A Pirate's Tantalizing Passion (Historical Regency Romance)

by Lucy Langton

  Stepping out from behind the curtain, Captain Maidus turned to greet her. He gave her a pleasant smile as he looked her over, and Maria felt a bit of relief when his eyes didn’t reflect lustful feelings.

  “Even in a simple maid’s gown, you are still absolutely beautiful,” Captain Maidus said as he pulled out a chair at the table. Maria gave him a small smile as she allowed him to seat her, but she didn’t dare respond to his comment. She wasn’t about to lead the Captain on and give him a false impression of herself. But she also didn’t dare offend or anger him. So, Maria decided to do what she often did best when faced with a gentleman she wasn’t interested in. She would be polite, but aloof.

  “So, tell me, Miss Maria. Whom did you know in London during this past Season?” the Captain asked, pouring her a glass of wine that Maria simply glanced at. When the Captain was finished giving her a healthy portion of wine, Maria simply took the glass cup and took a small sip, not wanting to appear rude.

  “My best friend is Miss Charlotte O’Hare. Now, Lady Morgan,” Maria said, watching as the Captain cut into his Cornish hen. Maria turned her eyes towards her own plate, her mouth watering as she looked at her own Cornish hen, which appeared to be cooked to perfection. It was the first portion of meat she’d been allowed to eat that hadn’t been salted or boiled to complete nothingness. As she cut a bite and placed it carefully in her mouth, Maria fought hard against the urge to sigh in delight.

  “Ah, I knew of Lord Morgan. I met him at a ball during last year’s Season. He seemed quite boring to me,” the Captain responded, before plopping a chunk of carrot into his mouth.

  “I can’t imagine any host allowing a pirate into their ball,” Maria said, eyeing the Captain suspiciously.

  Captain Maidus laughed before taking a long drink of his wine. “That is because the Ton did not realise I was a pirate. You see, pirates are masters of the art of disguise. I’ve even dressed as a woman to effectively pass by guards who might be on the lookout for a pirate Captain,” he explained. He laughed again when Maria looked at him with wide eyes, trying to picture the Captain in a gown. “It is true, I’m afraid.”

  “So, who were you pretending to be when you met Lord Morgan?” Maria asked, turning her attention back to her dinner plate. If she was going to have to deal with being alone with the Captain, talking idly, she was going to at least get a full belly in return.

  “I introduced myself as Lord Andros. The name sounded foreign enough that it would explain the darkness of my tanned skin, and after acquiring some friends in very high places, I was able to acquire invitations to every ball and dinner party that I desired,” Captain Maidus said, watching Maria carefully. He was enjoying this little game of cat and mouse. He would lure her in with his tales, and perhaps later he’d dine on her luscious lips.

  “And pray tell, Captain Maidus. How did a man like you gain friends who would have that sort of influence during a Season?” Maria asked next, trying to catch him in some sort of lie. She understood very well that dinner party and ball invitations weren’t handed out to the public like pamphlets. It was like being a part of a secret society where only true members got a lucky ticket to the ball.

  “Gaming halls,” Captain Maidus said, completely surprising Maria. “I’m quite lucky at playing cards, and after I won very large fortunes from a few certain gentlemen of elite status, I then used that leverage to gain access to almost every part of the city. One man, an admiral, even forged privateer papers for me so I could lead my ship safely to English shores.”

  Maria couldn’t help shaking her head at Captain Maidus as she continued eating. She thought how devious Captain Maidus was and how she couldn’t wait to flee this ship in order to be as far away from the man as possible. But if he was able to gain access to some of the most secure homes in London, would there ever be a place in the world where she’d be safe from the pirate Captain? For now, Maria pushed those thoughts away as she took another sip of her wine. First, she’d have to escape in order to worry about Captain Maidus ever finding her again.

  “I can’t help but be curious about the certain gentlemen you swindled. Care to share their names?” Maria asked next, always wanting to know a bit of gossip.

  Captain Maidus smiled at her, a bit surprised by her question. He wouldn’t have expected a lady to ask such a thing. He’d almost forgotten how indecisive young ladies of England could be. “Admiral Reed was the man in uniform I blackmailed. Lord Rogers was an older gentleman I convinced to let me take his young daughter to dinner. That was an enjoyable night.” Maria crinkled her nose at him, thinking how terrible that particular bit sounded. “Lord Marcus simply paid me to go away, and Lord Crawford signed his entire fortune to me when I beat him again and again at the card tables.”

  Maria’s eyes widened as she set down her fork and knife, locking eyes with the Captain. “Lord Crawford? Lord Fitzwilliam Crawford?” Maria asked, praying she’d heard the man wrong.

  “Why yes, Miss Maria. Do you know Lord Crawford? I would have presumed by this past Season no one would know of the man considering the fact that he’s now penniless,” Captain Maidus said, loving the way the young lady reacted with shock and awe. He loved to cause surprised reactions in young ladies. There was something about the way their eyes grew large that always caused his ardor to rise.

  “I’m quite familiar with the man, yes. He and my brother are rather close,” Maria said, turning her eyes back to her plate. Did her brother know that Lord Crawford had lost everything at the gaming halls? Surely not, if he’d allowed the man anywhere near her.

  “Well, I’m sure that won’t last for much longer. No one wants to be friends with a poor Earl,” Captain Maidus reasoned, finishing the last bits of vegetables from his plate.

  Though Maria had thoroughly enjoyed the meal, she couldn’t help thinking about Lord Crawford and if the Captain’s words held any truth. Though the truth did not matter at this moment since she had no way to warn her family of such things, she couldn’t help but wonder.

  “Did you enjoy yourself?” Captain Maidus asked, bringing Maria’s attention back to him. She wiped her mouth on a napkin and set it upon her plate, almost forgetting she was on a ship instead of in a dining room. She felt the sway of the ship again and heard a crack of thunder overhead, reminding her of her present situation.

  “The dinner was quite lovely, Captain. I had no idea Marvin could actually cook,” Maria admitted. The Captain laughed at this, sliding away his own clean plate as he picked up his wine glass and drained the rest of the contents.

  “I will say, Marvin’s dishes have been quite flavorful lately. I hear that’s thanks to you,” Captain Maidus said, gesturing towards her with his glass before setting it aside.

  Maria smiled as she thought about working with Marvin and getting to use the spices in his dishes. “I was simply experimenting when I was assigned to work with Marvin in the kitchen. I figured it couldn’t make anything worse,” Maria said with a chuckle.

  “Indeed, Marvin isn’t the best cook, but there are a few things he does well,” Captain Maidus agreed.

  Maria stood then, knowing that the meal had come to its completion and there could certainly be no more idle talk. She’d learned a good deal about Captain Maidus and his abilities to con others, and she wished to be back in her small room, even if that meant risking getting completely soaked again.

  “You don’t have to leave so soon, my dear. Surely, you’d want to finish your wine and enjoy decent company for the evening,” Captain Maidus said as he watched Maria take another step back from the table. It irritated him that she hadn’t waited to be dismissed. “I’m sure your evening company hasn’t been this thrilling,” he added, thinking of Maria having recovered from her fall in James’ quarters. He still had a sneaky suspicion about the whole situation, despite Horus’ reassurances.

  “Indeed, Captain Maidus, I’ve enjoyed myself this evening and I’m quite grateful for the delicious meal and enlightening conversation. But I’m rather t
ired and wish to rest before Horus comes in the morning to order me about,” Maria said with a small smile, trying to pacify the Captain.

  Maria felt terror run up her spine as she watched the Captain rise from his chair, his eyes narrowing at her. He did not smile as he walked to the chest of women’s clothing and pulled out a thick cloak. Then he came over to Maria and wrapped it around her shoulders, placing the hood soundly on her head before taking her chin and tilting up towards him.

  “So be it,” he said, lowering his head to hers and claiming her lips. His kiss was hungry, and Maria did her best to endure it, though she did not return his affection. She closed her eyes tightly, praying that this would be over soon. She couldn’t help but compare the way the Captain kissed her to the way James had. She remembered the passion that James’ kisses stirred within her, and in that moment she wished she was being kissed by James.

  When the Captain felt nothing in return from Maria, he broke the kiss, leaning his head back to look into her eyes. What he saw was nothing, no passion or lust. That was how he was truly able to know with a surety that she was still an innocent.

  “Goodnight, Miss Maria,” the Captain said as he turned from her.

  Maria didn’t wait another minute as she turned and almost ran from the room, pulling the cloak close around her as she tried to shield herself from the rain. In the dim light of the setting sun, Maria did her best to quickly return to her small room, focusing mostly on staying aboard the ship than fleeing quickly from the Captain.

  Once safely in her small room, she sat quickly on the floor and tossed the wet cloak aside and wrapped herself up once more in the blanket. After a few minutes she started to feel warm again and was at least happy that she now wore dry clothes. But as she sat there thinking, she prayed that the Captain wouldn’t kiss her like that again. It had been a vile experience she hoped to never repeat.

  However, the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if she should try to charm the Captain. Perhaps she could convince him to let her go or at least not sell her as a slave once the ship docked in Tripoli? But no matter which way she thought about it, she knew that keeping her distance from the man was her best hope of escaping.

  Chapter 18

  The following days thankfully brought clear weather as the Emerald sailed to the closest port off the coast of Spain. Maria quickly discovered that wearing a cotton gown wasn’t as convenient as wearing trousers and a shirt when it came to following her orders during the day. After spending a day scrubbing the deck cannons, she felt weighed down by her many layers as the sun beat down on her. It had taken speaking to Louis again about having another pair of trousers and a small shirt to be able to work more comfortably to get some new clothes. A part of her knew that she could have spoken to James about the matter, but she was doing her best to avoid him, and he seemed to be doing the same thing in return.

  Now wearing a fitting pair of trousers and a muslin shirt, she felt that she could breathe easier as she worked. Some days she was assigned to work with Marvin, and others she was assigned to scrubbing this or that. A few nights she’d be assigned to keep watch over the ship as the sun set. But no matter what task Horus gave her, she never complained, no matter how sore she became or how tired she felt from working under the sun.

  In the evening, sometimes she’d undress in the privacy of her small room and allow the evening air to cool her skin. As she looked down at her arms and legs, she could tell that she was becoming tanned. A few weeks ago, she’d been absolutely upset at her tanned skin, knowing that gentlemen preferred a fair skinned lady. But now she found it interesting to see her skin transform in this manner, making her appear more similar to those she worked alongside with than a fair maiden captured from the shores of England. All in all, Maria did her best to keep up her spirits, especially since she knew that soon the ship would dock, and she’d possibly have her opportunity to escape.

  One morning, Maria awoke to an unusual sound. She could hear people speaking all around her, as though every crew member was on deck. She rose slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she stood and stretched her arms above her head. Then she opened the door to her room and stepped out onto the deck of the wheelhouse, the sight before her stopping her in her tracks.

  It had been so long since she’d seen any land that she was completely surprised to see buildings around her. The ship had docked in the night with other large ships anchored in the harbor. The sound of people speaking came from the small town on the other side of the docks. As Maria walked to the gunwale and peered out over the town, she could see a market on the seashore with what looked like dozens of people walking about.

  As Maria’s eyes followed the dock to the ship, several long planks had been let down from the ship to allow the pirates access to the docks. She watched as the pirate crew spilled onto the docks, dressed in English navy uniforms. Maria wondered if Captain Maidus had acquired the official uniforms from the admiral he’d beat at cards. But Maria didn’t bother thinking about the matter for very long. Now was her chance to escape.

  Maria stayed upon the wheelhouse deck, kneeling next to the gunwale as she watched the pirates spill onto the dock and make their way to the market. She waited until she felt that most had left the ship before she moved from her position and started down towards the main deck. She hoped that if most of the men were on shore, then she could sneak off the ship and blend in with those at the market.

  She moved steadily, walking down the stairs and keeping her eyes open for any signs of pirates moving about. She knew she needed to remain unseen and quiet. Though her screams would have been heard by those in the market, she doubted anyone would come to her rescue upon an English ship. No, these Spaniards wouldn’t dare start a skirmish upon an English vessel and would leave her to scream. So Maria moved steadily to the ship’s main deck, looking around for anyone left aboard.

  Several pirates, dressed in navy uniforms, milled around the deck. They seemed to be talking and not assigned to any particular duties. Perhaps they’d been left behind to keep an eye on the ship while the others were away. They were standing close enough to one of the planks leading down to the dock that she knew she wouldn’t be able to easily escape that way, so she instead walked towards the kitchen, trying to appear like she was getting something to eat.

  Taking the narrow stairs down to the kitchen, she found that this space had been left unattended. She found some salted meat and headed back to the main deck, eating the food idly as she approached the gunwale to watch the market taking place below. As she stood there, her eyes continued to look over every different way she could possibly escape. Though her body felt alive with enough energy to flee, she tried to remain calm and collected so as not to draw attention to herself.

  As Maria finished her small meal and looked towards the water below, she wondered if she could simply jump over the edge and swim around the docks and reach the shore a little further down from the market. She wondered if she could use the ships in the harbor as a way to hide from any pirates as she managed to escape and begin her run as far from this town as possible. But as she looked down into the waters below, the colour of the water clear and bright in the morning sun, she knew she wouldn’t be able to jump. There was something about the water now that frightened her. Even though she knew how to swim and would be able to do so more easily in trousers than a gown, she couldn’t will herself over the gunwale and into the water far below. The thought scared her more than staying upon the pirate ship.

  “Beautiful day, isn’t it,” Captain Maidus said beside her, startling Maria to the point where she clasped her hand over her mouth to stifle her cry. Her chest rose and fell heavily as she narrowed her eyes at the Captain. She was equally as surprised by his transformation, as he had now donned an admiral’s uniform. His long hair had been pulled back to the nape of his neck, allowing him to wear the admiral’s hat as show of rank. A rapier was fastened to his waist, his fitting uniform hugging his muscular form. Maria had no diff
icult time imaging how his appearance would easily win the hearts of many young ladies. But she knew his true character and therefore wasn’t easily impressed by his appearance.

  “You frightened me,” she said, though he clearly understood her reaction. Indeed, he’d been watching her from the doorway of his private quarters, watching to see what she would attempt to do.

  “My apologies, Miss Maria. It was not my intention,” he said, turning his gaze to the shoreline. “It appears to be a decent day at the market.”