by Marie Hall
“Aye, only my husband puts me in chains and ties me up with ropes,” Mia replied knowing one was a complaint and the other praise. She yelped when Devin dropped his arm and delivered a smack to her stern.
“Careful pirate,” he said as he squeezed her left ass cheek. Mia pressed her lips together to stop the moan, but then her eyes caught sight of yet a third ship being shoved into the docks.
“Captain,” she said and pointed. “Someone better call out or those ships are going to collide.”
“God save us,” Devin swore and headed for the bow, “Look ahead and haul back,” he yelled and pointed to where the two ships were about to collide. “Haul back,” he yelled again, and Mia saw the men at the docks who’d been loosely holding the lines start looking at what was about to happen. They snapped to and soon ten men were on the lines pulling aft on the ship. The ship hit the docks but continued forward towards the ship in front. More men grabbed the lines and pulled.
“Heave, men,” one man called out. Mia assumed that was the dock master. “Heave.” And with a groan the ship came to a stop, its stem almost touching the stern on the other ship on which the crew were, standing and yelling curses at both the dock crew and the ship’s captain.
Mia breathed a sigh of relief, turned to the man at their helm and yelled, “Don’t be like them, Lieutenant. Bad sailors the lot of them.” The warning made the entire crew of the Iron Rose laugh.
They laughed more when Coventon snapped to attention, tossed her a salute, and yelled back, “Aye, aye, Mrs. Captain.”
“Mrs. Captain,” Mia pondered out loud as Devin came back to her. “I could like that.”
“I couldn’t,” he growled, then shook his head and resumed his place at her side. “They almost put that stem right up the stern,” he complained, and Mia wondered if he was too accustomed to the smooth way the ports were handled in the Caribbean.
“Not at all pleasant to have happen when its two ships, but,” Mia lowered her voice and set her hand on his chest, “I think we might show them how that’s properly done.” She didn’t miss the wry smile on his face.
A few minutes later their ship bumped against the docks and came to a standstill. The anchor was dropped and mooring lines tossed out. Devin waited until the last line was tied off before turning to look over the ship and crew. “Welcome home men. God kept us and saved us.”
The crew turned to face him saluted and then broke into cheers. Cups of rum were passed around and the men congratulated each other. Shouts about their good captain rang out and then the bell sounded and everyone turned to see Mr. Quiggly with his hand on the rope. “Our Captain,” the man said and raised a cup. “But also our heart—Mia.”
“Our heart—Mia,” the crew called out and raised their cups.
“Oh,” Mia gasped.
“It’s a little late for mutiny, Mia,” Devin teased as he retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. “Unless you plan to commandeer my ship and run back to Cartagena.”
Mia dabbed her eyes and shook her head. Becoming part of the crew took effort and she wasn’t always certain she gained their acceptance. Now, though, she knew. “Mr. Quiggly,” Mia called and snagging the old seadog, tossed her arms around his neck. “You gibfaced flapdoodle. I think I might love you.”
“Ah missus,” the man said, patting her back. “It was good sport having you on board, but I don’t have the captain’s fortitude to take your love.”
Mia pulled back and gasped then along with her husband and anyone close enough to hear the exchange burst out laughing.
“Shall we go ashore, Mrs. Winthrop?” Devin asked, holding out his arm.
“Aye, Captain Winthrop,” Mia said, hooking her arm through his and taking the first steps in this leg of the journey.
Chapter 2
Devin shifted and cleared his throat. Far more people were here to see his ship come in than he’d ever thought would be. A good number of high ranking officials including the very new Lord High Admiral His Royal Highness Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence, and the Vice Admiral James Saumarez, first Baron de Saumarez were there. That they greeted him and his crew right on the docks was astounding. They seemed to think his taking of the pirate ship and its crew and revealing that a gang of pirates were posing as common ship captains to get control of ships they could then terrorize and rob was some great feat.
Devin knew though only because Mia told him that it wasn’t one ship and one crew. He passed those concerns on to those who stood there outranking him. They simply said knowing how it was being done would eventually bring a stop to it. He managed not to tell them they should have asked his wife how it was being done. And heed her warning it wasn’t going to be so easy to stop.
Devin leaned back letting the conversation about future plans and possible commission roll past as he searched the crowd for Mia. He spotted her standing with several of the ship’s topmen and those men’s families talking and laughing. Looking at the crowd, he didn’t miss the appreciative looks his wife got from other men and the heated glares she got from the ladies. Yes, his wife was beautiful, but she was so much more. How he got so lucky as to be chosen for her he didn’t know, and he didn’t question. He had her now and nothing was going to take her from him.
“Yes, the reception will be at nine o’clock,” Devin heard the admiral say as he turned his attention back to the group. “You’ll be an honored guest, Captain.”
Devin cleared his throat and fought down the flush that rose up. “I can’t say I deserve such accolades. My crew is most assuredly responsible for our success.”
“As is your young wife, we understand,” another Captain, Fallbrook, Devin thought his name to be, said as he stepped up. There was something of a challenge in his manner and tone.
“Aye, Mrs. Winthrop was remarkably useful aboard. She saved our necks more than once,” Devin said easily and watched the man’s eyes flare wide in surprise. Either because Devin admitted such without hesitation or that it might possibly be true. “Most of my crew would have been lost to sharks if not for Mia’s fast thinking and actions,” Devin went on. “Isn’t that correct, Lieutenant?” he directed the question to Coventon who stepped beside him, shoulder to shoulder.
“Yes, Captain. Mrs. Winthrop was most invaluable that day. I have the scar to prove it.” He tapped his leg with the cane he still used. “But you’ll excuse me now. I have command this night,” Coventon said and made his way back onboard, leaving Devin envious of his ability to escape this surge of people.
“Good heaven,” another officer breathed. “Are you going to make us wait to meet this fine woman until tonight then?”
“No, I can introduce you now if you like,” Devin said and again leaned back to spy Mia. Only she was gone from where he’d last spotted her. “I’m sure she’s close.” Devin said, even as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
The scream that rent the air wasn’t Mia’s, but it was no less as chilling. The crowd on the docks began rumbling. Devin headed towards the spot Mia was last seen, asking several of the crew as he passed if they’d seen her. They all pointed him farther down the docks. Towards the ships that nearly collided.
“Help me, help me,” Devin heard a woman calling. “Thomas, Thomas. Someone help me.”
“Madam,” Devin yelled at the near hysterical woman when he reached her. “What is it?” Devin couldn’t say why, but he had a feeling the woman and Mia were connected somehow.
“My son, he’s three. He was right here and… and…” She began to wail but she also pointed to a very old man sitting against some rocks.
“Do you know something, man?” Devin asked.
The man spat on the ground, sat back and stroked his long beard. “Both them went in the water. Too late now. Tide’ll wash them out. Back to the sea they go.”
Devin spun around and stepped to the edge of the dock. He could see no one in the water. “Madam,” Devin yelled as he grabbed the woman and shook her. “Where was your son
when you last saw him? Where was he exactly?” The woman sniffed and pointed to the dock edge where the ship anchored there was perhaps a foot out. Enough space for a small child to fall between. But as he watched, the wave carried the ship out another two feet before slamming it back in and washing water up through the cracks of the planks of the docks. “Mia,” Devin yelled. “Mia.” He moved to the ship and though futile he pushed at the hull. “Mia.” She might have swum under the ship. If she did, she may have gotten hung on the keel. “Mia.”
“Devin.”
He spun around and looked over the crowd again. Had he heard her? “Mia?”
“De—”
Damn it, yes, he heard her, but he couldn’t locate her. He needed to listen. But the crowd was getting louder as a man of some prominence was now standing by the woman whose son was missing. He strained to hear her call him, but then he thought he heard crying. The crying of a small child maybe. “Mia?” He looked around again.
“Devin.”
That was her and she sounded scared. “Mia?” he looked around, pushed people out of the way. He needed to hear where she was calling from. The waves came up again soaking his feet causing some of the people to push back, but they were being too loud. “Shut up,” he ordered. “Shut up. Be quiet.” No one listened.
“Captain?” Mr. Asher, Mr. Brinks and Mr. Wilshire stepped up.
“Devin.”
“Mrs. Winthrop?” Asher called as he too started searching the crowd for her.
“Shut them up. Everyone shut your mouths. Be quiet,” Devin yelled and straight away more of his crew gathered and started hushing the crowd.
“Dev—” she called then was gone. “Devin?”
“Mia?” she sounded rather close. He stepped again towards the ship. Was she on the other side?
“Devin, we’re here. We’re here. Help us. Hel—” The waves washed up and washed out Mia’s call for help. She had to be in the water, but where?
He tried now to look between the ship and the dock. But the ship was pressing up firmly. “Quiet. Everyone be quiet and still,” he ordered and this time most complied. It wasn’t her voice he heard next; it was a pounding. Someone banging on the dock. Banging on it from underneath it. “Mia?” He homed in on the sound. “Mia?” the wave washed out and it took his guts with it.
“Devin, we’re here, help us,” Mia cried and pounded again on the planks. “Devin, the tide, the ti—”
“Mia, hold on I’m coming.” He stood and pulled his jacket off. He could go in and lead them out.
“Captain, no you can’t. She’s trapped,” Mr. Brinks said. “Both ends of the supports are solid rocks. She’s trapped between them and the ship.”
“Get the ship out of the way. Pull the ship back,” Devin heard a man yell, but that would take too long. The waves washed out then back in this time before Mia could call out.
“No. Get a pry, an axe,” Devin yelled, and someone passed the request to the very ship trapping his wife, and he assumed the child, in the water.
“Captain,” Asher called, holding out one of the axes he carried.
Devin waited until the waves rolled back. “Mia, move port—port Mia,” he warned then with a nod he and Mr. Asher raised the axes high and brought them down. But it was no lightweight wood dock they hacked at. These boards were meant to hold tons of cargo.
“Hurry, Devin,” Mia called, and he heard her cough and choke. Another wave came in.
The axe next to Devin’s hit especially hard and Devin looked to see Grim had taken over for Asher. “Hurry, Grim,” Devin urged and lifted his axe again. “Hurry man, smash it.”
Two more strikes and Grim’s axe broke through. He kept chopping away, opening the space wider. Pries were held out. He and Devin both tossed the axes aside to get down and work the boards loose. As soon as the hole was big enough the boy’s head was pushed through. He gasped, coughed, and cried. Mr. Asher grabbed a fist full of his clothes, but the hole wasn’t large enough to pull the boy through.
Looking down, Devin could see Mia was holding the child up at her own peril. The wave washed out and Mia’s face appeared. She sucked in a breath and that was all she could do before the waves came in again. “Grim, cut through there,” Devin pointed. Mia’s head and body were at this hole. He’d have Grim start opening wide from a few feet down.
The man lifted the axe and brought it down with force enough to shake the ground. Two more swings of the same strength and the boards fell away. Asher pulled the child through so Mia could reach up and get air. But she didn’t surface. “Mia?” Devin screamed reaching down into the dark waters and searching blindly for her. Nothing, he was about to stand and go in when he felt the tug on his sleeve, then he felt her take hold and he did the same lifting as others stepped up to help him pull her up.
Mia was pulled out and dropped on the dock face down. Still as death. Devin rolled over her, straddled her, and setting his hands on her back, shoved upward. Once, twice and with the third push, Mia coughed up water and gasped for breath. She coughed violently for a long while before taking a first full breath.
“Mia?” Devin rolled off and lifted her into his arms. “Mia, are you all right?”
“Aye,” she managed, coughing again. A collective sigh was released by all the witnesses. Devin helped her sit up as she tried to look around. “The boy?”
“He’s out. You saved him,” Devin said holding her closer and patting her back while she tried to take a deeper breath. She was hampered in the effort.
“I hate corsets,” she said then her face crunched up. “And I hate England,” she wailed then turned her face against him and sobbed.
“I’ll book us passage straight back to Jamaica right now, Mia,” Devin said, relieved when she stopped crying to look at him.
“No you won’t.” She sniffed and used her soaking wet sleeve to wipe her face. “It’s so cold, Devin,” she told him even as she began to shiver violently. Whether from shock or the cold winter water, he didn’t know, but he needed to get her dry and warm. He stood then dragged her to her feet before lifting her into his arms. But he wasn’t sure where to take her. Back to the ship could be best, but he didn’t have the means to dry and warm her fast enough. Everything was packed and stowed.
“This way, Captain,” the vice admiral said, turning him towards the street. “Someone’s gone ahead to see a room is waiting.”
“Here, Mia,” Mr. Asher stepped up and dropped a blanket over her.
Devin was led up to a cab and placed inside. The driver was ordered to take him to the hotel that was booked for him for the week. The vehicle lurched forward, and Mia started sobbing again. “It’s so cold, Devin,” she said and placed her hand on his arm. Her fingers were blue. So were her lips.
“Let’s get out of all this.” He yanked the strings on her bonnet which lay against her shoulder rather than on her head. He let it fall to the floor. Her cloak followed then he turned her and pulled the buttons loose, not caring that the dress tore with his haste. Mia pulled her arms free then putting her hands on his shoulders, stood enough that he could tug the dress down. It landed in a sodden puddle at her feet and she stepped free and kicked it away. Mia spun around put her hands on the opposite wall and looked over her shoulder.
“Get it off me, Captain,” she cried, and Devin pulled the small knife and cut through the laces of the corset. It fell away, and Mia sucked in a deep breath.
That little bit of air gave rise to color though she still shook, and her teeth banged together loudly. “Off with it,” Devin said as he lifted her foot and pulled off the slipper and stocking. She was still sitting there when he lifted the next. “Out of the shift, Mia.”
“Devin, I’ll be naked,” she said through her chattering
“Yes, that is what you’ll be. It’s that or frozen. Now off with it.” He saw her hesitate then lift up so she wasn’t sitting on it and he pulled the shift over her head. She tossed it down with a dramatic sigh and before crossing her arms over her b
reasts he caught a view of those dark nipples standing straight up. “Here now,” he said trying not to laugh as his relief finally caught up to him. “Wrap up in this.” He shook out the blanket and spread it open over his lap. Mia moved into his arms and he folded the ends over and began rubbing her. “Better?” he asked as she was able to keep her teeth from knocking together.
“Aye, only…” She leaned against him. “Only when I dreamed about being naked in a coach with you. This wasn’t what I had in mind.”
“God save me Mia,” Devin yelled then burst out laughing and pulled her in tight. “God save me.”
Chapter 3
Mia sank lower in the tub of warm water and watched Devin move to stoke the fire in the large suite of rooms they’d been given until they could find a more permanent residence near the academy. The maid in her stiff dress and severe white apron added more water, barely keeping it in the tub as she couldn’t stop staring at Devin.
“Thank you, miss,” Mia said softly at first hoping the woman would leave. “Miss, I’ve already been nearly drowned once today,” Mia said knowing her tone was sharp, but the woman wouldn’t stop staring at her husband.
“Mia?” Devin stood and turned. “Are you all right?”
“Aye, Captain,” she said then tried to indicate the woman standing beside the tub. “I think I’ve enough water, though.” Again, she tried to discreetly tell him she wanted the drooling maid out. Man that he was, he was so busy looking at his wife naked in the water he was slow to understand her meaning. However, seeing his eyes only on his wife, the maid quickly understood Devin wasn’t open to a tumble.
“Are you warming?” he asked, stepping up and dipping his fingers in the water, and without looking at the maid, “That will be all, thank you.”
“Yes sir,” she said and set the bucket down. “Would you like me to set out your dress?”