Lark led her to a corner of the ship, away from the prying eyes of the crew. “You didn’t take very long to dress,” he said, his eyes now full of warmth. He liked the way her hair blew softly about her face and even caught a whiff of rosewater in the dark tresses.
“There wasn’t much to change into,” she said but wouldn’t admit how much she liked the freedom which the pants provided. She didn’t miss the hooped petticoats and stays one bit.
She leaned upon the thick wooden balustrade and breathed deeply of the fresh sea breezes. The only sounds were the shrieking of a gull overhead and the sloshing of the ship as it broke through the waves. For some moments, she was entirely at peace—more than contented because Lark was at her side. She didn’t care if they never reached land.
“What are you thinking?” he asked with a husky trace to his voice.
Marlee discovered that Lark was watching her intently, and she liked the way he looked at her as much as she was unnerved by it. She should dislike what was happening. Yet, for some reason she didn’t seem to mind being on a ship in the middle of the ocean with Lark. Though she did hate what he’d done to her, she doubted she could ever hate him when he looked at her in such a beguiling, heart-thumping fashion.
“I was thinking how everything has changed for me,” she softly told him. “Because of you, my whole life is changed.”
His expression grew somber. “I apologize again to you, but I’ve explained the reasons behind what I was forced to do.”
“Not really. I’m still in the dark as to why this ship and so-called mission are so important to you that you’d lie to me to get the money. Why didn’t you just ask for it, explain to me what Richard had done?”
“Would you have given me the money?”
“I don’t know,” she said.
“I took only what was due me,” he insisted.
“You took more from me than that and you well know it!”
“Never forget that I took only what you offered me, Marlee. We both wanted what happened.”
His eyes bored into her soul, and she trembled because he spoke the truth. She had wanted him, still wanted him, and this made her situation with Lark all the more distressing. “I wanted you because I thought we were married.”
“I know, but the attraction is strong between us. I’ll never want another woman as I want you, Marlee, never.” Lark brought her against him, cradling her in his arms. She was very much aware of his lips upon her head. Somehow she believed him, aware that he suffered some painful emotion that she couldn’t understand.
She relaxed against him, unable to resist him, drawn to him by an irresistible force that threatened to conquer her. She looked up at him. “If that’s true, then why can’t you admit you love me?”
It was the wrong thing for her to say. The color drained from his face. There was a hesitancy about him, almost as if he wanted to say what she ached to hear but couldn’t. She felt him stiffen, and it was the long silence which followed that finally defeated her. He put her from him and grasped the balustrade with both hands.
Tears slipped onto her heart-shaped face of their own volition. “I would like to return to the cabin,” she told him and tried to keep her voice from breaking.
“As you will.” Lark called to Todd who hurried over to them. “Escort Lady Arden back to the cabin.”
“Aye, sir,” Todd quickly agreed and hurriedly followed after Marlee who nearly ran the length of the deck.
~
After that incident and for the next few weeks, Todd always accompanied Marlee for her walks. Lark was conveniently absent, but she always saw him on deck as he ordered the men about and helped with the rigging or steered the ship through the warm indigo waters. Those were the only times that she saw him, because he didn’t sleep in the cabin and no longer took meals with her. He’d deserted her again, and she wasn’t certain why.
One day, Todd was sitting next to her on a large, brown barrel while Marlee basked in the sun. Nothing could be seen on the horizon for miles. Todd sighed and absently scratched his red head. “ ‘Tis the most boring trip I’ve ever taken.”
Marlee smiled indulgently at the young boy. Having spent so much time with him, she’d begun to like him. “Don’t you have enough duties?” she asked him.
“‘Tain’t that, my lady. I’ve got lots to do when I’m not watchin’ over you for the captain. But I thought to have a real adventure, now that I’m a pirate hunter.”
“A what?”
Todd’s face became animated and he grinned broadly. “A pirate hunter. Captain Lark is one, the best one in the whole world. We’re chasin’ down sea pirates for the Crown—one blasted, nasty pirate in particular who blew up Captain Lark’s ship and left him for dead a while back. We’re goin’ to hunt him down and hang the bloke’s head from a pike as a warnin’ to other mean pirates. That’s what we’re goin’ to do if we ever come across him.”
This was the longest speech that Marlee ever remembered hearing from Todd. But it did explain Lark’s obsession to get the money for a new ship. Somehow he had to redress the balance with this pirate.
Realizing how much the subject of pirates appealed to Todd, she knew he’d be eager to tell her anything she wanted to know about Lark and his plans. “Do you know how much longer we have until we reach New Providence?”
“Another week or more.” He sounded disappointed. “But we ain’t run across no pirates yet, and I don’t think we will.”
“Ah, so you want to fight pirates, not just this particular one. By the way, what’s this pirate’s name?”
“Manuel Silva. Captain Lark said we’ll know his ship because it’s blue and black and he flies a flag with a vulture on it.” Todd heaved a sigh. “But no one’s seen it yet.”
Marlee considered this information. Silva must be a Spaniard. “Don’t despair, Todd,” she said and ruffled his hair. “I’m certain you’ll get your chance.”
~
“No sign of Silva yet,” Lark groused out loud and scanned the watery blue landscape. “Where could the bastard be?”
“I’ve no idea, sir,” replied Douglas Holcombe, Lark’s first mate and the only one of his crew who’d ever actively hunted pirates. “He’s a slippery eel, well known for eluding authorities. I came up against him just once, about five years ago. The ship I was on was destroyed—I was lucky to be left alive. From what I’ve heard about the way he treats prisoners, they’re better off dead.”
Lark nodded, lucky to have found Holcombe in Cornwall. He’d been sharing his cabin since Marlee came on board. The young man had been in the Royal Navy at one time but was discharged because of the leg wound he’d received as a result of the fracas with Silva. He’d limp for the rest of his life, but that didn’t stop him from wanting revenge upon the pirate. Lark wanted revenge, too, and would relish the sweet taste of it. But he couldn’t stop a shiver at what Holcombe said about Silva’s treatment of prisoners. Was Bettina still alive? Had she been ravished by the brutish Silva? If so, Lark prayed she was dead. He’d heard tales, too, about what Silva did to women prisoners and if she was alive, no doubt she’d already lost her mind.
“Todd told me that Lady Arden is ill,” Holcombe noted and watched Lark’s face for a reaction. He wasn’t certain what the connection or true story was between Lark and Marlee Arden, but he knew a man in love when he saw one.
Lark made a sharp turn to face Holcombe. “What’s wrong with her? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“I’m telling you now, sir.”
“Yes, fine. I’ll go see how she is.”
“Yes, sir, and if you wish to spend the night in your cabin with her, I won’t be upset not to have you share mine.”
Holcombe smiled knowingly at Lark. Lark wondered if everyone realized how much he cared for Marlee. Did the crew think she was anything more to him than a relation? He didn’t care for the men talking about him behind his back or wondering why he didn’t sleep in his own cabin. He hated their gossip to pass the time.<
br />
Maybe if they’d run across a pirate ship and actively get involved in a battle, then they’d have something else to think and worry about. He would, too. He was so aggravated with himself for constantly dwelling on Marlee, more than annoyed with Simon for having placed her on the ship in the first place. He’d welcome a sea battle, but he didn’t really want one—not when Marlee was on board. Just to imagine the harm that might come to her was more than he could handle. He’d welcome the day they arrived in New Providence and he could send her home again.
He needed to pursue his life.
Lark knocked at the door and heard Marlee’s weak, “Come in.” She was lying on the bunk with her head turned away.
“I heard you weren’t feeling well,” he began. “What’s wrong? Can I get you anything?”
“Nothing.”
Turning her face to him, he noticed she was very pale. A thought as loud as thunder echoed in his ears. Suppose she was carrying his child? “Marlee, are you, are you”—he could hardly say the words— “sick because you’re going to have my baby?”
Slowly, Marlee sat up, her dark hair spilled like black velvet across her shoulders. She eyed him in cold contempt. “I’m not carrying your child, I can assure you of that. And anyway, what difference would it make if I were? You don’t love me and wouldn’t marry me, either. So, you’ll soon be free of me and can go about your pirate hunting—or whatever it is you do. Please don’t worry about me.”
“But I do worry.”
Shrugging, she laid down again. “That’s because you have a guilty conscience, not because you care about me.”
Lark bent down, his mouth came so close to hers that she expected him to kiss her. But he didn’t. Instead, he whispered so lowly that she strained to hear him. “I care more than you’ll ever know, Marlee. And if you are carrying my baby, I’d make provisions for you and the child.”
Her heart screamed only that he love her, but she didn’t say that to him. “I have enough money to last the rest of my life. I don’t want anything from you, and if I were having a child, I wouldn’t ask you for anything, either.”
“Then—you’re really not—pregnant?” He truly looked disappointed.
“I’m not,” she answered in all sincerity, and for just a fleeting moment she almost wished she were. But her monthly flux had started that very morning, putting to rest any fears that she might be pregnant.
He stared down at her, causing her insides to tremble and flutter like a hummingbird’s wings. “Ah, Marlee, Marlee,” he breathed. “Why couldn’t things have been different for us?”
She didn’t understand why he asked this question. Why couldn’t things be different? What prevented him from admitting that he loved her? Did he love her? Uncertainty ate away at her all of the time now. His very presence intrigued and bewildered her. Her lips ached for his kiss, and she’d have welcomed it. But as always, Lark withdrew from her physically and emotionally when he moved away from her bedside. “I’ll send Todd to check on you later,” he informed her. “If you need anything, just ask him.”
“Thank you,” she dispassionately muttered. “You’ve been very kind to me, Lark, considering—everything.”
She didn’t think he was going to reply at first, but he seemed to give a moment’s reflection before he spoke. “I’d give you the world if I could, if there was only some way that I could make up for what I’ve done to you, I would. Maybe, someday, I’ll get the chance.” Turning on his heels, he left the cabin.
Blinking away the tears that pricked her eyelids, Marlee believed him.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
“Ship ahoy!” The bellowing from the crow’s nest startled Marlee.
Until that moment the morning had been calm with a slight trade wind ruffling the sails overhead. She’d only been on deck for some five minutes with Todd as her companion. The crew had been diligently going about their chores, but more than once she’d noticed someone yawning and stretching from boredom. But now that a ship had been spotted, a surge of energy coursed through the men’s bodies, and they craned eagerly forward, their eyes alert.
“‘Tis a pirate ship, I’m thinkin’,” Marlee heard one of the men say. He pointed a bony finger in the looming ship’s direction. “Aye, I’ve seen that one before, I think, out of Santo Domingo two years ago.”
“Is it a Spanish ship?” Todd asked, breathless with eyes bulging.
“Aye. Someone better fetch Captain Lark.”
But Lark was already alerted. He’d quietly positioned himself behind Marlee. She felt his hand upon her shoulder before she saw his tense, drawn face. “Go below with Todd and remain in the cabin,” he said in a voice that was both a command and a request.
“But, sir, I want to stay up here for the fightin’,” Todd adamantly declared. “I don’t want to play nursemaid to a finicky female, not when there’s goin’ to be a real battle.”
“Do what I told you.” Lark emphasized each word, and Todd reluctantly made a move to escort Marlee from the deck.
For a second, she hesitated and looked directly at Lark, who didn’t seem to see her. His concentration was centered on the dark speck in the distance. “Is it Manuel Silva?” she asked him and noticed the high color in his cheeks.
“I hope so!” he answered raggedly. “God in heaven, I hope it is!” Then he was rushing away from her, barking commands to the men, overseeing the loading of the cannons.
Marlee followed behind a very disgruntled Todd.
~
Booming artillery fire from the pirate ship echoed through the air. Bracing herself for the hit, Marlee was surprised when she found herself still standing in the cabin. She ran to look outside of the porthole just as Her Ladyship answered with a resounding boom. “We’ve scuttled the pirate ship!” she exclaimed as the white sail was raised in surrender.
Todd nudged her aside to see. “Aye, she’s limpin’ bad,” was his observation. “What a pitiful sea battle this has been. One shot and ‘tis over.”
Marlee grinned ruefully at the lad. She was sorry for his disappointment yet very relieved that no one on Lark’s ship had been injured. “Maybe next time you’ll see some real action and not have to watch over a ‘finicky female.’ “
Todd glanced down at the toes of his boots and had the good grace to flush. “Forgive me, Lady Marlee. I shouldn’t have said any such thing.”
“Are you sorry you said it or sorry I heard it?”
“Both, I suppose.”
She couldn’t help chuckling. Todd was such a sweet young boy who yearned for adventure that she felt she’d probably have said the very same thing in his situation. “Well, let’s go on deck and see what’s happening. I’ve never been involved in a sea battle with pirates before, even if it has been a small one.”
Todd’s face brightened but then he dismally shook his head. “Can’t go on deck. Captain Lark wouldn’t be happy. You’re to stay in here and I’m to watch over you.”
“Watch over me on deck. We can hide so we won’t be in the way, and he won’t see us. Anyway, I’ve never seen a real pirate close up. Have you?”
Shaking his head, Todd was easily persuaded when Marlee left the cabin. Like two thieves, they sneaked up the stairs to the upper deck and concealed themselves behind large water barrels. They observed the bustling crew secure the damaged pirate ship to Her Ladyship by grappling hooks. Crewmen jumped to the pirate ship to take charge of the motley prisoners.
Marlee strained to see, craning her neck to get a better view of Lark. He waited on deck with arms akimbo. His dark hair blew about his face, and even at a distance she could tell that each pirate was the object of his withering gaze. She couldn’t help but shiver at his fierce stance or the way he assessed each individual man as he was brought aboard. She knew he was looking for Manuel Silva. And she also knew by the slight slumping of his shoulders when the last man had boarded Her Ladyship that Silva wasn’t among them.
“There’s gold on board, Captain,” Marle
e heard Holcombe tell Lark. “It’s a veritable treasure chest we’ve confiscated. The authorities on New Providence will be pleased.”
“Good, good,” mumbled Lark who didn’t seem to care about the booty. He inspected the pirates, about six of them, who waited in a line. Two of them wore earrings in their ears and one had a woolen cap on his curly head of hair. They were all dressed in what Marlee discerned were clothes which had seen better days, and even from where she was hidden, they smelled in need of a good washing. But there was one man, a man who eyed Lark with utter contempt. Lark seemed well aware of the man’s attitude. “What’s your name?” Lark demanded of him.
The beady-eyed man regarded Lark in disdain but gave a yowl of pain when one of Lark’s crewmen yanked at his arm and brandished a small knife. “Answer the captain,” he ordered, “or I’ll cut your Spanish throat.”
The man gulped and complied. “Pedro Mendoza.”
Something like recognition flickered in the depths of Lark’s eyes. “I’ve seen you before, Pedro Mendoza. You were with Manuel Silva when he attacked my ship last year. You were his second-in-command.”
Mendoza grinned. “You have a good memory, English dog.”
“You have your own ship now,” Lark continued, oblivious to the slur. “Did you and Silva have a falling out? Do you know where Silva is now?”
Mendoza’s dark eyes glittered with devilment. “You’d like me to tell you, wouldn’t you, señor?”
“Yes, I want you to tell me.”
“I’ll tell you nothing about Silva’s whereabouts. But I will tell you that the cargo Silva stole from you has been well used. Very well used, señor, by all of us.”
“You bloody bastard!”
Before Marlee’s disbelieving eyes, Lark pounced upon Mendoza and started choking the life out of him. If Holcombe wouldn’t have intervened, the Spaniard would have died. As it was, after Lark was removed from the man, Mendoza laid on deck and gasped for breath. “Take the bastard to the hole,” Lark ordered and tried to compose himself.
Pirate Hunter's Mistress (The Virginia Brides) Page 11