Chapter 4

At anchor and with weather conditions as they were, the Captain did not see fit to order men to their duties that day. Lorna spent an uneventful day with the other men in the birth. She was prepared for the awkward questions about her past to some extent and the lies were ready, but she was uncomfortable. She was not the most devout of Christians but a lie was a sin and could never sit well on her conscience, especially with a character as forthright as hers. Despite the unease she felt with herself she kept up her façade.

She was asked about her family: She answered as truthfully as she could. His family was involved heavily with the ocean, his father being a senior mate on a merchant vessel. He was the youngest child with three older sisters, all of whom being too frivolous for their own good. While his father was away, they had lived on a nobleman's estate and he had worked a little in the stables. His mother had died of consumption recently and with his father dead too, he was left to support the rest of the family and purchasing into the navy seemed the best option, especially with his love of adventure. He had acquired a decent education from the local parish and no there was no significant lady or ladies that he was leaving behind.

She had tried to make her lies more credible by interspersing her story with jokes of the sister's pretensions and the intolerant nature of their father to their silliness. She almost laughed herself at the way she portrayed her father's scathing attitude to her sisters, who honestly didn't notice, being too wrapped up in themselves and flirting with every man in sight. By the end of her tales she had earned a reputation as the mess' joker and a few men had declared their intention of meeting her sisters.

She listened to stories of the others. Many of them had father's with connections who had gained them positions or had obscure Captains for fathers. Horatio told the story of his father: a strict and pious doctor who was owed a favour by Captain Keen of Justinian, and had been instrumental in acquiring his son a position on said ship. She liked Horatio, though he was a little quiet and tended to be wrapped up in his own thoughts, when not taking part in the conversation. According to the others he was a very gifted leader and seaman and would go far if he didn't take himself too seriously. Horatio looked sheepish at this, but did at least have humour enough to laugh.

Archie was her natural friend. His handsome face always held a smile and his blonde hair made him look almost angelic in its innocence. He was warm and welcoming from the beginning and was quite the quiet joker himself, even though, by his own admission, he wasn't a seaman of Horatio's calibre. He told outrageous stories of his father, a serious clergyman, who when hearing of his son's wild behaviour with gaming rooms and certain actresses at the Drury Lane theatres, immediately sent him to the navy with best wishes for his reform.

"Best wishes for my reform, I tell you!" She was laughing so hard that tears began to form in her eyes. "But I can't say it has been so bad: I met this bunch of cheerful sods and there wasn't a lot keeping me back home anyway. It was the navy or clerical vestments."

"I can't imagine you as a vicar Archie – you'd be an awful bore." She smiled.

"My sentiments exactly!"

"But come Archie, what's this about nothing keeping you in London? Weren't those certain actresses enough?" A laughing voice threw in. "Mr Kennedy, do not leave us in the dark!" More laughter from the table. Lorna tried to hide her crimson face as Archie replied tartly.

"They were good enough in bed, I'll warrant, but not for much else. Drury Lane girls are far to easy in dispensing their charms for anyone to take their promises too seriously, as you well know! If I fall in love it won't be with a woman of their level." The laughter faded a little at that.

"Come now Archie, you old romantic." Horatio spoke up. "They were good enough in bed." That set off laughter anew, from Archie too, while Lorna tried as best as possible to hide her discomfort at the way the conversation was tending.

"And speaking of women," it was Cleaveland's careless drawl again as he put his head around the curtain. "It would seem the ship is in full swing today, since we've been a'port I've not seen such a party." That reminded Lorna.

"And speaking of being a'port, the Captain mentioned we might be sailing before the weeks end." An astonished silence greeted those words. A chorus of cheering went around the table. She grinned at their joy. It was only after the table was settled once more, with matching contented grins on all their faces, that the smile was wiped from hers.

"So what about you and women, Jamie? " She started at Archie's voice.

"Yes!" Chimed in another Midshipman called Heather. "You said that you ain't got a missus at home, but you must 'ave a yarn or two?"

"Erm…"She faltered, her mind had promptly ceased to function. Archie's face held a wicked grin.

"I saw your face go red when I spoke about my girls. Don't even try to deny it!" He had seen her open her mouth to respond. "Haven't you been with a woman?" His voice was teasing. If she had been who she said she was she wouldn't have minded but…

"Of course I have!" She tried to make her voice sound nonchalant, as her brain began to kick in again. Another man called Cooper raised his eyebrows.

"Well?" She tried procrastinating.

"Well, what?"

"What was she like?" She couldn't do anything but reply.

"My first time was a few years back, with a girl called…" She needed a name fast! "Lorna! She was called Lorna. She was dark-haired, not very beautiful but…"

"But?" Everyone around her was listening with rapt interest.

"She was a high-born girl." There was a wolf whistle from someone. "It was when I was working on her father's estate."

"Was she any good?" She rolled her eyes at Cooper.

"Get your brains out of your britches and don't ask me any more questions! Aye, she was well enough." The men laughed at her concession. She saw Archie looking at her oddly. She raised a well I answered eyebrow at him and grinned. He smiled back and she turned to talk to Horatio about the ship.