“Your orders, Captain?” from the primed lieutenant.
“Stand down.”
A silence came over the crew: a funeral-like silence.
Madeline scaled the poop. “What are you doing?!”
“Surrendering,” he said with barefaced displeasure.
She snatched the spyglass from him and focused on the other ship, counting its masts and canons. “You’re a match for her, William.”
“I’m not going to fight her.”
“But she’ll sink us.”
“Trust me, Maddie.”
“But—”
“Raise the white flag,” he roared. “Let her come abreast. Prepare to be boarded, men.”
CHAPTER 12
Madeline stood alongside the rest of the crew, watching the unidentified ship lower two skiffs into the sea. Tension aboard the Nemesis was as thick as molasses. And there were whispers among the tars about the captain’s sanity. She prayed there wouldn’t be a mutiny. But she also prayed for the captain’s sanity. Trust me, Maddie, he had said. But she was having a deuced hard time trusting him, the man far too enigmatic.
She glanced over her shoulder. A distance away, William remained atop the poop, his expression impenetrable. He had folded his arms across his chest, defensive, bone-rigid in posture, as his steely gaze observed the advancing rowboats.
Madeline cast her eyes toward the same rowboats, flexing then fisting her palms. What the devil was going on? she wondered. William would never sacrifice his crew and ship. He was a man of war . . . unless there was no war, no danger.
At the peculiar thought, she shot the captain another critical glare, and his uncompromising composure seemed more and more like repressed annoyance. The ship wasn’t under threat, she then realized. He was.
As the skiffs reached the hull, William ordered, “Lower the ropes.”
But when the uncertain sailors dallied, the loyal lieutenant blasted them for being too slow, and the rope ladders were quickly dropped overboard.
The unfurling rope and wood clattered along the ship’s planking before splashing into the water, and then the undeniable sound of climbing boots echoed across the silent ship.
Her heart thundered as the unidentified men ascended the ship’s flank, and a primal instinct overcame her—to fight. These men were after William. And William would do anything to protect his ship and crew, even sacrifice himself.
Heads soon appeared above deck.
Madeline braced herself—then gasped.
Captain James Hawkins boarded the ship, his long black hair tied in a queue, his sharp blue eyes as dark and smoldering as gun smoke on a battlefield. He was followed by his exotic wife, Sophia, dressed in breeches and a capable seafarer, it seemed, for she scaled the ship with perfect ease.
Madeline’s breast tightened in awe as another, then another brother appeared, their wives in tow, with the Duke and Duchess of Wembury bringing up the rear.
“Maddie!”
Cousin Amy dashed toward her and dragged her into an embrace.
“Are you all right, my dear?”
“I-I’m fine,” she stammered, still bewildered. “What are you doing here, Amy?”
Amy glanced warily between the family and William. “There were rumors.”
“Rumors?”
She whispered, “Of an abduction.”
Madeline groaned. “I assure you, there was no abduction. I’m here because . . . It’s a long story.”
As Amy wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulder, she smiled. “Shall we hear it over a cup of tea?”
Madeline nodded. The strain in the air hadn’t lifted, though. There was another reason the family had given chase, she swiftly concluded. It was apparent in their stiff postures. She would have assumed an uncomfortable matter was at hand, but there was also a crisis.
She eyed the Duchess of Wembury, standing at the far end of the ship with her husband, her features ever so resentful, broken even. Edmund looked just as infuriated, Quincy somber, perhaps remorseful. And then there was James, inscrutable, but undoubtedly repressing the same powerful emotions as the rest of his kin.
They had not just come to rescue her from a rumored abduction, she reasoned, even though their grave expressions indicated severe disapproval. There was something more going on between the siblings, something immensely personal.
Madeline had always known William was hiding a dark secret from her, the crew, and likely his family. Was it about to be revealed?
~ * ~
William felt as if he’d been shot in the chest again, his wound gushing unhindered amounts of blood. He remained unmoving on the poop, watching his entire family descend upon his ship.
The moment he’d recognized his eldest brother’s schooner, the Bonny Meg, he’d realized his carefully orchestrated plans had been dashed to bits, that fate’s unexpected fortune had been a joke—and he would have to confront his tempestuous kin, after all.
His tars greeted Edmund, who’d served aboard the Nemesis at one time, as well as Quincy, who was still the ship’s official surgeon. The women gathered around Madeline, but his sister, Belle, remained at the other end of the vessel, her eyes digging into him with unforgiving fury.
It was James who finally approached him, his gait slow yet determined. “I want a word with you, brother.”
A few minutes later, he and James were alone in the captain’s cabin.
“Hullo, sweetheart.” James reached into the terrarium and scooped up the snake, coiling her around his forearm. “I’ve missed you, girl.”
William observed their strange exchange from across the room, arms folded. He leaned against the wall and braced the heel of his boot on a chair. “How did you find me?”
“You can’t set sail in total secret, not from the Thames,” he said, returning the serpent inside the glass enclosure. “When large amounts of food and rum and gun powder are loaded aboard a ship, there’s always gossip. And you’re a man of habit.” He shrugged. “I figured you’d take the same route to the Caribbean as we always did in the past.”
At the suggestion he was the predictable brother, the brother who never took any risks, William gritted his teeth. The charge would have pleased him once. Now he was bloody insulted.
“And why am I going to the Caribbean?” he asked in a voice not far from a growl. “You don’t really believe I abducted Maddie?”
“Maddie, is it? No, I don’t believe you abducted her. I don’t know why she’s here, in truth. But I know what you’re doing.” His eyes flared. “Running away.”
William kicked the chair across the room with such force, the legs shattered. “Curse Quincy!”
Unperturbed, James persisted, “Don’t blame the pup for telling us the truth. You should have told us—”
“Told you what?” he stormed. “That I’m sick, like Father? That I’m dying, like Father?” His fist slammed into the wall. “Fuck you, James! You would’ve done the very same thing. You would never have let us watch you fall apart.”
“Damn right. Next time cover your tracks better.”
William raked his hair until his scalp pinched. “There isn’t going to be a ‘next time’.”
“Are you sure you’re sick . . . like Father?”
“Yes.”
“He died seven years ago, Will. Quincy’s a member of the Royal College of Physicians now. He can help you.”
“What? When did this happen?”
“Quincy received word just before Eddie’s wedding. He was going to tell you after the nuptials about his membership, that he wouldn’t be serving aboard the Nemesis any longer.”
“It seems I’m not the only one keeping secrets.”
James glowered. “Quincy didn’t want to take the attention away from Eddie and Amy on their special day. But you—”
“Enough! I’m glad the pup’s settled. I don’t have to sack him now. It’s my last voyage, after all.”
His brother’s voice dropped. “Are you sure?”
Wil
liam paced the cabin, rubbing the back of his stiff neck. “I’ve already been to the most renowned doctors in London. I’ve visited the wisest medicine men in Africa. There is no cure.”
“How much time do you have?”
“Four months, maybe six.”
“Were you ever going to tell us?”
“I wrote a letter,” he said, then stopped, turned away from his brother. “Maddie was going to deliver it to Belle when she returned to England . . . I want you to leave, James.”
“No.”
“I don’t want any of you with me at the end.”
“I understand, but I’m not leaving—we’re not leaving.”
He fisted his palms. “How can you be such a bloody hypocrite?”
“It’s rather easy.”
William took in a measured breath, changed his tactic. “I can’t believe you brought the women?”
“Did you really think I could leave them behind once they’d heard you were sick?”
“They’re in danger, James.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to rescue Maddie’s grandfather. He’s being held hostage in the Bahamas—by pirates.”
“Shit. Quincy didn’t mention—”
“Quincy didn’t know anything about it. I made the plan with Maddie.”
“Maddie again? And why are you doing this for Maddie?”
He next rubbed his aching brow. “She’s family.”
“She’s also a good reason to avoid us, maybe even die in battle. You and I are alike, Will.”
“Are we?” He confronted his brother again, blood burning in his veins. “I’m the soulless head of this family, while you’re its destructive ass. I repair what you’ve ruined. I clean up what you’ve razed. And I stand between you and your own insufferable temper. Isn’t that what you meant when you said I have no soul, that I can’t bleed, that I don’t even know love?”
James offered him a queer expression at the uncharacteristic outburst, and William headed for the door before he blubbered any more rot. “Forget it.”
But his eldest brother grabbed him by the arm. “It’s Maddie, isn’t it?”
William jerked his arm away and circled the cabin, his guts twisting, his heart pounding.
“Why?” he gritted. “Why now? Why did I meet her now?”
He released the tension in his bones and turned over the dining table with a wild roar.
“Why now, James? When I’m fucking dying and can’t . . . and can’t be with her?” His energy spent, William slumped against the wall. “I sometimes wish I had never met her. Other times, I thank the stars I had a short time with her. What am I going to do?”
“Marry her.”
“Are you mad? I can’t marry her, then leave her a widow.”
“She might be pregnant.”
William seized. He hadn’t even considered . . . he hadn’t even considered the possibility of a babe. “I never thought about that.”
“I guess you’re not the soulless head you think you are, that you’ve got a destructive ass, too.”
As his head throbbed, William clutched his temples. “What am I going to do?”
“You have to protect Maddie. She can’t come home, pregnant and unwed. I will marry the two of you.”
“You?”
“I can marry you aboard my ship. When I record the ceremony in the ship’s log, it will be considered a common-law marriage. And if you change your will to include Maddie and any heir she might have, she should be protected.”
“What if she refuses to marry me?”
“And ruin her reputation?”
“She doesn’t care about her reputation; according to her, she lost it long ago.”
“And the babe’s reputation? Does she want it labeled a bastard for the rest of its life?”
William thumped his head against the wall. “She doesn’t know I’m dying, James.”
“I can’t help you with that, brother. You’ll have to tell her the truth. But first you have to propose to the woman.”
CHAPTER 13
“Maddie, why didn’t you tell me about your grandfather?”
At the wounded note in Amy’s voice, Madeline offered a contrite expression. Her cousin had been so gracious, offering friendship to a scandalous woman.
As a child, Amy had been abducted, whisked into the rookeries and presumed dead, but two years ago, she’d returned home. And that’s when Madeline had started believing in miracles. She’d penned her cousin a letter of welcome, not expecting a reply because of her tainted past. But Amy had rebuffed all social constraints. She’d responded to the letter with affection, and since then, their old amity had blossomed once more.
As girls, they’d shared a few familial memories. Their grandparents had been siblings, making Amy and Madeline second generation cousins. But as women, they were confidants.
“You had so much to struggle with: the annulment from Gravenhurst, the wedding to Cousin Edmund. I didn’t want to impose on your kindness.”
“But the risk, Maddie! If anyone other than William had caught you stealing jewels you’d be shipped to the colonies—or hanged!”
“I had to take the risk, Amy. At least, I thought I had to take it. I want to apologize for my behavior on the night of your wedding ball. I should not have pilfered the jewels, placing you and Cousin Edmund in peril. It’s just . . . the old man saved my life. He took me in when I was destitute, loved me despite my sins. I . . .”
“I understand, my dear.” She set aside her teacup and curled her arms around her cousin. “I know love is a powerful force. It drives us to break every rule and take any gamble, however dangerous.”
Madeline admired the young woman’s bravery. Amy would always do what was right. She would always follow her heart. And much to Madeline’s gratitude and good fortune, Amy’s heart had led to their solidarity.
“Maddie, I—” William stilled in the doorway, gathering his features. “Hullo, Amy.”
“Hullo, William.”
He slipped his hands in his trouser pockets, looking vaguely uncomfortable. “I need a private word with Lady Madeline.”
“Yes, of course.”
As Amy headed toward the door, he stepped away, allowing her passage, but she paused and wrapped her arms around his waist, pecking his cheek. “It’s good to see you again.”
She then left the cabin, William’s features tightening even more. The captain was quite uncomfortable now.
Madeline furrowed her brow at the strange exchange. “What was that about?”
“It’s not important.” He shut the door and approached her, his blue eyes as turbulent as rough waters. “You have to marry me.”
“I beg your pardon?”
He sighed. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Madeline jumped from her chair. “I understand the question. I mean why do you want to marry me?”
“You might be pregnant. It’s the honorable thing to do.”
His answer, though sensible coming from any other man, riled her.
You’re a damn siren I can’t get out of my head, my blood, my . . .
What? His heart? His soul? Or something crude, like his prick?
She inhaled an infuriating breath.
When he finished that ambiguous sentence, Madeline would consider his clumsy proposal—and not before.
“No,” she said.
“But the babe?”
“What babe? I won’t know for several more days, perhaps weeks. And if I’m pregnant, we can address the convenience of marriage at that time.”
“Convenience?”
She turned away from him, aloof, and collected the tea set.
A growl came up behind her. “There isn’t much time, Maddie.”
She picked up the silver tray, intent on the galley. “I don’t know what you mean.”
William blocked the door. “What if I die in battle?”
She gasped—then slammed the tray on the table, the porcelain ringing. “Ho
w dare you threaten me!”
“Maddie—”
“You are the seasoned captain of a battle-hardened crew.” She stabbed him in the chest with her finger. “Your brother is now here with his ship and support. You will find my grandfather, aim your canons at the pirates’ heads, and bring the old man back to me. There isn’t going to be a battle. And you are not going to die!”
She stormed from the room, her innards twisting with dread. She resisted the thought of William’s death. Or that of any other tar. She had come with an armed crew to rescue her grandfather with the full intention of taking the pirates by surprise and avoiding a needless confrontation. And while there was still a risk, a small risk of disaster, William had no right to frighten her with that remote prospect just to assuage his bloody honor.
~ * ~
When William returned to his cabin, his siblings were gathered inside the room: James hunched over the sea chart, Edmund reading the ransom note, and Quincy beside the scuttle, gazing outward. His sister poured herself a glass of rum and downed it like a pirate, rather than a duchess.
The nostalgic scene took him back six years, when they’d last served together aboard their father’s ship, the Bonny Meg. They were all still pirates then, the lot of ’em, but Belle had married the duke soon after, and their lives had dramatically changed course.
James had turned the Bonny Meg into a trading rig, William had captained the Nemesis as a privateer. Edmund and Quincy had served aboard the Nemesis for a time before they’d both discovered other passions: one as a Bow Street Runner, the other a doctor.
And as William stood in the middle of the room, nostalgia quickly withered into something darker: the fact that there would be no more family reunions, that he soon wouldn’t see any of them anymore.
William gathered a weighty breath, capping his uncharacteristic emotions. He confessed, “She won’t marry me.”
How to Steal a Pirate's Heart (The Hawkins Brothers Series) Page 7