Sail With Me (A Discovery Series Book) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Denham…” Benjamin began as his eyes met mine in the looking-glass.
“Meet… Charlie Hamden?”
    “Charlie.” That would be easy to remember. “Do you think this will work,
Benjamin?”
    “If you want it bad enough, you’ll make it work. You’re not one to give
up. It’s one of the best things about you.”
    He put the shears down and stepped away while I swept up my hair.
    “I’ll miss you, Charlotte.” He drew me into an embrace and kissed my cheek.
His lips were warm and soft against my skin. It was the first time he had ever
touched me in that way.   
    “I’ll miss you too.” I held onto his hands, not sure what else to do.
    He gave my hands a tight squeeze before letting them go. Benjamin reached
around to pull something out of the back pocket of his breeches. “I brought you
this. It’s mine.” He plopped a cap onto my head and pulled it down low. “There
now. Your disguise is complete, Charlie. Think of me when you wear it, all
right?”
    “I’ll think of you a great deal, Benjamin. How could I not?”
    I turned back to the looking-glass and compared my new reflection to
Benjamin’s.
    “Not bad, huh?” I said.
    “It should fool an outsider.” His eyes met mine in the reflection and he
took a step closer so he was directly behind me. “Wouldn’t fool me, though. I
know every detail of your face.”
    “So there won’t be any danger you’ll forget me while I’m gone then?” I
turned to face him.
    “Not a chance.” Benjamin tapped a finger to my nose. “I’ll be here
waiting to hear all about your adventure if…” He shook his head. “ When you decide to come back. That’s what a best friend does. In the meantime, I
wonder if Rachel Carnigan wants to be… friends .”
    I gave him a quick shove. “I can’t believe I’m going to try this.”
    “I hope you find what you’re looking for, Charlotte. Be safe.” He kissed
my cheek again. “I’ll let Lady Elizabeth know you’ve found other employment.”
    “Thanks. If my father and brothers come back…”
    “I’ll take care of it.”
    I pressed my lips to Benjamin’s cheek. “I wouldn’t have lasted as long as
I did on land without you. You know that, right?” I whispered in his ear.
    When I pulled back, he was smiling. “Good bye, Charlotte.” He gave me one
last look and left.
    Alone now, I studied my new self in the looking glass. The boy who stared
back at me would bring the adventure I so craved.
    Through Charlie I would sail.
    ****
    I fell asleep at my house that evening and when I awoke in the morning, I
slipped into my disguise, tied the shell necklace around my neck, and wasted no
time getting to the Rose . I could not believe the sheer size of the
vessel. Wide planks of dark wood covered her hull. Four thick masts, stripped
of their sails at the moment, jutted out from the deck. The ship herself
resembled a fly caught in a spider web. Braided lines extended from the
perimeter of the ship and were secured into the sand by large wooden stakes. An
enormous, rusted iron anchor was lodged in the sand beside the vessel.  
    After checking myself over, I jogged down the dock until I reached its
end. I jumped into the sand and walked toward the ship. Before I reached the
vessel, a man approached me. His shirt had been stripped away, and he had a
white-knuckled grip on a mallet in his right hand. He swatted at a mosquito
hovering around his sweat-laden head.
    “What do you want, boy?” Two brown eyes narrowed at me.
    “Hello, sir.” I bowed my head. “Are you Captain Finley?”
    “I am.”
    “I was asking around the docks if any captains sought extra hands before
they sail out. Someone said Captain Finley was and his ship was careened on the
south shore.” I pointed to the ship behind him.
    Captain Finley studied me as a fresh sweat broke out all over my skin.
Why did he have to look so closely at me? It didn’t matter if he recognized me
as Charlotte Denham. If he suspected I was a girl—any girl—I