Searching Hearts Box Set: Books 1-5

by St. Clair, Ellie

  As his crew ran about the deck to challenge the Gunsway, Thomas prepared himself as well. He hoped the Gunsway would turn around. Was one woman enough for them to risk their ship for? Captain Adams had never challenged him in the past, and he hoped it wouldn’t take much to make him turn and run. He didn’t want to have to tell Eleanor that he had sunk the ship with its crew, but he didn’t see any way around it. As a Navy Captain he couldn’t very well let the Gunsway sail right up to his ship.

  The naval vessel shook as the first of the cannons fired. They landed just shy of the pirate ship, and he ordered another charge. The Gunsway may have been smaller than his ship, but it was wily, and continued to evade the cannon fire. One cannon ball nicked the side of it, sending wood chips flying, but Thomas knew not much damage had been done. As the pirate ship neared, Thomas thought of Eleanor, alone in his suite with the cannons blasting. He ran through the ship down to his room, unlocking the door and charging in, only to find her fully dressed, one of his own hats perched atop her head. She looked every bit a pirate as the men currently coming after him.

  “It sounds like you are about to be attacked, Captain,” she said. “May I have a weapon?”

  “Certainly not!” he exclaimed. “A pirate ship is approaching, it’s true. Not to worry, we’ll easily keep it at bay. I’ll lock the door so whatever happens, no one will come in and hurt you. I have the only key.”

  He shouldn’t have been surprised by her laughter. “Harrington, no one will be hurting me today,” she said. “You’ve clearly never seen me in combat. Which ship approaches? Perhaps I have some knowledge that would be of use.”

  He evaded her question. “I can’t have you fighting with Navy men and I will not give you a weapon for fear you’ll slit my throat! I shall return when they’ve gone. I came down here simply so you wouldn’t be fearful of the cannons but I see I need not have worried.”

  “You have a lot to learn about me, Captain Harrington, if you think some cannon fire would scare me,” she replied. “Tell the Gunsway crew I shall see them soon.”

  He was halfway out the door when he heard her parting remark. He paused, decided not to engage with her, and continued on his way, locking the door behind him as he returned to his crew.

  * * *

  Eleanor laughed to herself as she saw the shock on Thomas’ face as he left the room. But of course it was the Gunsway returning for her, although she was annoyed that they had not followed her orders to run and had instead come for her. It did, however, show their loyalty towards her and for that she must be grateful.

  She had meticulously searched the captain’s cabin for something to aid in her escape. Earlier this morning she found pieces of metal she was able to manipulate into a tool of sorts. Instead of picking the lock, she was going to remove it, along with the handle. She had a good start to her task, but now she returned to it in earnest, anxious to free herself and return to her crew. She heard the cannons fire again as she worked diligently on the door. Luckily the captain had been too preoccupied to notice anything amiss.

  The handle finally began to loosen as she heard the sound of boots hit the deck above her head. Her men had landed. She smiled in triumph as she wrenched the lock free and let herself out of the room. She took a look back at the cabin, surprised at her wistfulness of leaving this Navy captain whom she had hated as he had so doggedly pursued them for years.

  She made her way to the deck, staying in the shadows of the rigging. Morgan was standing on the deck, negotiating with Thomas.

  “Return our captain, and we will leave you be,” he said.

  “Impossible,” Thomas responded, clearly confused at the demands of the first mate. “Captain Adams is dead, the body thrown overboard.”

  Morgan looked about to run his cutlass right through the Navy Captain when Eleanor caught his eye from the shadows behind Captain Harrington. She shook her head, then nodded to the sea. Catching her meaning, Morgan bowed his head and murmured, “How unfortunate. What, pray tell, occurred?”

  Thomas explained the infection that had overcome the captain in his version of the events as Eleanor made her way to the side of the boat. She heard Morgan asking for pardon and a peaceful exit, as the Gunsway had not actually attacked the British ship, but instead had requested admittance. She heard Thomas relent, to the dismay of his crew, as she shed her clothing down to her pants and shirt. When the pirates began the return to their ship, she climbed the rail and dove into the water below.

  * * *

  Thomas was returning to his chamber when he heard the splash. It was nearly silent, but it came from directly below him beside the rail. He immediately knew the cause — it was her. How the hell she had escaped from the room, he had no idea, but he wasn’t about to let her go. He looked over the side to see her making quick strokes toward the awaiting Gunsway. She was a strong swimmer and would be gone quickly. Not thinking any further ahead than catching her, Thomas threw off his coat and hat before diving in after her.

  She heard the splash, and looking behind her, saw him in chase. She increased her pace. She was a quick, skilled swimmer, but he had placed his dive well and was that much stronger, and soon bore down on her, linking an arm about her waist.

  “Let me go, Harrington,” she cried, fighting against him.

  “Not today, Eleanor,” he said, working to keep them both above the surface as she kneed him between the legs. He gasped. “I need answers from you first.”

  He pulled them to the side of the ship, where the ladder awaited. He pushed her up ahead of him. “Up,” he said. “And signal your crew. When you’ve answered my questions satisfactorily, I’ll release you in due time. I’m not a cruel man and I won’t let you hang.”

  There was no hiding her from the crew anymore. They had gathered along the rail, astonished at seeing their captain hoisting a body out of the water.

  Eleanor looked down at him with one eyebrow cocked.

  “And how, Captain, am I to know I can trust you?”

  “Because, Eleanor,” he responded, quietly now. “I hold honor above all other virtues, and my word is my bond. Even to a pirate.”

  They reached the top of the deck, his crew gaping at her.

  “The lady fell from the pirate ship,” Thomas explained to them. “She’ll be our hostage for the time being. She will stay in my cabin and there will always be a guard on her door.”

  She lifted his jacket from the deck floor and waved it over her head at her crew, who responded with a glint of sunlight off a glass. The crew had been together for so long there was no misunderstanding their codes to one another.

  She turned to him. “Very well, Harrington. I will answer your questions, with one caveat. I see we’re only a few days away from Arwenack Castle. Visit the port, and find what I’m telling you of Captain Adams to be true.”

  He nodded. “Fair enough.”

  Together they returned to his chamber. He shook his head in disbelief when he saw the doorknob hanging off the side of the door. He sighed, ran his hand through his hair and kept Eleanor with him while he summoned a crew member to fix the door handle. Thomas declined to provide the sailor with an explanation as to what had happened to the door. When it was repaired, he locked it behind him and returned to the deck to assess the crew.

  When he returned, Eleanor was perched on the window seat, a space he was beginning to think of as hers.

  “Good day, Captain,” she said with a wry grin. “Such a pleasure to host you in my chambers.”

  “Eleanor,” he responded warily, sitting down opposite her. “Are you ready to answer my questions?”

  “Aye, sir,” she said with a mock salute.

  “Where is Captain Adams and how did you end up on my ship?” he asked. “I was fully prepared today to have Captain Adams himself demanding the return of a young lady. I thought my entire Navy career was in ruins. And then a crew boards my ship looking for its captain.”

  In truth, he had accepted his forthcoming demise with much less angst
than he would have expected. True, he felt guilt at the shame he would bring his family but besides that he felt… free. Then the Gunsway crew had come on board and completely shocked him — enough so, he let them leave.

  Eleanor chewed her lip. It was apparent how highly Thomas regarded truth and honor, but she couldn’t very well tell him her father was dead and she was now the captain of the Gunsway. It would put him in a dilemma of what do with her, and she didn’t want to risk him keeping her prisoner.

  “The captain came up with a plan and chose not to tell the rest of the crew about it,” she said. “He told them he was surrendering himself but I offered to go in his place. We left the Gunsway at the same time, me to your ship, and him to another location that he did not share with me.”

  He eyed her with suspicion. “I’m not sure I should believe this tale.”

  “Believe it or not, it’s your choice, Harrington.”

  “And who are you, to the Gunsway crew and Captain Adams? I do not think it’s regular practice, even for pirates, to have a woman on their ship, let alone use her as bait.”

  “It’s not regular, Captain, but it’s been known from time to time,” she responded with a smile. “Pirates, it seems, are much more accepting of women aboard than the Navy. Captain Adams found me as a girl. My mother was a prostitute and no longer wished to have me in her care. The captain welcomed me to his ship as part of his crew. He’s made sure I have always been treated with the utmost respect.”

  It was a partially true story — Eleanor simply left out the fact that the captain was more than just a kind soul but, in fact, her true father.

  Thomas looked conflicted, like he wanted to believe her but knew, in his heart of hearts, that she could spin a tale as easily as tell the truth.

  “Now Captain,” she said, “You will continue to make for Arenwack Castle?”

  “I said I would,” he responded. “And I shall.”

  “Do you see the islands to the northeast?

  “I do,” he replied. “In fact, I was intrigued by them when we caught sight of your crew.”

  “What would you say about a little day trip? You talk of freedom, Harrington. Let me show it to you. I know those islands well, and can give you a taste of what life looks like on the other side. The lush vegetation, the waterfalls, the beaches, the nearly uninhabited land — when will you ever have another opportunity to explore such a place, with someone there to guide you?”

  He eyed her warily. “I’m assuming this is part of an elaborate escape plan you’ve cooked up.”

  “Not at all. I trust in your word, and you say you’ll release me. I also want you to visit Arenwack before I take my leave of you.”

  He rolled his eyes as she insinuated she could leave whenever she chose.

  “Just a few hours, that’s all I ask. I would so love to have time out of this cabin, as luxurious as it is, and you have made the deck off limits. We can leave in the early hours, when there are few of your crew on deck.”

  He knew he should say no. It was a terrible idea, one which would more than likely lead to her escape. However, what would she do on an island on her own, without any means of transportation? If she chose to stay there, then so be it. His mind told him to say absolutely not and keep her on this ship, but her words of adventure called, and his heart swayed him.

  Before he knew what he was saying, the words came out of his mouth. “Very well, Eleanor. We leave shortly before dawn.”

  15

  Eleanor woke early the next morning, just as a hint of the sun began to break over the horizon. She stood over Captain Harrington as he slept, cramped in the window seat. She didn’t suppose there were many captains in the Navy who would let a prisoner sleep in his bed while he folded himself into a tiny, uncomfortable space. It made her feel a twinge of gratitude towards him.

  His face was still somewhat tense as he slept. She didn’t suppose he was particularly comfortable, and she wanted to run her hand over his face to smooth away the lines covering it. Instead, she poked him in the side and he woke with a start.

  He reached for his sword before his startled blue eyes came to rest on her as she leaned over him.

  “Good morning, Harrington,” she said with a grin. “Are you ready?”

  She was looking forward to sharing the island with him, she realized. For once, she really was telling him the truth. She simply wanted a day out of this cabin before they sailed the rest of the way to England, and she chose the best way to bribe him, with the adventure she felt he so longed for.

  He splashed water on his face and to wake himself up before making his way to the kitchens for food for the day. As he stuffed it into a sack he shook his head at himself, still unsure of this scheme of hers.

  Before they left, he laid down a few rules.

  “Eleanor,” he began. “If we are going to do this, you must agree to a few of my stipulations.”

  “Aye, Captain,” she said, mocking him.

  “I am serious about this,” he said. “If not, back to the ship it is, and then onto not Arenwack Castle, but to London where I will turn you in.”

  “I believe we have covered that, Harrington,” she said.

  “Yes, but now my crew has seen you, and knows you came from the Gunsway,” he replied. “You would still have a chance, but not as great a one as you would have before.”

  She considered this but brushed it off.

  “Now,” he continued. “You will stay at my side at all times. No wandering off. You will have no weapon. And should we encounter anyone on the island — any living person at all — you will have no contact with them. Is this understood?”

  “I believe I can agree to those rules, although I believe it would be in your best interests if I had a weapon. You never know what creatures may approach.”

  “Absolutely not. If the need should arise, I have a gun and a sword and will deal with the threat accordingly.”

  “As you wish, Captain,” she said. “Now lead on before the morning is too far upon us to depart.”

  He led her down the ship’s deck to where the rowboats waited, realizing as he did so that she now knew the exact escape route — not that she wouldn’t be perfectly capable of finding it on her own.

  He had ordered the crew to anchor a few hundred yards from shore, telling them the woman was going to show him a treasure stash. He sighed as he realized she was making a liar out of him.

  “Bending the truth,” was her response when he argued with her on the story.Now as they began the short row to shore, he had to marvel at the strength in the sinewy muscles he could see through her white blouse. He mused anew that she was one of a kind — the likes of her he had never before encountered. In his life, women seemed to fall into one of two categories — the “marrying kind” his mother enjoyed pushing upon him, and the “non-marrying kind,” who neither expected nor wanted anything from him — which he had branded Eleanor upon their first meeting. He realized how much he must have drank that night to have thought of her so. Looking at her now, one could never make the mistake of thinking her something cheap.

  She caught his gaze and a corner of her mouth lifted. “Enough with the daydreams, Harrington. Put your back into it and pull your weight.”

  He didn’t respond but kept time with her and ensured he outmatched her pulls.

  They reached the sandy shore and pulled the boat high enough so that it would be away from the incoming tides. She brushed the sand off her hands and turned to him with excitement.

  “I don’t believe I’ve ever had the pleasure of escorting a guest through this island,” she said. “Come, I’ll show you one of my favorite places. My — Captain Adams introduced it to me many years ago and it’s where I always long to return. It feels like home, nearly as much as the Gunsway.”

  She led him through thick brush, the rich, lush greenery surrounding them as she found the nearly invisible path through the jungle-like island growth. He had seen this type of natural vegetation before from the beac
h, but had never taken the time to immerse himself in it. The sun filtered through the trees, over the jagged mountainous cliffs that lined the other side of the island. This, here, was a different world, one that filled him with peace and contentment.

  Ahead of him, her hair blowing in the gentle breeze, her hands trailing through the grasses, Eleanor seemed like part of the island herself. She belonged here, was one with it. This, he thought to himself, this was contentment, was life at its true core.

  She glanced back at him, smiling at the way he lifted his face to the sun with a soft smile on his lips. She had felt this spirit within him, but had been curious to see if it was truly there or a figment of her imagination. But here he was. Beneath the layers of anger, of frustration, and a general dissatisfaction with his life, lay this man. A man who did not belong in the Navy, nor polite society. He had the soul of a pirate, he just didn’t know it — or didn’t want to admit it.

  She led him up the side of the gentle incline in silence, although the birds and the animal calls on the wind spoke volumes. She turned them left to another path, one which broke through the trees into what looked like a clearing up ahead. He could hear the gurgle of water, and as they rounded the corner, she stepped out of the way to let him take in the sight for the first time.

  It took his breath away. The water cascaded over a rocky outcrop to fall into a pool of water below. The water was an emerald green from the reflection of the trees, a color that mirrored her eyes, the eyes which had pierced his soul. There was a sandy shore surrounding the pool, with a rainbow of exotic flowers encircling it as if they had been planted there in a pattern by God Himself.

  She saw the reflection of the sight in his eyes, the way he responded, with admiration and appreciation for all that nature held in store for them.

  She finally broke the silence and the spell. “Come Harrington,” she said. “The walk has been warm and I would love a swim.”