Page 71 of Enchanted Sea & Song
“For bringing him back to us, Miss Rose,” Cook told me as he puffed out his chest. “Ramaro told us you threw yourself on Jaeger’s gun to save him. We can’t thank you enough for that.”
Ramaro skittered through their feet to the front and bobbed his head. “That’s right. She could’ve exploded, but she threw herself on it, anyway.”
My face drooped as I thought back to the fight and that strange gun. “Well, I, um, that is, it was really nothing.”
“I appreciate the effort,” Marc spoke up as he eased himself into a sitting position. He held out his hand to me. “Let me help you put it on.”
My cheeks were flushed and tears pooled in my eyes as I handed him the handkerchief. He tied it around my head in a second. I reached up with a shaking hand and brushed my fingers over the soft cloth. “Thank you so much.” A few shifted their weight from foot to foot, and others bowed their heads and scuffed the floor with their toes.
“Now everyone back on deck,” Marc commanded them as he nodded the door. “We won’t reach the capital any time soon if we drift off course.”
“You heard the captain!” Fidel barked as he turned to face the group. “Back to your posts!”
They marched out of the room, a few of them giving me some shy smiles and open winks. I felt warm inside as Fidel closed the door behind them, giving me his own knowing grin before he disappeared.
I patted the front of my handkerchief as I turned back to Marc. “So does that mean I’m a part of the crew?”
He grinned. “I’m afraid so, though I have to say the handkerchief suits you more than most.”
I dropped my hand into my lap and smiled. “Thank you, Marc.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “For what?”
“For giving me a new home.”
His eyes lit up, and a gentle smile graced his lips. “I couldn’t be happier to give it to you, Rose.”
Little did I know that home would be the ‘home’ of many coming adventures, including a mystery involving an ancient scroll and buried treasure. But then, being on a pirate ship, what else would you expect?
