The Sea Maiden

by Mary Speer

  Lynnette told her mother the whole story including meeting Peter. She conveniently left out the incident at The Red Dawn and about her staying overnight on board the Sea Maiden in the company of all men including Peter. Her mother would probably only speculate the wrong idea anyway.

  Two weeks passed since the Sea Maiden’s departure. Karina was adjusting to her new role and position as a cabin boy. She had become more comfortable around Captain Drake and the officers who didn’t pay much attention to a cabin boy or Aaron as she was known. She wrapped a piece of sheet around her breast to flatten them and wore the loose vest over her white shirt to hide her feminine figure. She also had to stuff rags into Peter’s old boots since they were too big on her. She kept her hair wrapped under a scarf worn under a three point hat or a floppy hat that one of the crew gave her; and pulled out the chin length hair from around her temples to shield her face. She only had two changes of clothes so she was constantly washing them.

  She got familiar with each officer’s schedule especially the Captains so she could clean and prepare their baths well in advance and leave before they arrived. Their cabins were always neat and tidy and their clean clothes were left neatly folded on their bunk. This scored points with all the officers including the Captain who regularly patted her on the back for a job well done as did some of the other officers. During down time, she asked Peter to show her how to do some of his work, and he started showing her how to splice and do different kind of knots he also showed her all the ropes and pulleys and what to look for that might need repair. Karina enjoyed Peter’s company. His charismatic, character made him a ship favorite with his winning smile, curly bronze locks and hazel eyes which seemed always at play; and because of his connection to Lynnette and Karina he and Captain Drake were becoming close friends?

  CHAPTER 21

  Florida

  A few weeks later they pulled in to a Florida port. Everyone was anxious to get off the ship they would only be there a couple of days and the crew was ready for a break. Peter told Karina,

  “You have worked hard and done a great job as a cabin boy so now you get to go out on the town as one of the mates and have a little fun so get ready.”

  Arriving in Florida was exciting for everyone as well as Karina, she was ready for a break like Peter said and looked forward to getting off the ship. It was a warm day when they anchored off the bay. The Sea Maiden slowly emptied except for the man on watch and a few others. Captain Drake invited Peter to have a drink in town with him and the other officers but Peter told him he would have to meet up with them later because he first wanted to break Aaron in and cheer him up a bit, since he was still morning over the loss of his parents.

  Peter and Karina got along well and they had become good friends. While aware she was female he got use to her as one of the men. Life as a man was very different she thought, she had to do everything herself and endure the most indecent cursing and jesting, but men left her alone or ignored her except for Peter who constantly played tricks on her and was even showing her how to fight. He was the only one she could trust and feel free to show her face fully to. Captain Drake, on the other hand, always caused her a certain amount of uneasiness; and her heart seemed always to beat faster when he was around.

  They went to a local tavern known as the, Seven Seas. As they walked in a redheaded woman in a tight red dress showing an indecent amount of cleavage came right up to Peter and kissed him on the lips.

  “Hello Peter long time no-see.” She looked over at Karina. “You baby-sitting tonight darling, or are you going to let me show you a good time?”

  Karina’s mouth dropped, than looked away.

  “Jill…hello! What a surprise to see…so much of you.” Peter flirted looking down her deep cleavage, “I’m afraid I’m not up to that tonight beautiful. This here is my friend Aaron he’s new on the ship and he recently lost his parents so I’m keeping him company and showing him around.”

  “Aw what a good ship mate you are.” She flirtatiously toyed with a curly lock of his hair. “Too bad you look so appetizing we would have such a good time...” She sighed, “…anyway if you change your mind I will be right over there.” She said suggestively and pointed to a booth in the rear, then left pulling at his hand as she blew him a kiss and winked before disappearing in the crowd. Peter watched her walk away and sighed, then remembered Karina next to him and took a more serious tone.

  “Sorry about that.”

  “Who is that woman?”

  Peter was looking for the right words but figured he better just be honest. He cleared is throat.

  “She’s a…she’s a…lady of the night, a prostitute.”

  Karina glared at him.

  “Stop looking at me that way…alright so I’m not an angel but it’s in the past…alright.” Peter tried to reassure her. “I do mean to marry Lynnette but unfortunately, for now you’re going to see a side of me and the other men that a typical lady doesn’t get to see so be a good sport and I promise I will behave but some of these ladies can be a little direct.”

  Peter ordered drinks and a serving girl promptly delivered two mugs of spirits to their table. He enjoyed watching Karina crunch her face as she took her first taste of spirits.

  “This is awful how could you drink this, why would anyone drink this?”

  “Makes you loosen up.” Peter chuckled

  Peter watched her and laughed. It was loud in the tavern and some of the customers played fiddles and harmonicas and sang. Karina was certainly more at ease after a few drinks but Peter was keeping a close watch on her. Peter himself was getting a buzz. They started playing dice at one of the tables and even Karina joined in. Under the influence of rum and spirits she got so involved in the betting that she didn’t notice that a woman put her arm around her. Peter was in stitches, laughing at her till she pushed the woman away. The crowd at the table was getting pretty rowdy by late evening, when a man angry he lost his money to the boy pushed Karina in disgust, Karina now fairly drunk pushed the man back.

  “I will run you threw boy!”

  The man threatened. Peter tensed ready to step in,

  “Be warned mate, he maybe small but he’s an expert swordsman, he slew the last man that crossed swords with him.” Peter warned, stretching the truth.

  The drunken man heeded his warning but continued pushing and angering the others. With a brawl in the brew Peter decided to get Karina out of there. He pulled her outside and when the air hit her, Karina passed out, Peter caught her and threw her over his shoulder and began walking toward the peer but her hat and scarf fell off and a tangle of blond hair spilled out. He stopped and put her down on a bench and went back to gather the scarf and hat. He tried to put them back on her but it was an impossible task. Her long blond hair was all over the place. In defeat he sat down next to her but she slumped sideways into his lap with her head tilted back over his arm. Peter admired her loveliness while he cradled her in his arms, what a beauty she was, something inside him started stirring. He tried to brush it off, but under the rums influence a compelling desire to kiss her came over him and he did what came natural to him and pressed his lips lightly against hers. Her lips where soft and pink and warm, he caressed her face and removed a strand of blond hair off her face he wanted to kiss her again suddenly he remembered, ‘This was Karina, Lynnette’s friend and his new employer and she was intoxicated, good grief! What was he doing?’ He took a deep breath, shook his head to try and clear it then attempted waking her again. He couldn’t take her up on deck like that. He shook her gently.

  “Karina! Wake up!” He held her face in his hand she mumbled something incoherent, with the help of the cool night air she started coming to a bit. Then she opened her eyes slightly. “Help me put on your scarf and hat dear I can’t take you back to the ship looking like this.”

  Slowly she sat up with his help everything looked surreal to her. Peter gave her the scarf and three point hat. Karina composed herself somewhat and wrapped and tied the
scarf on then tucked her hair under the scarf as best she could and put on the hat.

  “Good girl…I knew you could do it.” Then unaware to Peter, one of the crew came out of the tavern and headed toward the rowboat to go back to the ship. Peter was preoccupied with Karina trying to keep her awake and didn’t notice the man; Karina kept trying to lie down on the bench so Peter pulled her to her feet. “Now look at me.” Karina slumped into his arms again, in an effort to keep her standing Peter took both her arms and put them over his shoulders, not realizing how this looked to his shipmate on the rowboat. “Karina! Look at me!” He ordered.

  Karina opened her eyes and seeing his handsome face so close she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him instead. Once again it was a provocative moment and Peter kissed her back. From the rowboat the man blinked and his eyes grew two sizes when he realized it was Peter and ‘Aaron, the cabin boy’ engaged in a passionate kiss. Peter heard a noise and opened his eyes suddenly noticing the man on the rowboat watching them, alarmed he broke the kiss.

  “Damn how am I going to explain this on the ship?” Then he realized it was going to be too difficult for her to climb up the side of the ship in her condition so he decided they would simply have to stay on the grass in between a tree and a bush behind the stone bench, which would shield them from view till morning. He would deal with the rest tomorrow. He was walking her toward the tree when she lurched over and emptied her stomach on his boot. “Wonderful, right on my new boot! How is it you can’t see or walk straight but you didn’t miss my boot?” Peter sighed in frustration “I’m just grateful this didn’t happen during the kiss…ewe.” The truth was Peter needed a little reality to help clear his head of her. Then he still had the man on the row boat to worry about. “Alright princess let’s go wash up.”

  In the morning Karina woke up cuddled up next to Peter. They lied on the grass behind the bench, with her head on his chest. She tensed realizing they spent the night there together. She sat up too quickly and her head throbbed making her let out a moan, his arm was wrapped around her; she raised her hand to her mouth in shock. She removed his arm.

  “Peter, wake up! Wake up!” Peter squinted then stretched and rolled onto his other side, it was too bright. “I guess we didn’t make it back to the ship.” She said.

  “Your guess is correct. I don’t even want to go back.” He told her.

  “Why?”

  “You kissed me in front of Roy, but to him you were Aaron.”

  “What?”

  “We have to get those ears fixed! I said you kissed me in front of Roy! You were drunk, I was drunk, he was in the rowboat, and I hadn’t seen him, then you kissed me and I kissed you back, can’t say I didn’t like it though.” Peter smiled.

  Karina shoved him. Waves of guilt started hitting her as she thought of them drinking, kissing, spending the night together on the grass, what else had she done she wondered? She closed her eyes and put her hand to her head in regret and to ease the pain. Then she grew angry. He was perverting her, by taking her to taverns and encouraging her to drink rum and spirits, was she slowly becoming a wanton woman? She already knew what they were like. From that moment she told herself she would never drink like that again.

  “You’re perverting me! Oh my aching head.”

  “I’m just glad it happened before you christened my boot. Trust me nothing happened after that, other than sleep.”

  “Oh no, you mean I got sick?”

  “Yep all over my new boot.”

  “Oh God! Why did you bring me here?”

  “Relax it was just a moment of drunkenness that’s all. I’m fine if you are? But please don’t tell Lynnette about this little incident or about the woman that approached me yesterday, it would only ruin your friendship anyway, agreed?”

  Karina nodded her head in agreement….aside from the headache, she was feeling so ashamed. They both went back to the ship. Peter tried to avoid Roy, who had seen him kiss Karina, who he thought was Aaron. Thanks to that night, Roy always seemed to look at him strangely. Peter, however, was grateful that Roy Skinner, the ships quartermaster, was one of the most conservative and least talkative fellows on board.

  CHAPTER 22

  Discovered

  After few weeks, Peter and Karina had cleared their heads of each other and continued to work well together. One afternoon, Peter had come by the guest quarters to wait for Karina. He was leaning against the wall with one foot perched behind him when Captain Drake saw him. Having heard rumors about him and Aaron spending too much time together, he asked him what he was doing there. Peter joked and told him he was just taking a break but didn’t mention he was waiting on Aaron. Feeling scrutinized by the Captain, Peter left and decided to wait for Karina elsewhere.

  When Karina came out of the guest quarters; the Captain was still standing nearby with his back to her so she quietly closed the door behind her and started walking away the other direction but the creaking of the wood on deck gave her away.

  “Aaron! There you are!”

  Karina bit her lower lip as she turned around.

  “Yes Captain.”

  “Please clean up a broken glass in my cabin, I left an empty wine glass on my desk and it must have rolled off the desk and broke.”

  “Yes Captain.”

  She went to get a broom and dustpan and entered the cabin, Captain Drake walked away. She cleaned up the glass and placed the broom against the wall and went to empty the dustpan outside. While she was out, the broom fell forward by the desk. She returned to collect the broom on the floor when she saw the bottle of wine the Captain had been drinking from. Curious about it, she opened it and sniffed it when Captain Drake walked in on her and she immediately replaced the cork and put it down.

  “Would you like a glass Aaron?”

  Facing away from him as usual she said,

  “No Captain I was just curious.”

  He took a glass out and poured him a glass of wine.

  “Here…you do a good job around here Aaron you deserve it.” He meant to hand it to him, but tripped on the broom handle on the floor and spilled most of the red wine on the shirt and vest. Karina, who was turned away from him slightly, with her hair shielding her face, gasped and jumped back. “DAMN BROOM! My apologies Aaron I meant for you to drink it not wear it. Do you have another shirt?”

  “It’s drying.”

  Eric started rummaging through his things and got one of his shirts out.

  “Here take that one off and wash it at once or the stain will become permanent.”

  “No it’s not necessary Captain but thank you.”

  “Take off the shirt Aaron stop being so damn shy, it’s not manly!” He ordered.

  Karina swallowed hard and hesitantly turned her back toward him and removed the vest then the shirt. She was about to put on the clean shirt he gave her when he asked in an alarmed voice.

  “AARON! WHAT HAPPENED?”

  Eric assumed the white cloth wrapped around her back was some kind of bandage and spun her around, Karina let out a small gasp. Eric took a step back when he saw the obvious swell of breasts and cleavage covered under the wrap. He immediately pulled off the hat and scarf and her hair spilled around her in a tangle of blond waves. He recognized her immediately. The stained shirt and vest fell on the floor. Karina put on the shirt he gave her and ran out the door to the guest quarters and locked herself in. In her hurry to hide from him, Karina didn’t button the shirt when she left his cabin.

  Eric stood motionless in shock to discover Aaron was Karina, he thought back to the hair on the rowboat, his conversation with Peter while Aaron cleaned the shelves, his privacy and trust had been broken…she used him to run away from Gunther, now he would charge him with kidnapping her, he could lose the Sea Maiden back to him. He heard a door close. He went after her. He tried to open the guest quarter’s door but she locked it.

  “Open this door!” He ordered. There was no response. “Open this door or I will break it in at the co
unt of three! One, two-”

  He heard the door unlock. Eric stepped inside the small room, and closed the door; his towering form in the small space was intimidating. He was furious to know he had been tricked and possibly legally compromised in her escape and wanted an explanation but his discovery of her also stirred more primitive instincts deep inside.

  “You tricked me! How long did you think you would get away with this?” He took a step closer. Karina took one back. “You stowed away on my ship and probably tangled me up with legal implication; Gunther will probably accuse me of kidnapping you. I could lose the Sea Maiden back to him!”

  “It was not my intention to compromise you in my escape or implicate you in any legal trouble, I will pay you for my passage, nobody needs to know who I am I only need to get to New England, let me just get my purse.” Karina pleaded.

  If she could show him that she could pay for her passage she thought it would ease the tension. He watched her lips move but was no longer listening. His eyes scanned the open shirt, which exposed the wrapped cloth compressing her heaving breasts, visible cleavage and a bare mid-section. Her blond hair was in wild disarray, and his anger was suddenly replaced by intense longing. His large frame blocked her way so she tried to move past him to get to her cloth purse under the bunk containing her valuables but her closeness only re-ignited the same ardent response she stirred in him the night of the engagement dinner. Instinctively his arms wrapped around her exposed waist; under the open shirt forcing her against him. His parted lips covered hers in a demanding kiss. Breathless, Karina struggled to free herself but she only fueled his desire and backed her into the wall, his hand moved toward her breast, she pushed it away and demanded,

  “STOP! Stop!”

  When he realized what he was doing he halted his sensual assault. He had no right to treat her that way; she was a run-away bride not a tramp. Suddenly overcome with guilt and shame, he saw her in a different light, as a desperate young woman running from one man only to be entrapped by another, himself. Eric scolded himself for over stepping his authority with her then stepped back and took a deep breath. He needed to get away from her; he seemed to lose control when she was in his presence. Ashamed he remembered his words to Peter not to take advantage of Lynnette in the very way he was about to with Karina. Without saying a word he turned and walked away. He stepped outside the room and closed the door behind him. He cast his head down momentarily gathering his thoughts with his hands resting on his belt buckle.