Swept to Sea

by Heather Manning

  ****

  Aimee slammed her fists on her waist, trying her hardest not to let them fly at the infuriating little man.

  "What?" he scoffed, "Prayer will help her more than anything I could do. You know that. At least you should, since I see you in church every Sunday. Or are you just like most of the other silly girls I have seen in there? Do you see the Sunday service as merely an hour or so to plan your outfits for the next week and what the next thing you will embroider will look like?"

  "You, sir, are daft!" Aimee threw her hands in the air with a shake of her head and stormed from the cabin.

  How could he accuse her of some awful thing like that? How dare he? She paid attention just as much as she could to the sermons every Sunday. Who was he to judge her? He hardly even knew her. Aimee ran back to her cabin and slammed the door shut with the loudest bang she had ever heard.

  ****

  Gage walked up to Caspian, who was standing on his deck, gazing up at the stars. “How did the battle go, Captain?” He moved to stand beside his friend and leader.

  Caspian turned to Gage. “There were some flesh wounds, but nothing deadly, and we took a few hits, but we didn’t even have to resort to hand-to-to-hand combat. The fool of a man ran away with his tail tucked between his legs. Imbecile. We will have to continue to track him down. I am not going to let that man go free.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Captain. I know how much this means to you. I know that man should not be free after what happened.”

  Caspian glared at the sea before responding, “We will get him in time, Gage. There is no way I will let him go without justice doing its part. I will not let another man like him affect me or my son ever again.”

  “Aye, Captain. You should not have lost your wife. Reed did not deserve to lose his mother before he even knew her.” Gage shook his head at that thought. The boy needed a mother to nurture him as he grew into adulthood. Which made him think… “Captain, do you realize Lady Trenton believes you don’t care about her?”

  “Ah, Master Thompson, the matter of Lady Trenton is a dilemma altogether. That woman is a puzzle.”

  “Aren’t most, Captain?” Gage flashed a grin.

  Caspian chuckled. “But this lady is so sweet, and someone has truly abused her in the past. I don’t know if she realizes what I feel for her, and I don’t know if she should. It frightens me sometimes. Besides, I do not think she is ready to trust yet, after whatever happened to her. Ah, but she is a baffling little creature.”

  Gage laughed. He wasn’t even sure Caspian realized how much Lady Trenton seemed to care about Caspian herself.

  ****

  Caspian sat on the edge of his deck the next day with his feet dangling out above the water and watched his crew frolic in the ocean below him. He had given the whole crew a few hours off because the weather had grown so harsh with the hot air and the rare blazing winds. They had ended up reaching the Caribbean in the peak of the summer months. But, in truth, he had never stopped his ship like this in all his years as a captain. It was always more important for him to reach the port in good time.

  No, it was not the weather at all that had led him to take a reprieve from sailing. Gage had even teased him about it. It was the beautiful young lady who was sleeping in his cabin at the moment. He could not bear the thought of reaching Port Royal and having to bid her goodbye so he was putting that dreadful day off as far as he could.

  After he had complimented her, the woman had fled from his presence, bursting into tears and running out onto the main deck. Caspian had immediately followed and tried to comfort the dear, perplexing girl, but she had refused his attentions and protested vehemently by hitting and screaming at him. He had surrendered at last and let her return to his cabin because she was causing yet another scene that his crew was enjoying far too much. When he had returned to the cabin to retrieve the pistol he had left on the desk, the blasted woman had been sound asleep, curled up on top of his coverlet.

  She was beautiful when she slept. When she was silent and was not yelling at him or giving him one of those nasty glares. He knew she held some affection or something of the like for him, however, because she had not refused all of his attentions. The lady had never actually told him to leave and stop spending time with her. She liked it when he was close to her; he could tell that. Maybe she did not despise him after all.

  Why she acted like that, so unpredictable, when he had done nothing offensive to her, he had no clue. She was much more confusing than Isabelle had been. If Isabelle had a problem with something he had done, she straight-out told him, and they solved it together.

  "Come and join us, Cap'n!" Jack Collie, his boatswain, shouted from below. Caspian glanced down to see the scrawny man cupping his hands over his mouth to yell.

  "Yes, Captain! Come on and have some fun for once!" Gage urged.

  "Please do come in, Father!" He heard Reed's little voice cry up. The boy was half-swimming while Gage held him. No doubt the child thought he was swimming on his own.

  "I will." Caspian nodded acquiescence and stripped down to his breeches before leaping into the blessedly cool turquoise ocean. The refreshingly chilly, salty water energized him. He grabbed his giggling son from Gage and threw him up into the air. Reed chuckled and latched back onto his father after he landed with a splash in the water. Suddenly, a commotion sounded from up on the main deck.

  The gentle lilt of Eden's voice from above made his heart sing.

  "Pray tell, where are the captain and Master Thompson?" Her voice held a desperate tone, as if she was afraid the crew had mutinied overnight and tossed Caspian and Gage to the sharks.

  Caspian smiled that she had inquired after him, but then bristled. Why had she asked for Gage also? He could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

  "Er, miss, they's swimming out in the ocean. Cap’n gave all o' us the day off," the gruff voice of a sailor answered. Before long, Caspian was blessed with the sight of her creamy face leaning over the rail, those chestnut curls of hers looking tousled and tumbling over her shoulders. The woman always wore pins in her hair, but the stubborn strands never failed to escape their confinement after a few moments in the sea’s winds.

  "Come in, Eden! You can swim with us down here!" Caspian teased, gazing up at her and winking playfully. He did not expect her to actually come down into the water, but he thoroughly enjoyed seeing her flustered.

  She bit her pink bottom lip. "I am afraid I cannot swim, Captain."

  He had not expected her to take his request seriously but now he did want her in the water if only to hold her.

  "Well, come on in, and I will teach you how to swim. If you will want to live in Port Royal, or anywhere in the Caribbean, for that matter, you will need to know how to anyway." That at least was true.

  "Yes, please come in, Miss Eden!" Reed shouted up at her.

  Caspian prepared to tell the boy that she would not come to swim with him, that it would never happen, and that it was certainly most improper. But how did he know for certain? Maybe all the ladies in London swam in their leisure time. Perhaps Eden would join them after all.

  Caspian looked to his son and then glanced out at the rest of the ocean. All the sailors excluding Gage had already left the water and were back on the ship, dripping wet. Some of them shook the moisture off of their bodies in the same manner as dogs.

  His men had been in the ocean for hours and so had Reed. Surely the boy should not spend so much time in the water. But what did he know? Caspian had done nothing like this with his father and had no example of how to be a father to a young boy.

  "By the bye, Reed, you should go back up on the deck and rest. You have been in here for hours."

  "But must I, Papa? I just got in here!" He looked every bit like his late mother when he pouted. She had always had a stubborn tilt of the chin and used to cross her arms across her chest just as the boy did now. Caspian felt a pang of hurt remembering his dead wife. Were his feelings for Eden betraying Isabel
le? He hoped not. Reed let out a loud breath, gathering his papa’s attention once again.

  "Yes, Reed. You should obey your father without a question; you know that. Now come on up." Eden beckoned for the boy to join her on the ship.

  The poor child reluctantly climbed the ladder. After a long glance between Caspian and Eden, Gage followed the boy right up the ladder, grinning from ear to ear like some crazy fool. Which he did quite often.

  After they had left, Lady Trenton stammered, "H-how do I get in?"

  "Jump!" Caspian said simply, laughing. "But first, you must remove your dress." He winked at her.

  "My dress?" She shrieked indignantly, her face growing a dark shade of pink.

  "Well, you may leave your… your… undergarments on, of course…" He smirked. In all reality, she would do much better at swimming without all the heavy layers of fabric dragging her down, but he supposed she would not take kindly to the idea.

  She glared down at him. “If I had known this was some sort of trick, I never would have agreed to it. You, sir, are a horrible cad, and I will be bidding you good day, now! Here I had thought… I had thought… oh, never mind!” She exclaimed, clenching her fists in frustration and turning away.

  He had not meant to upset her. He had never meant to upset her.

  “Ede-Lady Trenton!” he called, willing her to stop and listen to him before she stormed away like she always did when she got upset with him.

  "Now what?" She whirled around.

  "Why, jump in, of course. I suppose you could just leave your dress on. Please, don’t leave, Eden! You may leave your dress on, but I will not promise to keep you from sinking anymore then. The dress might weigh you down quite a bit. And I was simply joking before." He was enjoying teasing the poor lady far too much.

  "Are you mad? How could you say such a thing? I certainly will not jump in now, with you acting in such a childish manner," she objected, straightening.

  "You will be perfectly fine, Eden. I promise I will catch you. I’ll not let you drown I assure you. And I already apologized for what I said, milady."

  She glanced away, frowning yet again.

  "Trust me just for once, ‘Miss Eden’.” He hoped she noticed the wink he offered when he called her by the same name his son always did. Maybe she enjoyed answering to that name. She certainly liked the boy much more than she liked him. Maybe she would like him more now, too. It could not hurt to try. “I will take care of you. Let someone besides you take care of you for once. You may find that you enjoy it, milady."

  Eden took a deep breath, that little worry line forming between her eyebrows like it always did when she frowned.

  She leaned down, out of sight for a couple of moments. Two small thumps told him she was removing her shoes. Finally she stood and then bravely flung herself over the rail, her arms flailing.

  Caspian caught her before she even touched the water. The trembling woman clung to his neck like he was a lifeline, which he probably actually was to her.

  He found he liked someone depending on him like this. True, Reed depended on him, but it was not quite the same. Reed was his son, not a beautiful young woman. Caspian held her closer to him than propriety allowed, he was sure, but he didn't care, and he suspected she didn't either. Really, he adored the feel of her soft curves pressed tight against him. Their bodies seemed to be made for one another with how perfectly she fit against him. Maybe they had been made for each other.

  "Look at me, Eden. Just look at me, dear. I do not want you to be afraid. You should have a good time when you first learn how to swim." Although he had not. Just after he had first learned how to walk, his father had thrown him into the ocean and expected him to learn for himself, which he actually did.

  Caspian’s fingers brushed the hair from her face like a reflex. He found he enjoyed doing that. He would miss it when they reached port, and he had to leave her there to fend for herself. Well, he certainly could not take her with him to search for Moore in taverns and all sorts of rough places. No, that would not do at all. And he definitely did not want her to be with him when he confronted the man once again. He would not let that cur take the life of yet another woman he… loved. No, he could not be certain it was love yet.

  But he was certain he would never let another person under his care be harmed.

  Her wide, coffee-colored eyes slowly met his as he requested.

  "I've got you, sweetheart. You are safe. There is no need to tremble as you are now," he whispered, kissing her forehead gently. She shivered, and he hoped she was trembling from something other than the fear of drowning. He could not resist a grin. "Do you want to learn to swim now?"

  "No," she gave him a shaky smile he found entrancing. “I… I think I will learn to swim some other time. I-I am almost too frightened to, now I am actually in the water.”

  Caspian sighed with relief. He truly did not want her to leave his embrace, even if it meant teaching her a new skill. "Do you wish to stay in the water though, milady?" He gently stroked her hair, praying she would answer “yes”.

  "Yes. For now," she answered, curling up against his chest as he treaded water to keep them both afloat. Caspian knew his legs would soon start burning from the exertion, but he did not care. As he held the woman tight against himself, he realized just how deep his feelings for her ran. He actually did love her: the feel of her soft curves, the delicate features on her creamy skin, her wild mass of brunette curls, her kind, loving spirit, how gentle she was with Reed, and how brave she was inside, although she never believed him when he told her she was courageous. Could he tell her he loved her, ask her to marry him instead of abandoning her to fend for herself once they arrived in Port Royal? The precious lady needed to be taken care of, to be cherished and respected, and he was the only man he trusted for the job. Some man had hurt her in some way, and he almost did not want to know how they had done it. The thought of this dear woman being abused by a man sickened him. How helpless the poor sweetheart must have felt. He just wished he could have been there to protect her.

  His thoughts were snapped back to reality when Eden slipped from his arms. She let out a shriek as she sank into the water.

  Caspian noted her fear and caught her by the waist before she sank any further into the deep ocean. Panting, the woman smiled up at him. She recovered quickly from the scare.

  Caspian looked down at those full, pink lips that were curved into a smile, and his whole body ached with the need to kiss them. He lowered his mouth to hers slowly, and she actually did not object but kissed him back. He tilted his head and deepened their sweet kiss as she tightened her arms around his neck, making a soft noise from the back of her throat.

  An obnoxious catcall met his ears. He reluctantly pulled away from the lady and noted that one of his crewmembers had not gone back up to the ship yet.

  "Go up, Mr. Hansen, or it will be a lashing for you, I promise."

  The man obeyed, grumbling.

  Caspian turned back to the girl in his arms and smiled. Her face was as red as her slightly swollen, parted lips, and she was gasping for breath. Manly satisfaction swept through him. Before she could bound away like the little hart she was — which actually could hurt her, since she didn't know how to swim — he held her tight and kissed her hair, inhaling that familiar scent of coconut and vanilla.

  "I-I…”

  “What, Caspian—er, Captain?” she inquired, looking up into his face, a serious expression contracting her features.

  “First of all, Eden, please call me Caspian. I would think it is proper after all that we have been through. Second, I think that… you are… a wonderful woman, Eden." He held back what he was going to say about loving her, for fear of frightening her. Surely it was far too soon in their relationship to tell her something like that, if they even had a relationship. He was not even sure. Why, he had not even properly courted her yet. But what did he know of courting a lady like her? He was just a pirate cad, worthy of the ladies who worked at the taverns in th
e worst sections of cities, not a lady like Eden who hailed from a posh manor in England and had never worked a day in her life. Isabelle had only been a plantation owner’s daughter he had known growing up in New Providence. She had loved the idea of adventure and eloped with him quickly. No, he was not worthy of Eden. As soon as he could, he needed to stop whatever was going on between them. It was of most importance.

  He glanced down at her. She was staring at him so sweetly from underneath those thick, dark eyelashes. No. He could not do it. He would not be the one to end what they had.

  He cupped her face in his hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. The precious girl's skin felt like the silk he had taken from an enemy's ship once. Her wide, brown eyes searched his in unbelief. She finally frowned, shaking her head and causing those beautiful coffee-colored curls to bounce left and right.

  "Believe me, sweetheart. You are very precious to me. I think you are the best woman I have ever known. I-I do not want our arriving in Port Royal to be good-bye for good, darling." Caspian’s breath was coming hard from the effort it took to keep them both afloat, but if Eden enjoyed staying in the water, he was willing to swim until he breathed his last.

  "No one has told me something like that before, Caspian," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. He loved hearing his Christian name come from those beautiful little lips.

  And then she began to cry. Caspian's heart sank. He had brought this sadness, wherever it had come from, on her. What was wrong with him?

  Well, he could not rightly blame himself when he had no idea why she was crying. All he knew was she had done it after he had spoken. If just his speaking had triggered it, he would never utter another word in her presence. He had always hated it when women cried in front of him, but it made him feel even more terrible to see Eden upset.