Murder on the High Seas by Elizabeth Rose

Author:Elizabeth Rose [Rose, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-09-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“Istill can’t believe I saw Adrian, Nairnie.” Vivienne sat with the others on the deck of the Falcon later that day, finishing off a meal of pottage that included roasted pork, cooked carrots, and oats that she’d brought directly from the castle. They also had boiled eggs and chunks of hard cheese, accompanied by crusty brown bread, cider, and ale. The woman had even talked Cook from Mablethorpe Castle into throwing in some candied ginger for a sweet treat. Of course, Nairnie probably gave Cook the evil eye and threatened to hit him with her ladle if he didn’t cooperate. Either way, if it weren’t for Nairnie being there, they’d most likely be dining on naught but salted herring and oatcakes and some half-rotten apples right now. “My little brother isn’t dead after all. I am so happy that I could just spit.”

“Go ahead and spit, lassie,” said Peg Leg Pate, turning his head and spitting onto the deck. “It’ll make you feel more like one of the crew.”

“Bid the devil, I don’t allow spitting on board. Stop that, Pate,” Bear reprimanded the one-legged man. Bear leaned back on the railing of the Falcon, with whisky in his grip. Ever since they’d all returned from town, Nairnie and Bear continued to quarrel. Nairnie accused Bear of stopping at the whorehouse and drinking in the taverns, and Bear accused her of being an old busybody who couldn’t cook a good meal if her life depended on it. After the sheriff warned them both that he wouldn’t put up with their arguing anymore, and that they were distracting him from doing his job, they both ended up going to opposite ends of the ship to avoid each other. They hadn’t spoken to one another since then. It was sad to see. Bear and Nairnie had seemed to be so much in love when Bear first showed up at the sheriff’s house with his crew. He’d even hugged and kissed Nairnie and picked her up and spun her around. Vivienne wanted to see them act like that again. She wasn’t sure what was happening between them.

“How did yer brother look, lassie?” asked Nairnie, starting to collect the dirty plates, which were wooden and square. The square dishes insured that the plates wouldn’t roll away if the seas got rough.

“Adrian looked...grown up,” said Vivienne with a smile. “I remember him as a child, but now he looked so much more like a man. A man who was dirty and smelly, that is. However, a young man just the same.” She sighed deeply, still smiling. She noticed Martin coming back for seconds, and putting a lot of food on his wooden plate. More than he usually ate. It was odd but she figured it was because he was a hungry, growing boy. “Martin, you’re quiet tonight. Aren’t you excited to know that your uncle is still alive, after all?”

“Aye, Mother. That’s nice.” He got up with the plate of food and started walking, going slow as if he didn’t want to spill it.

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