by Haley Travis
Yet I had misread men before. And as my brothers had proven time and again, men often took full advantage of how weak and trusting women could be.
I wanted to be open minded. I wanted to feel secure here, and allow myself to fall in love with the most magnificent man I’d ever met.
But I couldn’t let myself be a naïve little girl, and give away my heart to the first man, or pirate, who asked for it.
~ Chapter 1 6 ~ The Captain ~
* Where’s a spittoon when you need one? *
After supper, I left everyone to their chores, and went to the chart-room to double-check the night’s course.
It wasn’t long until Willy joined me. “Today seemed to go well, Captain.”
“Tell me,” I asked slowly, “do you think it was wise to allow Maggie to walk along that long pier unaccompanied?”
His ruddy face turned a bit gray. “I was steps away, sir. I watched her until you approached.”
I felt my hands clench in rage, yet forced myself to take a breath and remain calm. “If she’s ever in your care again, you’re not to leave her for an instant. Understand?”
“Yes, absolutely, Captain. I apologize.”
My head snapped toward him as I blinked hard. Never in all our years together had I heard Willy apologize to anyone for anything.
He chuckled at my surprise. “Captain, it’s clear that you and Maggie are in love. I made a mistake by treating her merely as a member of the crew. From now on, I will treat her as your lady, and be as overprotective as you would be yourself.”
I slumped onto a stool. “So, you approve of this?”
He shrugged. “Not that my opinion should matter, sir, but yes. I do.”
My fingers reached up to scratch the back of my head as I thought. “If we keep her aboard the Midnight Treasure , we’re taking her away from a decent, quiet life. The opportunity to have a nice house, neighbors, and the like.”
I stared down at the wooden table covered in maps. “I don’t even know what nice ladies do with their time. Sewing circles? I think I recall my aunt mentioning that her lady friends got together for tea every Tuesday afternoon, but I’ll be deviled if I can remember why.”
Willy sat beside me, nodding seriously. “Womenfolk are hard to figure out,” he agreed. “But you know that I watch, and listen hard.”
“Aye, that you do.”
“Well, it seems to me that one of the biggest problems between men and women is that the men always think they know better. If they were to just listen to the women, or ask what they wanted, they could save themselves a lot of time and a heap of trouble.”
He looked up at me with a wicked grin. “And sometimes a rolling pin to the head, as my father found out quite often.”
A deep chuckle rolled out of me. “Did he ever learn his lesson?”
Willy winked. “I actually rather think he liked it.”
Our chuckles died down as I grew serious. “Do you think this is a safe home for Maggie?” I asked my first mate.
He gave a long, low whistle. “That’s a very large question, Captain. Many different pieces. All I can say is that she seems happy here.” He looked at me carefully. “And you seem very happy with her here.”
“How so?”
“Unless we’re in the middle of a business transaction, you seem a bit more...relaxed,” he said carefully. “As if you’re more comfortable with the world at large.”
Nodding, I looked out the window at the darkening sky. “You’re not saying that she’s making me soft?”
“Not in the slightest. But when you’re off duty, you seem far more serene.”
“A Captain is never off duty.”
“You know what I mean,” he smiled.
“If I ask Maggie to join the crew permanently, what if she says no?”
Willy leaned away, as if afraid I would smack him. “With all due respect, Captain, that’s a chance you’re going to have to take.”
“What do we do with her if she doesn’t want to stay? I can’t just leave the poor lass adrift. A nice girl like her would require proper accommodations somewhere extremely safe.”
“Your aunt Clementine has that big old house,” he said thoughtfully. “I bet she’d take in a nice girl. Maggie is a wonderful worker, and could cook, clean, and sew in order to earn her keep.”
“You’re right,” I said, nodding firmly. “And Tegarren Point is a nice town. If she’s looking for a proper husband, aunt Clementine would be happy to help find her one.”
Willy rolled his eyes skyward. “That woman tries to fix me up with her friends every time we drop in for lunch.”
“That’s because she wants you to become a respectable gentleman. It means she likes you.”
“Respectable?” He looked around the room. “If you still had that spittoon, I could have made a point, dagnabbit.”
We shot the bull a while longer, then reviewed the charts for the next few days. It looked like smooth sailing ahead, for the most part. All I had to do was find out what Maggie wanted.
If she desired a normal life, at least I had a solution to offer her. If she wanted to stay with us, or more to the point, with me, I had a lot of work ahead of me.
I would require a thick rug in our quarters so her little feet weren’t chilly in the mornings. A proper dresser for her to store her clothing, and whatever trinkets a sweet girl desired.
The decision had been brewing in the back of my mind for sometime. But now it was distilled like a fine spirit.
I wanted Maggie to stay forever. Not just as a member of the crew, but as my lady-love.
And someday soon, my wife.
~ Cha pter 17 ~ Maggie ~
* Tears on Deck *
I couldn’t believe my ears. After the galley was spotless, and the other men had gathered for a round of rum and cards, I wanted to ask the Captain whether he would like to join them, or prefer to do something else.
Perhaps it was forward of me, but I couldn’t help wondering whether he would want to come to bed early. After the way he had touched me so intimately on the Devil’s Blue Sea , I thought he might want to continue in the comfort of his own bed.
I knew that couples usually weren’t completely free with each other until they were married, but out here on the sea, all of the rules seemed different.
Or should I say, there weren’t any rules. Nobody cared if they were proper. There was a level of freedom here that made my mind race with possibilities.
The Captain had clearly enjoyed himself every time we touched. I knew that it was time for me to explore him a lot more.
Just a month ago, that thought would have chilled me to the bone, and crowded my mind with a hundred questions. Now, I wanted to let our bodies speak without words. For the Captain to show me what pleased him.
I wanted to give him the same pleasure he’d given me in that cupboard.
Then I accidentally overheard the Captain and Willy talking about dropping me off at aunt Clementine’s house, to earn my keep as a maid.
Ice ran through my veins as I rushed away, nearly tripping on a coiled rope.
How could the Captain be so familiar with me if he didn’t plan on staying with me? I had been so sure that his eyes were full of love. That he would want me around.
Had he been pretending to care for me just to keep me silent on the Devil’s Blue Sea ? Was it like the first time he kissed my cheek – just for the benefit of the job at hand?
Once again, the world proved that men didn’t make a lick of sense. Or perhaps I was simply a naïve little girl who had no hope of ever distinguishing their tangled thoughts.
The feeling that I was being used turned my stomach.
Picking my way carefully along the deck, I curled up in a ball near the stern, tears spilling down my face.
I had thought that ending up on the Midnight Treasure had been a wonderful accident. Perhaps not. I had been taken away from my life, my entire world, by a pirate crew. And now it was too late to go back, even if I wan
ted to.
They were kind men most of the time, and I was learning to love them all like brothers. But if the Captain had been leading me on this entire time, and not been honest about his intentions…
Maybe I had been misreading every signal, and misinterpreting every kiss, every touch.
Maybe I was a stupid girl who didn’t belong out in the world.
Or maybe Levi wasn’t truly an honorable man.
~ Cha pter 18 ~ The Captain ~
* Tumbling Mind *
As we sometimes did, Willy and I lost ourselves in the charts for a spell, planning out the next few trips. To some degree, we liked to go wherever the fastest winds took us, but when we had specific deliveries to make, we needed to plan in advance.
That allowed us to ensure we were picking up the right sort of cargo, and could offer to make extra fast runs for other ships.
Keeping things light and quick had served us well over the past few years, with no need to be scrubbing blood off the deck. No need to put the men in terrible danger as frequently.
Sure, we still did our fair share of thieving, but we were far more selective about it. Cautious. Instead of brute force, we used our wits.
Willy was right – if an entire cargo was stolen, the Captain would have to report it and everyone at that port would know.
But nobody would bother to report the theft of a few barrels or crates. It would simply serve to make the Captain and his crew who had been robbed look weak or careless.
Our light fingers and personable ways made us deflect suspicion at every turn.
After finishing the charts and routes, we went down to the galley, where the boys were getting rowdy playing cards.
Maggie wasn’t there, so I went to my quarters to see if she retired early. She wasn’t there either.
I knew that she would not be hiding down in the hold, so I examined every inch of the top deck.
The wind was picking up, so when I called her name, my voice was carried off on the breeze. I didn’t want to actually holler for fear she would think I was angry.
But as I continued searching, I grew very worried. My darling girl wasn’t that used to being on a ship yet, and if she was up here in the dark, there was always a chance she could’ve fallen overboard.
I made my way to the aft deck, just about to call the lads for assistance, when I heard a tiny sniffle. Holding up the lantern, Maggie was half hidden, curled up into a ball and crying her pretty eyes out.
Rushing to her side, I set down the light and pulled her almost roughly into my arms, checking her for injuries. “Are you hurt, my beautiful lass?”
Her head shook against my shoulder.
“My sweet darling, can you tell me what’s wrong?” I asked as softly as possible. Her head shook again.
I cuddled her into my lap, rocking her gently as I stroked her back. Thinking back over the events of the day, it was very likely my fault that she was upset.
It was hard to know all of the ways between men and women, but I had learned that when a woman was upset, it was almost certainly the man’s fault.
“Well, I’m pretty sure you’re not homesick,” I said softly. There was a tiny snort.
“I know that today was harsh on you, my sweet girl,” I murmured, rocking her along with the lull of the boat. “You were so brave. I’m so sorry we had to lock ourselves away like that.”
She wiped her eyes, her breath still ragged, as if she were exhausted.
“We’re trying not to slit men’s throats and toss them over the side when they’re in our way anymore,” I chuckled, but she didn’t return my laugh.
“Sorry. But it really was the easiest way to keep you hidden.”
“Why must I be hidden?” she whispered.
My loud exhale and head shake seemed to make her curious. “Captain Scovell is an extremely dishonorable man. We’ve had a few disagreements in the past. These days we mostly keep away from each other, but should he discover we had a beautiful young lady aboard, he might find a way to use that to his advantage.”
“He would think it makes you look weak,” she said, wiping her eyes again.
“No, my darling girl. More like blaming every crime involving a woman on us. Spreading terrible stories and rumors. Anything is possible with a mind that foul.”
Kissing along her forehead, I tipped up her chin, wishing I could take some of that pain from her eyes. The wind picked up, becoming gusty as she shivered against me.
“Let me get you to bed, lass.”
Her lips pressed together firmly as she became still.
“If you’re angry with me, but can’t tell me why, I don’t know what to do,” I said slowly. “But I do know that I’m not going to let you freeze here on the deck.”
Her eyes softened just slightly. She was so beautiful in the lamp light that I needed to kiss her, yet felt that I shouldn’t quite yet.
“Whether you want to cuddle with me, or stick to your side of the bed, that’s up to you. But I have to keep you warm, sweet girl.”
Shifting so that I could pick her and the lantern up at the same time, I carried her to my quarters. I dropped her on the bed from just enough of a height that she bounced, and I was finally rewarded with a genuine giggle.
Once we were under the covers, Maggie turned her back to me, inching as far away as she dared.
I stroked her shoulder just once. “Sweet dreams, my lass. I hope that you’ll speak to me in the morning.”
Usually sleep came to me right away. Tonight, I turned over the events of the day in my mind, tumbling like fish trying to leap upstream. I had never meant to put her in a situation that made her uncomfortable. She had to understand that.
Then my breath caught in my throat, practically choking me.
Perhaps it wasn’t the close quarters and being confined. Perhaps it was the way I had touched her.
She had clearly told me that she wanted it. It was obvious that she had enjoyed it thoroughly. Yet perhaps she had misgivings. Maybe she felt ashamed after the fact.
Perhaps she thought that once we were intimate in one way, that I would expect much more.
Reaching down, I pulled her icy little feet against my shins, but otherwise kept my distance.
The only thing I could do would be to give her a bit of space to figure out what she wanted to say to me. And if she couldn’t speak the words aloud, perhaps Maggie wasn’t ready to be my lady.
Either way, I’d have to get her some new stockings, as well as a carpet, to keep those tiny feet warm.
~ Cha pter 19 ~ Maggie ~
* Those Lady Smarts *
As my eyes began to slowly flutter open, I felt so warm and comfortable. A deep sense of peace flowed through every limb as I shifted slightly.
It took a moment to realize that I was lying right beside Levi, with my arm across his chest, his arm around my back, tucked right into his shoulder.
It felt so perfect, like the first warm day of spring. That same sort of serenity flowed through my heart.
Until my nasty little mind remembered that he had been talking about sending me away. How could he be so sweet with me if he intended to do that?
Perhaps men just didn’t know how to be logical. My father and brothers certainly didn’t. They would lambaste me, insult me, then ask for a favor all in the same sentence. It was as if I were a tool to be used, not a real person with thoughts and feelings.
I knew that Levi had feelings for me. Although I was still brand new to the ways of love and relationships, a person’s eyes always spoke the truth.
Keeping my breathing steady so that he wouldn’t know I was awake quite yet, I listened to his heart thumping below my ear while I pondered what the problem might be.
Perhaps he thought a life at sea would be too harsh for me. I could fix that. I could toughen up. Although I never complained, all of the men seemed to be keeping a careful eye on me so that I never became cold, or exhausted, or got too much sun.
Levi himself had said that it w
ould take some time for me to get used to the ship, yet I thought things were going swimmingly so far. The crew all seemed to like me, and were eager for the help I offered. They seemed delighted to teach me things.
Perhaps he thought that I didn’t want this life.
True, I would never have imagined it in a hundred years. Yet now that I’d received a real taste of this world, I dearly loved it. Traveling to different places was more exciting that I would have imagined. It suited me somehow.