Engaged to a man who routinely impregnated his more attractive slaves, Isabel had decided at the age of twenty-seven (England's war with France having prevented her impending marriage from coming to fruition quite yet) that she would rather drown than be property.
Unfortunately, her plan hadn't quite worked out.
For one thing, having been raised mainly by her father's native servants, she was a strong swimmer.
For another, she had lost consciousness before she drowned and floated up to the surface where a pair of kindly fisherman had dragged her out of the water and taken her back to the town.
Being back on dry land made drowning rather difficult.
She had been sitting in a tavern near the docks, too angry and embarrassed to return home, when a wide-eyed sailor lad had slammed through the doors and asked breathlessly if there was anyone near who could set a bone.
In the ensuing silence, Isabel had seen a way out.
Her father was a doctor, she had told the boy, and, since he had no sons, he had trained her to assist him and could she possibly be of service?
The sailor in question had been leery of allowing a woman to, well, manhandle him, but ultimately satisfied with the result.
Taking the five shillings he offered for her troubles, she had set out along the marina until she found a ship that would take her on as a doctor.
On the sea, Isabel had discovered a hitherto unknown restlessness inside her, and found the repetition of the various merchant ships she served on over the next year rather unsatisfactory, and had gotten off at Johanna to explore other options.
That was six months ago.
A/N: Short little intro chapter, it just came to me. There's more, if anybody's interested. Just FYI: Johanna is an island near Madagascar with "abundant fresh water" and was a favorite stop for both merchants and pirates, according to the Time Life Book Series, The Seafarers: The Pirates.