The two men then emerged from the back of the wagon, each holding an end of Charlie who was still unconscious but appeared to be less sweaty already. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Aye,” Finn grunted to Lottie, “can ye opened the door?”
She rolled her eyes but then they widened at the sight of the young boy. She paused for a brief moment and then scurried to open the big wooden door for the two men.
“Bring him up to your room, Finn,” she instructed.
We all filed in and up the stairs to the bedrooms. Lottie had set up a cot in Finn’s room and stacked a pile of clean linens next to the wash pan.
“Thank you,” I told her.
She smiled and nodded. “I set up the cot here, I have one more if you’d like it for your room. Two just won’t fit in here.”
“That would be great, thanks,” I replied and glanced at Finn. “Guess we’re bunkmates again.”
“At least this time I don’t have to put up with ye bloody tossin’ and turnin’,” he replied jokingly.
They’d gently laid Charlie down on the bed and situated him. He didn’t wake but let out a slight moan. The two men brightened.
“That’s the most sound he’s made in days,” Gus told us. “Looks like your magic is workin’.”
I felt my cheeks flush red. “It’s not magic, it’s–” I was very aware of Lottie’s curious eyes on me. “It’s medicine. Where I come from, it’s used to make sick people better. Charlie should be fine in a few days if he’s not too far gone. We just won’t know until then.” A tired sigh escaped my body and I turned to Lottie. “That gives us time to get the ship ready. Are we still good there? Can we at least see it?”
“Aye, we’re gonna need more than a wee schooner, Lassie,” Finn piped in.
Lottie rolled her eyes in annoyance and stomped over to the window overlooking the docks outside. “There,” she said and pointed, “that one. It’s all yours, on one condition.”
We all leaned in and peered out the window, trying to see which ship she spoke of. The harbour was half-filled with boats of all sizes, but they were mostly small fishing vessels, none big enough for the journey ahead of us. For life at sea.
All except for one, that is.
A large, three-mast structure sat in the water far in the distance, away from all the other ships. Painted red with gold trims and a massive stern hanging off the back. It was like a giant ruby in a sea of pebbles out there, all alone, too big to come any further into the harbor. No wonder there were men wanting to buy it. I couldn’t imagine the pretty penny it would fetch to the right buyer.
Gus’s eyes bulged. “That’s a bloody full-rigged ship.”
“Where the Christ did you get a ship like that?” Finn asked her.
“It was my grandfather’s,” she answered. “He gave it to my father before heading back to England and I used to go sailing with him all the time.” She crossed her arms tight and looked down at the floor. “I miss it. Since their deaths, I haven’t been able to bring myself to step foot aboard it. Not that I could sail it myself, anyway. No one will sail it with me. Every God damn man in town wants it, but they won’t use it for what it’s meant for.”
“And what’s that?” I asked, stunned by the new information.
She looked at me and smirked with her eyebrows raised, something alive shining through that I never witnessed her express before. “Adventure.”
“Wait, hang on,” Gus cut in and then cast another glance at the massive ship, his eyes growing wide. “I recognize… who was your grandfather?”
She pursed her lips and stared at us for a moment before saying, “John Roberts.”
Finn began sputtering off Scottish curse words and plunked down on the bed. Gus tried hard to hide his shock but failed. I, however, had no idea what was going on.
Gus pointed out the window. “That right there is the God damn Queen.”
I shook my head in confusion. “What?”
“The Queen, captained by the infamous Red John Roberts, part of Peter Easton’s fleet of ships.” He sauntered over to Lottie and looked her straight in the eye. “Which makes your father Red Jack Roberts and you,” he stopped to chortle, “You’re bloody Charlotte Roberts, aren’t ya?”
“Yes, so what?” she challenged.
I deeply admired her bravery, even though Gus was no one to fear. He was just a grump. But Peter Easton…he was pirate royalty. He ruled most of Newfoundland, became one of the most elusive and successful pirates of his time. Perhaps of all time.
“Do you want the ship or not?”
Gus’s face broke into a fit of laughter, a strange image for me to see coming from him. “You expect us to believe you’re just gonna give us one of the most coveted pirate ships on the bloody island?”
“Yes,” she replied. “No one will sail it with me because I’m a woman. It deserves to be at sea.”
Finn stood then. “Lassie, we appreciate the gesture, but everythin’ comes at a price. And it’s a price we cannae afford.”
“I didn’t say you could have it for free,” she told us. “But I don’t want money.”
“Well, what do you want?” I asked.
I watched as she chewed her bottom lip in thought. “Take me with you.”
The men erupted into more laughter.
“Look,” Gus cut to a serious face, “we can’t go takin’ all sorts of women out on the sea. It’s a bad fortune. Dianna’s lucky, she has somethin’ to offer. As pretty as you are–”
“Well, it’s a good thing it’s not your decision to make, now, is it?” Lottie blurted out. Gus appeared confused as she continued, “I’m not giving the ship to you.” She turned to face me and smiled triumphantly. “I’m giving it to Dianna.”
Eyes wide and brows high, I spoke with a laugh, “Uh, what?”
Lottie folded her arms tightly and held her head high. “That’s right. The Queen is all yours, Captain.”
Chapter Eleven
Lottie, Finn, and I sat in a small boat as we rowed out to The Queen. A temperamental Gus stayed behind to watch over Charlie, but really, I knew he was mad about the whole boat and me being captain thing. As much as I adored the man, he was so stubborn and old-fashioned, even for this era. I didn’t know much about his past, other than the fact that Maria had taken everything from him when she burned his ship and murdered his crew. But I wondered then, of Gus’s life before that. Had he been married? Kids? Daresay… happy?
I set my thoughts aside as we came up broadside of the ship, a massive red sea beast with yellow trims. I stared in wonder at the portholes lining the sides and the mouths of cannons poking out in between. I counted six that I could see, assuming there were six more to match on the other side of her. A thick rope ladder hung down from the edge and dangled near the bottom where our little rowboat pulled up. Finn grabbed hold of it and pulled us close, so we could climb on.
I struggled at first, maintaining my footing in the rocky boat while I secured my grip around the itchy rope, but I climbed the length of it with ease until I reached the top and Finn helped haul me over the edge.
My leather boots hit the upper deck with a loud thud and I stared around me in utter awe. Heaps of spooled rope, giant metal anchors, and wooden crates covered in heavy nets were placed throughout. An impressively sized steering wheel sat near two staircases that led to the deck above the stern.
I walked over to it and placed my hands on the girthy handles, admiring the craftsmanship and noting a gorgeous compass built into the pedestal. I looked up and glanced around. This was a ship to be feared. This was a ship to be revered.
And it was mine.
“Aye, lass,” Finn called as he climbed up from the deck below. “’Tis a beauty, she is. We’ll do some fine sailin’ aboard her.” He stopped when he saw where I stood and grinned from ear to ear, stepping back to size me up. Then he heaved a happy sigh. “Ye look good there, ye know.”
I smiled. “Thanks. I just hope Gus can get on board with the idea o
f me being his captain.” I stepped away and walked over to him. “I mean, I’ll need the both of you if I’m to do this right. I have no clue what I’m doing.”
“Yes ye do,” my friend replied. “Ye were born fer it. The sea loves ye. Gus will be fine, just let him suck his own teat for the day.”
I laughed and slapped him on the arm. “Where’s Lottie?”
He thumbed over his shoulder. “Checking out the kitchen, seein’ what we need. I took some stock, meself. We’re gonna need some weapons, supplies and the lot.” He eyeballed the cannons that lined each side. “I reckon we won’t be needin’ cannonballs, The Burning Ghost ain’t got cannons. But it might be smart to have some onboard.” He threw me a wink. “Just in case.”
I nodded, filing the information away in my mind. Being the captain of a ship wasn’t too different from owning your own business, I imagined. You’re responsible for your employees, inventory, supplies, not to mention profits. We had to find a way to make money, and I didn’t fancy the idea of piracy. Not of innocent people, anyway.
Just then, Lottie emerged from the same ladder Finn climbed up from and walked over to where we stood. She held a long parchment in her hand. “I’ve made a list of all the supplies we’ll need for the kitchen. Should do us a while at sea.”
Finn cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Uh, Lassie, readying a ship this size for the sea is goin’ to cost a pretty penny.”
“No worries,” I dug around in my satchel for the bag of schillings I’d brought and pulled it out, holding it up for them to see. “I came prepared.”
Finn’s eyes bulged. “Where the Christ did ye get all that money?”
“My, um, my mother saved this for a lot of years. It was just collecting dust back home. Better to be here, where it can actually be used, right?”
The Scot’s eyes quickly darted to Lottie and then back again. “Right. Yes. Good of yer mother to be so savvy.”
Lottie leaned in. “Am I missing something here?”
“No,” I assured her. “Just… my mother died when I was younger. It’s sometimes hard to talk about her.” I was flat out lying to my friend, but too many people already knew my secret and I wasn’t totally sure I could trust Lottie yet. Not with something like that. If the wrong person knew I had the ability to travel through time… who knew what could happen. “So, where do we go to get what we need?”
“Well, I can get everything to stock the pantry. I have some chickens and a goat we can take from the tavern. I just have to clean the tiny stable aboard the ship. And I can just wash the linens already aboard instead of spending money on new ones,” Lottie offered.
“Gus would be the man to collect the other things we need,” Finn added. “I’d like to spend a day aboard, makin’ sure everything runs smoothly, check the sails and the lot.”
“Okay, let’s head back, talk to Gus, and get as much done today as we can.” I looked up at the sky, squinting from the high afternoon sun. “We still have some daylight left. I’d like to sail as soon as possible.”
“Aye,” Finn paused, his beard scrunching up into a grin, “captain.”
I laughed and shoved at his shoulder. “Shut up.”
“Wait,” Lottie spoke, “you haven’t seen the best part.” She began walking over toward the door to the stern. The captain’s quarters.
My heartbeat kicked up a notch at the idea of it being my quarters. I watched as she turned the large brass knob, then heaved on the hefty wooden door and followed her in. It was dimly lit, the curtains were drawn shut, but through the filtered light of the sun shining through, I could see a stunning bedroom and office area.
A double bed sat nestled in a built-in nook, much like Henry’s aboard The Devil’s Heart, only this one was adorned with gorgeous hand-carved embellishments. A red velvet sofa with a tufted back sat on the opposite side, near the door. A short, but long, bookcase filled with books next to it. In the center sat a large mahogany desk, with bold claw foot legs and gold hardware. I walked over and pulled out the wingback chair, upholstered in the same red velvet as the sofa, and sat down.
“Looks good on ye,” Finn said, his words echoing off the quiet walls.
I should have been ecstatic, I should have been in my glory. But a heavy pit in my stomach wouldn’t let go of the infinite sadness that turned around in there. Like a ball in perpetual motion, the pain of Henry’s absence fuelled my sorrow.
I peered up at him. “It feels wrong without him.”
He breathed a sigh and looped his thumbs through the hoops on his belt. “Aye, I know, lass. But we’ll find him. We’ll get Henry back and then ye two can rule this ship together.”
Lottie came around the desk and placed her hand on my shoulder. “We all will,” she told me. “I know the shores of this island like the back of my hand. I practically lived on this ship growing up. We sailed everywhere. We’ll search every nook and cave.”
I nodded and smiled, hiding the warm tears that sat behind my eyes, ready to pour out. How did I get so lucky to fall into a friendship with someone like Finn and Gus? Any pirate ship could have plucked me from the sea that day. And then Lottie. Time saw fit to insert me into situations where I walked right into the perfect people. Lottie, I hardly knew her, but our friendship felt real. I knew it would only grow into something beautiful over the years. Like kindred spirits. I wondered then if my time traveling adventures had anything to do with my ties back to piracy. Maria Cobham was my blood relative. Did blood call to blood? Was she the reason the siren let me bend the laws of time? Or was I destined to come back and cross fateful paths with Lottie? The granddaughter of Red John Roberts, one of Peter Easton’s…
My eyes widened and shot back and forth between my two friends.
“Are you okay?” Lottie asked.
The sudden idea washed over my body and fit into place like missing pieces of a puzzle. It felt so right. “I know where The Cobhams are.”
Finn stepped forward. “What? Are ye sure?”
“Yes,” I told him. “remember the street pirates?”
“Aye.”
“When Amos had the knife held to my stomach, he said that he wanted to send a message to Maria. That he should just gut me right then and leave a trail of blood back to Kelly’s Island.”
I could see the cogs slowly clicking into place, but he needed more. I looked at Lottie. “And what’s Kelly’s Island known for?”
She thought for a second and then her face lit up. “That’s where Peter Easton stationed his headquarters. It’s been abandoned for years. But it’s the perfect place to hide from the world while keeping eyes on the shores all around. You couldn’t sneak up from anywhere.”
“No,” I replied. “But we will. We’ll form a plan and go to Kelly’s Island.” I slammed my hand down on the desk. My desk. “We’re going to save Henry.”
***
After we rowed back to shore, I scrambled out of the small boat and the three of us practically ran back to The Slippery Cod. We found Gus watching over young Charlie who was looking so much better. His pale skin was free of sweat but still felt hot to the touch.
“He stirred for a while,” Gus told us proudly. “Never woke, but at least he’s in there somewhere.”
I crushed up another antibiotic pill and dissolved it in water before carefully pouring it down Charlie’s throat. I slipped the bottle back in my satchel and looked to my friends.
“He needs two per day just like I did there. He should wake up once the fever goes down enough.” I reached over and touched the back of my hand to his forehead again. “Which it already is. Hopefully, he’ll be in good enough shape when we’re ready to sail.”
“Speakin’ of which,” Finn piped in and stepped toward Gus, “we all got jobs to do.”
Gus nodded. “I figured. What do you require of me?”
I pulled out the bag of schillings and handed it to him. I could have given it to Lottie back on the ship, but I wanted a way to win over Gus’s approval. Trusting him with a l
arge amount of money and managing the readying of our ship should do the job. “Go with Lottie. Get everything we need. I’ll stay with Charlie and Finn has some things to do aboard The Queen.”
He slowly accepted the heavy pouch of money, a thoughtful look on his face.
“I’m going to really need you, Gus,” I told him. “I can’t do this without you. I need the best quartermaster on the sea, and you’re it.”
He sighed, but I could see the smallest hint of a smile behind his scruffy brown beard. “Fine,” he said. “But we’ll need a crew. Deckhands. We can’t manage that beast just the four of us.”
“I trust you to find some capable bodies,” I told him, further offering my trust in him. It was working. I could see the sense of pride and purpose coming to the surface of his demeanor.
“Right,” he replied and looked at Lottie. “And you know where to go for everything?”
She grinned. “I can point you in the right direction, sure.” She turned on her heel and strut out the door, calling behind her, “Come on then! I’m not gonna hold your hand.”
I chuckled but my laughter turned to surprise when I spotted the slight hint of a red color flush to Gus’s cheeks. Our eyes met, and the redness spread. But he stormed out before I could say anything.
“Well, this should be an interesting adventure,” I muttered to myself as I walked over and sat down in the armchair next to Charlie.
I watched him for hours, dripping small spoonfuls of soup broth down his throat in an attempt to feed some nutrients into him. His frail body shifted ever so slightly and his face twisted into all sorts ways. He was in there, that was for sure. We just had to give the medicine time to work. In just one day, I could already see a huge improvement, and that was a great sign.
I held his hand and talked to him as if he were awake. Telling him all about my journey back to the future, and retelling my adventures with The Devil’s Heart through my eyes. How scared I was at first, and how he was one of the first to show me kindness.
“I never did thank you for trying to save me from Maria,” I finally told him. “I’ll never forgive myself for what she did to you. I’m so sorry, Charlie.” I glanced down at my belly and lovingly rubbed my hand over it. “I have a secret,” I told him in a low whisper. “I’m carrying Henry’s baby. I know, crazy, right? I haven’t told anyone, but I know I can trust you.” I kept his small hand in mine and leaned forward to rest my head on the bed.
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