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men on board . You best be hopin’ we don’t come across him ; I hate to think about what he’d do to a pretty young lass like yourself.”
    Johnny decided to offer his opinion on the matter . “I know what he’d do . First he’d rip off her clothes, and then he’d—”
    “That’s enough, Johnny,” the Captain cut him off . “Now, you must be chilled to the bone . How long were you floating out there?”
    “I can’t say for sure, I wasn’t awake for the most of it . But I reckon it was at least two days, maybe three.”
    “Three days? Well, you’re lucky to have found us, lucky indeed . Come, we’ll get you below deck and find you warm clothes, then fill your belly.” He looked to Amber as he placed a hand on the boy’s back, leading him to the stairs . “Is it all right if young Johnny joins us for lunch? Cameron was going to serve us on the forecastle, seeing as how it looks to be a mild afternoon.”
    “I have no objections,” she assured him . With a spring in her step she strolled over to the railing, where her book lay on the deck . She scooped it up, careful to mark her page, then went downstairs to her cabin, shut the door and opened a trunk . She had a sudden urge to change into her blue satin gown, because it better seemed to fit her adventurous mood, and would be warmer than her plain cotton dress .
    She cursed under her breath as she struggled to lace the back of her gown by herself, wishing she had brought along a maid . She had her arms crossed, pulling on the laces and wondering how she was going to tie it, when someone knocked on the door .
    “Come in , ” she instructed, and Captain Watson entered, turning back towards the door when he saw her.
    “I’m sorry, I can return later.”
    “Captain, you’re just the man I was hoping to see!  If you would just tie this for me,” she presented her back to him . Making sure the door was closed, he approached her and tightened the laces, then made a bow .
    “You’re getting awfully dressed up for a simple lunch with the crew, Miss Amber.”
    She turned to him with a smile. “I was feeling impulsive, and besi des, this seemed like the perfect dress in which to meet pirates.” She twirled her skirts theatrically .
    His face darkened . “’Tis not a laughing matter, that e l Tigre . I shudder just thinking about him.” Amber sobered . Though she found the situation exciting, she supposed that a hardened sailor was probably more wary of pirates then a girl whose only experience with them was through books.
    “Are we ready?” she asked him, changing the subject and holding out her arm .
    He took it with a smile, and led her above deck.
     
     
    Later that night, a ship sat far off in the distance, cloaked in darkness . A figure , inconspicuously dressed in black, stood on the sterncastle deck watching the Queen Charlotte through a brass telescope . The moon provided sufficient light to see the merchant vessel, and he could feel the familiar excitement rising in his gut as he thought about the following day .
    He called his quartermaster over and asked for a report .
    “Well, Captain, most of the men are already asleep, minus of course the ones who have night duty, and everyone is chomping at the bit for some action . We’ve already tied half her sails up, but the wind is in our favor and we’ve set a straight course towards the other ship . They should be spotting us any minute now, if they haven’t already.”
    The tall Captain smiled, a row of white teeth visible in the darkness . “Perfect . And the flag?”
    “To anyone else we are just a large, merchant vessel, sailing under the great country of England,” he said, looking up at the Union Jack, flapping in the breeze .
    “A very large, mean - looking trade ship, but nothing out of the ordinary.”
    “Except for the guns.”
    The Captain shrugged, his smile widening . “By the time they are close enough to see the gun ports, it will already be too late.”
    The