spun away. She heard him call for her then heard someone calling for him. Making her way below decks back to the stores where she’d been hiding things away, Mia made sure everything was ready. A heading for Port-au Prince would keep them closer to shore and if the winds didn’t lift soon it could take days. She’d finish her sail and carry her supplies up to stash away until she could jump ship. Devin could carry on. If he still wanted, he could come back for her when he was ready to decide what part she’d play on his ship and in his life, because wife, lover and whore weren’t enough forher.

Chapter 20

Devin leaned backin the chair at hearing the knock. The doctor would answer it and send anyone away. Lieutenant Coventon barely glanced up from the book he was reading until the doctor stepped back and made room for the person knocking to steppast.

“He’s quite lucky, it wasn’t a bite at all, just a scrape,” Doctor Krebs said as Devin watched Mia slip inside the room. Devin pushed back into the shadows to watch how his wife might interact with the one man on board who she knew disliked her. That he did and Mia still felt the weight of his injury on her shoulders was strange to him. He hadn’t expected a female to care as Mia seemed to for a declared enemy. Females, Devin knew well enough, likely would be drinking in hopes of the man’s death. But then Mia was first a captain. Even when she didn’t hold the position, she responded likeone.

She’d not hesitated once in the commands she called out. That no one listened at first didn’t deter her in the least. She kept at it until she gained the cooperation she needed to keep the crew safe. Nothing she ordered contradicted any order he had given. If anything, they complemented his when he came on deck after the warning of shark was given. She never panicked or even stumbled as the men trying to swarm over the railing did. If any moment passed when she knew fear, she never let itshow.

He heard Mia saying, “I’m quite sorry, still. If only I’d called outsooner.”

“Mrs. Winthrop,” Coventoninterrupted.

“I wasn’t listening like I couldhave.”

“Mrs. Winthrop,” again the officer tried to interrupt. “Please, Mia,” he finally said, a bit exasperated as Mia continued to mutter about how she should have prevent his injury. The use of her given name hushed her. “Please, Mia. This wasn’t your doing. It’s because of you I’m sitting here, withbothmy legs. Feeling quite well if you wish to know.” Jonah laughed, a rare thing from the man under mostcircumstances.

“Aye, but…” Devin couldn’t see her expression because she had her back to him, but he heard the guilt plainenough.

“Mrs. Winthrop, Mia,” Coventon said reaching out and taking hold of her hand. “I’m going to recover. I’ll be on deck as soon as this blood-letter allows,” he said nodding towards the doctor. “I’ll grow old with two legs and a fantastic scar to point to as I tell my grandchildren how I was almost eaten by ashark.”

“Oh, you were only scraped,” the doctor cut in. “Eatenindeed.”

“Well, I’ll be telling them eaten,” Coventon said and laughed. “And I should hope, Mia, you won’t counter my tale when I do.” Mia shook her head. “Very good, so I’ll tell them I was almost eaten and show them the grand scar asproof.”

“Aye, they should like that, I’d think,” Mia said softly, trying to pull away. “I should gonow.”

Coventon held her hand and tugged her closer to the bunk he was in. “Mia, I need to tell you. When I said you didn’t belong on this ship, I was wrong. You saved my life today. You saved a good number of lives today. You know the sea, and ships and sailing and you belong here as much as anyone. Thankyou.”

Mia pulled her hand back abruptly. “No I don’t, you’re wrong. I need to go. Good night, sirs.” And before Devin could speak, she was out the door and down thepassageway.

“Well, what was that?” Doctor Krebs asked, getting up again to check thebandages.

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