Charles and I visited all the shops along the high street, finding gratifying enthusiasm for our cargo. Then he took me back to the better of the two milliners and left me at the door while he went to seek blacksmiths and whitesmiths, that he might inform them of the sale of ingots.

When I entered, I did not see the older woman who had greeted us earlier, and I inquired after her.

"The mistress is at the wharf examining a new shipment, but I am well able. How might I assist? Something for your mother? Your sister?"

I shook my head and placed my hands on my flattened bosom. "No, for me. I need a piece fashioned to more comfortably restrain my breasts."

Her eyes darted to my front, then to my face, a smile growing as she nodded. "Your garb disguises well your form." She tilted her head and examined more closely. "But you are still rather young, so you would not have much to hide."

"In this guise, I may appear young, and I am thankful for that, but I am eighteen." I splayed and curved my fingers to resemble their cradling large orbs. "They are well more than a handful each, and they jounce about with my slightest movement."

She smiled and nodded. "I am Mary, the owner's daughter. What might I call you?"

I extended my hand to her. "Camille." I shrugged. "People always question its strangeness. Mother's family came from France."

"A very pretty name." Mary glanced down to my bosom, then she pointed to the curtain in the corner. "Come, let me examine."

Behind the curtain, I unbuttoned my shirt and pulled off the bamboos, allowing the binding to unwind and fall away in a spiral. Mary winced at the bruising, so I explained, "I had bound them too tight, often having to do it in haste."

"For what purpose do you do this?"

"Many in the ship's crew believe it a curse to have women among them."

"Oh, my! You are aboard a ship. What a bold venture."

"There was nothing left for me."

"What about your family?"

"The only one left now is my brother, and when he took over the estate, he banished me to a hovel."

Mary winced as she knelt to examine. "Are they tender?"

"They are. I have thought this might be eased by a garment somewhat like a jerkin that I can lace together at the front. Something to more gently steady these." I shook my shoulders and bounced on my feet.

She lifted a hand, then paused. "May I?"

"Please."

Mary placed her palm gently against the left one, and as she applied more pressure, she said, "Tell me when this pains you."

As she slowly raised and flattened my breast, I felt increasing discomfort. "There," I said. "That becomes too much."

She eased, pursing her lips and nodding. "We can craft a vest to restrain these." She pressed again with two hands. "Flatten and spread them. Hold them steady. Mistress Moore will know how best to do it."

"Mistress Moore?"

"Our best sempstress. I shall send for her."

I refastened my shirt, and as I folded the binding cloth, Mary pointed to it. "Might we use that? It appears to be stouter than anything we have, and it would save Mistress Moore from having to stitch together three or more layers."

"Perhaps among what we have brought. We have dozens upon dozens of bolts of cloth for sale, woollens, linens and cottons of many qualities."

"Oh! You are aboard that ship. Mother has gone to examine what has been brought. We have had nothing new for months, and our custom has all but disappeared for the lack of anything but cotton too thin and wool too coarse."

Mary led me from behind the curtain and pointed around the shop as she walked. "So little remains, but we hope to have it filled from the sale." She opened a door and called up the stairs, "Alice, come down and go fetch Mistress Moore. Tell her we have some sewing."

A young girl emerged from the staircase, hastened across the shop and out the door, and I giggled at her enthusiasm. "Such fine energy. How old is she?"

"Sixteen and not yet slowed."

"Slowed?" I tilted my head in question. "How do you mean?"

"Begun her changes. The time to start behaving like a proper maiden."

"Oh! It seems I missed that part of growing up."

Mary chuckled. "Thus, this bold adventure of yours. How ever do you keep yourself hidden?" She blushed and nodded down. "I have watched the men at the front of the ship with their shafts out to piss or their butts bared and their ballocks hanging." Her face reddened deeper. "So very publick. How do you handle that? That and tending to your menses?"

"I have found ways, and it has become increasingly easy."

"I must take my mind away from there." She shook her head. "What is your work aboard? Surely not up the masts."

"No, though I would love to climb aloft. No, mine is to serve the captain as his cabin boy."

"Aha! A more discrete position, hidden from most. Does he not suspect?"

"Not for our entire voyage from Portsmouth to here. I dared to tell him only last night." I shook my shoulders and watched the wabbling of my shirtfront. "And I need a more comfortable way to ensure none but we know."

We stood in silence for a while, then she said, "Please feel free to examine what remains while we await Mistress Moore."

"Thank you." I sent my gaze around the large room and its nearly empty shelves and tables, pondering. What do we need? Bath sheets, fine bed linens, a chemise for me and a dressing robe for him. I shook my head. Not here. Not yet. Bidet, finer soap. "Have you any finer soaps? Hyères, Marseille, Castille?"

"We do have. They are far too dear for most, and they sell slow." Mary led me to a small table behind the desk. "We keep our smaller precious items here, the ones easiest to pilfer."

I turned and looked at her, questioning, "Pilfer?"

"To steal, to take without payment."

"Oh! People do that?"

"My, you are an innocent one." She examined me again. "Yes, they do, and it is not only the street urchins and beggars who do it."

I lifted a block of Castille to my nose, sighing at the memories invoked by the aroma. "Might I have four of these?"

"Yes, most certainly." She pointed to a cabinet beside the table. "We also have ampoules of oils from rose, jasmine, sandalwood and bergamot, though these are rather dear."

I thought to Mother's strong odours and cringed. "Thank you, but no. They would bring to mind what I wish to forget."

We remained silent for another while as I ran my gaze around the room, then sighting a picture on the far wall, I approached to examine it. The more I studied it, the more it captivated me.

"What can you tell me about this, Mary?"

"It was rendered by Louis Belmar, an engraver whose work is mostly images of sugar harvesting and boiling, but this one shows the liveliness of a cargo auction."

I pointed toward the street. "Like the one we will have today?"

"From the enthusiasm we have sensed, I think yours will be much more lively."

"Oh! This warms me to hear." I turned again to the framed picture. "Is it decoration? Or is it for sale?"

"This is the last of them; this one having found no favour. Too crowded and dark, most have said." She shrugged. "But the images of naked, sweating slaves sold rather quickly."

I shook my head, grimacing. "What price do you ask?"

"We had hoped for a guinea, but now at fifteen shillings, it still remains."

I examined the picture while I thought, and after a long pause, I said, "If you include the soap, I will give you that."

Mary smiled, slowly bobbing her head. "I think Mother would allow that; it would afford her to buy more at the sale."

"We can wait for her to return, that she might confirm."

"No, I am certain she will agree. We shall call it done." Mary tilted her head, a puzzled expression growing. "What attracts you to it?"

"I see the captain and his mercantile venture in it, and I think it will be a fine gift to affix to the bulkhead above his desk."

"From your countenance, I sense you have a fondness for him." I felt my face warm, and she continued, "There, now you give it away all the more. That is the look of a young lady smitten."

I lifted a hand to cover. "Does it show that much?"

"To a woman, yes. But not to a man; they do not see such signs."

"Oh!" I nodded as I absorbed this, understanding now why Charles had not suspected. I was about to speak when Alice led an older woman into the shop.