This was it.
She carefully left her room and headed for the stairs. Just as she reached the front door, she heard the raspy shuffle of boots moving toward her. Her heart hammering, she dodged into the drawing room.
“Goodnight, Kingsley,” her brother called to their butler as he trudged up the stairs.
“Goodnight, Master Jonathan.”
Serenity trembled in the shadows as another wave of apprehension washed over her. Maybe she should stay here and let Jonathan have this story.
After all, anything could happen.
True, she was dressed like a man and it was a dark night, but what if someone should realize she was a woman? A woman alone on the docks at night was a disaster just waiting to happen.
Come now, her mind snapped. What is this cowardice? Would Lady Mary shirk at such a challenge?
Well, nay. Lady Mary would carry on regardless of the danger. Indeed, she would revel in it.
Besides, the Sea Wolf was a man of honor. It showed in the way he carried himself, in the fact that he risked his very life to save others. He wouldn’t dishonor her. He was the noble Sea Wolf. The protector of innocents.
This was her chance to be the person she wanted to be.
With that thought foremost in her mind, she slipped out the front door, into the cool night and into her future.
It was just after midnight. Jacob Dudley sat waiting beneath the bower of a weeping willow, his eyes trained on the James household, and most importantly, on the single light in the upstairs window. He was waiting for it to go out.
You’re a fool on a fool’s mission, he groused at himself as he shifted a large package in his lap. He’d come to Savannah just that afternoon to pick up his wife’s dress, and he’d been delighted to find Morgan in port. Of course, Morgan’s dinner story about his near miss with Serenity James had been less than amusing.
But they had laughed anyway and shared drinks until Morgan had taken his leave. Jake had been just about to follow when he’d overheard a man in the tavern questioning the patrons about the same story that had brought Morgan to town.
Wayward Hayes.
It was a name he knew as well as his own. A name any good profit-minded sailor kept his ears open for word of. Hayes made his living by tracking down pirates and privateers and handing them over to the governments who paid the most for them.
Now that man sought the Sea Wolf.
Just like Morgan, Hayes had decided the author of the newspaper article knew the Sea Wolf by sight; only, Hayes had yet to learn S. S. James was a woman.
That gave Jake enough time to make sure Morgan escaped before Hayes learned his identity.
But first he must make certain Serenity was secure. Hayes wouldn’t ever believe she’d written her story without firsthand knowledge of Morgan. Nor was he the type of man to go easy on her just because she was a woman.
Nay, with the price the British had on Morgan’s head, Hayes would interrogate her every bit as thoroughly and painfully as he would a man. And Jake wasn’t the kind of man to leave a woman to suffer. Not when he could help it.
The light went out.
Scooping up the package, Jake rose to his feet. Just a few minutes more and he would make sure Serenity and Morgan were safe from Hayes’s clutches.
He sneaked across the yard.
It had cost him quite a bit to learn about the James family. There were three women living in the house—the brown-haired Serenity, her blond sister, and an elderly housekeeper.
Jake smiled. True, it’d been a while since he’d infiltrated a home for such mischief, but he’d done it enough in the past to believe he’d have no problems finding the chit and getting her out. He could move as stealthily as a ghost, and in his bachelor days, he’d roamed in and out of many a woman’s room without her husband or family being the wiser.
He drew even with the sweeping front porch.
The front door creaked open.
Jake froze. And before he could move, a small form ran from the house. Like lightning, someone scampered across the porch, down the steps, and straight into his chest.
A startled cry escaped before the person who hit him stumbled back, tripped over a root, and fell to the ground with a solid thump.
Bemused, Jake dropped his package and knelt down to check on who had accosted him.
“Well, fate be damned,” he laughed as he caught sight of the pale form in a buttery shaft of moonlight. She was dressed as a man, but only a fool could miss her curves, and Jacob Dudley was anything but a fool.
Jake looked up at the bright, star-filled sky. “Thank you, Lord,” he said. “You’ve helped me out once again.”
And surely He had, for she’d knocked herself unconscious in her fall. Aquick check assured him that she still breathed and hadn’t broken the skin of her skull, though from the knot that was forming he could tell she’d have a wretched headache when she awoke.
Now all he had to do was get to Morgan and see to it he sailed before Hayes identified his ship. Easy enough.
His spirit light, Jake hefted Serenity up over one shoulder, grabbed Lorelei’s package, and headed for his concealed horse.
Serenity came awake to a fierce pounding in her temples. Moaning softly, she tried to put her hand to her head only to learn her hands weren’t free. Someone had tied her to a chair! A hard, wooden chair that seemed to be in a small cabin on a ship…
Her blood racing, she remembered running out of the house and into a tree.
Nay, she thought, her body going cold. It had been a man. A huge man.
“Listen to me, old man, we’ve not got enough time for you to argue.”
“But Jake, the captain’ll have me head if he finds her on board. And you know how he is when he gets riled.”
Her vision blurry, she blinked her eyes. The man called Jake came into focus. He was extremely tall, at least six foot five. He wore the humble clothes of a farmer, and his long blond hair had been pulled back into a queue.
However, it was the coldness of his eyes that held her transfixed. They were steely, devoid of emotions, and they were set into a face that would rival her pirate’s for sheer handsomeness.
“Barney, I swear I’ll hang you myself if you don’t give the order to sail.”
“Sail?” Serenity gasped, wincing as more pain sliced through her head. “Sail where?”
The old man stepped around Jake and eyed her curiously. “See now, she’s awake. You can be taking her with you.”
“Barney,” Jake growled, his voice laced with warning.
“All right then, I’ll tell the captain about her and—”
Jake grabbed Barney by the arm and turned him around until they faced each other. “Listen, unless you want Wayward Hayes to hang Morgan, you’ll get this ship out of here while you’re still safe. I’ll deal with the woman, and with Morgan.”
“Fine then, it’s your arse he’ll be skinning.” Barney gave her one last look, then headed out of the tiny cabin.
“Excuse me,” Serenity said, her voice cracking with alarm. “But I really don’t think you’ll be sailing with me on board.”
Jake quirked a smile. “And what do you intend to do about it?”
“Scream?”
His laugh was low and evil. If it were true that the eyes were the window of the soul, then this man didn’t possess one at all. His intense gaze betrayed no emotion whatsoever as he reached beneath his navy cape and pulled out a long, wicked knife. “Try it and I’ll have your tongue.” He fingered the shining blade.
“You wouldn’t dare,” she squeaked, her voice constricted by terror.
“I’ve done worse things in my life.”
And by the light in his eyes, she could see he spoke honestly. Dear Lord, how could this man have so little regard for human decency?
For the very tongue she loved so well!
“Why have you taken me?” she asked.
He returned his knife to the folds of his cape and sighed. “Believe it or not, it
’s for your own good.”
“My own good? Pray tell, how do you figure that?”
“Under the circumstances, I fear I don’t have time to explain it. I have to make sure Barney carries out my orders and that a stubborn man sees reason. So, if you’ll excuse me…” He started for the door.
“Wait!”
He paused and turned back to face her with one arched brow.
“I won’t tell anyone you kidnapped me,” she begged. “Just, please, let me go.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible.” He cocked his head to one side and eyed her like a hawk watching a hare. “Now, do I need to gag you before I leave?”
Serenity shook her head. She was quite attached to her tongue and she was determined to keep as much of her freedom as she could. One way or another, she was going to get off this ship, even if she had to jump off and swim back home; sharks and sea monsters be damned.
Two hours later, Serenity sat in the small crevice that Jake had called Barney’s bunk room. Bunk water-closet was more like. She owned hatboxes that were bigger.
She’d been doing her best to free herself, but it was too late.
She had felt the ship leave its moorings and now it rolled across the waves at full speed.
Whatever was she going to do?
You should have screamed anyway, she said to herself in frustration.
Well, had I done that, Jake would have cut my tongue out.
Yes, well, better he cut out your tongue than your father get ahold of you after this.
Closing her eyes, she could just imagine the look on her father’s face.
What had she done? This was not the adventure she had wanted. She had never once dreamed of being trapped in the belly of a ship headed for who knew where.
Oh heaven, this was definitely not a good day for an adventure.
Suddenly she heard steps outside. She held her breath in fear.
The door swung open.
“Barney, I need…” The familiar voice trailed off as her dream pirate looked up from the fob watch he’d been checking. His gaze touched on her, and if she thought he had looked angry that afternoon in her shop, she had certainly underestimated him.
“Barney!” he bellowed with a force that shamed the raging sea.
“Good evening, Captain,” she said in the calmest of voices. She was proud of her poise, given the ridiculousness and horror of her situation.
“What the devil are you doing here?” he asked between clenched teeth.
She twisted her hands that were held in place by the ropes so that he could see them. “I am sitting in a most uncomfortable chair.”
“I can see that,” he said moving forward into the room. He knelt down in front of her chair. “How did you get there?”
Her eyes widened as he pulled out a huge dagger. An image of it plunging into her breast flashed before her eyes as Jake’s words echoed in her ears.
Serenity took a deep breath.
Footsteps thundered down the hallway. “I can explain, Captain,” Barney said as he appeared outside the door.
“You better,” the Sea Wolf said in the most intimidating voice she’d ever heard as he slashed the ropes holding her arms and legs to the chair.
More rushing footsteps.
Jake came to stand by Barney’s side, and the two of them stared into the cabin at the captain. “I was going to tell you about her,” Jake said.
“When? After she died of starvation?” The Sea Wolf’s jaw ticked as he rose slowly to his feet and turned to face Jake and Barney. “Dammit, Jake, what kind of mess have you dragged me into now? I would have thought you’d learned your lesson about kidnapping women.”
In spite of the anger in the Sea Wolf’s voice, Jake cracked a roguish grin. “Don’t take that tone with me, Drake. You know what I do to people who make me angry. Besides, would you have had me leave her behind for Hayes to question?”
The Sea Wolf returned his dagger to its sheath. “There were other alternatives.”
“Such as?”
“You could have warned her of the danger, and her father could have seen to her protection.”
Jake snorted. “Do you really think her father could have kept her safe from Hayes?”
The Sea Wolf tensed, and Serenity could see him debate Jake’s words.
Jake met her gaze and his smile died. “We just have to decide what to do with her in the meantime. I figure we only need to hide her out a couple of weeks before Hayes will pick up someone else’s trail and leave Savannah.”
“Weeks?” she asked in disbelief.
The Sea Wolf placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, which kept her from rising. “Her reputation’s ruined if we do that.”
“That’s not as bad as what Hayes will do to her,” Jake said nonchalantly.
“Who is Hayes?” Serenity demanded, and then she listened in horror as the Sea Wolf explained. Not that she had a problem with Hayes hunting down the dreadful pirates. They deserved to be hung for their crimes. But any man who would hand over a hero like the Sea Wolf, well, she certainly had a problem with that.
“You can take me home,” she said. “I could go stay with some of my family in Marthasville.”
“Aye,” the Sea Wolf agreed. “We could do that. I doubt if he’d—”
“I found her with very little effort,” Jake interrupted. “And you don’t want to know how much information about her family I was able to purchase. Hayes could easily track her to the home of a relative. And to get a prize like you, you better believe he would.”
The Sea Wolf raked his hands through his hair. “Jake, keeping her doesn’t make any sense. She doesn’t even know who I am.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Serenity couldn’t resist adding. She didn’t know why, but she liked taking the upper hand with the good captain. Maybe it was the arrogance of his stance, that devil-may-care attitude that seemed to bleed from every pore of his skin.
The Sea Wolf cocked a surprised brow. “What’s that?”
She rubbed her chafed wrists. “I didn’t know who you were until you came to the party. Your ire gave you away, sir, and as I told you then, if I knew the identity of the Sea Wolf, I would get his views on his activities.”
Ignoring Barney and Jake, who still watched them from the doorway, she retrieved her glasses from her coat pocket, along with her book and pencil. She put her glasses on, opened her book to the correct page, positioned her pencil for notes, then locked gazes with the captain. “So tell me, what got you interested in freeing American sailors?”
“Ah, bloody hell!” he cursed.
Jake folded his arms across his chest. “Now what do you think?”
“I think the girl’s ruined and you and I are going to hell for it.”
Jake laughed. “Given our past sins, I doubt if she’ll be the stone that tips the scales of our damnation.”
The Sea Wolf sighed. “Well, I guess there’s nothing we can do but make the best of it. It looks as if the girl’s to be our guest. Barney, see to it Kit makes my room ready for her.” He pinned his stare on Jake. “I really wish you’d told me what you had planned before you took it upon yourself to abduct her.”
Jake shrugged. “As if you would have come up with a better idea.” He clapped Barney on the back. “Come on, old man. Let’s go see to that room.”
Once they were alone, the captain turned to face her with arms akimbo. “Well, Miss James, I don’t suppose I’ll be able to keep my name from you much longer. Allow me to present myself, Captain Morgan Drake at your command.”
Morgan Drake. The name suited him.
“I wish I could say that I was pleased to meet you, Captain Drake,” she said with a curt sigh. “But under the circumstances I hope you will forgive me for being less than cordial.”
“I fully understand, Miss James. I suppose the last thing you intended tonight was a voyage.”
Serenity released her breath slowly at his words. She had finally done it. Instead of a quick
and quiet adventure where she had planned to interview the Sea Wolf and gather a spectacular story before returning to the safety of her neat and organized little world, she now faced the most unsure future imaginable.
Even for her.
And she wondered if Lady Mary had ever felt as alone, as terrified, as she did now.
Morgan pulled out a small, engraved silver flask from his coat pocket and handed it to her. “You look as if you could use a stiff drink.”
“No, thank you,” she said, attempting to return it to his hands. “I don’t imbibe.”
He placed one lean finger on the bottom of the flask and lifted it to her lips. “Nor do you run off in the middle of the night with a shipload of men—unchaperoned.”
Her hand trembled to the point she could hear the liquor slosh inside the flask. He was right. Her life would never again be the same. There was no going back.
With a deep breath, she lifted the flask in a mock salute. “To adventure, then,” she said, taking a quick swig. The rum scalded her throat and burned a path to her stomach.
Gasping for air, she tried to force her lungs to work.
Through the tears in her eyes, she saw him smile. Heavens, he was dashingly handsome. Especially when he wasn’t scowling.
“You’re a bold one, Miss James,” he said, taking the flask from her.
She watched in awe as he took it to his lips, his mouth touching the very spot from whence she had sipped.
“And you’re a brave one, Captain Drake.”
He laughed and duplicated her toast.
“To adventure the likes of which I think neither of us has ever seen.”
“And to fate,” she whispered. “To the very fate that has abandoned us to turmoil.”
Chapter 4
To the very fate that has abandoned us to turmoil.
Why did that echo in Morgan’s head? Because in his short acquaintance with this particular woman, she had done nothing but turn his orderly world inside out.
A Pirate of her Own Page 5
