Madelyn tensed. "I am not," she said too quickly. Then, "I am curious about the sea, and the life of it. What is it like, to live by the seas, so far from home and all you have ever known?"
He hesitated, then smiled. "A dilemma. There are days you wish yourself upon your own bed, or seated by the fireplace with your family. Other days, you cannot imagine standing anywhere else but upon a deck, plank beneath your boots." he exhaled, "A very beautiful dilemma."
She smiled despite herself.
He loved the sea. Truly loved it. As Mr Brand did.
"Have you ever lived by the whims of the sea, Miss Stanhope?" Captain O'Neill asked, ushering her forward, resuming their stroll.
She shook her head, "Not until The Rescuer. But somehow I have always loved it."
"That is not strange. People think we sail only for profit," he chuckled. "If only they understood the thrill of it. Of the sea's pleasures and needs, its moods and temperaments."
