by Merry Farmer
“Privateers. Smugglers, even. Not pirates,” her father chided with pride and she withheld a rude snort. The Berry family had always been, and would always be, pirates. Her father, Thomas Berry, was well known as a gentleman pirate, even to the queen who allowed such things as long as the plunder always came from the enemy and was acquired outside of English waters.
“Papa, you are a gentleman through and through, as all know. But, you are a gentleman who has barrels of whiskey, coins, and other contraband in our manor’s cellar. You named me after your favorite gemstone, one that you acquired from a Spanish ship your men once plundered! Call it what you want, but it does not change who we are and what my legacy is. I wish to help. I do not want to be married to a man twice my age who will expect me to sit quietly in fine gowns, embroidering while I am surrounded by servants and screaming children as I grow wide and docile. That is not who I am.”
“Which is precisely why you will marry William, Ruby Clair Berry. I will not have you living a dangerous existence. Do not forget what happened to your cousin…”
Now, Ruby did sigh loudly, feeling both aggravated and aggrieved. Every time someone brought up her poor, idiotic cousin Maude, it sent chills up her spine. But, she was not Maude, who had no adventure in her bones, nor common sense in her head. “What happened to Maude aboard that ship is most unfortunate. But, I shall not trip on my own skirts and fall overboard while at sea.”
“Perhaps not, but you can come across any number of dangers that are not of your doing.”
A loud knock came from the front door and Ruby froze, closing her eyes and biting her lip. Her betrothed was here. He was not unattractive. A man of forty years, he had begun to gray at the temples but he otherwise seemed in good health and had a fair disposition. But, he was droll. As droll as attempting to watch leaves blow in the wind on a still afternoon. And there was no way he would ever keep Ruby out of trouble.
“He is here,” her father whispered and leaned forward, shoving his finger in her face. “I expect you to behave like the lady you are, Ruby.” Papa walked away and stood with his hands behind his back, straightening his face, as if he had not just been shouting at his daughter.
“Here we go,” Ruby muttered under her breath, flinging a ringlet of golden hair over her shoulder and smoothing out her new royal-blue damask gown that her mother had made just for this dinner.
“Oh! The Vice Admiral has arrived!” her mother, Penelope, tittered as she zoomed into the room like a canary with a broken wing, spinning in circles.
“Do calm yourself, Penny,” her papa warned and pulled her closer to his side.
“I am trying, Thomas. Everything must be just so.” Ruby stepped up beside her mother and father just as their steward opened the large, heavily carved and polished door that reached at least ten feet high.
Mr. Bosworth, the man who had run their home as long as Ruby had been alive, opened the door and bowed slightly before stepping aside to let the man in. Ruby blinked twice and shook her head, not at all expecting the man who had just walked through the door. She knew a few guests would be arriving for the meal, but nobody ever informed Ruby in advance of the guest list.
“Is that—”
“Callum Campbell, yes,” her mother whispered quietly and looked straight ahead at the dark-haired man whose long locks were tied back in a queue beneath his black tricorn hat. He was large. Larger than she would have ever expected, though she had heard tales of his travels and adventures on the high seas as one of Scotland’s fiercest pirates. It was said he did not mix with polite company much, yet he wore perfectly tailored black breeches and a leather surcoat over a crisp white tunic that no commoner could ever afford to keep so clean.
“But… Pa…” Ruby stuttered as quietly as possible so as not to be overheard. “You do not mix with his sort.”
“He is wealthy, feared, capable, and has connections. Good for business. Now, do be quiet,” he mumbled just as Callum stepped up to them wearing a bright smile she would never expect from such a man, the dark stubble on his chin emphasizing his strong jaw, speaking of a man who was refined enough to shave yet too rebellious to bother while dining with gentry.
“’Tis a fine home ye have, Sir Berry,” Callum Campbell said with a thick Scottish brogue that made Ruby tingle all over. The Scots were heathens, everyone knew that. And a Scottish pirate? Why, he would be considered the lowest of the low. Yet here he was, at their manor right here in Cornwall where the sea surrounded them on three sides.
Removing his hat, Callum looked at her mother and then straight at her, those piercing yellow-green eyes, similar to the Spanish olives she had once delighted in, capturing her gaze as a smirk spread across his face. “And an even finer family, I see.”
Penelope tittered and giggled, but Ruby just concentrated on breathing and doing her best to not look affected by the man. Full of his usual bluster and pride, her papa puffed out his chest and stepped forward. “You are too kind! Too kind! We welcome you to our home, Lord Campbell!”
“Lord?” Ruby asked much louder than anticipated, and she took a deep breath when his eyes landed on her once more.
“Aye. Lord Argyll, if ye please,” the pirate said, taking her gloved hand in his and bringing it to his lips.
“He is from a most prestigious family, my dear,” her papa proclaimed, and she pursed her lips. No wonder this particular pirate was welcome in their home. Nothing she had heard about Callum Campbell spoke of him being a gentleman. Yet, he clearly had status and riches, which endeared him to her father who usually only mixed with men who were in the Queen’s favor… though clearly there were exceptions. Although, she did find the man rather exceptional, herself.
Another bang on the door made Ruby jump out of her skin and her thoughts, gasping slightly and placing her gloved hand on her bosom. She noticed Lord Campbell’s eyes shift down to where her hand rested, covering the tops of her exposed creamy breasts and she dared to raise a brow and narrow her eyes, making certain he was well and caught. A sly smile flashed across his face, and he winked before turning around to see who had just arrived.
Stomach plummeting as she recalled who else was to attend the dinner, Ruby made a sour face when Bosworth opened the door and she saw William standing there, looking as stiff as a board, yet smiling warmly. Greeting the Vice Admiral, Bosworth took his hat, stepping aside as William smiled widely and walked over to her family. He passed Callum as if he was not even present, bowing politely to Thomas before kissing Penelope’s hand as she lightly giggled. Ruby stood still yet did her best to smile, knowing she looked utterly ridiculous, like one of those painted masquerade masks with the forced grins.
“My dearest Ruby. How is my betrothed this evening?” She did not particularly care for the way he emphasized the word, nor the salacious way he looked at her breasts. Why it should excite her when Callum did it, yet repulsed her when her own fiancé did it, she could not know, nor did she care to think on it.
“Vice Admiral,” she said, giving him a small curtsy, wishing to be done with this night. Wishing she was free to live as she wished, to have adventures on the high seas as all her ancestors had done before her. Oh, she could be at sea with William, but there would be nothing but floating from one destination to the other. No capturing of ships or plundering of cargo. No rush from gaining riches while disabling an enemy ship.
“Shall we all find our way to the dining hall?” Thomas asked when Bosworth signaled to him that the meal was ready to begin and he put a hand out to lead the way.
Nodding, the men followed in her father’s wake but she did not miss the way Callum and William looked at one another as they strode side by side. Both were tall enough, but Callum was easily two inches taller and most certainly more muscle than William.
“Do not slouch,” her mother chided quietly as they entered the dining hall, and Ruby did her best to stand tall and not roll her eyes. “Do not fidget, either.”
“I do not fidget!” Ruby hissed. Finding her place at the dining ta
ble, elegantly laid out with white linens, a large floral arrangement in the center and fine silver plates set out for each guest, William came over and pulled her chair out with a flourish just before she sat and nodded her thanks. While William took the seat to her left, she shot him a scathing look that nobody else seemed to notice. She was surprised to see Callum take the seat directly across from her, but not before also helping her mother to her seat at one end of the table.
Why was Callum here, and why did he and William appear to dislike one another? She knew very well why William must be here, but Callum felt like an odd addition to the table, even for a family of pirates whose manor house was close enough to the Falmouth harbor to host all sorts of strange acquaintances of her father.
“What brings you to Cornwall, Lord Campbell?” Ruby asked, folding her hands in front of her so as not to fidget. Her mother’s wide grin told her she knew precisely why Ruby kept her hands where she did. It was no fun being predictable.
“A little business. A lot of pleasure,” he said with a small grin, and she felt herself blushing under his keen scrutiny. He unnerved her in an exciting way and excitement was rarely found in her life as of late. Her mother and father did their best to keep her out of the family business, but all they were doing was stifling her soul and making certain William continued the job for the rest of her boring life.
Gripping her hand on the tabletop so everyone could see, William gave her a forced smile and looked at Callum. “You take a risk being here, Lord Argyll.”
“What is life without a little risk, aye?” Callum replied just as the servants brought out the ewer and basin for him to wash his hands in while another brought him a drying cloth. Loaves of bread arrived just as plates of lamb and fish were set before them, both covered in a savory sauce that made Ruby’s mouth water as their aromas drifted to her nose. She always wished to eat more than was polite, and her mother would scold her if she wished for more than she was given.
“I do suppose that is true. However, risks that involve your neck hanging from a noose are better off avoided.” William gripped Ruby’s hand tighter and she felt him shift his leg beneath the table, intentionally rubbing against hers.
“All is well, William,” her father reassured before tearing into a loaf of bread. “You understand our family business and with whom we work. Callum is our guest while in Cornwall, and we trust that for the sake of our daughter, you will not cause trouble.” He was so calm and confident in his position with the queen and the power he had amassed that Ruby felt a sense of pride as his daughter. Yet she still wished her papa would allow her into the family business instead of attempting to keep her out by marrying her to a man who appeared to be as straight as an arrow with his dealings.
“Indeed,” William said, giving a stiff nod and a forced smile to Ruby before his gaze drifted to her breasts once more, perhaps reminding himself of why he needed to behave. The man’s clammy hands and suddenly cool demeanor did not match with the warmth he had radiated in the past. Though she had never basked in his light, until now, she had at least always felt its presence.
As the meal wore on, Ruby silently listened to the men discussing business and Callum sharing tales of some of his adventures, making Ruby wish more than anything to see new lands for herself and experience more in life than hosting dinners and all the other mundane experiences she will no doubt have as the Vice Admiral’s wife. Callum’s brogue had Ruby in a daze, and she watched his mouth intently while he spoke. Something about his plump lower lip and unusually straight teeth made her wonder what it would be like to kiss him.
“Isn’t that right, Ruby?” she heard her father say and she shook her head, realizing she had been staring at Callum for an obscene amount of time. William cleared his throat beside her, and when she dared to look him in the eye, his displeasure was evident.
Looking back at Callum, she saw a wicked glint in his eye that told her he knew she was drawn to him. Turning to her father and taking a deep breath, Ruby shook her head, not knowing what he had asked.
“I was discussing your love of the animals. You have saved quite a few in your time. Why, just a sennight ago a bird had fallen from his nest and broken his wing. Ruby has been nursing him back to health since then. She has saved a few dogs, and even a horse!”
“Yes,” she replied, still snapping out of her daze. “Yes, I do quite like animals. They are innocent and dependent on our good will, are they not?”
“Well, I find it uncouth and hope that will not continue once you are my wife. A Vice Admiral’s wife does not bring diseased, flea-ridden beasts into their home.”
Ruby scowled at William for saying such ridiculous nonsense, but the man was too busy using his finger to pick out a chunk of meat from his teeth to notice.
“I agree,” her mother said with a firm nod and a titter. “I have told her as much since the day she was born but alas, the child cannot stop coddling those beasts.”
Ruby wanted to bang her head on a wall, or better yet, dig her nails into the fine linens covering the table, but instead, she looked straight ahead at the raised brow of Callum Campbell who seemed to listen and observe, yet thankfully not audibly share his own distaste.
“Well, my Ruby has a kind heart,” her father said as an afterthought and despite her displeasure at this arranged marriage to this pompous man, she did quite love and cherish her father for always doing what he thought was best for her. If only she were allowed an opinion on the matter.
“Would we care to retire to the hall for some cards?” Papa asked, thankfully changing the subject, and once everyone had washed their hands again with the ewer and pitcher, they stood from their seats, following Bosworth to their next location, as if they did not already know where to find their own hall. Ceremony bored Ruby to tears. Truly she just wished to go check on Hera, the small bird she had saved, then retire before William attempted to kiss her once more. After the last family meal, he had cornered her and demanded a kiss, and though it was not an unpleasant one to be fair, it had been unnatural and obligatory—not at all how she would prefer it.
The Vice Admiral was not the first man Ruby had ever kissed, but he had been the oldest. Sharing kisses with the stable lad when her father wasn’t around had been a secret adventure Ruby had rather enjoyed before becoming betrothed to William.
Fortunately, William proceeded past her on their way to the hall, clearly in a rush to monopolize her father’s conversation before Callum could, which suited Ruby just fine, while Mama walked alongside them both, enraptured by whatever nonsense they spoke of.
Suddenly, something jerked her back and she almost gasped, but a strong hand came over her mouth and she felt herself being dragged around a corner before feeling the wall against her back. Widening her eyes, she looked at Callum, who stood only a few inches away and several inches above her, his olive eyes shifting as they searched her face. “Ye would do well to learn not to stare at other men while your husband sits beside ye, lass.”
Pulling his hand off her mouth, Ruby shoved at him, but Callum felt like a solid wall of muscle pinned against her. Fear should have consumed her, but all she could feel was excitement and a tightening in her belly. “He is not my husband. And I was not staring at you!” she huffed with indignation.
“Only one of those statements is true, lass,” he said as he waggled his brows. “He will be yer husband and he is a man of import to ye English, aye? I ken what ye want. I see it in yer eyes. But ye cannae have it, not with him at yer side.”
“Oh, and what is it you ken I want?” she asked, trying her best to sound like a Scot.
“Adventure. And perhaps a real man. But ye ken ye willnae have either, so best ye keep yer eyes on the man ye will marry and forget yer own desires.”
With that, Callum moved away from her, turning to leave the room as she panted against the wall, wondering what had just happened and why she felt as if she may lose her bearings. “Pirate?” she called just before he disappeared around the corner.<
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“Aye?” Turning around, she saw his eyes squinting at her even in the darkness, their glowing yellow-green too brilliant to be snuffed out by the lack of lighting.
“Would you take such advice from another? Would you give up all you wanted because others had decided what was best for you?”
Propping an arm against the wall, he smiled knowingly at her and shook his head. “I think ye already ken the answer to that,” he winked, pretending to tip the hat he no longer wore on his head before walking away.
Pushing herself off the wall, Ruby brushed her blonde hair off her shoulders and straightened her spine, narrowing her deep blue eyes.
“Precisely.”
Chapter 2
Cards were not his favorite pastime. He preferred standing at the helm of his ship and watching the water rush past, smelling the sea and salt in the thick air, feeling his long dark hair being controlled by the wind. He also enjoyed the feel of a bonnie wee lass beneath him, and suddenly one face in particular flashed in his mind.
Propped up against the wall of the hall, Callum watched as William and Thomas played cards while Penelope Berry sat in a chair with her needlework. Observing people was his specialty. He could read them, see into them, know their secrets. And while William Stanhope was a man with a darkness swimming in the irises of his brown eyes that Callum had unfortunately witnessed in the past, Ruby Berry was a woman still innocent, seeking things in life she would never have, certainly not with William, anyway.
He had meant to warn her, to chase her off his scent, to make her see that her fate had already been assigned to her. Yet, when he stood over her, felt her heavy breathing against his neck, he knew she would never resign herself. She was a wild mare deep in her soul. Blonde hair and blue eyes could not hide the desire for more than she was allowed to seek. Her family had been privateers for generations, nobles who smuggled or plundered for the crown, keeping a fair share for themselves, protected by their royal counterparts. They were gentlemen pirates who stuck to a code, glorified pirates with estates and manors and titles… and bonnie daughters who they wished to keep away from the dangers of their existence.