Kitty by Deborah Challinor

Author:Deborah Challinor [Challinor, Deborah]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General Fiction, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
ISBN: 9780730401360
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2006-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

She leapt to her feet and screeched, ‘What do you mean you can’t allow it? You’re not my guardian!’

‘No, but I am captain of this schooner, and we’re going to Sydney whether you like it or not.’

‘Well, we’ll see about that!’ Kitty replied, and stamped off into Rian’s cabin.

‘Your porridge is getting cold,’ he said, but the door had already slammed shut.

She picked up her wet, ruined boots and flung them at the cabin wall. Boadicea shot out from under the bed, almost giving Kitty a heart attack, and caromed around the cabin looking for a way out before finally leaping through the open window.

Kitty sat down and bit her lip to stop herself from crying. She felt more alone now than at any time since her father had died.

Then she had what struck her as the most excellent idea; she could pay her way on the Katipo, and at the same time show Rian Farrell that she wasn’t as silly and as useless as he so obviously believed her to be.

She opened the door cautiously to make sure Rian had gone, then called for Wai, who emerged from one of the smaller rooms.

‘Come in here,’ Kitty said, ‘I’ve had such a good idea.’

Wai sat down expectantly.

‘If I have to go to Sydney, then I’m going to work my passage,’ Kitty announced.

‘On this ship?’

Kitty nodded.

Wai stared at her for a moment. ‘Pierre is the cook,’ she said.

‘No, not as a cook, as a sailor! But first I need some suitable clothes, some trousers at least. I can’t very well be climbing rat lines in a dress.’

Wai regarded her as though she had suddenly gone mad. ‘I think that is silly,’ she said. ‘Ladies do not wear trousers.’

‘Well, apparently I’m not a lady,’ Kitty replied. ‘Apparently I’m still a child who can’t even make decisions for herself.’

‘You are behaving like one.’

Kitty ignored the comment: she knew she was acting like Edward, but couldn’t seem to stop herself. ‘Do you think you could go and find me something to wear? Hawk seems a nice man—could you ask him?’

Still unconvinced, Wai said, ‘It is a strange request. I will ask Haunui to ask him.’

‘He might be able to find something for you, too,’ Kitty said, noting the torn and filthy state of Wai’s dress. ‘You can’t sit around in that for the next two weeks.’

Wai shrugged, but went and did what she was asked. She was back fairly quickly, followed by Haunui carrying a pile of clothes. He set them down on Rian’s desk, gave Kitty a very odd look, then departed without saying anything.

Kitty pounced on the pile, pulling out a pair of well-patched trousers and holding them against her.

‘You or me?’ she asked, then passed them to Wai. ‘You, I think. The waist looks a bit big for me. Go on, try them.’

Wai undid the buttons of her dress and slipped out of it, leaving it on the floor, then stepped into the trousers and hauled them up. They were too long, but fitted reasonably well around her backside.

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