Ocean's Justice

Part 9

Nine

An ear-splitting noise woke me. For a moment, I was terrified – it sounded like the same blaring horn that called the crew to combat on warships. I'd seen enough of such battles to last a lifetime. The only thing louder than the call to arms in my memory were the screams of the dying – far too many for me to count.

I'd go over the side, into the water, before I'd witness another naval battle.

"Time to get dressed up and go for a walk, lass." William's voice was surprisingly calm. He grinned as he grabbed a towel to dry his freshly-washed face.

Why did the prospect of war make him so cheerful?

He hung the towel over the rail and turned to face me. Something saddened him and his voice turned soft and coaxing. "It's all right, Maria. I'm sure it's only another drill – the captain swears the regular drills while he was in the Royal Navy saved his life. Don't worry. I'll take care of you. Now, get down here before the captain comes looking for us. If the ship really is sinking, we don't want to be slow."

William held out his hands and I took them, sliding from the bunk to thump feet-first onto the deck. He led me out of the cabin, as unhurried as if we were headed to breakfast, but he bypassed the deserted mess hall. I wasn't sure where or why he was taking me, but my instincts told me to trust him. He'd had three days and two nights to attack me, if that was his desire. Of course he'd touched me, but, like his tone, he kept all contact between us both courteous and gentle. He hadn't even pulled my hair when he'd combed it.

The wind hit me as we reached the main deck – a cold air current that made me turn my face to it, closing my eyes and breathing deep to savour the freshness. It plastered my shirt against my chest and turned my nipples into hard chips of ice. Oh, how I loved it.

"Here. Take it, lass, before you freeze."

I felt something rough and gritty brush my arm, and opened my eyes. William held out his salt-encrusted, woollen jumper with an entreating look on his face. He clenched his other arm against his body, as if the wind chilled him more than it did me. I shook my head, laughing as I pushed the jumper away. I wanted as little as possible between me and the bracing breeze.

Reluctantly, he pulled it back over his head and grasped my hand again. He led me along the deck to a spot out of the wind. A crewman stood beside a large, open box, handing out canvas pillows with trailing ribbons. He already had one tied around his torso.

"Have you ever worn a lifejacket, lass?" William asked, pressing the surprisingly hard pillow against my chest. He helped me pull the awkward thing over my head before he tied the ribbons securely around me. When he was similarly trussed, he led me through a maze of boxes and crates and along the path that skirted the deck.

I scanned the grey-green waters, searching for the other ships that had provoked the call to arms, but I saw nothing but us, clear to the horizon. Turning to survey the sea in the other direction, I bumped into something hard. I squeezed my eyes shut at the blinding pain in my head.

William's warm fingers touched my forehead. "Ooh, that was a nasty bump. You should watch where you're going – these lifeboats could save your life. You don't want to dent one with that hard head of yours." For a moment, the only sound was wind and that blaring horn, before he continued, "Are you all right? Do you want to lie down? I'll carry you back to the cabin when we're done, but we have to wait here until the whole crew's assembled."

I forced my eyes open. The stars had faded and the initial, shocking pain, too. The dull ache it left behind was bearable. I turned my eyes on the object I'd collided with – a small, wooden boat suspended at head height to catch the unwary. Another hung behind it and two more mirrored these on the starboard side of the vessel.