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"Oh!" said the dragonet, sounding exceedingly pleased with herself, "I had mistaken you for male, but I see now that you are like me. The way you dress is rather deceptive, you know," she added, leaving Laurence torn between acute embarrassment and equally inappropriate amusement.
The crew had heard, of course. Laurence supposed it was a mercy, under the circumstances. She did not like to believe that she might have been tempted to deny the charge otherwise - one thing to deceive by implication, through one's actions; quite another to lie to one who had done nothing to deserve anything less than the truth from her.
Still, Laurence knew quite well that any chance she might have had at preserving her prospects after this were well and truly gone. Assuming the aerial corps were to take the dragonet off her hands, the most she might hope for was to be awarded some financial reward and then to be subsequently drummed out of the navy in disgrace.
The prospect of returning home under such circumstances was not a happy one.
"Yes, I believe this will work out quite well," declared the dragonet, surveying the ship as if it were some recent acquisition.
"I hope that you are right," Laurence said, forcing herself to sound cheerful. Putting aside her personal misfortune, these past events could not but be considered a significant blow struck to Britain's advantage and to France's disadvantage.
The dragonet looked around a bit more. Most of the crew had halted their work. It occurred to Laurence that she might no longer expect to be viewed as being in a position to give them orders.
"All right, men, that's enough gawking," said Tom. He appeared reluctant to meet Laurence's gaze, which seemed understandable enough. Laurence knew she must speak to him, attempt to explain, yet she was unhappily aware that this particular relationship, too, might have been blighted beyond repair.
Laurence might point out the deception had been aimed at all of the crew, and that Tom ought not to take in personally, but she knew very well how she herself would have taken such a revelation. In addition to this, Tom had his own career to think of: any suggestion that he had known, that he had perhaps even aided Laurence in her deception, and his career would be sunk as surely as Laurence's.
Little point in crying she had never meant any harm: Laurence knew that she had caused it nonetheless, and must now do what she might to make amends.
"In truth, I do not mind being gawked at," said the dragonet, happily oblivious to Laurence's unhappy reflections. "Though I would like something more to eat. I feel quite hungry again."
Laurence sharply recalled herself to her duty. "Yes, of course. Pray wait a moment while I arrange matters."