Charles looked up from his desk as I entered the great cabin. Then he stood and stared at me, nodding, his mouth agape.

I turned a full circle and back, allowing him a complete view. "What think you of this, Charles?"

He remained in place for a while, bobbing his head, silent as if struck dumb. Then as he stepped toward me, he said, "Stunning. Absolutely gorgeous."

Then sweeping me into an embrace, he said, "So utterly different from when last I saw you." He pressed his body onto mine, swelling.

I pushed Miss Cunny onto his thigh, moving her as I murmured, "Later." Then turning my head toward the door, I said, "There are others here."

Olivia and Simpson appeared to have paused just inside the cabin, and when we released the embrace and turned, they continued in, Briggs, Roberts and Bonner following with their bundles.

"More?" Charles pointed to the opened bundles along the bulkhead by the bath. "That seems a huge amount, and yet you purchase more?"

"This is for the two of us." I shrugged. "Besides, with it so inexpensive, I could not resist. And the quality." I spun again on my toes. "Spanish plunder, bound for the wealthy in Cartagena, and we were the first to rummage the dozens of bales."

"But, at what cost? Continue in this manner, and you will soon deplete your purse."

"Hah!" I swung my arm past the bundles. "All of this amounted to two guineas and a crown. I could not purchase a tenth of the cloth for that."

"But why so much of it?"

Pointing to the night cabin, I smiled at him. "And your closets and drawers? Are they not filled with a large selection?"

He chuckled. "Yes, a valid point."

"Besides, what opportunity would there be to purchase anything approaching this quality in New York? And if there were, it would be far more costly than in England."

"True. Again your clear logic, Camille."

I instructed the men to place their bundles with the others, and when this was done, I thanked and dismissed them. Olivia followed them out, likely to talk with Simpson, and when the door had been closed, Charles and I embraced and kissed.

I then laid my cheek on his chest and asked, "How went the trial?"

"Swift. After the accusations had been read and your father and four others had testified, the Chief Justice deemed it more than sufficient. All twenty-two will be hung and gibbeted as part of the Christmas Day revelry."

"Oh! Father will be pleased." I pointed to the desk. "Have you seen the announcement?"

"I have. The prostitutes might be too tempting for some of the crew, particularly with all the fuddling drink. Doc learnt at the infirmary that nearly one in three of them is diseased with the pox or the clap, or both, and that is far too high a risk."

"Aha! This would be why the indentured are being forced into it."

"How do you know about this?"

"We were mistaken for maidens newly purchased."

Charles stiffened. "God! No!" He unwrapped the embrace and held me at arm's length to examine. "Were you mistreated?"

"Wilson was fast to subdue the man."

"Where was this?"

"The first clothier we visited. He thought we had been sent by Lord... Hmmm. Lord whomever, the Governor."

"Lord Vaughan."

I nodded. "Yes, that is it. We later learnt that he and his Deputy, Sir Henry, are buying all the attractive indentures."

"Yes, as I had heard." Then his expression turned strange. "Where did you learn this?"

"From Martha. Mistress Godfrey, from whom I purchased all the clothing. She has a fine shop with several rooms, facing both Queen Street and the High, and she offered us much counsel on the art of dressing."

Charles chuckled. "And sold you half her stock."

"Hah! Half her stock would fill this entire space and spill out onto the deck. But your taunting aside, Mother had dressed me in shapeless smocks, so I had no experience. And Olivia was raised in destitute poverty, so neither had she."

I again pointed at the bundles. "We have much work ahead of us with hems to raise or to lower, seams to let out or to take in. But most of it fits rather well and needs only small adjustments, some not any."

"I am pleased it is you, not I." He shook his head. "Stitching is not one of my favoured activities."

"You have stitched?"

"I have. Mending sails is an essential aspect of sailing, and learning it is part of a seaman's training."

I was about to speak when Olivia entered and said, "M'Lady, here's another bunch a papers, and Simpson says they's also about the Christmas partying." She handed them to me, then turned and hastened back out onto the deck.

Indeed, smitten. I glanced at the top sheet. "They have amended it to include our twenty-two. Father will be delighted. He often told me that watching hangings is his favourite sport."

"I have not ever found them entertainment, but many do." He looked at the page and laughed. "With one each quarter-hour, the prostitutes will suffer from lack of custom."

"How so?"

"The crowd will be too intent on watching the pother and anguish of the condemned in their final minutes."

"True. Too preoccupied to spare their minute or two."

"Minute or two?" Charles tilted his head, "What is this?"

"Before they spend, as you did prior to learning restraint."