“You made it,”she said by way of greeting. “I take it there were no problems,then?”
“Oh, no,” Ireplied and jumped down from my seat. “We definitely had problems.Some street pirates stopped us about halfway.”
“Oh?” Lottieturned her attention to the canopy and quirked her eyebrow.
“We got away,”I told her. “And sorry, we needed something better to hide them. Ican have Gus take it down, don’t worry.”
The two menthen emerged from the back of the wagon, each holding an end ofCharlie who was still unconscious but appeared to be less sweatyalready. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Aye,” Finngrunted to Lottie, “can ye opened the door?”
She rolled hereyes but then they widened at the sight of the young boy. Shepaused for a brief moment and then scurried to open the big woodendoor for the two men.
“Bring him upto your room, Finn,” she instructed.
We all filedin and up the stairs to the bedrooms. Lottie had set up a cot inFinn’s room and stacked a pile of clean linens next to thewash pan.
“Thank you,” Itold her.
She smiled andnodded. “I set up the cot here, I have one more if you’d like itfor your room. Two just won’t fit in here.”
“That would begreat, thanks,” I replied and glanced at Finn. “Guess we’rebunkmates again.”
“At least thistime I don’t have to put up with ye bloody tossin’ and turnin’,” hereplied jokingly.
They’d gentlylaid Charlie down on the bed and situated him. He didn’t wake butlet out a slight moan. The two men brightened.
“That’s themost sound he’s made in days,” Gus told us. “Looks like your magicis workin’.”
I felt mycheeks flush red. “It’s not magic, it’s–” I was very aware ofLottie’s curious eyes on me. “It’s medicine. Where I come from,it’s used to make sick people better. Charlie should be fine in afew days if he’s not too far gone.We just won’t know until then.” A tired sigh escaped my body and Iturned to Lottie. “That gives us time to get the ship ready. Are westill good there? Can we at least see it?”
“Aye, we’regonna need more than a wee schooner, Lassie,” Finn piped in.
Lottie rolledher eyes in annoyance and stomped over to the window overlookingthe docks outside. “There,” she said and pointed, “that one. It’sall yours, on one condition.”
We allleaned in and peered out thewindow, trying to see which ship she spoke of. The harbour was half-filled with boats of all sizes,but they were mostly small fishing vessels, none big enough for thejourney ahead of us. For life at sea.
All except forone, that is.
A large,three-mast structure sat in the water far in the distance, awayfrom all the other ships. Painted red with gold trims and a massivestern hanging off the back. It was like a giant ruby in a sea ofpebbles out there, all alone, too big to come any further into theharbor. No wonder there were menwanting to buy it. I couldn’t imagine the pretty penny it wouldfetch to the right buyer.
Gus’s eyesbulged. “That’s a bloody full-rigged ship.”
“Where theChrist did you get a ship like that?” Finn asked her.
“It was mygrandfather’s,” she answered. “He gave it to my father beforeheading back to England and I used to go sailing with him all thetime.” She crossed her arms tight and looked down at the floor. “Imiss it. Since their deaths, I haven’t been able to bring myself tostep foot aboard it. Not that I could sail it myself, anyway. Noone will sail it with me. Every God damn man in town wants it, butthey won’t use it for what it’s meant for.”
“And what’sthat?” I asked, stunned by the new information.
She lookedat me and smirked with hereyebrows raised, something alive shining through that I neverwitnessed her express before. “Adventure.”
“Wait, hangon,” Gus cut in and then cast another glance at the massive ship,his eyes growing wide. “I recognize… who was yourgrandfather?”
She pursed herlips and stared at us for a moment before saying, “JohnRoberts.”
Finn begansputtering off Scottish curse words and plunked down on the bed.Gus tried hard to hide his shock but failed. I, however, had noidea what was going on.
Gus pointedout the window. “That right there is the God damnQueen.”
I shook myhead in confusion. “What?”
“The Queen,captained by the infamous Red John Roberts, part of Peter Easton’sfleet of ships.” He sauntered over to Lottie and looked herstraight in the eye. “Which makes your father Red Jack Roberts andyou,” he stopped to chortle, “You’re bloody CharlotteRoberts, aren’t ya?”
“Yes, sowhat?” she challenged.
I deeplyadmired her bravery, even though Gus was no one to fear. He wasjust a grump. But Peter Easton…he was pirate royalty. He ruled mostof Newfoundland, became one of the most elusive and successfulpirates of his time. Perhaps of all time.
“Do you wantthe ship or not?”
Gus’s facebroke into a fit of laughter, a strange image for me to see comingfrom him. “You expect us to believe you’re just gonna giveus one of the most coveted pirate ships on the bloody island?”
“Yes,” shereplied. “No one will sail it with me because I’m a woman. Itdeserves to be at sea.”
Finn stoodthen. “Lassie, we appreciate the gesture, but everythin’ comes at aprice. And it’s a price we cannaeafford.”
“I didn’t sayyou could have it for free,” she told us. “But I don’t wantmoney.”
“Well, what doyou want?” I asked.
I watched asshe chewed her bottom lip in thought. “Take me with you.”
The menerupted into more laughter.
“Look,” Guscut to a serious face, “we can’t go takin’ all sorts of women outon the sea. It’s a bad fortune. Dianna’s lucky, she has somethin’to offer. As pretty as you are–”
“Well, it’s agood thing it’s not your decision to make, now, is it?” Lottieblurted out. Gus appeared confused as she continued, “I’m notgiving the ship to
