The Captain's Pearl by Jo Ann Ferguson

Author:Jo Ann Ferguson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504008990
Publisher: Open Road Distribution

Ten

Lianne left the buggy by one of the warehouses near the wharves. Out of sight now was best, because she did not want Bryce to find out where she was going. For the past week, he had stymied every attempt she made to see the real damage to the China Shadow. He had shown her the same ruined walls and cracked mast over and over, using every excuse he could devise for her not to go down into the holds.

Today, she was going to visit the ship unannounced. Maybe now she would find out the truth.

She walked along the pier. The China Shadow crouched like a wounded beast in the shallows, listing to one side. How much longer could the once mighty ship stay afloat?

She jumped into a jolly boat tied to the dock and plied the heavy oars. Despite the help from the tide, her arms soon ached as she pushed through the water. She smiled with relief when she reached the ship. Tying the boat to a rope ladder on the side, she climbed to the deck, fighting her skirts on every rung. She expected someone to come and investigate who was boarding, but saw no one.

Good! Maybe she would be able to find out what she needed to know.

“Anyone here?” she called, hoping Bryce would not answer.

No one did, so Lianne walked down the companionway. The crew must be below trying to fix one of the leaks that made the deck tilt. Where they were, Bryce would be, working to prove that the China Shadow should not be demolished.

A single lantern shone in the narrow corridor. Taking it from the wall, she tried to walk on the uneven floor that slanted sharply to the right. When she banged her shoulder against a sharp doorframe, she snarled a Cantonese curse. The words offered some satisfaction as they echoed oddly through the silent ship.

Lianne stopped as she heard the distant footfalls. “Bryce?” she called. It would be like him to let her get close to discovering the truth, then halt her.

She held up the lantern so it would be a beacon to anyone who heard her voice. When she realized the sound of boots came from below, she hurried back to the companionway. She tightened her grip on the lantern as she descended the steep steps which had only a rope as a railing. When the light flickered, she realized the oil must be running out. That surprised her, for she knew Bryce ordered the lanterns kept full. He did not want the early twilight to force them to lose an extra hour’s work.

“Is someone down here?” Her voice rumbled back to taunt her. If she could speak to one of the crew without Bryce eavesdropping, she was certain to learn more about the ship.

The glow of a second lantern appeared for a moment. She lifted her skirts so they did not drag in the bilge water on the boards, wondering how the light could have appeared and disappeared so quickly.

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