An Officer but No Gentleman(110)
Charlie trembled as she realized what she had done. She hadn’t even brought a weapon with her other than the knife at her waist. “I’m sorry. I promise, I won’t do it again.”
Suddenly she pulled free. “Dr. Kirk! Where’s Brody Kirk?” she asked the British captain jabbing him with the toe of her boot.
He grunted his distain. “Below, I suppose.”
“No, Charlie. Go back to our ship. Morty and I will find all of your missing crew and bring them to you. Be patient. There are things that need to be done before your reunion .”
Charlie knew he was right. They needed to secure their prisoners before anything else. The ship would have to be searched to make sure all of the crew was accounted for before her crewmembers could be singled out and taken aboard The Dragon’s Lair. In all likelihood, her crew members were probably not the only shanghaied sailors serving on the ship.
Charlie then remembered her own duties needed to be taken care of. She was still surgeon’s mate and needed to make sure no one needed medical assistance.
She scanned the deck looking at both familiar and unfamiliar faces for anyone seriously injured. The Limeys had not put up much resistance so most of the injuries appeared minor, mostly bruises and a pair of bloody noses.
“Go on,” Jax said. “We’ll send over anyone hurt. And you’ll have your reunion within the hour. If there’s no one injured go ahead and take the bridge and get us tied off yard to yard.”
“Aye-aye, Captain.”
Charlie found a line, climbed the railing and swung easily over to the smaller Baltimore clipper.
“Anyone hurt?” Charlie yelled as her feet hit the deck. When no one answered, she began barking orders to heave-to and tie off to the other ship.
Jaxon gave the same orders on the warship. Men scurried up the masts and began furling the sails while others dropped the anchors. Grappling hooks and ropes began being thrown from ship to ship tying the vessels to each other. Once secured, planks stretched from ship to ship to make getting from one ship to the other easier.
Hugh McNamara was the first of her crew to cross the plank. Morty grinned widely behind him.
“Charlie! I canna tell ye how good it is to see ye, lass,” he said wrapping his arms around her in a bone jarring embrace.
“You knew?”
“Aye, I knew fer almost the whole time I twas on the Arcadia.”
“But you never said anything.”
“And be put off the ship? Nae, twas too entertaining to be watching ye, Miss Sinclair.”
“It’s not Sinclair anymore.”
“Did ye and Morty…?”
Both Charlie and Morty answered simultaneously.
“No!”
“We’re both married, but not to each other,” Charlie said.
“I’m married to a little fire-headed seamstress. We’ve got a baby boy and another baby on the way,” Morty said proudly.
Charlie began looking for Jaxon to introduce them and saw him coming across the plank with Brody Kirk.
“Dr. Kirk!”
Charlie ran to him and hugged him tightly. It took Brody Kirk all of five seconds before he returned the embrace. A physical show of affection was something they would have never done three years earlier, but it was obvious to him that although Charlie still dress in a men’s breeches she no longer pretended to be one.
“I have been so worried about you,” Charlie said pulling away and looking into his kind face. The last three years had aged him. He face appeared thin and his disheveled hair had turned white.
“And I’ve been worried about you.”
Charlie then noticed the two other men. She shook their hands. They had been on Byron’s watch and she didn’t know either well. “I’m glad to see you’ve made it through your ordeal.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sinclair,” Robert said.
“Actually it’s Mrs. Bloodworthy now. We’ve been married almost three years,” Jaxon said.
“You’re a girl?”
“Aye, since the day I was born,” Charlie said with an impish grin. “Vinnie, can you show Robert and Claude to the fo’c’sle and find them empty hammocks.”
The men looked around the ship as if they were trying to get their bearings as Vinnie led them to the belly of the ship.
“Jax, permission for Morty and me to go below and catch up with Dr. Kirk and Hugh?”
“Granted.”
“You’re coming too aren’t you? I want them to meet you.”
Jax smiled. “Aye. Mr. Gander, take the bridge. I’ll be below if I’m needed.”
Charlie led the way to the dining galley. It was the only room large enough to accommodate them comfortable.