Natasha's POVWestbay, Southwest England."Natasha Hastings, get down from that mast this instant!"My mother's voice carried clear across the harbor, shrill with that particular mix of exasperation and resignation I'd been hearing my whole life. I pretended not to hear, shinning up the last few feet to check the rigging. The view from up here was worth the lecture—all of Westbay spread below, the autumn sun turning the sea to molten copper."Let the girl be, Mary," Father called from the deck. "She's got a better eye for loose lines than half my crew.""She's not a girl, she's a menace!" Mother stood on the dock, arms crossed, face red. "Look at her—dressed like a ragamuffin boy, climbing around like some monkey. She's seventeen, John! Seventeen! She should be learning to keep house, not—whatever this is!"I slid down with practiced ease, landing soft on the deck. My worn sailor's trousers were tar-stained, my loose shirt two sizes too big—borrowed from my older brothers before they'
Last Updated : 2026-01-21 Read more