Look Sharpe!: A Caribbean Pirate Adventure Novella (The Valkyrie Series Book 3) by Karen Perkins

Author:Karen Perkins
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: LionheART Publishing House
Published: 2014-06-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

‘You’re no use to sailor nor ship,’ Prince said as he joined me on the maintop. ‘You’re supposed to be keeping a lookout ahead not astern. Captain’s sent me to relieve you. That woman’s whipping up a storm in t’ cabin, you’ve to set her to rights.’

‘Edelweiss is free of the shore,’ I told him. ‘But she must be damaged, she’s slow.’

‘Tarr’ll be right. He’ll bring ship and crew home safe, don’t fret.’

I glanced at him with a smile, then remembered the rest of his message. ‘What’s Magdalena doing?’

‘Dunno, mate, but it don’t sound good. Best get in there before Captain or Quartermaster beat you to it.’

‘Aye, ta, mate.’ My elocution was definitely heading south, and at rapid speed. I glanced at the backstay and grimaced, then noticed Cheval was not on deck. I jumped for the stay and slid, my hands red raw. I jumped through the hatch to the deck below, tucking my poor hands under my armpits, but it didn’t help.

Making my way aft, I found Little lounging on a barrel before the cabin door. ‘Little,’ I said, wary, ‘what are you doing?’

‘Oh, Sharpe, thank the Christ, I didn’t know what to do.’ He thumped the wooden wall and shouted. I looked at him in puzzlement, then opened the door.

Cheval had hold of Magdalena’s wrist. It looked like she’d just slapped him. He turned. ‘Little! I told you to make sure no one—’ He broke off when he saw me.

‘My apologies, Quartermaster, I tried, but he overpowered me,’ Little said, holding his jaw. Now I understood why he had hit the wall. He glanced at me and dipped his head, urging me towards Cheval and Magdalena.

‘Let go of her.’

Cheval sneered. ‘Make me.’

Magdalena suddenly thrust her knee upwards, catching Cheval between the legs, and wrenched her arm free.

I stared at her in surprise as Cheval grunted and doubled over in pain. Behind me, Little stifled a laugh and Cheval glared at me. ‘I’ll teach you to laugh at me, Sharpe, I’ll teach you!’

He pushed past us and made his way out of the cabin. Little met my eye, looking worried. I held up my hand to forestall his apology.

‘No need to fret, Little. He’s already gunning for me, there’s little sense in both of us having him for an enemy.’ I tilted my head towards the door and he nodded, then made his way out. I turned back to Magdalena.

‘Did he hurt you?’

‘No, I didn’t allow.’

I wanted to reprimand her, I’d had enough problems with Cheval and Hornigold before having this woman aboard under my protection, I didn’t need her making things worse, but I couldn’t help the twitch of my lips.

Her own twitched in response and I burst out laughing so hard I was bent almost double and had to prop myself up on my knees. All the emotion of the past few days flooded out of me as tears streamed down my face: the tension of the raid, the men I had killed, Jonesy’s death, Uncle Richard aground, and my public disagreements with Cheval and Hornigold.

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