Chapter Ten
My hands were raw and bleeding. The pain was constant, and yet I had never felt so invigorated. Grunting and sweating as an entire crew, we tried to coax the Rose back into the sea. Every single crewmember had their hands on a thick line, pulling with all the strength we had, to move the wedged leviathan.
“Heave!” Captain Finley roared. “Heave!” He walked the length of the Rose guiding the crew as we worked.
Every once in a while, I stole a glance at the ocean. Though I could see it and smell it, the sea still seemed so far away as the muscles in my arms strained. I didn’t think it possible to move this mammoth ship ourselves, but little by little, she gave in. The hull slid along the sand like a serpent.
“That’s it, men. Keep her going,” Captain Finley said.
I wrapped the line around my hands and tugged until my arms burned.
“That all you got, Charlie?” Daniel said. Ahead of me, he coiled his line around his left arm. The tensed muscles spanning his bared shoulders distracted me from my labor. I refocused my energy and attention on pulling, but my line slipped from my hands. It whipped away and slapped against the side of the Rose. I fumbled around at my feet trying to regain control of the line.
“You haven’t seen all I got, Daniel.” Once I had the line back in my hands, I grunted and yanked extra hard. In combination with all the other men pulling, the Rose lurched forward. A brief cheer rose from the crew and was followed by more growling as everyone hauled together.
I had never been a part of something that involved so many hands working as one. Progress was slow, but soon water tickled my toes, lapped at my ankles, hugged my knees. At chest deep, the pulling got a touch easier as water surrounded the entire hull. The Rose was only dragging her keel along the sandy bottom of the ocean now.
“Leave her be, men,” Captain Finley said as he looked up to the sky. “The tide will take her the rest of the way.”
We abandoned our ropes and the captain ordered a complement of men to stay behind to monitor the ship. The rest of us waded out of the water. I covertly wrung water from Eric’s extra tunic and fluffed it back into shape. We headed back to break down what still remained of our camp.
“Take your personal belongings. Everything else, toss into the fires. We leave this area as we found it,” Captain Finley commanded.
I jogged after Daniel who headed for our tent. He shrugged back into his tunic as he walked, a trail of dripping water dotting the sand behind him. He ducked into the tent and by the time I entered, he had a sack slung across his chest.
“You all done?” I walked to my corner of the tent.
“Yep,” Daniel said. “Packed last night while the lot of you were sleeping.” He was smiling, but then the expression on his face changed suddenly.
“What’s the matter?” I stuffed the clothing I had washed last night into my sack. Everything else I had brought with me was still packed. Something about keeping my things hidden away helped me believe I could keep all my secrets hidden.
“Last night…” Daniel shifted his weight before returning his gaze to my face. “Last night you were talking.”
“Talking?” I stopped fussing with my sack. “What do you mean?”
“In your sleep. You were talking in your sleep.”
My throat tightened. “What… what did I say?” It was hard enough to watch my words when I was awake. If I had to worry what I might be saying while I was asleep, this plan of mine might never work.
“Something about Eric and Riley,” Daniel replied. “I think those were the names.”
“My brothers. Was that all?” I asked.
The other men that shared our tent burst in to collect their things, and Daniel motioned for me to follow him outside. I took one last look around my corner of the tent and tightened my grip on my sack.
As we walked down the beach, the smell of three huge fires filled my senses. Most of the crew was headed toward the Rose, still somewhat wedged in the water. High tide was coming. Soon she’d be free.
Before we hit the water ourselves, I stopped walking which made Daniel stop.
“What else did I say?”
He threw a look toward the Rose. “You mentioned your mother.”
My head dropped, chin to chest. I heaved in a strained breath, and Daniel rested his hand on my shoulder.
“You don’t have to tell me about her, if you don’t want to. I thought…” Daniel started. “I thought you might feel better if you talk about the dream. You were pretty upset, Charlie. I tried to wake you, but couldn’t. I know dreams can be awful to keep inside.”
Raising my head, my eyes met Daniel’s. His face was so full of concern. Though it would pain me to talk about my mother, speaking of her was safe, not a topic that would give me away. Not a story that would interfere with my journey to the Americas.
“A sickness took her.” I walked toward the water. Daniel fell into step beside me. “It started out as something small, a silly cough then the fever came. My father was away so I tended to her, but I was young as were my brothers. We didn’t know what to do for her. She ate well at first, but soon she couldn’t hold any food in her stomach. She grew weak and pale. The doctor could do nothing to ease her condition.”
Remembering how my mother’s radiance had faded like the setting sun, my bottom lip quivered. She had been a vibrant beauty, so full of life and kindness. In a matter of weeks, however, she was dull gray, with sunken cheeks and a hollow stare. Nothing more than a ghost.
“By the time my father returned, the breath had left her.” The sting in my throat made my voice crack. I barely held it together as I pictured my father’s face when Riley told him we had buried Mother. The forlorn howl my father let loose still echoed in my head sometimes.
“I’m sorry,” Daniel said as we reached the water and sloshed into it.
“I couldn’t do anything to keep her.” I pulled Benjamin’s cap down low to hide my tear-filled eyes.
“That’s the worst part, isn’t it?” He motioned to his empty sleeve. “My family was attacked by thieves while we traveled to Portsmouth. I didn’t stop those scoundrels from killing my parents. My arm had been smashed to pieces by a horse after I was pulled from our carriage.”
His pain was right there, just as mine was. “How awful,” I said. “You were injured, though. You couldn’t have done anything.”
“And you were young. Though we both have legitimate reasons for not being able to intervene, it doesn’t stop us from blaming ourselves, now does it?”
I shook my head and coiled my fingers around the strap of my sack. Daniel knew so little about the real me, but he somehow knew exactly how I felt. In a quick movement, he slung his arm around my neck.
“We’re a pair, aren’t we, Charlie?” He gave me a gentle shake.
“We are,” I agreed, taking a moment to enjoy the sudden closeness.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Daniel released his hold on me. “This trip ought to be a good one.”
“Indeed. I’ve waited a long time to go to the Americas.”
“Land stretches for miles. Supposed to be beautiful.”
I thought about Riley’s letter and the way he had described Florida.
“I sure hope it is.”
The Rose loomed tall before us now. I craned my neck to take in the full view of her. She was a regal bird in the water. Other crewmen climbed up lines to board her—the same lines we used to haul her into the water.
“Daniel,” a voice boomed from the starboard rail above us.
“Aye.” He looked up to his uncle already aboard.
“Get in the dory. I’ve lowered it for you. We’ll pull the both of you up,” Captain Finley shouted, looking at me as well.
“Come on.” Daniel tugged on my sleeve.
We climbed into the dory floating beside the Rose. It was attached to two thick cables threaded through giant pulleys.
“Haul ‘em up!” the captain roared.
Instantly,
the dory soared upward. I held onto the sides with a white knuckled grip as the sea zoomed away from us. Several pairs of hands grabbed the rowboat as it leveled off with the starboard rail. With mild grumbling, the dory was pulled aboard the Rose.
I hopped out and for the first time since I’d hatched my plan, I stood on the deck of a real ship bound for the Americas.
“Welcome aboard, Charlie.” Captain Finley slapped me solidly on the back.
I nearly fell forward, but I wouldn’t have changed a single thing about that moment. Not for anything.
Chapter Eleven
As the tide carried us farther away from Southampton’s shoreline—farther away from the place I’d called home for sixteen years—sailors scurried along the Rose’s top deck executing various orders.
“Full sails, men,” Captain Finley barked from the helm of the massive carrack.
Wide canvas sheets luffed in the wind as crewmen released all the sails on each of the four masts. The steady breeze caught in the sails, and the Rose lurched forward. With a loud smack of wind hitting the taut sheets, we were off.
“Where’s Charlie?” Captain Finley asked.
“Here, sir.” I stepped away from the port rail where I’d been trying to see everything at once.
“You afraid of heights, son?” He clamped a solid hand on my shoulder.
“No, Captain.” I squinted to look up at Captain Finley in the beaming morning sun.
“Good.” He glanced at the center mast. “I need a new lookout. You’re it.”
I shot a look to the crow’s nest, its barrel-like shape sitting atop the largest of the four masts. I imagined the glorious view from that vantage point. My heart thudded in my chest at the thought of manning—womanning really—that particular post.
“Aye, sir.” I had spent a good amount of time climbing high trees around our estate, and Lady Elizabeth’s for that matter, trying to get a clear view of the sea. This crow’s nest position would be no different.
“Very good,” the captain said. “For now, go claim yourself a spot below deck before all the good ones are taken and you have to sleep out here. Then off to the galley with you. That’s where Daniel is stationed most of the time. You two work well together.” His smile deepened. “I think I’ve finally found someone to un-sour that nephew of mine. He’s a good boy, hard worker, but his life hasn’t been easy. I’m glad he’s tolerating you.”
“For now, anyway,” I said, causing the captain to laugh.
I was so pleased to have real orders from a real captain to follow. Also pleased to be assigned to wherever Daniel was going to be.
With a quick nod to Captain Finley, I disappeared down the ladder amidships. Many of the other sailors had dumped their belongings to mark their territory. I located a quiet corner and tossed my bag down on the wide-plank flooring.
“Good choice.”
I turned to see Daniel leaning against a thick beam that rose from another deck below us and continued straight through to the deck above us. He had two blankets under his arm, one of which he dropped onto my spot.
“All the spaces look the same to me,” I said.
“No, this one is definitely superior.” He grinned and my breath had trouble escaping from my lungs for a heartbeat. Cripes, he was easier to be around when he was scowling. Why did I have to be the one to thaw him? Better yet, why did I have to be a boy now that I’d thawed him? Being a girl had never been a big deal, but now I was feeling the allure of it.
The sun streaked through a small porthole, illuminating Daniel’s face and making him look angelic. His blue eyes reminded me of sunshine reflecting off water.
I cleared my suddenly dry throat. “What makes this spot so superior?”
“Well,” Daniel began, “first off, it’s next to mine so you’ve chosen superior company.” Another piercing smile as he pointed to his sack in the spot before mine. He tossed the second blanket onto it. “Secondly, it’s near the passage to the galley where my uncle has assigned you in addition to crow’s nest.”
“You seem to have all your facts in order, now don’t you?” My turn to shoot Daniel a grin.
“Being the captain’s nephew is not without its privileges.” He stepped past me. “I’ll show you the galley. It’s dark and damp and by the end of the journey it’ll smell, but somebody’s got to man it. Might as well be us.” He shrugged his left shoulder and headed toward a narrow passage beyond the spot I’d chosen as my own.
As I turned to follow him, a shuffling sound to my right caught my attention. I stopped and peered into the shadows.
“What’s the matter?” Daniel asked.
“I think I heard something over there.” I pointed behind a large barrel sitting across from me. I stepped closer and jumped back when something furry scurried between my legs. I whirled around in time to see Daniel scoop his left arm down and snag up a puff of white.
“A stowaway,” he said.
A small, pure white cat wriggled in Daniel’s hand, its paws flailing in all directions as it struggled to get free. It had the biggest blue eyes I had ever seen.
“This guy has an important job on board the Rose,” Daniel said, cradling the cat so it didn’t fuss as much. “We’d be overrun in rats in a month if he wasn’t here.”
“What’s his name?” I stepped closer to scratch between the cat’s ears. A low purr rumbled in its throat.
“Don’t think he’s got one.” Daniel turned the cat around to look at its face.
“That’s a shame.” I held my arms out to take the critter. “Everybody deserves a name.”
The cat slinked over to me and rubbed its chin against mine. Its head was soft against my still slightly bruised jaw.
“I think he wants you to name him,” Daniel said around a chuckle.
I held the cat at arm’s length and studied him for a long moment.
“Let’s call him… Ghost.”
“Ghost,” Daniel repeated, trying the name out.
A loud meow echoed among the three of us.
“I think he likes it,” I said with a firm nod. It probably was a pretty girlish thing to do, but I couldn’t resist nuzzling the top of Ghost’s fuzzy head.
“We’d better get to the galley. We’ll have some hungry sailors a-knocking soon enough.” Daniel nudged me toward the passage again. “Ghost can come too.”
Nodding, I set Ghost down and wouldn’t you know that silly cat did follow us to the galley.
First day at sea and already my life seemed fuller.
****
I spent the morning helping Daniel arrange our food provisions in the galley. He was organized about it, making sure the small rations of meats and vegetables we brought stayed in the front so we would use them up first before they spoiled. Unfortunately, for most of the voyage, we would be eating dry biscuits that were slow to spoil but tasted like nothing. A small price to pay for an adventure. I never had much of an appetite anyway so I wasn’t concerned.
“Can we go to the top deck now?” I asked Daniel for what was probably the fifth time at least.
Glancing around the galley one final time, he let out an exaggerated huff. “Go. Feel like your missing the show stuck down here with me, do you?”
“No… uh… it’s not that. I just…”
“You’ve never been on a ship like this before and want to see everything. Is that about right?”
“That’s exactly right.” Could he read my thoughts? Cripes, I hoped not.
“Go on then.”
I dashed for the door then stopped and swiveled around. “Aren’t you coming?”
“I’ll be along shortly. I’ve a couple more things to attend to first.”
My exuberance abated. Apparently seeing my disappointment, Daniel said, “I won’t be long.”
“Promise,” I said coyly. Too coyly.
“Promise.”
I nodded, noting my palms were a bit clammier than usual. I had to focus. Much too soon to be blowing my cover. We hadn’t gotten that
far away from the coast yet.
I reached down and picked up Ghost who hadn’t left my side the entire time I was working in the galley. Scratching under his furry chin until he squeezed his blue eyes shut, I took us both to the ladder and ascended.
The simple feeling of weathered wood against my palm as I ran it along the rail of the ladder sent ripples of excitement coursing through my veins. I breathed in the salty sea air and emerged from the lower deck. The creak of the floorboards beneath my boots announced my arrival, causing three sailors off the port side to look in my direction. All three of them tipped their hats to me and offered up cordial smiles.
“Come over here, Charlie,” one of them—Walter, the quartermaster, Jonah and Timmy’s father—said, motioning with his hand.
“Sir,” I said as I approached.
“I see you’ve made another friend here.” Walter tapped Ghost on the head. “Timmy and Jonah have not met this critter yet. They’ll be delighted.” He squinted up at the main mast then focused back on me. “Hear you’re the new lookout. Is that so?”
“Yes, sir.”
“An important job. Hope you’ve got good eyesight.”
“I do.” Eric and Riley had teased me about being able to see a flea land on a dog from a mile away.
“Good.” Walter gave my shoulder a gentle shake as he walked away toward the helm of the Rose.
I turned in a tight circle taking in the constant activity of the top deck. Everywhere crewmen were busy tightening lines, adjusting sails, manning posts. I glanced up at the crow’s nest and decided a trial run was in order.
Setting Ghost down, I approached the main mast and placed my foot on the first peg jutting out from its base. Wrapping my arms around the mast, I stepped up and positioned my other foot on the next peg. Cautious of Eric’s extra tunic I had balled up at my stomach, I moved up the pegs until I was above the sails. The steady wind tugged at Benjamin’s cap, and I had to pull it down tighter to my head.
Climbing into the crow’s nest itself proved to be clumsy work. I had to grab the rim of the lookout post and pull myself over it in order to get into the actual barrel. My body thumped to the floor of the crow’s nest, and I was surprised at the limited room inside. Once I righted myself, I found I could kneel in the middle and reach both arms out to touch the opposite sides. Good thing tight spaces did not bother me.
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