When she entered Roderick's room, he was sitting up in bed, heavily bandaged and grimacing.
“Hello, Roderick,” she greeted him as she entered the room. “Oh... perhaps I should have knocked?”
For Kitt's sake, Roderick tried to crack a smile. He didn't want her to know how much pain he was in. “No, no. It's alright. I've had pirates coming in and out of my room all day, and most of them never knock.”
Kitt's eyebrow shot up. “Really? Why?”
“They've been bringing soup and checking my wounds. Who would've thought a pirate would make a decent nurse?” Roderick chuckled at the thought. “There's one man in particular... a darkish elderly man? He's actually very friendly.”
“I think you're talking about Miles. And yes, I adore him.”
“You adore a pirate?” It was Roderick's turn to look at her quizzically. “Truly?”
“Well... yes. Miles has always been a perfect gentleman. He even asked me to bring you cake!” Kitt held out the plate to him.
Roderick winced slightly when he accepted the plate from her hand. Every time he moved his arm, there was a shooting pain in his shoulder. He didn't want to complain, though—not in front of Kitt. “I'm starting to wonder if you don't harbor some secret admiration for Captain Doon as well,” he said with a sigh.
“What? Doon?” Kitt crossed her arms and shook her head. “Why would you think such a thing?”
“I see the way you look at him. You favor his company. I'm afraid you're forgetting he's actually a villain.”
“Oh, believe me, I haven't forgotten anything!” Kitt protested. “In fact, he still scares me sometimes.”
“He's certainly very... violent.” Roderick brought a large bite of cake to his lips, chewed, and swallowed. “I wish I had been your hero yesterday. Not Doon. It kills me to think that he was the one who saved you. I couldn't do anything. In fact, as I recall, you were the one saving me.”
“You were very brave, though. You blocked a blade with your hand!” Kitt reminded him. “If not for that, that blade might have pierced my neck instead. And... besides, you were unarmed, whereas Doon practically had an entire arsenal of weapons at his disposal.”
“Thanks for trying to make me feel better.” Roderick despondently stared at the cake on his plate. “Still, I wish I wouldn't have been quite so useless.”
Kitt was tempted to hug him. She wanted to throw her arms around Roderick, tell him how glad she was that they made it out safely, and how she hoped he would recover fully. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. She simply kept her relief to herself.
“Do you think we're safe here, or should I be on my guard?” Roderick asked. “I mean, we're on an airship that's practically teeming with pirates and rogues. That should probably be a cause for concern.”
“They've been polite to me so far.” Kitt shrugged as she answered the question. “Although I suppose that could change at any time.”
Roderick kept shoveling the cake into his mouth. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he even licked the fork clean. “If anyone says or does anything that makes you uncomfortable, do not hesitate to tell me. I swear to God, I shall rise from this bed and give them the thrashing they deserve!”
“I think I'll be alright... though I appreciate the sentiment.” Kitt lightly patted his foot. “Roderick... I'm... I'm very glad you're alright. For awhile, I didn't think we'd make it out of there alive.”
“I know.” Roderick's lips dipped into a frown. “Me neither.”
Kitt's sad expression mirrored his. “Are you in a lot of pain?”
“A... bit.” It was a lie, of course. His entire body ached like the devil.
“Well, do get some rest.” As she rose from the bed, Kitt reached out and gently stroked his hair. Roderick closed his eyes and leaned against her hand, relishing the feeling of her fingers touching him. “I'll be back to check on you later.”
“Alright.” Roderick waved to her as she slipped through the door. “Tell Miles I said thanks for the cake!”
Kitt retreated from the room with a nod, then she headed off in search of Doon. When he wasn't in his room, she decided to search for him on deck. A toothless pirate with a filthy face offered her a surprisingly friendly smile when she passed. And because he looked so approachable, she stopped him and asked, “Do you know where I can find the captain?”
“Cap'n Doon's o'er on the bow, talkin' to Bryce.” The man's breath smelled incredibly foul, like smoke and liquor and dead fish.
“And the bow is... the front of the ship?”
“Oh, aye,” the pirate replied, then she thanked him and hurried away as quickly as possible.
Even with a destination in mind, it took her awhile to find Doon. It didn't help that she got momentarily distracted by the sight of the ship cleaving through the clouds. No matter how many times she rode on an airship, she would never get tired of seeing clouds all around her.
When she finally found Doon, she stayed out of view for a moment, silently observing him. While he was far from being a small man himself, he was dwarfed by Bryce's bulky frame. He was wearing a dusty newsboy cap and a ragged gray coat, thoroughly frayed and amazingly tattered. Doon's clothes looked much more shabby on the airship than they did at the castle, but she thought they suited him.
As soon as Kitt stepped into view and her eyes met Doon's, he immediately sent his companion away. Then he thrust his hands into the pockets of his coat and lazily swaggered toward her.
“Ah, if it isn't the princess!” Doon exclaimed. “And how fares our dear Roddy Rick today?”
“Roderick,” she sharply corrected him, “seems to be doing much better, thanks to Miles.”
“Everything I've ever accomplished is thanks to Miles. The fact that this ship stays afloat is thanks to Miles. The fact that we have food is thanks to Miles. Hell, the fact that I'm not running around the ship like a naked savage is probably thanks to Miles.”
“Oh god...” Kitt rolled her eyes at him. “That's not an image I ever wanted in my head!”
“Don't lie,” he said with a wink, then he pulled out a small pouch from the pocket of his coat and tossed it to her. But Kitt wasn't prepared to catch it, so it tumbled to the ground. When the bag hit the deck, she heard the unmistakable jingle of coins.
“What's this?” Kitt asked as she leaned down to retrieve the bag.
“It's your cut of the money. I said I'd pay you if you stayed in the castle and pretended to be the princess for a bit, and I'm true to my word.”
When Kitt untied the bag, several gold coins nearly spilled into her hand. “Oh my god!” she gasped. “This is more money than I've ever had in my life! By far!”
“Being a pirate pays well,” Doon said, and with a grin, he added, “Or a privateer, I should say.”
“Are you sure you want to give this to me?”
“I am. But if you're not sure you want to accept it, I can always take it back.” Doon held out a hand and flicked his fingers, encouraging her to drop it in his palm.
“No way!” Kitt held the bag behind her back. “What's mine is mine!”
“Indeed. And yours it should be. I know you had to endure a lot.” Doon briefly turned his attention to the sky, squinting as he stared into the sea of clouds. “It's... it's probably too late to apologize, but I'm sorry I put you through all that.”
“Well, at least it was an adventure,” Kitt said with a shrug. “Oh, and I still haven't thanked you for saving me last night. If not for you, I would almost certainly be dead. So... thanks.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“No. I mean it. You put your life on the line for me!” she exclaimed. “And to be honest, I can't believe you did that. I really and truly can't believe I was saved by Francis Doon.”
“I'm afraid you might be making me a better man.” Doon was smirking as he studied her in the corner of his eye. “And it's entirely against my will, I assure you.”
“So... um...” Kitt briefly nibbled on her lips as she he
sitated with her thought. “Are you taking me back home now?”
“Possibly. I haven't decided on a destination. I'm currently trying to avoid a storm, so we're just floating around aimlessly.”
“Well, to be honest, I'm in no rush to get back home.” Kitt saw his eyes widen, so she asked, “Does that surprise you?”
Doon lifted off his cap and scratched his head. “A bit.”
“I really don't have much to go back to,” Kitt admitted. “I have a cantankerous stepmother and a really awful job. I miss my friends, of course... but... honestly, I really don't mind being on the airship right now.”
“And I've given you free reign of the ship this time. I'm sure you've noticed you're no longer locked in your room, so you're welcome to run amok.” Doon stroked his bristled chin as he studied her profile. “And you are safe here, I assure you. My men aren't stupid enough to hurt you in any way. They know I'd toss them overboard.”
“You know, I'm pretty sure there was a time I wanted to toss you overboard,” Kitt confessed. “But... you're really not so intolerable.”
“I'm not so intolerable,” he agreed, “only moderately intolerable.”
“Moderately intolerable but strangely charming,” Kitt added with a grin.
Then she turned her eyes to the cloudy blue sky and breathed deeply, filling her lungs with glorious fresh air.
29
The next day, after teatime with Miles, Kitt begged him to let her swab the deck. He was a bit taken aback by her request at first, but since the deck was most definitely in need of swabbing, he wasn't going to refuse a volunteer's generous offer.
“You do realize Doon used to make you swab the deck as punishment, yes?” Miles asked as they headed to the deck together.
“I know. You might think I'm mad, but... in some unexplainable way, I've missed it,” Kitt confessed. “It's peaceful. You have the sky all around you, and you actually feel like you're accomplishing something.”
“Well, if you truly want to help, I definitely won't stop you.”
When they reached the center of the deck, Miles handed her a mop and bucket. Zeke, her fellow swabber, was already dragging a mop across the deck. His cheeks, forehead and shoulders were bright and sunburned, which made Kitt wonder if she would suffer the same fate. After all, they shared the same hair color, and gingers didn't mix well with the sun. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky to save her from the sun's wrath.
“You remember Zeke, yes?” Miles asked.
“Oh, yes! Of course!” Kitt exclaimed as she dunked her mop in the water. “Is he still as quiet as ever?”
“I'm afraid so.” Miles gave the young man a tiny nudge. “What do you think, Zeke? Are you happy to see Her Highness again?”
“Aye,” taciturn Zeke quietly confirmed. “She's alright.”
“Well, I think you're alright too, Zeke,” Kitt said with a smile. “And I'm happy to have another chance to help you.”
“Thank you.” The briefest smile lifted Zeke's lips, then he turned his attention back to his duty.
Miles picked up an unused mop and joined in. When Kitt saw him working, she exclaimed, “Oh Miles, you don't have to do that! Just because I'm mad enough to ask to swab the deck, that doesn't mean you have to suffer the same fate.”
“Well...” Miles dipped his mop a few times, getting it thoroughly soaked in soap. “To be quite honest, it isn't my day to work. But... seeing you volunteer is inspiring. If the princess is working, then so must I!”
“Should I let her inspire me too?” another male voice suddenly entered the conversation. When she whirled around and saw Doon standing behind her, Kitt gasped.
“Doon!” she exclaimed. “What are you asking, exactly?”
“I'm just wondering if I should join in and start swabbing the deck with you.” The captain started rolling up his sleeves as he spoke. “You're all making it look so fun, after all.”
“My, my! I never thought I'd see the day!” Miles shook his head with disbelief as he voiced his awe. “The captain wants to swab the deck? Believe me, if he joins us, this will truly be an unprecedented moment in history.”
“Well, perhaps even I should chip in on the menial tasks from time to time?” Doon shrugged off his coat. To Kitt's surprise, he wasn't wearing a shirt underneath. As she watched him walk across the deck, shirtless and swaggering, she momentarily forgot to breathe. If Queen Loreina was there, Kitt knew she would be tortured by the sight of his exposed skin.
Doon threw his coat over a rail and grabbed a mop. Zeke stopped working and simply stared, slack-jawed, as if seeing the captain with a mop in his hand was the most baffling thing he had ever witnessed.
When Doon dunked his mop in Kitt's bucket, he briefly stood right beside her. She caught herself staring at his bare stomach as he walked by.
“So, how do you entertain yourself during all this?” Doon asked as he slapped his mop against the dirty deck. “Do you whistle? Tell naughty jokes? Do you swap scandalous secrets?”
“None of the above, I'm sad to say,” Miles cheerfully replied. “We just focus on the work. The more you focus, the faster you finish.”
“Hm. Then perhaps it's not as fun as I thought.” Doon started whistling as he drew his mop across the deck. Kitt watched him a minute before resuming her task. It was so strange to see him join in.
And he whistled the entire time. Miles and Zeke didn't seem to mind, but Kitt started to feel vexed after five minutes of hearing the same few notes over and over again. When she passed him, she playfully swatted the back of Doon's legs with the handle of her mop.
“Ow!” Doon pouted, pretending to be affronted. “What was that for?”
“The whistling,” Kitt said. “It's wearing on my nerves.”
“Now that I know it's bothersome, I'll be even more inspired to continue!” Doon strutted away from her and kept on whistling. She glared at his backside as he walked away—then she noticed something odd. His skin was golden and slick from sweat, but there was something very wrong. In the sunlight, she could see several faded scars across his back. Kitt was tempted to ask how he got so many wounds, but he seemed unusually cheerful, and she didn't want to blacken the mood. She kept her head down, didn't ask questions, and continued her work.
The next time she was within range of Doon, he lightly swatted her rear end with his mop.
“Ah! Hey!” Kitt squealed. It was such a surprise, she leapt a few inches off the ground. “How dare you!”
“Payback,” Doon answered with a chuckle. “A pirate always gets revenge.”
Once again, Kitt was glaring at him. “Honestly, have you no manners at all?”
“No. None.” Doon shrugged, as if he was perfectly content with his lack of gentlemanly manners.
While they waged war with their mops, Miles was dragging his hand across his face and heaving weary sighs. “Children, children, children,” the older man murmured under his breath. “With four of us on the job, I assumed the work would go by very quickly... but as long as you two are flirting with one another, I don't expect to finish within the hour!”
“Oh, I am not flirting!” Kitt vehemently disagreed. She expected Doon to protest with her, but when she glanced in his direction, he simply looked amused.
“Five,” Zeke suddenly spoke up, albeit softly. “There are actually five of us on the job.”
It took Kitt but a moment to realize what he meant. There was a very small fair-haired boy, about four or five years old, dragging a wet mop behind him. When Kitt caught his gaze, the child smiled and waved.
“Ahh, Harry!” Doon exclaimed. He temporarily stopped working and gave the boy's hair a vigorous ruffle. “This is Harry, Princess. He's our littlest crew member.”
“You have a little boy on a pirate ship?” Kitt's mouth was gaping. A child was probably the last thing she expected to see.
“We do. And he's a violent one!” Doon claimed. “He can plunder with the best of us.”
“Please tell me you're not seri
ous.” Doon was chuckling when he returned to swabbing, so she assumed it was a joke.
“He's not serious,” Miles answered on the captain's behalf. “I believe the captain likes to tease you, my lady.”
“Harry's the son of a crew member,” Doon explained. “So we keep him around. He's good for morale.”
“I still can't believe you have a child on a pirate ship, though.” Kitt was shaking her head as she watched the boy with his mop. He was trying hard to help, but his contribution was mostly ineffectual. To begin with, the mop was way too big for him.
“What do you expect me to do, throw the boy overboard?” Doon chuckled at his sarcastic reply. “Harry's father has been with me awhile. The mother's dead. Having a child on board isn't ideal, but I try to be accommodating.”
“I guess that's somewhat.... charitable of you,” Kitt said as she flashed a smile at Harry. “And I must admit, he is quite cute.”
“Harry,” Miles spoke up. “Why don't you show them how good you've gotten with your alphabet?” On top of all his other duties, Miles was teaching the boy to read. But it had been some time since the child's last lesson, so he prayed he did not disappoint.
Harry didn't say anything for some time, so Miles tried to encourage him, “What begins with the letter A?”
“A is for apple!” Harry cheered as he struggled to heft his heavy mop into the bucket of soap and water. Doon saw what he was trying to do, so he stopped to help.
“And how about the letter B?” Miles asked.
“B is for bear!”
“Oh, very well done!” Kitt cheered him on. She briefly tucked her mop under her arm and clapped for him. “You're very smart, I see.”
“C is for cock!” Harry exclaimed, which immediately had Miles shaking his head.
“Er...” Doon wanted to snicker, but he kept his laughter to himself. “You might want to pick another word for C, mate,” he told the boy.
“C is for cupboard,” Harry amended his word choice. “And D is for Doon!”
“Now that is a great choice for D, my boy!” the captain exclaimed. “Well done indeed.”
The Barefoot Barmaid (Belles & Bullets Book 1) Page 17