Hiding Rose (Saved By Desire 5)

“Aye, well, we are now off to the nether regions of Scotland. It should be safe enough up there. The seas are a might rougher around Norfolk, but we should have no problems sailing through them. We should be there tomorrow, but we might be a bit earlier if the winds are with us. We won’t anchor until we get there so you make yourselves at home. We are a well-stocked vessel. You shouldn’t want for anything while you are with us. My men are a good crew who know what they are doing so just relax.”

He turned to Barnaby, his smile dimming a little as his attention turned toward business matters Rose knew she shouldn’t get involved in.

“I need a word with you my boy,” he growled before he suddenly bowed. “If you will excuse me for now, the seas are a bit rough because of the storm so I need to get back on deck. Try to lie down if you feel sick at all, ma’am. It will pass once you get used to it.”

He left before Rose could reply.

“I need to speak with him, Rose,” Barnaby warned her as he turned to the door. “Will you be alright for a while?”

“I suppose so,” Rose replied, reluctant to allow him to leave but unable to stop him. She glanced around the cabin warily. What was she supposed to do for endless hours trapped in this small space? It was nice, but there wasn’t much inside it.

“I hope you don’t mind if I make a suggestion?” Barnaby murmured.

“What is it?” she asked. She was happy to keep him talking if it meant delaying his departure. It was silly really given that they were going to part company at some point anyway, but there was just something about this new experience that terrified her. She much preferred to be on solid ground. She knew what to expect. Here, she was at the mercy of not just the waves but the men who battled them.

“Try to get some sleep,” Barnaby suggested. “Lie down. It will ease any sea-sickness if you sleep as much as p

ossible. When we get to Scotland, we are going to have to travel again, and you know how arduous that can be. I will see if Noah has a surgeon on board. If he does, I will send him down to take a look at that head of yours. I won’t be long.”

Rose nodded and watched him move to the door. Before he left, he looked back at her and smiled. While she hated to see him go her lips curled into a smile when he winked at her before he quietly let himself out.

Once alone she turned her attention to the small cabin. There were little or no fripperies in it. It was a man’s space and consisted of two rustic looking chairs, a small rickety table, a solitary lamp which swung from a low slung beam that swept the entire length of the cabin, and a small shelf which contained a couple of books next to a narrow bunk designed for one person.

Unsteadily staggering toward it, Rose slumped onto the side of the bed and sat there for a moment while she willed her roiling stomach to settle. Thumps and bumps and all sorts of noises began to echo threateningly around her until she began to wonder if they were under attack. When a particularly loud thud sounded directly above her head, she physically jumped and threw herself down onto the bed.

“It will be alright, Rose. You will get used to it.”

Rose sat bolt upright when she realised she was no longer alone.

“I didn’t realise you had come back,” she murmured. She made no attempt to hide her fright, and looked worriedly at him, silently seeking reassurance that everything was normal above deck.

“It is just the men. They are just adjusting the ropes. They are changing things because the winds are picking up. It will be noisy for a while. We are underway and will sail throughout the night. There is another crew asleep downstairs so don’t start shouting if there is a problem,” Barnaby said as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.

“Why do they need another crew?” Rose asked curiously, temporarily forgetting her fear now that he had begun to explain everything.

Barnaby had to remind himself that this was all very new to her and came so soon after a terrifying ordeal most women wouldn’t be able to endure. She had every right to be a little nervous given what had happened over the past couple of days.

Barnaby walked slowly toward her. “I wouldn’t leave you here if I felt there was any threat to your safety, or this vessel wasn’t capable of getting us where we need to go.”

“If you are sure?” she whispered.

“Do you trust me, Rose?”

“Yes,” she said without hesitation. She didn’t need to think about it. They had faced too many scrapes together for her to still harbour any qualms about his reliability. She wished she could ask him if he trusted her, but then it wasn’t really relevant. His life didn’t depend on her whereas her life most definitely depended on Barnaby.

“I meant to tell you that the bucket is next to the bed over there.” He nodded to a small wooden pale beside the bed. “And the retiring screen is over there.”

Rose looked at the screen in the far corner of the room. It seemed an odd thing to have in the Captain’s quarters but she didn’t bother to ask why it was there at all.

“How did you know I don’t feel very well?” she mused ruefully.

Barnaby grinned. “Well, your being greener than the sea outside might have something to do with it.”

Rose wrinkled her nose up. “How long have you known Noah?”

Barnaby smiled at her. “I have known him since I was about knee high to a grasshopper. He used to live in the same village as me in Surrey. Strangely enough, he hasn’t been born and bred by the sea. His family are farmers.” He held a hand up when Rose took a breath to ask him something else. “I know that he looks like a salty old sea dog. He is very good at what he does, but this way of life is more of a choice rather than an expectation. He loves it and it suits him. I have worked with him with the Star Elite on several occasions now. If there is anyone I would trust at sea, it is Noah. Sir Hugo has done well to send for him.”

“Who is Sir Hugo?” She had heard of him before.