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Now she and Martha were curled on the bed, taking turns hanging over a bucket, even though neither had anything left to bring up She tried to console herself that the ship had no doubt been throughBut the fierceness hich the boat lurched was terrifying Her stomach sank and rose with the swells of the sea She wanted to die, wished she was dead

The ship groaned and creaked How could it withstand the boht she heard a knock Was it the ship splitting apart? Then it caain and the door opened The captain stood there with strands of his drenched hair having worked free of his leather thong He rereatcoat and tossed it to the floor where it landed with a wet slap

"Are we going to sink?" she asked

"No, we’re through the worst of it"

"It doesn’t feel like it" She wanted to tell hi it felt worse, but at that rabbed the bucket Oh, it hurt, it hurt to heave and have nothing co her back "Easy now," he cooed, before yelling, "Peterson!"

The large h the doorway "Aye, Cap’n?"

"Take the maid to your quarters"

"Aye, Cap’n"

He leaned over the bed and lifted a feebly protesting Martha as though she were a feather pillow "Easy, wo to hurt you"

To Anne’s surprise, Martha sagged against hi, but it’s all over now You’ll feel right as rain soon enough"

She was also surprised by the soothing tone of his voice, and she wondered if he’d been watching Martha that afternoon ashim The painful cramps stopped, and she rolled back "He won’thurt her, will he?"

"No, but with the bed bolted down and one side up against the wall, it’s too difficult to try to take care of you both here He’s big, but he’ll be as gentle as a lamb"

"And you?"

"Gentle has never been my style I can’t believe you’re still in your blasted corset"

"I thought we ht have to abandon ship"

"Which is exactly why you should have taken it off"

"I didn’t want to wash up onshore improperly attired"

"Sweetheart, we’re so far from any reachable land that you would have been drowned You wouldn’t have cared"