His facesoftened. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
I shrugged.“It was a long time ago. I’ve dealt with it.”
“I knew therewas something strange about ye,” he added. “That’s why I tried tokeep ye around. Part of me couldn’t bear to see the captain throw ye overboard.”
I smiled. “Andhere we are.”
Finn held uphis half-eaten bun and I tapped mine to it in a toast. “Aye, herewe are.” We finished off our food and I set the empty dishes on thetray. “Did Henry know?”
My chestclenched around my heart at the sound of his name. “Yes, he did.Not at first, but I eventually told him. He was going to come tothe future with me.” My hand rubbed across my stomach, mentallychecking on the baby growing inside. My eyes watered over, lipsquivering as I fought to keep the tears at bay.
Finn stood andgrabbed hold of me, crushing my body to his large frame in a roughand familiar embrace. I took comfort in his friendship. The simplenearness of him was enough to calm me. Finn was like the olderbrother I never had.
“We’ll findhim, Dianna. I swear to it.”
“I know,” Ichoked out. We lingered in his friendly clasp before I pulled awayto wipe the few tears that managed to escape from my eyes. “Wheredo we start? Do you know where The Cobhams are?”
“Nay,” hereplied and shook his head. ”Everything’s been quiet on land andsea since that night. Either they’re hidin’ out, planning their next attack, or Maria’s havin’a time with our captain.”
My teethground against each other. When wefound The Cobham’s, I’d kill Maria myself if she hurt a hair onHenry’s head. “If things have been quiet, then that probably meansthey’re at sea. Word would travel pretty fast if the crew of TheBurning Ghost was staying at atavern somewhere.”
I paced thefloor, contemplating our first move after Charlie got better. ThenI remembered all the stuff I’d read about Maria during my searchfor a way back. Books and documents, drawings, so many things Momhad collected on them. I knew all the places Maria liked to hideaway, I’d read about the different properties she secretly ownedacross the province. A smilespread wide across my face. I had everything I needed to findher.
“We set sail.I know a few places we can look.”
Finn’s chestheaved as he let out a long sigh. “Aye, but it’s nae that simple, Lassie. We’d need supplies,food, weapons, and money to buy it all.” He sat down on the bed.“And better yet, we’d need a ship, for Christ’s sake.”
I was about toopen my mouth to speak when the door, which hadn’t been fullyclosed, opened with a creek and Lottie popped her head in. “Sorry,”she said, “I was just comin’ to fetch your dishes.”
“Oh, sure,” Igrabbed the tray from the dressing table and handed it to her.“Thanks, Lottie.”
“I alsooverheard you sayin’ you need a ship,” she added with reluctance inher tone.
I raised myeyebrows in surprise. “Uh, yeah, we do. Do you know someone who’dtake us aboard theirs? We could pay them.”
“No,” shereplied and folded her arms across her stomach. “But I do know ofone you can have.”
ChapterNine
Morning couldn’t come fast enough. All night, I’d laidin bed wide awake, thinking about how Lottie could possibly get usa ship. She wouldn’t tell us anything the night before, and Ididn’t want to push. I trusted my friend, and I was thankful forher help. She even offered to loan us her uncle’s horse and wagonto go fetch Charlie, to which I was eternally grateful for. Nothaving to walk through the backwoods of Eastern Newfoundland forfive hours was a major sigh of relief.
I loaded up mylarge satchel and headed next door to Finn’s room before we bothslipped downstairs and out the back door. Lottie waited there withthe horse and wagon, a heap of blankets in her arms.
“Here,” shesaid, “Use these to hide the giant leprechaun in the back.”
“Hey,” Finnprotested, “I’m a Scot, ye blonde wench.”
She rolled hereyes and turned to me. “Just head straight down the main road untilyou’re out of the limits of thevillage. Stay true to the wider path, you’ll make two turnsnear the end but always choose the wider road. You’ll getthere.”
“Thanks,” Itold her with sincerity. “If thereare no problems, I should be back this evening with thethree of them. I’ll come here, to the back. So, keep an eye out,okay?” She nodded. “And Charlie will need as many clean linens asyou can give me. And hot water. Lots and lots of hot water.”
“Got it,” shereplied and squeezed my shoulder. We exchanged a quick nod and Itook the blankets from her grasp. Finn hopped in the back and laydown while Lottie helped me spread the linens over him.
“This ishumiliatin’,” he muttered.
“Better thangetting seen,” I told him. “You’re just too recognizable.”
He let out afeisty harrumph and Lottie chuckled to herself as she headed backinside. “Do ye even know how to drive a wagon? I s’pose ye all ride flying horses where ye comefrom.”
“Geez, I’mfrom the future, not a differentplanet,” I told him. “But, no, I’ve never driven a horse-drawn wagon, but I’ll figure it out.” Inestled a small basket of snacks down next to him and covered hishead, attaching the blanket to the back of my seat for securitybefore hopping aboard and grabbing the reins.
We traveled along the wide dirt road towardsCupers Cove, until the constant vibrations of the wooden wheelspassing over the gravel became a soothing frequency coursingthrough my body. Surprisingly, it was in better shape than mostNewfoundland roads from my own time, probably from the absence of big trucks and off-roadvehicles. The small, brown horse was calm and steady, and I quicklyadapted to how the animal reacted to the reins.
Finn talked tome from under the blanket, updating me on more
