An Officer but No Gentleman(29)
She met his gaze. “What now? Do you still want me to join your crew? I can’t sleep in the fo’c’sle.”
“We still need your medical knowledge. This ship, this crew—we are privateers. Engaging the enemy is what we do. As long as the French and the English fire their cannons back at us, we will suffer injuries and losses.”
Her mind fixated on the fact they fought against the English. Perhaps someday they would find her crewmates and Dr. Kirk. “Before I answer, I have one more question of you.” He raised an eyebrow. “Why did you take my uniform?”
“First, let me say, if I had known you were a lady, I would never have ordered it.” He raked his hand through his hair and lied. “You were not entitled to wear an officer’s uniform on my ship. You may be the junior officer on a second-rate merchant ship, but we are not merchants. I needed you to understand the way of it.”
She nodded in understanding. It had been her fault for insisting he kick one of his officers out of his cabin to give it to her. He must not have believed her lies at all.
“You really were second mate of your ship? You weren’t his doxy wearing his uniform?”
Charlie should have been mad he thought so, but she was proud of what she had accomplished. “Indeed I was.”
“You were on this ship less than a day and we found out. How, if what you say is true, could you live day after day without anyone finding out?”
“The ship’s captain was my father. He protected—the lie. I slept in his cabin until I was promoted to my own.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You know, if I stay to be your surgeon’s mate, you will have to make sure your crew knows I am under your protection. I don’t want to worry every shadow contains a man ready to jump out and do unspeakable things. I may have been exposed to many things land women are not, but I am not a ship’s whore and I won’t be treated that way.”
“My men wouldn’t….” But even as he said it, he knew there were many men he could not vouch for. When he had received his Letter of Marque and Reprisal he had taken on many men he did not know.
“Your crew are menfolk, are they not?” she asked. “Also, I insist on having accommodations with a lock and key.”
“You will stay in my cabin—with me until I figure out other arrangements. I will afford you all the privacy you need. The key is always in the door. If I am ever ungentlemanly, you may lock me out as well. Then, we are agreed?”
She met his eyes. What choice did she have? “We are.”
Jaxon heard the bell ring out six bells. 7:00 PM. “It’s time for the memorial service on deck for my cousin. All hands.”
In other words, she was expected to be there as well. “I’ll meet you on deck,” she said as he moved to the door. “I need a moment of privacy.”
“I’ll wait out here. Until I make clear to the crew you are under my protection, I don’t want you to go anywhere alone.”
As soon as Jaxon closed the door behind him, Charlie untucked her shirt and unwrapped the strip that bound her breasts. If everyone already knew she was a woman, she wasn’t going to bind herself. A soft moan escaped her lips as her nipples puckered to trumpet their freedom. She tucked her shirt back in and joined Jaxon in the passageway.
As she fell into step behind Jaxon, Charlie was completely fixated on the motion of her breasts when she walked. She had no idea they were going to bounce. Perhaps if she changed her stride…. She quickly realized that short steps made them bounce more and longer strides seemed to make them sway rather than bounce. The feel of her nipples against the soft cotton fabric was intoxicating. Suddenly self-conscious, as she stepped into the daylight, Charlie announced, “I need to go back to your cabin.”
Jaxon grabbed her wrist before she could retreat. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” she lied. Pulling her wrist free she crossed her arms across her chest.
The corners of her mouth lifted. “Oh, I see. Take my shirtwaist,” he said shrugging out of his jacket then unbuttoning the vest below. “They are very nice, but like fine art, they need not be on display for the masses.” He handed her the shirtwaist and put his coat back on.
Her face burned scarlet.
The crew of The Dragon’s Lair gathered midship for the memorial service, Jaxon and Charlie stood shoulder to shoulder around the large circle as one man after another told stories about Jimmy. Some funny. Some sentimental.
Charlie couldn’t help herself, she began to cry. It was the kind of service she would have liked to have for her father, perhaps she would have heard stories she’d never heard before.