The Pirate's Willing Captive

by Anne Herries

  ‘What made you think an attack might take place here?’ Higgins asked as a couple of shots were fired after the fleeing rogues.

  ‘As soon as you sent me word that Hynes had been seen lingering in the vicinity I suspected that he would try something. He could not know when I left London, unless he had someone watching me, and I had not noticed anything unusual; therefore, it was likely he would try to surprise me when I stopped at the inn. He may have men watching for me at various inns, but if he made enquiries he could have learned that I stopped here before.’ Justin’s brow furrowed. ‘Is my lady safe? He has not tried to harm her?’

  ‘Hynes made some attempt to persuade her to let him take her to his father. Anna told me there was some tale of Sabatini being ill and wanting to make amends. When her uncle left her alone with him, he tried to force her and was caught out. Fildene is no fool, but…’ Higgins looked awkward. ‘Anna says that he means to question you about your plans before he will permit the wedding. He will not have his niece marry a pirate.’

  ‘Nor would I expect his blessing if that were the case. I believe he will be satisfied. Her Majesty hath seen fit to bestow a knighthood on me and I intend to take my bride to my father’s house until I can find an estate fitting for her.’

  ‘I am glad that the Queen pardoned you.’ Higgins gave him a hard look. ‘What of the rest of us? Are we to receive the royal pardon too?’

  ‘You are all pardoned for the mutiny and Captain Smythe has lost his master’s ticket. Her Majesty is willing to grant me letters of marque so that we could sail as privateers if we wished. She told me in confidence that she fears Spain; if that country grows too powerful, its king may cast covetous eyes on England’s throne, and, as is well known, the Portuguese merchants will not share the secrets of their trading with the exotic lands of the east.’

  ‘Rich pickings for the taking…’ Higgins nodded his understanding for the Portuguese were the envy of other nations who craved a share of their special trading agreements. ‘But’ tis not your intention to sail under licence to the Crown, is it?

  ‘No. I could not ask Maribel to share life on board a privateer. I must make a home for her. She is a lady and deserves to be treated as such.’

  Higgins looked thoughtful. ‘Me and Anna—we have thought of settling down. We had thought of a trading post on the island, but…’ He rubbed the bridge of his nose. ‘I have been talking to some folk who think of sailing to the New World.’

  ‘The Spanish grow wealthy on silver and gold stolen from the Incas and other tribes, but you could not compete with them.’

  ‘It is not of gold or silver taken from the earth that these men dream, but of freedom and the wealth of the soil. They say that there are great forests where the game is so plentiful that a man would never starve. They talk of a settlement where they can build new lives for themselves, unhampered by old prejudices and unfair laws—a land where all men are equal and all can work to earn their fortunes.’

  ‘Do you believe such ideals are possible?’ Justin asked doubtfully.

  ‘I may be pardoned for the mutiny, but there are men in England with long memories. I could be hanged for stealing a loaf of bread. I might be arrested for speaking out of turn to an aristocrat. I am thinking of buying a cargo and sailing for the New World. I know that there are men who sailed under you who have thought of it too. If men are to settle there, they will need ships to supply them with the goods they cannot provide for themselves.’

  ‘What would you do—set up a trading post?’

  ‘Aye, I’ve thought of it, but I’ll need a regular supply, someone I can rely on to replenish my stocks once they have gone. I don’t know what you have in mind for the Defiance. There’s the Mistress Susanna, too—though that was promised to the men.’

  ‘I might pay its price myself, but I am not yet certain of my plans.’ Justin was thoughtful as they went into the inn together. ‘I had thought to become a merchant adventurer when I was no longer a pirate, but things have changed. Give me a few days to think this over and I will give you my answer.’

  ‘It will take me a week or two to get a cargo together. I’ve been asking what kind of things will be needed. For a start it will be tools and seed that are most wanted, but the settlers will no doubt take those things with them. I was thinking of other stuff: lamps and crockery, material for women to make new gowns and shirts for their menfolk.’

  ‘You will make a fine shopkeeper,’ Justin said and chuckled, clapping him on the back. ‘I thank you for coming to my rescue this evening. I shall give your ideas some thought, but for the moment there is still the problem of Samuel Hynes. His first attempt to have me killed has failed, but there will no doubt be others.’

  * * *

  ‘Why are you looking so upset, Aunt?’ Maribel asked as she walked into the parlour and found Lady Fildene sitting over her needlework, tears trickling down her cheeks. ‘Has something happened to distress you?’

  ‘Michael has been telling his father that he would like to join some men who are making plans to sail for the New World. Sir Henry says that we must not hold him if he wishes to go; it is an adventure and he is a young man—but I had hoped he would marry and live here with us. His father had thought he would take over much of the business.’

  ‘I am sorry. You will miss him if he goes,’ Maribel said. ‘But you have other sons who—’ She broke off as the door opened and a maid entered carrying a small tray on which lay a small piece of parchment. She offered it to Maribel, who took it and saw her name inscribed. It had been folded and sealed with wax, but there was no insignia to indicate who had sent it. ‘Who gave you this, Jess?’

  ‘A young lad brought it, mistress. He said it was for you and that his master would be waiting for your answer.’

  Maribel broke the seal and gave a little cry of pleasure. ‘It is from Justin. He says that he will be here later today. He asks that I will meet him on the beach because he wishes to talk to me alone.’

  ‘Show me…’ Lady Fildene held out her hand and Maribel gave it to her. ‘Is this Captain Devere’s hand? Are you sure it came from him?’

  ‘I do not think I have seen Justin’s writing before this,’ Maribel said and looked at her aunt. ‘Do you think it could be a trap?’

  ‘Is this the kind of thing your betrothed would ask you to do? I think it most improper for you to meet any man alone on a beach.’

  ‘I do not know…’ Maribel wrinkled her brow in thought. She was remembering the walks they had taken together on a beach, and the way Justin had kissed her. He might long to hold her in his arms and feel that he needed to be sure of her love after whatever had happened to him. ‘Justin might wish to be alone with me before he spoke to my uncle. Yet I am not sure. I think I must show this letter to Uncle Henry.’

  ‘Yes, my dear. That would be the best—ask your uncle what you should do.’

  ‘I shall go and find him now.’ She hesitated, then, ‘You should not cry, dearest Aunt. If Michael understood how you felt, I am sure he would not leave you.’

  ‘But he must not know,’ the loving mother said at once. ‘You must not tell him, Maribel. If it is his wish, I shall not stand in his way.’

  Maribel inclined her head. Her aunt was so generous and she was sorry that her son seemed likely to leave his home. An adventure such as Michael was about to undertake must be fraught with danger—but it would be exciting. To begin a new life in a land where all were equal, valued for their contribution to the community rather than their birth. It was an interesting thought, but she pushed it from her mind as she went in search of her uncle. However, she was told that Sir Henry had gone out on business and would not be back until later that afternoon.

  Maribel returned to her own chamber. As the sun began to move round the sky and the time for the meeting with Justin drew nearer she felt restless, unable to settle to her needlework. It was a fine day and Justin might be waiting for her on the beach, wondering where she was and thinking that she no longer lov
ed him. Yet it might be a trap…

  Making up her mind, Maribel found a light cape to wear over her gown. She would go down to the beach, but she would not go unprepared. She took out the knife Peg had given her on the island. If the note had come from Samuel Hynes, she would not be as weak and defenceless as she had been once before.

  * * *

  ‘You had my letter?’ Justin asked as he was shown into Sir Henry’s counting room. A large table was spread with ledgers and small piles of coin and talents were set out in readiness. ‘Forgive me. I was told you were here, but I see you are busy.’

  ‘My steward has made a reckoning of the rents and monies owed for this past month, but we are almost finished now. My servants and labourers will be coming for their pay at any moment but the steward will manage without me. Walk with me, sir. I would talk to you alone. I believe you bring good news with you?’

  ‘Yes, the news is better than I had hoped, sir. I wished to talk to you…to tell you of my plans. Now that her Majesty has seen fit to give me a knighthood I mean to retire from the sea, but I may carry on trading. I have a fine ship and I am looking for a captain to sail it to the New World for me.’

  ‘Indeed, that is interesting,’ Sir Henry said. ‘You must meet my son Michael—you may have something in common. You have answered my most pressing question, for I did not think I could allow Maribel to marry a pirate—or even a privateer. She is my sister’s only child and has become a daughter to us. I want to be sure that she will be happy.’

  ‘It is my chief concern.’ Justin inclined his head. ‘I have fortune enough to provide a good home for Maribel, to give her the life she is entitled to expect. I have always known that I could not wed her and continue the life I led before.’

  ‘Then we are in agreement.’ Sir Henry smiled. ‘I know she has been waiting anxiously for your return and I think we should not keep her waiting a moment longer…but there is something else I must tell you. I have received news of Maribel’s father. If it is true, he was taken ill of a seizure after a quarrel with someone and has since died—’ He broke off as he saw his wife coming towards them. ‘Lady Fildene, my dear. Sir Justin hath come to claim Maribel and I have given him my blessing.’

  ‘Then why have I just seen her leaving the house alone?’ Lady Fildene looked alarmed. ‘This morning she received a letter that was supposed to have come from Captain Devere. I warned her that it might be a trap and she said she would ask you what she ought to do, Henry—did she not come to you?’

  ‘I have been out all morning on business. What did this note say?’

  ‘It asked her to meet Captain Devere on the beach…’

  ‘Samuel Hynes! He tried to have me killed. When the attempt failed he thought he would abduct Maribel instead!’ Justin cursed and turned on his heel. ‘I must go.’

  ‘I shall come with you.’ Sir Henry said. He looked at his wife as Justin set off at a run. ‘Rouse the household, madam. We must put a stop to this rascal’s mischief once and for all. I should have seen to it before, but I thought her safe in the house.’

  ‘I tried to warn her…’ Lady Fildene shook her head at the folly of love and picked up a large brass bell, shaking it hard. As it reverberated through the house, servants came hurrying to answer her call. ‘To the beach…to the beach…’ she cried. ‘My niece is in danger…’

  * * *

  Maribel followed the sloping path to the beach. The sun was bright but there was still a cool breeze from the water. Stopping for a moment to gaze out to sea, she saw the sails of a ship she thought might be the Defiance. Had Justin decided to bring his ship here? She had thought it left behind at Dover, but if he had managed to obtain the pardon he hoped might be his, he could have decided to bring his ship here. She was not entirely sure what he intended once he had settled his affairs. Were they to live here in England or perhaps in Italy or France?

  Although her visit with her aunt and uncle had been pleasant, Maribel did not think she would care to live as they did for the rest of her life. Their way of life was not so very different from that she had known before she left for England the first time—but sailing with Justin on his ship and her stay on the island had opened her eyes, making her see that there was more to life than sitting in a drawing room in a pretty gown embroidering cushions.

  Was she foolish to long for something different? She knew that she might have been more sensible to sit in her room at home and wait for Justin to come to her—but perhaps he had been testing her?

  She could not see anyone on the beach, but she caught sight of movement near a rocky point at the far end and thought that perhaps a boat had been beached just out of sight. Her heart quickened. The true reason she had come to meet Justin was that after leaving her aunt and failing to find her uncle, she had wondered if Justin’s reason for asking her to meet him was that he had been unable to secure a pardon. Perhaps he was a fugitive in hiding from those who wished to capture and hang him?

  Maribel’s mouth ran dry with fear, her pulses racing. It was surely the only reason Justin would ask her to meet him in such a clandestine way. She must be prepared to leave with him immediately because his life might be in danger every moment he stayed here!

  Reaching the beach, Maribel glanced up at the cliff top once and then began to walk towards the point. Justin must be waiting for her, keeping out of sight until he was certain she was alone.

  ‘Justin…I am here, my love—’

  Maribel stopped as several men suddenly burst out from behind rocks that jutted into the sea and had hidden them from her gaze until this moment. She hesitated, her heart catching as she saw their faces and realised that these men were not Justin’s. Immediately, she knew that her aunt had been right and she had foolishly walked into a trap.

  Turning, she began to run back the way she had come. Her heart was thumping madly because here on this beach she was vulnerable. The ship anchored in the bay must be Samuel Hynes’s ship and these men had come to take her captive. How foolish she had been! She ought to have known that Justin would not ask her to meet him alone.

  She was breathing hard as she reached the bottom of the path leading back to the top of the cliff. Glancing up, she saw that a man was scrambling down to her as swiftly as he could manage. She knew him at once and her heart gave a little skip. Gathering her courage, she turned as the first of Samuel Hynes’s men caught up to her. She whipped out her knife, brandishing it in front of her, sweeping it back and forth as she moved away from the cliff face to the open sand.

  ‘Stay away from me or it will be the worse for you,’ she cried. ‘I know how to use this and I shall…’ Maribel gave a little cry as one of the men lunged at her with his sword. She backed away, because a knife was no match for such a weapon. ‘Stay back…’

  Four of the men had surrounded her. One tried to grab her from the back, but she whirled about and slashed his hand, making him yell in pain and retreat. Another man threatened her with his sword, the tip of his blade hovering near her throat.

  ‘Have a care, Davy,’ his companion warned. ‘He wants her alive and all in one piece. It will be you he flogs if she is harmed.’ He glanced over his shoulder, and, following his gaze, Maribel saw that Captain Hynes was near the boat that had brought them ashore.

  ‘Damn the wench!’ The first man spat on the sand. ‘He swore she would be easy to abduct once he got her here.’

  A shout from Justin warned them that he was nearly at the foot of the cliffs. The men swung round to look and all of a sudden a crowd of faces appeared at the top of the cliffs, men and women, all carrying weapons of some kind, had followed and were about to pour down the steep path. Someone pointed an arquebus at the would-be abductors and fired. The shot went wide, for at this distance it could never have hit its mark, but the sound was enough to startle the men.

  ‘Leave her! We shall all be killed…’ one of them cried.

  The one pointing his sword at Maribel’s throat hesitated, then, seeing his friends fleeing, turned an
d followed as fast as he could in their wake.

  Justin reached Maribel before the scoundrel could regain the safety of the jutting rocks. He fired after them and his ball struck home, winging one man in the arm. The man’s screams echoed, as he yelled for his friends to help him and was ignored. He fell to his knees, struggled to his feet once more and set off towards the boat, which had already been pushed out into water deep enough to float it. His pleas for help were disregarded as the others began to row frantically for open water.

  Sir Henry’s household had reached the beach and several shots were fired as the wounded sailor ran into the water, floundering after the boat and eventually falling face down into the sea as another shot struck his back.

  Maribel gazed up at Justin as he stood before her, his eyes intent on her face. ‘I was so foolish,’ she said, catching her breath. ‘I should have known that you would never tell me to meet you here. I thought that you might be in danger of your life.’

  ‘And so you risked yours…’ He smiled and shook his head. ‘If you insist on taking such foolish risks, I must teach you to use a sword or, better still a pistol, my love. Peg’s knife served you well—without it they might have had you in the boat before I could reach you—but’ tis no match for a cutlass.’ He shuddered. ‘It would have served only to delay them, Maribel. Had your aunt not seen you leaving the house I might still have been talking with your uncle and it might have been too late.’

  ‘Justin…’ Tears welled in her eyes. ‘Forgive me. I have missed you so much. When the letter came I suspected a trap, but I longed to see you and I was afraid if I did not meet you, you might go away and I should never see you again.’

  ‘My sweet, lovely, foolish darling,’ Justin said and trailed his fingers down her cheek, wiping away the tears. ‘I would never have gone without giving you the chance to come with me. Had I been a fugitive and risked death to come to you I would still have done it—but I am a free man. The Queen has pardoned me and there is nothing to stop us marrying.’