by Haley Travis
“Thank you.” I smiled at my new friend, realizing with delight that I was somehow closer with him already than I’d ever been with my school mates. “I’m glad that I’m here to share the work with you.”
He laughed. “I had three main jobs on the Fortune. Lifting the heaviest cargo, sewing, and listening to the Captain when he needs an ear.” His slightly lopsided grin amused me. “I’m very glad you’re here to take care of the stitchin’ now.”
I giggled, then looked over at him as he sat with me for a moment. His face was quite rugged, and would have looked downright frightening if not for the warmth in his eyes and his easy smile. “Larry, may I ask you a question?”
“You want to know how I got this huge scar.”
I nodded. “I guess everyone must ask you that. I’m sorry – you don’t have to tell me.”
“It’s okay. I used to tell women that it happened while saving a puppy from a mountain lion, thinking they might find that endearing.”
I snickered but quickly fell quiet. My curiosity about this gentle man had been growing, and this seemed like a tale that was important to him.
"I don't know that it's a very exciting story," he said softly. "My first Captain wasn't always as organized as Captain Samuels. He didn't always inform the crew of what was going on. This made it difficult for us to help each other out on our various…" He paused, looking up at me with a worried glance. "Excursions."
I reached out to pat his hand. "Larry, I can imagine that life is rough out here, and I'm sure that some jobs are a bit, shall we say, shady. Just skip over that part if it makes you feel better."
He nodded quickly. "Thank you, Miss. So, I was dropping off a small barrel of, um, special powder. Three of us had been carrying barrels, but I knew that mine had a very sensitive cargo.
“When we stashed them in the back of a stable as the Captain had instructed, I noticed that the other two crewmen decided to take a break, sitting on the barrels and lighting up a cigar."
His eyes grew tense. He didn't look up at me as his hands began to shake slightly from the memory that obviously made him uncomfortable. "I knew that cargo was supposed to be a secret, but I couldn't let the young lads take a chance on being blown to kingdom come. As I was deciding what to do, I saw one of them throw a match near the bottom of the special barrel, which looked like it had a small leak."
He looked up at me with an absolutely haunted expression. "Secrets be damned, Miss, I couldn't let anyone be maimed like that. I charged them, knocking them both through the back doorway of the stable just before the black powder went up."
"Oh my goodness," I whispered. "Thank goodness you noticed in time."
He shrugged. "Not in time to save the stable. It exploded, and we had to run for the docks as if the devil himself were at our heels. I didn't even realize until we reached the ship that a piece of flying wood had clipped my ear and half of my face."
"But that's the only place you were hurt?" I asked frantically.
"Aye. Well, I had a few bruises and scrapes on my back from other bits of wood, but that was nothing. The two younger lads were in front of me, so they were safe."
"And if the Captain had warned them that one piece of your cargo was dangerous, they would never have done such a thing?" I asked.
"Exactly, Miss."
I nodded, thinking. "Our Captain keeps everyone well informed, does he?"
Larry smiled, his eyes warm and relaxed again. “Aye, Miss. He might not tell us every detail, but he always lets us know the crux of what's going on, and warns us well if there is anything dangerous."
I nodded, staring down at my hands for a moment, thinking. It was one thing to consider the tales of pirate life from afar, but it was very different now that I was sitting on a ship.
"Miss, this ship doesn't carry much dangerous cargo anymore," he said quickly. "What little weaponry we do transport, it's only things that can be packaged safely. Captain Samuels doesn't take chances with things like black powder, especially after I told him what happened to me. It’s only small barrels, and they’re clearly marked. No secrets."
I smiled up at him. "Well, that's good to know."
"And he would never put you at risk, Miss. I hope that you know that. No matter what happens with the rest of us, he would do everything to keep you safe."
I couldn't help giggling. "What if there was a fortune to be made smuggling something impossibly illegal?"
"Then he would stash you at McGee's mother's house, or somewhere else perfectly safe while we made the run," he said quite seriously. "I'm just assuming, of course. He hasn't spoken to me about it. But I know that he would never take you into harm's way."
Looking out across the gently rolling sea, I realized that I felt safer with these men that I had in my own village. What a strange world.
Then I saw something on the horizon. "Larry, is that Parrinport?"
He turned his head to glance. “Aye.” He glanced back to my stitching, then his head suddenly perked up. “Quick, come with me.”
I dropped my sewing and tried to keep pace with the big man as he dashed to the forecastle. I gripped the railing beside him as we stood at the bow, the wind in our hair. Now that I could see the land coming toward us, I had a better sense of how fast the ship was going.
“I’ll tell you a secret, Miss Flora,” Larry grinned with nearly childlike glee. “No matter how many times a sailor has circled the world, it’s always exciting to reach port.”
The salty air was catching me full in the face, nearly taking my breath away, and giving me a bit of a chill. It was exhilarating. Refreshing. Like my soul was being cleansed, and every stress and needless thought was scrubbed away by the feeling of flying across the water.
By the time I could almost make out individual trees along the shore, the ship had slowed down, as Teeth and McGee dropped the sails.
Larry patted my shoulder, leaving me to chat with the Captain. It was hard not to nearly jump up and down in excitement as I rushed to scrub my face and comb my hair before we reached the shore.
It was brilliantly exciting for me to visit a completely new town for the first time. But I wasn’t sure why the Captain sent Larry to accompany me instead of him. I didn’t mean to overhear, but I heard them use the words “authorities” and “posters”, yet wasn’t sure what that meant.
Perhaps the Captain was thought to be dangerous around these parts. It was amusing that I couldn’t imagine him as fearsome, but knew he likely could be if the occasion presented itself. It certainly wasn’t my place to ask. I felt that I should simply follow orders as best I could. It was also quite possible that the Captain simply had to stay with the ship to settle business dealings.
He gave me a little sack of money before we left. “Flora, you spend as much as you need to. This is your first port of call, so if you see a trinket that you’d like as a token, feel free.”
His large hand cupped my cheek for a second, as the warmth of his gaze washed through me. “Stay with Larry and you’ll be safe, lass.”
Then he gave us both a nod, and Larry and I walked off the ship. When we stood on the dock, Larry held me by the elbow for a second, keeping us still. It felt downright funny to be on solid ground.
Larry smiled from under the wide brim of the hat he had donned for our excursion. “Just take a moment, Miss. Like when you come aboard, your legs need to get used to the swell of the sea. Now we need to get our land legs back.”
After a pause, we walked down the dock and along the path toward the busiest part of the village. I instantly felt nervous, nearly tucking into Larry’s side. I didn’t know these people. Should I worry about what they might think of me? Or was that just my father’s voice still in the back of my head?
“Miss, part of blending in is looking confident. Like you belong here. If you’ll pardon my sayin’, you look like you want to disappear into the pathway. Try standing tall with your chin up. Pretend that’s a thousand gold pieces in your purse.” He flashed a grin
as I tried to arrange myself. “That’s it.”
It was the first time I'd ever seen Little Larry in a long-sleeved shirt. I almost asked him why, then realized it was to hide his tattoos. Normal villagers likely didn’t take too kindly to frightening looking men, or long-distance sailors.
“Larry, is it Sunday?”
“I think it’s Tuesday, Miss.”
Looking around at the people on the cobblestone paths, the men were mostly in dark pants with white shirts, but a few of them had shirts of light blue and green. The women wore extravagant dresses in all manner of colors. I had assumed it must be Sunday best. Did people dress like this on weekdays? It seemed amazing.
Larry guided me around a corner, toward a large shop with a sign that read, “Gerrard’s Fabrics and Notions.”
“That must be it,” I said. I’d never been to a new town before, but somehow visiting my favorite kind of store was very exciting.
“As you shop, Miss, I’ll stay out of your way. But I can hold your purse, and carry everything for you.”
“Okay.”
“It’s okay to let people think I’m your servant,” he said softly.
“Why on earth would I do that?”
He shrugged. “People don’t think much of seafaring folk, or strangers. I’m so big that if I’m quiet, most people assume I’m slow. It’s okay to let them think that. It keeps them from being afraid.”
As we walked into the store, my hand flew to my mouth to stifle my gasp. The shop was huge. The selection was incredible. I’d never dreamed of so many different kinds of fabric in one place. And the colors… my head was nearly swimming.
I walked around the shop in a slow circle, noting what colors the men wanted for their shirts. The Captain had told me to choose something for him. My eyes fell upon a dark, mysterious green fabric that would make him look even more tan, even more beautiful. The thought of dressing a man had never occurred to me before. The thought that he was my man, in a way, fluttered through me with a strange warm glow.
The shopkeeper was a sturdy older woman who was very efficient. She cut me lengths of every fabric I needed, and helped me assemble needles, thread, a new marking pencil, and other little notions I required.
“Is that everything, Miss?” she asked. She seemed quite pleased, as if this was a big sale for her.
“Almost. I’ll just need a moment to double-check.”
Larry had been standing silently near the door. “Miss, did you get fabric for a new dress for yourself?” he said softly.
“Oh, yes, thank you.” I turned to examine a dark silvery gray fabric that would have been the nicest dress I’d ever had.
Looking to Larry, I pointed. “Is this appropriate?”
He shook his head, smiling softly. “Perhaps for an everyday dress.” He pointed to a bolt of cloth in a brilliant sea blue. “I think that one might suit you better, Miss. You should definitely get material for at least two.”
The thought of owning a bright blue dress, just for the amusement of having it, was something I couldn’t even fully think through. It was as if the idea were a circle and my mind was a square. It wouldn’t fit inside.
“Oh, yes,” the shopkeeper gushed. “Blue is very stylish this season. Anything related to the sea and the water is very fashionable.”
I heard a little gasp as she noticed my collar. My hand fluttered to my throat. I’d forgotten that in an attempt to look dressier, I’d made myself a collar of a black and blue velvet ribbon with a sea shell glued to the center.
“That’s the most unusual necklace I’ve ever seen, Miss. Wherever did you get it?”
I smiled, but felt suddenly shy. “I made it, Ma’am.”
“Where did you get that type of shell? I’ve never seen one in with peach streaks like that.”
I stifled my giggle. There was a large bowl in the ship’s sewing area filled with the prettiest stones and shells that the men had found throughout their many adventures. They’d said that I could help myself to anything.
“My friends travel a lot, Ma’am. They’ve explored many beaches, and kept a few pretty tokens.”
“Have you ever made more?” she asked eagerly.
“I’ve never thought about it, Ma’am. I easily could.”
“If you make more, please come to see me. I’ll buy twenty of them at twopence each.”
I turned toward Larry. “How soon will we be back in Parrinport?”
“Likely in a few weeks, Miss.”
“Thank you.” I turned back to the shopkeeper. “I’m certain I could have twenty made for you then, with a variety of different shells. But I’d best buy a new roll of this velvet ribbon, please.”
As we walked back to the ship with Larry carrying a pile of wrapped packages, I suddenly felt guilty. “Do you think the Captain would mind me spending his money on ribbon to make things for a shop? Should I have asked his permission first?”
Larry laughed, his rumbling chuckle making the dockworkers we passed laugh with him for no reason. “Aye, my pappy used to say ‘tis best to ask forgiveness later than to ask permission in advance.” He smiled down at me. “I’m sure it will be fine, Miss. Spending money on something you need isn’t thievin’.”
As we approached The Fortune’s Favor, I looked up to see the Captain on deck. The way his expression lit up as he saw me thrilled me to bits.
He rushed down the plank to greet me, sweeping me up in a huge hug. His lips brushed my ear as he whispered, “I missed you, lass.” Pulling away, he kissed my forehead so quickly I don’t think anyone else noticed. “How did your shopping go?” he asked as he led me onto the ship.
“Wonderfully, sir.” I saw that Larry was already carrying the parcels down to the sewing table. “I got everything we needed, but also some velvet ribbon.” I pointed to my necklace. “The shopkeeper liked this so much that she asked me to make more for her to sell.”
I watched his eyes carefully, hoping that I hadn’t stepped past any rules.
“Brilliant,” he grinned. Then he turned to call out to O’Doule. “Aren’t we passing the wee beach at Sonderlee on our way to Grimmington?”
“Aye, Captain. Did you want to make a stop?”
“Yes. Just for a few hours. We’ll pick up some fresh fruit, and we can all have a run on the beach.”
“Aye,” O’Doule nodded. “We could all use some time ashore.”
The Captain led me to a bench on the deck, sitting me close beside him. “That shell you’re wearing comes from Sonderlee, and we can go help you find more.”
I was stunned that he’d make a special trip just for me. “Thank you, sir. I was planning to just use the bits from the little treasure bowl.”
He shook his head, leaning in to examine my necklace. “I see the pink bits in the shell that I bet women like. This will be a fun excursion. We’ve never treasure hunted for shells before,” he chuckled. Then he looked at me carefully. “What’s wrong, lass?”
“I’m… I just… I’m surprised,” I stammered. “I wouldn’t think that anyone would go out of their way to help me sell some tiny bits of jewelry.”
He took my hand in his. “Lass, out here we help each other. If you want to make things, we’ll get you what you need.” He nodded to where Teeth and McGee were loading barrels, lashing them to the deck with ropes. “We get plain bread when we can because Teeth’s stomach can’t stand the heavy grains. We sail to Laurel Point every June so that McGee can attend his mother’s birthday dinner. We care for our ship, and that includes the people on it.”
I squeezed his hand. “Thank you,” I said softly, looking up into his deep eyes. I still couldn’t quite believe how close I felt to a man I’d known for less than a week.
~ Chapter 12 ~ The Captain ~
* Sonderlee Beach *
It was hard to believe that the girl running across the sand with her skirts hitched up to her knees was the same timid little lass who had seemed so worried about being proper.
Her long blonde hair flew
in the breeze as Davy chased her, threatening to drop a wee fish down the back of her dress. They were the youngest crew members, and it warmed my heart to see them carrying on like brother and sister.
Larry and O'Doule had gone a bit inland with giant baskets to fill with fruit. O’Doule knew all of the safe varieties and was brilliant at selecting fruit that was ready to eat today, and what would ripen over the coming weeks. Larry's long arms could easily reach everything we needed.
McGee had just returned with buckets from the stream a short walk inland, so we could stock up on fresh water. Before we left, we’d all carry a few buckets to lighten the load.
Flora, Davy, and Teeth had been collecting shells and stones, until two of them ran off. Flora’s little squeals filled the air until she finally held up her hands in surrender. "Please," she begged, "I can't run anymore."