I Never Expected Her To Be So Special
This scene starts on page 83 in Celia Rees' PIRATES book.
"There you are Graham." I saw the surgeon sitting with a fine lady sailing with us. "Is this your idea of how to entertain a young lady? Have her sitting on an upturned bucket like a swab? For shame! You should have taken her to the grand cabin for a glass of punch or a dish of tea."
I grinned at Graham as he frowned at me, but then I turned to the young lady. She was very young- sixteen at the look of it. She smiled up at me from her upturned bucket. She had a very nice smile. So young, beautiful, yet troubled. I wondered what could have been troubling her. "My name is Adam Broom." I introduced myself. She nodded, examining me, and I knew she would probably be surprised at my pirate appearance. "I'm first mate here and navigator. You must be Miss Kington." I remembered her name as I spoke, for I had heard some talk about her being sick on board. "How d'you do?"
I decided to treat her as I would treat any man of my ship, for there was something about her that told me she wasn't like normal girls. I took her hand, and shook it like I have done to any man in my crew. "Glad to see you're feeling better." She stood up when I pulled her forward. I nodded towards Graham, who was still frowning. "He is a grisly fellow. He's no use with ladies. Always talking about illnesses and other gruesome subjects. I hope his company has not distressed you too much." She laughed at what I said, and I could tell it lifted her spirit. Sometimes you can tell if someone hasn't been in a happy state in a long while.
"I'm not distressed because of that!" she said as she smiled and laughed. So she had been upset.
"Miss Kington," Graham spoke up in our conversation. "wants me to pass on a message to her young man."
"Oh," I said politely. "What young man is that?" I examined her face at the mention of her man, and I saw her eyes light up, but her smile faded. This was peculiar. Why did she seem sorrowful at the mention of her man's name?
"Young William." I barely heard him as I was lost in thought.
"William? Which William? Every other tar is named William." Well, it was the truth.
"Ship's boy on the Amelia. You remember." His voice stressed on the word "you," as if he didn't expect me to remember, which he might have been right. I wasn't sure if I was thinking of the right William.
"Oh. That William."
"He's Navy now." Graham shared, as Miss Kington nodded, looking down at her hands, and I realized that she wasn't upset by him, she just missed him.
"Is he?" I said, sounding surprised.
"Could we get a message to him, you think?"
"I'm sure we could." I reassured. "Between us we know someone on every in the fleet." Ok, maybe I did exaggerate, but we were pretty close! Besides, Miss Kington looked promisingly at us, and very pleased.
I talked to Miss Kington a little bit more, asking her some questions.
"This is your first trip, I take it?"
"Indeed Sir, it is." She said.
"I envy you then, Miss Kington. Indeed, I do. To view the Islands for the first time, with fresh eyes. To see their mountains and forests rising up from the sea, like emeralds heaped on a silver salver." I became lost in thought as I began to describe the land I loved. I was not that big of a land lover though, because, Aye, I was to become a pirate. The sea was what I loved.
"And when you get there!" I continued. Such riches! Such beauty!" I described the birds, the fruit, the scented air. I told her they were paradise on earth, and they truly were.
Miss Kington really listened carefully to my words. She noticed the passion I had for the islands in my voice, and noticed how I looked far off as I talked. She is smart, indeed she is. And observant.
"Why do you not live there?" she asked me.
"Oh no, Miss Kington. That would not be." Perhaps you have probably noticed my love for the islands too, so listen closely. "I have an affliction beyond help of physick." I told her. "Even my good friend Graham has no cure for it. No sooner am I ashore, than I wish to be away again. My home is the ship. My country is the sea."
She seemed deeply thoughtful, and interested in my words. I liked the look on her face, and it couldn't help but make me smile myself. But soon our parting came, for there was work to do.
What I can tell you, though, was she was a lovely woman, wonderful to talk to, and I still had a feeling that she was special, and different. Even then, I had no idea that we would meet at sea again, not as we just were, but as pirates.
This scene starts on page 83 in Celia Rees' PIRATES book.
"There you are Graham." I saw the surgeon sitting with a fine lady sailing with us. "Is this your idea of how to entertain a young lady? Have her sitting on an upturned bucket like a swab? For shame! You should have taken her to the grand cabin for a glass of punch or a dish of tea."
I grinned at Graham as he frowned at me, but then I turned to the young lady. She was very young- sixteen at the look of it. She smiled up at me from her upturned bucket. She had a very nice smile. So young, beautiful, yet troubled. I wondered what could have been troubling her. "My name is Adam Broom." I introduced myself. She nodded, examining me, and I knew she would probably be surprised at my pirate appearance. "I'm first mate here and navigator. You must be Miss Kington." I remembered her name as I spoke, for I had heard some talk about her being sick on board. "How d'you do?"
I decided to treat her as I would treat any man of my ship, for there was something about her that told me she wasn't like normal girls. I took her hand, and shook it like I have done to any man in my crew. "Glad to see you're feeling better." She stood up when I pulled her forward. I nodded towards Graham, who was still frowning. "He is a grisly fellow. He's no use with ladies. Always talking about illnesses and other gruesome subjects. I hope his company has not distressed you too much." She laughed at what I said, and I could tell it lifted her spirit. Sometimes you can tell if someone hasn't been in a happy state in a long while.
"I'm not distressed because of that!" she said as she smiled and laughed. So she had been upset.
"Miss Kington," Graham spoke up in our conversation. "wants me to pass on a message to her young man."
"Oh," I said politely. "What young man is that?" I examined her face at the mention of her man, and I saw her eyes light up, but her smile faded. This was peculiar. Why did she seem sorrowful at the mention of her man's name?
"Young William." I barely heard him as I was lost in thought.
"William? Which William? Every other tar is named William." Well, it was the truth.
"Ship's boy on the Amelia. You remember." His voice stressed on the word "you," as if he didn't expect me to remember, which he might have been right. I wasn't sure if I was thinking of the right William.
"Oh. That William."
"He's Navy now." Graham shared, as Miss Kington nodded, looking down at her hands, and I realized that she wasn't upset by him, she just missed him.
"Is he?" I said, sounding surprised.
"Could we get a message to him, you think?"
"I'm sure we could." I reassured. "Between us we know someone on every in the fleet." Ok, maybe I did exaggerate, but we were pretty close! Besides, Miss Kington looked promisingly at us, and very pleased.
I talked to Miss Kington a little bit more, asking her some questions.
"This is your first trip, I take it?"
"Indeed Sir, it is." She said.
"I envy you then, Miss Kington. Indeed, I do. To view the Islands for the first time, with fresh eyes. To see their mountains and forests rising up from the sea, like emeralds heaped on a silver salver." I became lost in thought as I began to describe the land I loved. I was not that big of a land lover though, because, Aye, I was to become a pirate. The sea was what I loved.
"And when you get there!" I continued. Such riches! Such beauty!" I described the birds, the fruit, the scented air. I told her they were paradise on earth, and they truly were.
Miss Kington really listened carefully to my words. She noticed the passion I had for the islands in my voice, and noticed how I looked far off as I talked. She is smart, indeed she is. And observant.
"Why do you not live there?" she asked me.
"Oh no, Miss Kington. That would not be." Perhaps you have probably noticed my love for the islands too, so listen closely. "I have an affliction beyond help of physick." I told her. "Even my good friend Graham has no cure for it. No sooner am I ashore, than I wish to be away again. My home is the ship. My country is the sea."
She seemed deeply thoughtful, and interested in my words. I liked the look on her face, and it couldn't help but make me smile myself. But soon our parting came, for there was work to do.
What I can tell you, though, was she was a lovely woman, wonderful to talk to, and I still had a feeling that she was special, and different. Even then, I had no idea that we would meet at sea again, not as we just were, but as pirates.