“I’m a jack-of-all-trades,” Charlie answered, too busy to notice the pun. “My father brought me aboard when I was six. As I’m sure you’re aware, life at sea can get monotonous. If I get an opportunity to learn something new, I try to learn it. It’ll make me a better captain if I know as much as I can about every job on the ship. We had a Japanese cook for about three years. He taught me how to fight. It always surprises these big tars when I best them in a fight. It’s true what they say; the big man has the strength, but the little man has the speed. Yori taught me how to use a bigger man’s size against him. Have you ever seen the Japanese fight?”
Charlie’s eyes darted to the captain’s face. His eyes were closed; his mouth was gritted against the pain.
“They call it karate,” Charlie continued as she began the last few stitches. “I could make short shrift of putting you on the ground.”
The captain opened his eyes. At Jaxon’s dubious expression Charlie said, “Perhaps someday our ships will meet again after you’re healed and I can demonstrate for you.” Charlie tied off the last suture. “Have someone remove the stitches in about two weeks and you’ll be fine.”
“About that, under the circumstances, I’d like you to consider staying on.”
“Under the circumstances?”
Jaxon frowned. Had no one told him? “Your ship left without you.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I’m not the kind of man who tells jokes,” Jaxon said, gingerly pushing himself up to a sitting position.
She bit back the string of profanities that would have made the saltiest tar blush. “How long ago? We have to go after them. You have to help me.”
His frown deepened. “I don’t have to do anything. If they want you back, if this was just an oversight, they’ll come back for you. They have at least two hours on us. The corsair’s mast was damaged so to put out a full set of sails would undoubtedly break its mast in two. Besides, we’re going the other way.”
“After all I’ve done for you, you would let that cur abandon me?”
“Oh, I do admit I have ulterior motives. Someone with your medical knowledge would be invaluable.” Charlie stared at him in disbelief. “I had actually thought about sailing off with you on board before they departed,” the captain continued as he rose to his feet. “It seems to me; we are all in agreement that you should stay here.”
Charlie’s mind began to frantically work. It was one thing to get away with pretending to be male when she had every advantage her father could give her. It was another to be on a strange ship. She already felt panicky. She had been suffering with a full bladder for an hour and could hardly go on deck to relieve herself over the side like the men did.
“I have to have my own cabin,” she demanded.
“No. My officers and I are the only ones with our own quarters. The rest are in the fo’c’sle and steerage.”
“I have earned my rank.”
Jaxon raised a questioning brow.
“So has my second mate. What would you have me do, demote my blower and give you the job? No, you’ll have to prove yourself before I would promote you. My men would never blindly follow some pubescent fledgling officer.”
“I am hardly a fledgling,” she said as forcefully as she did when she gave and order. “As I said, I have lived on that ship since I was six. I’ve worked my way up through the ranks in my sixteen years aboard. The starboard watch ran tighter than the mate’s. My men knew not to dawdle because they knew I would brook no insubordination. I am not a cruel man, but I have seen what happens when the blower tries to befriend the crew. Our captain….”
“Your captain left you here.”
“Our captain was killed this morning when an English warship fired on us. That man is no more captain than the rats in the hold. I should have forced the issue and usurped his authority.”
“You know that is mutiny you speak of,” Jaxon Bloodworthy said in a slow, measured tone.
Charlie weighed her words carefully before she spoke. If she told him her father owned the ship, he would think she owed her position solely to nepotism.
“I did not force the issue because I know I’m not ready for the captaincy, but if I had, I would have had the crews’ support and loyalty.” A week ago, she could have made that statement knowing it was completely true. Now she wasn’t sure. However, she was half owner and she could do whatever she felt was in the best interest of the ship.
They had gotten off the subject. She had to have her own cabin.