“I don’t want a nice man!” she shouted. “I want you, you stubborn, arrogant—“ she searched for a proper insult “—lily-livered son of a scurvy sea dog!”
Jonathan blinked, his mouth hanging open, and Rina took no little pride in having struck him speechless. Then he started to laugh.
“It’s not funny, you bastard!” she snapped. Jonathan bent over, hands propped on his knees as he gasped for breath. Rina huffed in annoyance and turned to stomp away.
Jonathan stopped her with a hand on her arm, whirling her around and gathering her close. “Oh, Smith,” he said, his eye still twinkling with mirth. “I fear I’ve ruined you for any other man. Who else would have such a foul-mouthed wench?”
Rina struggled against his hold, still annoyed, and it took a moment for her to recognize the significance of his words. She looked up at him, heart pounding in her chest. “What are you saying?”
Jonathan took a deep breath. “Damn it, Smith. I should let you go, but I’m a selfish bastard, aren’t I?” He looked away.
“Jonathan. What are you saying?” She reached up to turn his face back toward her.
He looked into her eyes, his gaze softening. “I’m saying I love you, Smith. God help me. I don’t want you to go anywhere if it isn’t with me.”
Rina gasped.
Jonathan laughed. “If I knew it would get you to stop talking, I might have told you sooner.”
She smacked his arm. Hard.
Jonathan ignored the blow, laying his palm on her cheek. “I can’t offer you a normal life, Sarina. I wish I could, but I can’t.”
“I don’t care,” she whispered. “I love you, too.”
Jonathan closed his eye, a soft smile on his face as he tilted his head back, the setting sun casting it in shadow. After a moment, he looked back down at her, the love evident on his face. “I will protect you, Sarina. I can promise you that.” He lowered his head until his lips brushed hers briefly. “I will do whatever I can to make you happy. And I can also promise that our life together will never, ever be boring.”
Rina giggled, joy bubbling up in an uncontrollable surge. “I believe that.” He tried to kiss her again, but she pulled her head back, forcing a serious look as she thought of Charlotte. “You won’t leave me behind, then. Pining away here while you sail off to who knows where?”
Jonathan sighed. “I wouldn’t dream of it. No, you belong by my side. I need someone to watch my flank, after all.”
She grinned. “It’s a nice flank.”
He laughed, tightening his hold, and she relaxed against him, feeling his warmth . . . his strength.
Home. He was her home. What she’d been searching for all along.
“So, what say ye, wench?” he asked with a smirk. “Will you let me make an honest woman of ye? Well, somewhat honest, at least?” He smiled widely at Rina’s laugh. “Marry me, Smith. Marry me, and let’s go have an adventure or two.”
Rina thought it was to her credit that she didn’t make him wait for an answer. She smiled up at him, twisting her hands in his hair and tugging it lightly.
“Aye, Captain,” she said. “That sounds like a good bit o’ fun.”
Legends conflict as to the fate of One-Eyed Jack Tremayne and his first mate, Wild Rina Talbot. Some say the pair was captured and hanged, exchanging a passionate kiss before joining hands to face the afterlife side by side. Others say the duo was killed when the Black Arrow went down in a vicious hurricane somewhere in the Caribbean islands.
Still others, however—in stories told in hushed whispers around campfires late at night—say that Captain Tremayne and his woman faced no such violent demise, but slipped from sight to live a quiet life among a group of natives in the islands after befriending James Ceron, a local man with apparent blood ties to the chief. They say Tremayne and Talbot were married, had a child . . . grandchildren . . . and lived out their days together. Some stories say the duo got the occasional itch to return to the sea and set out to find treasure or pillage the cargo of another pirate vessel.
“Just to keep sharp,” Tremayne was quoted as saying.
The fate of Tremayne’s family was a little more clearly documented. His father, Lord Tremayne, married his second wife, Lady Grace Eaton Tremayne in the spring of 1749. Lady Tremayne’s daughter, Charlotte Eaton Baines and her husband, Maxwell, former first mate of the Arrow, had three children of their own and, despite their advancing years, adopted two more, orphaned in the Revolutionary War. Baines himself was credited with organizing a small group of spies believed to have been largely responsible for thwarting a British attack on Charleston in 1779.
Sam Hutchins, master rigger of the Black Arrow, took a brothel owner as his wife, and the two quickly built something of an empire in the islands. Their descendants now own several prosperous vacation resorts, including the original Red Pearl, which has been preserved as a historical monument.
Lord Lucius Stanton, who returned to England a wealthy man, boasting of having discovered Mellick’s Gold single-handedly, died of consumption less than a year after he claimed his title. Ironically, London’s cool and misty weather exacerbated his condition, and doctors speculated if he’d stayed in the Caribbean, he might have added years to his life.
He never wed and had no children. His lands and finances were seized by the Crown to pay outstanding gambling debts.
As for the rest of Mellick’s treasure, it was divided amongst the crew of the Black Arrow and handed down through the generations. Captain Tremayne and his Sarina stashed their portion of the treasure—not only Mellick’s Gold, but all the treasure they’d collected over the years—in various places. They hid caches in caves, buried it beneath trees, and left clues for their children and their children’s children to be able to find it.
Why, you ask? Well, your guess is as good as mine, but I suspect Tremayne thought it would be fun. In my research, I’ve learned that the captain was often motivated by such things.
Most historians believe all of Tremayne’s treasure has been discovered, much of it donated to museums over the years. But I believe there is one more cache out there. And I think I’ve discovered its location. My crew is ready, and I am confident we will discover what may be the greatest pirate treasure ever found.
So, yes, I believe that One-Eyed Jack and his Sarina—his Smith—lived a long and happy life together. I believe they plotted together to provide a bit of adventure to those who would come after them. And I believe that somehow, somewhere, they’re looking down and smiling as I embark on this journey.
Tomorrow, I set sail in search of Tremayne’s last cache. The call of the sea is difficult to resist. The call of a treasure even more so.
I would know, after all. I have the blood of pirates singing in my veins.
- The Journal of Elisabeth Ann Tremayne, Ph.D.
University of Florida, History Department
August 7, 2017
The MORE Trilogy
MORE | The Guardians | TWELVE
The Talisman Chronicles
WINDOW | TIMEPIECE | GAUNTLET | MANTLE | SHIELD | PRISON
The Complete Talisman Chronicles Bundle
The “How to Survive High School” Series
How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You
Coming Soon - How to Get Viney Palmari a Date for the Prom
Short Stories
A Piece of Cake
Unscheduled Departure
This book has been a long time in coming, and there were many people involved along the way. Special thanks to Kate, Tracy, Elena, Sarah, Susana, Annie, Brenna, Kelly, and the many others on Twitter who encouraged me to write this story down.
Also, thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story online before it was published, including Sille, Denise, Margey, Tiffany, Judy, Melissa, Sherissa, Alanna, Tracy, Colleen, Melinda, Jolanda, Marigel, Laraina, Trisha, Nikki, Angela, Chandrani, Amelia, Lisa, Emily, Martha, Kelly, Alexandra, Amanda, Jenny, Simone, Michal, Belle, Karla, Julie, Brandy, Che
ryl, Jackie A., Reeti, Ronnie, Kandy, Melissa, Vinney, Myra, Courtney, Caitlin, Sarah, Shannon, MichelleSB, Pimm, Irene, Gemma, Lisa, Bernadette, Shristi, Lindsay, Rhonda, Hayley, Aneta, Opi, Stephannie, Mireille, Sri, Haley, Dee, Jennie, Grace, Nimisha, Savannah, Carolina, Gemma, Rebecca, Anna, Krisztina, Stacy, Shannon, Emmy, Cintia, Melany, Jennifer, Trisha, Erika, Nancy, Trayce, Tara, DeJean, Rochelle, Linda, Caroline, Nichole, Rita, Cassandra, Kate, Sharon, Jiff, Lori, Hafsa Jalal, Katy, Chris L., Diane, Tonya, Rae, Chao, Candace, Sherrie, Carey, Katie, Mina, Sheryl, Jayne, Kristine, Michelle, Tiffany, FSMeurinne, Dusty, Amanda, Daisy, Elaine, Julie, Sara C., Nic, Kat, Pam, Christy, Sue, Tina, Jeanetta, Abby, Rel8tivity, Sarah, withany, Peetah, Alexandra, Susana, Ashleigh, Funmbie, Michelle, Carey, Cozmo, Kim, Marcy, Anastasia, Paige, Joanne, Becky, Nikki, Krista, Glinda, Remmy, Jecca, Becca, Sami, Nan, Starla, Jennifer, Brandi, Patricia, Jess, Cared, Melissa, Judy, Amy, Jo, Lizettee, Isabel, Jill, Michele, and others along the way. Your support means everything to me.
Many thanks to my wonderful editor, Kathie Spitz, my proofreader, Amy at Rose David Editing, and my pre-reader, Jess Molly Brown. I would never feel comfortable putting my words out into the world without your help. Thank you to Lindsey Gray for her wonderful job formatting this book and making it so beautiful.
Thanks to Jeanne McDonald and the wonderful and supportive authors of Enchanted Publications: Jami Denise, Carrie Elks, Lindsey Gray, Jiffy Kate, Jennifer Locklear, Sydney Logan, Melanie L. Moreland, Ayden K. Morgen, Jo Richardson, Cara Dee, and Alexis Riddley. Go check out their books!
And finally, thanks to my wonderful family who supports me in everything I do. I couldn't do this without you.
T.M. Franklin writes stories of adventure, romance, & a little magic. A former TV news producer, she decided making stuff up was more fun than reporting the facts. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days. MORE was well-received, being selected as a finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards, as well as winning the Suspense/Thriller division of the Blogger Book Fair Reader's Choice Awards. She's since written three additional novels and several best-selling short stories...and there's always more on the way.
Connect with T.M. Franklin at her website: www.TMFranklin.com
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