Had this been another crewmember, Nicolai might have taken exception to the man’s words. As it was Cooper, he knew anything said was said purely in good-natured humor to rib him and nothing more.
“Be that as it may, I feel no guilt,” Nicolai said, ignoring his quartermaster’s questions. “She may have no experience, but she’s certainly not a child. However, that said, I think it would be best if I did indeed follow my own directives and keep my distance while she’s our guest. That one is likely to be nothing but trouble.”
Nicolai didn’t add that part of his need for distance was that he seemed to lack sufficient restraint in both his words as well as his body where Miss St. John was concerned.
“Aye. To be sure,” Cooper agreed. “They’re all nothing but trouble; the lot of them. Besides that, when we get into port, Consuela is going to be more than willing to provide you with warm flesh and a willing body. You know how possessive she is over you when we’re home.”
Nicolai eyed the pitch work on the newly replaced boards, looking for inconsistencies in the waterproofing. The sharp scent of pine tar was one of his favorites, always reminding him that he would soon be where he was most at home; on the sea.
“That’s because I pay her to be exclusive. Consuela has gotten entirely too comfortable in thinking she has claiming rights, though,” Nicolai said. “I’m going to have correct that. Should I ever decide to marry any woman aside from this ship, it certainly won’t be a Spanish whore.”
Cooper gave a sharp nod. “Aye. There are whores and there are wives. There are also a multitude of reasons why the two should never co-mingle in any form or fashion.”
Nicolai had to agree though he kept his opinion to himself as he continued to survey the work his men had done on the ship. The interchanging panels, which allowed him to swap the ship’s name at will from the pirating Chameleon to the merchant ship Adventure, were perfectly in place. The simple, yet effective disguise had served him well for many years. Removable balustrades and railings around the ship’s upper and lower decks added additional camouflage. When pirating, the balustrades went up but when the ship was acting as a merchant’s vessel, they came down, completely changing the appearance so that anyone describing one or the other wouldn’t liken them to one and the same.
“It looks as though this’ll hold well enough to get us to Nassau. Gather the men from the beach and get them onboard so that we may be on our way. The faster we get there, the faster I can get Miss St. John out of my hair. I hear she has a husband-to-be waiting for her in Charleston.”
“Nicolai,” Cooper said with a laugh as the captain began to climb the rope upwards to the ship’s railing. Nicolai stopped to look down at the quartermaster.
“If you’d like me to take her off your hands and into my cabin, I’ll be happy to introduce her to her womanly needs.”
Nicolai only glared at the man as he boarded the vessel in preparation to sail.
Adrienne paced the cabin with irritation. How dare the man take advantage of her while she slept? The nerve. The audacity. And then allude to her being a woman of loose morals?
Her body still tingled and throbbed from this morning’s treatment by Captain Mikhalovic but she attempted to ignore it.
Her father’s housekeeper had warned her that men were dangerous. They were only after one thing and that was to steal a woman’s virtue. Well, stealing virtues and in the event of marriage, receiving a dowry.
She wasn’t all too sure she wanted to marry anyone but regardless of whether she wed or not, she certainly had no plans to toss her virginity to a pirate, though kind hearted and handsome she may think him to be. What he’d done to her this morning was nothing short of rakish. What kind of a man waits until a woman is vulnerable with sleep and then molests her?
She pushed her heavy hair from her face, which was hot with embarrassment. She’d never be able to look at him or any of his men again. Surely they heard her cries as Nicolai touched her. Surely the men would assume they’d done the worst. Adrienne placed her hands over her face.
While she loved her share of mischief, she’d never forgotten the puritanical teachings of her mother advising her that a woman’s body should only touched by her husband and then, only for the sake of procreation.
Upon realizing she could no longer provide her own husband with any more children, Adrienne’s mother had promptly taken herself out of Sir William St. John’s household and retired to the New World to practice her faith without hindrance. Adrienne’s father hadn’t seemed all that heartbroken when her mother left and quite frequently had numerous mistresses, though legally under English law, her parents were still wed.
The thing that made no sense however was that Adrienne had always been told what a man did to a woman was unpleasant; something a woman must endure. What had taken place between her and Nicolai hadn’t been unpleasant at all. In fact, she recalled that it had been quite pleasurable. Her body heated at the memory. Surely if just touching her there had felt good, perhaps her mother and her father’s housekeeper were wrong about the rest of the information they’d given her as well? It bore consideration.
At any rate, she had bigger problems on hand. Nicolai had said they’d make Nassau in a week’s time. She needed to decide if she wanted to send word to her father that she was safe and had survived the shipwreck.
Doing so would certainly lead to her retrieval and subsequent passage to Charleston where she’d be forced to marry a man she knew nothing about.
Nassau was a known pirate port and was touted to be rough and unruly, however she couldn’t deny the allure of freedom it presented. Should she decide to allow her family to believe she’d been lost at sea, such freedom would make it possible to start a life for herself in the Caribbean or any place else for that matter. She could catch passage on a ship to anywhere in the world if she desired.
If that were what she decided to do, she’d have to find a way to live without resorting to prostitution as a means of support. She could find work and save as much coin as possible before determining where she would like to go in the future. But what kind of work would be available to her?
Adrienne was well aware she had no real marketable skills outside of reading and writing. Mayhap, she could find work as a tutor? Nassau was bound to have children who were in need of educating.
The only way she’d know for sure which direction she should take would be to wait until they reached port. If she couldn’t find work quickly, she’d write to her father and attempt to beg him to allow her to return to Bombay, rather than exiling her into marriage in the Carolinas.
Perhaps he’d be so overjoyed to learn she’d survived that he’d realize he wanted her home with him where he could be assured of her safety. She brightened at the possibility.
Yes, that’s exactly what she’d do. She would determine whether or not she could find work as an instructor or tutor. If that fell through, she’d throw herself on her father’s mercy and play upon his guilt that he’d nearly sent his only child to a watery grave.
Nicolai avoided his cabin like the plague for the rest of the day as he readied the ship for departure. He’d made sure his guest’s needs were attended, sending food and fresh water to his quarters twice already. He imagined Miss St. John was going a little stir crazy though, cooped up as she was. Nicolai motioned to his quartermaster.
“Have Damon or yourself even, bring Miss St. John on deck for a brief walk. She must be tired of staring at those four walls by now and in dire need of fresh air.”
“Aye, sir. I’ll escort her myself. Damon is busy charting our course,” Cooper said.
Nicolai nodded. “That’ll be all. Be sure to behave yourself.”
Cooper’s answering smirk caused Nicolai to chuckle. His quartermaster was in for a big surprise if he thought Adrienne would be compliant to his charm. The woman was feisty as well as protective of her virtue. No doubt Cooper would come away from the encounter with a dashed ego.
A few minutes later, he
spied the pair emerging from below deck. Adrienne was wearing one of the other gowns he’d given her. This one was a silken sea green creation that was trimmed with ivory lace at the bodice, sleeves, and hemline.
She looked angelic and Nicolai noted at the way all of the men had ceased their tasks of reattaching the main sail in order to watch her as she passed by on Cooper’s arm.
Her turquoise eyes shifted to Nicolai’s and he gave her a curt nod in acknowledgement though she turned her face away from him in response. He couldn’t help the quirk of his lips as she walked by him, nose in the air.
The little minx was still in a huff over their morning adventure, it seemed. He was perfectly content to allow her to remain that way. It suited the purpose of keeping her away from him.
He’d renewed his vow to bunk with the men while she used his quarters. He didn’t like it, but a few nights in a hammock surrounded by snoring, soddenly drunk crewmembers wouldn’t kill him. He’d most definitely slept in worse places. He also resolved to limit his rum intake in order to prevent any more drunken escapades to his own cabin in the middle of the night.
“She’s a beauty, that one.” Damon said appreciatively upon approaching. “Probably the finest treasure we’ve ever encountered.”
“Beware,” Nicolai warned. “She has sharp edges and a sharper tongue.”
His sailing master lifted a shoulder indifferently. “Perhaps she just needs the right man to blunt both.”
Nicolai rolled his eyes. Bringing her out of the cabin may not have been the smartest of ideas. It seemed no one was immune to Miss St. John’s beauty. He could still hear the excited chattering of his men and turned to glare at the ones nearby.
“Don’t you all have work to do?” He challenged. The chatter stopped instantly as the men dropped their attention back to their tasks.
“You seem a little possessive of the lady, Captain,” Damon said, a wry smile covering his face.
“Hmph,” Nicolai grunted. “Not in the least. I’ve only promised that she will remain as untouched as she was when we found her. I intend to keep that promise.”
Damon leaned in, keeping his voice low. “So those cries of pleasure early this morning were from another woman you’ve managed to stash away from the rest of us?”
Nicolai was aware that while the rest of the crew were too far from the sleeping quarters of himself and his officers, both the quartermaster and the sailing master were close enough that they would have very easily heard what had transpired earlier between Adrienne and himself. The fact that both men called him on it at the first opportunity was a testament to how thin the walls were that separated them.
“I assure you, she’s only slightly less virtuous than she was when we took her onboard,” Nicolai stated. “And she’s betrothed. I’m not one to poach another man’s territory.”
Damon laughed. “For a piece of that delectable ass, I’d happily steal this catch out from under her suitor.”
“Watch yourself, Calhoun,” Nicolai growled.
His sailing master nodded knowingly. “Just as I thought. You’re already claiming her.”
“Isn’t there something else you should be doing?” Nicolai asked. “Aside from harassing me as I navigate us home?”
“Nothing quite as entertaining, I can assure you,” Damon said as he clapped Nicolai on the back and left him peace.
Chapter 4
Nicolai was ready to tear the heads off his crew by the time they arrived in Nassau. The last week had been nothing short of hell as he’d watched each of the men become enchanted by Miss St. John, one by one. It was ridiculous to see grown men vie for her favor and attention.
What started out as lust filled glances and bawdy comments when she’d first began her daily strolls on deck, quickly turned to terms of endearment and gentle handling of the ship’s only female occupant. She now moved freely among them, stopping here and there to exchange pleasantries with those she encountered.
Before his very eyes, his group of rough, rugged pirates metamorphosed into gentleman who respected the presence of a lady in their midst. Some had even gone so far as to start practicing proper hygiene, which he couldn’t really say was a bad thing, as he was having to share the galley with the stinking lot every evening. At least she inspired the pirates to wash up more frequently. He supposed upon arriving in Nassau, she’d have garnered at least a dozen proposals of matrimony from his crew.
He, however, remained as far from Adrienne as possible, even going so far as to have a man sent to his quarters when he was in need of fresh clothing or other toiletries. Miss St. John played her own role in their game of avoidance by refusing to acknowledge him whenever they encountered one another on deck.
She did not extend the same treatment to his officers, however and was often found looking over the sailing master’s shoulder as he consulted maps and charts.
Damon, in turn, would patiently explain to the woman how to read the navigational materials and tools, causing Nicolai to roll his eyes so hard and so frequently, he feared they’d stick in a backwards position.
Miss St. John had also been begging his quartermaster for lessons with a cutlass, claiming she had always wanted to learn how to wield the weapon.
He’d drawn Cooper aside and on threat of death, forbid him from teaching the woman any such defense skills. The last thing he needed was an armed and dangerous female to contend with.
Hearing her joyful exclamation of “Land, Ho!” from high above him had Nicolai threatening to whip the skin from the watchman’s back if he allowed the woman up in the crow’s nest again.
He watched with rapt disapproval when others on the crew began to give her lessons on raising and lowering the sails, as it seemed no one was heeding his warnings of staying clear of Miss. St. John. She was too tempting, too distracting, and seeing her smile or hearing her laugh seemed to be the only task his men cared about these days.
When he’d caught the cook setting aside choice pieces of meats and using resources to make creative desserts, Nicolai had nearly thrown the man overboard. Not because he begrudged the woman creature comforts or because they couldn’t spare the extra rations of things like spices, sugar, flour, and vanilla; but because every time he witnessed a member of his crew make special considerations for their guest, jealousy would surge up so fierce and consuming that he’d nearly go blind from it. He did not enjoy the emotions she wrought in him. Not one bit.
By the time the ship glided into port at the end of the week, he was more than ready to be off of it and rid of the maddening female, fully understanding now why her father had shipped her half way around the globe. Nicolai surmised that the moon wouldn’t be sufficient distance between he and Miss St. John.
He, Cooper, and Damon handed out coin to the crew as they filed past them on to the gangplank, which led to the pier below. They’d made sure to triple the pay for this excursion because of the length as well as the bounty of the journey.
Nicolai didn’t miss the raised eyebrows of his officers when Miss St. John breezed by them under her own steam and traipsed- it was the only word he could think of that suited- down the gangplank behind the men without so much as a farewell or word of gratitude for getting her to port safely. She appeared neither worried nor afraid of what she might meet upon arrival in Nassau.
Cutting his eyes to his sailing master and quartermaster, Nicolai shook his head.
“Make sure someone follows her and keep her out of trouble,” he ordered. “She has no idea what she’s getting herself into heading into the city alone and unchaperoned.”
“Also,” he added, “secure a room for her at the Gentry and see that she somehow gets routed to it before dark.” He doled out extra coins to pay for the accommodations as well as the meals she would require.
“Aye, sir.” Cooper said, pocketing the money while Damon nodded. Both men accepted their pay before they set off to follow behind the woman at a distance.
One could only hope she’d make for the nearest pos
t and contact her family regarding her survival, but by the stubborn tilt of her chin, Nicolai somehow doubted she was going to do just that.
Because he’d kept himself away from her, he was unaware of her plans. Perhaps he should have at least made an attempt to figure out what she would do upon her arrival but that would have meant conversing with her and negate his determination to keep distance between them. But, watching her disembark into the wild streets of Nassau, some niggling sense of honor had made him instruct his two most trusted officers with her safety. If she wouldn’t contact her family, he’d at the very least make sure she had a safe place to sleep and food to eat until she came to her senses.
Leaving the ship, he gave instructions for the remaining crew to unload their plunder, taking it to the merchant for sale and then arranged to have his belongings, including his own private share of their booty, sent to his house.
He’d been gone so long that it seemed the city had sprung up during his absence, but then, Nassau was a refuge for pirates and the like who were looking to evade English law. As a result, both the structure of the town and the population were growing at a fast rate.
Though the Crown did own the island, bribes to the out-posting officers as well as the occasional visiting nobility saw that the inhabitants who called Nassau home were generally left to their own devices. Those devices tended to manifest themselves as brothels and taverns, though a few were legitimate businesses as well. Some of the criminals, who found themselves in the Caribbean town, did so with the intention of starting over. To those, Nicolai gave credit because it was difficult to stay honest in a town full of career thieves and mercenaries.
The various captains of the ships, which called this port home, maintained the unofficial law here. Each captain was lord over his own crew, but they had been known to call a tribunal of the ship leaders when multiple men were found to be in offense of others. All that said, it was for the most part, lawless. Thievery and murder were every day occurrences.
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