It worked. It seemed he approved of her suggestion. Relief washed through Alice, but it was mixed with anxiety - from both the situation and the corset that was suffocating her. They weren't made for fright or exertion. And then, as her hand clutched at her breast, he noticed. The pirate, Vic, he approached her once more. She didn't know what was more frightening - him or the corset. "It's-"

At that moment, he seemed to yank her back. She let out a squeak of fright, eyes squeezing tight and fingers forming fists. Half-moon crescents dug into the palms of her hand. Oh... what? He was undoing her corset? Red rushed into her cheeks. Admittedly, he was handsome and young. But he was a pirate. And it would be so easy for him to ruin her right now, if the strength he had in those hands was any indicator. Her arms crossed over her chest modestly when he pulled it off. "Thank you," she said, not making eye contact. The first man to undress her - well, in a way. He smelled like sweat and sea and salt.  

His conversation was a surprise. He wasn't planning on throwing her to the crew; that had been her worst fear. And he wasn't going to take her, either. She sat on that chair, watching him leave her and the door click shut. Alice let out a long, low breath, tears filling in her eyes again. It looked hopeless. But at least he seemed to want to keep her safe. Getting up from the chair, she felt the sway of the sea beneath her trembling feet. At least she was used to it -  the trip from England to here had taken months. Walking to the window, she stared out at the night-time ocean for just a moment. Calm and fluid and free. Unlike her. Glancing at the bed, she thought about the possibility of lice and fleas. But it was probably better than the floor. Walking to it, she sat timidly on the edge. A man's bed, and it smelled like him too.