Free The Ruthless Redhead's Revenge by Amy Morrel Page B

your help.”
    “Here is your lunch, it can wait
for a while though. Go ahead and walk about the cabin.”
    Ethan watched as she walked and then
commented:
    “Your stride is too tight. You
must lengthen your stride and endeavor to keep from rolling your hips
when you move. I think attention to those two things will allow you
to pass as a eunuch. Whole men will not expect you to walk exactly
the same as them but if you adjust those two things your stride will
be closer to a man's than a woman's. Especially the women these men
know.”
    “Thank you Ethan, I'll see what I
can do. I imagine you have to go again now.”
    “No, not for a while. I've just
taken the most recent sighting and my presence isn't required on deck
until right before dusk. I've been wondering what to do to fill the
time.”
    “Well, allow me to eat my lunch
and then perhaps we can find something to do to pass the time
together?”
    Roberta sent a wonderfully lecherous
look, more appropriate to a man's face than her own, in Ethan's
direction. As Ethan sputtered and eventually ended up doubled over
with laughter, Roberta demurely sat down to eat her lunch.
    The next two days passed rapidly for
Roberta and Ethan. Whenever Ethan felt that his presence was required
on the deck Roberta would work on the dress, finishing it with half a
day to spare. When Ethan was not on deck he was in the cabin with
Roberta. Much of their time was spent on her walk and on small ways
to make her disguise more convincing, ways that would stand up to
heavy activity levels. They had satisfied themselves that the
disguise would work unless someone actively didn't want to believe it
and studied her intently. The rest of the time that they spent
together in the captain's cabin was spent exploring one another
physically. Each attempted to learn the desires of the other, what
brought the other joy, and what to be avoided. They did, of course,
attempt to sate each other repeatedly but it seemed to them that the
more they had of each other, the more they desired.
    Ethan was on deck, and Roberta was in
the cabin, when the ship came to a halt. Roberta found the footing
strange as the ship stilled, having grown accustomed to the rolling
motion it made when under sail. A glance out the porthole showed that
the ship was mooring at the docks of a small port town.
----

Chapter
10 – Scouting the Target
    Ethan stepped into the cabin a short while later, chuckling to
himself:
    “I had forgotten that there's a new quartermaster. Before I
was captain I'd be off the ship by now trying to find a place to sell
whatever cargo we had. I started to do that this time before catching
myself. We've larger plans to follow through on though. Shall we go
and find the inn that we are to meet Master Gutren's men at
tomorrow?”
    “Certainly sir, I assume you will be there to protect my
virtue?” Roberta couldn't keep a straight face and burst out
laughing as she finished the statement.
    “Yes, of course I shall. I'm sure that between the two of us
we could find it again in order to protect it.” Ethan grinned
at his own statement.
    Ethan's grin was contagious and, grinning like fools, the two
prepared to venture off the ship. Most of the crew was getting a
short shore leave, for overnight at least, so they waited until the
crew had gone before leaving. The fewer of the crew that saw Roberta
as a woman, the more likely her disguise as Robert would succeed.
Ethan produced a knitted cap which she could tuck her hair under, it
would be a permanent part of her disguise if they could find a way to
secure it all times.
    When they slipped off the ship they didn't see any of the crew
that remained, except for the quartermaster who was guarding the
gangplank and waiting for the dockhands to show up and unload the
cargo that they were selling.
    They made their way to the inn that they needed to be at the next
day, and rented a room for two nights. They went down to the common
room and had a meal that was not