Free Castaway Dreams by Darlene Marshall Page B

was a lovely memento of our voyage together, Miss Farnham. Thank you."
    "Mr. Carr!" Daphne smiled at him, raising her voice over the rain pounding her. "I should slap your face for taking liberties, but I will wait to scold you until I see you again and we are both dried out."
    He looked at the doctor again, then looked back at her.
    "I look forward to that meeting, Miss Farnham," he said hoarsely. "Now into the boat with you."
    Daphne was hustled to the stern of the ship where a bosun's chair was rigged for her, and a sailor waited in the boat below to assist her. Dr. Murray tossed him her valise, then climbed down into the boat as the rain pounded against him, and Daphne's heart rose in her throat. Once he was in the boat, Daphne was lowered in, the rough rope chafing against her ungloved hands. Daphne picked up her bag from where it sat in the rain and seawater awash in the bottom of the small craft and held it tight on her lap. Dr. Murray sat aft of her, his chest alongside him, listening to the commands from above.
    The sailor, whose name she could not recall at the moment, grinned at her and said, "Sit tight, miss, we'll take a few more aboard and we'll be safe."
    She smiled back at him and he turned at a shout from above, just as another pounding wave threatened to swamp the boat. The sailor grabbed at the line securing the boat to the Magpie , but with a jerk the line snapped, flinging him into the turbulent waters.
    In an eye blink Dr. Murray stripped off his coat, tied a rope around his waist and dived into the water after him while Daphne clutched the seat, alone in the boat.
    "You swore you would stay with me," she whispered.
    She could still hear shouting from above, but could not make out the words over the storm. She scanned the sea anxiously, wiping the water from her face, but there was nothing. Nothing except rain pounding down, and churning waves.
    "Move to larboard!"
    She whipped her head around and saw Dr. Murray in the water, holding onto his lifeline. He was on the far side of the boat hollering at her, but Daphne understood, even if she still didn't understand larboard and starboard. The small craft would be overset if the weight was not balanced. She braced herself as Dr. Murray heaved himself into the boat, tipping it dangerously close to the waterline.
    He was alone. Daphne grabbed the surgeon's coat and put it around the shivering man, then she looked around her. They were both alone out on the ocean. If the Magpie was still there, it was hidden behind a wall of thundering water. Dr. Murray worked in the bottom of the boat, hauling out a piece of canvas and yelling to be heard over the rain.
    "We will cover ourselves to keep the rain out of the boat. Use that bucket to bail out the bottom!"
    He ran rope through grommets on the cloth and tied it down over the boat while Daphne bailed. Within minutes her arms were aching and blisters were rising on the soft skin of her hands, but she dared not stop, not when there was still water in the boat.
    Dr. Murray took the bucket from her and began bailing, more quickly than she'd been able to do. At his direction, Daphne ducked under the cloth awning. It cut off most of the light but kept the rain from pounding on her bare head. She opened her valise and made herself as comfortable as she could in the dimness and the damp, shivering inside her coat. It was not freezing out, she thought they were still in the tropics, but even so she was chilled from her exposure to the elements. She had no way of knowing how much time passed while the doctor bailed, but finally he stopped and crawled under the canvas with her.
    "The sky is lightening and it appears the rain is tapering off," he said hoarsely. It was too dark to see his expression, but she saw the movement of his hands flexing. Then he glanced at her and in the dim light his eyes honed in on her skirts.
    "What is that doing here, Miss Farnham?"
    She refused to be intimidated, even though with Dr. Murray around