Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve- Day One at Sea, the Afternoon

Mack and Dianna unloaded the two nets of fish into a barrel. "Now we need to roll this down to the cook's deck where he'll start roasting our supper."

"Lead the way," Dianna replied and helped Mack roll the barrel onto its side. They continued to roll the barrel until they reached a door in a wall of the ship. Mack opened the door to reveal a set of stairs going down into darkness. Faintly, the scent of pickle juice wafted up the staircase towards Dianna and Mack.

"We have to be very careful now. We don't want to crack the barrel open or we'll have flopping fish all around us." Dianna nodded and she and Mack lifted the barrel up, Mack taking most of the weight in his arms and Dianna supporting him. They began a slow lumber down the stairs.

"So, how long have you been working for Mr. Thatcher?" Dianna asked in between the little pants escaping from her mouth as they continued carrying the heavy barrel down the stairs.

"Josey and I have been together nearly a decade and a half. I think we're getting close to our thirteenth year together, actually."

"How did you meet?"

"We were both laborers on the London docks. Low pay, barely any living space. Always down on our luck. We both loved the seas and always planned on traveling. Being poor laborers, we were used to stealing food and money. One day, a rich ship-owner died of a heart condition. Josey and I had been working on his ship at the time, repairing it and so on. When he died, he didn't have any heirs to take on his fortune. So, one night, Josey and I hopped aboard his ship and took off. We sailed around for a while, spent a year at sea, gathering food, money, men to join our crew. We changed some of the styles of the ship to make it more like ours, and so no one would recognize it and arrest us, of course." Mack gave a short chuckle.

"So how come you two aren't both the captains of the ship? Or why aren't you the captain? You both worked and lived on this ship together." Dianna responded.

"Nah, I could never be captain. I'm more social, I get along better with the men, which is a good thing for a first mate, not captain. Josey has the commanding part in him. Besides, it was his idea to steal the boat in the first place. He's been my friend and leader for as long as I've known him."

"Mr. Thatcher doesn't get along with the men?"

"Of course he does! But I'm more of a friend to them, while he's a good captain. Always in charge, and they look up to him. Like I said, I'm more social."

"Seems to me Mr. Thatcher is plenty social," Dianna commented, remembering his little speech about corsets and all the women he's been with.

"No, no. Josey is plenty good with women, plenty good for sure. But he's not as charming and quick-witted as he appears to the women. That's all an act to win them over. He's actually quite shy."

"Josey Thatcher? Shy? I don't believe it!"

"Well, you won't know it unless you've known him as long as I have. He didn't have an easy childhood. His mother was a whore, so he never met his father. He was just an unknown one-time customer of his mum. He grew up around women, all of them whores like his mum. I suppose they taught him all he knows about women. But it was hard living with a woman who's always off with some new man, never checking to make sure he was well-fed or even if he was still alive. Finally, when he was a young lad of fifteen, he left his mum and the whorehouse, and went to work at the docks, where we met." Mack said all this quietly, seriously. Dianna could tell he really cared about his friend.

"So he's a man of twenty-eight years now? He seems so young." Dianna quietly said.

"Aye, but only because he takes care of himself for the ladies." Mack smiled and laughed.

"And I thought I was old because I'm about to become twenty."

"Oh, no. Wait till you become twenty-six like me. Then you'll feel old." Mack laughed.

"My fiancée back home is almost thirty." Dianna laughed too. Suddenly, Mack stopped laughing.

"Fiancée?"

"Yes. His name is Arnold. Why?" Dianna asked cautiously. Oh no, she thought. Mack didn't think she liked him, did he? "Oh Mack, I didn't mean to confuse you! I do like you a lot, but not as anything more than a friend. Maybe a brother..."

"No, no! I'm fine. I knew that. I like you, too. I'm not like Josey, I had a fine childhood. I had parents and two baby sisters. I left them so I could raise my own money and travel the world. I still write them often, and visit at least once a year. But I miss them terribly. You remind me a lot of my sisters and mum, that's why I like you." Mack gave her an innocent smile. But then it vanished again. "I'm worried about Josey. Does he know you're engaged?"

"I don't know. Perhaps my father said something, but neither of us have mentioned it to each other. Why would you worry about him knowing?"

"Isn't it obvious? He's mad for you."

"What? He hates me!"

"Oh no! He definitely has strong feelings for you, but they are not hate, I'll tell you that." Mack chuckled again as they finally reached the bottom of the staircase.

Dianna thought about what Mack had said as they rolled the barrel over to the ship's cook, Bartie, and helped unload and clean the fish. It couldn't be true that the strong, bull-headed Josey Thatcher liked her.

Could it?

~