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.Stowed me away with one of Southampton’s ladies to work as a maid instead.Told every sailor in the area not to grant me work on any of their vessels.”“My uncle didn’t know that, did he?”I shook my head.“He didn’t know of my father’s edict, and he didn’t know me enough to recognize me behind my disguise.I would have tried it with the local captains, but they would have known it was me.Although, my own father didn’t recognize me, so I don’t know.”Daniel laced his fingers between mine.“Add to that the fact that when he couldn’t find me anywhere in Southampton, he sailed off on his next merchant run anyway, and I think you’ll have adequate evidence as to why I’m miffed.He ignored me and what I wanted.”“I can’t imagine anyone wanting to ignore you, Charlie.”I shot him a quick smile.“I remind him of my mother who did die.I didn’t make that part up.I look just like her.Exactly.” I looked down at myself.“All right, maybe right now I don’t, but sometimes I think my father can’t stand the sight of me.My two brothers, Eric and Riley, are twins.They look like my father, black hair, green eyes, dark skin.Their presence doesn’t wrench his heart out each time he looks at them like mine probably does.”“I’m sure he loves you too, Charlie.How could he not?” Daniel ran his thumb along my knuckles.How could a simple move like that awaken all my nerve endings at once?He released my hand and hooked some of my hair behind my ear with his finger.His touch made my pulse jump.“Tell me about your brothers.”“My brothers are wonderful, when they’re around.Riley sent me this.” I reached into my shirt and pulled out the shell necklace I always wore around my neck.Daniel fingered it at my throat.“I noticed that on your first day.”“It came with a letter that gave me the idea to pretend to be a boy to get on this ship.Riley wrote about Florida, how I would love it.I decided to be a boy and see what would happen.”“And here you are with me, being a girl instead,” Daniel said.“And a beautiful girl at that.” He nuzzled my neck with his nose and rested his head on my shoulder.“It’s easy to be a beautiful girl when I’m the only girl here.”Daniel raised his head.“Charlie, there could be a boat full of girls, but you’d still be all I’d see.”He leaned in and kissed me again.All the emotions that had been conjured up thinking about my father quieted.Daniel brought about a peace in me.He filled the empty spaces.Chapter FifteenDecemberWhen I first saw it I wasn’t sure what I was seeing.Dark gray lumps rose out of the water in the distance.From my perch in the crow’s nest, I squinted in the dawning sun.After reaching into the pocket of Eric’s breeches, I pulled out the captain’s spyglass, which he had given to me two days ago.Now I held it to my eye and focused in on the pewter shadows lining the horizon.My heart drummed in my ears as the wide, swaying leaves of strange looking trees filled my vision.A sandy shore kissed the ocean below the trees.When I raised my head, a rocky coast came into view beyond the shoreline.I blinked several times, thinking that perhaps it was all a mirage, but when my eyes focused again, the land was there.Really there.“Captain!” I swung my legs over the side of the crow’s nest and scurried down the main mast.“Captain Finley!”I raced to the helm and before I had a chance to catch my breath, the captain said, “You’ve seen it, boy, haven’t you?”“Aye, Captain.Land.Off the starboard bow.”Several crewmen hurried to the starboard side of the Rose, and the cheer that roared from their throats filled me with such joy.The captain strode to the railing with a calmness I would have thought impossible on such an occasion.“Good job, Charlie.” He pulled me over to his side.“What do you think of your first sight of a new shore?”“It’s amazing, sir.”“Aye, that it is,” Captain Finley agreed.“The New World.”A light nudge against my shoulder had me turning to my left.“Daniel,” I said with probably too much emotion, but no one noticed with a thing like land filling up their heads.“I can’t wait,” he whispered into my ear before stepping away from me and leaning on the railing to study the coast himself.I spent a long moment looking at Daniel and thinking about what might unfold when we set foot in the New World.A new world indeed!“All right, gentlemen,” Captain Finley shouted.“Listen up.”Every crewman gathered around and gave the captain his—and her—full attention.“We sail all day today,” he began.“Then, tonight, we anchor and we celebrate what is to come.”Another loud cheer arose from the crew at the prospect of both a party tonight and making landfall soon.A broad smile creased Captain Finley’s face as he surveyed his crew.His pride in this voyage was evident, as was his eagerness to set foot in the Americas.The same eagerness coursed through my own veins.Daniel turned from the rail and walked by me.“Help me in the galley later?”“Sure.”“Good.There’s much to prepare if we’re going to celebrate properly.” He shot me a warm smile.The kind that made my insides turn to liquid and drip to my feet.“Charlie!”I jumped at the sound of the captain’s voice and whirled around.“Aye, sir.”“Run back to the lookout and make sure our present course is free of obstacles.”“Yes, Captain.” I jogged to the main mast and climbed to the crow’s nest.If I had to wait to be with Daniel in the galley, I could think of no better place to spend the hours than at my post watching the Americas—my dreams—inch closer and closer to me.Chapter SixteenDaniel and I toted trays of food up to the waiting crew.The top deck of the Rose was buzzing with the merry sounds of men enjoying themselves.Most of the crew sat around a central fire burning in a tin barrel, the golden glow flickering off their bearded faces while they played dice games or chatted.Timmy and Jonah sat by their father’s feet, laughing and eating [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Stowed me away with one of Southampton’s ladies to work as a maid instead.Told every sailor in the area not to grant me work on any of their vessels.”“My uncle didn’t know that, did he?”I shook my head.“He didn’t know of my father’s edict, and he didn’t know me enough to recognize me behind my disguise.I would have tried it with the local captains, but they would have known it was me.Although, my own father didn’t recognize me, so I don’t know.”Daniel laced his fingers between mine.“Add to that the fact that when he couldn’t find me anywhere in Southampton, he sailed off on his next merchant run anyway, and I think you’ll have adequate evidence as to why I’m miffed.He ignored me and what I wanted.”“I can’t imagine anyone wanting to ignore you, Charlie.”I shot him a quick smile.“I remind him of my mother who did die.I didn’t make that part up.I look just like her.Exactly.” I looked down at myself.“All right, maybe right now I don’t, but sometimes I think my father can’t stand the sight of me.My two brothers, Eric and Riley, are twins.They look like my father, black hair, green eyes, dark skin.Their presence doesn’t wrench his heart out each time he looks at them like mine probably does.”“I’m sure he loves you too, Charlie.How could he not?” Daniel ran his thumb along my knuckles.How could a simple move like that awaken all my nerve endings at once?He released my hand and hooked some of my hair behind my ear with his finger.His touch made my pulse jump.“Tell me about your brothers.”“My brothers are wonderful, when they’re around.Riley sent me this.” I reached into my shirt and pulled out the shell necklace I always wore around my neck.Daniel fingered it at my throat.“I noticed that on your first day.”“It came with a letter that gave me the idea to pretend to be a boy to get on this ship.Riley wrote about Florida, how I would love it.I decided to be a boy and see what would happen.”“And here you are with me, being a girl instead,” Daniel said.“And a beautiful girl at that.” He nuzzled my neck with his nose and rested his head on my shoulder.“It’s easy to be a beautiful girl when I’m the only girl here.”Daniel raised his head.“Charlie, there could be a boat full of girls, but you’d still be all I’d see.”He leaned in and kissed me again.All the emotions that had been conjured up thinking about my father quieted.Daniel brought about a peace in me.He filled the empty spaces.Chapter FifteenDecemberWhen I first saw it I wasn’t sure what I was seeing.Dark gray lumps rose out of the water in the distance.From my perch in the crow’s nest, I squinted in the dawning sun.After reaching into the pocket of Eric’s breeches, I pulled out the captain’s spyglass, which he had given to me two days ago.Now I held it to my eye and focused in on the pewter shadows lining the horizon.My heart drummed in my ears as the wide, swaying leaves of strange looking trees filled my vision.A sandy shore kissed the ocean below the trees.When I raised my head, a rocky coast came into view beyond the shoreline.I blinked several times, thinking that perhaps it was all a mirage, but when my eyes focused again, the land was there.Really there.“Captain!” I swung my legs over the side of the crow’s nest and scurried down the main mast.“Captain Finley!”I raced to the helm and before I had a chance to catch my breath, the captain said, “You’ve seen it, boy, haven’t you?”“Aye, Captain.Land.Off the starboard bow.”Several crewmen hurried to the starboard side of the Rose, and the cheer that roared from their throats filled me with such joy.The captain strode to the railing with a calmness I would have thought impossible on such an occasion.“Good job, Charlie.” He pulled me over to his side.“What do you think of your first sight of a new shore?”“It’s amazing, sir.”“Aye, that it is,” Captain Finley agreed.“The New World.”A light nudge against my shoulder had me turning to my left.“Daniel,” I said with probably too much emotion, but no one noticed with a thing like land filling up their heads.“I can’t wait,” he whispered into my ear before stepping away from me and leaning on the railing to study the coast himself.I spent a long moment looking at Daniel and thinking about what might unfold when we set foot in the New World.A new world indeed!“All right, gentlemen,” Captain Finley shouted.“Listen up.”Every crewman gathered around and gave the captain his—and her—full attention.“We sail all day today,” he began.“Then, tonight, we anchor and we celebrate what is to come.”Another loud cheer arose from the crew at the prospect of both a party tonight and making landfall soon.A broad smile creased Captain Finley’s face as he surveyed his crew.His pride in this voyage was evident, as was his eagerness to set foot in the Americas.The same eagerness coursed through my own veins.Daniel turned from the rail and walked by me.“Help me in the galley later?”“Sure.”“Good.There’s much to prepare if we’re going to celebrate properly.” He shot me a warm smile.The kind that made my insides turn to liquid and drip to my feet.“Charlie!”I jumped at the sound of the captain’s voice and whirled around.“Aye, sir.”“Run back to the lookout and make sure our present course is free of obstacles.”“Yes, Captain.” I jogged to the main mast and climbed to the crow’s nest.If I had to wait to be with Daniel in the galley, I could think of no better place to spend the hours than at my post watching the Americas—my dreams—inch closer and closer to me.Chapter SixteenDaniel and I toted trays of food up to the waiting crew.The top deck of the Rose was buzzing with the merry sounds of men enjoying themselves.Most of the crew sat around a central fire burning in a tin barrel, the golden glow flickering off their bearded faces while they played dice games or chatted.Timmy and Jonah sat by their father’s feet, laughing and eating [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]