Seacrets Read Free Page B

saw me all out.”
    "My goodness, lass, you'd best keep this bawdy fig'r wrapped tight, lest one o’ those rogues aboard ship will have way with ya." Jeannine, nervous herself, jabbered away.
    Finally, after Jeannie had Maura dressed in boys clothing, she went to the hearth and grabbed a handful of cooled ash and rubbed Maura's face, a tad, to give the appearance of a street waif.
    "Well, Godsey my love, what ya think? I’m thinkin’ she’ll pass for a boy now, eh!" Jeannie stood beside Maura, proudly displaying her work.
    Godsey turned toward Maura , took in a deep breath and sighed.
    "Well let us hope we can fool the captain, is all, or both our backs will feel the stingin’ o’ the lash."
    Maura looked at Godsey with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry Mr. Godsey. I shall do my best ta keep ya from the lash."
    “Awe, don't ya be apologizin’ gel. I owe ya father more than a few scraps of skin off my back. It'll be alright.” He tried to console Maura.
    “Once I get the Captain ta accept ya as his cabin boy ya must stay in the cabin, unless I come for ya. Do ya understand me? It would be very dangerous for ya ta go about the ship unattended. Should ya be found out, the lash will be the least o' ya worries. Ya get my meanin’ gel?” Godsey continued with his protective warning. “Those hooligans would be all over ya before ya could say jack rabbit. I will make sure ya get out o’ the cabin at least once a day, topside, for fresh air and exercise. The Captain spends a fair amount of time in his cabin going over his logs and maps and such, so ya will have ta be very clever not ta be found out by him or we'll both be in the gravest o' danger.  I canna stress the point enough lass.” 
    With those instructions given and some quick nods from Maura, they were off for the biggest adventure of Maura McCoveny's life ... America.
    Maura’s fears temporarily turned to excitement, as she had dreamed of going to America as a child, but thought it was an experience she'd share with her father, or maybe her future husband. With thoughts of her father running from the alleyway, still reeling in her head, she began to breath heavy once more. She felt her whole body jerk forward as Godsey grabbed her by her wrist and they began to run toward the dock.
    Godsey feared he'd wasted too much time . “C’mon Maura, lift those legs lively! There are punishments for latecomers and I don’t intend ta be late.”
    As they approached the great vessel, the Arabella, Maura's eyes grew wide with a mixture of fear and excitement. The noise down on the docks was incredible. There were hundreds of bodies, mostly men, scurrying from one end of the dock to the other, preparing to shove off for various ports around the world. Maura had briefly lost track of Godsey within the crowds of people. She was tripping over her own feet in unreserved awe. Maura was fast bec oming dizzy from whirling about at each new sight and sound. The loud thud of wood on wood and the scraping sounds steamer trunks made as the deck hands dragged each one up the gangplank. The clanging of the toll bells alerting the hands it was nearing departure. 
    Godsey instructed her to walk up the gangplank and wait at the top for him.
    Maura watched as Godsey walked towards the tall figure at starboard, unaware she was looking upon the man she'd be sharing a cabin with for the next three months. He was tall, about six feet in height, shoulder length black hair, and weathered tan skin. Even though he wore a calf length leather highwayman’s coat, she could tell he had a thick broad chest and arms to match. She took her eyes from the men and found a pane of glass in one of the cabin windows. With her finger tips she wiped away the dusty grime off one cracked pane and could not believe her eyes when she viewed herself in the murky window. Jeannie had hidden her thick dark raven tresses under an Irish newsboy cap. She donned very oversized boys trousers and an extra large flannel shirt.