Would she discover the circumstances of their first meeting? Maybe, maybe not. It could have occurred during any one of their souls’ many disguises. For now she would need content herself that there would be another coming together, for once a soul touched with another the two were attracted. Like a compass swings always towards north, their inner spirits would seek each other and meet again. In a few weeks or many years, or in another lifetime. But not here, not this moment.
Even knowing all this, the disappointment washed through her; she was vulnerable and lonely, had lost everyone she loved and now she was losing him too. The child she was wanted to cry, the adult – ah, to be honest, the adult part of her wanted to weep as well. Loneliness was such a solitary, desperate emotion.
“They had to sail,” Dampier said looking down at her with a sideways glance. “A pirate craft can never linger in harbour for she may be too easily recognised.”
Tiola turned to gaze at him. How had he known?
Taking the glass from her, he raised it to his own eye to watch the Mermaid , nodding approvingly as she began to heel out into the open Atlantic. “I will grant he knows his business, that young man.” Dampier lowered the telescope. “A fine mariner. A pity he is on the wrong side of what is legal and what is not.”
“How do you know he is a pirate?” Tiola asked with an indrawn breath, realising she was not betraying a confidence to one who already, somehow, knew the truth.
“Oh, I guessed the set of his sail the moment I met him.” Dampier smiled, winked at her. “There is too much of the pirate adventurer set dormant in me to not recognise it. He has the smell of freedom clinging to him, the freedom to do what and go where he wants.” He sighed heavily. “I envy him.”
“Yet you said nothing to Captain Rogers?”
Mr Dampier stood on the rapidly drying sand next to her, observing a crab burrowing its way downwards. “Neither did you, I notice. There would be many a young lass, like yourself, who would be eager to shout wolf in the fold and gain reward of praise for it.”
As she gazed across the sparkle of the sea, Tiola was thoughtful. “I have only seen pictures, is the wolf not a handsome beast with his sleek coat and intelligent eyes? A hunter, hunted to extinction in England by those who do not care for things that matter?”
In turn, Mr Dampier was also thoughtful as he regarded the thin-faced girl teetering on the verge of womanhood. “For a young lass you have a wise head on your shoulders, Puss. But you should not be shedding tears for a man, not yet; not at your innocent age.” He eased the crick of aching muscles from his lower back and said with a teasing chuckle, “And most certainly not for a man who is a scoundrel and a pirate!”
He tucked away a strand of her hair, said, “You must beware of pirates my lady, for danger lurks behind their smiles.”
Tiola stared across the sea, at the Mermaid growing rapidly smaller as she gathered way. “I wanted to tell him he has no need to fear me. I would not have him thinking ill of me. I wish I knew if I will meet him again soon.”
Dampier doubted the rascal sailing away so hurriedly would remember this girl for long beyond the forenoon, but said nothing. She was young to be experiencing the first pangs of a passing infatuation, but she was also a sharp, clever girl with a mind and intelligence older than her years and he had to admit, had chosen a most handsome fellow to be smitten with. Ah, innocence. If only he were young again!
“If we could predict the future my dear, what a sorry life we would lead. There would be no expectation, no hope. No looking at the horizon for what may be sailing over it in the next hour, week or month. No excitement for the eager anticipation of a new dawn. If we were to know what is planned for us on our path, what pleasure would there be in making the journey?”
He was right, of course.
“You will not
Even knowing all this, the disappointment washed through her; she was vulnerable and lonely, had lost everyone she loved and now she was losing him too. The child she was wanted to cry, the adult – ah, to be honest, the adult part of her wanted to weep as well. Loneliness was such a solitary, desperate emotion.
“They had to sail,” Dampier said looking down at her with a sideways glance. “A pirate craft can never linger in harbour for she may be too easily recognised.”
Tiola turned to gaze at him. How had he known?
Taking the glass from her, he raised it to his own eye to watch the Mermaid , nodding approvingly as she began to heel out into the open Atlantic. “I will grant he knows his business, that young man.” Dampier lowered the telescope. “A fine mariner. A pity he is on the wrong side of what is legal and what is not.”
“How do you know he is a pirate?” Tiola asked with an indrawn breath, realising she was not betraying a confidence to one who already, somehow, knew the truth.
“Oh, I guessed the set of his sail the moment I met him.” Dampier smiled, winked at her. “There is too much of the pirate adventurer set dormant in me to not recognise it. He has the smell of freedom clinging to him, the freedom to do what and go where he wants.” He sighed heavily. “I envy him.”
“Yet you said nothing to Captain Rogers?”
Mr Dampier stood on the rapidly drying sand next to her, observing a crab burrowing its way downwards. “Neither did you, I notice. There would be many a young lass, like yourself, who would be eager to shout wolf in the fold and gain reward of praise for it.”
As she gazed across the sparkle of the sea, Tiola was thoughtful. “I have only seen pictures, is the wolf not a handsome beast with his sleek coat and intelligent eyes? A hunter, hunted to extinction in England by those who do not care for things that matter?”
In turn, Mr Dampier was also thoughtful as he regarded the thin-faced girl teetering on the verge of womanhood. “For a young lass you have a wise head on your shoulders, Puss. But you should not be shedding tears for a man, not yet; not at your innocent age.” He eased the crick of aching muscles from his lower back and said with a teasing chuckle, “And most certainly not for a man who is a scoundrel and a pirate!”
He tucked away a strand of her hair, said, “You must beware of pirates my lady, for danger lurks behind their smiles.”
Tiola stared across the sea, at the Mermaid growing rapidly smaller as she gathered way. “I wanted to tell him he has no need to fear me. I would not have him thinking ill of me. I wish I knew if I will meet him again soon.”
Dampier doubted the rascal sailing away so hurriedly would remember this girl for long beyond the forenoon, but said nothing. She was young to be experiencing the first pangs of a passing infatuation, but she was also a sharp, clever girl with a mind and intelligence older than her years and he had to admit, had chosen a most handsome fellow to be smitten with. Ah, innocence. If only he were young again!
“If we could predict the future my dear, what a sorry life we would lead. There would be no expectation, no hope. No looking at the horizon for what may be sailing over it in the next hour, week or month. No excitement for the eager anticipation of a new dawn. If we were to know what is planned for us on our path, what pleasure would there be in making the journey?”
He was right, of course.
“You will not
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