Ocean's Justice by Demelza Carlton Read Free Book Online

you go." He squeezed my hand. "Even now, I don't want to." William laughed shakily as his eyes bored into mine. "Probably a good thing you don't understand me. If I'd said that to any of the girls back home, they'd be buying a wedding dress that very day. Maybe it's because I've never seen you in a dress. I wonder if I ever will." The wind swept away his laughter as he led me to the mess deck for breakfast.
    I clasped his hand tightly in both of mine, shaken at the message in his eyes that he'd reinforced with words I'd understood. If this ship sank, I'd fight off sharks to see him safely to land. William wouldn't suffer Giuseppe's fate. "No let go," I murmured, but I doubt he heard.
     

 
    Ten
    I swallowed the last bite of my sandwich and tried not to wish for food from home. Shipboard life was as dull as the food – I moved from cabin to mess and back again, seeing little else aside from glimpses of water and sky. It seemed almost too much effort to get up for more of the same.
    A hand grabbed mine and yanked my arm, almost tipping me off the bench. William was instantly on his feet, his larger hand fastened over the skinny, offending wrist. "Let go of her, lad."
    "I have a surprise for her, Mr McGregor," Charlie said. "Come on, you have to come out on deck." He jerked his head toward the door. "I want to show you something."
    "I'm sure it can wait a couple of minutes so Maria can finish her meal. Have you eaten yet?" William released Charlie, but he didn't leave my side.
    Charlie marched up to the counter and grabbed a sandwich in each hand. "I'll eat on deck," he insisted. "Come on. I don't want you to miss it." His eyes beseeched me.
    I smiled and rose. Charlie grinned so widely, I thought his face would split. I followed him up to the bow, where the ship endlessly parted the waves.
    "Have you ever seen anything like it, miss?" he asked, staring avidly at the bow wave, where the sunlight created rainbows in the spray.
    I placed both hands on the rail and followed his gaze. A fin...no, more than one. A dolphin burst from the bow wave and flipped in the air, circling until it splashed back into the water. Two fins rose up in its place. I couldn't help laughing for joy. I'd never seen spinner dolphins from such a high vantage point before. I leaned over the rail, trying to count the swimming bodies keeping pace with the ship, but there were too many of them. More than a hundred. A pod this large could only be congregating for a reason. I peered into the depths, then lifted my eyes to the ocean in front of the ship. Did the sun catch on something, or was I imagining it?
    "Careful, lass, or you'll find out how cold the Indian Ocean is in winter. As will I, for I'll dive in after you to fish you out again," William's voice said in my ear as he curled an arm around my waist.
    "Aww, Mr McGregor, Maria's safe with me!" Charlie complained, aiming a bitter look at my protector. "I can protect her. I'm not afraid of a fight!"
    "I'm sure you're right, lad, but she's my responsibility. And I wanted to see what could make her smile so brightly. Have you ever seen a dolphin before, Maria?"
    "I know I've never seen so many. There must be at least ten of them!" Charlie insisted.
    I shook my head, pointing. "More. Fish."
    William laughed gently. "They're not fish, lass. They're dolphins – as warm-blooded as you or me."
    Frustrated at not knowing the words, I shook my head harder. "No. Fish!"
    As if to illustrate the point I'd failed to make, a cloud of flying fish rose from the water, followed by a dozen dolphins and a second, smaller wave of the marine mammals. A much - reduced cloud splashed down half a minute later.
    Charlie burst out laughing. "She was right. The dolphins are fishing for flying fish. Was that how you survived on the raft? Did dolphins help you?"
    William snorted. "They're just animals. The stories about them helping shipwrecked sailors are just that – stories."
    "I heard that there are some places in the world