Scarlett paced up and down the deck outside her daughter's cabin agitatedly, Jim was in there and hadn't come out yet. She couldn't help but think this was all her fault and she thought her husband would probably take the same approach. After all she'd smuggled Viola aboard as a boy and not told him. She buried her head in her hands – why had she done it? What had possessed her?

She shuddered slightly. And now her daughter was ill and...

Suddenly the door was flung open and Jim almost ran out onto the deck, looking positively undone. His eyes were blazing and he was very pale under his tan.

"How is she?" Scarlett asked in a low voice, looking at him with wide fearful eyes.

"Bad." Was her husband's curt response before he turned sharply to glare at her. "Damn it Carlotta she could die." He seethed, taking a step towards her and Scarlett flinched – he never used her full name.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, blinking tears away.

"What were you thinking?" He snapped, actually shaking with anger and worry for his daughter. Scarlett began to reply but he grabbed her arms in a rough grip,

"Just tell me what went though your head. What made you think this was in any way a good idea?" He shouted.

Scarlett had had enough of being shouted at, her spirit had always risen when confronted and this time was no exception. Angrily she wrenched his hands away and straightened out her skirt, glaring furiously at him.

"I did what I thought was right." She said forcefully and as he went to speak it was her turn to cut him off. "No! Listen to me James Hawkins, she needed to fly! I had to set her free, she would have gone mad. She needs adventure and excitement, working in an inn was not enough and never will be."

Silence fell between them and then Jim laughed a short, bitter laugh.

"Who are you talking about now Scarlett? Viola? Or you?" Before she could reply he had turned away, strode into his cabin and slammed the door behind him.

There was no checking the outpouring of tears that Scarlett wept, they were copious and (to her way of thinking) pitiful and yet she couldn't get a hold of herself. Disregarding the few sailors who were on deck she sank to her knees and sobbed.

She didn't even notice the door open until Doctor Livesy walked over to her with shock and concern on his face and took her by the shoulders.

"Scarlett? What has caused this?" He asked, unused to seeing her lose control to such an extent. Scarlett's shoulders were shuddering in his grasp and she couldn't stop crying for long enough to answer him, the good doctor became more concerned with eery second and finally administered a light slap to the woman's cheek.

"Get hold of yourself!" He said forcefully and Scarlett stopped sobbing in her surprise as she put a hand to her cheek.

"I'm – sorry. I just – will she be okay?" Scarlett said in a voice that, although still tremulous, sounded more like her normal fiery self.

The doctor paused, unsure of how to best go about saying what he had to say. "...I don't know Scarlett. With luck she'll pull through." He said quietly.

Scarlett looked at him steadily, the only visible sign that she was upset was the slight trembling of her lower lip and the way her hands still shook.

"Let me see her." She said, still looking directly into the doctor's eyes.

"I don't think that would be a good idea." The doctor said slowly and Scarlett's eyes flashed.

"This is my fault and I will see my daughter." She snapped.

"Scarlett..." The doctor started to stop her but she twisted out of his grasp and stood up, walking quickly to the door of the cabin where Viola was being kept. She burst in and closed the door behind her but stopped in her tracks when she saw her daughter, so small and pale, lying there as if being swallowed by her sickbed.

"Viola..." She whispered hoarsely and took a few faltering steps towards her. The girl was asleep, her peace broken every now and again by little tremors running through her. Her pale forehead was creased with either pain or worry and her long eyelashes were fluttering against her skin.

Scarlett could have cried all over again but concern for her daughter stopped her – if she was more comfortable asleep then Scarlett didn't want to wake her. Quietly she pulled a chair beside Viola's bed and sat down, her tear-filled eyes fixed on her daughter.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. "Please be okay, and then forgive me. Please, please be okay." She repeated this heartfelt mantra late into the night, filling each word with tenderness and pleading. Jim, stood outside the door and hearing every plea that fell from his wife's lips and resting his head against the wood.

Neither moved until the sun broke past the barrier of the horizon and shed it's bittersweet light on the ship.