Smiles

The first thing the captain noticed the next morning was Arabella, as she came out of her cabin, about to go down toward the deck to the dining room. He turned to her and gave her a huge smile, showing his even, white teeth.

She froze and stared at him blankly, in disbelief.

He grinned back. "The least you can do is to smile back, young lady," he responded. "You've no idea how much it costs me to do this."

Arabella turned and gave him a ridiculous grin, crossing her eyes and puffing out her cheeks. When he laughed, she began to giggle.

Gregory couldn't help himself. He imitated her funny expression, and his mouth quirked up on one side with mirth when he saw the dimples crease her cheeks. She resembled a mischievous little imp this morning.

Earl's voice came from behind him. "And good morning, Captain. Miss St. John. Going down for breakfast, I presume?"

"You presume correctly, Commander. Miss St. John, I will descend first. That way, if you fall, I can catch you."

Earl's smile was directed at Arabella. "Has anyone seen Miss Collingwood?"

"I have not," the captain answered.

Bella shook her head. "No, sir."

"I see. She may already be below."

She was. And she seemed to have a smug look on her face as she saw Arabella coming in on his arm.

Gregory didn't allow Miss Collingwood the chance to pray this time. He stood at the end of the table and began, his rich deep voice filling the room. At the, "Amen," everyone sat down.

Bella studied the table, delighted to see there were oranges in the bowl of fruit this morning. She reached for one.

The quietness was broken by Miss Collingwood.

"And what are you going to do this morning, Arabella?"

The question hung in the air. Gregory looked down at her as she gulped. Then, she shook her head.

"I brought a book with me. I think I'll relax and read."

"When you finish that one, Miss St. John, I have a library in the captain's cabin, full of book shelves you may peruse."

She looked up gratefully. "Thank you, sir. I'll remember that."

"Reading? I see." Lily's voice was almost accusatory. "I thought you might go exploring again."

Arabella took a sharp breath, refusing to look up. "I…don't know what you mean."

"Don't you?" Lily replied, with a knowing glance. She turned her face to the captain's. "How interesting."

Gregory looked toward Earl, refusing to answer. Finally, he glanced toward Bella. "How did you rest last night, Miss St. John?"

"Very well, sir," Her voice was small. "Thank you for showing me how to use the hammock."

"I refuse to use a hammock," Lily insisted, as she stirred a bit more molasses into her oatmeal and reached for a piece of bacon. "And what will you be doing, Captain?"

"My usual duties at the helm," he declared, taking a biscuit. "After I escort Miss St. John up to her cabin." He leaned down next to Bella's ear and whispered quietly, so no one else could hear, "Where you will stay, young lady. Remember what I told you, yesterday evening."

* * *

With the captain busy topside, Arabella decided this was the best opportunity she would have to head down below without being spotted. She peeked out her door in both directions and then rushed to get the apples she'd stashed in the pockets of her gown the day before. She had decided to return them during her investigation of the food storage.

Up until now, aside from the thought of encountering large rats, it had been fun to come down here. Her bottom clinched as she headed below, and she worried that she was making a grave miscalculation by ignoring the captain's rather strong advice. She was not trying to challenge his orders, she reminded herself, lest she lose heart and return to her room. She was trying to help. Certainly, if she was caught, that fact would save her. She hoped so.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she set off down the path leading to the cabin where fruit was stored. Her pupils adjusted to the dim light, as she finally came to the room with crates. Pulling out the apples she swiped two days ago from her pockets, she raised the lid and returned them. But there was significantly less fruit there than before. Bella recounted. She couldn't have taken more than six. When she peeked inside the box, it appeared that almost half the crate was empty, now.

Rodents would have chewed through the crate and left traces of their tampering. This seemed to be the work of a human. Who in the world was doing this?

She sighed. If she really wanted to help Gregory solve this mystery, she needed to continue exploring. Scanning the area around the food, she took a deep breath and forced herself to go further into the food storage areas. She noticed another level below, accessible by a ladder at the other end. Taking a deep breath, she convinced herself she was brave enough to continue and peeked down below.

This level seemed below the sea line and was quite dark and spooky. If there were any rodents about, this would be the perfect hiding place for them. No sooner had that thought registered when she heard the sound of movement behind her. Whirling around, her mouth fell open to scream for help.

No sound came. Not only did her voice fail her, but her feet seemed anchored to the spot where she stood.

In her panic, it took a few minutes to realize it was the sound of someone weeping, softly but uncontrollably. Could it be Lily? Might the only other female aboard the ship be as lonely and scared as Bella was? Suddenly, compassion overruled concern, and Bella moved toward the sound.

Slowly, she approached. She saw long curly red hair. Lily was wearing a different dress than she'd had on this morning.

"Lily, are you all right—" The words hadn't gotten out of her mouth, before something flew at her, and she screamed. A dim and ghostly figure attacked with force from only a few inches away, leaping at her chest and knocking the wind out of her.

"Oh, Cooper! No! You mustn't!" The voice protesting a few inches away was indeed feminine. But it was not Lily.

Bella's breath came in gasps. When she was able to breathe, she realized an enormous tomcat was perched atop her chest. He was a tabby, but there was a patch of white on his huge paws and fluffy tail. The furry beast only budged when she pushed herself upward on her elbows. He looked quite proud of himself as he returned to the other girl, meandering around her small feet and purring loudly.

Bella noticed, despite the darkness, the young lady was breathtakingly beautiful. She seemed to be of mixed race, with long, reddish hair and wide blue eyes. She appeared even more terrified than Bella, at the moment.

"Is he y-your cat?" Bella asked, trying to start a conversation. She feared the young lady would run off any moment.

"No." There was a sniffle. "He belongs to the crew. I'm so sorry he knocked you over. He—keeps the mice and rats down, to protect the food supply." The girl's voice was meek.

Bella remembered what Earl had said, when she boarded the ship, and reached outward. "So, this is Cooper," she whispered back. "The commander mentioned him, but I had never seen him." She reached down to scratch his ears. A loud rumbling purr echoed through the room.

"I heard one of the sailors call him that. He's huge, isn't he?"

"Monstrous," Bella agreed, smiling. She hoped she was easing some of the tension so evident in the young woman's shoulders. "And quite heavy. But he seems devoted to you. What's your name?"

"They call me Chloe." The girl's answer was almost a whisper.

"Are you the one who has been taking the food, Chloe? No, don't cry. I mean no harm. I just want to help. I thought it was me, because I had taken some of the fruit."

The girl appeared to be younger than Bella as she sank to the floor. Tears were still trickling down her cheeks. Cooper raised up on his hind feet and started licking the tears off her face. Surprised, she giggled softly. "Stop, Cooper. It tickles."

Bella eased herself down beside her and reached out to gently pet the cat.

Chloe was silent for a few minutes. When she spoke, her fright was evident in her voice. "We did take some of the food. It's not just me, though. I heard tell of what happens to stowaways. Do you think they will throw me overboard when they find out about me?" She shook her head sadly. "I never learned how to swim."

She sounded so forlorn, Bella laid a protective hand over hers. "I won't let anyone hurt you, Chloe. They'll have to go through me first. Come with me. It is far too dark and damp down here. You're liable to catch something dreadful. We'll go to my cabin and figure this whole mess out together."

"But what if someone sees you sneaking around with me in tow, miss?"

"Not miss. I'm just Bella. This thing about getting around without being spotted is a tricky business, but I'm sure you already know it. I have explored this old ship a few times now. With a bit of luck and a lot of prayer, I think we can manage it. Cooper will have to stay down here, I am afraid. We can't have him pouncing on people walking by as we sneak up the ladder." Bella got to her feet and brushed the dust from her dress. Then she reached out and offered Chloe assistance.

"As you wish," Chloe agreed, giving Cooper one last hug before following her new friend to safety.

As the two small ladies crept about the corridors of the huge ship, both were focused on watching out for people in front of them. Neither realized they were being trailed every step of the way. Cooper was not letting his favorite human leave him behind. His movements were even stealthier than that of the ladies.

He disappeared into Bella's bedchamber without anyone being the wiser.