Page 7 of Hired by Pirates

“I think that two gold sovereigns might be fair?” I suggested.

Astor gasped. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Not enough?”

Forcing myself not to laugh, I watched with curiosity as she stared off into space for a moment, perhaps doing mental calculations.

The doctor was already slumped in a chair, sipping his strange clear liquor, watching the scene unfold as if it was his entertainment for the day. I didn’t give a hang what he thought.

“Astor,” I said, trying to soften my harsh, low voice, “I can’t explain it right now, but you’d be helping a lot of people by healing my brother on the way to our appointment. Most of all, you’d truly be helping me.”

Holding out my hand to her, my breath stopped, hoping I hadn’t gone too far. It felt like the entire town had grown silent as I waited for her answer.

Her lovely lips pressed together in worried thought. Finally she took my hand. It wasn’t a businesslike shake. I hoped that she could feel what I couldn’t say through that simple touch.

“Come with us, Astor. Two – no, three – gold sovereigns, and living free on the open sea for a spell.”

My breath stopped moving as she stared into my eyes. God, she was so beautiful that the thought of having to leave her so soon actually felt like someone kicking me in the center of the chest.

Leaning closer, I brought my lips to her ear. “Please, my beauty. I hereby appoint you the ship’s surgeon on the Five Winds . I’ve never heard of a lady doctor on a ship. You might be the very first.”

My words caused a shudder to run through her. I’m not sure whether it was the way I was inappropriately close to her, or the idea that she could be a real ship’s physician.

My lips were inches from hers, and I saw her pink tongue dart across them. It was both a great relief and caused a huge wave of excitement to see that she was, hopefully, feeling some of the things I was.

I straightened up to give her some space, giving her hand another tiny squeeze. “Please, Astor?”

She stared out the window for a moment, then nodded.

“All right.”

~ Chapter 3 ~ Astor ~

* Worrisome Decision *

When I was diagnosing a patient, I always looked at their symptoms and the most common causes for them, then took a moment to try to fathom the real underlying situation.

People didn’t always tell the truth. Sometimes a man’s illness was worsened by not having enough food. Or a wife was completely overworked because her husband had been sick and she had to cover for him. There were a myriad of things that could make a situation worse, and have a negative effect on someone’s health.

I tried to keep that in mind as I stared into Captain Evans’ striking gray eyes.

Naturally, I was terrified. I’ve never lived anywhere but Toburg. When I was young, I had been on a boat now and then, but never on a large ship.

When I was orphaned, I was sent to live with various single women, who traded me off every year or so. I had never lived with strange men. Or any man, not counting my father.

/> I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like. But the thing that terrified me most of all was the unusual feeling of late summer fireflies swirling around my belly, pricking me with tiny points of heat.

I’d never been attracted to a man before, and suddenly feeling so much pull in one particular direction was far more than my poor nervous system was used to.

What was even more disturbing was that Captain Evans genuinely seemed to be looking at me in a very special way. The way a man looked at a woman when he was courting her. It was not something that I was familiar with.

Men did not generally look at me. At least, I didn’t think they did. It was hard to know because it was difficult for me to make eye contact when I was in public. The only time I had a backbone was when I was working. If it was for someone’s health or safety, I had to speak up, no matter how much my knees knocked together.

Tipping up my face to stare at him, I felt dazzled by his intense gaze, and by having all of his attention directed solely at me. If he was a good man who cared for his brother, he would hopefully do anything to keep him safe. Would he truly keep me safe as well?

“Please, Astor,” he said with that deep, raspy voice that made me strangely aware of my inner thighs. “Three gold sovereigns, plus one as a bonus when I bring you home safe and sound. How does that sound?”

The positively ludicrous amount of money was not the point, but I could easily pretend that was my excuse, instead of my pounding heart.

---