“I told Miss not to go,” Patrice said. I could feel her steely gaze upon my face.
I ignored it and looked up into the starry sky. “It’s a lovely night,” I observed.
“You heard me, Miss Findlay,” Mr. Ashby said. “Do not pretend that you didn’t.”
When I turned to look into his eyes, I smiled ruefully. “I heard you.”
He sighed and shook his head. “You will do as you please, no doubt. I shall simply have to lock you in your quarters next time someone breathes the word mutiny.”
He may have been right, but since the door only locked from the inside, I knew there was nothing he could do to keep me from going to the upper deck if such a thing happened. Besides, if indeed a mutiny occurred, I should be there to witness it with my own eyes.
Chapter 11
Forthenextthreedays, the atmosphere on board was tense. Patrice and I carried our pistols everywhere we went. Harsh whispers and arguments disrupted the calm I had come to expect on the ship, and a constant knot filled my stomach as contention spread around us.
“Here, take my salted beef,” Mr. Ashby offered to me. He probably noticed my poor mood and wished to improve it.
“No, I am full. You eat it. You’re the one who needs to keep his strength up. You’ve been working alongside the crew more, trying to improve morale.”
Before Mr. Ashby could put the beef back on his plate, Patrice snatched it off his fork. I laughed at her appetite. Mr. Ashby laughed as well, and the sound was refreshing. Patrice grinned. “Shouldnae have offered it to Miss if ye wanted it,” she said with her mouth full.
“I was going to offer it to you next,” Mr. Ashby replied with a smile.
“Sure ye were.” Patrice leaned back in her chair and sighed. “We should go meet with Tallow, Miss.”
We took our dishes to the scullery to clean them off. Patrice had finally stopped acting as my maid and now allowed me to clean my own dishes. It felt as though we were companions. I was grateful for it and found the relationship much more gratifying than before.
We reached Tallow’s cabin and knocked. As he opened the door, a ruckus began behind us; the hatch burst open and men came clamoring onto the deck. I glanced back at Tallow and saw him frown deeply.
He clicked his tongue and pushed past us, approaching the group of men who were shouting to one another. Patrice and I hung back. Jonas was in the center of it all, calling out to Mr. Hull, who stood above them on the forecastle.
“Come down and face us, ye skurvy eel!” Jonas yelled.
Matthew Hull came down the steps slowly and stood firmly, arms folded. “We’ve been through this, Jonas. You don’t wanna pick a fight. It’ll end poorly.”
“Well, me and the men think that turning around will suit us best. We can find better ships in Scotland, and you and the captain can face your fates with the court martial.” Jonas folded his arms to mirror his opponent. The men backing him nodded their agreement.
My arm tightened around Patrice’s. I feared fighting, but I feared turning back more. Couldn’t they see going forward was the best route? We would waste so much time returning to Scotland. We were already over halfway to St. Kitts.
Tallow continued walking toward the men and I took a step to follow, but Patrice pulled me back, hoping to keep me out of it.
He went right up to Jonas and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve been on the seas for longer than you’ve been alive, and I will tell you that this is not the crisis it seems. The captain may have lied to us, but we have enough provisions to make it to Basseterre. If we turn back, we may run out, and those who need to get there will have wasted precious time. You’re not thinking for everyone aboard. There are only four of you.” Tallow’s reasonable voice sounded soothing to me, but apparently not to the menbefore him.
“Five,” another voice said. Williams came up from the decks below and stood next to Jonas. “I think we should turn back, too.”
Tallow fixed Williams with a paternal gaze. “You don’t know what you’re saying, son. Going back is not the answer.”
“Well, we say it is! Selton will only receive punishment if we return to Scotland and bring him in front of a court martial,” Jonas yelled, raising a fist in the air. The men around him began chanting.
“Turn back! Turn back! Turn back!”
My blood chilled and I shivered, even though the air was temperate. I could not waste another…who knew how many weeks! The longer we took getting to Graham, the less likely it was that I’d ever see him again. Panic rose within me and I threw away Patrice’s arm before running toward the riot.
“No!” I yelled. “We cannot turn back! Please!” I pulled on the nearest man, trying to get his attention. He pushed me and I landed on my backside with a wince.
I felt strong hands around my shoulders as Mr. Ashby pulled me to my feet. “Elsie, get below deck,” he commanded.
But then I witnessed the moment their tempers rose to a boiling point. Their faces contorted in rage, and the first fist landed on Mr. Hull. Chaos ensued. The men who weren’t on deck came up through the hatch and joined the scuffle.
