by Lucy Langton
“And sir, how do you expect me to believe a word you’ve said when you are in fact a pirate?” Maria said, trying not to smile at the cunning of her words.
“That, my dear, is where you have me wrong. I am not a pirate, but a Captain of a pirate ship. No, I am much worse than a pirate and the one you should be most worried about,” Captain Maidus said in a low voice that sent terror through her as he leaned forward to kiss her.
His pursuits were interrupted as the door was swung open, to reveal James appearing with a cup of water and a plate of food. Captain Maidus stood quickly, his face relaxing into a smile as he turned his eyes towards James.
“And the boy is still taking care of you, I see,” Captain Maidus said as James stepped into the room, his eyes moving between his Captain and Maria. He could tell that she was frightened, but he didn’t dare question his Captain in front of her.
“Yes, sir. I’ve come to bring Maria her evening rations before retiring on deck, Captain,” James said quickly. He handed Maria the cup and plate of food that she immediately started eating, happy to have something to do but be forced upon by the Captain.
“Very good, James. I simply wanted to make sure that every member of my crew was faring well, and since Miss Maria had taken a fall into the water, I wanted to ensure her health,” Captain Maidus said proudly, moving towards the open door.
He then turned his attention on Maria, his eyes narrowing on hers. “And I appreciate the pleasant conversation, Miss Maria. I shall be sure to continue our talk soon,” the Captain said before he gave James a swift nod and left the room, the sound of his footsteps sounding down the hallway until they couldn’t hear them any longer. Only then did James shut the door and turn towards Maria.
Maria finished her food quickly and drained the water, handing the utensils back to James. He held them in his hands, looking down at Maria as she simply looked away from him, her chest rising and falling quickly with her quick breaths.
“Are you okay, Maria?” James asked softly, worried about what the Captain might have said to Maria to cause such fear inside of her. He also wondered why the Captain had been so close to her on the bed.
“I’m as well as a slave can be,” Maria replied, unwilling to look at him.
His brows furrowed as he regarded her. Surely the Captain had just reassured her that he considered her one of their crew now, so he wondered why Maria would speak of herself as a slave.
Not wanting to pressure her to talk to him as she continued to look away, James placed the cup and plate in his tunic and headed towards the door again, deflated that he wouldn’t be able to enjoy another pleasant conversation with the young lady that was quickly winning over his heart.
“Goodnight, Maria,” James said over his shoulder before walking out of the room and closing the door.
When James had told her goodnight, she finally looked towards him, tears in her eyes as he shut the door. She contained her sobs until she was sure he was back on deck, only letting her tears fall then. Maria buried her face in the pillow, wishing she could wrap her arms around James and allow him to hold her as she cried. But she couldn’t deny that there had to be some truth in the Captain’s words. Why else would James take such great care of her if he didn’t have some sort of motive behind his actions? He was a pirate who showed no intention of ever changing his ways.
How many people had James kidnapped, Maria wondered as her sobs started to subside. Exhaustion was quickly coming over her and she didn’t have much energy left after she’d been scared to death by the Captain and left wondering if she should have trusted James with so many details of her life. Would he use these details against her when he took her to the slave market to sell? Maria was consumed by grief and fear as she was pulled into a deep sleep by her fatigue.
Chapter 17
The next morning, James quickly rose, hoping to have an extra moment to speak privately with Leonardo over his concerned thoughts. He’d spent half the night thinking of Maria, trying to decide how he truly felt about her. And if he did have strong emotions for her, what was he going to do about it?
James found Leonardo down in the kitchen, preparing to run the crew members their morning meal. Without saying a word, James motioned towards Leonardo, beckoning him down a small hallway that was used to hang the salted pork that made up the majority of the pirates’ meals.
“What is it, me boy?” Leonardo asked, noticing the familiar concerned look in James’ eyes. It had been a common expression when James had first started out as a real pirate instead of just a ship hand.
“I want to discuss something of great importance to me, Leonardo. As my only true friend, I need you to keep my confession a secret, and to impart on me some sort of wisdom,” James said with pleading eyes, making Leonardo worried about what James was about to tell him, but he simply nodded anyways, always being proud of the fact that he was someone his fellow crew members could rely on.
“I’ve fallen for Maria, and I cannot deny it any longer,” James started with, almost feeling lighter for admitting it aloud. “But I fear showing my feelings to her when I don’t believe the Captain when he says that she’s a part of the crew now. Never has Captain Maidus hired a maiden, and there has never been a lady pirate, only ship wenches.”
Leonardo nodded his head in agreement, knowing that what James was saying was true. “Aye, me boy. I’ve had the same fears myself. First, that you would fall in love with the beautiful woman you’d kidnapped,” Leonardo said with a wink, “And also that Captain Maidus has no intention of keeping her on once we land in Tripoli.”
James sighed, conflicted over what actions he should take next. It was even harder knowing that Maria had been unwilling to speak with him last night. Did that mean she was going to refuse to speak to him ever again?
Seeing that James was at war with his thoughts, and having seen this same thing happen to other pirates in the past, Leonardo said, “James, you are not the first pirate to fall in love with a fair maiden that has been kidnapped. Some would release the maiden because of their love. Others would abandon ship together and try to start a new life of their own. True pirates would tear out their love, knowing that such pursuits are foolish. It is not hard to imagine that Captain Maidus has plans to sell the girl or ransom her for a high profit once we reach Tripoli. He just doesn’t want to share the profits with his crew, which is not unlikely for captains to do.”
James nodded his head that hung low in defeat, knowing that what Leonardo spoke was true. Deep down inside, James knew that he was a pirate through and through. That was why so many crew members respected James - because he always followed orders and put the wants and needs of his Captain before his own. It was foolish of him to consider falling in love with Maria, that they could actually have some sort of life together. But unless he was willing to escape with Maria, he saw no way they could live a life of love.
If James helped Maria escape, she’d want to return to her homeland, back to her family. And he had no reassurance that her family would be accepting of him. They would have to run away together and make a life for themselves, but where could they go where Captain Maidus wouldn’t find them? James would be considered a deserter and would be slain by any pirates that he crossed once the word got out. And what of his family back in Tripoli? Surely, they would be shunned for his desertion as well.
There was no way in which James contemplated the matter that would allow him and Maria to live happily together. Turning his eyes back to Leonardo, he gave the man a small smile. “Thank you, my old friend. You are very wise and always know what to say,” James said, trying to regain his composure so he could focus on the mission at hand. Already the ship was sailing for the nearest port, and soon they’d have to don their disguises and prepare to gather their much-needed supplies without being recognized as pirates. Even in Spain they would be captured and hung for their crimes against Britain.
“Of course, me boy. I’m happy to have shown you the clear path forward,” Leonardo
said, though he felt for the young boy. He too had once been in love and had chosen the pirate’s life instead, never allowing him to feel love for another woman again. The pain of leaving was simply too much.
“Would you take Maria her rations from now on?” James asked, knowing it was for his own good that he stayed as far away from Maria as possible. Leonardo simply nodded his head as they two of them moved away from the small nook. James made haste in returning to the top deck, wanting to focus solely on his work so that perhaps his mind could be bothered only with getting done what needed to be done, and not wondering about the what ifs of the future.
His hopes of losing himself in his work were destroyed when he spotted Maria on the starboard side of the ship, scrubbing the deck with a mop and bucket. He was shocked to see her on deck as he quickly approached her.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?” James said to her in a soft voice as he came to her side. He hoped to not draw the attention of anyone around them, but he was genuinely concerned for her health.
“I have my orders, sir, and wouldn’t want to disobey an order from the Captain,” Maria said, not taking her eyes off the deck as she plunged her mop into the bucket of sea water and began scrubbing at a section of algae that was forming between the deck and gunwale.
“But do you feel strong enough to be doing this work?” James asked, ready to lead her back to his room if he had to. He’d do her work before his if he had to pacify Horus into keeping his mouth shut over the matter.
Maria shrugged her shoulders as she continued to scrub. “I’m sure it doesn’t matter what I feel,” Maria said. “I have my orders.”
James was becoming frustrated with her, wishing she would just tell him what had her so upset and why she’d pulled away from him so. But as he remembered Leonardo’s words, he knew that it was for the better if this was how things were going to be between them from now on.
“The Captain must have made you see that clearly when he spoke to you last night,” James said before walking away from her. If she wasn’t going to speak to him openly like she had in the past, then there was no point pursuing her any longer. Perhaps that Captain had appealed to her more than him and that was why she was acting so coldly to him now. Was that the Captain’s plan? To win her over because he saw James as competition?
James shook his head as he took his orders from Horus and got to work helping the crew adjust the sails. The plan was to make it to a small port off the coast of Spain in order to purchase new materials to finish sealing the damaged hull. For now, James only focused on his work and didn’t allow his mind to wander, even when he could still see Maria out of the corner of his eyes.
~*~
When James had walked away from her, speaking his own opinion of what had been spoken between her and the Captain, she couldn’t help but turn and watch him walk away. She was furious with him for putting her in this situation, and even more disappointed in herself for allowing her heart to be open to him. He was a pirate after all, and her only interest at this time should have been finding more ways to escape. With the ship sailing to port, her opportunity for escape could possibly be coming soon.
But as she watched James walk away, a strange pain came into her chest, causing her to raise her hand to her heart where the pain was. Maria tried to think rationally, knowing that she shouldn’t be allowing herself to feel anything for James, that the only person she could ever trust was herself. But no matter what she told herself, she couldn’t get the pain in her chest to subside.
~*~
For the first time in almost three weeks, it rained. By the time Maria had finished scrubbing algae from the main deck, she’d been soaked through from the onslaught of the storm. Finding small refuge in the small room near the wheelhouse, not being able to bring herself to return to James’ room, Maria sat with the plush blanket around her, shivering against the chill of the storm.
Maria jumped when she heard a single knock to the shanty door, thinking at first that perhaps the harrowing wind had thrown something against it. But when the sound came again, she stood and cracked open the door, seeing Horus’ dark face on the other side.
“The Captain has requested your presence,” Horus said with a sneer before turning and dashing down the stairs, no doubt in hopes of finding his own cover in the rain.
Maria shut the door again and gave a heavy sigh, wishing she could only fall into a deep slumber and hope that the storm would be through by morning. But not wanting to anger the man who held her captive, she tossed the blanket aside and stepped back into the storm, clutching onto the hull as she steadily walked down the stairs towards the Captain’s door.
The thing that scared her most about the storm wasn’t the sound of the wind, the clap of the thunder, or the fact that she was freezing from being completely soaked through. No, she was most terrified by the way the waves crashed onto the main deck, seeming to toss the ship into a tempest. And though she saw no terror in the eyes of the other pirates, she couldn’t deny that it was clinging to her. She kept picturing herself being washed off deck and into the raging sea, sure to be swallowed up this time. As the storm continued to fall around her, she fervently prayed for the first time to stay rooted on the ship and out of the dark waters below.
Making it to the Captain’s door, she knocked loudly on it with no time to spare on being ladylike. When she heard the Captain’s voice, a muddled sound against the howling wind, she took it as a sign to enter, quickly opening the door and stepping into the room in order to shut the storm out.
“Ah, Miss Maria. Won’t you care to join me for dinner?” Captain Maidus said, rising from the head of the table and coming to great her. She was surprised that no other pirates sat at the table, and as she looked quickly around the room, she realised they were alone. Her heart hammered against her chest as the Captain bowed to her. She didn’t bother with a curtsey. This wasn’t England, after all.
The Captain observed Maria for a moment as she stood up against the door, water dripping from her till a puddle began to form around her boots. He titled his head a moment, as though thinking about something.
“If I remember correctly, I might actually have something you could wear for this evening,” the Captain said, moving to the opposite side of the room where several chests laid side by side. He opened one and beckoned Maria. She had little choice but to obey as she joined him, peering into the trunk. She was surprised to find all manner of dresses, especially in the Captain’s quarters.
“You never know when you might need something,” Captain Maidus said as he took a step back to allow Maria to start looking through the pile of women’s clothing. Maria found several cotton gowns, no doubt for those who had worked on the ship in the past, but when her hand fell on silk, she couldn’t help but pull the gown closer to her. She smiled to herself as she looked at the lavender gown, thinking how nice it would be to wear it to an actual dinner party instead of one with her capturer.
“You should try it on,” Captain Maidus’ voice sounded in her ear as he leaned closer to her. She immediately pushed it away as she grabbed a plain cotton gown with several layers to accompany it.
“I’d be happy with this,” Maria said, standing and showing the Captain what she’d gathered. He simply shrugged as he pointed to a curtain behind his desk. “You can change behind there. Don’t worry, I won’t peek.”
As the Captain winked at her, she did her best not to cringe before him. The man frightened her; knowing that he held power over everyone upon the ship, and more importantly, over what would happen to her in the future. She simply nodded her head in response as she quickly moved behind the curtain, pulling it all the way closed. She took a quick look around, seeing that this was where the Captain’s bed was.
Not wanting to keep the Captain waiting, or give him time to peek at her, Maria shed her wet clothes and boots, setting them aside before she pulled on a chemise. It almost felt warm against her skin, a heavenly feeling as she then tied on a shift, followed by a pett
icoat and the gown itself. It was a feeling of familiarity as she donned the clothing, feeling protected and a little more like a woman again as she finished pulling on a pair of stockings and a dry pair of boots. The boots were a little big, but at least she was covered completely again.