Passion's Tide by Sarah West Read Free Book Online

quartermaster laughed and slapped him on the back . “Aye, Captain . Or should I say: e l Tigre . ”   This caused both men to laugh heartily, as the Imperial Shadow bobbed in the surf .
     
     
    Amber awoke at first light, a ray of which entered though the cabin windows, landing directly upon her face . She groaned and thought to turn over, then decided she might as well get up . With a yawn she swung her feet over the side of the bed and reached for the blue dress she had worn the night before, deciding against wrinkling another so soon . Besides, many of her other gowns would be even more difficult to lace or button by herself, and she dare not ask Captain Watson for more help in that matter.
    Indeed, the previous evening he avoided looking at her for too long, though many sailors had shamelessly regarded her low cut dress with much admiration . The meal itself had been uneventful, disappointing both Amber and the young boy.
    Several times Johnny attempted in vain to bring up topics of conversation not suited for the dinner table, especially one that included the company of a lady, though Amber seemed to be the most willing to listen . The third time he mentioned pirates however, the Captain went very red in the face as he clutched his fork in anger, his knuckles turning white . Amber, wishing to avoid arousing his temper any further, decided to ask the boy questions about himself .
    He had answered them all obediently, though many of his responses caused Amber to question his truthfulness . She did not believe for one second that he was only eleven years old, for he was almost as tall as she was and she could make out the light markings of facial hair on his chin and cheeks . His voice, too, was much too deep for a boy of eleven, though she believed he tried to mask it by speaking higher, even cracking it convincingly . He also seemed to hesitate before answering questions about his past, as if he were thinking hard about his response .
    In fact, the only thing that he seemed t o speak freely about was the pirate attack, a subject that was not far from the minds of anyone present . Amber had thought about it a great deal herself as she settled into her cabin for the night, reading by candlelight until she was tired enough to sleep .
    The subject came to mind again as she struggled into her dress, but was forgotten as she worked out a way to lace it herself . Bending her arms behind her she was able to tighten the ribbons almost all the way to the top, and then by pulling her shoulder blades back and sticking out her chest she succeeded in tying a knot, crooked as it may have been . It was also a bit too snug, she realized as she stood straight up and attempted to take a deep breath, but rather than wrestle with it any more she decided to leave it .
    She stopped in the galley to grab an apple before emerging on deck . Despite the early hour, men were already going about their duties, and Amber was looking for a quiet place to sit when she noticed a ship off the starboard side.
    She followed it with her eye as she located the Captain, who stood with his spyglass extended in the direction of the ship . He glanced at Amber as she came next to him, and then returned to his telescope .
    “We spotted her a little before midnig ht,” he told her solemnly.
    “Is she anything to worry about?”
    “I don’t think so . She’s flying British colors, and is sailing at half speed,” he said, indicating that only half of the sails were unfurled . “Likelihood is she’s just a merchant ship, same as us . Still, we’re going to keep an eye on her.”
    Amber bit into her apple and squinted at the other ship . “Looks like she’s heading straight towards us,” she noted, swallowing and taking another bite .
    “Aye, ‘tis a bit odd, but nothing to be alarmed about , I’m sure.”
    Amber finished her apple and threw the core into the surf. Then she settled on a barrel to read, though she kept peering over the edge of her book