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“Yes, yes,” Chief Petty Officer Briant called. Like Mr. Quiggly, this man was another old sea dog. He earned his sails at the Battle of Trafalgar with Lord Nelson. He’d seen piracy when it ran rampant. “Do tell how you came upon those blackhearts. We’d been getting reports for months of their activities. Couldn’t figure out how they were so quick andcapable.”
“I assure you it was chance,” Devin said and felt Mia’s hand settle on his arm. “We’d sailed past them or they behind us. Either way we had to come around to get tothem.”
“It was an exciting night,” Coventon said and Devin saw him wink at Mia who actually colored abit.
“Night?” the old man said, sounding startled. “You came upon them atnight?”
“Aye,” Devin said realizing again how fortuitous the eventwas.
“However did you do that?” the younger captain asked, clearly not ready to beimpressed.
But Devin did not care to impress him, nor to make boast on himself. He may have been the man who fired the cannons and forced the surrender but it was… “Mrs. Winthrop did it.” He heard her gasp as all eyes turned towardsher.
“Mrs. Winthrop thought she’d heard something and came on deck,” Coventon rescued her when she couldn’t seem to find her voice. “It was very likely the explosion of the smaller craft the pirates used asbait.”
“But no one else heard it?” Again, the younger captain seemed to be trying to dismiss theaccomplishment.
“I’m quite accustomed to listening beyond the sounds of the ship,” Mia said as she must have realized this man was waiting to insult her. “As I was trying to tell those young men there.” She pointed to the group she’d left, all of whom were watching her intently. “It’s well enough to know what your ship and crew sound like all the time, but you must learn to listen to everything around you. To look past what is just beforeyou.”
“We’ve all learned that lesson,” Coventon said, tapping his leg with hiscane.
“Oh aye,” Mia said sadly as she set a hand on the lieutenant. “If I’d listened better thatday.”
“Mrs. Winthrop, as I’ve repeatedly said, I’m simply glad you were there listening atall.”
“Sharks,” Mr. Quiggly said when the faces in the group registered confusion. “The crew was in the water when they camein.”
“And Mrs. Winthrop heard them calling out?” the commander in the groupasked.
“No. She heard the sharks coming in and was able to toss lines out before the group of swimmers and group of sharks collided,” Mr. Quiggly told them, and Devin saw the man puff out his chest. What man in his crew wasn’t proud and thankful Mia came aboard? Not one ofthem.
The group burst out laughing and the commander slapped Devin on the shoulder. But the group started to sober when they noticed all four from theIron Roseweren’t laughing. “How does one hear sharks coming,” the young captain said, a bite in histone.
“One listens,” Mia said. “Your name,Captain?”
“Kenrick Mallory, ma’am,” the man answered with a snap of his heels and abow.
“Well, Captain Mallory, as it was, I was on deck and I heard a flock of seabirds squawk in panic and saw them fly off. It isn’t at all unusual to hear and see such. Silly birds, they upset easily. But they usually settle right back, yet these didn’t.” Mia took a sip of the wine then went on. “I thought it odd, so I went to the rail to see what might have caused their departure. At first, I saw nothing at all, but then I looked a little farther out and a large school of fish was coming in very fast and veryerratic.”
“The fish startled the birds,” Yates deduced. “But what startled thefish?”
“Yes exactly. You’ve sailed,sir?”
“I’ve fished,” Yates said and everyonelaughed.
“When I looked past the fish I saw the fins breaking the water. So you see Captain Mallory, when it comes to it I heard the sharks coming in. As it was, they were on one side of the ship the swimmers on the other so we had almost enough time.” Again, she set her hand on Coventon’sarm.
“I was out some distance. I made it back but not all the way out of the water when one of the devils cut up against me,” Coventonfinished.
“And where did you learn this amazing ability to listen, Mrs. Winthrop?” Yatesasked
“It comes rather naturally onboard ships, sir,” Mia said, “though I practice it everywhere. I’m not certain it can be taught. It must be experienced. Which is why I can’t see the benefit of taking men half grown already and schooling them in buildings then expecting them to serve a ship at sea. A man whose feet have been on deck since youth is better able to know the ship he sails and the sea upon which he sails it than any man trained onland.”
“Here, here,” the older men in the group cheered. Like Devin the idea of bringing aboard men who’d never sailed, especially in an officer’s position, didn’t appeal. Coventon worked out well, but he’d taken the place a good midshipman might have all the same. The younger in the group, though, were a different sort. They preferred the formal schooling or at least the notoriety of telling all they were academygraduates.
“You’ve spent a good deal of time on the sea, Mrs. Winthrop?” Briantasked.
“With the exception of the time I was away at school, yes, very nearly every day of my life.” Mia said as several other wives joined their circle. A moment was given to introductions, slightly less formal between theladies.
