Pirate's Prize

by Dooley, Lena Nelson

  “Are you about through, mi ángel?” Aunt Elena’s voice from the other side of the door brought her out of her reverie.

  “Almost.” She splashed water over her back to rinse off the last of the soap. It felt cool. She must have been dreaming about Brian long enough for the water to turn tepid.

  Angelina stood and reached for the towel. “You should ask Brian to bring up some more hot water, or you will have a cold bath.” After she finished drying off and putting on her clean clothes, she opened the dressing room door. “Is the hot water here yet?”

  “No.” Her duenna entered, carrying her toiletries. “But it has been so hot today, I won’t mind a cool bath.”

  ❧

  Brian stood on the balcony of his bedroom. He had chosen a room at the opposite end from the women’s quarters, because he didn’t want to be tempted by knowing Angelina was next door. Tomorrow they would leave this place. If they had arrived under different circumstances, he would have enjoyed the time they spent here. Being with Angelina was the best thing that had ever happened in his life. Today had been particularly special, as he watched every graceful move she made. Her smile spoke straight to his heart.

  Elena seemed more relaxed, too. She hadn’t kept such a sharp eye on their activities, as if she knew they needed time to relax together. After the clothes were washed, he and Angelina walked all around the large clearing, talking about everything and nothing. However was he going to live so close to her in St. Augustine and not be a part of her life? Since he couldn’t have any future with her, maybe it was time to move on. He had settled in St. Augustine, hoping to spend the rest of his life there. But he couldn’t watch Angelina fall in love with someone else or even have a husband chosen for her by her father. It would break Brian’s heart to watch that wedding take place. Just thinking about it hurt so much.

  Father God, help me know what to do.

  Brian spent an uneasy night poring over the Bible Angelina had returned to him the evening before. With the coming of dawn, peace finally descended on his heart. He felt an assurance that the Lord would help him face whatever was to come.

  He and O’Rourke decided to load the merchandise on the merchant ship and take the women on the faster pirate schooner. It had been a difficult decision because of the memories associated with the vessel, but they wanted to return Angelina to her father as quickly as they could. After the men took everything out of the captain’s quarters and washed it down, hopefully the women could think of it as only a cabin on a ship. At least on this voyage, they wouldn’t be prisoners.

  That afternoon, they stopped in New Orleans to take on supplies, then made their way to the delta of the Mississippi River. Having the current in their favor would make the ship move faster. As they sailed out into the Gulf of Mexico, the setting sun painted a blinding path across indigo waters. Angelina and Elena stood beside Brian and O’Rourke on the quarterdeck.

  “It is so nice to be able to leave the cabin and feel freedom,” Elena said. Even she seemed different without the constraints that had controlled their lives for so long. She acted as if she were almost as young as her niece.

  O’Rourke smiled at her. When she smiled back at him with a special light in her eyes, Brian wondered if everyone except himself would have a happy ending to this adventure.

  “We carefully chose the men who are sailing on this ship.” O’Rourke spoke to Elena as if no one else were around. “Of course, your brother-in-law only sent his most trusted men on this mission, so Brian and I felt we didn’t have to keep you cut off from everyone else.”

  “And we warned the men to show you and Angelina utmost respect,” Brian added.

  O’Rourke and Elena sat on a bench attached to the wall, and Brian leaned against the railing beside Angelina, watching the last sliver of sun slip below the horizon. While the two older people were deep in conversation, the twinkle of stars ushered in the evening breeze, which filled the sails to capacity, skimming the ship over the waves at a fast clip.

  Angelina turned to look up at him, her eyes sparkling as brightly as the stars. “I was worried when you took so long to return.” Her husky words were a whisper for his ears alone. “When Etienne Badeau said you’d probably been eaten by the alligators, my heart almost broke.”

  Brian didn’t know what to say. Had she meant what it sounded like she said? Would her heart break to lose him?

  “I was glad you left your Bible in our room. I read it every day because I wanted the same kind of relationship with God that you have. I asked Jesus into my life, and He gave me the assurance that you were not dead. I held on to that hope as a lifeline.” Tears glistened on her dark lashes.

  Brian brushed them away with his thumb. “I would never have left without returning for you.” His eyes dropped to her trembling lips, a pale rose shade in the moonlight. He knew he couldn’t do what he wanted to right then, so he turned and looked at the pathway of light that spread from the ship to the horizon in the direction of the moon, which hung low in the sky.

  “I knew you wouldn’t.” Angelina put her gentle hand on his arm. “Thank you.”

  He needed to be truthful with her. She shouldn’t think of him as some kind of hero. If it hadn’t been for him, they wouldn’t have been captured. He knew that when he told her the truth, her feelings for him would likely change, but he had to do it anyway.

  “Angelina. . .I must make a confession to you.” The words tasted hard on his tongue.

  Grasping the railing with both hands, she turned her face up to him, and he imprinted every feature of her smile in his memory.

  “I was in the crow’s nest that day.” How much should he tell her?

  “I know. I saw you up there.”

  “But I wasn’t keeping watch as closely as I should have been.” The words ripped his heart. “It’s my fault we were captured.”

  Angelina gasped. “Oh, Brian, how can you think that?”

  “If I’d been watching, we would have seen the pirate ship sooner and might have had a chance to outrun them.”

  “With the heavy load of merchandise in the holds of the Angelina Star, don’t you think the pirate ship would have been able to overtake her no matter when we saw them?”

  Brian mulled over that thought. “I suppose so. You know I would never put anyone in danger if I could help it.”

  Angelina looked at the moon’s path on the water. She was quiet for a few moments before she spoke. “Brian, what distracted you so much? Was it the birds flying overhead? We hadn’t seen any over the middle of the ocean.”

  She was smart as well as beautiful. Brian wanted to agree with her and put the blame on the gulls that dipped and soared above the ship that day. But he hadn’t lied to her before, and he wasn’t going to start now, even if it meant she would never speak to him again.

  “From the crow’s nest, I could see you clearly behind the sail curtain. Your beauty was so breathtaking, I couldn’t take my eyes off you.” When he looked down at her, he saw the blush that stained her cheeks in the moonlight.

  She turned her gaze back to his face, letting her eyes roam over every feature. Brian felt as if she were caressing him with her eyes. “Then I’m as much at fault as you are.”

  Heedless of anyone else who might see him, he grasped her shoulders with both hands. “You did nothing wrong, so it couldn’t be your fault.”

  Her laugh sounded like a tinkling bell. “I knew you were looking at me, and I liked it. Although I didn’t look directly at you, I watched you out of the corner of my eye. I saw the expression on your face when I spread my arms to the wind.” She gazed into the depths of his eyes. “Do you think me a wanton woman for preening before you?”

  Brian wanted to gather her into his arms and nestle her head against his chest. He wanted to hold her there for an eternity, covering her face with his kisses. If only they were alone. . .If only they didn’t have an audience. . .If only it were his right.

  ❧

  Angelina wanted Brian to kiss her m
ore than she had wanted anything else in her life. How could she ever live without him? She didn’t even want to think of a future with no Brian O’Doule in it.

  “Angelina.” Her name rolled off his tongue like music. “I wish I were the kind of man your father would want for your husband.”

  She stepped closer to him. “But what if I want you for my husband?”

  “Without his permission, it wouldn’t be right.” His face clouded with sorrow.

  “Brian, do you love me?” She had to hear him say the words, at least once.

  With a groan, he pulled her into his arms. She could hear his heart beating in time with hers. It thundered at a fast pace, so she placed her hand over his muscles, loving the feel of his pulse.

  “How can you ask me that, Angelina? I have no right to declare my affections for you.”

  She kept her head against his chest, not daring to look into his face. “What if I give you the right?”

  “Oh, Angelina, if I tell you that I love you and your father does not allow us to marry, won’t it hurt that much more?”

  She felt his head drop against the top of hers, his breath disturbing her curls. “It would hurt even more to never have heard you say the words.” She didn’t think he could hear her whisper.

  He must have, because he took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Angelina, I love you with all my heart. If your father won’t allow us to marry, my life will be over.”

  She grasped the front of his shirt with trembling hands, feeling as if she might swoon. “And I love you, Brian.”

  He gently kissed the top of her head, then laid his cheek against the spot. She stood reveling in the feel of his arms and the spicy masculine scent that wafted around her until Aunt Elena called her to go to the cabin.

  Sixteen

  Brian stood on deck before dawn. The prevailing winds had been in their favor on the whole trip across the Gulf of Mexico and up the eastern coastline of the Florida peninsula. The schooner made excellent time. Maybe too good. He and Angelina had spent every waking minute together. . .under the watchful eyes of Elena.

  Today they might reach the port of St. Augustine. His idyllic time would soon end, and reality would intrude. Brian gazed toward the east, where the sun, barely below the horizon, painted the few clouds drifting on the ocean breeze with soft shades of pinks and purples against the brightening blue sky. He couldn’t watch the beauty of a sunrise without thanking God for His handiwork, but deep inside a lump of fear lurked, feeling almost like an anchor keeping his heart from taking wings with praise. Even though he and Angelina had pledged their love to each other more than once on the voyage, he knew that being a man of honor would keep him from going against the expressed wishes of her father if he was against the union. Would Señor Fuente stand in the way of their happiness?

  “Brian.” Angelina’s gentle voice called from behind him. “What are you doing on deck so early?”

  He turned, and the emerging sun bathed her in a golden light, making her look more like a heavenly angel than ever. His breath whooshed out in a painful rush. Her lovely smile pierced his heart. “I’m watching the sunrise.”

  Angelina walked closer, and the faint aroma of lavender invaded his senses. “Don’t let me stop you. It is especially beautiful this morning.”

  Without taking his eyes from her, he said, “Yes, it is.” He turned back to lean on the railing beside her, facing the ocean.

  “I like you without your beard.” Angelina touched his cheek with the fingertips of one hand.

  Her touch was exquisite torture. He enclosed her fingers in his hand and pulled it down before releasing his hold. “If we keep up this pace, we should reach St. Augustine sometime this morning.”

  She turned to grasp the top railing with both hands. “I’m eager to see my father. . .but I don’t want our time together to end.”

  The last words came out in a whisper. Brian had to lean closer to Angelina to catch them. “We must trust God to take care of everything for us.” He stated the words with more conviction than he felt.

  “Angelina,” Elena’s voice called from the open doorway. “It’s time to break our fast.”

  ❧

  When they sailed into the harbor at St. Augustine, Angelina stood with Aunt Elena on the quarterdeck. The governor’s ship carrying the pirate captives was already docked at the first wharf. Angelina found her father at once, standing at the end of the second wharf. He shaded his eyes against the rays of the sun glaring down from almost straight above.

  “There he is!” she shouted. She frantically waved one arm and continued until he returned the greeting. She grabbed her duenna and started dancing around the deck.

  Aunt Elena pulled on Angelina’s arms to calm her. “Do you want him to think you’re still the child who left here a year and a half ago? Or do you want him to see the woman you have become?”

  Those questions sobered Angelina. Yes, she wanted him to see her as a woman. A woman who was mature enough to know what she wanted. A woman old enough to marry Brian O’Doule. She stood still and straightened her clothing, which was in disarray from her exuberant display. Inside, she might be the girl who could hardly wait to hug her father, but on the outside, she wanted him to recognize the differences in her.

  By the time they were tied up with the gangplank lowered, Angelina had composed herself. Accompanied by Captain O’Rourke and Brian, she and her aunt disembarked. When her feet were solidly planted on the rough boards of the wharf, her father stood beside her.

  “My Angelina.” Although he had never been very demonstrative in public, he pulled her into his arms.

  She looked up into his face, noticing the trails of tears down his wrinkled cheeks. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him back. “I’ve missed you, Papá.”

  He continued to hold her even though people worked around them on the busy waterfront. “I missed you, too. More than you can know,” he whispered. “When I thought you were dead, I felt like giving up.” The last word caught on a sob.

  Angelina leaned back in his embrace and bracketed his face with her palms. “Oh, Papá, don’t think about that now. I’m home, alive and well.”

  “Yes, you are.” He kissed her cheek, then stepped back and took her arm. “Come. I’m sure Bridgett has a feast waiting for you and Elena.”

  Angelina started to say something, but her aunt intervened. “What about Captain O’Rourke and Brian O’Doule? After all, they rescued us.”

  “Of course, they’re welcome, too.” Her father turned and invited the two men to accompany them in the shiny black coach that waited on the cobbled street nearby.

  ❧

  The meal was a celebration accompanied by laughter and happy conversation. Afterward, Señor Fuente invited the four of them to retire to the parlor with him. Captain O’Rourke thanked his host for his hospitality but said he wanted to make sure the women’s luggage would be brought to the house as soon as possible.

  The sitting room windows had been opened to welcome the ocean breezes. Brian looked out toward the bustling shoreline. “It’s amazing how different the weather is here from that in Spanish West Florida.” He turned back toward the others. “The wind off the ocean keeps this house cool. There the summer is hot and muggy. Only the lower floors of the plantation home offered relief in the middle of the day.”

  His employer gestured toward a nearby chair. “Brian, please make yourself comfortable.”

  He rested on the cushioned seat of the straight-backed chair, and Angelina sat on the divan beside her duenna. Once again he felt like just an employee. His heart ached for more.

  “You were gone a lot longer than I thought you would be.” Señor Fuente’s expression didn’t hold censure, just curiosity.

  “I have much to tell you.” Brian crossed one leg over the other and stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his trousers. He hoped his employer couldn’t tell how nervous he was.

  “Captain Herrera told me most of what happened. At first, I wa
sn’t very happy about you men leaving my daughter and her companion in that house so long, but he explained that Governor Garrido didn’t want to take a chance on Badeau or any of his underlings getting away. And you believed the women were safe. I’m glad you were right.”

  Brian cleared his throat. “I would never have agreed if I thought anyone would hurt them. You can be assured of that.”

  Señor Fuente nodded. “I’m not upbraiding you.” He rubbed his hands down his thighs. “I’m thankful for all you’ve done for us.”

  An uneasy silence descended on the room. Angelina finally broke it. “Papá, Brian was very brave. He kept close watch over Aunt Elena and me. We were never in any real danger.”

  Señor Fuente smiled indulgently at his daughter. “I’m sure you’re right.”

  Elena raised an eyebrow at her brother-in-law. “Perhaps I could go up to my room. I’d like to rest a few minutes before I’ll need to unpack.”

  “Of course.” Señor Fuente stood and clasped her hand to help her up. He turned toward his daughter. “Do you need to rest, too?”

  She smiled up at him. “No, Papá. I’ll stay here with you.”

  After Elena stepped through the doorway, he sat on the settee beside Angelina and turned to Brian. “Perhaps we should discuss what we talked about before you went to rescue my daughter. I often thought about it while you were gone.”

  “Sir?” Brian wasn’t sure what part of their conversation the man was referring to.

  “You said you were distracted in the crow’s nest. Brian, that doesn’t sound like you. You’ve always been very diligent, no matter what your task. I’ve been trying to figure out what on that ship could have distracted you so much. Weren’t you in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight?”

  Here it comes, Lord. Am I going to have to confess everything to him right now? Brian’s silent prayer didn’t calm his nerves. “Yes, sir. The only thing around was the ship and gulls flying overhead.”