Miss Ridgeway's Privateer (Regency Belles & Beaux Book 3)

by Michele McGrath

  “Amongst others.” O’Rourke sat down and poured himself a glass of wine. “First of all I should tell you that I’ve been to see the injured men. Mr. Barnes’ leg is going along as well as can be expected and so is Harry. If you call at the convent tomorrow you will be able to see them for yourselves. Tom, I’m afraid is barely holding on to life, so if you know his religion, I can arrange for a minister to visit him.”

  “I’m not sure he had one… ” Captain Hardie said.

  “Yes he did!” Mrs Hardie interrupted. “He told me once that he was raised in the old faith. He comes from Lancashire. There’s a lot like him up there.”

  “Catholic?” O’Rourke asked and she nodded.

  “That is easy then. The curé can give him the last sacrament and hear his confession. I’ll tell the sisters when I leave here. If it is not needed, no matter.”

  Captain Hardie nodded. “Thank you.”

  “There’s a rumour that a man was found on a beach north of here. He was clinging to a piece of wood. He’s in bad shape but he’s alive. It may be your Lenny.”

  “Oh, I hope so!”

  “I’ll try to find out for you but it may take a day or two. If it’s him, he’ll be sent here as soon as he’s fit enough to travel. On another subject I should tell you that in this port, there are agents whose job it is to arrange to ransom captured Englishmen, especially passengers, ship’s officers and the like. One of these men, a Monsieur Dubee, intends to call upon you tomorrow to take details. He usually writes to the owners of a captured vessel, enclosing a letter from the master. It’s even possible, although unlikely at this moment, that there’ll be an exchange of prisoners. From time to time the English capture Frenchmen, often aboard American vessels, and they are held for exchange or ransom. There are several of your compatriots in Saint-Malo, who have been here for some months and whom we expect to return to their homes very soon. It’s an established practice.”

  “Months!” Lucy could not keep the dismay out of her voice. “Why I shall go mad in this place with nothing to do!”

  “Even in Saint-Malo there are amusements that should interest you, Miss Ridgeway.” He smiled at her. “There are concerts, dances, boat trips on the river, pleasant walks…”

  “Why did you return Miss Ridgeway’s possessions to her, Mr. O’Rourke?” Mrs. Hardie interrupted him. “I never believed privateers did such things.”

  “Captain’s orders, Mrs Hardie. Since you must be here for some little time, you require clothes to wear. Your own garments have been packed and should be returned to you tomorrow along with the Captain’s and Mr. Anselm’s. Unfortunately it won’t be possible to include certain items, like your fine pistols, Captain, as I’m sure you can understand.”

  “What else have you robbed?” Mrs. Hardie demanded.

  O’Rourke smiled at her. “The furnishings of your cabin, your ship and its cargo, but you expected that. Your countrymen would be far more rapacious if the situation were reversed.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Travellers’ tales and from personal experience, ma’am. I can sympathise with you. If you will allow me, I’m here to help you to be comfortable in the weeks that must pass before you go home.”

  “Let him speak, Annie,” Captain Hardie said.

  During the meal, O’Rourke gave them a wealth of details. Mr. Anselm was consoled with the information that there was a small church, Huguenot in origin, where he would be able to find others of his persuasion. The markets, concerts and assemblies were discussed in detail. The ladies were warned not to go out at night and to avoid certain areas of the town.

  “Better if you walk about in company. Not everyone here thinks kindly of the English. Some families have lost sons and fathers press-ganged into the Royal Navy or killed in the wars. Many of the other prisoners meet at their various lodgings during the week. The nearest is at an alehouse called the Ermine, L’hermine. I would suggest that you visit it tomorrow if you want to make other contacts. Madame Arbez can provide you with a guide. I will speak to her before I leave if you wish.”

  Chapter Nine

  They left the table and Lucy was turning away when O’Rourke said to her,

  “Would you come for a walk with me, Miss Ridgeway, since the evening is so fine? A short stroll along the walls to enjoy the last of the day?”

  “Am I safe with you, Mr. O’Rourke?”

  He grinned. “You have my word on it, ma’am.”

  Mrs. Hardie protested, but Lucy overrode her concern. She had no desire to go back to her bedroom or to sit with the Hardies and Mr. Anselm and listen to their conversation. O’Rourke had been right. Even after such a short time, she craved his company, even though it annoyed her to admit the fact. She went upstairs to find her shawl and bonnet.

  “I won’t be long,” she told Mrs. Hardie and hurried outside before she could be stopped.

  O’Rourke guided her to one of the staircases that led onto the walls. Against the fading light, the low lying coastline was silhouetted as far as the distant uplands. Small boats crisscrossed the waters of the harbour and the masts of the brigs and frigates stood out as if they were winter trees. The sun was just setting.

  “It’s lovely,” Lucy said.

  “It’s peaceful now and that’s when a place is at its best.” There was a strange note in his voice as if he was not watching the scene before him but somewhere else.

  “What are you thinking about?” she asked.

  “My home. I’ve often seen it like this. A pity I can never see it again.”

  “You can’t go back?”

  “It wouldn’t be wise. I brought you up here to see the sunset but the light is fading now. We should return.”

  They climbed down the stairs and walked towards the lodging house. Several times O’Rourke hesitated as if he wanted to say something to her but each time he continued without doing so. At the door of the tavern, O’Rourke stopped and turned to Lucy.

  “Don’t go in yet. There is something I must tell you.”

  “Oh?” Lucy’s heart beat a little faster wondering what he would say, but when he continued his words were unexpected and not at all what she wanted to hear.

  “Captain Rollin has told me that he intends to visit you tomorrow to ask if you will have dinner with him.”

  Lucy’s words deserted her. What should she say? If O’Rourke had asked her to dine with him she would have immediately accepted. As it was she had a sense of disappointment.

  “I must warn you that the captain has a liking for the company of pretty young ladies and he is likely to make a proposition to you over dinner. He has done so before in similar circumstances.”

  “What sort of a proposition?”

  “To stay in Saint-Malo and live with him as his woman. He can be a very pleasant man when he wants to be. If you choose to accept his proposal, he would make your life comfortable for a while, until another girl catches his interest.”

  Lucy stepped back and looked at him with a blank horror in her eyes.

  “What exactly are you telling me?”

  “Have you ever heard the term carte blanche, Miss Ridgeway?”

  “No, what does it mean?”

  “A carte blanche or white card is offered to a woman by a man who wants to make her his mistress.”

  A slight noise behind them made O’Rourke turn and walk away from her. He glanced down the street and into the alleyway which ran down the side of the tavern. Then he came back.

  “What is it?”

  “Nothing, but this isn’t something to be discussed in public. Walk with me again. Where were we?”

  “You were telling me that Captain Rollin wants to make me his mistress. Didn’t you mean wife?” Lucy asked rather faintly. Even though she was not supposed to understand such things, she had heard about these women, even seen some of them standing outside the Opera House in London. Susan Wilson’s horrid brother called them barques of frailty when he had been chatting to a friend and did not notice
that the girls were nearby. Surely O’Rourke was not suggesting she become one of these unfortunates? His next words confirmed the nightmare.

  “I meant mistress. The captain would like you to live with him as if you were his wife although he is unlikely to marry you.”

  “Why not?” Lucy was shaking with anger at his blunt manner. How dare he propose such a thing to her? How dare he be so uncaring?

  “You’re very pretty but you have little fortune of your own to tempt him to form a permanent connection with you. He’d never marry to disoblige himself.”

  “How do you know I’m poor?” she demanded.

  He looked at her. “Your clothes aren’t made by a modiste and you wear no trinkets. A rich girl would not be travelling alone on a small brig like the White Hart with only the captain’s wife for company. She would have a maid and a manservant to protect her at least.”

  “My people in Ireland are wealthy,” Lucy protested.

  “They might be, but how much money would they be willing to pay for your ransom?”

  “Lots!” Lucy stated defiantly, staring at him.

  “Let’s hope you’re right. If you don’t accept my captain’s proposal and your freedom has to be bought, then he will set your price high as a punishment.”

  “Oh!”

  “You don’t sound so certain now.”

  “They’ve never met me you see,” Lucy blurted out before she realised what she had said.

  “Why not?”

  “My father quarrelled with my grandfather ages ago, before I was born.”

  “So you aren’t sure how much you mean to them?” Lucy dropped her head and nodded. “Since you have told me so much, it would be better if I knew the whole story. I would like to help you if I can.”

  “Why do you want to?” Lucy glared at him.

  “I just do.”

  Even as he said the words, O’Rourke wondered what mad impulse had prompted him to promise such a thing. Usually he was quite indifferent to the troubles of the prisoners. With this slight girl he was anything but indifferent. Why, he could not say. Inwardly he cursed Captain Rollin for ordering him to bring his proposition to her but he had no choice but to obey. He had done harder things in his life and his reaction surprised him. Had fate been different, O’Rourke knew he would have made Lucy a very different proposal. It was at that moment he realised that he had changed. Admittedly, he was no longer the boy who had adored his Margaret; he was a man now, but the feeling was the same. I won’t let Lucy down as I did Margaret, he thought. I can’t marry her but I can try to keep her safe. If she refuses, I’ll make certain she leaves here unmolested. If she stays, I have no right to stop her. I’ll never be able to offer marriage to any woman.

  O’Rourke led Lucy to a quiet corner in the taproom, ordered some coffee and then said,

  “Now tell me.”

  Somewhat against her will, Lucy found herself pouring out the story of the past few weeks until she arrived in Saint-Malo. O’Rourke listened attentively. When she finished, he sighed.

  “What a tangle.”

  “What do you mean? I thought you said you would help me.”

  “I will but first you must make a decision about whether to accept the captain’s invitation.”

  “If said yes I would be ruined!” Lucy clenched her fists. She felt her eyes misting over. Becky’s face swam into her vision, and Caroline’s and even silly little Eleanor’s.

  “You would be able to build a different existence later on. A number of other females have lived under the captain’s protection. He treated them well and paid them off handsomely at the end. The last one left a few months ago.”

  “What happened to her?” Even though she felt disgusted, Lucy was also curious about such women’s lives. She had never imagined in her wildest dreams having such a conversation with anyone, not even her husband.

  “She was ill and went home to her mother.” The captain’s child died at birth and the mother had barely lived but O’Rourke saw no reason to tell Lucy those facts.

  “Which I would not be able to do.”

  “No, but there are other places to make your home, in France or even in some quiet town in England if you wished.”

  “I would still be a stranger.”

  “You were about to become a stranger in Ireland.”

  “You sound as if you want me to accept the captain’s offer,” she accused him.

  “It’s not for me to tell you what to do; I’m only describing the possible consequences of your decision.”

  “Don’t you care?” she demanded, close to tears.

  “Miss Ridgeway, Lucy, I’m a privateer, a thief if you will. In the eyes of your countrymen I’m even a traitor, ripe for hanging. What right do I have to care about you or any other female?” He looked straight at her and Lucy realised that his eyes were sad. She shivered slightly.

  “I see, and if I refuse the captain’s offer? What would happen to me then?”

  “Very little. He would simply lose all further interest in you. He has power in this town but he would not use it against you unless your refusal became common knowledge. If you spoke about it, it would make him appear ridiculous and that he would not forgive. He can be a dangerous enemy but also a good friend. Most likely you would be left alone but he wouldn’t bother to help you if you needed his assistance.”

  “Would I need it?”

  “You might. Saint-Malo can be an unpleasant place at times.”

  “You said before that you wanted to help me. Why?”

  O’Rourke looked away and ran his fingers over his face. “Perhaps one day I’ll tell you, but until then you must accept my word without an explanation. I realise I have brought you a difficult choice. With your permission, I’ll leave you to decide and call again in the morning for your answer.”

  “Mr. O’Rourke, Patrick! Can’t you tell me what to do?” Lucy asked plaintively.

  “No, Alannah, I can’t. If I helped you to make the wrong decision you would never forgive me. Whatever you decide, either way, I’ll help you.”

  Somewhat comforted by his last words, Lucy watched him leave and then flew upstairs to her room, where she could be alone with her whirling thoughts.

  For a little while she found it almost impossible to think at all. Then she made herself consider the possibilities of each choice. If she accepted the captain, O’Rourke said that she would live an enjoyable life, one in which she would be given many of the things she had always wanted. On the other hand, she would be with Captain Rollin. He was not an ugly man but he must be as old as her father and he could not even speak her language. She realised that her behaviour at dinner on board his ship might be considered a form of flirting although had no intention of doing so. Mrs. Hardie had reproved her for it later. She had only a vague interest in the captain because O’Rourke occupied her thoughts to the exclusion of all others.

  The captain would expect her to share his bed and do strange things which the girls used to giggle about in school. Not that any of them really knew more than the rumours and half whispers they had overheard from their elder sisters’ chatter.

  If O’Rourke had offered her a similar possibility she realised she would have accepted, even though she realised she shouldn’t entertain such a proposition for an instant. It meant complete ruin. O’Rourke had warned her that Captain Rollin would not keep her with him for long. Lucy was vain enough to believe that she might make him stay with her, but, even so, it was a risk. She would be gambling her future against comfort in the present. If the worst happened and the captain discarded her early, then she would be on her own with nowhere to go. She would not be able to return home even if she had money. Lucy admitted to herself that she wanted to go back to London and Becky. She had dreamed about returning from Ireland, with a young, rich husband beside her. If she accepted the proposition a life of obscurity in a country town would be the most she could hope for.

  If she refused him, though, what next? O’Rourke had assured her hi
s captain would not seek to harm her unless she told other people about her refusal. I can keep a secret, so I would be no worse off than I am now. I’ll wait here with the others until my grandmother obtains my release. But what if she doesn’t? A little voice asked and Lucy shivered. If they don’t and I have to stay here, I would be better off with Captain Rollin. The choice should be straightforward but it isn’t. Oh, what am I to do?

  She sat up on her bed and untied her pocket from beneath her skirt. She pulled out the locket with the pictures of her parents. Lucy gazed at her mother’s face. Miranda Ridgeway had been so beautiful. Lucy choked back a little sob. Mama would want me to refuse and so would Becky. Papa would say I must be brave and do what’s right. If I accept the captain, I can’t look at their pictures without shame or meet Becky’s eyes if we ever see each other again. She would realise in an instant that I have done something disgraceful. She always does, so I would never be able to hide it from her. For the first time, Lucy considered carefully the things that were important to her, her dreams, her family and her future. She would be throwing them all away and entering a different existence and she knew she did not want to. If I did, I would no longer be me. She kissed her mother’s picture and thought, I can’t bring shame upon Mama or Becky or my father’s name. For the rest of her life Lucy remembered that moment as the end of her childhood.

  Chapter Ten

  When O’Rourke called to see Lucy next morning, she was eating breakfast in the taproom. She drew the letter which she had written to the captain out of her pocket and handed it to him. It had cost her some trouble and several sheets of paper before she had found the right words to refuse his invitation to dinner. O’Rourke’s eyebrows rose. He glanced around the room. A few people were present but none of them were nearby. The Hardies had already left to visit the wounded sailors at the convent. Nevertheless, he dropped his voice.

  “You have refused the offer?”