Page 19 of Mardon

“Nay, it was mine. Well, both of ours, I guess. I can’t stop thinking Sister Emmaline is familiar although I can’t figure out why. Take the helm, Stitch, and lay a course for Canterbury. I’ve got to get down there and make sure the crew knows to keep their hands off the wench. Plus, I need to figure out why I get this nagging feeling that I know her.”

By the time Mardon got down to the deck, the crewmembers had surrounded the nun, backing her up against the rail. Nairnie was over near the burned galley and rushed over with her ladle in one hand and frying pan in the other. “Get away from her,” she yelled, swinging at the pirates, clearing a path to Emmaline. “No one touches her or ye’ll feel these smashin’ into yer skulls.” She banged the ladle into the cast iron pan, making a loud clanging noise.

Mardon stopped at the foot of the stairs and chuckled when he saw the men quickly move away from the nun. Nairnie held them at bay with her threats and he admired her tenacity. Too bad she had a bad attitude about pirates because she made a better pirate than some of his crew. He chuckled, and called out to his men. “We’ve got a guest on board and you’ll all show some respect. We’ll be dropping her off in Canterbury in a few days.”

“Is she really goin’ to help us find the treasure, Cap’n?” asked Goldtooth. He crossed his burly arms over his chest. “Because we don’t like havin’ a bloody nun on board.”

“Aye, she’s going to help us. And Nairnie’s words are mine, so no one touches the wench. Savvy?”

“Aye, Cap’n.”

“We hear ye,” the men answered one by one.

“Good. Weigh anchor. Let’s set sail, and get a move on. We have to get to the treasure before Nereus, and he already has the clue.” That put the fire under them. The men hurried about the ship, climbing the lines and setting the sails, getting ready to head out to collect the king’s treasure that would make them all rich men. Mardon’s eyes once again fastened to Emmaline. He was drawn to her and he found it hard to look away.

“You’d better mind your own orders,” came Aaron’s voice from the air, hanging on to the ratlines, watching him from above. Mardon felt as if his brother were reading his thoughts and he didn’t like that.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get your damned hammock, Aaron. Eventually,” he growled. Mardon turned and headed back up to the helm, still thinking about the nun. Damn, this was going to be a long journey for the next few days, and he felt as if he were going to go mad before it was over.

* * *

“Where do I go to get washed up?” Emmaline asked Nairnie as the ship set sail. A gust of wind filled the sails and the ship glided easily across the water and out to sea.

“Ye’re on a pirate ship now, lass,” said Nairnie, picking through the rubble from the fire, finding some bowls and pans. She shook off the soot and started stacking the items in her arms. “If ye ken what’s guid for ye, ye willna take off a stitch of clothing around these men. Ever! They’re no’ to be trusted.”

“B-but I’m a nun,” she told the old woman. “Surely, they wouldn’t touch me.”

“Are ye really that daft or just tryin’ to get yerself rogered at the rail?” spat Nairnie, pushing a stack of cooking items into Emmaline’s hands.

“Rogered at the rail? I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

“Figure it out.” Nairnie hooked the end of the ladle on to her belt. “Just keep swingin’ those hips of yers the way ye do when ye walk and I’m sure ye’ll find out what I mean very quickly.”

“Is there something wrong with the way I walk?”

“No’ if ye’re tryin’ to get a man’s attention. Bring those things over here,” she told Emmaline, brushing off the top of a barrel. “I’ve got to start cookin’ and I need somewhere to do it.”

“What happened here?” Emmaline asked Nairnie, eyeing up the burned remains of what looked like a small room at the bow of the ship.

“We had a couple of traitors aboard the ship that tried to blame the fire on me. Those fools set my galley on fire and almost took the whole ship with it.”

“Are they still here?” she asked curiously, not knowing what to expect.

“Nay. Noll and Wybert jumped ship and now they work for my grandsons’ nemesis, the pirate name Nereus.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I’m no’. After bein’ a prisoner of Nereus, I realize those two fools deserve everythin’ they get from Nereus. He’ll probably end up killin’ them just for fun.”

“You were taken prisoner?” She wanted to know more but Nairnie was reluctant to tell her.

“Enough talk. I have work to do. Stay close to me and ye’ll be fine. Dinna stray or ye’ll regret it.”

“Nairnie, I’m sure none of the crew even gave me a second glance,” said Emmaline, laying the items down atop the barrel.

“Really.” Nairnie’s one brow arched and she nodded. “Turn around and see for yerself if ye dinna believe me.”

Emmaline turned around to find each and every one of the pirates watching her from their positions on the deck. Some were up in the lines, others swabbed the deck, and still more men were positioned up on the forecastle, looking down. Like Nairnie said, they all worked but had an eye on her at the same time. That made her feel very ill at ease.