Disclaimer: I don't own anything ok? K!

When Evalyn Henley grows tired of being ordered around like one of her servants, she decides she is in need of her own life, independence and adventure. And where does she go looking for it? On the open seas, of course.

Chapter 3

Night came and brought a heavy set of dark clouds above the ocean. Eva, who had grown hungry after all and ate like she hadn't been fed in a month, was propped against the railing. Her gaze was upward, and she was slightly annoyed that the stars were hidden behind the blanket of rain clouds. All of her life, the bright lights of the city hindered the sky from sparkling.

One of her favorite memories was going to their summer house in Georgia where the stars shown like diamonds. Sighing heavily, Eva took a seat on the floor (which Willem had cleaned halfheartedly) and stuck her legs under the rails to dangle along the side of the ship. There were still patches of muddy floor that was left un touched.

It annoyed Eva to no end.

Still, she wasn't going to clean up another mess that she didn't make. With a sigh, the young girl leaned back on the palms of her hand and leaned to the side to look up at the room where Captain Englehorn inhabited most of the time. He was standing at the wheel, staring out at the sea. The orange glow from the cigarette lit his face as he took a drag from it.

Eva tilted her head to the side absentmindedly and stared at the man. He had to be twelve years her senior, and yet Eva thought he was more handsome than any boy she had ever met. Perhaps it was the fact that she had never 'associated' herself with men like him. He was a sailor, she was a debutante. She rolled her eyes at herself, angry that she had even classified herself as that.

Perhaps her want for independance was because of that reason. She was tired of being classified as a...well, a girl. Girl's marry, they have children, they die. Women, on the other hand, do more. A woman can make her own decisions, she can go anywhere, see and speak to whomever she wants. But, the fact that Evalyn wasn't a woman was ever present in the front of her mind.

She was just a girl.

Eva looked back up at Captain Englehorn, watching him as he flicked the cigarette far out enough so it landed in the water. She followed it with her eyes until it disappeared out of the lights from the ship, fading into the blackness of the water. Her eyes floated back up to him. He was talking to one of his men, occasionaly looking back out into the open, watching the storm that threatened to approach.

Eva blinked, feeling a small smirk tug at her lips. He looked comfortable where he was, as if he belonged at the helm of a ship. A rumble spread through the sky, making the stare the girl had on the captain turn upwards. Rain drop after rain drop pelted her from above as her stomach twisted with nervousness. She had never been out at sea during a thunderstorm.

Visions of the ship capsizing flooded her mind, making her grip the railing a little tighter. "You better get away from the edge." A voice called down from the helm. Eva turned and looked up at Captain Englehorn. He was smiling, as if a storm was just another moment in his day-to-day life. It wasn't a problem to him. 'I'd have a much better chance of surviving this if I were with him.' Eva mused, walking toward the ladder of stairs that led to the helm.

She climbed them quickly and glared at the sight of Willem. He was grinning toothily at her, as if promising he wasn't finished with her. Eva turned and faced the bow of the ship, amazed how different things looked from the new point of view. It was a bit frightening, seeing the lightening spreading through the clouds. The rain was coming down harder now, making the experienced Captain grip the tiller a bit tighter.

"Looks like it's going to be a rough'n." Another nameless man said from behind Eva. He gently pushed her aside to exit the room. His footsteps pounded on the stairs. Willem stood up and all but shoved the girl out of the way as he left. "How rude." Eva said, straightening her baggy shirt.

She had grown used to the feel of her new pants, but still wished they weren't as long. They had to be rolled up three times just so she wouldn't trip over them every other step. Taking in a shaking breath, Eva turned to her companion and smiled. He didn't return it, only looked back out at the storm. "How often do you encounter storms out here?"

"A few."

"And...how many have you successfully navigated through?" She gulped back her nervousness as fat raindrops hit the roof and deck. It was getting hard to see very far out.

Captain Englehorn smiled suddenly, showing his white teeth. "We're not going to die, if that's what you're afraid of."

"Actually, I'm more scared of the thought of being thrown into the sea...with sharks." She looked at him now, laughing nervously as she gripped the piece of equipment under her hand.

In a matter of seconds, the wind started up, rocking the ship back and forth like it was merely a toy boat. Bigger waves were crashing against them, spreading a sheet of water over the deck. If she had known that it would be washed like this, Eva wouldn't have worked so hard at scrubbing it. Something under her hands was clicking, making her step back to look. It was some sort of meter, spinning like mad every time the ship rocked back and forth.

Nervously, Eva pointed to it and turned to Captain Englehorn. "It's nothing to worry about." He grunted as a wave jerked the rudder of the boat, making the wheel start to spin out from under his hands.

A wave, nearly as tall as the side of the ship, came crashing out of now where, slamming into the S.S. Venture. The ship turned slightly, making Eva stumble against the wall. She collapsed onto the floor with an 'oof'. Her arm was bleeding slightly from being slid against the corner of a protruding wall. Almost instantly, all color drained from her face and she felt herself gag.

It wasn't painful, in fact, she had barely felt it. But, the sight of her own blood sickened her the most. "I think I'm going to be sick." She mumbled moments before emptying the contents of her stomach into the very same bucket that had held the gunk that she had been splattered with earlier. Even through her illness, Eva smirked, mumbling. "Revenge is sweet."

By the time she stood back up, the seas were calming themselves down. The waves had shrunk and weren't making such an impact on the boat anymore. They rocked back and forth as the heavy rain subsided, making way to the light sprinkling that followed a storm. Eva sat against the wall, her eyes closed. She knew they would betray her and look toward the blood smeared down her arm.

The mere thought made her stomach turn over. Before she had time to open her eyes, Captain Englehorn had took her arm in his grasp to inspect it. His eyes were narrowed in concentration before he moved his gaze up to her face. "You've got a few splinters...You may want to close your eyes." Eva was on the verge of asking him to repeat what he had said, since she was so entranced by his closeness, but she didn't get a chance.

Englehorn reached into his back pocket, pulled out a knife and flipped it open. Eva's eyes shut tight before she felt the terrible pain of him digging out the splinters. Two fat tears made a watery trail down her cheeks as she tried not to throw up again. With every move the knife made, Eva felt her throat tighten, making her force down a gag.

Finally, with the click of the knife, Eva was able to open here eyes. A small strip of cloth was being pressed against her arm and tied underneath. She swallowed hard. "Thank you."

"Were you sick from the blood, or the storm?"

"A bit of both." Englehorn smiled and helped her to her feet. However, her knees weren't ready, and the buckled under her. She crumpled against the captain and smiled sheepishly up at him. "I think I'm still a bit woozy."

"Why don't you rest. I'll be back to check on you." He left before she could agree. Eva sighed, feeling her pulse race. Why was it that she could be so disgusted with every other male on the planet, but when she was near Englehorn, her body took an opposite direction.

A moment later, he did return and together, they made their way down to the deck. Once Eva was at her door, she turned to smile at the captain. Her lips twisted upward in her trademark, innocent smile, but it faltered quite quickly. Before she even had a chance to mutter thank you, Captain Englehorn was rounding the corner, his back to her.

"Thanks." She mumbled, throwing her shoulder against her door to open it. When the door swung open, colliding against the back of an over-turned chair, Eva caught sight of her jumbled room.

Her cot was over turned, and the bag she had brought with her, that only had a deck of cards and some money and private belongings, was empty, the contents laying randomly around the room. Her mouth dropped open, as she knealt down to straighten up her things. It wasn't as though she didn't have a clue who did this; she knew exactly who it was. But, there was no proof that he did it.

Especially in a chaotic setting as the storm was that just passed. It could be anybody, even though she highly doubted that the other men had a quarrel with her.

"Oh well, I can't let this depress me. If he wants to behave like a neanderthal, then he can. It isn't like I'm going to be on this ship for long." The thought made the girl stand up and sigh. Only 24 hours on the ship, and she doesn't want to leave. It was typical of her, to look for someone to mooch off of. She would never be able to make it alive wherever the S.S. Venture docked next.

Brushing her stray hair out of her face, Eva bent down to straighten her cot. As she patted the pillow and fixed the sheet, she noticed something very peculair...The framed photograph of her family was taken out of the frame...and ripped right down the middle. Blinking, Eva picked up the torn picture and stuffed it back in her pocket, hoping Willem didn't know who the Henley's were.

"Of course not. He's only a sailor. A stupid, ignorant one at that...Of course he doesn't know." She twisted her hands in her lap as she sat silently on the cot. He couldn't know...

AN- HI! Omg, I'm so happy about the feedback I'm getting. I never expected to have this many reviews! And I would LOVE to thank you individually, but I think I read a new rule that won't let us do that anymore..Oh well. I'm sorry for the wait on this one...I had a big problem at college, and I just couldn't find time to write. And as for Englehorn's name..I am now taking suggestions. I like the idea of just calling him Thomas...but I'd like to see what all of you think! Sorry this chapter isn't as long as the firs two! I'll try to make it up!