Perilous Journey of the Much-Too-Spontaneous Girl by Leigh Statham Page A

Everything was neat and tidy and in its place. There was no sign of anyone having ever been in the room except for the mess of maps and charts on the table.
    She turned around and glared at Jacques. “This is your room,” she hissed.
    “Of course it is, I need to speak with you in private, and this is the only room on the ship where we will not be disturbed.”
    “I do not know what your game is, sir, but that kiss the other day was not an invitation for a private meeting in your bed quarters!”
    Jacques laughed at her outburst. “How did it end up that you are now cross with me? Aren’t I the one you lied to, mislead, and made a fool of in front of his first officers and bridgemates?”
    Jacques donned a false voice and flipped his hands in the air as he said, “Oh, Captain, how good of you to place Lady Vadnay in the ballistics team. Good show of faith in the Lady despite her lack of aviation skills. Oh, Captain, how lovely that your little protégé is joining us. I’m sure she will prove good company for long nights at sea. Oh, Captain—”
    “Enough! I said I was sorry. I didn’t mean for you to look a fool. I only wanted to have this adventure with you. I needed to get off land, Jacques!” She put her fists on her hips and held her place.
    “That’s exactly the problem. You only ever think about yourself. You never consider the positions you put other people in. It’s always what will make you happy or what will keep you from feeling bored.”
    “That is not true!” Marguerite folded her arms and felt a bit like a child, but she couldn’t help her lower lip sticking out a bit with hurt.
    “Oh, isn’t it, though?” He put one hand on his forehead and pushed his hat back then rubbed at his hair. “What did you think anyone else would gain from any of your little adventures? Hmm? Is your father so sick of you already? Does Outil actually want to be out at sea risking her life with pirates? How about Vivienne?”
    “That’s not fair. You didn’t even know her.” Marguerite’s pout was turning into a fury. Tears boiled in her eyes, threatening to fall. Her nose felt tight, and it was getting hard to breathe.
    “I knew her well enough, and I know you. You probably didn’t even take the time to research what this voyage is actually all about or why I’m leading it, did you?”
    He had her there. She hadn’t asked anything when they’d summoned her, or when she’d spoken to Dean Beaumont. She supposed she could have probed a bit deeper, but that was beside the point. He was attacking her. “No. I didn’t need to. We are going after pirates and to protect the king’s fleet of supply ships.”
    “Why do you think His Royal Majesty would put a barely aether-worthy aerman who blew up his last ship—one of the finest ever built for king and country—in charge of a fleet of ships headed into such an important mission?”
    “I … I thought it was because you are so good at what you do,” Marguerite stammered. She hadn’t thought about this either. “Besides, your name was cleared in the inquisition. It wasn’t your fault the Triumph was lost. I don’t see what this has to do with anything.” She flipped at the map corner hanging off the little table and tapped her foot with impatience and discomfort.
    “Exactly. You don’t see. You don’t want to see, and you don’t care to see anyone but yourself. The reason they gave me the commission is because no one else wanted it. They all have families, Marguerite. The whole goal of New France right now is to settle, serve and survive. Once a soldier takes a wife, they have one year reprieve from service to start their family and build a home. Everyone there has taken a wife and land and started a settlement. I have half a crew of babies, because there’s not a single soldier to be found who isn’t supporting a wife and child now. I have no wife. I have no child. Therefore, I have no say in where I am assigned. I go wherever his majesty’s