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.“Then I drives down to the wharf to see had me mates seen the ladies.They tells me ‘aye,’ they seen ’em.”The captain stopped pacing and glared at him.“Go on.”“Me mates says the ladies boarded the ferry with this feller what looks like a dandy, but seems a bit down on his luck.Frayed about the edges, he were.”“Which ferry?”“The one bound up the country to Ireland Island and Somerset village.”“Bostock makes berth there.”“Aye, that’s the name me mates said they heard.The dandy, he pays the ferryman extra to sail ’mediately.He were plannin’ to take passage to the Colonies on the Sea Wolf, he says, if they could catch it, that is.Cap’n Bostock were sailing today.”Nicholas snatched his spyglass from the desk and strode to the nearest westerly window.“I see the tip of a mast sailing into the sun.”“Be it the Sea Wolf?” No one could work for Nicholas Scott long without hearing whispers of his enmity with the master of that unnaturally named vessel.Every proper seaman knows a ship’s a lady, not a fierce growling beast, and she ought to have the name o’ one.“Find Mr.Higgs,” Captain Scott ordered.“Tell him to assemble the crew.We sail with all speed.”“But sir—” Reggie felt strange making a suggestion to the likes of Captain Scott, but the words popped out of their own accord.“The Susan Bell likely isn’t rigged for a voyage.She’ll need water and victuals and—”“No, she won’t.We aren’t going far.” The captain raised his spyglass again and trained it on the horizon.“Only far enough to catch that black-sailed bastard.”The ship’s bell clanged incessantly for the better part of half an hour and the crew responded to the summons at a run.Even Digory Bock came to stand on the wharf, hoping the captain might relent and let him back on the ship’s roll.“How many pints have you drunk this day, Bock?” Nick bellowed down between issuing orders for the Susan Bell’s sails to be unfurled.“Only four,” Digory shouted up to the deck.“Or maybe it were eleven.” It was hard to be certain.“Decide which and come back when you’re sober,” Scott said as the gangplank was shipped.“I can’t use a man who’s always three sheets to the wind.You’re a decent enough seaman, Bock.See if you can become a decent enough man and we’ll talk.Mr.Higgs, slip those cables now!”“Godspeed, Cap’n,” Digory said under his breath as the Susan B glided between the inner harbor islets.The captain had as good as given him a berth again.It was only a matter of time before he was sailing with his old mates.Digory was glad he hadn’t gone to the magistrate now.He swiped his greasy sleeve across his mouth.“Good news like this calls for a drink!”Night fell and the Sea Wolf was still beyond Nick’s reach.But just before the sky darkened to indigo, he managed to take a final bearing on the distant black sail.If Bostock ran true to form, he’d drop some of his canvas for the night watch.Nick had more sail laid on.“Shall I give the order for the running lamps to be lit?” Higgs asked.Nick shook his head.“I don’t want Bostock to know we’re coming.Starlight will do for the old girl.” Wind strained the ship’s sails, but she glided almost silently through the night.The only sound was the shushing of waves against her hull.“Get some sleep, Pere.I’ll stand the first watch.”“I don’t know as I can, sir,” Peregrine said.“Penny’s on that ship.”“And you’ll not be worth anything to her unless you’re rested.Relieve me at two bells, Mr.Higgs.” His tone made it an order.Nick stood at the helm, letting the ship speak to him through the wheel while his crew slept.As usual, the Susan Bell calmed him.The world was mad, but all was quiet here.There was only the wind and the waves and the mathematical dance of the stars across the black sky.And then suddenly, he was aware of another presence.The scent of lavender wafted past and he knew immediately who it was.“I’m sorry, Hannah,” he whispered.“I love her.I must have Eve.If he stands in my way tomorrow, oath or no, I’ll be sending him to join you.”Or perhaps Nick would be seeing his dead wife again.He and Bostock were evenly matched.It might go either way.A cold finger ran down his spine.The lavender scent faded so completely, he wondered if between fear for Eve and exhaustion, he’d only imagined it.The soughing in the topsails was probably just the wind, he told himself.Eve and Penny were taking a turn along the port rail in the pearly dawn.Neither had slept
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