Seacrets Read Online Free PDF Page A

the gravest of sins against me...he stole from me. I will not abide any of that, ya hear me boy? Stealin' is the worst of all sins, to my mind. So just a warnin' to ya, lest ya want ta end up on the bottom o’ the sea."
    Maura was overcome with feelings of angst, at the thought of displeasing him.
    "Godsey will come for ya, soon, and show ya the lay of the ship. But for now ya can start by cleanin' up this pig sty. Eh?" Daniel turned quick on his heels and went out the cabin door.
    When the door slammed, she immediately began to rethink her escape plan of running home to her father. Maura thought to herself, Oh what a dreadful mistake this be . Fooling him for a day or even a week, perhaps I could get away with, but for three months?
    Maura looked about the cabin. She placed her hands to her hips and spoke aloud, “well I had better get started.”
    Maura began by stripping the Captain's bunk. When she pulled the sheets to her body in a bunch, she could smell the scent of sandalwood and spices. His smell , she thought. She took in the heady fragrance and felt a little ashamed at what she was thinking. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and wrapped the sheets about her shoulders and breathed in his scent and wondered for just a slight moment what it would be like to be in his arms. Some how she knew there would be safety in those strong arms. The spell was broken immediately, when Godsey entered the room.
    "Maura...Maura. Ya must be under some kind o’ spell, eh?"  Godsey interrupted her lovely daydream.
    When she scrambled to unravel herself from the bed sheets, her cap had fallen off her head.
    Godsey smiled and then laughed, obviously catching her dreaming about the Captain, as most women did. "You listen ta me, gel, ya keep that cap atop ya pretty little head or we'll both be losin' ours, if ya get my meanin'." Godsey touseled the top of Maura’s head with his hand.
    Maura dropped the sheets and picked up her scaly and stuffed her thick black tresses beneath the cap. A few thin strands hung down around the sides to frame her face. With her smudged nose and cheeks and those teasing strands hanging down, Godsey began to realize it would take an act of God himself to pull this off, because Maura looked as beautiful as if she were in regal garb. She was a natural beauty...soot and all.
    He walked over to her, helped her stuff the rest of her hair under her cap. He felt protective of her, like a father. "C'mon then. I've got a lot ta show ya about the ship. I'll show ya where the galley be, and where the powder stores are kept, and where to draw water. Never drink the sea water or you're sure ta be sick to ya stomach, lass.  We start every journey with enough water for most of the trip, but sometimes there's not enough so we leave barrels out on deck ta catch the rain water and we use those ta replenish our stores for the rest o’ the journey. Always make sure ya boil the water afore ya drink it." He went on and on for the longest time, as they made their whirlwind tour of the ship.
    Maura tried to listen and to remember all he had to tell her but she knew that would be impossible. Besides it was very difficult to hear Godsey over the deck hands hollering orders at each other and the crash of the waves hitting the sides of the ship. One other thing she hadn't counted on was the fierceness of the waves and how they tossed the ship about as if it were a toy. The ship was wavering to and fro and it made her start to feel sick.
    Godsey caught on right quick . "Lass, lass, Ya are goin' ta hafta get ya sea legs about ya. That's one thing for sure. You'll get used to it after a bit." He could see she was turning pale. He escorted Maura back below deck. "Try and rest if ya can, gel. You'll be up early with the gulls." He warned.
    Maura shook her head and up it came. "Oh my goodness Godsey, I'm terribly ashamed. I'd better clean up." Her face was gray and ashen.
    Godsey stood at the door, cap in hand, scratching his half