Free Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey

sent from the galley. “Tony will see Jeremy doesn’t get into any seriousscraps. If anyone will worry, it’s you. You should have had one of your own, Connie.”
    “I probably do. I just haven’t found him yet like you did the lad. You’ve probably more yourself that you don’t know about.”
    “Good God, one’s enough,” James replied in mock horror, gaining a chuckle from his friend. “Now what have you to report? How many of the old crew were available?”
    “Eighteen. And there was no problem filling the ranks, except for the bo’s’n, as I told you before.”
    “So we’re sailing without one? That’ll put a heavy load on you, Connie.”
    “Aye, if I hadn’t found a man yesterday, or rather, if he hadn’t volunteered. Wanted to sign on as passengers, him and his brother. When I told him the Maiden Anne don’t carry passengers, he offered to work his way across. A more persistent Scot I’ve never seen.”
    “Another Scot? As if I ain’t had enough to do with them lately. I’m bloody well glad your own Scottish ancestors are so far back you don’t remember them, Connie. Between hunting down Lady Roslynn’s cousin and running into that little vixen and her companion—”
    “I thought you’d forgotten about that.”
    James’s answer was a scowl. “How do you know this Scot knows the first thing about rigging?”
    “I put him though the paces. I’d say he’s had the job before. And he does claim to have sailed before, as quartermaster, ship’s carpenter, and bo’s’n.”
    “If that’s true, he’ll come in right handy. Very well. Is there anything else?”

    “Johnny got married.”
    “Johnny? My cabin boy, Johnny?” James’s eyes flared. “Good God, he’s only fifteen! What the devil does he think he’s doing?”
    Connie shrugged. “Says he fell in love and can’t bear to leave the little woman.”
    “Little woman?” James sneered. “That cocky little twit needs a mother, not a wife.” His head was pounding again, and he swilled down the rest of the tonic.
    “I’ve found you another cabin boy. MacDonell’s brother—”
    Tonic spewed across James’s desk. “Who?” he choked.
    “Blister it, James, what’s got into you?”
    “You said MacDonell? Would his first name be Ian?”
    “Aye.” Now Connie’s eyes flared. “Good God, he’s not the Scot from the tavern, is he?”
    James waved away the question. “Did you get a good look at the brother?”
    “Come to think of it, no. He was a little chap, though, quiet, hiding behind his brother’s coattails. I didn’t have much choice in signing him on, what with Johnny only letting me know two days ago that he was staying in England. But you can’t mean to think—”
    “But I do.” And suddenly James was laughing. “Oh, God, Connie, this is priceless. I went back to look for that little wench, you know, but she and her Scot had disappeared from the area. Now here she’s fallen right into my lap.”
    Connie grunted. “Well, I can see you’re going to have a pleasant crossing.”

    “You may depend upon it.” James’s grin was decidedly wolfish. “But we shan’t unmask her disguise just yet. I’ve a mind to play with her first.”
    “You could be wrong, you know. She might be a boy after all.”
    “I doubt it,” James replied. “But I’ll find out when she begins her duties.”
    He slumped back in his comfortably padded chair when Connie left him. He was still grinning, still marveling at the incredible piece of chance that had led the little wench and her Scot to pick his ship out of all those available, especially when it made no sense a ’tall.
    Connie said they’d tried to buy passage first, so they must have money. Why not just find another ship? James knew of at least two English vessels that would soon be departing for the West Indies, and one of them had ample accommodations for passengers. Why go to the trouble of disguising the girl and taking the risk she’d be discovered? Or was it a