Always the High Seas: Pirates of Britannia Connected World

by Emily E K Murdoch

  The warning from Bones was hardly necessary. With those chains on, he was barely going to be able to lift his feet high enough to walk up the steps, and he was sure that if he attempted escape, one punch from his jailor would floor him.

  Placing his hands and feet out obediently, the jailor spent a few minutes ensuring they were locked.

  He blinked in the brightness of daylight when they reached the deck. It had taken more than a few minutes to clamber up the stairs. When his eyes had adjusted to the light, Javier stared. Every single member of the crew was on the deck, completely silent. It was a strange feeling. Never before had so many pairs of eyes been on him, and the knot in his chest tightened.

  The scowls and dark looks he was receiving told him in no uncertain terms that the sooner he took his first steps off the Periculum, the better. Yet there were some uncomfortable smiles. Chequers nodded, and one of the lads—Ben? Tom?—looked unsure of himself.

  As Javier was led through the crew, they turned to watch him. His path took him close to Cook, and he wanted to say something, but how could he put what he was feeling into words?

  Besides, Bones was still close to him, and the last thing he wanted was to give the huge man an excuse to lay even a finger on him.

  Javier reached the port side, where a boardwalk had been pushed to the shore. Esmeralda was standing beside it.

  He swallowed. His imagination had run wild during his short time in the brig, and he had started to wonder whether he had imagined Esmeralda’s beauty. Perhaps he could not recall her correctly, and she was not as stunningly striking as he had remembered.

  He was wrong. She was far more attractive than he had remembered, but her face was marred by pain and confusion.

  He did not need her to speak to sense her distraught. She did not want him to go, but the little trust he had earned had gone. How could a captain allow a Demonios on her ship, a traitor both to his own kind and the Periculum?

  He would not have trusted her if the roles had been reversed, but it took every inch of self-control to prevent himself from speaking out, attempting to explain.

  “Thank you, Bones. I will take him from here.” The captain spoke stiffly.

  The jailor nodded, handing over the chains and stepping back to join the crew.

  “Y-You?” Javier spluttered, staring at the woman he would gladly give up his soul for. “You are going to go onto dry land to hand me over to the authorities?”

  She nodded. “I have never stepped on dry land before, so you take something else away from me, Demonios. But I am the captain.”

  She hated the land, had never sought it—and now she was going to betray that ideal just to be rid of him?

  Esmeralda evidently sensed his confusion. “I am the captain. I take responsibility for what happens on my ship, and that means certain things I do myself.”

  Javier saw members of the crew nod in appreciation. She was a captain like no other, and they would never leave her now. She had done what few captains ever managed. She had earned her crew’s loyalty.

  “You are nothing like the captains we have known,” he whispered, mouth dry so that only she could hear him.

  At that moment, he thought he saw a wry smile crease her features, but it was gone as quickly as it came. She turned, pulling the chains that were bound around his hands and feet, and faced the boardwalk.

  “You cannot possibly think I can walk over that in these!” Javier lifted his wrists with difficulty, allowing the chains to jangle. It was panic now, and not love that forced his tongue to speak. One slip on that boardwalk, and he would be down in the water.

  Laughter rang out from the crew, and Esmeralda rolled her eyes. “Plenty of our prisoners have managed it before. Walk.”

  Javier shook his head. This challenge would only buy him a little more time, to be sure, but every moment here on the Periculum was precious. It was with Esmeralda.

  She glared, but then she sighed and nodded. Without even needing to give an order, Bones stepped forward and started unlocking the chains.

  “And if he tries to run for it,” Esmeralda said loudly, “then any of my crew should attack him. Do you understand, Demonios?”

  Javier nodded, rubbing at his wrists where welts had already formed. As she grasped his shoulder with one hand to force him down the boardwalk, he swallowed. It was now or never.

  “I wish I could have been enough to tempt you away from the high seas,” he breathed. “But I know you have built a life for yourself here. I am proud of you.”

  What had he expected her to do—pull him into her arms and kiss him? Declare it had all been a mistake?

  Captain Esmeralda acted as though she had not even heard him.

  Perhaps she had not.

  Javier swallowed and prepared himself for the next, and possibly last, stage of his life.

  ***

  Esmeralda halted. Her hand still on his shoulder, she looked into the eyes of the man she knew she loved.

  His whispered words had cut right into the core of who she was. Into her soul. Try as she might, she could not fight how she felt.

  She had never cared about other people’s expectations before. A lady in 1814 was supposed to enjoy card games and balls, not muskets and the thrill of the chase.

  So why was she considering following the rules now? Le Brecque, Demonios…they were just words. Ideas. Rules.

  Time to break the rules.

  Instead of pushing Javier onto the boardwalk, Esmeralda pulled the man close, placing her lips on his After only a moment, his arms reached around her, pulling her into his embrace tightly, and he responded passionately to her kiss.

  The world stopped. The ship fell away. Everything that existed was Javier, was their love for each other. He did not need to say it. She could taste it.

  When the kiss broke, the world returned. There were gasps and mutters from her crew, but Esmeralda did not think about that. Javier’s eyes were wide, confused yet happy, and she leaned in for another kiss, unable to keep herself away from him.

  He was everything she wanted—and Captain Esmeralda le Brecque always took what she wanted.

  Eventually, the kiss had to break again, and this time Javier breathed, “No comprendo. I do not understand.”

  “Neither do I,” she whispered. “I—I do not understand why I was going to take you into Southampton where they could potentially hang you! Why would we walk away from the…the feelings we have found?”

  It was terrifying, being this open, this vulnerable—and not only to Javier but also before her crew. Was this the moment she lost all their respect? Had she spent the last three years attempting to gain their loyalty and trust only to lose it all in one day?

  “You mean…the love we have found?” Javier asked hesitantly.

  Thanks in part to the relief she felt, hearing him say the word she could not bring herself to speak, she kissed him again.

  “What the blazes is going on?” Bones asked.

  Esmeralda removed herself, regretfully, from Javier’s arms. Now it was time to put those years of experience to the test. The ultimate test.

  “I will tell you what is going on, Bones,” she said fiercely. “The very idea that I would go on dry land for him—for anyone. What was I thinking? My life is here on the ocean, and no one can ever take that away from me. Plenty of other captains take wives, mistresses, lovers, and no one questions them. Well, perhaps it is my turn.”

  Her crew did not look convinced, although she could see Cook smiling, leaning against the mast.

  “No one said you had to leave the Periculum,” said Daniel gruffly. “But I don’t think—”

  “You are not here to think, Daniel,” she said curtly, glorying in the power she wielded. No one had reached for their swords yet. “I am the captain of this ship, and I say I will not be stepping onto dry land, and Javier will stay here.”

  “I’ll take him then,” said Bones, stepping forward.

  Now the first cutlass was drawn, and it was by Es
meralda. “Over my dead body.”

  They stared in shock. This was not what they had expected, and none were brave enough to be the first to take a blade to their captain.

  Esmeralda found she was breathing heavily. “That is what I thought.”

  “Esmeralda…”

  She turned to look at Javier, who looked wretched.

  “I cannot expect you to give this up for me,” he said quietly. “Dry land and Esmeralda le Brecque…they will not suit. I will not ask you to sacrifice your crew for me.”

  “You came here to capture me,” she reminded him, cutlass still drawn.

  He laughed, and her stomach twisted in adoration of his chuckle. “I came here to capture you, that is true, but I am the captive here. I am…Jesu, I am utterly in your thrall. I cannot think of doing anything against you, Esmeralda. Command me to hand myself over to the authorities, and I will.”

  There were a few agreeing murmurs from the crew and others who were shaking their heads and murmuring that he was a quartermaster to be proud of, but she ignored them all. Her spirits had risen as Javier spoke those words of love, but he had hurt her all too recently. How could one build back the trust that was lost?

  “I have heard tell of ladies, on land, who compromise everything for the man they love,” she said carefully.

  “I would never ask that of you,” Javier insisted. “I would never ask you to compromise who you are or what you want. You think I would have a chance, anyway?”

  “Liar,” shouted Tiny, but there were fewer murmurs of agreement.

  “Every man regrets his past,” said Chequers quietly.

  “I regret it all,” said Javier heavily. “Except that each step led me to you.”

  Esmeralda smiled. Not in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that a man would say those words to her and mean them.

  And of all the men who could have said it, it was Javier. A Demonios, a traitor to his kind. And yet, she loved him. It was madness, it was wild, but it made sense in her heart as nothing else did.

  “In that case, I only have one more thing to say to you,” she said lightly. “Are you willing to join the crew of the Periculum?”

  Before Javier could answer, George stepped forward. “Are you sure, Captain? We were going to be rid of him—are you certain we can trust him?”

  Esmeralda saw with pleasure that his anger had wilted away. She looked at Cook, who smiled.

  “Each of us did not like the way our lives were going, and so we decided to do something about it—and you followed through on those plans. You sought to change it. But there was no guarantee that you would find the Periculum. It could have all gone wrong,” she said calmly.

  There were a few nods amongst the crew.

  “We have all run from something, just like Javier,” she continued. “Can a single one of us say, in truth, that we have not looked back with relief that we are no longer living that life?”

  Esmeralda looked out at her crew and saw more than one man close his eyes in horror at the life he had left behind.

  She nodded. “That is what I thought. Daniel, you ran away from an unfair trial.”

  He nodded. “The magistrate hated my father. That trial was over before I stepped outside my house to attend the courthouse.”

  “And you, Bones, you lost your wife,” she said quietly as the large man gritted his few remaining teeth. “You thought you would go mad with grief. You ran away from your old life, from all the things that gave you pain.”

  He coughed. “The ocean is my mistress now, and you are my captain.”

  It was heartening to hear those words, and even more so to listen to the murmurs move around the ship in warmer tones.

  “I have said before that this is not a democracy, and that is true,” Esmeralda said. “Javier will stay here as quartermaster if he agrees, and that is my word as captain. But I am not like the tyrants we have all come here to escape. I want a loyal crew. A crew that understands me and values the lives we have built here. So, if you want to leave, go now.”

  This was the moment, she thought. This was the final proof to see whether she could command these men. She would not allow another mutiny. She was being more than fair, she knew, and anyone who could not in his heart accept Javier on this ship would step away and find better fare on another ship.

  Not a single person moved.

  “In that case,” she said lightly, “I believe you all have work to do. See to it!”

  The last sentence came out as a bark, and the order was immediately obeyed. Within half a minute, the deck was clear of all but a few lads who were mending rigging and Cook, who nodded at them both before descending back to his kitchen.

  Javier pulled her close to him and murmured, “I cannot believe it. A le Brecque and a Demonios, sailing a ship together.”

  Esmeralda laughed. “No, a le Brecque captaining a ship with a Demonios serving under her.”

  The man she would spend the rest of her days with chuckled. “If you ever need to remind me of my place, then please do. I wish to spend the rest of my life serving you.”

  The harbor wind brushed over them, tugging at her hair and the cutlass she now sheathed.

  “I serve the high seas,” Esmeralda said quietly. “Always.”

  And not a single word was then uttered by either of them for a good few moments as they kissed passionately on the deck that was now their home.

  Epilogue

  Javier gripped the handrail and looked out at the ocean.

  It was empty. Desolate. Quiet.

  Not what he could have ever imagined dedicating his life to, but then, it did not matter. All the benefits of sailing the high seas were right beside him.

  He turned and smiled at Captain Esmeralda le Brecque, who returned the smile. Her hands were placed protectively over her bugling belly, and she looked utterly at peace.

  “Another honeymoon ship,” she said softly. “I last encountered one the first day we met.”

  Javier laughed. “Yes, but this time at least, it is ours.”

  “And not a moment too soon,” she said, leaning her side onto the railing and sighing with the weight of her growing stomach. “I think this baby is going to be joining the crew far faster than I had expected!”

  He smiled, taking in the sight of his wife ripe with the fruits of their love. A child. A new life aboard their ship—her ship. A son or daughter.

  This time they would not repeat the mistakes of their ancestors. They had carved out a better life for themselves, and their child would be the first of many to enjoy its peace and love.

  “You know, Bones says you probably have another few weeks,” Javier said. “Although I am not sure whether I trust him to know much about childbirth. I think Cook may be a better one for that.”

  “A few more weeks?” Esmeralda sighed and stroked her belly. “I am not sure whether I can survive another few days on my feet, let alone a few more weeks!”

  He could sense the frustration under her laughter. A captain was supposed to be energetic at all times, need no sleep, and be ready at a moment’s notice to fight.

  Esmeralda was all those things—or at least, had been until a few days ago. This child was eager to be in the world.

  Pulling her into his arms, Javier kissed the top of her head. “You will need to learn how to delegate better, Esme. Being the captain does not mean that you do absolutely everything on this ship. I am your quartermaster. Perhaps it is time to allow me to complete inspections, teach the lads.”

  Her eyes sparkled as she gazed with a knowing smile. “And I will still make all of the decisions, sí señor?”

  His heart warmed to hear the Spanish on her lips. She had been so wonderful about that.

  “Our child must know both our tongues,” she had said fiercely. “I am determined. How difficult can Spanish be, really?”

  Not very, it turned out. Esme had a gift for languages she had never known about and was now learning a little French from Tiny and Chequers, who had
spent some time in a French prison.

  “Of course you make all the decisions,” he said, tightening his grip around her. “But this time, while sitting down! We have a captain’s chair for a reason, you know. Why don’t you use it?”

  She did not reply directly. Her gaze had shifted from him to the ocean that surrounded them as they sailed down the Strait of Gibraltar.

  “Is it not the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?”

  Javier followed her gaze. The sun was starting to set, dripping hot golden light onto the ocean, which rippled and fluttered as though attempting to prevent the sun from disappearing. The moon had already risen, its pale beauty shimmering on the water.

  With Esme in his arms, Javier could see a little of the beauty she saw in her precious ocean. It was not empty, desolate, or quiet anymore.

  “This ocean of yours is full of life, beauty, and wonder,” he murmured. “I can never predict it, and I will never tame it. Remind you of anyone we know, querida?”

  She laughed, and he felt the laughter through her swelling stomach. “I would take offense at that if it was not so flattering.”

  Javier did not reply in words. He tilted her head and lowered his mouth onto hers, taking his pleasure from her and giving it, teasing her tongue and plundering her lips until she leaned limply against him, unable to hold herself up as she lost herself in the kiss.

  When he finally released her, Esmeralda looked up with adoration. “I will never tire of you, Javier. Even if I sail across all the oceans of the world.”

  He smiled. “One ocean is very much the same to me, but you—you are someone I will never cease exploring. You and I are creating something wonderful on this ship, right here,” his hand moved to her stomach, “and in my heart. Being your husband, I think, will never be boring.”

  She smiled. “No, I do not think so.”

  “Ship ahoy!”

  The voice that had rung out was that of George, newly made second mate. He was up in the rigging and pointing out with his telescope—a new find in a very obliging merchant ship.

  Javier looked in the direction he was pointing, but Esmeralda was already striding over to the rigging. George dropped the telescope down, and she caught it, looking out at the vessel on the horizon.