It's a longer one this time, and one of my more humorous chapters. Hope you like it. REVIEW! Thank you. :)

Chapter 3: A Shopping Spree in Plymouth

"I wish they would just park the boat already," said Amy loudly as the girls looked out across the railing to the nearing shore of Plymouth. Almost a week had passed since the three had been miraculously rescued. By now, Amy was getting bored with her surroundings.

Cat laughed at her friend's choice of words. "Amy, I think you mean weighing anchor," she corrected, rolling her eyes. "According to Archie-

"Whoa! Did you just call a certain someone Archie?" Amy gave Cat an exaggerated look of shock. "You guys are on the first-name level now?" A deep blush spread across Cat's face and she quickly opened her mouth to protest.

"There they go again." Lottie turned to look over at Wellard. Standing a few feet away from them, he was overseeing the men load the jolly boats. They exchanged a knowing smile, for now Cat and Amy were- once again- bickering vigorously about who should be minding their own business, and what that business was. Grimacing, Lottie mouthed the words "help me". Wellard shook his head, amused, and turned back to the men.

The Captain undoubtedly wanted to try to make his officers leave time on shore as unpleasant as possible. He had ordered Kennedy, Hornblower and Wellard to escort the 'ladies', as he called them, to buy them 'proper clothing' and anything else they may need for the voyage. "Money is no object," he had told the girls with a superior wave of his hand, much to Amy's delight.

The officers had also been instructed to take the ladies along wherever they went, whether to visit loved ones, shop for themselves or show them the sights. This would make the girls as much of a burden as possible. Though the Captain had not added an 'or else' to the end of his speech, he had made it clear that he would be informed if his orders were not obeyed.

Secretly, all three gentlemen were not the least bit unhappy with the fact that they would be able to spend the entire afternoon with three women, three very handsome women- with the Captain's consent! A sailor couldn't have better luck, really. Now if only they could convince the women to go somewhere more manly, like a tavern or something, that would make the day unbeatable.

By the time the jolly boats had reached the shore, Amy was almost jumping up and down with anticipation. "Hey!" she told one of the taller midshipmen, named Johnson, who had given her a strange look. "I get new clothes today. It's exciting!" The midshipman had nodded, as if he understood, but really, he could not comprehend the excitement garments was giving her.

When the threesome had touched the shore, it occurred to Lottie that this was the first time she had been on land in several months, and the last time she would touch land for quite some time. When she told Amy and Cat this, Amy then shouted, "I shall kiss the ground!"

"Way to make a scene, Amy," Cat said sarcastically, and then grabbing her friend's arm hurriedly, "Please, don't."

Their escorts chuckled. Horatio cleared his throat, and once he had the attention of the three he spoke, "Now Misses, would you kindly direct us as to which part of Plymouth you would like to see first?" All three answered at once,

"Well, we could-

"That shop looks-

"I want to-

"That way!" all three said simultaneously, pointing in different directions.

Kennedy sighed. "Well, let's all go separate ways and then meet back at the dress shop in about a half an hour. Do you know of it gentlemen? I think it's called Dither's Dress or something of the sort." Both Wellard and Horatio nodded.

"Archie," began Horatio warningly. He was always the one to voice concerns and worries, often ruining Archie's schemes. Amy sighed. Horatio was often one to be cautious.

"Come on, Horatio, where's your sense of fun? Besides,"Archie lowered his voice so that only his companions could hear, "I think we'll evade the Captain's spies a little better if we divide our persons."

Amy nodded in agreement. "Amen! Let's go. Come on, Horatio, I want to go check out that bakery- I can smell it from here!" She then proceeded to drag Horatio by the arm off to a nearby shop, where an aroma of freshly baked goods filled the air.

Archie and Wellard looked at each other, and then at the two girls they had to divide between themselves. "Well," said Archie, deciding to be the bold one, "I'll take Miss Hampton if you don't mind, Mr. Wellard," Lottie could have swore that a mischievous smile passed between Archie and Cat as they both walked away, arm in arm- as was the fashion.

"I guess your stuck with me, sorry," she told Wellard playfully as the two began to walk away from the docks. The street was filled with outdoor market carts and people walking to and fro, mingling with friends and carrying baskets filled with goods they had bartered for.

"Don't be sorry, Miss O'Hara," Wellard said sincerely. He really could not have had better luck. The two ducked under a canopy of the cart that smelled of baked bread.

Lottie frowned. There it was again- the overrated "Miss" that she loathed. It was now or never. "I wish you wouldn't call me that," she said. Wellard frowned.

"Call you what?"

"Miss O'Hara. It makes me feel old, well, older than I want to be. I guess I'm just not used to all the formality around here. I grew up in a very casual city. No one ever called me Miss O'Hara before."

Wellard gave her a dubious look. "No one?"

"Well, one boy I knew did. My friends and I all thought him to be quite, well, odd. I suppose my upbringing has tainted my knowledge of how to behave in society," she said with an ironic smile.

"Perhaps, then again, perhaps not," he replied vaguely, taking hold of Lottie's arm so she wouldn't be lost amongst the busy crowd. "I think formality can be bloody exasperating sometimes, especially it it is not deserved." Lottie thought of Captain Sawyer, and couldn't help but wonder if he was who Wellard was thinking of as well.

"My Christian name is Charlotte," she offered brightly, "But everyone calls me Lottie. It's real easy to say you know. It wouldn't be that hard to call me Lottie, would it? Just two little syllables," she teased, arousing a smile from Wellard.

Lottie. He liked that name. It would be easy to call her by it. However, he knew that he hadn't the proper right to call her by her first name. After all, he had only met her a week ago. Yet he wanted to so terribly! No longer could he restrain himself, he told her, "Henry. That's my Christian name."

"Can I call you Henry?"

"Yes," he answered, liking the way she said his name. He hadn't heard anyone, much less a female, call him by his first name in what seemed like a lifetime ago. Hearing it spoken by such a feminine figure brought back memories of distant, yet happier times- before the navy, before his life at sea, and before the ever-present Captain Sawyer.

"And you'll call me Lottie?"

He hesitated, and at that moment an elderly man called out to them from his cart, saying, or rather, shouting, "Buy a flower for your sweetheart, sir? Just picked 'em this morning."

"Oh," sighed Lottie dreamily at the numerous bouquets spread along the cart. "They are pretty, aren't they, Henry?" She tried to ignore the fact that she was now blushing slightly since the cart owner had perceived her as "Wellard's sweetheart".

"Yes, they are," Wellard thought. One would only enhance her beauty. Without a second thought, he placed a few coins in the man's outstretched palm and asked Lottie, "Which one would you like?"

She gasped slightly. "You didn't have to do that!" Though she was selfishly glad she would be able to wear a sweet-smelling flower for the day, she didn't want it to be at the expense of someone else- especially Wellard.

"Go on, pick one. It'll make day more enjoyable for the both of us," he told her. He wanted to do this for her; to forget about the Renown for a few hours and enjoy his afternoon.

Lottie gingerly picked up a yellow Daffodil and placed it behind her ear. "I have always been fond of Daffodils," she told Wellard seriously, "They remind of joyous times."

Meanwhile, Cat and Archie were walking farther down the street, arm in arm. Ragged as her dress and hair was, Cat felt like royalty; strolling down the street with the best looking man in England on her arm. "Well, according to me, anyway," she thought and stifled a grin at the thought of Lottie, who was sure to disagree with her.

"Where were you planning on going?" Archie's voice rang out, startling her from her thoughts.

"I'm not sure. All I really need is new clothes," she said, shrugging. That wasn't exactly true. She was sure if she thought about it, she could think of somewhere to go. After all, this was the first time she'd been on land in a while, and the first time she had ever seen Plymouth besides. At the moment she was very content, just walking in companionable silence.

"Well, we have a while until we have to head towards the dress shop," Archie said, smiling as he looked down at his companion. "I'm sure you could think of something you want to see." He almost repeated what she had been thinking herself.

No sooner had he spoken, Cat slowed to a stop, and let her hand slide from his arm. He stopped a pace ahead of her and turned back towards her, frowning. It was quite ironic- when her hand left his arm, it felt heavier, not lighter.

Having had seen something that caught her eye, Cat began sprinting to an empty carriage tethered at the curb. Empty, that was, except for a tired looking horse laced in the harness. Archie shook his head slightly and strode after her. In two long strides, he reached her side. He started to call to her a warning, "Be careful!" but stopped.

By now she was cradling the carriage horse's heavy head in her hands, fondling his ears and rubbing his nose beneath the leather band. The horse, who had seemed wary when she had first reached him, now let out a content exhale and let his head sink into her gentle touch. It was a beautiful thing, seeing how Cat handled horses.

Noticing Archie behind her, Cat looked up at him, the sun catching in her blue eyes and making them sparkle. "I just couldn't resist this guy." She smiled in a way that made Archie's heart seem to turn over. In attempt to end the unusual silence he tentatively gave the horse's neck a pat, his hand at arms length.

Cat tried to muffle the amusement in her voice. "He's not going got hurt you, you know." Archie had the grace to look contrite. Before he could respond, the driver of the buggy exited one of the shops and, with a nod to Archie and Cat, swung aboard and took the long reins.

Reluctantly, Cat said goodbye to the carriage horse, giving him a kiss on his velvety nose. She could have stayed there all day- it seemed like it had been forever since she had been around horses. "Not that this is so bad, though," she thought as Archie placed a hand on her shoulder while she squeezed between two carts in their path.

Once they passed the obstacles, Cat found herself standing in front of a shop that sold jewelry. It was a lonely, nearly deserted shop- something that perked Cat's interest. "May we go in?" she asked, turning to Archie excitedly.

He nodded compliantly. "I don't see why not."

Cat quickly led the way through the heavy, peeling door. Inside, it was a cool temperature- a nice change compared to the summer heat outside. Patches of sunlight streamed through tall, skinny windows, making displayed necklaces, rings, and bracelets shimmer and dance with light.

Cat slowly threaded her way through rows, admiring each piece in turn. On the last table, she saw one she particularly liked. Back where she came from, it would be called a 'choker'. It was made of one strand of translucent ribbon and adorned with intricate, aged silver, now blackened. In the very center, a clear cut amber colored stone gleamed. "It's gorgeous," she breathed as she held it up to her neck.

Peering around for Archie, she saw him was talking to the shop owner. "That's odd," she thought, frowning. He had been behind her for the whole time- as far as she knew. "I guess I'm boring him." She admired the striking necklace she held for another moment, then set it down. As she turned around, she bumped into Archie, who was now standing behind her once again. "Oh! We can go now, if you like."

"You go on outside. I'll be right there."

Cat considered asking what he was doing; after all, hadn't he just been uninterested? After looking at his face, she decided against it. Giving the choker one last admiring glance, she stepped back out onto the street, blinking in the bright sunlight.

A moment later, Archie stepped out beside her carrying a tiny white package. Cat, who had been completely mystified, now had a sneaking suspicion of what he was doing- or had done. Just to make sure, she asked slowly, "What is that?" He smiled mysteriously and unwrapped the paper very carefully. Lying amidst the wrapping was the delicate choker she had admired so much.

Cat caught her breath. "You- you didn't-" She stopped as he laid it in her hands.

"You wanted it, did you not?"

"Well, well- yes, but-" Curse her tongue! Cat couldn't seem to make a coherent sentence. Finally, after several more stutters she was able to protest, "You didn't have to." She looked up at him. His face was serious, but his light blue eyes sparkled with a smile, and maybe a hint of mischief.

"No, I didn't," he replied simply. Both of them understood his unspoken sentence, What about it? or, as the modern side of Cat could interpret, You got a problem with that? Cat wrapped it back in the paper and clutched it in her hands.

"I couldn't put it on now- not while I'm wearing this," she said, taking a fistful of the dirty dress she was wearing. Nodding knowingly, Archie politely refrained from making a comment. Cat quickly started walking to try and cover up her tumult of feelings and thoughts.

Archie caught up with her and said in a low voice, "I think you look beautiful, even in that dress." Cat almost fell over.

"What did he say?" she thought, her heart leaping into her throat. She looked up at him with the word "really?" written all over her face. He just smiled and offered his arm. Cat took it in, laying her hand softly down over his arm in pleasantly stunned silence.

After thanking the flower cart owner, the twosome- consisting of Lottie and Wellard- were quickly swept back onto the busy street. The street, thankfully, did not have near as many people as before and both were able to move along fairly quickly. For some reason, Wellard kept feeling the strange sensation that he was being watched. Glancing behind him, he caught sight of the Gunner Hobbs mingling on a street corner. Wellard did not remember the Captain granting him leave. Suddenly, it occurred to him that Hobbs must have been following them this entire time, watching them, making sure the Captain's orders were obeyed. That was what Kennedy had meant by the "Captain's spies". He let out a groan of frustration. Just when things had been going so well, something had to ruin it.

"What troubles you?" asked Lottie, concerned. Upon realizing that he was no longer walking by her side, she had turned around to face him.

"Hobbs," he said quietly, glancing furtively back at their follower, who was now looking very interested in a cart full of cabbages. Lottie, having caught sight of the lurking gunner, smirked. Wellard wasn't sure what she was thinking.

"Let's give him a run for his money, shall we?" she asked, laughing mysteriously.

Wellard didn't know what 'a run for his money' was. He had noticed that about this girl, as well as her companions. Sometimes the phrases she or the others would remark or exclaim sounded quite, well, strange.

Just yesterday, the dark-haired girl- Amy, it must have been- had been arguing with Lottie about the pronunciation of an apparently well known female singer in America. Amy had claimed the singer's name was pronounced "cas-caw-da", yet Lottie had insisted it was pronounced "cas-cay-da". In her frustration, Lottie had exclaimed an exasperated, "Dude!"

Wellard had no idea what "dude" meant- it did not seem like a foreign language, but rather something that had been conceived by English-speaking people, namely Americans. Both Cat and Amy seemed to understand the meaning behind this phrase. Perhaps it was just something all women did. Despite Lottie's odd limericks, Wellard found himself intrigued by this girl.

Lottie looked up at Wellard, her eyes gleaming with mischief. It suddenly dawned on Wellard what she was thinking. He returned her smile. After looking back to make sure Hobbs was looking the other way, the two began to run down the street as fast as they were able to go. Lottie cursed under breath, realizing just how hard it was to run in a dress.

Wellard turned into an alley. He had run through these alleys many times growing up; they were quite familiar to him. The alley curved along with the buildings and went back quite a ways, so he pulled Lottie around a corner where they were hidden from the view of the street. There, they both tried to catch their breath. Their deep exhales echoed off the damp walls.

"Well," said Lottie, in between breaths, "I suppose he won't find us in a hurry."

Wellard nodded and gave a breathy laugh. Perhaps this was what Lottie had meant by a 'run for his money'. "No, I don't suppose he will," he told her, smiling. Lottie shook her head with silent laughter, sending the fragile flower that had managed to stay in her hair to fall from behind her ear and onto the ground.

"Oh, snap," was all she said, giving Wellard another example of her strange American colloquialisms. This was simply the way that 21st-century Americans talked, but Lottie would never, ever tell him that. She didn't want to cause him to have a early-aged heart attack. Sighing, Lottie began to bend to the ground to retrieve her fallen flower.

"No, wait," Wellard told her, and reached to pick up the flower carefully. She tipped her head to the side, an innocently allowing him to slide the flower back in place behind her ear. He slowly let his arms fall back at his side. "There, Lottie." Her name rolled of his tongue easily. Looking upon her pretty and coquettish smiling face, he suddenly felt a strong urge to do something he thought was quite contradictory to his nature and circumstance- kiss her.

It was then that Lottie realized just how little space there was between the two of them. Was it just her, or was Wellard slowly leaning his face closer towards her? It seemed as if it was by an involuntary force that her face leaned closer as well. Was this going to be her first kiss? It certainly appeared so. Everything moved as if it was in slow motion. Her eyes closed.

He couldn't believe he was doing this. Only a week had passed since he had first been introduced to Lottie, yet already he found himself drawing closer and closer to her. It was a feeling he had never felt about anyone before. When he saw her, he felt his heart beat faster and his face grow warm. When she smiled at him, he felt an indescribable feeling of joy swell up inside him. Was this what some referred to as 'love at first sight'? His eyes closed.

Several chickens protested loudly as someone thundered down the alleyway. Wellard and Lottie jumped away from each other, startled. She looked at him, wide-eyed. "Hobbs," she mouthed. Wellard snuck a look around the corner, where sure enough, he spotted the angry gunner vividly cursing the roaming chickens in his path.

Hastily, the two sprinted down the remaining branch of the alleyway, dodging barrels and turning down random corners. However, Wellard seemed to know where they were going. Lottie wondered if he had ever been here before.

Unbeknownst to Lottie and Wellard, Cat and Archie were strolling down the street ahead of them, talking and laughing unaware of the rest of the world. At the sound of clattering footsteps, Cat was pulled backwards just in time to avoid being trampled by who other than Lottie and Wellard.

"Lottie!" she yelped, upon recognizing her friend.

At the same time, Archie exclaimed a surprised, "Wellard?"

Lottie ungracefully bumped into Wellard, who had stopped at the sound of his name. "Sorry," she muttered and peered over his shoulder- which wasn't easy to do, seeing as he was at least a head taller than herself. Both she and Wellard had flushed faces and were breathing quite heavily. Cat noticed that Lottie's face was particularly red. Perhaps she was blushing? That was something she'd have to ask her later.

"Well, what have you two been up to?" asked Archie mischievously. Cat poked him pointedly. She knew what he was thinking. Archie gave her a pouting look.

Wellard and Lottie, through jumbled and breathless speech, told them that Hobbs had, in fact, been spying on them for Captain Sawyer. "Come on," Wellard told them "Lest Hobbs come down the alley and find us here." The foursome then exited the alleyway to find themselves amidst yet another busy street.

"There," Archie said to all of them, pointing ahead of them at a shop on the corner. "That's the dress shop." Lottie looked to where he was pointing. The worn wooden sign that read a faded 'Dither's Dress' swayed slightly in the breeze. Two dresses- pale green and blue, for the season of course- were displayed on mannequins in the side window.

As the four came around to the front of the store, a blurry figure rushed itself at Lottie and Cat, flinging its arms around her. "Amy," Cat and Lottie whispered together, straining against the massive hug they were now encircled by. "Can't. Breathe."

"Where were you people?" shouted Amy demandingly to her now disheveled friends. Lottie couldn't help but smile at the dramatic entrance of her concerned friend.

"You four were gone a long time," followed up Horatio, who had now finally managed to catch up to Amy after she had sprinted away from him at the sight of her missing comrades. He now cocked his head slightly. "Where did you ever disappear to?"

Lottie could have sworn a faint pink tinge came upon Wellard's face at Horatio's suggestive tone. Sighing, she attempted to re-straighten her dress that had been rumpled considerably by Amy. "If only they knew what had happened in the alley," she thought, smiling secretively.

At that moment, a angry and exasperated Hobbs appeared from the alleyway. When he laid eyes on the couple he had been chasing for the last ten minutes, his eyes went wide with disbelief. Lottie waved to him, wearing a leering, yet polite, smile on her face. Hobbs just stared at her a moment before shaking his head and stalking off down the street. Lottie looked at Wellard, and the two shared a knowing smile.

Amy had plastered her face to the window. "It's all so beautiful," she breathed. "Can we please go inside now?" she looked up at Horatio with her classic 'puppy eyes' look.

Horatio smiled. "Yes, I think so. Archie, Mr. Wellard?"

The six entered the shop, the men feeling slightly embarrassed that they were now entering a, well, women's shop. It just wasn't the kind of thing men did, especially not officers of His Majesty's Navy!

An older lady greeted them, her face wrinkling warmly. Her face was well worn, but she had a kind expression. "You're my first costumers yet, you are," she said good-naturedly. Then, noticing the three handsomely dressed officers she cackled, "So you dragged these three all the way down here did you?"

Amy gave the woman a proud nod. With a more serious tone, the shop keeper added, "I'll make it worth their while," and winked at the girls. They giggled. "Now sirs please, have a seat," she said, gesturing towards two benches near the door.

The shop keeper then pushed the three giggling girls back behind a curtain that closed off a portion of the store. Turning to her customers, the shop keeper told them dramatically, "Now I promise you, I'll make those gentlemen's eyes go wide with delight."

The shop keeper then proceeded to pick out several everyday dresses, as well as under-garments and petticoats, from various boxes and shelves. There wasn't much debate over which dresses to choose, as the choices were few. Amy was the only one daring enough to buy the styled garment designed by the French- the corset. It was not long before all three had picked out an entire set of clothing, which they found was much more complex than what they had worn day to day back home. The shop keeper tailored the clothing, letting seams out and pulling seams in until it them perfectly.

"Now onto the fancy dresses!" squealed Amy.

The shop keeper, which the three now knew as Ms. Dither, just chuckled. She then went deep into the shadows of the shop, sorting through a large, dark wardrobe. Finally, she exclaimed a soft "Aha!" and pulled from the wardrobe a lightly aureate dress. It was a color that was hard to describe, the closest being a light reddish gold. She held it out to Lottie, smirking triumphantly. "This one. For you, Miss. You'll knock that little boy off his block, that's what."

Lottie was pretty sure Wellard wouldn't of liked being referred to as 'that little boy', but nevertheless she stepped into a dressing room, blocked off by three connected wooden panels, to try on the garb. As she stepped out, she was surprised at just how wonderfully it fit her. It was simply beautiful. "How do you like it?" she asked tentatively.

Amy gave a low whistle. "You look hot," Amy told her simply. Cat nodded in agreement. Ms. Dither chuckled in amusement.

The next dress that came out of the shop keeper's wardrobe was a dark sapphire dress. This time, Cat was instructed to try it on. Both Amy and Lottie agreed that she looked gorgeous in it.

"Fit for your wedding someday, that one is," said Ms. Dither softly, almost wistfully.

"Then you better keep it, Cat," said Amy. "I, for one, don't plan on getting married." At their incredulous glances she continued, "Well, maybe some day, but for now, I'll enjoy my freedom."

"Well, with that way of thinking," said the shopkeeper, grinning, "You'll have to wear this one." With that, she pulled a scarlet dress from her collection. This was by far the most flirtatious dress they had seen yet. It dipped low- but not too low- in the front, as well as in the back.

Now that all three were clad in fancy, and somewhat flirtatious clothing, the girls were pushed out from behind the curtain to face their companions. Upon their entrance, all three officers stood bolt upright. Each stared, amazed, at the three beauties that they had now the privilege of escorting back onto the ship. Wellard couldn't help but think, "Are they really going to sail with us?" It was astonishing that any woman would be aboard a ship, much less three pretty- no, lovely ones.

The shop keeper nudged Horatio, holding out an insistent palm, and still gaping, he paid her. "Now you all have a fine day," she told them giddily- waving knowingly at the girls.

The six set off down the street, once more in pairs, and before long arrived at the docks. The sun was slowly lowering in the sky, making the horizon a brilliant, picturesque scene. Lottie sighed contently as she waited next to Wellard for the arrival of their jolly boat. It had been a simply wonderful day, complete with surprises and laughter. Yet the image of Captain Sawyer lingered in her mind, making her uneasy. Why had he allowed them to stay on his ship? Surely not just because of his good will towards the helpless. Perhaps it was to fulfill a certain desire of his. Lottie shuddered at the thought; she could only imagine what the Captain was thinking, bringing young women onto his ship. Yet there really wasn't another options for them. Stay on the ship, or starve on the streets of England.

"Lottie?" Wellard murmured softly. Something was on her mind, he could tell. Perhaps it was their earlier incident in the alleyway- God forbid. She turned at the sound of her name, and smiled reassuringly at his concerned gaze. "Something troubles you?" he asked quietly.

Sighing, she turned back to look at the sea, now mirroring the colors of the fading sunlight. "I can't help but wonder why the Captain would allow young women like ourselves aboard."

Wellard understood her musings. He himself had wondered at the reasoning behind the Captain's odd decision. Not that he wanted the girls to be left in England to fend for themselves, no, he'd much rather have them stay close, where they could be looked after. However, it seemed almost too perfect, too utopian if they were brought along. The Renown was a 3rd rate warship, not some cruise sloop, and warships only led to blood, death and prize money. One thing was certain- the Captain had not notified the Admiralty of these new passengers. The situation was somewhat odd, and probably quite frightening for a young female.

"Surely it's not just out of the kindness of his heart?" she whispered to Wellard worriedly. "We dared not refuse him, he was rather, well, adamant that we stay with the Renown," she told him confidentially. Even though the girls had not been apposed to staying on the Renown, the Captain had been quite insistent that the three stay aboard- no matter how much their opinion differed. If they hadn't been so agreeable with the idea, Lottie was not so sure the Captain would have allowed them to leave. She lowered her face. Perhaps she had said too much.

Wellard stepped in front of her and gently lifted her face up towards his. "You needn't worry about the Captain, Lottie. We all," he gestured towards Archie and Horatio, "Will see that no one harms you. You have my word." He then lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly, as a proper gentleman should.

"Thank you. You are most kind," she told him shyly, smiling gratefully. She could feel the heat beginning to rise onto her checks. His lips had felt so warm against her skin, so delightful. How was it that one touch made her hand burn like fire- yet sent chills down her spine?

"Get a move on, you lovebirds! We're ready to go!" called an impatient Amy from the awaiting jolly boat. Wellard took Lottie's hand and helped her into the boat, the two sharing a smile.

Lottie was years, quite exactly, from her home, and this new adventure seemed exciting and terrifying at the same time. Yet, she found solace in knowing that Wellard, as well as the other lieutenants, would protect them from Sawyer and any other evil that came their way. "Let come what may," she thought, as she watched the sun sink below the purple horizon.

Another chapter over and done with. Now, please, don't make me have that awkward moment when I upload a chapter and there are no reviews. :[