Lions of the Sea

6

Cecilia sipped her tea, waiting in vain for her brother or daughter to break the silence. So she put the cup down and looked up at them. Marina was sunk in her chair, pale and abashed. Wan Claup acted as if he were having breakfast all alone, staring out the window across the room.

"Would somebody please explain to me what's going on?" Cecilia asked softly.

Wan Claup turned to her as if he'd just realized she was there. His chin pointed at Marina. "What's going on is that your daughter sneaks out to meet with boys in the barn in the middle of the night. Oh, and she also dresses up as a man."

"I see." Cecilia nodded, as grave as him, and turned to her daughter, sitting opposite her. "I'm glad you didn't ruin your new dress. Trousers are better for fencing. But I didn't know there was somebody else with you and Morris."

The other two didn't hide their surprise at her words.

"You knew?" asked Wan Claup, taking offense.

Cecilia smiled at him, not the least bit afraid of his frown. "This is my home and Marina is my child. Of course I knew."

"And you allowed it? How could you!"

Cecilia held his eyes, a rebel spark in hers. She opened her mouth as to speak, but held herself back.

Wan Claup glanced at Marina. "Leave us."

The girl would've given anything to stay and listen what would follow, but she knew how far she could go. So she left the room without a word.

Wan Claup waited to hear the door closing and faced his sister again.

Cecilia took a moment longer to speak, keeping a soft, calm tone.

"You spend little time with us, brother, and I understand you still can't see it. Or maybe you don't want to, for it isn't easy, dealing with the changes when childhood comes to an end. But Marina is no ordinary child. She has our blood and Manuel's. Such a mix would never conceive a simple, docile child. She has fire in her heart and an inquisitive imagination. She needs much more than her needle and cooking chores. And you can be sure she doesn't dream of wedding a man fifteen years older than her and spend the rest of her life delivering his children and scrubbing his braies."

Wan Claup raised only one eyebrow, as if he had suddenly found out his sister had gone mental and he wasn't sure how safe it was to taunt her.

Cecilia flashed a quick smile. "I saw her bruises and mended her ragged dress after what happened with those little boys. That's why I got trousers and boots for her. They belonged to Bernabé's son and she was about to give them away because he's grown tall for them. I didn't know who Marina would turn to, but I thought it'd be Morris or Laventry." She sighed. "I thought Fray Bernard's lessons would be enough of a distraction. I was wrong."

"Lessons?" Wan Claup repeated, suspecting the worst.

Cecilia smiled again, foreseeing his reaction. "Fray Bernard taught her to read and write two years ago."

Wan Claup stiffened. "Marina can read?" he whispered.

"Yes, and since then, she started learning Spanish and English. I think they're about to start with German, too." He moved his lips, unable to utter a single word, and Cecilia chuckled softly. "Please, brother. This is Tortuga. Any harbor girl speaks five languages. Why not your niece?"

"Because she will never be a whore!" Wan Claup was outraged.

Cecilia's sarcastic smile made him look away. "Spoken like the lost son of a duchess," she said.