“I’m sorry, milady.”
“No, no, no. There’s no need to apologize.” The woman tucked a piece of copper hair behind her ear. Adam smiled sadly. He had only ever met one other person with hair such a vibrant hue. A young girl back home, from the days of his childhood. Back in the days before the side of his face was so grotesquely disfigured. “What’s wrong, sir?”
“Oh, no. Nothing is wrong, milady. I was just remembering something from before…from another time.” He brushed a swatch of hair back behind his ear.
The woman studied him for a moment, then finally looked away.
“After we careen the Siren’s Call, it shouldn’t take us longer than a fortnight to reach the Carolinas, and just a day or so to find the captain’s sister. Then, we sail straight back to London in all haste. You’ll be back with your brother before you know it.” Adam gazed across the sea wistfully. Lady Shaw and Captain Thompson were both on missions to find and help their younger siblings. What was his own little sister doing without him, back in London? Sometimes he missed her so terribly the pain forced him to stop and catch his breath. But he had left that life behind when he had chosen his profession, and there was nothing he could change. He would never see her again.
Lady Shaw laid her hand on his arm, drawing him from his thoughts. “Are you all right, Mr. Douglas?”
He blinked. “Oh, yes I am. I’m sorry.”
She frowned. “You seem agitated.” Adam had nearly forgotten what it was like to have a woman near. They were so caring and intuitive.
“Iv-Lady Shaw?”
Adam spun around. The captain stood behind him, arms crossed. His face lit up with a boyish grin when his gaze landed on Lady Shaw.
“Yes, Captain Thompson?”
Gage didn’t seem to notice Adam standing before him. “Oh, I had…wanted to talk to you, miss. It’s not anything important; I was just hoping...”
Chapter Thirteen
“Ouch.” Addie bit her tongue as the needle sliced through her skin. How clumsy could she be? Surely sewing a patch on a shirt should not be this difficult. She had been shocked that the tailor who had hired her did not care she’d come with so little sewing experience. He had thought she was being modest about her abilities, but she had never sewn more than a button before in her life.
She glanced at the heaping pile of clothes in the basket beside her. It seemed to double in size daily, yet she struggled to complete more than one piece in a day. Mr. Faulke had kindly offered for her to sleep upstairs in the shop—and encouraged her to take her work up there with her since she was falling behind on orders so rapidly. There was nothing she could do about it, though. The work was so small and tedious. She would much rather be outside tending a garden with larger tools, where her work actually produced something.
What would become of her? Would she spend the rest of her life in the Carolinas, repairing other people’s clothing, working for some man? The last thing she had wanted with her life was to work for a man, after what she had dealt with being married to her husband, but there was nothing she could do about it. She needed money to live, and this was the only reputable job she could find.
The needle poked into her skin once again, and she cringed. Goodness, she did hope Gage would get here soon.
****
“I need to go check our course. Good day, milady. Captain.” Adam strolled away.
“What is it you wanted, Gage?”
“Never you mind it.” Gage eyed the ever-approaching island. They were only minutes away from the shore.
“But you acted as though you wanted to say something important. Are you certain?” Ivy fidgeted with her hands, wringing them around. She was moving them so much Gage wanted to take them in his own and hold them until they went still.
“I’m sure.” Gage had intended to discuss little Emma’s future with Ivy, but he couldn’t bear to think about it, much less speak of it. He did not want to force Ivy to care for her on her own, but there was no way he could see her given to some stranger to raise.
Ivy hesitantly reached out a hand and rested it on his arm. “Thank you for being so kind about taking care of Emma.” Could she read his mind? “It’s rare to find a man who would be so tender with a stranger’s child. Or his own child, for that matter.” Her expression darkened.
Gage’s face heated as he chuckled in response. “I love that little girl. She is no burden to me at all.”
“Awaiting orders to make land!” A voice from the shrouds forced Gage to take his eyes off of the beautiful woman in front of him.
As he inspected the island, Gage whispered to Lady Shaw, “Why don’t you go back down to your cabin with Emma, and send Mr. Douglas back up here? I will send for you when we are ready to exit the ship.”
****
“I know, sweetheart, I know. It’s all right…” Ivy cringed. Emma screeched particularly loudly when the longboat they sat in plunged over a swell. She patted the girl on the back. A warm, strong hand rested on the back of Ivy’s neck and toyed with a lock of her hair, out of the view of the others. Startled, she glanced over her shoulder to find Captain Thompson grinning down at her. Rather than make her uncomfortable, his touch made her feel safe.
Emma wailed yet again.
“If your lady doesn’t quiet the babe, I will, Captain.”
Ivy’s stomach dropped when she realized the comment was from Rogers. The man was purely a monster. His dark eyes leered at her and he leaned closer to her from his position across the longboat.
Captain Thompson’s hand stiffened on the back of her neck. “You will do no such thing. If I hear another word from you, I will maroon you on this island.”
Rogers grunted and leveled a hard glare on Ivy. A shiver coursed through her body. She had been safe on board the ship, where she could lock herself in her cabin, but now? Now, she had no protection but the captain sitting next to her.
Please keep me safe, God. She tugged Emma closer to her chest, but the girl would not be quieted. Captain Thompson looped his arm around Ivy’s shoulder and leaned close. His lips almost brushed her ear as he whispered, “May I take her?”
Ivy studied him. His chocolate brown eyes gazed down at her and the child with tenderness. She resisted a smile. This man would make a good father someday, and a good husband. Too bad he would never be hers.
When Captain Thompson nudged her in the side, she realized she had been staring. Heat rushed to her face as she pressed a kiss to Emma’s forehead and settled the child on the captain’s lap. He leaned her back against his waist and wrapped an arm around her. After a moment, her sobbing quieted. Ivy’s lips quirked upward in a smile. What was it about this man that always calmed the child?
The tiny boat halted abruptly. Ivy blinked up through bright sunshine to find they were at a sandbar, mere feet from the body of the island. Captain Thompson rose and leapt from the boat onto the sandbar with Emma in tow. He held out his hand with a flourish, as an indication for Ivy to join him on land.
She glanced behind her, where Rogers still pierced her with his glare. Ivy placed her hand in Captain Thompson’s and allowed him to assist her out of the longboat. His hand remained on the small of her back as the rest of the men filed off the boat.
****
Gage leaned down onto the sand with a groan. It had been a grueling day. Careening was hardly his favorite part of sailing. He had worked with the men all day, and now the labor was catching up to him. Besides the physical work, he now had the responsibility of making decisions and keeping everyone working.
He closed his eyes and let the inky blackness of nighttime on the island sweep over him. Every once in a while, it was nice to rest on stable earth, rather than to be plagued by the nonstop rocking of a ship. Just as sleep had begun to take over his body, a small hand patted his knee. A giggle followed. Gage sprang into a sitting position and blinked, struggling to adjust his eyes to the darkness. The embers of the fire barely illuminated the little face of Emma beside him. A smile split acr
oss Gage’s face. He leaned forward and snuggled the child close to him.
Careful not to wake his crew, he whispered to the little one, “Now, what are you doing up?” She wound her arms around his neck.
Gage’s gaze drifted to the other side of the fire, where Ivy slept soundly. He had been wary of allowing the woman to sleep out in the open on the beach with the rest of the crew a couple paces away, but there was nothing he could do about it. The ship lay tilted on its side, so there was no way she nor the crew could reside there. And the nearby jungle was not a safe location in which to sleep. Instead, Gage had ensured that Lady Shaw and Emma were positioned well away from the other men—half the length of the inlet. Plus, any man who wanted to harm her would have to get past Gage and the camp’s fire.
Gage rocked the child. “Why are you away from Lady Shaw, huh, sweetie?” He pressed a kiss to her temple.
“Papa!” Emma squealed.
He chuckled. “Hush now. We can’t have you waking the men up. Now, let’s get you back to Lady Shaw. She could wake up and get worried if you’re not there.”
Gage carefully rose and tiptoed his path around the fire. When he reached Lady Shaw, he stopped and could not keep himself from staring for a moment. She was so sweet when she slept. Red hair tumbled over her shoulder, and she pillowed her cheek with her hand. He crept close and planned to deposit Emma on the sand beside her, but Emma cried and squirmed in his arms. The noise startled Ivy, who immediately sprang to a sitting position. Gage repositioned his hold on Emma in order to press a finger to his lips, urging the woman to remain silent.
She blinked rapidly. Her gray eyes almost appeared black in the moonlight. Confusion washed over her features. The last thing Gage wanted to do was frighten her, so he slouched down into a crouch so as to avoid intimidating her. A gasp escaped her throat.
“It’s me. Captain Thompson,” he quickly supplied.
She rubbed her neck. “Oh. What…what are you doing here? It’s late. This is…indecent.”
“I realize that, milady, and I don’t want to tarnish your good reputation. However, none of the men are awake.” Gage shot a glance over his shoulder to ensure that statement was true.
“That’s no excuse…” Her face was drawn tight with something Gage couldn’t identify. “You shouldn’t be here at this time of night. We are alone.”
He felt a grin stretch across his face at her needless fretting. “Milady, I only came here because Emma wandered off. It was dangerous, really. She could have stumbled into the fire.”
Lady Shaw seemed to jerk into a state of full awareness. She swung around, patting the sand in search of Emma. Gage chuckled. “She’s right here with me, my dear.” Relief washed over her face and she stretched out her arms. After a moment of reluctance, Gage handed the child over. He pressed a kiss to the top of Emma’s head. Her fuzzy hair tickled his nose. “You two sleep well, all right?”
Gage offered a smile for Lady Shaw and rose. He should spend the least time possible near this woman. It would not do to have a crew member finding them and jumping to the wrong conclusions. Just as he moved away from the two, Emma whimpered, “Papa!”
He swung around, ready to save the woman and the child from some unknown intruder. But no one was there. Instead, Emma rested in Lady Shaw’s lap, her arms stretched out towards him. Gage paused. Lady Shaw’s jaw clenched and her delicate brow furrowed. After a moment, her face flushed. “Emma, he is not your papa.” Her hushed voice held a sharp tone. She met Gage’s gaze. “I’m so sorry, sir. I have no idea why she would—”
****
Ivy bit her lip and squeezed Emma closer to herself as heat continued to stain her cheeks. She hoped Captain Thompson had never heard Emma refer to her as Mama.
“What’s wrong, miss? She can call me ‘Papa’ if she so wishes.” He crouched down on the sand, his face nearly level with hers. Ivy squeezed her eyes shut. This was mortifying. If Emma had said either in public back in London, her reputation would be in shreds.
“No, she may not. People will think…oh, never mind. It is simply wrong. We do not want her to get confused.”
Captain Thompson’s eyes remained on Ivy. Emma broke the silence by launching herself towards the man. Ivy had no choice but to release the tyke, or she would have tumbled on top of him as well. The captain chuckled and caught Emma in an embrace. Something tugged on Ivy’s heart as she gazed upon the two. He truly was a good man, and they looked so sweet together. A sigh escaped from her lips. “If she wants to sleep by you, then that’s all right with me.” Ivy stifled a yawn.
Captain Thompson grinned. The moonlight made his teeth shine. Was the man ever without his charming smile? “Goodnight then, milady.” Just as he rose, Emma shrieked once more.
Ivy cringed as she heard some of the men on the other side of the beach grumble. Heaven knows what they would do to her if Emma disrupted their sleep more than once. Oh, what had she been thinking, dragging a baby along with her on a ship like this? She hadn’t been thinking.
Captain Thompson whispered soothing nonsense to the girl, who pointed down at Ivy. “What is it? What do you want, sweetheart?” He lowered himself to kneel next to Ivy once again.
“Sleep here.”
Ivy gasped. Emma had barely ever said more than one word the entire time she’d been caring for her, much less words that made sense together.
“You want to sleep by your ma—Lady Shaw?” Captain Thompson’s brow furrowed.
“You sleep too.”
Ivy squeezed her eyes shut in horror.
“Oh…well…I…” Captain Thompson let out a long breath before Ivy finally opened her eyes. His face shone bright red, even in the moonlight. “I can’t…sleep here too, darling. It wouldn’t be right.”
Emma’s tiny face crumpled. Ivy sucked in a deep breath. The poor girl. After everything that had happened to her—abandoned by her own mother—Ivy hurt to see her upset. Would it be so hard to grant her one request? Ivy met Captain Thompson’s gaze. He stared at her in bewilderment. “If it’s all right with you, Captain, you may stay…nearby so Emma can fall asleep happily. I would hate to deprive her of something so simple.”
“Sleep…here? By you?”
“Yes, sir. I know it isn’t proper, but neither is sleeping on a beach filled with forty men. I do not think allowing one to sleep a few feet closer to me—separated by a babe—will harm me overmuch.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “You’re certain?”
“Aye, sir.”
Ivy scooted over and reclined on the sand, leaving plenty of room for Captain Thompson. Just because he slept near her did not mean he had to sleep next to her. Slowly, the man also stretched himself out and positioned Emma between them and rotated his back to her. “Goodnight then, milady.”
Ivy’s lips tugged upwards in a small smile. “Goodnight, Captain.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Well now that ya mention it, I do remember a lad answering by the name visiting here nigh on a month ago. But I don’t recall his last name bein’ Trenton. No, it was somethin’ else…blast it, me old mind don’t remember things like that anymore!” The man who owned the tavern—Blakeley, Caspian had called him—leaned heavily to the right, looking over Caspian’s shoulder. Eden followed his gaze to find two men brawling. “Ay, you stop it! I’ll have no fighting in me tavern! Outside to the back wit’ ya!” The two men paused for only a second then scurried out the door. A wave of other customers followed to view the fight. Eden leaned against her husband’s shoulder, eagerness for news of her brother overwhelming her. This was their fourth stop at a port in an effort to find him, and she prayed this one would be successful. Caspian’s arm wound around her waist, and his hand tangled with hers.
The tavern owner turned back to them, his face apologetic. “Now, what was I sayin’, Archer? Oh yes, I remember the man. Have no way of knowin’ if he’s yours or not, but I did hear him talkin’ about looking for a crew to sail with. He was in search of a new captain�
��from what I understand, the last one was a beast.”
Caspian ran a hand through his hair. “That’s the only clue I’ve found so far in the search for my man, Blakely. I don’t think it could hurt us to take it. Do you know, by chance, if he ended up signing on with anyone?”
Blakely scratched his chin, which was scruffy with a gray beard. “I don’t believe he did. I think he said somethin’ about headin’ back to…Port Royal. But I don’t know if this is your man. I don’t want to send ya searchin’ all over the Caribbean for someone who just shares the first name of this sailor you’re searchin’ fer.”
When a pirate ambled too near, Reed backed up, closer to Eden. She placed her hand on his shoulder. It seemed as though she had no hope for finding her brother. Well, maybe everything was better off this way. She had a new family here, one she was very happy about. But she would be much happier knowing if her brother was alive. Eden craned her neck to peer up at her husband. Her voice a low whisper, she said, “What should we do?”
Caspian pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We are going to Port Royal.”
****
Gage awoke before the rays of dawn had fully shed their light on the beach. Something soft moved under his arm. He blinked sleep-blurred eyes against the glint of the sun. The ocean was beautiful in the morning. Colors—lavender, turquoise, and even a pale yellow—danced across the water as the waves lapped gently against the beach.
Memories flooded back to him as he gazed at the most beautiful part of the beach—the woman who slept with her head on his arm, and the baby who nestled against him. He could not stifle a grin. This made him feel like a family man. Ivy shifted closer to him. Her copper curls wound over her shoulder and tumbled onto the sand. When so close to her, with her face peacefully drawn in sleep, Gage noticed a smattering of light freckles on her cheeks. They were as charming as her and practically begged for his lips to touch them.
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