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“I don’t know,” Mia said and realized now that Devin was close she was rather frightened. She’d never fainted in her life. But that wasn’t the onlything.
“Are you all right?” he asked again bending down to try and catch her eyes which were now blurred withtears.
“I think so, I… I don’t know whathappened.”
“Did you feel unwell, young lady, before you lostconsciousness?”
“No,” Mia sniffed and lifted the cup as the burning in the back of her throat wasgrowing.
“And the last thing youremember?”
“Putting the logbooks on the shelf and…” Mia wasn’t sure she wanted to say. Even if it was only her imagination brought on by too many ghoststories.
“And what?” Devin asked, pulling hercloser.
“Clear the deck. Move, before I hang you from theyardarm.”
“Papa?” Mia pulled away from Devin. Maybe she was mad. Hearing Papa calling andseeing…
“Siren?”
“Papa?” Mia wailed when the man stepped into sight and shoved his way past the small crowd standing in thedoor.
“Mia, siren,” Papa’s voice soothed as did his warm embrace. “What happened, myheart?”
The choking sob climbed up and out as she wrapped her arms around her papa’s body and pressed against him. “I saw Mama,” Mia managed before she couldn’t say anything for the terror shefelt.
Chapter 15
Devin rubbedhis fingers across his brow and sighed again. Commodore Dekker could still be heard making demands to the portion of his crew now standing outside Devin’s home. Mr. Hong was rattling off the information the man seemed to want and need, but Devin couldn’t tell what anyone was saying as so many languages were flying it was a wonder everyone wasn’t as confused ashe.
“Captain?”
Devin swung around and strode to the bed. “Mia.” He sat down and helped her sit up. “The doctor said not to sleep too much, Mia,” he tried toscold.
“My head hurts,” she complained. Then when she caught him looking at her she said, “I’m not mad, I sawher.”
“Mia,” he said softly and brushed at the tears tracking down her cheek. “We know you did. She was in the office. You weren’t the only one to see her. It’sjust…”
“That it wasn’t Mama?” She sniffed. “I know,but…”
“We’re going to figure it out, Mia,” Devin told her with more confidence than hefelt.
His wife hadn’t seen a ghost, but everyone said she fainted as soon as the woman came in the shop. No one else really remembered much about her because they were focused on Mia. The woman, whoever she was, didn’t wait around for anyone to get her name or learn what she wanted at the shipping office. But Mia was so sure it was her mother. So sure, and as she described her to the commodore, Devin saw the man’s expression go from worried to surprised to angry. But whatever the man knew about who Mia described, he’d yet to share it withDevin.
And his quiet communication with Mr. Smithe in the carriage they rode home together in was in Portuguese. If he thought Mia was listening, he might ask what they said but she’d been trying to sleep the whole way and Devin had worked to keep her awake. At least every look Devin caught the commodore giving him waskind.
“Is that Papa storming up outside?” Mia asked, more tears welling up and splashing on her palecheeks.
“Aye,” Devin said reaching for a fresh cloth to dip in the basin of water. It was no longer as cold as it was when Mr. Hong brought it up, but for now it would do. Wringing out the excess water, he folded it into a square and handed it toMia.
“I’m sorry, Captain,” she said taking the cloth and holding it to thelump.
Devin smiled. “What could you possibly be sorryfor?”
“Being so much trouble,” she said with ashrug.
“Mia,” Devin said trying not to laugh. “Of all the storms I’ve been through with you already, if this is what you want to call being troublesome then you might need to rethink your statement about not being mad.” He shook his head. “I think I can handle a little faint. It’s that sailing away from the ship and jumping from cliffs that I found bothersome. God save me, this might be the first common thing you’ve everdone.”
