Charles continued to offer me details of his mercantile venture, and I followed him into the night cabin while he spoke. Inside, he opened a closet, and as he selected a waistcoat and a frock, he said, "I must dress the part of a captain and a merchant."

"Even in this heat?"

"Yes, I would not be offered due respect were I to dress only in shirtsleeves."

"And I? What shall I do? I have brought nothing but ordinary."

"That is fine, Camille; your position as my boy requires nothing beyond shirt, breech and hose. Though, if you have a jerkin, you might don it."

I nodded, thinking. "I have none but a tattered knit one, but I could purchase cloth, thread and whatnot ashore to stitch together a proper one. You had said there are milliners."

"Yes, I know of two in the high street. Possibly there are others elsewhere."

I glanced down my front. "A fitted jerkin might assist in restraining my bosom. The fashion which is closed with laces, rather than with buttons. One I can adjust to compress me flat."

Charles laid his clothes on the bed and turned to examine me, bobbing his head. "One properly fashioned might obviate your need to bind, but that would leave you appearing too full-chested for a young boy." He inhaled deeply and thrust his shoulders back. "A chest such as this does not begin to develop until near the end of the changes."

I trembled at the sight and stepped forward to lay my head on his chest and run my hands over it. "So broad, so full, so enticing."

He chuckled as he wrapped an arm around my waist and gently squeezed. "And it would cause questions were a young lad to sport one as large. You need the loose billowing of your shirt to hide yours."

I lifted my head, nodding as I stepped back, and while I watched him don the waistcoat and tie the cravat about his neck, I thought. Then realisation. "I could fashion a jerkin to wear beneath my shirt. One to restrain the wabbling."

"A fine idea. That would be easier than wrapping. You might likely find a sempster in town to do this for you."

I giggled. "Better a sempstress. Likely some at the millinery shops."

When Charles had finished dressing, he led me back to his desk and opened a drawer. From it, he withdrew a binder of stiff hide enclosing sheets of blank parchment, and after he had placed in it the sheaf of bambooed parchments from the desk, he handed it to me. "You will carry this to show your importance, and my free hands will show mine."

He selected two pencils, checked their bindings and put them in a waistcoat pocket, then he pointed across to the door and said, "Shall we proceed ashore, Boy?"

"Boy? What has happened to Camille?"

He pulled me into an embrace. "We must play the ruse, else you will be caught out. While we are ashore, I am your captain, and you are my servant. Abed tonight, I will be delighted to be your servant to do whatsoever you bid."

"Aye, Captain." I mashed my nethers onto his thigh and my bosom into his chest. "I shall then spend my unoccupied time dreaming of what I wish from you."

Charles chuckled as he released me, then pointing toward the door, he said, "You tempt me to remain, but we have a duty ashore."

He donned his hat as we left the great cabin, and I asked, "Is this a new fashion, the rim folded up on the sides?"

"And on the back." He turned his head that I might see. "This is a style worn by Spanish soldiers, and now by some of their Armada officers. I had seen them on our last two voyages, and rather liking the look, I pledged up the three sides of mine. In this manner, it has the great advantage of not blowing away with the wind."

I followed him, and as we descended the gangplank, there was activity along the wharf with a ship being loaded. Closer at hand, some three dozen or more people milled about the wares which were ranged on the wharf alongside Zeelandia. I asked Charles, "Is that all you have brought?"

"Oh, no, nowhere near it all. The crew have unloaded only one crate or bundle of each to show the quality." He pointed. "And there you see Mister Jenkins with a list from which he can answer the amount of each."

"Might I examine, that I know for what to look in the shops?"

"Indeed, yes. And I must also refresh my memory of it."

We spent a goodly amount of time scanning the various items, and when satisfied, Charles led me across the road toward the high street, leaving behind the hubbub of the wharf and the odours of hot bodies. When it had quieted, he asked, "Did you see the oblong bowls among the porcelain? Would one of them suit as a bidet?"

"I did, and I had thought the same. Might we take two from the crate?"

"Two?"

"I had thought to also place one in the privy. It would be easier and cleaner than using the tow rags."

Charles pursed his lips and nodded, then he pointed back. "We can take two aboard on our return, but I must amend the contents list for that crate to not deceive."

I hummed, admiring his honesty and integrity, and as we continued toward the high street, a steady flow of people passed us. I glanced back, delighted to see they were all heading toward Zeelandia. Farther along the street. I followed Charles into Carlisle Mercantile.

After we had perused the sparse assortment of goods for a while, an old man rose from a chair at the back and approached, greeting, "Good morrow, Sir. How might I assist?"

"And a good morrow to you, Sir." Charles touched the fore-point of his hat in salutation, then he pointed out the door. "We have a shipment of merchandise which might be of interest. Silver, copper, pewter and tin wares, porcelain, glass, and crockery. Bolts of cotton from Kalyko, Malabar and Madras, fine English woollens, linens and –"

The merchant nodded while Charles spoke, then he interrupted. "Yes, I saw the list which had been posted, and I have sent my sons to examine the goods." He swept an arm around the shop. "The ships have brought nothing but slaves the past months, and we have very little to sell."

"Then, we shall see you at two of the clock." Charles tapped his hat again and led me out of the shop, and when we regained the street, he said, "As it was on the last voyage. The other merchantmen continue to take their wares to Africa and trade them there for slaves."

I cringed at the thought of enslaving people. "As horrid as that is, it bodes well for your auction."

"For our auction, Camille." He pointed along the street. "Shall we ensure everyone is aware of it?"