“I think I just lost one in the storm,” she muttered.
When the captain made no reply, she realized he was already asleep. For a time she stood watching his face, the strong features softened by slumber, then she quietly tucked another blanket around him before leaving him to his dreams.
***
After the moments of comfort and laughter shared during the storm, the captain seemed more at ease in her presence, and before long, a companionship developed between them. Although Cat was popular with many of the sailors, her latest conquest came as a surprise to nearly everyone, and more than one head turned at the sound of Ransom’s voice raised in laughter at his cabin boy’s quips.
Cat enjoyed her new friendship and reveled in the warm weather when the Reckless sailed into Caribbean waters. When they took their first ship, a bloodless event involving a great deal of shouting and the discharging of a few nine-pounders, it was the thrill of her lifetime. The captured cargo was to be transferred to a warehouse Ransom owned on Windlay, and Cat begged a place beside the captain on the first boat ashore.
When they reached the island, Cat marveled at the palm trees and gawked at the blacks and mixed-blood women wearing gaudy kerchiefs and bright flowers. Fascinated, Cat could barely keep up with Bert and Ransom, pausing to point out each new wonder that caught her eye.
Finally, the first mate groaned. "Lord, captain, you’d think the boy had never been out of the nursery."
Although Ransom let out a low laugh in response, Cat saw the truth in Bert’s words and reminded herself just who she was supposed to be: a boy with a much less sheltered background than her own. She put a firm clamp on her eagerness, vowing to enjoy her outing without being so vocal about it.
But her enthusiasm was extinguished when they reached the site of the warehouse, where they found nothing except charred rubble. The building and its contents must have burned to the ground very recently, for Ransom’s surprise was apparent.
Cat stifled a gasp of dismay as the captain stood silently looking over the remains and Bert poked about the ruins, mumbling obscenities. No one spoke, making the grim scene eerily quiet, although the noises of the street could still be heard behind them, a dim echo to Bert’s grumbling.
"Devlin," Ransom finally said. At the single word, his first mate jerked upright, as though his fingers had been burned by a smoking ember.
"What makes you say so?" Bert asked.
"It bears his signature," Ransom said softly. "Look around you, Bert. None of the other buildings were touched."
"But you settled with him!"
"So I thought," Ransom said dryly.
Cat could see Bert was still not convinced, for the older man peered down at the rubble, shaking his head. "I don’t know, captain. I just can’t see it." The first mate looked up again at Ransom’s shuttered features. “And how would he know the warehouse was yours, anyway?”
"The man has spies everywhere," Ransom said, shrugging. He stood staring at the ruins, but to Cat it seemed as though he saw something else.
"Devlin? Who’s Devlin?" she whispered to Bert as Ransom stared off into space.
"Tremayne Devlin. He’s an old enemy of the captain’s," Bert muttered.
Although the look on the first mate’s face warned Cat not to ask any more questions, she persisted. "You think he burned down the warehouse?" she asked, aghast at the notion that someone would deliberately set a fire.
Bert simply glared at her, but the captain spoke. "Devlin himself did not set fire to the building," Ransom said. "That’s not his way. He only directed someone else to do his bidding because he seeks to ruin me. It’s an old grudge."
"Is he trying to kill you?" Cat asked, more familiar with open threats.
Bert choked back an oath, as if preparing to scold her, but Ransom held up his hand, with a cold smile. "Now, Bert, give the boy some credit. The question is logical."
He turned to Cat. "So far, he
When the captain made no reply, she realized he was already asleep. For a time she stood watching his face, the strong features softened by slumber, then she quietly tucked another blanket around him before leaving him to his dreams.
***
After the moments of comfort and laughter shared during the storm, the captain seemed more at ease in her presence, and before long, a companionship developed between them. Although Cat was popular with many of the sailors, her latest conquest came as a surprise to nearly everyone, and more than one head turned at the sound of Ransom’s voice raised in laughter at his cabin boy’s quips.
Cat enjoyed her new friendship and reveled in the warm weather when the Reckless sailed into Caribbean waters. When they took their first ship, a bloodless event involving a great deal of shouting and the discharging of a few nine-pounders, it was the thrill of her lifetime. The captured cargo was to be transferred to a warehouse Ransom owned on Windlay, and Cat begged a place beside the captain on the first boat ashore.
When they reached the island, Cat marveled at the palm trees and gawked at the blacks and mixed-blood women wearing gaudy kerchiefs and bright flowers. Fascinated, Cat could barely keep up with Bert and Ransom, pausing to point out each new wonder that caught her eye.
Finally, the first mate groaned. "Lord, captain, you’d think the boy had never been out of the nursery."
Although Ransom let out a low laugh in response, Cat saw the truth in Bert’s words and reminded herself just who she was supposed to be: a boy with a much less sheltered background than her own. She put a firm clamp on her eagerness, vowing to enjoy her outing without being so vocal about it.
But her enthusiasm was extinguished when they reached the site of the warehouse, where they found nothing except charred rubble. The building and its contents must have burned to the ground very recently, for Ransom’s surprise was apparent.
Cat stifled a gasp of dismay as the captain stood silently looking over the remains and Bert poked about the ruins, mumbling obscenities. No one spoke, making the grim scene eerily quiet, although the noises of the street could still be heard behind them, a dim echo to Bert’s grumbling.
"Devlin," Ransom finally said. At the single word, his first mate jerked upright, as though his fingers had been burned by a smoking ember.
"What makes you say so?" Bert asked.
"It bears his signature," Ransom said softly. "Look around you, Bert. None of the other buildings were touched."
"But you settled with him!"
"So I thought," Ransom said dryly.
Cat could see Bert was still not convinced, for the older man peered down at the rubble, shaking his head. "I don’t know, captain. I just can’t see it." The first mate looked up again at Ransom’s shuttered features. “And how would he know the warehouse was yours, anyway?”
"The man has spies everywhere," Ransom said, shrugging. He stood staring at the ruins, but to Cat it seemed as though he saw something else.
"Devlin? Who’s Devlin?" she whispered to Bert as Ransom stared off into space.
"Tremayne Devlin. He’s an old enemy of the captain’s," Bert muttered.
Although the look on the first mate’s face warned Cat not to ask any more questions, she persisted. "You think he burned down the warehouse?" she asked, aghast at the notion that someone would deliberately set a fire.
Bert simply glared at her, but the captain spoke. "Devlin himself did not set fire to the building," Ransom said. "That’s not his way. He only directed someone else to do his bidding because he seeks to ruin me. It’s an old grudge."
"Is he trying to kill you?" Cat asked, more familiar with open threats.
Bert choked back an oath, as if preparing to scold her, but Ransom held up his hand, with a cold smile. "Now, Bert, give the boy some credit. The question is logical."
He turned to Cat. "So far, he
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