Julia stared at Ned for a moment, indecision warring within her. She wanted to help him, but agreeing to keep something from William…

“Perhaps it is wrong of me to ask you to keep this from your husband,” Ned said. “So I will ask you to tell him only when you think it is prudent.”

“Thank you for understanding that it would be impossible for me to promise to keep something from Commodore Ransome. I will promise you that I shall use my best judgment in deciding when to tell him.” Her concern for Ned rose as he started pacing the cabin again.

He took two turns about the room before returning to his seat on the sofa. He perched on the edge, propped his elbows on his knees, and clenched his hands together. “Now that I am here, I hardly know where to start.” He stared at his thumbs for a few moments. “It’s about Charlotte.”

“Charlotte? Charlotte Ransome?” Julia turned her head away to hide her smile as an idea started to form as to the nature of Ned’s discomfort. Although the two had seemed to avoid each other in Portsmouth, the way they had watched each other had not escaped her notice.

“Yes. She is aboard Audacious.”

“She is…where?” Julia was not certain if she was supposed to laugh, but what else could she do at such an absurd statement? “Charlotte is most likely at this moment on her way home to her mother. Collin Yates promised he would see to that when he visited us the night before we weighed anchor.”

“Nay, Mrs. Ransome. I guarantee you, Miss Ransome is not at Gateacre.” Ned finally looked up at her. “Not only is she aboard Audacious, she is in disguise as a midshipman.”

She opened her mouth to protest again, to assure Ned that he was incorrect, but the earnestness in his expression stayed her words. “Why would she do such a thing?”

“I had hoped you could tell me. Is there any reason why Miss Ransome would want to leave England in secret? Why she would want to travel to Jamaica without anyone—including her family—knowing?”

The fragment of the letter Julia had accidentally read flew into her mind with stabbing accusation. Or could it be that Charlotte had anticipated the reprisal from Lord Rotheram? “If it is she, I am certain she has her reasons. Have you…have you spoken to her? Has she given you any sense of her thinking?”

“She does not know I have recognized her—though I cannot understand how no one else has seen her for a woman.” Ned ran his fingers through his thick, golden-brown hair. “Every time I am near her, I fear I will accidentally reveal her secret to everyone else.”

Julia shook her head. “I am amazed she has survived two weeks in such harsh conditions without revealing the secret herself. You should have brought her with you rather than condemning her to continue living in such conditions.”

The corner of Ned’s mouth quirked up. “But she does not seem to mind. In fact,” he hooked his hand behind his neck, “she is thriving. She was just promoted to midshipman of the watch. Truth be told, she rather seems to be enjoying herself.”

Though horrified at the idea of a gentlewoman of Charlotte’s social stature working as hard as the duty of a midshipman required, Julia could not help but smile in remembrance of her own insistence at the age of twelve that she should be allowed to join the Royal Navy along with Michael.

Her mirth faded quickly. “Oh, dear. You mean she has been living in the cockpit with the rest of the midshipmen?”

Ned’s half smile faded as well. “Thus my reluctance to bring her identity to anyone’s attention. Disregarding the reaction the crew of Audacious would have to the knowledge they have been taking orders from a woman, of greatest concern is the effect such a revelation would have on her reputation.”

“And on William’s,” Julia breathed, pressing her hand to her chest.

“Aye.” Ned nodded. “I cannot imagine it would go well with the Admiralty if they discovered Commodore Ransome’s sister had done such a thing.”

Though well over her seasickness, Julia began to feel nauseated. “Are you certain she is well and no harm has come to her? We shall be here almost two days. Surely we can find a way to smuggle her off your ship and bring her secretly onto Alexandra.”

“And what would you tell the crew of Alexandra? How would you explain her presence here, if you’re unable to explain her presence on Audacious?”

The urge to pace was so great, Julia’s legs twitched. “But how can we justify leaving her on Audacious in such a precarious position? You yourself said she is in constant danger of discovery. What will you do if her identity is discovered in the middle of the crossing to Barbados?”

“Not only has she managed to stay hidden, she has become an integral part of the crew. Indeed, if she were to leave Audacious, I would have difficulty replacing her. As I had to promote two midshipmen to lieutenants, I now have a dearth of midshipmen qualified to lead watches. You may find it hard to believe, but Charlotte Ransome is one of the most capable midshipmen I have ever served with.”

Julia could not decide between rubbing her aching head or her churning stomach, so she settled for wringing her hands instead. Aside from the perilous possibilities arising from Charlotte’s presence on Audacious, Julia feared William’s reaction when he learned of it. He would want to bring her onto Alexandra, to keep her safe, to try to undo the damage to her reputation—without any thought to his own.

“What are you going to tell Commodore Ransome?” Ned stood and straightened his waistcoat.

“I do not know. I need to meditate on this. Charlotte must have a compelling reason for choosing this means of transportation to Jamaica, and an equally compelling reason for not wanting her brother, or me, to know she is traveling with us.” She pressed her thumb and middle finger to the inside corners of her eyes, trying to rid herself of the headache starting there. “I never mentioned it to her, but I asked Commodore Ransome if Charlotte could travel with me as my companion. But he reminded me of my own opinion that it would be better for her prospects if she stayed in England and took advantage of the opportunities provided her by Lady Dalrymple and the Fairfaxes.”

“She must have determined her prospects lay elsewhere—whether in the Royal Navy or on the other side of the Atlantic I will leave to you to discover. But now I must come to the question and then be on my way. Do I tell Commodore Ransome, reveal Charlotte’s presence, and turn her over to him, or do I continue on, feigning ignorance and allowing her to maintain her secret?”

Julia’s mind wanted to tear itself apart. Half of her wanted to see Charlotte safely installed right here, right now, in Alexandra’s big cabin; the other half wanted to allow Charlotte the freedom the young woman had gone to such dire measures to secure for herself.

If she were in Charlotte’s position, what would she want? She knew in an instant that she would want to continue on in her disguise, to be allowed to see her journey through. Julia rubbed her dry tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Keep her secret…for now.” Her chest tightened with the painful knowledge she would once more be breaking her promise to William. “Do your best to keep her from being discovered by anyone else.”

Relief, followed by a different expression of concern, filled Ned’s eyes. “I will.” He bowed. “Mrs. Ransome, thank you for being my confidante in this matter. It will be easier for me to handle this situation knowing I am not alone in my worry and concern.”

“I do not know how long I will be able to hide this from the commodore. I will try to keep it from him as long as I can; however, I cannot lie to him, Ned. I will seek the right opportunity to tell him.”

Ned looked slightly ill at the idea of William’s finding out. “I understand.” He bowed again. “I shall wish you good afternoon, Mrs. Ransome.”

“Good afternoon to you, also.”

He turned and reached for the doorknob.

“Oh, and Ned?”

He spun on his heel to face her again. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Keep a watchful eye on our girl. If you believe she is in danger—whether in physical danger or in danger of discovery—I trust you will know what to do.”

He inclined his head in a nod. “Yes, ma’am. I shall protect her with my very life if need be.”

She had no doubt he would. As soon as he was gone, she rose and, walking on the heel of her injured foot, did her best to resume Ned’s pacing.

William must be told. Not only as Charlotte’s brother, but as the commander of this small fleet of ships, if Charlotte’s presence became known and William discovered both Ned and Julia had known of it and tried to keep it a secret, Ned’s career would be ruined…as would Julia’s marriage. This was no mere run-in with a drunken lord Julia was keeping from him this time.

She could not tell him while they were docked. She had no doubt that if he found out now, he would storm Audacious’s quarterdeck and drag his sister back to Alexandra—and would probably find a ship bound for England to send her home on.

The letter fragment from a man declaring his love for Charlotte, asking her to marry him, made the girl’s motivation clear: She was running away from England to marry a man of whom she knew her mother and brothers would not approve. Julia knew nothing of the anonymous letter writer, but given that Charlotte had kept the letters hidden and that she now fled to Jamaica incognito, Julia had to assume the young man had found disfavor with Mrs. Ransome, and thus with William.

No, she could not tell him now. She would wait until they were once again at sea…until they were closer to their final destination. Until she was certain that William could not do anything drastic.

William tried not to think too much of the amount of time Ned had been in the cabin with Julia. He trusted both of them. He simply wished he could spend such uninterrupted time talking with her.

Ned emerged from the cabin so deep in thought that he walked past O’Rourke without acknowledging the new first lieutenant’s greeting until O’Rourke reached out and touched Ned’s arm. What could be so troubling that Ned could speak of it only to Julia?

William pressed his lips together and returned his gaze to the list of supplies the purser wanted him to approve for purchase. He signed the order and gave it back to the warrant officer.

Ned approached with a salute. William reciprocated.

“Unless you require my presence further, sir, I shall return to Audacious and see if my officers have completed their supply list.” Ned’s usually laughing eyes seemed dull and distant.

William kept his concern to himself. Julia would tell him if anything was amiss with Ned that would have an ill effect on his ship or crew. “You have permission to leave the ship, Captain Cochrane. However, you will report at three bells in the second dogwatch for supper.”

“Aye, sir.” Ned gave a half bow and departed through the starboard waist entry port. William tried to turn his attention to other matters, but Ned’s unusual demeanor continued to claim part of his focus. He wanted to return to the cabin and ask Julia for an explanation of his former first officer’s behavior, but duty forced him to stay on deck for the remainder of the afternoon.

“Boat coming up, Commodore.”

“Where away?” William asked the question even though he knew where and whom it would be.

“Starboard side, sir. ’Tis Lieutenant—Captain Cochrane, sir.”

Permission for Ned to board Alexandra was requested and given. William scrutinized him when he appeared on deck. Much of the traces of melancholy William thought he had seen before were no longer as evident, though Ned’s smile took longer to develop and stayed a briefer time than usual.

He ushered Ned toward the cabin, and they were joined by Alexandra’s six lieutenants. Tomorrow night William would play host to the captains of all the ships. Tonight was for his officers.

Dawling was just pushing Julia’s chair in when William and the officers entered the dining cabin. Ned and each of the lieutenants stopped and gave her a polite bow before taking their regular places at the table. As Gibson had been added to their number as the acting sixth lieutenant, he hung back and waited for everyone else to claim his seat before taking the open chair in the middle. As the honored guest, Ned sat at Julia’s right hand, at the opposite end of the table from William.

No one could have called the meal exquisite—nothing like what Collin’s French-trained steward had been able to prepare—but the meal Dawling and Cook had prepared for them was hearty and tasty.

The lieutenants, naturally, wanted to hear about Ned’s first week in command of a ship of the line.

“It has gone well,” Ned responded. “Though there have been some rough waters along the way.” Here, Ned stole a sidelong glance at Julia, who gave him a tight-lipped smile.

The bite of beef in William’s mouth lost all flavor. Ned had confided something to Julia. William wanted to demand a full telling of it, but he exerted his self-control to wait until his private time with Julia later tonight.

“What problems have you faced?” Lieutenant Eastwick asked.

Ned took another glance at Julia before answering. “I learned almost as soon as I took command of the vessel that it is not a unified crew. The majority of the officers served under Captain Yates. But Captain Parker—God rest his soul—brought several over with him. Midshipmen, warrant officers, and lieutenants. It seems a rivalry formed between the two groups, with Parker’s officers feeling they had the captain’s favor and therefore lording it over those who had served under Captain Yates. So I have spent much of my first week as an acting captain trying to figure out ways I can forge these two factions into one united crew.”

William relaxed, understanding now what Ned’s long interview with Julia earlier had been about. When Ned had shared his concerns about the Audacious crew to William, he had mentioned he had a few ideas on how to help his crew work together better. Realizing Julia’s experience in managing vast numbers of workers who probably did not always get along, Ned must have decided to run his ideas past her to get her input on their viability.

He enjoyed the rest of the dinner party, having worked out the meaning behind the occasional glances between Ned and Julia. After dinner ended, William walked Ned to the waist entry port.

“I will see you tomorrow at three bells in the second dogwatch, Captain Cochrane.” He hoped Ned would volunteer his ideas for unifying his crew, but perhaps he thought William did not have time to deal with such issues. “If you would like to come early and discuss any of the issues you are having with your crew, I would be more than happy to make the time.”

“Thank you, Commodore Ransome. And please thank Mrs. Ransome for a lovely meal.” Ned saluted before disappearing down the side of the ship.

William watched until the small boat had almost reached Audacious. A glance at the sky informed him it was almost time for evening call to quarters and inspection. He returned to the wheelhouse and waited a few minutes until eight bells signaled the beginning of the evening watch.

“Lieutenant O’Rourke, beat to quarters for inspection.” William stood beside the binnacle, hands clasped behind his back, and observed as his crew efficiently made their way to battle stations. Though many might not understand his strict adherence to the custom of evening beat to quarters, William had been in the navy—and at war—far too long to relax his guard. He did not want to think ill of the dead, but he wondered if Captain Parker had been as scrupulous in training and inspecting his crew.

After making a complete inspection of the ship, William dismissed the men. As the majority of them would be on make-and-mend tomorrow, rather than immediately going below decks and hanging their hammocks, most lingered above to spend their hard-earned money on trinkets, fresh fruit and vegetables, and other goods offered them from the small boats that had swarmed about them ever since they docked.

As his presence was no longer needed on deck, William returned to the cabin. Julia sat at her desk writing furiously.

“What time will you deliver the packet of correspondence tomorrow?” she asked, the nib of her quill hovering over the page.

“Not until the afternoon. You have plenty of time to write a great long letter to your father.” He wanted to press Julia for details on the ideas Ned had presented to her, but if Ned had wanted William to know, he would have told him. William himself might not tell a commanding officer that he had sought advice from a woman, no matter how intelligent and accomplished she was.

“Good. I was afraid you might be sending it first thing in the morning and that I might not have time to finish.” She set her quill down. “I understand Dr. Hawthorne came aboard this afternoon. I hoped I might speak with him this evening.”

William called for Dawling, who appeared moments later. “Pass word for Dr. Hawthorne.”

“Aye, aye, sir.” Dawling knuckled his forehead and left the cabin.

“Had you a good visit with Ned this afternoon?” He sat at his desk and opened his own stationery box to complete the correspondence he also needed to send tomorrow.

“Yes. He had a concern about his crew that he wished for my opinion on.”

Once again, William was struck by Julia’s ability to mask what she was feeling. She had promised she would not keep anything important from him again, so as she did not share more of her conversation with Ned, he had to trust that it was nothing more than she said.

Because one thing he knew about Julia, she was a woman of her word.