Chapter Two: A Comedy of Errors
Marieke jumped as a man burst in to the already very cramped cabin. She was about to scream at him, tear his eyes out, slap the man, anything- but instead turned her face to resume retching. The intruder watched in mild amusement, pity, guilt, and disgust. After a bout of dry heaving, Marieke rested her head against the wall and gasped for air. Figuring there was nothing left to heave, Marieke turned away from the stinking pail and curled into a little shuddering mound of self-pity.
The man cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Lady, but I have come to beg your forgiveness and explain the situation at hand."
Marieke peeked up at the man through a curtain of hair. He was beautiful, she thought, though somewhat gaunt in the face, as if starved or distraught. He was her captor. Nonetheless, Marieke did not hate him. Rather instead she felt as if the entire ordeal were just some ugly "business" transaction, and did not favor the outcome. So far they had not beaten, raped, or starved her (though the illness was doing a good job on that alone), and the girl was being treated with the utmost respect. Although Marieke had only been on board for two days, she had not expected to live even that long.
The intruder paused in his introduction.
"Forgive me. Allow me to explain. I am Captain James Tyne and you, Lady Wigner, are now my charge until your loving mother and father graciously give me three thousand pounds," he folded his arms across his broad chest, still smiling.
Marieke nearly laughed aloud at the silly man. She giggled to herself, rocking back and forth. "James you've made a grave error, one that will foil this plan."
The captainsmiled too, with a hint of confusion and frustration beginning to show. "Oh? Do enlighten me, Madame."
Marieke couldn't take it. She threw her head back and laughed at the formalities, the foolishness of it all. "I'm no lady, sir! I'm the scullery maid!"
