Rogue of the High Seas Read Online Free Page A

turn the boat around and head back to London, but Abigail would have none of it. She said she wanted to go home to Edinburgh. Shane wanted to turn over command of the helm to Robert so he could sit with his wife, but she would hear none of that either. She didn’t want him watching her casting up her accounts.
    The storm continued to rage, like a sulky child building to a mighty tantrum. By evening, knowing the cook would not even attempt a hot meal, Shauna left the captain’s quarters in the stern to make her way to the galley located by the forecastle in the bow. A number of looped leather handholds suspended from the underbelly of the deck kept her from being tossed against the tied-down crates as she passed through the cargo hold, but the ship’s yaw caused her to weave back and forth like someone who’d imbibed in too much uisge beatha . Which she wished she had right now. Never had seventy feet of boat seemed so long.
    The galley was unattended when she finally made her way to it, but all hands were probably needed on deck. Shauna took a tin of hard salt biscuits and broke off a hunk of cheese, not wanting to attempt using a knife in such rough sea conditions. She contemplated trying to take some food on deck for the men but knew Shane would be furious if she even popped her head above the hatch.
    Since she had only one hand available for the straps on her return, by the time she reached the stern cabin, she’d bounced against too many hard objects to count—already the bruises were beginning to hurt. She practically fell through the stateroom door as the ship lurched sideways, catching a rogue wave.
    Abigail lay clutching the rails of the bunk, her face eerily green.
    â€œTry to sit up and nibble on a salt biscuit,” Shauna said as she opened the tin and set the food on the fiddled table attached to the wall. “It will help settle your stomach.”
    Instead, Abigail rolled to lean over the rail, grabbed the basin and began retching again. “The cheese,” she managed to say when her stomach delivered no contents. “The smell…”
    Shauna grabbed a drying cloth off the dresser that had a built-in basin, wrapped the offending cheese in it and then stashed the lump inside a drawer. “I am sorry. I should have thought about that.”
    â€œIt is not your fault,” Abigail said and then moaned as the boat pitched and dropped into a trough.
    â€œTry and get some sleep,” Shauna urged. “Things will be better tomorrow.”
    But they weren’t. By morning, the wind had turned into a howling fury and Shauna could hear it screeching through the rigging even in the stern cabin. Shane made an appearance as Shauna was attempting to get Abigail to try a biscuit. He looked as tired and worn as Shauna had ever seen him. His face became more drawn as he saw Abigail and rushed to her to cradle her in his arms.
    â€œHas she been sick this whole time?” he asked.
    â€œAye.”
    â€œGood God. I kenned I should nae have taken the two of ye—”
    â€œI want to go home,” Abigail said weakly.
    â€œYe could have taken a carriage. I should nae have allowed—”
    â€œHush, husband.”
    To Shauna’s surprise, he did, but a helpless look crossed his face. “How bad is the storm?” she asked to take his mind off Abigail.
    â€œThe barometer dropped faster than I thought. ’Tis a confused sea. We hauled down most of the sails.” He gave his wife an apologetic look. “’Tis why the boat is pitching and rolling so.”
    Abigail moaned and buried her face in his shoulder. Shane tightened his hold, a muscle twitching in his jaw and he muttered something under his breath.
    â€œWhen do ye think the storm will let up?” Shauna asked.
    â€œâ€™Tis hard to say. With the glass falling so fast, Robert thinks we may be having two or three following each other.”
    â€œDoes Robert have the