“What’s this?” Captain Whitmore said from the other end of the table. “What is so funny down there, Mary?”
“Gareth, must you cut into a conversation so far away from you?” Mrs. Bowers said with a smile.
“Indeed I must, if I’m more interested in another conversation than my own. No offense to you, Eliza,” he told Elizabeth next to him. She didn’t seem offended in the least, but turned her attention to our end of the table with just as much interest as her captain.
“Mr. Ashby here can help us with bookkeeping,” Mrs. Bowers explained. “We were just commenting on how fortunate we are to have people who can save both lives and budgets.”
“I see. Well, that is not very humorous, but I congratulate you on finding someone who can add and subtract better than you. Mr. Ashby, might you find some room in the budget for a new hat? I saw Ol’ Jacque’s lavish hat and have a sudden desire to match him. I know we are sworn enemies and all, but I do like his style.” Captain Whitmore spoke first to Mrs. Bowers, then to Mr. Ashby, then the entire room with alacrity.
“I’ll do what I can, Captain,” Mr. Ashby said with a grin.
Chuckles echoed throughout the room. The captain’s humor and personality were starting to grow on me. He seemed to be cherished by everyone. “So we have a job for Mr. Ashby. What about our two new young ladies? Do you have a preference in occupation?” Captain Whitmore continued in his blunt way.
“It seems Lottie has taken to Patrice. She’s asked me if she can keep her,” Mrs. Bowers said with a laugh.
Patrice replied positively. “I would be glad to be adopted by Lottie, Mistress. To serve this house seems like a dream.”
“Well, that’s very kind of you, dear. I’ll welcome you as staff if that’s what you want.”
“It is, thank ye.” Patrice bowed her head slightly. So her future on the estate seemed set. How lengthy that future was, I had no idea. Would we be here for months, perhaps years, before Graham regained his memories and returned to Scotland? To leave without him was unconscionable.
“And we are down to one,” Captain Whitmore said.
I bit my lip. “I’m afraid I have no obvious talent that I can contribute, but I’m happy to help wherever I can.”
“I have to visit the mill tomorrow, Miss Findlay. You may join me if you wish,” Elizabeth said to me.
I met her eyes with surprise. Nodding, I told her I’d be glad to. I wondered why she’d spoken up, inviting me personally to aid her in something? Spending time with someone so extraordinary made nerves course through me. She intimidated me, and I strangely didn’t want to disappoint her.
“Have you heard anything from Whisper yet?” Mrs. Bowers asked Captain Whitmore.
“No, I don’t expect to until tomorrow. He’ll keep his ear to the sea for anything about Ol’ Jacque, though. I told him to tell us right away if there are rumors of revenge.”
Mrs. Bowers nodded, sighing. “L’Audacieuxhas always wanted revenge on theMaelstrom, but this might be the first time they’ve connected it with the mission. You said he certainly heard you specifically tell your crew to save Mr. Weiss?”
Captain Whitmore sighed. “Yes, I'm afraid so.”
“Do you think saving us put the estate in danger, too?” Mr. Weiss wondered. If the mission was suspected of being allied with theMaelstrom, it would not be a stretch to implicate Mrs. Bowers as well.
“TheMaelstromhas long been a thorn in Captain Corsaire’s side. It would not surprise me if he decided to target me and the estate. He’d only need to use the other planters on the island and their hatred for my unorthodox methods to bring us down,” Mrs. Bowers replied.
“It would be a mutually beneficial alliance,” Mr. Ward said from down the table. “I heard the blacksmith on the Grant estate say his master has long wished for your demise. It is not a well-kept secret that some planters are still smuggling people to enslave. Perhaps he is one of them.”
Mrs. Bowers clicked her tongue. “That Peter Grant nincompoop wouldn’t be able to kick me out if he had a hundred pirates at his disposal.” Laughter rippled through the room. But it couldn’t completely hide the tension that came from Mr. Ward’s report.
“I think we should still be prepared for a fight, Mary,” Elizabeth suggested.
“I can gather the villagers tomorrow and warn them to arm themselves in case something happens,” Graham added.
Mrs. Bowers nodded. “It never hurts to prepare. Go ahead and tell them, Slate.” She cleared her throat when she saw me. “I mean,Graham.” She smiled at me. “That must be hard to hear, your betrothed being called by another name.”
I held up my hands as the table became quiet, waiting for my reply. “No, I have gotten used to it,” I lied.
“I like it. Slate. It fits him. He’s always been a bit dim-witted,” Mr. Ashby offered with a grin.
Graham smiled sardonically. “Well, we cannae all be bookkeeping prodigies,” he said. His eyes widened slightly and his smile slipped. “Wait, have I said that before?”
Mr. Ashby nodded excitedly. “Yes, you used to tease me like that all the time. You have always thought my love of numbers quite comical.”
