He swept off his hat and bowed.

No man had ever bowed to me before.

Was it possible? Was my hastily thought-out disguise working?

Captain Jansen settled his hat and stared at me for long moments. “Miss Emmeline, can you hear me?”

Fresh panic fired through me. I could hear him fine—what I couldn’t do was speak. I knew how I sounded, gritty and coarse. Two words from my lips and I’d surely give myself away.

I nodded and dropped my gaze to the crimson silk that poured over me, my heart pounding crazily. The gown was made for a taller, rounder body—a body that now floated not far from where I stood. What if they saw her?

“Her skin’s blue as polar ice, Cap’n,” said one of the sailors. “She’s froze to death.” There were a dozen of them, all gawping at me, their torches flickering in the dawn.

“That’s a wicked crack on ’er head,” said another.

“Unnatural, a lass surviving such a trial. God’s had a hand in this.”

“Or the devil.”

That started them discussing whose hand it was that’d saved Miss Emmeline from a shipwreck no man had survived.

As they carried on, I glanced toward the beach trail. Where was Sewel? If he appeared, my life would truly be over.

The captain took a step closer and crouched on his heels. “Miss Emmeline, we must get you out of the rain,” he said gently. One of his eyes was clouded, like milk had been stirred into it. He held his head slightly askance to give the good eye a fuller view. “We must get you to a warm place.” He pointed. “Around that bend are boats that will take you to the Ambrosia. I shall be with you every step of the way and, on my life, miss, I promise you will be perfectly safe.”

This was exactly what I wanted. A way off this island.

I began to walk, my tired legs shuddering beneath the heavy, soaked petticoats. The cut above my eye kept bleeding, blinding me on that side and worsening my dizziness.

Halfway to the bend, my strength gave way. The captain swept me up before I hit the sand. I found myself in the basket of his arms, tensing as needles of fear sank in.

“Please, Miss Coates. Do not be afraid. Allow me to help you.”

There was no other way. I nodded.

As he began to walk again, the strangeness of the moment dawned on me. Not since Papa had I been borne up this way, and I felt childish and small. And scared, but less of what lay ahead of me than what lay behind. So I allowed him to keep carrying me across the sand, toward a ship like ones I’d only ever swam through before.

Half an hour later, I was on the ship’s deck, where dozens of men surrounded me.

The sun’s first rays lit their stunned faces. Their awed murmurs came to me in pieces—survivor, girl, and impossible. I swayed in place and listened for impostor—fraud—deceiver!