Chapter Two
When Olivia opened her eyes she thought she had been dreaming. Then her eyes came to focus on a completely strange room and she noticed the sway was not her head, but the room itself. She bolted up with a gasp, quick to take in her surroundings.
"Easy Miss." A gentle but firm hand gripped her shoulder, pushing to lie back down. "You've had a hard night, and I imagine the day before was not pleasant either."
Olivia looked over and studied the man sitting next to her. "You were the Doctor?" She asked, slowly, her memories of the night before slowly came back. "Doctor Maturin?" She asked.
"Yes Miss. Might I have your name?" He asked with a small smile.
"Olivia Corin." She replied. "What am I doing here?"
"We pulled you out of the water Miss. You were quite cold, do you remember much?" He asked, curiously.
Olivia paused, thinking. "I was in the water. I decided to float rather than attempt to swim to shore, considering I had no idea where land was it seemed to be a good plan. I floated a really long time. It got dark. I got cold. Then your men pulled me out of the water. I passed out. Did I miss anything?"
"How did you come to be in the water?" He asked.
"I have no idea." Olivia replied, sitting up. She then looked around, studying her surroundings. "Is this like a reenacting ship or something?" She asked.
Maturin stared at her blankly. "Pardon?"
Olivia stared right back, her eyes widening. "This is going to sound really stupid, but uh, what is the year?"
"1806." He replied, giving her an odd look.
Her mouth dropped open. "No way!"
Maturin stared at her with concern, "Are you feeling all right Miss Corin?"
Olivia shut her mouth quickly. She had watched enough science fiction to know better than to tell them she was from the future. She'd either screw up the timeline, or they'd think she was crazy. "Oh, yes. I feel much better. Thank you." She replied quickly. "Just a bit hungry." That was true, she hadn't eaten since before she went rock climbing.
Dr. Maturin nodded, "I'll have someone bring you food. In the meanwhile, I am sure the Captain would like you to answer a few questions, if you are feeling up to it?"
Olivia nodded, trying to smile. "Of course. I'll answer whatever I can."
He turned to leave. "Oh, there are some clothes on the table. I'm afraid we do not have anything suitable for a lady. They're just some clothes on loan from one of our younger crewmembers, but they're clean. They may not fit perfectly, but they're the best we can do for now."
Olivia nodded, "Thank you." She replied.
Doctor Maturin nodded, and left.
As soon as he was gone Olivia jumped up and started pacing. She winced when she landed on her sore ankle but ignored it. "Oh shit. How hard did I hit my head?" She said, putting a hand to her head. "What trouble am I in now?" She stopped pacing a moment and glanced around. There were maps spread out on a table nearby and a cello in the corner. She must be in the captain's quarters or something. She sighed, "Okay Livie. Stay cool. Play along. You'll manage. You've got almost 200 years and two years of college education on these guys." She told herself. She went over to the table where the clothes were and held them up. Simple trousers and a white blouse- like shirt, "It could be worse." She told herself. "They could have those corset thingies for me to wear." She muttered.
She changed and was surprised to find a comb next to the clothes. She wondered if it was meant for her to use. Some of these guys did have long hair after all. After touching her hair and feeling the nasty knots she decided to risk it. Combing her hair and braiding it without a mirror was a talent she had developed. When she was done she dug through the pockets of her short for something to tie it back with. She decided against the rubber band, as they didn't have rubber back in the day. Sighing she thought for a moment, and then remembered her hemp bracelet was wearing. She quickly wrapped it around the end of her hair tightly so it would hold it back. Not exactly the best hair accessory but it worked.
She then resumed pacing around the room, and resorted to what she always did when she was nervous, singing old vocal exercises. This habit of hers often drove people she knew crazy, but she couldn't help it. For some reason they calmed her down. "Mommy made me mash my M&Ms. Mommy made me mash my M&Ms." She repeated this over and over, climbing the scales until she ran out. Then she resorted to syllables. "Mi mi mi mi mi mi mi mi mi! Lu lu lu lu lu lu lu lu lu! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" She was not aware she was doing this loudly, but there was no doubt the entire ship could here her. Olivia never really was entirely aware of the power of her voice, or how well it carried, but everyone on board paused a moment, confused by the sudden sound of a woman singing. She continued this until a throat clearing behind her startled her.
Olivia spun around, surprised to see Captain Aubrey. "Oh!" She blushed, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry."
He just smiled kindly and motioned for her to sit down. "You have a lovely voice Miss Corin." He commented.
"Thank you sir. And please, call me Olivia." She said with a smile, taking a seat. She hated her last name, and despised it when professors called her Miss Corin. It made her feel like she was in trouble for some reason. "I suppose you have some questions for me." She said, attempting to sound calm.
"Yes. I would like to know how a young woman came to be alone in the middle of the ocean, with no sign of a ship or land." He said, waiting for her reply.
Olivia rolled her eyes, "Wouldn't we both." She muttered.
"Excuse me?" He asked, watching her with suspicion.
"I mean, I have no idea myself sir." She caught herself, making a mental note to not roll her eyes as much as she normally did.
"Surely you were on a ship? Surely you remember what ship and where you were going?" He probed.
Olivia shifted in her seat, she felt like she was being interrogated and knew she'd have to think of a probable story, fast. "Perhaps I have lost my memory sir, for I cannot remember." She replied.
Captain Aubrey studied her moment, as if determining if she was lying. Olivia made sure to meet his eyes and not fidget, although it was taking all her control not too. She was terrible at lying, although she really did had no idea how she got there, so it wasn't a complete lie. Finally, he spoke again. "Where is your home? Do you remember?"
She hesitated, not sure of what to say. She was really from Ellison Heights, West Virginia, but that place was not there yet. "Virginia, sir." She answered, proud she hadn't blurted out West Virginia in panic.
"I thought you were American." He commented. "What town in Virginia?"
Well, she doubted her real hometown was there yet either, but she did think Harper's Ferry was, and it was the first thing to come to mind. "Harper's Ferry."
Captain Aubrey paused, "I have never heard of that city."
"Oh. It's in the mountains." She replied.
"How did a woman from the mountains end up on the ocean?" Captain Aubrey asked, raising an eyebrow.
Olivia was beginning to feel more confident at this game by now. "As I told you, sir, I do not remember."
He regarded her with suspicion. "You seem to have very selective memory loss, Miss Corin."
Olivia shrugged, "The mind is difficult to understand, Captain." She replied.
"So it is." He said with a nod. Olivia was not sure whether he was satisfied with her replies or not, but he seemed to decide to stop pressing her. "Well, Miss Corin. Welcome abroad. You may have use of my cabin while you are here, and I suggest you stay here and not wander about."
Olivia regarded him with a curious look, "Why is that?"
"It is considered unlucky for a woman to be on a ship. Many of the men are superstitious. Not to mention the fact that you are the only woman these men have seen for several months. Some of them may not behave as gentlemen." He said simply. "It is merely for your protection. A ship can be a dangerous place, Miss Corin. You will be safe in here."
Olivia was terrified by the idea of being stuck in one small room day in and day out. She rose to her feet and attempted to look imploring. "Sir," She said, considering her words carefully. "I am from a wild and vast country. I grew up running free in the wilderness and such freedom I am afraid has made me a bit wild myself. The very thought of being confined to your quarters terrifies me beyond measure. Without fresh air and sunlight I will suffer. Besides the fact, that I am a creature of curiosity and am dying to see the rest of your grand ship. Please, do not keep me prisoner here." Olivia finished, feeling a bit proud of her speech. She had managed to keep her temper and not curse at the Captain, which was a very good thing.
And it worked. Captain Aubrey, although his face did not show any emotions, was moved by her speech and thought it must be awful to be unable to satisfy her curiosity, and gave her a small smile. "You think me heartless madam?" He asked. "Do not fear. I shall have one of my officers give you a tour, and you may walk on deck when the weather favorable. But you must promise you shall obey my officers and myself."
Olivia nodded, "I do sir. For I am certain I do not know better than they about sailing." She promised with a grin. She paused a moment, "Sir? May I inquire as to where we are sailing uh... at.. er.. in..uh, location wise that is?" She winced, that sentence sounded bad even to her.
"35 degrees south and 75 degrees west." He answered.
"Really?" Olivia paused for a second recalling her geography class in which she was forced to memorize general longitude and latitude for continents and so forth. "So west coast of South America then? Have fun rounding the horn?" She blurted out. As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted them. Olivia had a habit of speaking without thinking. Her Grandmother had always scolded her for this, saying if Jesus himself came down she'd immediately blurt out fifty questions before he hit the ground. She was going to have to work on that, and her guard immediately went back up. Darn her and her geography classes she had taken. She knew all about the winds and atmospheric conditions that made that particularly area have bad weather, having written a report on the HMS Bounty. Olivia had a wide range of classes at college since she had taken her time in choosing a major.
He gave her an odd look. "You know geography?" He said with surprise.
Olivia gathered that was unusual for someone like her. "Yes. I uh.. studied it in Philadelphia." She wished she said another city. She'd never even been to Philadelphia.
"You have had formal schooling?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sure." Olivia said, wishing desperately for a subject change.
"What sort of extraordinary school for ladies' would this be Miss Corin?" He asked with that suspicious tone of his.
"A very good one sir." She replied, trying to hold back laughter that was suddenly boiling up from the absurdity of the situation. "So it appears I am very far from home, sir." She said, hoping to change the subject away from her unusual education and Philadelphia. God help her if he'd ever been there.
"Indeed you are Miss Corin." He replied. "And it is most fortunate for your sake, that we found you." He added.
Olivia nodded, "Yes sir, you have been most kind. I am grateful for your assistance." She said, managing to once again sound somewhat well mannered. "Sir, I remember, when I was pulled out, Pullings, I believe his name was, I believe he was responsible for saving my life. I would very much like to thank him."
He studied her once more, as if assessing her sincerity. She still had no idea if he was satisfied by her answers for the man was impossible to read. Captain Aubrey nodded, bid her good day, and left.
Olivia let out her breath, not even realizing she'd been holding it. "That guy should get a job interrogating people at airports." She muttered to herself. She got the distinct feeling he did not like her. He probably knew she was hiding something, and did not like the unexplained. She leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes, she had a splitting headache now from all the questions.
A man, who appeared to be in a disagreeable mood, came in with food for her. It was bread that looked like she might be able to use it as a pencil holder. Nevertheless, she thanked the man, he grunted in return and left. She was so hungry she'd eat anything, besides, being a college student, she was used to scary food. So she ate quite happily, still considering her situation.
Meanwhile, Jack had gone to speak to Pullings in regards to Miss Corin. Tom was most anxious to find out what the Captain and Dr. Maturin had learned from the mysterious woman. For some reason he could not get his thoughts off of her. Perhaps it was merely curiosity. After all, she did appear to come out of no where. He had also heard her singing earlier. They were nonsense words, but he like practically all the men on board, had paused in their work, listening to the sweet female voice that had suddenly filled the air. He wanted to learn more about her.
The Captain motioned him over as soon as he saw him, and the moment Tom was in conversation range, he began speaking. "Well, Mr. Pullings, Miss Corin has no idea how she managed to find herself floating in the Pacific. And if she does know something, she is not sharing the information."
"Yes sir." Tom replied, slightly disappointed that there still was no answer to this curious riddle.
"I do get the feeling she is hiding something." The Captain continued, frowning, as if still in thought. He then turned back to Pullings. "I have decided to put her in your charge." He declared.
Tom blinked for a moment, surprised. "My charge sir?"
"Yes. She inquired after you, and I believe it is best that she have as little contact with the rest of the crew as possible." He replied. "I have given her use of my quarters, and permission to walk on deck when the weather is favorable, although I believe it might be best to limit her to the quarterdeck, and to see that she stays out of the way, for her safety." He instructed Tom, who was starring at him as if he had sprouted another head. "Oh. And you ought to give her a brief tour of the ship. She seems quite curious, and I did promise to have one of my officers do this for her. I doubt a woman would inquire as to many technical matters, although she does seem to have some geographical knowledge and schooling."
Tom was still shocked. This woman was under his charge now? Oh dear. Tom, having been at sea since he was young had little idea as to how to approach women, well, women of quality. There was something about the very thought of this woman that filled him with an odd emotion. He was not entirely sure what it was, but it was something like dread. "Yes sir." He managed to reply to the Captain.
Aubrey gave him an odd look, for he had gone quite pale very quickly. "I believe she is eating at the moment, but in a while I suggest you go down to her. She was asking to see you."
Pullings gave a start, staring at the Captain blankly. "May I inquire as to what she wishes, sir?"
Jack gave him another odd look, wondering if he should inquire to the man's health. "To thank you for saving her life, Mr. Pullings."
"Oh! Yes, of course!" He felt his face flush, which turned an odd shade considering how pale it had gone earlier. "Yes sir, I will go shortly."
He was not behaving as he usually did, Aubrey noted. Perhaps he was ill. He considered inquiring, but thought better of it. That was really between Pullings and Stephen. As long as he continued to do his duties Jack decided he would definitely stay out of it. He nodded to the younger man, "And good luck with her, Mr. Pullings." He said, turning to leave. He needed to consult Stephen further, and find out if she told him anything. He knew she was hiding something, if he could only learn what it was he would feel much better about all this.
Tom watched him go, still dumbfounded. "Thank you sir." Tom paused a moment, wondering what to do next. He would wait for Miss Corin to finish eating, but in the meantime he ought to make sure he looked presentable. He quickly went to his cabin and shaved, ran a comb through his hair and retied his queue. He then put on a fresh shirt, one that was not stained and smelled slightly better, and pulled on his coat. He then quickly checked his appearance in the small glass. His eyes lingered on the scar across his face and he suddenly felt very self-conscious about it. He sighed, why did women always make him so uncomfortable? He supposed he ought to go see to Miss Corin. The thought terrified him actually. Why did the Captain have to put her in his charge? He supposed it was because it was his watch when she came abroad, and he was the one who saw her in the water. He checked his appearance one more time, and satisfied, turned and went to the Great Cabin where Miss Corin was waiting.
He entered to find the young lady standing at the windows, her back to him, watching something. She turned when he entered, and smiled kindly. Tom noted that with some amusement that she really looked quite charming in boy's clothing, if that were possible, and appeared to be quite comfortable in them as well. She looked much better than she had before, color returned to her cheeks and her eyes not wide with fear.
"I hope I find you well Miss Corin?" He said politely.
She nodded, crossing the room to him. "Very well, thank you. But please, call me Olivia." She said.
Tom was surprised by this, for he did not believe he was on familiar enough terms with her to address her as such, but instead he forced a nervous smile. "If you prefer, Mi- Olivia." He replied.
She smiled, "Yes I do." She then quickly tucked a small strand of hair that had fallen loose of her braid behind an ear absent-mindedly and shifted on her feet. "I wanted to thank you, Mr. Pullings, for saving my life." She told him, quite earnestly.
Tom felt his face grow hot, and he lowered his eyes and murmured something about it being his duty. He found her forward manner most unsettling, and never being one with much charm around women, and was at a complete loss as to what exactly he should say. He stood there in silence a moment, suddenly the floor had become quite interesting and he found his hands to be utterly useless, hanging dumbly at his side.
Olivia seemed to find the silence unsettling herself, for after a few seconds she cleared her thought, "So! What happens now?" She said, in a manner to start a conversation.
Tom looked up, still feeling rather at a loss for words. "Well, Miss Corin, the Captain has put you in my charge."
She gave him a strange look, "Your charge?" She said in an amused tone, raising an eyebrow. "What am I a prize goat?" She asked.
Tom however, completely missed the amusement in her voice and hurriedly spoke to cover any insult. "No disrespect is intended Miss! It is merely an act so that someone will see you come to no harm." He explained, turning a deeper shade of red.
Olivia let out a small laugh, "Relax, I wasn't insulted. I was joking."
"Oh." Tom replied with a frown.
She sighed, but was still smiling, amused by his reactions. "If I am to be in your charge, Lieutenant Pullings, we are going to have to work on your sense of humor."
Tom gave her a small, nervous smile. "As you wish, Miss Corin."
"I thought I told you to call me Olivia?" She replied, doing her best to sound cross, but failing and laughing merrily.
"Olivia." He replied, with that same nervous smile, and turning yet another shade of red. "The Captain mentioned you would like to see more of the Surprise?"
Olivia's eyes brightened with excitement at this. "Oh yes please! Is now a good time?" She asked.
Tom hesitated, not wanting to tire her. She had after all, had an exhausting day yesterday, and today, waking up in a strange place must not be much better. "If you are feeling well enough."
She waved her hand as if to dismiss any doubts about her health. "I feel perfectly fine." She said.
Tom nodded, "Very well then, Olivia." He said with a smile at her obvious excitement. "If you would follow me?"
"See? Now is calling me Olivia so hard?" She teased with a grin, falling into step behind him.
Tom paused a moment, and held back a sigh. The Captain was right. He was going to need all the luck he could get.
Olivia listened as the rather jittery officer began to go on and on about the sails, their names, and the seemingly thousands of ropes, which all also seemed to have names of their own as well. They stood on what she thought he had referred to as the quarterdeck. She was trying her best to follow his descriptions, but he kept using nautical terms and was talking rather quickly, she found her attention wandering despite her best efforts. It amazed her how an innocent comment of "I never knew there were so many sails" lead to what appeared to be an hour lecture on all the different ones. Finally, Olivia had about all she could stand of his ramblings and held up a hand.
"I don't mean to be rude, sir." She said trying her best to keep the irritation out of her voice. "But I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."
Pullings stopped in the middle of explaining what the spanker was used for and blinked with surprise. "Oh. My apologies Miss."
Olivia merely smiled with amusement. "Keep in mind that the farthest I've ever been in the ocean is waist-deep off the Carolina coast. I think with me you're going to have to speak in normal English, very slowly, using very, very, small words."
To Olivia's amazement, Tom Pullings actually laughed at her exaggerated exasperation. "I take it you have heard enough about the sails Miss Corin."
"You got that right." Olivia said. "Unless.... you aren't going to like, test me on this stuff are you?" She said, her annoying, sarcastic side was showing once more and she knew it, but she felt more at ease with Pullings than she had earlier with the Captain. Of course, that man interrogating you was enough to make anyone ill at ease. She supposed it was Tom's nervous manner around her that made her relax and behave more like herself. She also knew she really ought to attempt to be more 'proper' at all times, but that would drive her absolutely insane.
He regarded her with some amusement, finding her a very odd woman. "Perhaps I ought to." He said, trying not to laugh at the horrified look on her face.
"Flying jib and spanker are all I know." She said with a snort. "Amusing names stick with me better."
He titled his head to the side and regarded her with raised eyebrows. "Perhaps we should change the names of all the sails to suite you Miss Corin."
Grinning Olivia replied with a tone that she knew would have made her Grandmother groan and give her a good whack in the head. "Yeah, could you? That'd be great."
Tom merely smiled and turned to lead her from the quarterdeck. "If you'll follow me Miss Corin? Mind your step."
Olivia followed him down to the other part of the deck that he had yet to tell her the name of, having gotten preoccupied with the sails. She was proud of the fact that she was not falling on her face with the rocking of the ship. She was relatively sure her stomach would not trouble her, always having a strong stomach that could ride roller coasters until everyone else was green and throwing up, but the fact that she was not falling on her face and was moving with as much confidence as if she was on a very familiar cliff, which was almost as confident as on flat ground.
Pullings had started to talk once more, pointing,. "That, Miss, is the capstan. It is used to-" He stopped suddenly, as he foot somehow became tangled in a rope and he went crashing to the deck quite clumsily.
"Oh!" If it had been one of her friends back home, Olivia would have laughed and teased mercilessly, but she doubted that this man would find it very funny, so instead she was concerned. He had fallen rather hard, almost flipping over the rope. "Are you all right?" She asked, kneeling beside him to help him to his feet once more.
The poor man turned a very deep shade of red and gathered himself to his feet on his own, Olivia rose as well, still concerned, especially since his face changed to such a deep shade so quickly.
"I am fine." He mumbled, not meeting her eyes. "Where was I?"
"The capstan." Olivia supplied, still concerned over his fall.
"Yes, the capstan." And he launched into a detailed description of it, allowing Olivia's mind to once again wander, but she did her best to appear to be listening, as she did not want to hurt the poor man's feelings. He was after all, trying very hard. It was not his fault she found little interest in the details of every little thing on board. She began to list the major triads in her head as quickly as she could. Doing this always made her look as if she was extremely interested in what was going on around her. This trick was what she always did during geology lectures, which were enough to put anyone to sleep. Before she knew it, they were moving once again and she snapped out of her reprieve once more.
Tom was mortified by how badly this tour was going. He knew he was rambling, but he simply could not help himself. Then his trip over the ropes made him look a fool in front of her, and that did nothing for his esteem. Below deck was going considerably better, he must say. Their visit to sick-berth gave Tom a much needed relief from talking, for Dr. Maturin seemed more than happy to exchange kind words with Miss Corin and seemed pleased when she inquired to the types to remedies he had on board. Her mood seemed to change considerably when she was speaking with others Tom noted. She suddenly became much more formal and reserved when speaking to Dr. Maturin and he wondered why that was.
Dr. Maturin also noticed something Tom had completely missed. Miss Corin seemed to be limping, taking the weight off her right foot. When questioned about it, she merely shrugged. "Oh. It is nothing. My ankle is merely twisted, sprained at the most."
Despite her assurances that it did not pain her much, Dr. Maturin insisted upon checking it himself. Once her boot was removed the flesh of her ankle was indeed notably swollen and a purplish blue color. For her credit, she did not cry out at all when Dr. Maturin moved her foot or poked to examine. She merely made a face in discomfort. Tom meanwhile was kicking himself for not noticing her limp before and dragging her all over the ship when she should have been resting.
"You were quite right my dear. It is indeed sprained. Not badly mind you, but it certainly warrants a dressing." He told her.
Olivia nodded, "I hope I am not too much trouble, Doctor."
He gave her a kind smile, "Not at all Miss Corin." He quickly retrieved some strips of cloth for bandages and gently wrapped her swollen ankle. "Have you any idea how you managed this, Miss Corin?" He asked.
Olivia clearly hesitated, even Tom noticed. She then shook her head. "I am afraid that like many things I have forgotten Doctor."
He nodded, finishing the dressing. "Well, there you are my dear! I thank you for sitting so still, many a man has squirmed so terribly while wrapping an ankle I often have half a mind to break their bones if only to make them still."
Olivia laughed, "You sound like Mel." She said, obviously absent-mindedly, for the moment she said it her eyes widened as they looked to her for an explanation. "A friend of mine, who also studies medicine." She quickly covered.
"I see." The Doctor looked doubtful, and Tom also found her reaction quite odd.
"If it pains you much Miss Corin please inform me." Dr. Maturin told her. "And you really ought to be resting." He added as she pulled her boot back on once more.
"It really does not pain me much at all Doctor, a minor irritation at most." She assured him, standing once again. "Believe me, I am really much stronger than I look." She assured him.
Dr. Maturin smiled, "I do not doubt that Miss Corin." He nodded to them both and bid them good day, and they left once again.
Which meant, Tom was now on his own for conversation with her once more. "Shall we continue? Or perhaps you would like to rest?" He offered.
"Continue please. I very much do not need the rest." She insisted.
And so they continued on their way. Olivia was really quite talkative and back to her usual forward self. Tom actually found himself growing more confident in his words as they went on. They met young Lord Blakeney along the way, and he of course, gave his polite greetings. Olivia replied kindly with a smile, not making comment on his absent arm, for that Tom was thankful, but she was clearly surprised by something, a look Tom was beginning to recognize, because it was usually followed by a question. As soon as the boy was out of earshot she leaned closer and whispered. "He's so young."
"He is at least twelve years, Miss. That is quite normal I assure you." He told her. "The same age as I was."
She gave him an amused look and replied with a small laugh. "Well that explains a lot." Her tone was quite teasing, and Tom very much wanted to ask what she meant, but thought better of it.
Instead, he merely turned and went to follow Blakeney's steps in heading back up on deck. "If you'll follow me Miss?" He said to her, stepping up the ladder. However, a loud crack and a sharp pain on his head, causing his vision to go dark for the briefest moment met him and he stumbled back down holding his head.
Olivia did her best to hold back her laughter, but it got the better of her, and with a rather un-ladylike snort she made comment, "Watch your head" In a rather obvious tone. Then attempting to cover up her laughter came to his side once more. "That definitely sounded painful. Are you all right?"
Meanwhile, young Blakeney, who had barely stepped away, heard the sharp crack and turned back to investigate, curiosity getting the better of him. When he saw poor Tom leaning for his life against the ladder and holding his head, doing his best not to let Miss Corin know just how much that hurt, he gave the poor Lieutenant a rather odd look. "Are you well sir?" He asked earnestly.
Tom waved the boy away, feeling his face grow hot. He was making quite the spectacle of himself today and he knew it. He was not only embarrassed, but his head hurt something terrible. He had no idea that he had been going quickly enough to cause such pain.
Olivia of course was still by his side, watching with concern. Finally she stepped closer grabbing hold of his wrist, to move away his hand. "Here, let me see."
Tom removed his hand, until she started to pry open his eye, which he had shut, knowing full well a black eye would develop there and he would have to explain to the other officers and worse the Captain just how he managed it. With a sharp breath he jerked away from her hand, uttering a curse under his breath.
Olivia however, was not intimidated by this at all and let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh honestly! Let me see!" She insisted. Tom still pushed away her hands, feeling quite fed up at the moment. It was her next comment that finally made him yield. "Stop being such a baby, Tom Pullings." She instructed quite firmly.
Tom, feeling quite foolish, relented, allowing her to study his fresh black eye and poor banged head with what seemed to be a surprisingly professional manner.
She nodded, taking her hands away. "Quite a shiner and that bump on the head will certainly leave a mark, but you'll live. The eye looks fine."
If he had the use of both eyes he would have given her a strange look. "And you are an expert on such matters?" He said crossly.
Olivia shrugged in her usual manner when she was about to explain away something. "I have a little brother who seems to think the answer to everything is swinging a fist. Unfortunately, he tends to disagree with those a lot bigger than he is." She said rolling her eyes. "And no one ever bothered to teach the poor boy how to duck."
Tom, despite his painful head, laughed. "Well, you seem to be an expert at so many things, Miss Corin, perhaps you should instruct him."
She returned his laugh, "In his dreams. I need to keep my edge on the boy, he's taller than I am now." She joked, her eyes shining.
Olivia then turned serious once more. "I am sorry I laughed earlier, Mr. Pullings." She said quite earnestly.
Tom merely smiled, "Give it no mind, Olivia. I have been telling you all day to mind your head and step. It must have seemed most amusing."
Olivia grinned, "Oh it did, but I still should have at least asked if you were all right before I laughed."
He nodded, attempting to be grave. "Yes Miss Corin, or perhaps your dear younger brother is not the only one who needs to learn to duck."
Olivia blinked, surprised at his joke, and then burst out laughing. Tom, for some odd reason he could not place, felt very pleased to have amused her so, and joined in the laughter, still holding his poor head and feeling very silly at the moment, but not particularly caring.
Night had fallen and Jack had every intention of returning to his quarters, writing to Sophie, and going to sleep. However, he stopped at the Great Cabin, remembering he had given his quarters to Miss Corin. He sighed and paused a moment to think. When he had put Miss Corin there he had not thought of where exactly he would sleep. A lack of planning on his part that he now suffered for. Sighing, he supposed he would have to take a spare hammock and bunk with Stephen temporarily.
When he arrived Stephen looked up from his book with some surprise. "Ah Jack. What do I owe the pleasure?" He asked.
Rather sheepishly, Jack held up the hammock. "I came to ask you if I might sleep here temporarily." He said. "It seems I have given my own quarters to our guest."
"Ah, yes Miss Corin, of course." Stephen smiled, shutting his book. "By all means Jack, I suppose we all must make sacrifices now and then."
Jack chose not to ask after that comment. Instead he hung the hammock and took a seat across from Stephen. "There are advantages to keeping Miss Corin in my quarters you know." He pointed out, to defend his decision.
"Oh really?" Stephen asked, looking up in a look of mixed surprise and curiosity. "And what, pray tell, are they?"
"She is easier to guard there." Jack said simply.
Stephen looked at Jack over his glasses, a looked mixed with surprise and disapproval. "And why on Earth would you place her under guard?"
"Do you not find it odd that an American woman is found alone, without a ship in sight, and happens to be seen by a ship?" Jack asked.
Stephen raised an eyebrow. "You think her a spy for the Americans?"
"I do not know." Jack admitted unhappily. "All I know is that I dislike the mysterious circumstances of her arrival, and her lack of answers." Jack frowned, "And she has been asking many questions about the Surprise."
Stephen was still watching Jack from over his glasses. "Perhaps she is merely curious." He pointed out.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps she is gathering information on His Majesty's navy to feed to the Americans." Jack countered, not realizing how ridiculous the idea sounded to his friend and surgeon.
Stephen laughed softly. "Paranoia does not become you Jack."
"I find it is often necessary to be paranoid in my profession, brother." He replied, sighing. "I do not trust this woman."
"Yes, I gathered that much." Stephen took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes wearily. "But what would you do? Throw her overboard?"
"Oh course not!" Jack replied quickly. "Heavens Stephen, what do you take me for?" He asked. "No. I will treat her as kindly as civility requires, Stephen, and will see that she is well cared for. I have no fact to base my paranoia upon."
Stephen nodded, satisfied. "I noticed you put her in Mr. Pullings charge."
"Yes. What of it?"
"Nothing. Forgive my gossip, but I notice Pullings behaved rather strangely when in her company. Poor man. And after seeing Miss Corin to the Great Cabin once again, he came to see me with a rather nasty black eye. Apparently, he hit his head heading up on deck." Stephen explained. "He seems quite taken with the young lady."
"Lord help us." Jack sighed, closing his eyes. "He is not at ease with women, but I trust him. If Miss Corin is up to something suspicious he will inform me without hesitation." He said, with confidence.
Stephen nodded, "Well, at least now you have been informed of poor Tom's rather nasty looking eye. I am sure he dreaded explaining to you how he managed to injury himself." Stephen then stood from his desk. "Well, I am going to retire now. Goodnight Jack." He said, preparing to sleep.
"Rest well Stephen. If the light does not bother you much, I shall write a while before retiring myself." Jack replied.
"Not at all." Stephen said, and soon he was fast asleep. However, this sleep was interrupted by a terrible snort.
Stephen bolted up, almost falling over. It was dark now and he peered through to darkness to see Jack fast asleep. The horrible noise that had woken the Doctor was coming from the slumbering Captain. Groaning, Stephen attempted to block the noise, but found it quite impossible. Indeed it sounded as if some breed of cow had settled in Jack's throat. 'Heavens, I will never sleep with this racket.' He thought, miserably. 'How is it he does not wake himself?' He pondered this marvel, as he lay awake for a restless night of listening to the man snore loudly enough to wake the dead themselves.
A/N: Another chapter posted. Huzzah! This one seems rather long to me but I couldn't find a good stopping point. Teehee Pullings is falling everywhere, I'm so mean. Note again, sorry for any mistakes, like in my wording of the longitude or something. Also, the date, yeah I grabbed a random year. So sue me.
Jack: Haha you snore (points and laughs). Actually it's not cool because I'm not getting sleep. (poke) Bet you know what's coming in the next chapter (evil grin). Let's all point and laugh at Pullings now (points and laugh) HA HA!
Gaeriel Palpatine: Glad you liked the beginning. Hope you like this chapter too. Thanks for reviewing!
Sillytigerlily: Hehe glad you enjoy. Don't worry this story is almost done so I shouldn't keep you waiting too long. I just like leaving some time between chapters you know? Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
Angel of the Night Watchers: Haha yay!! You followed me here! I'm happy! I've started reading the books, right now I'm going through HMS Surprise. I've read Master and Commander and Post Captain, and a lot of the later ones because the library only had them. Like Truelove through to Blue at the Mizzen. But I started this story before I read anything... haha. Hope you enjoy m'dear!
Look here everyone! Please, please review! I like reviews! They make me happy!
When Olivia opened her eyes she thought she had been dreaming. Then her eyes came to focus on a completely strange room and she noticed the sway was not her head, but the room itself. She bolted up with a gasp, quick to take in her surroundings.
"Easy Miss." A gentle but firm hand gripped her shoulder, pushing to lie back down. "You've had a hard night, and I imagine the day before was not pleasant either."
Olivia looked over and studied the man sitting next to her. "You were the Doctor?" She asked, slowly, her memories of the night before slowly came back. "Doctor Maturin?" She asked.
"Yes Miss. Might I have your name?" He asked with a small smile.
"Olivia Corin." She replied. "What am I doing here?"
"We pulled you out of the water Miss. You were quite cold, do you remember much?" He asked, curiously.
Olivia paused, thinking. "I was in the water. I decided to float rather than attempt to swim to shore, considering I had no idea where land was it seemed to be a good plan. I floated a really long time. It got dark. I got cold. Then your men pulled me out of the water. I passed out. Did I miss anything?"
"How did you come to be in the water?" He asked.
"I have no idea." Olivia replied, sitting up. She then looked around, studying her surroundings. "Is this like a reenacting ship or something?" She asked.
Maturin stared at her blankly. "Pardon?"
Olivia stared right back, her eyes widening. "This is going to sound really stupid, but uh, what is the year?"
"1806." He replied, giving her an odd look.
Her mouth dropped open. "No way!"
Maturin stared at her with concern, "Are you feeling all right Miss Corin?"
Olivia shut her mouth quickly. She had watched enough science fiction to know better than to tell them she was from the future. She'd either screw up the timeline, or they'd think she was crazy. "Oh, yes. I feel much better. Thank you." She replied quickly. "Just a bit hungry." That was true, she hadn't eaten since before she went rock climbing.
Dr. Maturin nodded, "I'll have someone bring you food. In the meanwhile, I am sure the Captain would like you to answer a few questions, if you are feeling up to it?"
Olivia nodded, trying to smile. "Of course. I'll answer whatever I can."
He turned to leave. "Oh, there are some clothes on the table. I'm afraid we do not have anything suitable for a lady. They're just some clothes on loan from one of our younger crewmembers, but they're clean. They may not fit perfectly, but they're the best we can do for now."
Olivia nodded, "Thank you." She replied.
Doctor Maturin nodded, and left.
As soon as he was gone Olivia jumped up and started pacing. She winced when she landed on her sore ankle but ignored it. "Oh shit. How hard did I hit my head?" She said, putting a hand to her head. "What trouble am I in now?" She stopped pacing a moment and glanced around. There were maps spread out on a table nearby and a cello in the corner. She must be in the captain's quarters or something. She sighed, "Okay Livie. Stay cool. Play along. You'll manage. You've got almost 200 years and two years of college education on these guys." She told herself. She went over to the table where the clothes were and held them up. Simple trousers and a white blouse- like shirt, "It could be worse." She told herself. "They could have those corset thingies for me to wear." She muttered.
She changed and was surprised to find a comb next to the clothes. She wondered if it was meant for her to use. Some of these guys did have long hair after all. After touching her hair and feeling the nasty knots she decided to risk it. Combing her hair and braiding it without a mirror was a talent she had developed. When she was done she dug through the pockets of her short for something to tie it back with. She decided against the rubber band, as they didn't have rubber back in the day. Sighing she thought for a moment, and then remembered her hemp bracelet was wearing. She quickly wrapped it around the end of her hair tightly so it would hold it back. Not exactly the best hair accessory but it worked.
She then resumed pacing around the room, and resorted to what she always did when she was nervous, singing old vocal exercises. This habit of hers often drove people she knew crazy, but she couldn't help it. For some reason they calmed her down. "Mommy made me mash my M&Ms. Mommy made me mash my M&Ms." She repeated this over and over, climbing the scales until she ran out. Then she resorted to syllables. "Mi mi mi mi mi mi mi mi mi! Lu lu lu lu lu lu lu lu lu! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" She was not aware she was doing this loudly, but there was no doubt the entire ship could here her. Olivia never really was entirely aware of the power of her voice, or how well it carried, but everyone on board paused a moment, confused by the sudden sound of a woman singing. She continued this until a throat clearing behind her startled her.
Olivia spun around, surprised to see Captain Aubrey. "Oh!" She blushed, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry."
He just smiled kindly and motioned for her to sit down. "You have a lovely voice Miss Corin." He commented.
"Thank you sir. And please, call me Olivia." She said with a smile, taking a seat. She hated her last name, and despised it when professors called her Miss Corin. It made her feel like she was in trouble for some reason. "I suppose you have some questions for me." She said, attempting to sound calm.
"Yes. I would like to know how a young woman came to be alone in the middle of the ocean, with no sign of a ship or land." He said, waiting for her reply.
Olivia rolled her eyes, "Wouldn't we both." She muttered.
"Excuse me?" He asked, watching her with suspicion.
"I mean, I have no idea myself sir." She caught herself, making a mental note to not roll her eyes as much as she normally did.
"Surely you were on a ship? Surely you remember what ship and where you were going?" He probed.
Olivia shifted in her seat, she felt like she was being interrogated and knew she'd have to think of a probable story, fast. "Perhaps I have lost my memory sir, for I cannot remember." She replied.
Captain Aubrey studied her moment, as if determining if she was lying. Olivia made sure to meet his eyes and not fidget, although it was taking all her control not too. She was terrible at lying, although she really did had no idea how she got there, so it wasn't a complete lie. Finally, he spoke again. "Where is your home? Do you remember?"
She hesitated, not sure of what to say. She was really from Ellison Heights, West Virginia, but that place was not there yet. "Virginia, sir." She answered, proud she hadn't blurted out West Virginia in panic.
"I thought you were American." He commented. "What town in Virginia?"
Well, she doubted her real hometown was there yet either, but she did think Harper's Ferry was, and it was the first thing to come to mind. "Harper's Ferry."
Captain Aubrey paused, "I have never heard of that city."
"Oh. It's in the mountains." She replied.
"How did a woman from the mountains end up on the ocean?" Captain Aubrey asked, raising an eyebrow.
Olivia was beginning to feel more confident at this game by now. "As I told you, sir, I do not remember."
He regarded her with suspicion. "You seem to have very selective memory loss, Miss Corin."
Olivia shrugged, "The mind is difficult to understand, Captain." She replied.
"So it is." He said with a nod. Olivia was not sure whether he was satisfied with her replies or not, but he seemed to decide to stop pressing her. "Well, Miss Corin. Welcome abroad. You may have use of my cabin while you are here, and I suggest you stay here and not wander about."
Olivia regarded him with a curious look, "Why is that?"
"It is considered unlucky for a woman to be on a ship. Many of the men are superstitious. Not to mention the fact that you are the only woman these men have seen for several months. Some of them may not behave as gentlemen." He said simply. "It is merely for your protection. A ship can be a dangerous place, Miss Corin. You will be safe in here."
Olivia was terrified by the idea of being stuck in one small room day in and day out. She rose to her feet and attempted to look imploring. "Sir," She said, considering her words carefully. "I am from a wild and vast country. I grew up running free in the wilderness and such freedom I am afraid has made me a bit wild myself. The very thought of being confined to your quarters terrifies me beyond measure. Without fresh air and sunlight I will suffer. Besides the fact, that I am a creature of curiosity and am dying to see the rest of your grand ship. Please, do not keep me prisoner here." Olivia finished, feeling a bit proud of her speech. She had managed to keep her temper and not curse at the Captain, which was a very good thing.
And it worked. Captain Aubrey, although his face did not show any emotions, was moved by her speech and thought it must be awful to be unable to satisfy her curiosity, and gave her a small smile. "You think me heartless madam?" He asked. "Do not fear. I shall have one of my officers give you a tour, and you may walk on deck when the weather favorable. But you must promise you shall obey my officers and myself."
Olivia nodded, "I do sir. For I am certain I do not know better than they about sailing." She promised with a grin. She paused a moment, "Sir? May I inquire as to where we are sailing uh... at.. er.. in..uh, location wise that is?" She winced, that sentence sounded bad even to her.
"35 degrees south and 75 degrees west." He answered.
"Really?" Olivia paused for a second recalling her geography class in which she was forced to memorize general longitude and latitude for continents and so forth. "So west coast of South America then? Have fun rounding the horn?" She blurted out. As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted them. Olivia had a habit of speaking without thinking. Her Grandmother had always scolded her for this, saying if Jesus himself came down she'd immediately blurt out fifty questions before he hit the ground. She was going to have to work on that, and her guard immediately went back up. Darn her and her geography classes she had taken. She knew all about the winds and atmospheric conditions that made that particularly area have bad weather, having written a report on the HMS Bounty. Olivia had a wide range of classes at college since she had taken her time in choosing a major.
He gave her an odd look. "You know geography?" He said with surprise.
Olivia gathered that was unusual for someone like her. "Yes. I uh.. studied it in Philadelphia." She wished she said another city. She'd never even been to Philadelphia.
"You have had formal schooling?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sure." Olivia said, wishing desperately for a subject change.
"What sort of extraordinary school for ladies' would this be Miss Corin?" He asked with that suspicious tone of his.
"A very good one sir." She replied, trying to hold back laughter that was suddenly boiling up from the absurdity of the situation. "So it appears I am very far from home, sir." She said, hoping to change the subject away from her unusual education and Philadelphia. God help her if he'd ever been there.
"Indeed you are Miss Corin." He replied. "And it is most fortunate for your sake, that we found you." He added.
Olivia nodded, "Yes sir, you have been most kind. I am grateful for your assistance." She said, managing to once again sound somewhat well mannered. "Sir, I remember, when I was pulled out, Pullings, I believe his name was, I believe he was responsible for saving my life. I would very much like to thank him."
He studied her once more, as if assessing her sincerity. She still had no idea if he was satisfied by her answers for the man was impossible to read. Captain Aubrey nodded, bid her good day, and left.
Olivia let out her breath, not even realizing she'd been holding it. "That guy should get a job interrogating people at airports." She muttered to herself. She got the distinct feeling he did not like her. He probably knew she was hiding something, and did not like the unexplained. She leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes, she had a splitting headache now from all the questions.
A man, who appeared to be in a disagreeable mood, came in with food for her. It was bread that looked like she might be able to use it as a pencil holder. Nevertheless, she thanked the man, he grunted in return and left. She was so hungry she'd eat anything, besides, being a college student, she was used to scary food. So she ate quite happily, still considering her situation.
Meanwhile, Jack had gone to speak to Pullings in regards to Miss Corin. Tom was most anxious to find out what the Captain and Dr. Maturin had learned from the mysterious woman. For some reason he could not get his thoughts off of her. Perhaps it was merely curiosity. After all, she did appear to come out of no where. He had also heard her singing earlier. They were nonsense words, but he like practically all the men on board, had paused in their work, listening to the sweet female voice that had suddenly filled the air. He wanted to learn more about her.
The Captain motioned him over as soon as he saw him, and the moment Tom was in conversation range, he began speaking. "Well, Mr. Pullings, Miss Corin has no idea how she managed to find herself floating in the Pacific. And if she does know something, she is not sharing the information."
"Yes sir." Tom replied, slightly disappointed that there still was no answer to this curious riddle.
"I do get the feeling she is hiding something." The Captain continued, frowning, as if still in thought. He then turned back to Pullings. "I have decided to put her in your charge." He declared.
Tom blinked for a moment, surprised. "My charge sir?"
"Yes. She inquired after you, and I believe it is best that she have as little contact with the rest of the crew as possible." He replied. "I have given her use of my quarters, and permission to walk on deck when the weather is favorable, although I believe it might be best to limit her to the quarterdeck, and to see that she stays out of the way, for her safety." He instructed Tom, who was starring at him as if he had sprouted another head. "Oh. And you ought to give her a brief tour of the ship. She seems quite curious, and I did promise to have one of my officers do this for her. I doubt a woman would inquire as to many technical matters, although she does seem to have some geographical knowledge and schooling."
Tom was still shocked. This woman was under his charge now? Oh dear. Tom, having been at sea since he was young had little idea as to how to approach women, well, women of quality. There was something about the very thought of this woman that filled him with an odd emotion. He was not entirely sure what it was, but it was something like dread. "Yes sir." He managed to reply to the Captain.
Aubrey gave him an odd look, for he had gone quite pale very quickly. "I believe she is eating at the moment, but in a while I suggest you go down to her. She was asking to see you."
Pullings gave a start, staring at the Captain blankly. "May I inquire as to what she wishes, sir?"
Jack gave him another odd look, wondering if he should inquire to the man's health. "To thank you for saving her life, Mr. Pullings."
"Oh! Yes, of course!" He felt his face flush, which turned an odd shade considering how pale it had gone earlier. "Yes sir, I will go shortly."
He was not behaving as he usually did, Aubrey noted. Perhaps he was ill. He considered inquiring, but thought better of it. That was really between Pullings and Stephen. As long as he continued to do his duties Jack decided he would definitely stay out of it. He nodded to the younger man, "And good luck with her, Mr. Pullings." He said, turning to leave. He needed to consult Stephen further, and find out if she told him anything. He knew she was hiding something, if he could only learn what it was he would feel much better about all this.
Tom watched him go, still dumbfounded. "Thank you sir." Tom paused a moment, wondering what to do next. He would wait for Miss Corin to finish eating, but in the meantime he ought to make sure he looked presentable. He quickly went to his cabin and shaved, ran a comb through his hair and retied his queue. He then put on a fresh shirt, one that was not stained and smelled slightly better, and pulled on his coat. He then quickly checked his appearance in the small glass. His eyes lingered on the scar across his face and he suddenly felt very self-conscious about it. He sighed, why did women always make him so uncomfortable? He supposed he ought to go see to Miss Corin. The thought terrified him actually. Why did the Captain have to put her in his charge? He supposed it was because it was his watch when she came abroad, and he was the one who saw her in the water. He checked his appearance one more time, and satisfied, turned and went to the Great Cabin where Miss Corin was waiting.
He entered to find the young lady standing at the windows, her back to him, watching something. She turned when he entered, and smiled kindly. Tom noted that with some amusement that she really looked quite charming in boy's clothing, if that were possible, and appeared to be quite comfortable in them as well. She looked much better than she had before, color returned to her cheeks and her eyes not wide with fear.
"I hope I find you well Miss Corin?" He said politely.
She nodded, crossing the room to him. "Very well, thank you. But please, call me Olivia." She said.
Tom was surprised by this, for he did not believe he was on familiar enough terms with her to address her as such, but instead he forced a nervous smile. "If you prefer, Mi- Olivia." He replied.
She smiled, "Yes I do." She then quickly tucked a small strand of hair that had fallen loose of her braid behind an ear absent-mindedly and shifted on her feet. "I wanted to thank you, Mr. Pullings, for saving my life." She told him, quite earnestly.
Tom felt his face grow hot, and he lowered his eyes and murmured something about it being his duty. He found her forward manner most unsettling, and never being one with much charm around women, and was at a complete loss as to what exactly he should say. He stood there in silence a moment, suddenly the floor had become quite interesting and he found his hands to be utterly useless, hanging dumbly at his side.
Olivia seemed to find the silence unsettling herself, for after a few seconds she cleared her thought, "So! What happens now?" She said, in a manner to start a conversation.
Tom looked up, still feeling rather at a loss for words. "Well, Miss Corin, the Captain has put you in my charge."
She gave him a strange look, "Your charge?" She said in an amused tone, raising an eyebrow. "What am I a prize goat?" She asked.
Tom however, completely missed the amusement in her voice and hurriedly spoke to cover any insult. "No disrespect is intended Miss! It is merely an act so that someone will see you come to no harm." He explained, turning a deeper shade of red.
Olivia let out a small laugh, "Relax, I wasn't insulted. I was joking."
"Oh." Tom replied with a frown.
She sighed, but was still smiling, amused by his reactions. "If I am to be in your charge, Lieutenant Pullings, we are going to have to work on your sense of humor."
Tom gave her a small, nervous smile. "As you wish, Miss Corin."
"I thought I told you to call me Olivia?" She replied, doing her best to sound cross, but failing and laughing merrily.
"Olivia." He replied, with that same nervous smile, and turning yet another shade of red. "The Captain mentioned you would like to see more of the Surprise?"
Olivia's eyes brightened with excitement at this. "Oh yes please! Is now a good time?" She asked.
Tom hesitated, not wanting to tire her. She had after all, had an exhausting day yesterday, and today, waking up in a strange place must not be much better. "If you are feeling well enough."
She waved her hand as if to dismiss any doubts about her health. "I feel perfectly fine." She said.
Tom nodded, "Very well then, Olivia." He said with a smile at her obvious excitement. "If you would follow me?"
"See? Now is calling me Olivia so hard?" She teased with a grin, falling into step behind him.
Tom paused a moment, and held back a sigh. The Captain was right. He was going to need all the luck he could get.
Olivia listened as the rather jittery officer began to go on and on about the sails, their names, and the seemingly thousands of ropes, which all also seemed to have names of their own as well. They stood on what she thought he had referred to as the quarterdeck. She was trying her best to follow his descriptions, but he kept using nautical terms and was talking rather quickly, she found her attention wandering despite her best efforts. It amazed her how an innocent comment of "I never knew there were so many sails" lead to what appeared to be an hour lecture on all the different ones. Finally, Olivia had about all she could stand of his ramblings and held up a hand.
"I don't mean to be rude, sir." She said trying her best to keep the irritation out of her voice. "But I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."
Pullings stopped in the middle of explaining what the spanker was used for and blinked with surprise. "Oh. My apologies Miss."
Olivia merely smiled with amusement. "Keep in mind that the farthest I've ever been in the ocean is waist-deep off the Carolina coast. I think with me you're going to have to speak in normal English, very slowly, using very, very, small words."
To Olivia's amazement, Tom Pullings actually laughed at her exaggerated exasperation. "I take it you have heard enough about the sails Miss Corin."
"You got that right." Olivia said. "Unless.... you aren't going to like, test me on this stuff are you?" She said, her annoying, sarcastic side was showing once more and she knew it, but she felt more at ease with Pullings than she had earlier with the Captain. Of course, that man interrogating you was enough to make anyone ill at ease. She supposed it was Tom's nervous manner around her that made her relax and behave more like herself. She also knew she really ought to attempt to be more 'proper' at all times, but that would drive her absolutely insane.
He regarded her with some amusement, finding her a very odd woman. "Perhaps I ought to." He said, trying not to laugh at the horrified look on her face.
"Flying jib and spanker are all I know." She said with a snort. "Amusing names stick with me better."
He titled his head to the side and regarded her with raised eyebrows. "Perhaps we should change the names of all the sails to suite you Miss Corin."
Grinning Olivia replied with a tone that she knew would have made her Grandmother groan and give her a good whack in the head. "Yeah, could you? That'd be great."
Tom merely smiled and turned to lead her from the quarterdeck. "If you'll follow me Miss Corin? Mind your step."
Olivia followed him down to the other part of the deck that he had yet to tell her the name of, having gotten preoccupied with the sails. She was proud of the fact that she was not falling on her face with the rocking of the ship. She was relatively sure her stomach would not trouble her, always having a strong stomach that could ride roller coasters until everyone else was green and throwing up, but the fact that she was not falling on her face and was moving with as much confidence as if she was on a very familiar cliff, which was almost as confident as on flat ground.
Pullings had started to talk once more, pointing,. "That, Miss, is the capstan. It is used to-" He stopped suddenly, as he foot somehow became tangled in a rope and he went crashing to the deck quite clumsily.
"Oh!" If it had been one of her friends back home, Olivia would have laughed and teased mercilessly, but she doubted that this man would find it very funny, so instead she was concerned. He had fallen rather hard, almost flipping over the rope. "Are you all right?" She asked, kneeling beside him to help him to his feet once more.
The poor man turned a very deep shade of red and gathered himself to his feet on his own, Olivia rose as well, still concerned, especially since his face changed to such a deep shade so quickly.
"I am fine." He mumbled, not meeting her eyes. "Where was I?"
"The capstan." Olivia supplied, still concerned over his fall.
"Yes, the capstan." And he launched into a detailed description of it, allowing Olivia's mind to once again wander, but she did her best to appear to be listening, as she did not want to hurt the poor man's feelings. He was after all, trying very hard. It was not his fault she found little interest in the details of every little thing on board. She began to list the major triads in her head as quickly as she could. Doing this always made her look as if she was extremely interested in what was going on around her. This trick was what she always did during geology lectures, which were enough to put anyone to sleep. Before she knew it, they were moving once again and she snapped out of her reprieve once more.
Tom was mortified by how badly this tour was going. He knew he was rambling, but he simply could not help himself. Then his trip over the ropes made him look a fool in front of her, and that did nothing for his esteem. Below deck was going considerably better, he must say. Their visit to sick-berth gave Tom a much needed relief from talking, for Dr. Maturin seemed more than happy to exchange kind words with Miss Corin and seemed pleased when she inquired to the types to remedies he had on board. Her mood seemed to change considerably when she was speaking with others Tom noted. She suddenly became much more formal and reserved when speaking to Dr. Maturin and he wondered why that was.
Dr. Maturin also noticed something Tom had completely missed. Miss Corin seemed to be limping, taking the weight off her right foot. When questioned about it, she merely shrugged. "Oh. It is nothing. My ankle is merely twisted, sprained at the most."
Despite her assurances that it did not pain her much, Dr. Maturin insisted upon checking it himself. Once her boot was removed the flesh of her ankle was indeed notably swollen and a purplish blue color. For her credit, she did not cry out at all when Dr. Maturin moved her foot or poked to examine. She merely made a face in discomfort. Tom meanwhile was kicking himself for not noticing her limp before and dragging her all over the ship when she should have been resting.
"You were quite right my dear. It is indeed sprained. Not badly mind you, but it certainly warrants a dressing." He told her.
Olivia nodded, "I hope I am not too much trouble, Doctor."
He gave her a kind smile, "Not at all Miss Corin." He quickly retrieved some strips of cloth for bandages and gently wrapped her swollen ankle. "Have you any idea how you managed this, Miss Corin?" He asked.
Olivia clearly hesitated, even Tom noticed. She then shook her head. "I am afraid that like many things I have forgotten Doctor."
He nodded, finishing the dressing. "Well, there you are my dear! I thank you for sitting so still, many a man has squirmed so terribly while wrapping an ankle I often have half a mind to break their bones if only to make them still."
Olivia laughed, "You sound like Mel." She said, obviously absent-mindedly, for the moment she said it her eyes widened as they looked to her for an explanation. "A friend of mine, who also studies medicine." She quickly covered.
"I see." The Doctor looked doubtful, and Tom also found her reaction quite odd.
"If it pains you much Miss Corin please inform me." Dr. Maturin told her. "And you really ought to be resting." He added as she pulled her boot back on once more.
"It really does not pain me much at all Doctor, a minor irritation at most." She assured him, standing once again. "Believe me, I am really much stronger than I look." She assured him.
Dr. Maturin smiled, "I do not doubt that Miss Corin." He nodded to them both and bid them good day, and they left once again.
Which meant, Tom was now on his own for conversation with her once more. "Shall we continue? Or perhaps you would like to rest?" He offered.
"Continue please. I very much do not need the rest." She insisted.
And so they continued on their way. Olivia was really quite talkative and back to her usual forward self. Tom actually found himself growing more confident in his words as they went on. They met young Lord Blakeney along the way, and he of course, gave his polite greetings. Olivia replied kindly with a smile, not making comment on his absent arm, for that Tom was thankful, but she was clearly surprised by something, a look Tom was beginning to recognize, because it was usually followed by a question. As soon as the boy was out of earshot she leaned closer and whispered. "He's so young."
"He is at least twelve years, Miss. That is quite normal I assure you." He told her. "The same age as I was."
She gave him an amused look and replied with a small laugh. "Well that explains a lot." Her tone was quite teasing, and Tom very much wanted to ask what she meant, but thought better of it.
Instead, he merely turned and went to follow Blakeney's steps in heading back up on deck. "If you'll follow me Miss?" He said to her, stepping up the ladder. However, a loud crack and a sharp pain on his head, causing his vision to go dark for the briefest moment met him and he stumbled back down holding his head.
Olivia did her best to hold back her laughter, but it got the better of her, and with a rather un-ladylike snort she made comment, "Watch your head" In a rather obvious tone. Then attempting to cover up her laughter came to his side once more. "That definitely sounded painful. Are you all right?"
Meanwhile, young Blakeney, who had barely stepped away, heard the sharp crack and turned back to investigate, curiosity getting the better of him. When he saw poor Tom leaning for his life against the ladder and holding his head, doing his best not to let Miss Corin know just how much that hurt, he gave the poor Lieutenant a rather odd look. "Are you well sir?" He asked earnestly.
Tom waved the boy away, feeling his face grow hot. He was making quite the spectacle of himself today and he knew it. He was not only embarrassed, but his head hurt something terrible. He had no idea that he had been going quickly enough to cause such pain.
Olivia of course was still by his side, watching with concern. Finally she stepped closer grabbing hold of his wrist, to move away his hand. "Here, let me see."
Tom removed his hand, until she started to pry open his eye, which he had shut, knowing full well a black eye would develop there and he would have to explain to the other officers and worse the Captain just how he managed it. With a sharp breath he jerked away from her hand, uttering a curse under his breath.
Olivia however, was not intimidated by this at all and let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh honestly! Let me see!" She insisted. Tom still pushed away her hands, feeling quite fed up at the moment. It was her next comment that finally made him yield. "Stop being such a baby, Tom Pullings." She instructed quite firmly.
Tom, feeling quite foolish, relented, allowing her to study his fresh black eye and poor banged head with what seemed to be a surprisingly professional manner.
She nodded, taking her hands away. "Quite a shiner and that bump on the head will certainly leave a mark, but you'll live. The eye looks fine."
If he had the use of both eyes he would have given her a strange look. "And you are an expert on such matters?" He said crossly.
Olivia shrugged in her usual manner when she was about to explain away something. "I have a little brother who seems to think the answer to everything is swinging a fist. Unfortunately, he tends to disagree with those a lot bigger than he is." She said rolling her eyes. "And no one ever bothered to teach the poor boy how to duck."
Tom, despite his painful head, laughed. "Well, you seem to be an expert at so many things, Miss Corin, perhaps you should instruct him."
She returned his laugh, "In his dreams. I need to keep my edge on the boy, he's taller than I am now." She joked, her eyes shining.
Olivia then turned serious once more. "I am sorry I laughed earlier, Mr. Pullings." She said quite earnestly.
Tom merely smiled, "Give it no mind, Olivia. I have been telling you all day to mind your head and step. It must have seemed most amusing."
Olivia grinned, "Oh it did, but I still should have at least asked if you were all right before I laughed."
He nodded, attempting to be grave. "Yes Miss Corin, or perhaps your dear younger brother is not the only one who needs to learn to duck."
Olivia blinked, surprised at his joke, and then burst out laughing. Tom, for some odd reason he could not place, felt very pleased to have amused her so, and joined in the laughter, still holding his poor head and feeling very silly at the moment, but not particularly caring.
Night had fallen and Jack had every intention of returning to his quarters, writing to Sophie, and going to sleep. However, he stopped at the Great Cabin, remembering he had given his quarters to Miss Corin. He sighed and paused a moment to think. When he had put Miss Corin there he had not thought of where exactly he would sleep. A lack of planning on his part that he now suffered for. Sighing, he supposed he would have to take a spare hammock and bunk with Stephen temporarily.
When he arrived Stephen looked up from his book with some surprise. "Ah Jack. What do I owe the pleasure?" He asked.
Rather sheepishly, Jack held up the hammock. "I came to ask you if I might sleep here temporarily." He said. "It seems I have given my own quarters to our guest."
"Ah, yes Miss Corin, of course." Stephen smiled, shutting his book. "By all means Jack, I suppose we all must make sacrifices now and then."
Jack chose not to ask after that comment. Instead he hung the hammock and took a seat across from Stephen. "There are advantages to keeping Miss Corin in my quarters you know." He pointed out, to defend his decision.
"Oh really?" Stephen asked, looking up in a look of mixed surprise and curiosity. "And what, pray tell, are they?"
"She is easier to guard there." Jack said simply.
Stephen looked at Jack over his glasses, a looked mixed with surprise and disapproval. "And why on Earth would you place her under guard?"
"Do you not find it odd that an American woman is found alone, without a ship in sight, and happens to be seen by a ship?" Jack asked.
Stephen raised an eyebrow. "You think her a spy for the Americans?"
"I do not know." Jack admitted unhappily. "All I know is that I dislike the mysterious circumstances of her arrival, and her lack of answers." Jack frowned, "And she has been asking many questions about the Surprise."
Stephen was still watching Jack from over his glasses. "Perhaps she is merely curious." He pointed out.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps she is gathering information on His Majesty's navy to feed to the Americans." Jack countered, not realizing how ridiculous the idea sounded to his friend and surgeon.
Stephen laughed softly. "Paranoia does not become you Jack."
"I find it is often necessary to be paranoid in my profession, brother." He replied, sighing. "I do not trust this woman."
"Yes, I gathered that much." Stephen took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes wearily. "But what would you do? Throw her overboard?"
"Oh course not!" Jack replied quickly. "Heavens Stephen, what do you take me for?" He asked. "No. I will treat her as kindly as civility requires, Stephen, and will see that she is well cared for. I have no fact to base my paranoia upon."
Stephen nodded, satisfied. "I noticed you put her in Mr. Pullings charge."
"Yes. What of it?"
"Nothing. Forgive my gossip, but I notice Pullings behaved rather strangely when in her company. Poor man. And after seeing Miss Corin to the Great Cabin once again, he came to see me with a rather nasty black eye. Apparently, he hit his head heading up on deck." Stephen explained. "He seems quite taken with the young lady."
"Lord help us." Jack sighed, closing his eyes. "He is not at ease with women, but I trust him. If Miss Corin is up to something suspicious he will inform me without hesitation." He said, with confidence.
Stephen nodded, "Well, at least now you have been informed of poor Tom's rather nasty looking eye. I am sure he dreaded explaining to you how he managed to injury himself." Stephen then stood from his desk. "Well, I am going to retire now. Goodnight Jack." He said, preparing to sleep.
"Rest well Stephen. If the light does not bother you much, I shall write a while before retiring myself." Jack replied.
"Not at all." Stephen said, and soon he was fast asleep. However, this sleep was interrupted by a terrible snort.
Stephen bolted up, almost falling over. It was dark now and he peered through to darkness to see Jack fast asleep. The horrible noise that had woken the Doctor was coming from the slumbering Captain. Groaning, Stephen attempted to block the noise, but found it quite impossible. Indeed it sounded as if some breed of cow had settled in Jack's throat. 'Heavens, I will never sleep with this racket.' He thought, miserably. 'How is it he does not wake himself?' He pondered this marvel, as he lay awake for a restless night of listening to the man snore loudly enough to wake the dead themselves.
A/N: Another chapter posted. Huzzah! This one seems rather long to me but I couldn't find a good stopping point. Teehee Pullings is falling everywhere, I'm so mean. Note again, sorry for any mistakes, like in my wording of the longitude or something. Also, the date, yeah I grabbed a random year. So sue me.
Jack: Haha you snore (points and laughs). Actually it's not cool because I'm not getting sleep. (poke) Bet you know what's coming in the next chapter (evil grin). Let's all point and laugh at Pullings now (points and laugh) HA HA!
Gaeriel Palpatine: Glad you liked the beginning. Hope you like this chapter too. Thanks for reviewing!
Sillytigerlily: Hehe glad you enjoy. Don't worry this story is almost done so I shouldn't keep you waiting too long. I just like leaving some time between chapters you know? Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
Angel of the Night Watchers: Haha yay!! You followed me here! I'm happy! I've started reading the books, right now I'm going through HMS Surprise. I've read Master and Commander and Post Captain, and a lot of the later ones because the library only had them. Like Truelove through to Blue at the Mizzen. But I started this story before I read anything... haha. Hope you enjoy m'dear!
Look here everyone! Please, please review! I like reviews! They make me happy!