A Lesson in Presumption Read online

  Brushing past her, the captain opened the wardrobe to reveal that there was already some clothing in it. Clearing his throat again, he stated, “Feel free to make use of the clothing here. There is a sewing kit tucked in the back if you need to adjust them to your size.”

  Ginny gave the captain her most captivating smile. “Thank you. This is... more than I expected and definitely more than I deserve.”

  A hard glint came to his eyes as he stated, “Not more than you deserve, my lady. But unfortunately, on board a ship, this is the best we can provide.”

  “You are too kind, Captain. I intend to help out. I refuse to be idle.”

  “There will be time for that later. I will leave you to settle in. Would you care to dine with me this evening?”

  “Thank you, I would.”

  “I must get on deck. We will be setting sail in the next hour or so. I ask that you stay below deck until we are on our way. I doubt that anyone from Gammage's family will be watching, but just in case...”

  “I understand, Captain. Thank you again.”

  The captain nodded his head and left the room. Ginny entered and closed the door. She had the benefit of a small porthole, which gave her enough light to go about unpacking her few items.

  For the rest of the afternoon, Ginny examined the clothing in the wardrobe and set about making them fit. The previous owner was taller and more endowed than her, but nothing she couldn't handle. If she could stitch skin back together, leaving little scar, she could hem a dress easily enough.

  Sitting on her berth as she worked, Ginny realized her good luck. Although there would be a happy ending, that didn't mean she could avoid a lot of bad shit first. Being accused of murdering her husband had been bad. Realizing that she had little help from her persona's family, other than keeping her from being hanged was worse. Now that she knew she wouldn't be sharing her dinner with rats and roaches, Ginny could finally breath a little easier.

  Chapter 4

  A few hours after they were underway, there was a knock on Ginny's cabin door. She opened it to find a young boy, probably not even thirteen, standing at attention.

  “Hello,” she said, trying not to laugh at his obvious attempt at protocol.

  “Good evening, my lady. The captain requests your presence in his cabin for dinner.” Judging by the way his voice cracked, the boy was just entering puberty.

  “Thank you...” Ginny dragged out her appreciation in the hopes the boy would provide his name. When they both continued to stand there, looking at each other, she finally asked, “What is your name?”

  “Digby, my lady.”

  “Digby? Is that your last name or your first name?”

  Confusion came across his face. “Huh?” he asked.

  Just then, the captain's voice came from his own cabin. “Digby, just escort the lady in to dinner, please.”

  Jumping as though someone put ice down his back, Digby held out his arm to escort Ginny the two feet to the captain's cabin. Suppressing a smile, she took the proffered arm and walked in to find a beautifully laid out table, with linens and china. The captain, who had changed into a more formal uniform, came to her side by the door and escorted her the rest of the way to the table.

  Once Ginny was seated, the captain nodded his head to Digby, who began to pour the wine. Her surprise must have shown on her face, because Northwood began to explain.

  “All our meals will not be so grand, Lady Gammage. As our first night out of port, we are not as busy so that certain concessions can be made.”

  “Thank you for allowing me to share in this with you, Captain.” Ginny regarded her host for a moment. He reminded her of Sean Connery in The Hunt for Red October. His good looks and starched uniform gave him a presence that was both appealing and captivating.

  Pity, she thought. It was highly unlikely that he was the one she was supposed to “fall in love with.” She guessed that she was just to appreciate his assistance, until her true destiny presented itself.

  After tasting the wine, Digby served the first course. As they enjoyed their soup, the boy left the cabin to retrieve the next course. When he was gone, Ginny had to satisfy her curiosity.

  “Digby seems awfully young to be on a ship, Captain.”

  Seeming puzzled, he asked, “Does he?”

  “He can't be more than thirteen. Shouldn't he be home with his parents?”

  Lifting his napkin to wipe his mouth, he replied, “Digby has no parents. His uncle used to serve with me before his death, so I took Digby on as a cabin boy when he was just seven years old.”

  “Seven? And what could he do at such a young age?” Ginny tried to remind herself that in the 18th century, things were very, very different. There were no schools for poor children and that this position was probably the best option for the boy. Still, it needled her to think of someone so young being exploited.

  Raising an eyebrow to her, Northwood smiled. “He could clean my cabin. Do you think he is being treated unfairly, my lady.”

  “No,” Ginny responded immediately, not wanting to insult her host. “Of course not. I'm unused to seeing someone so young doing a man's work.”

  “At thirteen, my lady, Digby is a man. I admit that I keep him from doing some of the more dangerous tasks, but in a few years, he will be a full-fledged member of this crew.”

  Giving him her best look of contrition, she said, “I have no doubt that you've done a fine job with the boy. He is very lucky that you were in a position to help him.”

  Northwood's eyes took on a strange hue, as if seeing the woman across from him as just that: a woman. “He is a good lad. I am happy to have him.”

  “Can he read?” she asked, seeing an opportunity to help out during the journey.

  “He knows some basics. A former crew member took some time with him.” Northwood went back to eating his soup.

  “If you wouldn't mind, I could work with him as well. I hate the idea of having nothing to do during the journey.”

  Taking a deep breath, he said, “If he wishes to give up his free time to pursue his studies, I have no issue with it.”

  “Thank you. I'm also handy with a needle and thread. I can help the crew with mending clothing.”

  Northwood had to admit that he expected something very different from Lady Gammage than a willingness to help. His friend Thomas had told him how she sat stoically during the proceedings to determine her fate. She never cried or carried on, as hysterical females are known to do. Instead, she faced the authorities with a quiet dignity, so much so that even Thomas didn't recognize her.

  “Your assistance will be most grateful, my lady.”

  Digby entered the room with the second course perched precariously on a small tray. When he got each plate to the table without spilling a drop, Ginny complimented him on his balancing abilities. Blushing, the boy removed the soup bowls and left once again.

  “You had better be careful, my lady. Digby will be following you around all day in the hopes of receiving another compliment.”

  Ginny laughed. “I guess there are worse things that could be following me.”

  Both fell into silence once again. As they ate their suppers, Northwood was able to steal covert glances of his dinner guest. She was young, probably not yet one and twenty. Her complexion was pale and she had dark circles under her eyes. The stress must have been enormous and sleep impossible. Her eyes were a stunning blue, like the waters of the West Indies, light and clear. Although pulled back severely, her chestnut hair shone in the lamplight. At forty-five, he was no spring chicken and shouldn't even consider pursuing someone so young, but even an old man could dream.

  Ginny, on the other hand, was thinking about her situation. She was on a naval ship, heading to the Caribbean. Riding on a big, sailing ship, there was so much adventure to be had, Ginny could hardly keep from screaming her excitement. There was one thing for sure, she wanted to learn everything she could. Especially how to use a sword. Nothing would please her more than learning
how to fight.

  “Captain, I was wondering...” Just then the door opened and another officer entered the room.

  “I beg your pardon, Captain. You wanted to know when we reached open sea.”

  Ginny gave her full attention to the man who entered. He was much younger than the captain, and cut a nice figure in his uniform. His long, brown hair was tied back in a queue, giving him a clean cut appearance. Light gray eyes and a slightly crooked nose took up most of his face. In all, not a bad looking fellow. Could he be the one, Ginny wondered as she waited for the Captain to introduce them.

  “Commander, thank you. Please allow me to introduce Lady Gammage. My lady, this is my first in command, Commander Reynolds.”

  Standing from her seat before she could think better of it, Ginny held out her hand to the officer. Her actions prompted the captain to rise as well. At first, the commander could only stare at her, but then suddenly he took her fingers and kissed them.

  “I meant to shake your hand, Commander. I am no longer a lady where English society is concerned.”

  Both men exchanged glances, then Commander Reynolds coughed before saying, “You are clearly a lady, despite what the gossips would have us believe. My wife runs a millinery shop on Bond Street. She had mentioned some of the vile talk about you. Be that as it may, many think the man deserved what he got.”

  Ginny produced a smile. Apparently on board this ship, she need not worry about what people thought of her. She suspected that most had no love for the aristocracy.

  “Thank you, Commander. Make sure that you thank your wife for me as well. It must be very hard being away for so long.”

  “It can be, my lady. If you would excuse me, I need to get back above deck.”

  The commander turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Ginny to return to her seat. Once her napkin was back in her lap, she saw the captain sit back down, never pulling his eyes from hers. All at once, Ginny became uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

  “Your commander seems a capable man. How long have you two worked together?” Ginny made conversation to cover up her discomfort.

  “He has been my first in command for about two years now. I requested him after his promotion.”

  “Had you worked together before?” Ginny asked, giving her eye contact to the meat and potatoes on her plate, rather than her dinner companion.

  “No, we had not. I heard of his bravery in the West Indies. He was part of the crew that took down the infamous pirate Biggins. His Majesty's Navy had been after that scoundrel for quite some time.”

  Pirates? So now Ginny knew where this would be going. Hadn't she read a pirate novel during her Jamaica trip? Her thoughts must have shown on her face because Northwood went about to reassure her.

  “You need not be concerned, Lady Gammage. I am certain we shan't have any problems with pirates.”

  It took Ginny a moment to realize he'd misunderstood her. “What do I have to fear with you at the helm, Captain.”

  Her smile left him nearly choking on his wine. For a moment, Northwood wished he'd had the chance to kill Lord Gammage himself. The man had to have been blind or stupid not to see the value of the woman he'd married. Returning to his meal, he decided to leave that particular thought unsaid.

  The rest of the meal went amicably, with Ginny dropping subtle hints about learning how to use a sword. Mostly she got the impression that the captain took very little of what she said seriously. Of course, he wouldn't be capable of seeing her as anything other than a lady, who had lived a pampered, sheltered life until her family sold her off to a man with anger management issues.

  Ginny, of course, was not Lady Gammage. She remembered that she had used a bow and arrow with fair accuracy during her first novel adventure. As she readied herself for bed, she began to wonder if she had retained that knowledge. It stood to reason she did, since she was now a pretty good horsewoman, after the knowledge she'd gained from her character in Wyoming. Unfortunately, none of her characters had ever taken the time to fence, so she was on her own to learn those skills.

  Returning to her cabin, Ginny prepared for bed by undressing and putting on her nightgown. After turning out her lamp, Ginny laid on the small berth thinking about what this story could entail. She'd spent a good amount of time being depressed last time around, making poor Oliver jump through hoops to get her attention. She didn't regret making him wait, but it occurred to her that she didn't want to be sad over her losses anymore. Of course it would always be sad to leave her new friends and relationships behind, but this was to be her life for God knew how long. If she spent her time pining after every person she'd met, her life would become desolate and useless.

  So, would it be so bad to have a little fun? Didn't she always ask herself just that during her adventures? She shouldn't worry about who she was to fall in love with. Instead, she should just make the story what she wanted, like learning how to fence and enjoying what time she had. After all, how many people could claim to have sailed across the ocean in such an old-fashioned style? Then again, how many would say that they wanted to?

  It didn't matter, as far as Ginny was concerned. She was going to learn to be a sailor, perhaps meet up with some pirates and sword fight her way to freedom, or some such nonsense. This time around, it was about having fun, because being depressed for a long time just wasn't in Ginny's make-up. Carpe Diem, she thought as her eyes slowly closed and she had one of the best night's sleep of Lady Gammage's life.

  Chapter 5

  Ginny woke to the sounds of activity above deck. Dressing quickly, she went in search of Captain Northwood. She found him above deck, standing by the giant wheel used to steer the ship. He stood about, talking to Commander Reynolds. Ginny approached quietly, not wishing to disturb their conversation.

  Sensing his commander's attention on something else, Northwood turned to see Lady Gammage standing behind him. She wore a simple dress of blue silk, cinched at her waist and bursting out her hips. It occurred to him that it was most unpractical and would be rather difficult to get through the small doorways of the ship.

  Keeping his thoughts to himself, Northwood asked, “Did you sleep well last night, my lady?”

  “I did. Thank you, Captain. Perhaps you could call me Corliss. I think my days as Lady Gammage are long gone, don't you?”

  Twitching an eyebrow up slightly, he replied, “As far as my crew and I are concerned, you are still a rightful lady.”

  Glancing at the commander, Reynolds nodded his agreement. Ginny smiled and said, “Be that as it may, call me Corliss anyway.”

  Reynolds coughed in his hand to cover up his discomfort, while Northwood decided to assent to her small request. “Very well, Corliss. How may I serve you this morning? Shall I have Digby fetch you some breakfast?”

  “Breakfast would be great, but I was wondering what I could do afterwards. I had agreed to help out on this journey.”

  “You had said you were fine with a needle and thread, my... Corliss. I was wondering if some of the men might deliver some items in need of repair.”

  “Of course,” Ginny answered, knowing that getting the captain to agree to teach her to use a sword would take time. “May I sit up here while I sew? It's a beautiful day after all.”

  “Of course. Reynolds, please see that a chair is brought up on deck for the lady.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Reynolds said before departing.

  Northwood then called over another crew member. “Mr. Timmons, please retrieve the darning basket for Lady Gammage.”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  Offering his arm, Northwood escorted Ginny to the starboard side of the ship. It afforded a distant view of the coastline and he was able to show her points of interest.

  They stood quietly for a moment when Northwood asked, “Are you comfortable in your accommodations?”

  Ginny turned to look up at the captain's profile. He really was a handsome man, despite the deep crinkles around his eyes. His skin was nicely tanned and he stil
l had a generous amount of hair on his head. “The room, as I admitted earlier, is more than what I expected, Captain. It is both comfortable and rodent free.”

  “May I make a suggestion, my lady?” he asked, giving her his full attention.

  “Yes,” Ginny replied, curious at the serious look on his face.

  “You may want to... adjust your wardrobe. Your dress is impractical for ship life, but also, the West Indies will be a dreadfully hot place. You may want to wear something less encumbering.”