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ma’am.”
    With Daniel, Annie maintained a distracted silence. There was nothing to say. For all his authority with the crew, Daniel appeared to be at a loss as to how to reach her. To humor her, he encouraged her curiosity about the boat. At least it created conversation between them.
    Once she spent more time on deck, she began eating again, and the color came back to her cheeks. She sat across the table from Daniel in his cabin and asked endless questions. “I’d like to learn to steer the ship,” she told him one afternoon. “I sailed a small boat as a girl. The principle’s the same, isn’t it?”
    The whale oil lanterns flickered across the beadboard walls and left a slight stink in the small quarters. But the light was soft, and the food was good, and they ate hungrily after a day’s hard work. Daniel wiped his bread across his plate, then looked up at her, surprised. “Yes, it is, but this is not a small boat. There are twenty-three sails to watch and keep trim, not to mention the weight on the helm. It’s no easy task.”
    â€œLet me try taking the wheel, Daniel. With you alongside,” she said.
    Daniel shook his head and put down the bread. His voice rose with authority. “You don’t understand, Annie. I’ve a reputation to uphold in front of my men. If you gallivant around the ship doing as you please, the crew loses faith in me as captain of this vessel. I must maintain my authority at all costs. I cannot have you manning the helm. It’s just not done. There’s many a sailor on this ship that objects to a woman aboard at all. Women are considered bad luck. You know that, Annie.”
    â€œThat’s rubbish, Daniel. I’ve been sailing with you for years. If you believed in that nonsense, you wouldn’t have allowed me to come in the first place.” Annie dropped her utensils across her plate with a violent clatter. She fixed her eyes on Daniel. He wasn’t handsome, but he wasn’t unattractive either, tall and lean, with broad shoulders, olive complexion, and dark close-cropped hair.
    He reached for her hand. “I must ask you to respect my decision,” he said, his words gentle now.
    She pulled her hand from his. And if I cannot?
    Daniel stood. “I don’t understand your reckless mood.” He tossed his linen napkin onto the table and stormed from the cabin.
    ***
    The wind blew steady from the northwest, and Intrepid sailed close-hauled, the sails trimmed and full. Annie stood with the first mate, Donovan, a freckled Irishman. He was compliant and followed orders in a way that made him invisible, like part of the ship that functioned so well one barely noticed it. His red hair curled up in the back as if caught by the wind, and he always tried to flatten it with spit on the tips of his fingers, trying to rid himself of his one distinctive feature. Daniel was belowdecks, scanning the blue-backed sea charts. “The captain has said you could explain to me how to read the compass and hold the ship’s heading.”
    â€œHe did, did he, ma’am?”
    â€œYes,” Annie said. “Do you question it, Donovan? Because I can have him deliver the order himself, if you like.”
    â€œNo, no, no. That’s okay, ma’am. I can teach you. It’s just…never mind. Come stand over here by the binnacle compass.”
    The compass was situated by the helm in a housing three and a half feet off the deck and protected beneath a glass globe. From the wheel the ship’s heading could easily be read. Annie took her position beside Donovan and awaited instructions.
    â€œIf you want to head down a few points east, you steer toward east on the compass.” He demonstrated, tilting the wheel slightly to change the ship’s course. “Give it a try, ma’am. Take the helm and hold your course.”
    At first, standing behind the huge wheel with her skirts billowing in the wind