With Flora here, I could treat each of the boys to a new shirt, and her to a new dress. I realized I was grinning down at the weathered book as I thought of her being able to make herself a dress of her very own. Something fit for her new life here without pointless ruffles that overwhelmed her small frame.
She seemed to be fitting in perfectly in every way. I adored that the girl tried so hard. She seemed eager to begin working. I’d seen many a lass who thought she should be pampered and lazy, simply because she was a woman.
Closing the book and carefully shutting off the lamps, I went down to the galley. I heard Flora’s sweet laugh mixed in with the gruff rumbling chuckles of the other men. When I entered, I instantly noticed the eating and cooking area was cleaner than I’d ever seen it.
“What’s this dirt in the eggs?” Teeth asked suspiciously, poking at his plate with a fork. In all my life I’d never seen such a fussy eater.
“It’s a touch of black pepper. Try it,” Flora said softly.
Teeth looked up to see me, and nodded before he placed a forkful of food into his mouth. He chewed cautiously, then his eyes lit up. “Miss, this is golden!”
My gaze locked on her lovely features as she smiled softly. She was proud. It looked good on her.
She bustled about, setting up a plate for me, and Davy as he arrived. “I don’t mean to change your usual food,” she said softly. “I just cook a certain way. If anyone doesn’t like it, please tell me and I’ll fix things any way you like.”
Taking a bite of her scrambled eggs, my eyes rolled back in my head. “Lass, how the devil did you get these so…”
“Fluffy,” Davy muttered with his mouth full. “And they taste huge.”
Larry laughed. “How can taste have a size?” He took a bite, then cocked his side to the side, chewing and swallowing. “Davy, this might be the only time you hear it, so listen well. You’re right. They taste huge.”
Flora’s bright laugh filled the room. “It’s just a bit of pepper and oregano, and a touch of milk, then whipping makes them fluffy. Did you not do that before?”
McGee shook his head guiltily. “My Ma wasn’t as sharp a cook as you, Miss. I’d have never thought of that.”
I ate a few more bites, watching a flicker of sadness shimmer through Flora’s eyes. “I wish I could have brought my cookbooks,” she said softly. “And my pattern books. Had I known that I was leaving, I could have prepared better for you all.”
Waving for her to come to me, I wrapped an arm around her waist as she stood close. “Don’t feel guilty about something completely out of your control, my sweet girl.” I wished I could kiss her sadness away, but it might frighten her. And not in front of the men. Instead, I gave her a little squeeze. “We’re going to a town with a huge fabric store. You and Larry are going to go get the fabric to make each of the men a new shirt, and yourself a new dress.”
Her pretty little mouth fell open for a second, and I had to lean away slightly to resist kissing her. She was far too tempting.
“Sir, I don’t need–”
“We’re pirates, we do as we like, remember?” I chuckled.
O’Doule shot me a look as he sat down to his plate after Teeth left to mind the wheel. “You mean, traders. Shippers.”
“Aye, that’s what I meant,” I chuckled. “Flora, would you like a new dress? You could make it fit comfortably for your new life of walking around on deck. You could make it more or less fancy, whatever you like.”
Her lips turned up in the sweetest little smile. “I’ve never made myself a dress purely for comfort,” she said softly. “I was always instructed to put myself on display to the local men to fetch a husband.”
“Keep making food like this,” Davy mumbled through his mouthful, “And we won’t care if you have ten eyes and tentacles.”
The men laughed uproariously. I nodded to her. “See? Now you’ll have to ask each of the men what color shirt they’d like, and Larry will take stock of the things we need for the ship.”
She nodded carefully. “Yes, sir. I’ll see if I can haggle well and get good prices. I’ll make the most of your money.”
I shrugged. “It’s the ship’s money. Get a fair deal, and that’s fine. These are good townspeople, and we want to be welcome in their port. Spreading a bit of the wealth is spreading the word that we’re respectable.”
I realized that Flora likely had no idea what we really did for work. She didn’t ask, and that would likely come as she became more comfortable. Perhaps the details could wait through our transition from thieves to smugglers so that she respected us all a bit more.
Something rolled around the back of my mind, then came forward. “Flora, did you say that you can read?”
“Yes, sir.”
She seemed surprised that a glance passed from man to man around the table, as they all grinned.
“So, if we gave you books and enough lamplight, you might read us stories in the evenings?”