Free The Stolen Heart by Jacinta Carey Page B

some heat. They had to try to do something to restore
    the circulation to their stinging hands and faces after the lashing
    they had just taken.
     
     
Jared came up to Al when he saw his cabin boy lingering. “Go on,
    son, get below and get changed before you freeze to death.”
     
     
She shook her head and croaked, “I can’t. I need to know what will
    happen to Tom.”
     
     
Jared patted her on the shoulder. “We'll put him in a bit of sail
    and give him a decent burial in the morning.”
     
     
She nodded, and turned away as she felt the tears welling up in her
    eyes.
     
     
“Al!”
     
     
“Aye, Captain,” she sniffed.
     
     
“Good work tonight. If it wasn’t for you, we might have lost the
    ship.”
     
     
“Small comfort now,” she rasped.
     
     
“No, it isn’t! You and I and the rest of the crew are still alive,
    and we are going to stay that way, do you hear me?” He shook her
    slightly. “Do you understand? What happened to Tom is not going to happen to you. I won’t let it.”
     
     
“Aye, Captain.”
     
     
“Now go below, get into my bunk and get some decent sleep.”
     
     
"“Your bunk?” she asked, surprised and a bit worried by the
    implications of what he was saying.
     
     
“I have to stay on deck all night. I can just smell the storm
    getting worse before it gets better. I’ll sleep tomorrow when the
    storm passes.”
     
     
She nodded gratefully. “Good night, then. And please, be careful.”
     
     
“Good night.”
     
     
She went down into the cabin, got into the bunk as ordered, and
    cried herself to sleep. Damn the Mate. He had no right to treat
     anyone the way he did, let alone allow Tom to die…
     
     

 
     
CHAPTER NINE
     
     
The next morning dawned clear and cool, with a good wind, and Jared
    was able to at last relax and let out some sail.
     
     
Then he set the men about the grim task of cutting away the fallen
    rigging and disposing of Tom’s remains.
     
     
His final grim chore of the morning was to auction off the contents
    of the boy’s sea chest. At least there would be a goodly sum of
    money to send home to his needy family on behalf of the crew, and he
    would add to it himself from his own purse.
     
     
He was relieved to see that Al slept through the night, and into the
    afternoon, but finally he got a bit concerned when he did not see
    her moving about on deck.
     
     
He headed down into the cabin, but found the door locked.
     
     
“Al, are you all right?” he called, tapping.
     
     
“Just bathing and getting dressed, sir," came the reply. "Is it
    something urgent?”
     
     
‘No, I just wanted to make sure that you’re all right.”
     
     
“I’m fine. Just tired is all. And a bit sick to my stomach still.
    You shouldn’t have let me sleep so long.”
     
     
She opened the door and came out. “I’ll get some water and go about
    my duties.”
     
     
“You know there was nothing you could have done,” he said quietly.
     
     
“I know. But the Mate is a bastard, sir. Pardon me, but he is. We
    would have all been killed thanks to him last night if some of the
    other men hadn’t raised the alarm.”
     
     
He frowned at her purple throat and her croaking voice. “I think I
    can guess what happened, Al. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. File
    a complaint against him, and I shall relieve him of duty
    immediately.”
     
     
She shook her head. “We’re already a hand short, and miles from
    home. We can't afford to have him sitting around doing nothing but
    eating rations. So please, just leave it for now. And put me on
    Second’s watch so I can keep the hell out of his way.”
     
     
“I’ll do that, lad. But this is still going in the log book,
    including a commendation for you. Now go on, get some water, and try
    to eat.”
     
     
Almira reported for duty a half an hour later, and Second sent her
    aloft into the rings. She stared out at the vast ocean dully,
    crushed by grief.
     
     
Tom had