Commanding Heart Read Online Free Page A

Commanding Heart
Book: Commanding Heart Read Online Free
Author: Madeline Evering
Pages:
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notion of ever becoming a close acquaintance of the somber, unyielding captain,
Catherine did wish to at least have something of his respect.  Giving herself a
stern shake, she pushed aside troubling ideas of Captain Knight and rose from
her bed, determined to make a fresh start.
    Despite the early hour, Catherine felt
the need to make up for lost time. She raced to dress so she might finally
spend some time on deck. From her trunk she chose a long sleeved dress of pure
white muslin, the neck of which was trimmed in embroidery. Over this, Catherine
added a soft grey pelisse and a wide-brimmed straw hat which she tied loosely
under her chin with a ribbon of blue that matched her eyes. The effect was
altogether striking, accentuating the golden shade of her hair and her
intensely blue eyes. Catherine, as usual, was oblivious to the image she
created. She was too concerned with gathering her sketch pad and pencils, eager
to be on deck capturing the many details of the ship she had witnessed when she
first arrived.
    As Catherine ascended the ship’s
stairs and emerged on the quarterdeck, her breath caught at the spectacle
before her. The HMS Triton at rest was an impressive thing; but now, under
full sail she was a living, breathing creature of unsurpassed beauty. From all
three masts, square-rigged sails flew like birds’ wings, coaxing the ship
forward with their strong fluid motion; miles of ropes criss-crossed in complex
designs, like elaborate spider webs; and everywhere in the action of the ship’s
crew were the precise measured motions of men long experienced in life at sea.
Catherine smiled hugely at it all, her every sense awakened by this wondrous sight.
    Catherine moved forward across the
deck. At almost every step, a member of the crew would turn in greeting, respectfully
touching hand to forehead with a kind, “Good morrow, Miss Gibson” at her
approach. Catherine shyly returned their welcome, with only a quick word to
each man. She longed to talk with them at length, to ask them so many questions
about the ship and their work, but she feared the captain’s wrath if she was
found keeping the men from their duties. Instead, she filed the questions away,
awaiting the time later in the morning when her uncle would be free to show her
around the ship. As Catherine reached the space directly below the main mast
she stopped and turned in a slow circle. The early morning sun cast golden rays
across the sea, lighting the sails of HMS Triton in brilliant hues of
crimson and gold. Catherine longed to paint these vivid colors but would not
risk interrupting the work of the ship by setting herself up amidst a jumble of
paints and canvas. Instead, Catherine asked one of the men for someplace she might
sit out of harm’s way with her sketchbook. The sailor obliged by leading Catherine
to an area next to the rail, bringing a small barrel for her to use as a seat. Catherine
settled in at once and opened her sketchbook. Her quick eye and faster hand created
several small studies of the scenes about her: the network of rigging; the
pattern of the ship’s rail; even a rough sketch of the view from her vantage
point to the ship’s bow. Catherine was completely engaged in capturing the
scenes before her, looking up only to study an object before committing it to
paper. Her intelligent mind was completely absorbed with its task, leaving her unaware
that she was being watched in turn.
    When Captain Knight left his cabin
and entered the quarter deck, his knowing eye had quickly discovered Catherine
at her position near the ship’s rail. The captain watched with rapt attention
as the young woman sketched. The same bright sun that had drawn Catherine’s
artistic eye was making a beautiful study of her as well. Amid the sharp lines
and masculine order of the ship’s main deck, Catherine was an oasis of soft,
feminine beauty. The sun’s rays played across her fine figure, highlighting the
beautiful planes of her face, the gentle
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