The Pirate's Secret Baby

by Darlene Marshall

  "I have teaching materials in the larger trunk, Mattie. Would you help me organize them so we can prepare your lessons?"

  Mattie gave her crew a final admonishment to behave and joined Lydia in unpacking slates and chalk and books, pencils and an ink pot and some pens, and with a sigh pulled out the sewing kit for her needlework lessons.

  "Do not despair, Matttie. I know needlework is not your favorite, but wouldn't you like to make something for your father? You could embroider a handkerchief for him with his initials?"

  "Captain Papa also likes to wear a kerchief around his neck when working on deck, Miss Burke. Can I embroider a new one for him?"

  "A kerchief for your father is an excellent idea, Mattie. We will begin work on it this afternoon," Lydia said, buoyed by the resumption of instructing her favorite pupil.

  Chapter 5

  Robert examined his now sadly bare cabin and sighed. He watched Paget's efforts to lay out the service properly and took some small comfort in being able to still set a fine table. The sailor had aspirations to be in service in a grand house when he left the sea and Mr. Fuller assisted him, instructing him on what would be required of him if he became a footman.

  "That fork goes on the other side, Paget."

  "Aye, Mr. Fuller."

  Promptly at six bells there was a knock at the cabin door and Robert welcomed in Mattie, her face freshly scrubbed and her hair combed, and Miss Burke, looking her usual drab self. She was also wearing a noxious cap atop her head. He was going to have to do something about that. It was ugly enough aboard this ship now that his cabin was ransacked, and he did not intend to put up with more ugliness than was absolutely necessary. He'd picked out the sapphire satin shirt he was wearing because he knew it enhanced his eyes and had a devastating effect on susceptible women. He said nothing about her attire, but bowed over her hand.

  "So pleased you could join us this evening, Miss Burke."

  Then he took his daughter's hand, inspected the nails with a critical "Hmmmm..." that made her giggle, and kissed her hand as well.

  "So pleased you could join us this evening, Marauding Mattie."

  She giggled again and he glanced to the side to see the governess smiling down indulgently. Her starchiness did not carry over into her interactions with the child as it did with the child's father, and he was glad of it. He knew too well how easily a youngster could be warped by disapproving adults, battered by beatings and canings, made to feel worthless and not fit for civilized company. Those youngsters oftentimes ended their short lives on a rope, or if they were lucky, grew up to be pirates.

  He seated the ladies and Fuller joined them, with Paget waiting on the table assisted by Conroy. Miss Burke's eyes widened when she saw the silver dinner service and fine china.

  "Not what you expected, Miss Burke?"

  "It is certainly a change from what I experienced aboard the Clementine and on my voyage out to the islands, Captain St. Armand," she confessed. "You live quite well aboard your vessel."

  Robert shrugged. "It is my home, and naturally I wish my home to be as comfortable as possible. The fact that we're at sea makes it even more important to me to enhance my small spaces with items that stimulate the senses and enhance each moment."

  Her eyes glanced over at his bunk, the rose satin coverlet neatly tucked in, and a brush of matching color filled her cheeks. He'd spoken blandly enough, but he could tell his statement regarding "stimulating the senses" took root in her imagination.

  For a brief moment he thought about the propriety of seducing his daughter's governess. It would be so very wrong. Then he took that niggling remnant of conscience and did with it what he'd done so often over the years--metaphorically shoved it over the rail to fall deep into the ocean and not bother him again.

  "Some wine, Miss Burke?"

  She hesitated, then nodded. "A small amount, Captain."

  He poured for her while Mattie chatted with Fuller about what her dolls had been up to that afternoon, and how Miss Burke had unpacked all sorts of interesting items for her shipboard schoolroom. Fuller listened gravely, nodding when Mattie reminded him he'd promised to show her how to hone her knife for the best edge.

  Miss Burke's lips tightened as she caught the trailing edge of that conversation, then she looked at Robert. "I would like to set a schedule for Mathilde's lessons, Captain. What duties does she have aboard ship? I don't want to interfere with your routine. I understand if Mathilde is part of your crew she has obligations to the vessel as well as to her lessons with me."

  Mattie straightened up, her small shoulders back, spine straight. "You see, Papa? Miss Burke knows the importance of everyone aboard ship pitching in. I told you she was a fine governess."

  "So you did, Mattie. Let us work out our schedule this way... The mornings you will spend in your lessons with Miss Burke. After luncheon there will be a siesta period, then in the late afternoon we will have weapons. After that you will do whatever chores Mr. Fuller has assigned for you that day--in the galley or picking oakum or whatever he feels is needed--and after supper your evenings will be your own until your bedtime."

  "Will you still read to me at bedtime now that Miss Burke is here?"

  "Do you want me to read to you?"

  She nodded vigorously.

  "I like it when you read to me, Papa. You do pirate voices very well!"

  The governess's eyebrows hovered upward at the idea of the pirate reading bedtime stories to his child, but she gave a nod of her own.

  "It sounds like an excellent schedule. While I cannot fully approve of weapons practice for a young lady, I am a proponent of regular and vigorous exercise for children."

  "And what about yourself, Miss Burke. Are you a proponent of regular and vigorous exercise for adults?"

  "I am a proponent of appropriate exercise for adults as well, Captain. Of course, one is limited in the small space of a vessel. There are only so many times you can stroll around the deck without becoming dizzy from going in circles," she finished with a smile.

  He was about to say something dazzlingly witty when he paused, thrown off stride by what that smile did to the governess's face. She had a charming gap in front, "les dents du bonheur." Her "teeth of happiness" changed her as no cosmetic or fashionable attire could, rendering her approachable and attractive. She saw some of what he was thinking in his face because the smile disappeared as quickly as a flower chopped from its stem.

  "I will do my best to ensure you get all the regular and vigorous exercise you could possibly desire," he finished.

  He really was going to have to work on his "dashing rogue" smile because she seemed singularly unaffected.

  They dined on swordfish fritters and peas, a pie of crabmeat, and, for Mattie, fresh goat's milk from the four-legged crewmembers. She made a face but dutifully drank it when Mr. Fuller solemnly assured her the most bloodthirsty of the buccaneers all drank their milk as lads. The meal ended with cheeses from St. Martin and the last of the fresh bananas.

  In response to Miss Burke's question, Robert confirmed there were ample oranges and limes aboard to stave off illness.

  "If we make the passage in good time that fruit will be part of what we sell in England. Fresh fruit from the tropics can bring a good return for a businessman."

  Miss Burke paused from where she poked at her cheese. "I remember my grandfather's orangery. The fruit from those trees always seemed like little bubbles of sunshine in the winter."

  She appeared about to say more, then stopped abruptly. It was too late, for Robert's mind was already speculating on how a threadbare governess had a grandsire who could afford to maintain an orangery.

  She was silent for the rest of the meal, only responding to Mattie's queries about lessons and what was planned for the morrow. Robert studied the puzzling woman. Well spoken and well mannered, as one would expect from an English governess. Was she some gentleman's daughter fallen on hard times? There were few options for gentlewomen who did not marry, and becoming a go
verness was the most respectable of those options. Following Nanette's path did not seem like an activity suited to the lady, though with that stern demeanor he still felt she could offer specialized service in certain establishments.

  Unwrapping the mysterious package that was Miss Lydia Burke promised diversion on what could otherwise be a tedious Atlantic crossing.

  As the ladies rose so Mattie could be put to bed, Robert said, "Do not forget, Miss Burke, you wished to talk with me this evening. I will await you in my cabin."

  Her back pokered up, but before she could respond Mattie chimed in. "Papa, you said you would read to me at bedtime. That was a promise."

  "So it was, child. You get under your covers and I will be in shortly."

  After the females left, the talk revolved around ship's business until Robert thought enough time had passed. He scanned the few books in his cabin. None of them were really suitable for a child--especially the illustrated ones--but he could edit while he read.

  He entered the ladies' cabin without knocking, but regretfully did not catch Miss Burke disrobing. She was still fully clothed, sitting on her bunk.

  "Do you wish me to wait above while you read to Mattie?"

  "Oh, stay and listen with us, Miss Burke!"

  "Yes, do stay, Miss Burke."

  Robert sat on Mattie's bunk next to her. She was propped up against the bulkhead, her hands around her knees. He angled the lantern for more light, then cleared his throat.

  "I believe we left off with the story of the pirate Captain Davis, Mattie. Ah, here we are... 'Early in the morning, the man at the mast-head espied a sail. It must be observed, they keep a good lookout, for, according to their articles, he who first espies a sail, if she proves a prize, is entitled to the best pair of pistols on board, over and above his dividend...'"

  "Really, Papa?" Mattie's grew wide. "If I'm the lookout and spot a prize I will get a brace of pistols? Your best ones?"

  There was some rather obvious throat clearing from the bunk across the cabin, but he ignored it.

  "Either Mr. Fuller or I decide who shall be the lookout, Mattie. When the time comes for you to take on that task I will expect you to serve as zealously and capably as any other crewmember aboard the Prodigal Son. That will not happen until you are ready for the responsibility. Is that clear?"

  "Aye, Captain," she said, but that bottom lip jutted out. He continued reading of the exploits of Captain Davis, then closed A General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates. More tales of mayhem would wait for another evening.

  "You have a busy day tomorrow, Mattie, so I'll say goodnight."

  "Tuck me in, Papa?"

  "Always, Marauding Mattie."

  She scooted down and he tucked the covers around her, then she raised her arms for a kiss goodnight, which he gave her on each cheek.

  When he straightened, the governess was watching him with an unreadable expression, and Robert felt warmth in his own cheeks. He could kiss whomever he chose from his crew. He was the captain, after all.

  Miss Burke leaned over to kiss Mattie on the forehead, reminding him of his other reason for stepping in here this evening.

  "When you are finished, Miss Burke, report to my cabin."

  * * * *

  Lydia brushed moist palms down the skirts of her gray gown. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand, but before she could knock a voice said, "Stop dithering and come in, Miss Burke."

  She stepped over the threshold of the cabin and when he said, "Close the door," she clasped her hands before her.

  "If it is all the same to you, I would leave the door open, Captain St. Armand."

  "It is not all the same to me. Close the door."

  His back was to her as he returned his book to the railed shelf above his compact desk. His pantaloons must have been carefully tailored to give him such a close fit, the lines of his long thighs and the muscles they displayed all too evident.

  "If you are done admiring my backside, let's chat," he said, turning with a grin.

  "I am not--you cannot speak to me that way!"

  "I just spoke to you that way. It was not difficult at all. Take a seat, Miss Burke."

  Lydia sat at the table where they'd dined, and did her best to keep her face expressionless. The captain found cat-and-mouse games entertaining, did he? He was not the first charming rogue who'd crossed her path, and if she couldn't outfight him, she was confident she could outthink him.

  She relaxed, clasping her hands in her lap again, but not from nerves this time. He took his time pouring them each a glass of wine in delicate goblets that looked out of place aboard a ship at sea. The wine caught ruby glints in the soft lamplight, the same light caressing his face and form, making the satin that strained across his shoulders gleam.

  He seated himself across from her and took a sip of his own wine.

  "Now that is a vintage worth stealing. Confess, Miss Burke, you are pleased to be aboard a vessel where you have fewer concerns the food will kill you."

  "I did not come here to discuss wine, Captain St. Armand. I am here to discuss Mathilde's lessons, and then I wish to seek my bed."

  As soon as the words left her mouth she knew they'd been a mistake. One should never say "bed" in this man's proximity. It raised too many images and issues. She plowed on.

  "Mathilde has a good head for numbers and is ready to learn her multiplication, Captain. Her penmanship needs improvement, and it is not too early for her to learn some history and geography, especially since she will be moving to England. I teach by incorporating all aspects of study as a whole, using natural philosophy, mathematics, geography, history and literature together around themes, such as the ocean and travel. Since we are at sea, and since you are already sharing some of your nautical wisdom with Mattie, it only makes sense to continue along those lines. However," she added dryly, "I would prefer you keep lessons of bloodshed and mayhem to a minimum."

  "Do you believe in beating children who do not do their lessons?"

  For a moment Lydia was stunned silent. "I would never strike a child for not studying! If you think that is an effective teaching method, you have kidnapped the wrong governess!"

  She stood to leave, but he only nodded, his face serious for a change.

  "Sit down, Miss Burke. As it happens, I agree with you. I said, sit down. Please."

  He stroked his chin as he thought, those long fingers reminding her of the sensual furnishings she now enjoyed in her cabin, furs and silks once caressed by his hands.

  "That sounds like a good course of study for the child. It is hard for me to remember my own lessons from when I was her age, but I trust your judgment. I do want Mattie to learn mathematics and a range of other subjects. Too often girls' education is neglected, but someday Mattie will receive funds from me and she should know how to do more than embroider cushions."

  "That is a liberal attitude--" she paused.

  "For a pirate?"

  "I was going to say, 'for a father.' Many men are solely concerned with their daughters making a good marriage, so they wish governesses to focus only on the womanly arts and not fill their heads with what they consider 'useless booklearning.' Mattie should learn those arts as well, but rich or poor she'll need to know how to manage a household, and that takes a variety of skills."

  "Did your father want you to only learn the womanly arts, Miss Burke?"

  She sipped her wine, then looked at him. "My background is not up for discussion here."

  "If I were hiring you, I would need to know your background and get letters of reference as well."

  "If you were hiring me, I would share that information with you. You kidnapped me, Captain St. Armand."

  She rose, and he stretched his long legs out before him.

  "Miss Burke, you have an annoying habit of jumping up and trying to leave when I am talking to you. I do not wish to rise every time you do."

  "Never fear, sir, the last thing I look for in a pirate is gracious manners
."

  "Sit."

  It was his tone rather than his words that had her obeying like a well-trained spaniel.

  "Much better. You have the run of the ship, but do your best to stay out of the way of the men as they work at their tasks. Is there anything else you need for this voyage that you did not bring with you?"

  "No, I have all my supplies for teaching Mattie."

  "You and Mattie will take your meals with me, unless I say otherwise. I am up with the morning watch, so you may miss me at breakfast."

  Her face must have reflected her thoughts because he added, "No, I do not sleep until noon, at least not when I am aboard my vessel. If you find I've overslept, feel free to come into my cabin and wake me. Do not send Mattie. I sleep in the nude. You blush easily, Miss Burke."

  "I know that," she snapped, and this time when she stood, she was determined to leave. He'd have to physically restrain her to keep her here a moment longer. The idea of being restrained by this pirate only made her face heat up more, but he took pity and rose himself to open the cabin door.

  This had the unfortunate effect of bringing them too close together in the confines of his cabin, inches apart as he reached around her to open the door, brushing against her in the process. Lydia looked straight ahead, but out of the corner of her eye she saw him distracted by his own mirror as he paused to look at himself. She scurried away to her cabin, but couldn't resist one final glance back over her own shoulder. A thick lock of hair cascaded down over her ear, slipping from beneath her cap, and she made a sound of annoyance.

  The pirate stood in his doorway, watching her. He gave her a short nod and a smile before closing his own door again.

  Lydia reached up to tuck her wayward hair back under, and realized more hairpins had gone missing while she was in the pirate's cabin. He'd pretended to be distracted by his own pretty face to rob her again. She was about to pound on his door and demand he return what he'd stolen, but stopped, reminding herself to outthink, not outfight him.

  Fortunately, in a contest of wits, she was better armed than the pirate.