by Marie Hall
The thought only made him more at ease with the idea of his only remaining nephew going out as a merchant seaman. Their craft and skills and mindset wouldn’t change. The merchant ship would always be steeped in its heritage and it would always be a sure means of acquiring skills. Yes. His name sake would be well served working as one of the Wind and Pearl’s crew. But maybe not Mia’s pirate father’s crew. He’d speak to her about that.
Chapter 12
Mia led the group over to the sandy pit where a cannon was placed like a statue to decorate the grounds. Several children played there though more of them climbed over Grim than the hunk of iron. Peals of laughter rang out and Mia lifted her hand to wave at the other mothers who stood by watching.
It took her some convincing that Grim wouldn’t hurt the children in any manner, but now most barely paid attention trusting the man would be quick to pull them from trouble. Grim had little use on land, and little use for it, but his sails were always full around children. He could play with them at any age, even infants were safe in his huge hands.
Suddenly Mia couldn’t wait to have her own. The longing swelled up for the first time in her life. A child created by her and Devin. A child raised by all the wonderful people she’d been raised with.
“You are a newlywed dear, they’ll come,” the elder Mrs. Winthrop said, stepping up. “I didn’t have Richard until I was wed three years and then they came one after the other for three years.”
“Devin doesn’t speak about his childhood,” Mia said and watched Mr. Hong help a child get a kite in the air.
“It wasn’t the best of times,” she said her eyes following the bright paper as it was lifted on the winds. “His father was a bastard for many years. He and Robert were always struggling with each other.”
“You mean Devin? I hardly remember his given name is Robert, he never uses it,” Mia said, wondering why.
“It was his father’s father’s name. That man was evil. Not mean, evil. Devin is my family name,” she said dropping her eyes to her hands which she twisted together nervously. “I left him twice after he sent Robert… Devin,” she corrected, “to sea. I told him to choose his drink and his mistress, or his family. I was afraid without Devin there to focus his rages on… Richard is a good man with a strong back but his heart is soft and Ronald… he’s weak but he’s clever. They wouldn’t have been able to hold up like Devin did and knowing Devin was safe at sea didn’t mean I wanted my other children gone, too.” Mia heard a sob slip and the woman’s voice cracked. “I thought… well it doesn’t matter.”
“You thought Devin would come home eventually?” Mia said and looked to see the woman looking at her with tears.
“He never did. We didn’t hear from him. For years I spent every day at the news house waiting for the lists of the men hurt or killed. I expected to see his name. Maybe even hoped I could reason he was dead and couldn’t write or come home. As awful as it sounds, I thought it better than to have to know my own son hated me so much he wouldn’t be bothered.” She sniffed and again turned to watch the children playing. “But then the war ended, and he didn’t come home or write. I didn’t know if he was alive or dead until we saw the story in the Times of London about the hero’s welcome he received.”
“It’s customary for any of a ship’s officers to remain with the same ship throughout the commission of the ship. Devin made office some time ago, but his own captain wasn’t ready to leave service. His election to command the Iron Rose prevented him simply coming home.” Mia explained. “We’ve been ashore for almost three months. Why didn’t you come sooner? Send a letter of your own?” Mia didn’t mean to accuse. The family had been through a lot given what they said happened. But they knew three months ago Devin was home and where he was and they waited until now. When they wanted something from him?
“It took a great deal to come to this decision to send Robbie off. It’s only been fourteen months since we lost the children, then came Caroline’s death five months ago,” she trailed off and shook her head. “I don’t know how any of us are still standing.”
“That boy, right there.” Mia pointed at Robbie who Grim was helping climb a tree. “He’s how and we’ll do right by him. If he truly wishes to take to the sea…”
“He always used to ask me about his namesake. Even when he was very little. ‘Tell me grandmother, tell me.’ And oh, when I brought that paper home with the story about Devin. You should have seen him. He told everyone in the village about his hero uncle,” she said and chuckled a bit. “Boy never even met him but…”
“Well, he’ll have some time to get to know him now,” Mia said and put her arm around the woman’s shoulder. “Papa’s ship is a while out and I don’t think any of mine are due in for at least a week.”
“Oh child, we can’t impose on you so long,” Beth Winthrop said, sounding much like Devin did when she said something he found horrifying.
“Well, stay today and maybe tomorrow we’ll see where the winds head us after that,” Mia said, knowing if the boy was going to be sent away the family needed to be as close as possible for as long as possible.
“Look at him, Mother,” Ronald said, stepping up beside them with everyone else. “I haven’t seen him play so in over a year.”
“Grim can make any child laugh,” Mia said and laughed herself when Grace cried out as her son leapt from a branch into the man’s arms. The boy was barely on the ground when another boy tossed himself from the tree to be caught. A third was almost to the same branch. “Don’t worry, it’s how I started only it was the mainmast I jumped from,” Mia said then swung around and set her hand on Grace’s arm. “But don’t tell Devin, he already showed me how much he disapproves my jumping from things.” The woman’s eyes flared wide. “Don’t want to have any of that from him again.”
“Mama, Mama,” Robbie raced up and flung himself against his mother’s legs. “Did you see me? I was way up in the tree. Everyone says you have to be a good climber to be on a boat.”
“A ship,” Mia corrected, “and yes you must be able to climb like a monkey up all the masts and lines.” She watched Mr. Hong say goodbye to the mothers as Grim knelt and hugged a big group of children to him before heading towards them. “Shall we start for home?”
“We thought to take a room some place,” Mr. Winthrop said.
“Devin and I have a room, and…” She held her hand up to halt the man’s protest. “There’s much to discuss if you want the boy to go to sea.”
“Am I going on a boat, Father?” Robbie asked, and Mia heard both fear and excitement in his voice.
“Ship,” Mia corrected, “and your family must speak on it. It’s nothing to take lightly. Every member of the crew may someday be responsible for the lives of those he sails with. Only men make good sailors.”
“I’m almost a man. I can be a good sailor,” Robbie told her then maybe realized it was a boast he didn’t know if he was ready to prove.
“Well, good sailors make the best men, so let’s hope you are such,” Mia said then led them towards the large wagon Mia used to travel in so Grim wasn’t forced to walk or ride hunched up like a knotted net. There wasn’t much conversation on the ride home and Mia started to doubt their conviction in the matter as they kept the subject on the house and its furnishings even after Devin arrived home.
It was the sound of weeping that drove Mia out and down to the shore later that night and when Devin joined her to silently watch the waves rolling into the little cove, she could feel the weight of his grief.
“You couldn’t have changed things, Devin,” she said and let him pull her closer.
“I know, but I don’t even have anyone to blame. Mine accidents are so common place. I don’t have anyone to seek justice or vengeance from,” he said, referencing Mia and the commodore’s fight to find and bring to justice those responsible for the attack that left Mia’s mother and brother dead.
“It’s taken a lot of years of Papa’s time from me. It’s why I’d h
ave it done sooner than later. You don’t want to have this need for vengeance take any more time from them.”
“Are you telling me to sink it?” he asked as his face pressed into her neck and nipped at her skin.
“I only advise, Captain.”
“Such a fine first mate you make, pirate,” he said then kissed her ear.
“It’s easy with a good captain. You know, one I don’t have to go behind and retie everything after,” Mia teased and hoped he’d catch on. He did.
“Now how might we manage any of that with a house full of guests? The way you scream, you’ll scare my mother to death.” His tongue swirled around her lobe.
“I can be quiet,” Mia told him then moaned loudly when he bit down on her ear.
Devin laughed, “You can’t. I’d not want you to be. I love hearing you scream and yell and moan.” His hand worked its way down to her ass and he squeezed.
With the heavy robe she could barely feel it, still she ground against him and sighed.
“You’re wearing too many clothes, Mia mine,” Devin said then stopped her with a laugh when she pulled away and tried to pull off the offending object. “And it is too cold. Back to the house with you.”
“Ah, yes you can warm me up there,” Mia said taking his hand and hurrying back up to the house. Only when they slipped in, they found Devin’s father sitting alone in the dark of the parlor. At her urging, Devin went in and sat to talk with him. When he finally made it to bed the dark night was turning grey and she could hear weeping coming from the other bedroom. “All’s well, Captain?” she asked as he slid in against her and wrapped her in his arms.
“No, but we’re afloat and we’ve a course so perhaps soon,” Devin said and kissed her shoulder once before she heard his soft snores.
“As long as we float captain. As long as we float.”
“Mia?” Devin called as the bell over the door rang. It was Mr. Hong who stepped out. “Where’s Mrs. Winthrop?” Mr. Hong pointed back out the door and said something that sounded like ‘oo-dot’, a word Devin tried several times to master as he knew it to mean docks. But Mia’s hysterical laughter over how he pronounced the word made him give up. “Very good,” Devin said, tipped his hat, and made to leave.
“No you wait, Captain. You going dock you taking this to Mia. She forget take her,” Mr. Hong said, scrambling around the counter and putting a pistol in Devin’s hand.
“Mr. Hong,” Devin started in the tone he used when he wanted the man to understand trying to protect Mia from something at the moment would be a bad idea. “Why does my wife need to have a pistol on her?” he asked sliding the thing in his pocket.
“Oooo,” Mr. Hong started, and Devin knew the man advised her already to say something about the matter. “Mia say…” he seemed to search for the words. “Watching bad… no, no. Looking bad?” The man’s frustration showed and he rambled off for a long minute in his own language before trying again. “Bad looking at Mia. Bad, you know? Bad like with…” he said the word in Chinese, one Devin didn’t have a clue about, before he rushed around the counter and rummaged through the things there. He came up with a spyglass and raising it he looked around the room. “Looking bad Mia.”
“Someone is spying on Mia?”
“Spying, yes. Spah-eye-ing. Chin-de-et Shu-dah” Mr. Hong said, and Devin knew that last word to be yes.
He didn’t bother to question Mr. Hong. It would take too long and he would’t know much from the answers. Turning, he headed out and down to the docks where he had to dodge the huge nets being lowered and the piles of crates already stacked there. He found Mia about halfway down, standing with several men bent over one of the stacks of crates. They looked to be discussing a bill. One of the men spotted him first and tapped Mia on the arm before pointing in his direction. She paused long enough to look, smile, and wave but went back to talking with the crew. In Italian no less.
Devin stood to the side out of the way and greeted those he knew. He’d not met many of the crews. The only one he knew was the crew of the Bobbing Sally, a larger sloop that made short, fast trips around the Western European coast. And he only knew the crew because three weeks ago he’d put his entire family on the ship.
At Mia’s suggestion and with her convincing, his mother, father, both brothers, sister-in-law and nephew stepped on board and sailed to Florence. Robbie was set to work as he’d be expected to if he joined any of the ships. Mia had the rest get on board to both show the job was safe and that it was indeed honest work. She’d gotten the impression his family thought sailing to be the easy life. When they stepped off ten days later, they had a better appreciation and Robbie was jumping about asking for his next ship. The send off was teary a few days later when Mia set him on her own barque the Blue Ribbon, but it wasn’t filled with fear and grief as Devin thought it might be.
He’d made sure to tell the captain of the ship the boy needed his education and that he’d ensure his expenses until he started earning his own way. The man, a well-aged one with a cheery smile, slapped his arm and told him it wasn’t their first go at it. Devin still felt a bit of heat in his face thinking about it. He hadn’t thought he would be so protective of a boy he didn’t even know existed only a few weeks before. His family returned then to their home in South Yorkshire, though he did offer that they might think to move from the area permanently. Dock work could always be had and Ronald could maybe take a place with Mia in the office so she wasn’t alone in the work she did. Perhaps an accord with his family could be made.
“Grazie, grazie, grazie,” Mia said moving quickly to him, a smile on her face. “Devin, what brings you here?”
“The commandant sent everyone home for four days. I think they have enough troublemakers now to have the halls painted,” he said and saw Mia chuckle.
“Well they’ll have to do it on the ship, though I guess when they do it hanging off the rails it won’t seem quite the boring chore.”
“No. It’s rather a daring bit of work,” Devin agreed.
“So we have a long break?”
“Depends on what you have here,” Devin said, indicating the freight being pulled off the ships.
“It’s all going to the warehouse. The buyers aren’t coming until the end of the month.” She set her hands on his chest and leaned in. “I could be convinced to spend four days in bed with you.” She put her arms around him then dropped them lower so her fingers brushed the top of his ass.
“Mia, don’t be lewd in public,” Devin told her, but hardly did anything more to stop her when she grabbed his ass.
“Why not, you’re not worried about what people will think, are you?”
They’d had this discussion more than once but Devin thought she liked him to say it, so he said it again. “Of course, if they see how you are they’ll think I have something so wonderful and they’ll try and steal you from me.”
“Ah,” she said and set her cheek on his chest. “You think I’m wonderful.”
Sometimes she dove right into it, “Well I think they might think you’re wonderful and they won’t bother to listen when I try and tell them you’re a naughty pirate.”
“Devin,” she gasped, pulled back and slapped his arm before again stepping to lean into him. “That’s an awful thing to say,” she pouted then giggled, “Even if it’s true.” He was about to tell her he did think her wonderful even if she was a naughty pirate, or maybe because of it, but she gasped again, pulled away and patted his pocket. “Well that’s hard but in the wrong place, now isn’t it?”
“Mia,” Devin chided, then set her back and pulled the pistol from his pocket. “Mr. Hong said you forgot this.” He watched her face color a little. “Might you explain to me, Mrs. Winthrop, why you have need of a pistol if you’re no longer being harassed?”
“I’m not being harassed, Devin,” she said and when he gave her a hard look she stood with the story. “I’m not. No one has approached me.”
“Then why this? Mr. Hong said you’re being spie
d on?”
“Well, yes? Maybe?” She spun away from him took one step and turned back. “I mean, no. I don’t think so.”
“Mia?” Devin said and taking her hand started them back towards the street. “Which is it?”
“Well, I don’t know. I felt like I was being watched, but I felt that at the inn and I thought maybe Papa, but then it stopped and I thought maybe I was being foolish but then I started to feel watched around the docks, only that was the time Bennet was making trouble and it stopped after the party for a time. But then again last week I thought, I felt… watched. But again…” Mia said, her frustration showing a bit. “I told Hong Chin and Grim that maybe I’m not being watched and it’s there are so many people coming and going. It’s not like on a ship or even in the islands where we all know everyone. I was only carrying the gun because… because…”
“It’s all right, Mia,” Devin assured her. “You’re probably correct that it’s all the people coming and going. A ship is far more contained. Nothing has happened?”
“No, not a thing, I just felt… watched?”
“All right then,” he said pulling her close and rubbing her back. “Though you should have told me.”
“Aye, I’m sorry. I should have but I didn’t want to worry you with my imagination.”
Devin waved down a cab and helped Mia inside before joining her and closing the door. “Yes well, I’ll have the entire ride home to decide how to deal with you. I’ve told you how many times now, I want to be informed if something is amiss. I think you need a better lesson to help you remember.”
“Devin,” she whined a little but the shine in her eyes and the way she already squirmed on the seat told him far more.
“And I think I might know just the thing to keep you from withholding,” Devin told her and made sure she saw the way his eyes roamed her body.