Bowing his head, Spencer took his leave. He was impressed by her strength. He'd never met another woman willing to face the unexpected with such grace and courage. He owed a lot to Captain Webster, but that didn't keep him from thinking that the man clearly didn't deserve someone like Corliss. Walking back to the surgery, he knew that he also didn't deserve someone like her. Maybe before the mess he'd gotten himself in, but definitely not now.
Chapter 19
Entering the surgery, Spencer sat at his make shift desk and stared at the dingy wall. He thought back to what had brought him so low, though he couldn't complain about his current situation. When Webster found him, he was face down in a gutter, barely alive.
After he wrote his report on Lord Gammage, he returned to the Royal College to discuss it with his colleagues. His work at the College had not only earned him respect, but some level of security. He made a good salary, was given extra funds for his research and enjoyed a heightened social status not usually enjoyed by someone born to his station. His father had been a farmer, his mother kept house. He had nine brothers and sisters, of which he was the youngest. By the time he came along, his parents hardly paid any attention to him.
The local vicar was a kind hearted man who took management of his studies. Though not gentry, Vicar Newell taught him Latin, Greek, and mathematics. The man was eighty if he was a day and had an enormous collection of books. Spencer read every damn one of those books, when he wasn't expected to work the farm. Because of those books, he was able to save his sister's life after she was injured falling from a horse. That was the day he knew he wanted to be a doctor.
With Vicar Newell's help, Spencer was given a scholarship to the Royal College. He worked hard and excelled in everything he did. He questioned everything and set out to prove himself right. Sometimes he was able to support his hypothesis and sometimes he wasn't, but his tenacity caught the notice of the headmaster, who took him as his personal apprentice. In his position, he was able to care for many of the rich and titled.
Over the next ten years, Spencer made a name for himself among the peerage. It was this reputation he'd earned that led him to Lord Gammage's house that day. None of the family was around when he made his examination, otherwise he would have been summarily bribed and left to complete a more appropriate report. Spencer still wondered if he would have accepted a bribe. If he were to be truthful to himself, he wasn't entirely certain he wouldn't have. After all, what was it to him if the dead man's wife went to prison for a crime she didn't commit. As far as he was concerned then, most of the titled folk got away with far worse.
But no one, but a few servants, knew of his arrival, or of his leaving. Being his ever honest self, Spencer wrote the report, indicating that a fall and blow to the head was the most likely killer of Lord Gammage. Based on what a few servants had told him, he concluded that Lady Gammage was not at fault, due to her size and proximity to her husband when he fell. But mostly, he indicated that Lord Gammage was heavy with drink, having smelled around the man's mouth as he lay on the dining room table awaiting removal.
That last part, more than anything else, was probably what got him in trouble. He filed his report with the constabulary and headed back to his bachelor apartments. Two days later, as he made his way to the college, he was hit over the head and taken to a ship, where he spent a rather uncomfortable two days in the hold. When coherent enough to recognize his situation, Spencer fought to be released, leading to his being thrown overboard.
Fortunately for him, another ship passed by and picked him out of the water. The crew was an undesirable group, but as long as he earned his keep, he would get a ride to Las Palmas. Given next to nothing to eat or drink, Spencer was worked night and day. The journey took over two weeks due to storms. By the time they'd reached Las Palmas, he was not only near death, he welcomed it.
Once again, he was dumped off without anything but the meager clothing on his back. He'd barely made it to the gutter where Webster found him. What Nathaniel saw in his prone body, Spencer still didn't know. Maybe it was his charitable act for the day. Whatever the reason, which Spencer had asked for and been denied getting, he was here now. He owed his time to the man who saved him, not that he wanted to return to England anyway. He had learned all he could from his teachers. Now it was time to apply his knowledge.
His remembrances drew a strange parallel to Corliss. Both taken against their will, both hit on the head and left to rot in a small cell. Both at the mercy of the same man. Part of him didn't blame her for allowing him use of her body. But another part of him wanted to take Webster aside and beat him to unconsciousness. She was too vibrant, too pretty to be a part of this world. It would drag her to a place she didn't belong. She deserved better.
Shaking his head, Spencer began his ritual of inventorying his supplies. Although nothing major had happened yet, he wanted to be prepared for the worst. That way, he could repay Webster back quicker and possibly find another life.
********
After a few minutes of thought inside the captain's cabin, Ginny went on deck to find Gideon. She didn't want the crew to think that she wouldn't do her fair share. Finding the commander as he was giving orders to a few men, Ginny told him just that.
Gideon took Corliss aside and asked, “So, what are ya good for, missy? What can you do?” His smile demonstrated that he wasn't so insolent, but just trying to put her at ease. Ginny readily returned his good humor.
“I can sew fairly well. As you know, I'm no slouch with a sword, though that may not be necessary too often. I'm good at doctoring too, though you have Spencer already.”
“Spencer may appreciate the help. Give me your hands.” Gideon grabbed her hands and examined them for a moment. “Not so soft anymore, eh?”
Laughing as she took her hands back, she replied, “No, not anymore. Some time on a sailing ship will do that to you.”
“Not a princess... that is good. Why do you not speak to Spencer about what help he might be needing.”
Ginny went down to the surgery, but not before she noticed that Nathaniel went out of his way to avoid looking or talking to her. She thought it was funny that he might be embarrassed by what had happened between them. Admittedly, she didn't want everyone knowing her business, but Corliss's days of being a prude ended the minute Ginny had entered her body.
Entering the surgery, Ginny found Spencer going over a checklist and supplies. It was her turn to clear her throat, as he was engrossed in his duties. Turning abruptly, almost knocking over a few jars, he looked at her questioningly.
“Hi, Spencer,” she smiled.
“Hello, Corliss. What can I do for you? Are you ill?”
Ginny entered the small room and leaned against the wall. There was a table in the middle, but it looked like it had seen a lot of action over the years and Ginny shuddered to think what might still be clinging to it. What she wouldn't give for a gallon of bleach.
“It must be a bummer to only have sick people seek you out. No, I'm fine. Gideon wanted me to find out if you needed any help. I'm pretty good at doctoring.”
Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “Have you formal training?” His voice said it all... he knew she couldn't since the Royal College would never accept a woman. It was well known that women did not have the constitution to mend the sick.
Laughing, Ginny wasn't about to tell him about all her formal training. Instead, she said, “Nothing formal, no. I had a kind grandmother who taught me a thing or two about herbal remedies.”
“Would the sight of blood be too much to bear?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head slowly. “At least, it hasn't yet. Do you swoon at the sight of blood?” she asked, with a lilt of sarcasm in her voice.
“I would be a very poor physician if I did. I cannot have you turning tail and running away if the situation becomes bad.”
Ginny pushed away from the wall and came to stand directly in front of Spencer. Tilting her head back to look him in the eye, she said, “I w
ouldn't offer my services to you if I didn't think I could handle it, Spencer. But if you want my help, you had better put away those stupid preconceived notions that women are somehow weaker than men.”
Poking him in the chest with her finger, she added, “What more do I have to do to prove myself, mister? I just jumped off a ship and swam to shore. Does that sound like I have bravery issues?”
Taking his hand and covering hers to stop the poking, he replied, “No, Corliss. I certainly would not think you a coward.”
His hand on hers made her body heat up slightly. The crooked smile on his face didn't help matters either. Pulling her hand away, she smiled as she backed out the door.
“Fine then. Let me know if I can be of some help.”
“Aye, I will.”
Ginny left more confused than when she walked in. Shaking her head again, hoping that some good sense would enter, Ginny walked back on deck. She would have to find something to do, because it wasn't as though she planned to stay naked in Webster's bed, awaiting him to come at night. She was a woman of purpose and that was how she planned to stay.
Chapter 20
Over the next few weeks, Ginny learned more and more about the ship and crew. There were some people she really liked and would go to if she had questions or problems. There were also people she would definitely not go to. Hamish, the crew member who complained about her sitting on a chair would be the latter. It became painfully obvious that the man disliked her. She couldn't walk past him without him making a snide remark about her. Luckily for Ginny, she was the queen of snide remarks. Which was probably why Hamish never came around to liking her.
Tilly, on the other hand, she considered a friend. Although very rough around the edges, Tilly's heart was pure gold. It was she who found Noddy begging in the street. She'd been taking care of him since he was only five or six years old. They shared a cabin, where Tilly was the mother the boy never had.
Ginny spent most of her day with either Gideon or Spencer. Nathaniel only spoke to her if necessary, and usually for very short durations. But at night, he was most attentive. If not for the precautions he took, Ginny thought they would be having a baby before too long.
The few attempts at conversation Ginny had made had ended badly. They had little in common, other than she had been married to his cousin. Where Ginny liked to joke around, he was serious. Where Ginny was warm hearted, he was stiff and awkward. Where Ginny was stubborn and unyielding, Nathaniel was easy going. If not for the incredible sex, Ginny would have found the whole relationship tedious.
There was no doubt that Nathaniel felt the same way, but he had yet to ask her to leave his cabin. If anything, when it came time for bed sport, he was eagerly awaiting her. The only compliments he paid her were during sex. But those mostly surrounded her lush breasts and plump bottom. The affair took on a surreal, comical quality that didn't seem very romance novely.
Ginny thought she should end it, but then after a particularly good orgasm, she'd ask herself why. If the sex was good and they weren't hurting anyone, there didn't seem any reason to change.
Ginny was also learning what it meant to be a privateer. Webster and his crew would take on any job they could get a hold of, and there was no shortage of them. People needed transporting to other islands. Cargo needed shipping. With a man like Webster, he asked few questions and was prompt and discreet. The Victory Sound had made a name for itself in the West Indies for its ability to avoid naval ships that might take exception to certain activities.
Most days, Ginny worked with Spencer, taking care of minor injuries and illnesses. Other days, she worked with Gideon, learning how to run a large, sailing ship. Though he never let her do anything truly fun or dangerous, she was still having the time of her life.
One day, a young crew member by the name of Charles, got his thigh cut open by another careless crew member who was cutting up some rope. Ginny just happened to be on deck that day and witnessed the accident. At the sight of his own blood, Charles sat down hard and took on a green quality. Ginny rushed over to see what she could do.
“You're not gonna pass out on me, are you Charles?” she asked, smiling to let him know that the wound would not kill him.
Gulping heavily, he shook his head and looked away as she examined the wound. It was deep, but not fatal. No major arteries were cut. Still, he would need stitching. Spencer arrived just in time with his kit so Ginny didn't have to accept the filthy rag another crew member offered.
“Do you think you can walk to the surgery, Charles?” asked Spencer.
“Wouldn't it be better to stitch him up here, Spencer? The light is better and he wouldn't have to move.”
Spencer looked her over for a moment, then nodded. “Would you like to take care of this one, Corliss?”
At mention of being treated by Ginny, Charles moaned. Ginny rolled her eyes and said, “Sure. Hold pressure on this while I go down and get what I need.”
Spencer did as she asked while she went to the surgery. Retrieving a few items, Ginny came back on deck. During the long days at sea, Ginny and Spencer had argued about certain things, like sterilization and cleanliness. Though he agreed with her on many points, he didn't understand why and Ginny hadn't been in any mood to explain about germs and infection.
In the end, Ginny got what she wanted and was able to clean a few things to be prepared for times just like this.
On her way back from the surgery, Ginny got a pot of hot water from the cook. Using the water and a homemade astringent, Ginny cleaned the wound until Charles couldn't take it any longer.
“You'll thank me for it later, Charles. You don't want to get a fever over a stupid accident like this.”
She took her mostly sterile needle and thread and went about stitching the cut. The stitches were small, to minimize the scar and hopefully prevent anything getting into the wound. When complete, she wrapped the leg tightly and told Charles what he could and couldn't do for the next few days. Another crew member took Charles down to his bunk to rest for a bit, since he was still pretty queasy from the experience.
“That was quite impressive, Corliss,” Spencer said while Ginny cleaned up.
Looking up, she saw that Nathaniel had been watching the proceedings with a smile on his face. He looked almost impressed, and for some silly reason, that made Ginny feel good.
“Thank you, Spencer. Hopefully I cleaned it enough to prevent the fever.”
“Aye. It will be known by tomorrow. Let me help you clean up.”
As Ginny collected her things, she kept stealing covert glances at Nathaniel, who in turn was doing the same thing. The hunger in his eyes made Ginny's stomach clench in anticipation. Like a wolf stalking his prey, Ginny was fairly certain that witnessing her doctoring was a turn on to her lover.
Not paying particular attention, Ginny didn't even hear the conversation that Spencer was having with her. It wasn't until he remained silent that she noticed that something had changed.
“Did you say something, Spencer?” she asked, finally pulling her gaze away from Nathaniel.
“I have said a lot of things, Corliss, but you have not been paying much attention.”
Spencer gave Ginny a strange look before shaking his head. Curious, Ginny wanted to know what he had been about to say.
“Was there something you wanted to know, Spencer?” Her tone was civil, but just. Ginny had become accustomed to not having to explain herself.
“'Tis nothing, Corliss,” he murmured back, glancing over at the captain who was standing within a distance to overhear their conversation.
Picking up on his hint, Ginny said, “Let's get this stuff back to the surgery. I want to clean a few things while we're there.”
The two made their way below deck. Upon entering the room used as his office, Spencer walked to the far side of his operating table and paced back and forth. Ginny watched for a moment, then went to put away the supplies. Why do men need to pace to think? she wondered, turning her back to him. Maybe
it was only sailors, she considered.
When he still hadn't said a word by the time she was finished cleaning up, Ginny took it upon herself to find out what was wrong. They'd been together for weeks, talking and getting to know about each other. As far as Ginny was concerned, he and Gideon were her best friends. They would stay up late some nights talking and playing cards. Most times, she was just one of the guys.
“What's on your mind, Spencer?”
“I would not wish to intrude on your life, Corliss,” he responded.
Ginny let out a laugh. That was all the three had been doing for the past few weeks. Some conversations bordered on extremely intrusive, as each asked about the other's life in turn. Ginny knew where each man was born, their families, and their lives so far. It made her wonder what he could possibly ask that he thought would be too intrusive.
A Lesson in Presumption Page 14