Secrets of the Wind

Chapter 3

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Not even three days had passed and Fiona had caught some bug or another, isolating her from the rest of the ship members. It started with a sniffle and quickly escalated to her bringing up her crumpets. She hated this situation she was in. Her stomach was in turmoil so much that she had couldn't go a few minutes without the bucket. She was weak and her skin was dry and paler than normal. Considering her true skin color was already pale enough she really didn't need to add to that situation. She also missed her baths terribly. Because of the number of ship members, there was only a certain number of baths se could take and the luxury of her old lifestyle was no longer there. However, to her it didn't matter. She smelled and tasted freedom and for once it was liberating.

A soft knock sounded at her cabin door and she quickly righted herself before voicing for the person to enter. "Miss Fiona, how are you feeling today?" The doctor on board had been attending to her of late. Gently smiling she shrugged her shoulders as if to gesture that she was just the same as he had left her yesterday.

"Captain Garrett suggested a stroll across the decks and we believe some fresh air might do your body some good. He sent some men to start you a bath in your chambers so that you can right yourself." As he exited the men he was talking about entered with a tub and 2 pails of warmed water. As soon as the men left she could not have been any happier to strip out of her sweaty nightgown and let the water wash away the grime and stickiness of her sickness and her stay on the ship. She stayed in the water until it went cold and only then did she step out and dry herself before carefully choosing a comfortable midnight blue dress.

Captain Garrett was not but a few feet down from Fiona's door. He smiled as soon as he saw her and his eyes lit up whenever he saw the twinkle in hers. He knew it was wrong of him to overstep his boundaries as it was an unspoken truth that William had lay eyes on her first but she was like a younger sister to him and he couldn't help but feel a little protective of her. Somehow she seemed familiar, as if he'd seen her beforehand.

"Lady Fiona, it is a pleasure to see you finally out of your chambers." Neither her paleness nor the shadows under her eyes went unseen. She somehow seemed a little more frail than she had first boarded. "Captain Garrett, thank you for your hospitality and you are too kind. I am very much aware of the mess I look." Half-smiling, Fiona took his offered arm as they began their stroll around the deck. It was early morning and other than the ship crew there were not much passengers above deck and certainly no females.

"I was actually surprised to find you awake. Of all my experience with women they never left their chambers until midday."

"Well, I think I was pretty much sick of staring at the door and..." her body shook as she doubled over to cough "be confined to my illness. When doc suggested that I take a stroll with you I was very much grateful." Garrett slightly blushed at her kind words.

"So, tell me, why is it that an unchaperoned, unmarried female such as yourself is on aboard a ship in the middle of the night traveling to the Americas." Fiona was a little reserved to answer the question but as she stole a glance at his facial expression all she could see was friendly curiosity and truthfully it might help if she confided to someone. Somehow, she got the feeling that the kind captain was more friend than foe.

"Well, if I tell you must promise to never tell a soul." That certainly startled Garrett. He saw the unease on her face and pulled her to a more secluded area on deck away from anyone eavesdropping but still in sight of everything happening.

"Lady Fiona, pray do tell. Is everything alright?" She was made of tough material as he saw the unshed tears in her eyes and the fear that shook within her. It was hid under many layers of fake confidence and a part of him was saddened to see her in such a state.

"I ran away. No. I escaped." She could sense his uneasiness, as if he regretted letting her aboard his ship or getting to know her. Those eyes that judged her as if a scandal had just occurred. As if she did something forbidden and wrong, and in a way, she did. But who was he to judge. He did not know her story, she had to remind herself. Ignorance was just a natural thing that all humans experienced.

"Escaped?" He squeaked. It would have been rather funny if it were not the seriousness of the situation. Fiona turned her body away from him and stared out at the calm blue waters in the early morning.

"My parents passed a few years back. My brother and I were assigned under the care of my uncle and wife. She too died of illness recently. That left my uncle, brother and I. My brother was never home. He went to study and then serve for the king and travel the lands. I doubt he ever looked back or cared because he never showed it and never cared to find out about what happened." Her shoulders had stiffened and it seemed as if the words were just flying out of her mouth. Garrett was frozen in place, curious to hear more of what had caused her to run away.

"My uncle he was a very evil and bad man. He did unspeakable things to the servants and I am sure was plotting things against his king even though he is in the inner circles. Sometimes his friends would come over and whenever they did they would spew out crude and inappropriate comments. I lived in a state of constant fear of my health and well being as I knew there would be a breaking point. Well, there was.

The night we met at the docks my uncle made an advance. He...he was trying to take advantage of me but by the mercy of God I was able to knock him off and unconscious. I knew all of the servants would rat me out as if they knew any information they'd be punished or get let off. I'd been planning my escape for months and when the chance came I took it." Letting out the whole story was more exhausting than she could imagine and used up what little of it she had left.

She knew the captain was in a state of shock and frankly she did not feel like conversing with anyone as she surely did not have the energy. "Excuse me." She politely excused herself and retired to her chambers leaving the captain standing there still processing all the details of what all she had confided in him.

***Alright, it's short but I do promise that it's all going to get a little more interesting***