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of Mary’s face. “No! I have come so far to get here. You cannot turn the ship around!”
    He raised his eyebrows at her impertinence. All these months at sea as the captain had not prepared him for someone who would stand up to him. After all, the punishment for a sailor would be fifty lashes across the back for contradicting the captain.
    The smile left his face, “I can and I will.” He called out to Randall, “Show Ms. Welch to the deck and turn the ship around. We will deliver her back to the port forthwith.”
    The look of hurt in Mary's eyes touched his heart, but he could not have her this close day after day for if he did—well, he was only a man.
    As his men turned the ship around a dot appeared on the horizon followed by another. The lookout in the crow’s nest kept his eye on them as they grew larger. The ships raced toward them. A third ship appeared in view after the first two.
    The sailor in the crow’s nest yelled out, “Pirates! Three ships! On fast approach!”
    The crew sprang into action. Captain Graham called out, “Turn!” The skiffs the pirates were in were small, light, and fast. Not something they would take out to sea for long voyages, but just for short runs to board their prey. This was expected and he had a plan to deal with it.
    Mary flipped open the lid of her trunk which had been moved on deck in preparation to be unloaded at the docks. She took out her pad and started to sketch the action on the deck. The pirates were still too far away for her to get any detail, but plenty was happening on the deck she could record. At least when they turned back around to take her to port, she would have one story to tell. And it might have to be enough to last her a lifetime. Mary looked up at the captain on the deck above her, and couldn't help but admire how handsome and magnificent he looked as he barked out commands which the men heeded. His calls to action came rapid fire and even though she could not tell which men were to follow what orders, the crew knew. He caught her eye and she smiled. Part of her knew maybe she should be scared, but the way he took control of the men and the ship made her feel safe as if this pirate attack was a simple immediate concern, and nothing nowhere near the level of an emergency.
    She flipped her paper and started to sketch him instead. She captured his look of confident control. A thought flitted into her head of what it would be like to kiss him. Her lips parted, and she blushed. These were not the kind of thoughts to have as the pirates were approaching. It had taken so much time to turn the ship she could now make out the men on the skiffs. There seemed to be about twenty on each. She heard a shot ring out before she realized the pirate ship closest to them was firing on them.
    “Return fire,” the captain commanded.
    She heard shouts come from the deck below followed by a mighty whummpf and vibrations shook the deck as a cannonball shot out, missing the pirate skiff by mere feet. The pirates kept on coming. The pirates didn’t hesitate as they aimed their pistols at the ship.
    Mary flipped the page and began to sketch their attack on the ship. A shot fell on the deck and rolled to her feet. Before she could react, Captain Graham grabbed the balustrade from the upper deck and jumped over it in one fluid motion. He landed near her, and swung her around in his arms, “Get below! If those scoundrels had been any closer, that shot would have hit its mark!” He shoved her through the doorway into the arms of one of the below deck sailors, “See her to her stateroom ,” he shouted over his shoulder as he made his way back to his post.
    She realized her pad was still on the deck where she had dropped it when the captain had swung her into his arms. “I must go back for my sketch book!”
    The sailor clasped her firmly by the elbow, “No miss, there is a battle on.”
    She entered her stateroom. Magdela had packed their bags. “Magdela, we are under