His Pirate Wife

by Marie Hall

  “Truthfully, I don’t care for England, but while Captain Winthrop is here what else am I to do but get along?”

  “Oh well, there are other things around to make getting along easier,” Lady Alice said and after Mr. Hong poured tea and left them alone the women spent some time talking about things one might do to fill up time.

  They also spoke of more personal matters. Lady Alice, it became known, was a relieved widow. Her husband married her only to better himself and even before their son was a year old, he was caught in bed with another man’s wife and that man shot and killed him. Alice spent most of her time from then until now trying to wear off that stigma, but wasn’t having much luck as the ladies in her social circles had long memories and loved to pity her. Having been told Mia’s situation with her father disgracing her mama, the two found a kinship in their social shunning. They had a good visit and might have gone on hours more had Mr. Hong not stepped up to the table.

  He pointed to where Grim and Thomas played with toy ships on the floor and said, “Boy tired now.”

  The ladies looked and true enough Grim was leaning against the wall, Thomas on his chest and both asleep. “He does so need the attention of men, I think,” Alice said as her expression softened. “Not that his father would have been the influence I would have wanted for him, but I think he misses something. Philip does try but he has a wife and two children of his own and a third on the way.”

  “Well, I can’t promise he’ll remain uncorrupted but any man on my crew would gladly see he knows his way about a ship. He’d be welcomed. Bring him along any time, as you can see, if nothing else Grim will enjoy his company.”

  The woman shook her head. Her terror when the giant first reached for Thomas was clear, but Mia promised he could be no safer. And when Grim gave the toys to the tot the matter was settled.

  “You can’t know what that means to me,” Alice told her and covered Mia’s hand with her own.

  “Oh bother, it’s nothing,” Mia said and smiled. She’d not had a female friend in so long she hardly remembered how it was done.

  “Well, it means a great deal that you’re so kind to my child. You risked your life for him. Who does that?”

  “A good number of people, I hope,” Mia said as Mr. Hong covered the sleeping pair. “It’s no hardship to be helpful.”

  “I think for a number of people it’s far harder than it should be,” Alice said then looked out the window to see the sky turning dark. “Oh and do you know that was the other reason I came to visit,” she said. Mia raised her brow in curiosity. “I heard,” she started reaching for her reticule and pulling out a folded note, “that you’re raising funds for the orphaned children of the men of our navy and I want to donate to the cause.” She tried to hand Mia the note, but Mia held her off.

  “Lady Alice, you don’t need to—”

  “Yes, I do. What you did—”

  “No, Alice,” Mia said and shook her head. “No. You need to listen to me. You need to hear what I’m telling you. You owe me nothing. Nothing at all. I didn’t save Thomas for any reason other than he was a child in a bind and—”

  “In a bind? Mia, he almost died, if you hadn’t—”

  “It doesn’t matter. I didn’t do it for any reason other than it needed doing. You owe me nothing. I need you to understand that.”

  “Mia, I owe you my son’s life,” Alice said.

  “It’s reward enough he’s here in the world. I won’t have you anchored down with some idea of a debt owed.”

  “Very well then,” Alice said and Mia wondered if she’d insulted the woman. “I won’t let it anchor me as you say. But, you’ll accept this money for your cause and… how might you say it? You’ll let it blow my boat over the waters.”

  Mia laughed at the silly attempt. “You mean you’ll let it fill your sails?”

  “Oh yes, much better when you say it.” They both laughed again. “You take this.” She forced the note into Mia’s hand. “You make sure some other child has as fine a Christmas as I’ll have with my son. And let me feel the rewards of a kind act.”

  “This I can do,” Mia said and watched a cab pull up outside.

  “I should go. Thomas needs a bath, though he might sleep through that as much as he played.” They both stood and Mia watched as Lieutenant Coventon stepped out of the vehicle.

  The bell over the door chimed and Mia watched as Jonah and Alice exchanged surprised and shy looks. She rather hoped they might be of interest to each other when she put them together at each party to dance and eat. If a little romance bloomed, it would hurt nothing.

  “Lieutenant, what brings you to my door?” Mia said as Mr. Hong helped Lady Alice prepare to leave. She didn’t miss how the man’s eyes stayed on Alice.

  “Well I mentioned I was coming this way to pick up some correspondence and the captain asked me to tell you he’d be rather late tonight.”

  “Oh bother,” Mia sighed. “Anything wrong?”

  “No, I think the admirals have their rigging in a knot over another ship being attacked,” Mr. Coventon said.

  “We tried to tell them,” Mia said, shaking her head.

  “Aye,” Coventon said as he smiled at Alice. The sleepy Thomas came awake instantly at the appearance of another male. Jonah didn’t disappoint. The child reached for him and without hesitation Jonah lifted him against his chest. “And this fine lad is?”

  “My son,” Alice said shyly. Perhaps they’d not spoken of anything so personal yet.

  “Well of course. Such a robust young man could have no other as his mother.” His words made Alice blush and Mia knew now was the time to add wind to the sails.

  “Lady Alice was about to leave, Lieutenant. But I fear it’s growing rather late and she’s without an escort. Perhaps you might…”

  “Oh, I couldn’t impose on you that way,” Alice deferred.

  “Not at all. It would be my honor. Something must be going on. I saw army as I came in. It’s never good when they’re at port.”

  Mia sighed, but remained quiet. If what was said today wasn’t enough to keep Major Bennet in his place, she’d find something else, like an anchor that fit his neck.

  “Mrs. Winthrop?” Coventon called, perhaps noticing her distraction. Mia shook her head at him and ushered the group to the door.

  “You see them home safely, Lieutenant. I have but one friend now. I should hate for her to be lost to me,” Mia said and returned Alice’s embrace. “Come again, soon,” Mia said, watching as Coventon helped Alice into the cab then stepped in behind her holding the boy.

  “She’d make a good first wife for the lieutenant,” Hong said stepping up. “And you’d make a better wife if you’d tell the captain what’s going on.”

  “He has enough to worry on without me swamping his deck with my business,” Mia said, turning away as the coach pulled off. Besides, with army already pestering, she didn’t need navy stepping on her decks, too.

  “Mia, the captain will find out. He won’t like that you said nothing.”

  “What will he find out? That I’m being harassed by an uptight army man with nothing better to do at the moment? What merchant sailor these days isn’t being treated to the same? It’s part of doing business.”

  “It’s part of doing business to be propositioned,” Hong’s sharp tone conveyed what she already knew. They wanted to use her sex to intimidate her. “The commodore isn’t going to stand for this and you know he’s heard about it by now. If you make him think the man he picked as your husband isn’t doing enough to protect you…”

  “Hong Chin, enough,” Mia said and stomped her foot. “You’ll let me deal with the matter as I see fit. When and what I choose to tell Devin is for me to decide.” But she knew the man was correct; Papa wouldn’t be pleased if he thought Devin was allowing the harassment to happen. And she knew if Devin heard it first from Papa, she would see cannons turned full on her broadside… she’d be lucky to sit again before Easter. As it was, the choice became les
s hers when all the parties involved had the misfortune of being at the same holiday ball.

  Chapter 10

  Devin stepped right when the man across from him shifted obstructing his view of Mia across the room speaking with several of the officer’s wives who’d she worked with to help donate to the new charity established with her help. The effort garnered the interest of several higher members of society beyond the navy ranks. The small event everyone thought they’d be attending a few weeks ago was now the social event of the year. That his wife took little credit for it, though she’d raised more in funds than any other, didn’t surprise him. What did surprise him was how so many pushed her to do that. Take credit. It wouldn’t last, but Mia’s selflessness was fashionable.

  Devin could be glad for it because it made it easier to keep her from going adrift when one of the women in the circle thought to show her up. It had happened several times now, requiring him to be slightly heavy handed. Nothing like the first time, but enough that his criticisms along with whatever was distracting her at the shipping office managed to swamp her. She’d spent a few days where righting the ship seemed to overwhelm her and he wondered if maybe it was time to step in and demand she hire help at the docks.

  He only hesitated because she needed the chance to try, and of course she was trying at a very hectic time of year. He hoped after the holidays things might calm down for everyone. He certainly needed them to as he would begin his first classes after the new year and he didn’t know how he was to teach someone to sail who’d never been on a ship.

  “You’ve been married how long now, Captain? Almost a year?” Captain Parker asked, nudging Devin and smiling. “That you still look at her like you do.” He shook his head.

  Devin felt a bit of heat crawl up his neck, but just a bit. It was no secret anywhere in all of Portsmouth—he and Mia were quite in love. They could hardly enjoy a stroll down any street without hearing the sighs of young men and women hoping to someday have what they did or seeing the approving nods of the elder couples who’d already been those places he and Mia were heading. Pride might come before the fall, but Devin couldn’t help it when it came to Mia.

  “I might need to find time to visit… where did you find her again?” Parker asked laughing.

  “Cartagena,” Devin supplied.

  “Ah yes, wonder what passage there costs. As badly as my family is pushing me to wed perhaps I’ll find something half so good.”

  Devin laughed and shaking his head warned, “Yes you say that, but I should warn you the sailing isn’t always smooth. Mia can whip up quite a storm. She has a rather amazing ability to sink ships with nothing but a look.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Parker teased.

  “Well don’t say I didn’t try to warn you.” Devin laughed as they both joined the conversation around them. At some point he lost track of Mia in the crowd and though it was hard to do he managed not to rush to find her. That’s when the small group of army officers who’d been invited as a goodwill measure stepped up. As did a number of the social elite.

  Some back and forth was had, and as always, some rival tensions were in place as everyone spoke about the latest private yacht to be hit by the pirates. Devin again tried to emphasize the importance of staying out of those waters with pleasure craft. Until the crown put ships in the water where these attacks were happening, people needed to take better precautions.

  “They’re too protected in those waters,” Devin said. “The only way to drive them out in the open is to limit their ability to profit. Even merchant ships are hesitant. The East India Company has the only fleet of private, armed ships protecting them.”

  “Yes. Didn’t you say that your father-in-law kept his ships out of the area?” Commander Jones asked.

  “Aye, my wife said, only last week, the merchant ships were staying well north because the pirates are willing to fire cannon.”

  “And your wife would know this how?” One of the army officers asked, stepping up.

  “Major Bennet, you’ve not meet Captain Winthrop.” Admiral Booker said by way of making introductions.

  “No, but I’ve certainly heard a good deal of you. Good showing there in the Caribbean, sir. Very impressive,” the man said, reaching out to shake Devin’s hand.

  “Thank you,” Devin managed to put his eyes back on the man’s face as he saw Mia step up behind him. “But of course, it was an effort we all shared in. My crew and my wife.” Devin watched a wicked smile lift Mia’s lips and thought she looked, at that very moment, like she was about to sink the whole naval fleet. “Let me introduce you to her, Major,” Devin said and nodded.

  “No need, Captain,” Mia said, and he knew instantly who her target was. “Major Bennet and I are well acquainted. Isn’t that correct, Major?” Mia said moving so she forced the man who’d turned to greet her to ease back around to face the increasing crowd around them. “Ah, Admiral Booker,” Mia cooed and stepped up to give the man a peck on the cheek. “I’ve not been able to gain a minute of your dear wife’s attention tonight. She’s made this party such a success.”

  “It was not without your invaluable aid my dear. Not a bit without it,” Booker said, and Devin continued to watch Mia as she put a bit more effort into saying her hellos.

  “And Your Grace,” Mia gasped and dipped into a curtsy as the Duke of Pembroke leaned in to kiss her cheek completely unaware it was her papa who’d kidnapped his son and then created the situation that made Devin the man who saved him from pirates.

  “Mia,” the nobleman sighed. “How beautiful you are tonight.”

  “Flattery, Your Grace,” Mia said as she flipped her fan open then closed. “But I should warn you it’ll not win me to you. I’m more attached to Captain Winthrop than a rudder is to any ship. I sail only with him, I’ll have you know.” Her remark made the entire group laugh. The entire group except for Major Bennet who as Mia turned to face him actually paled.

  “But you’ve met the major now, have you, Mrs. Winthrop?” Admiral Booker said bringing them back to where it began.

  “Aye, Admiral,” Mia said stepping to stand slightly in front of Devin. “He’s been down on the docks introducing his soldiers to my crews.”

  “Madam,” Bennet tried to interrupt. Mia wasn’t having it and Devin realized right at that moment not only was this man the cause for Mia’s distress of late, she was about to blow the problem clean out of the water.

  “Seems he has a source telling him my ships carry contraband.” She paused, cleared her throat, and looked directly at Captain Mallory before she again looked towards the major.

  “Contraband,” the Duke of Pembroke scoffed. “Impossible.”

  “Aye,” Mia agreed though Devin didn’t doubt her ships were as guilty as any that sailed for carrying goods that hadn’t been taxed.

  “Madam, please.” If anyone missed the man’s plea it was because they were daft.

  “And as impossible as that is,” Mia went on and Devin could almost hear the hiss of the fuse as it burned down to the explosion. “Seems too, his source has informed him, rather incorrectly, that I was the kind of woman to pay him a bribe to end his harassments.”

  The rumblings now turned to questions of the man’s honor and trustworthiness. And Devin saw people step away from him for fear association might ruin them too. Mia wasn’t close to done.

  “And bother it, would you know he wanted that bribe to be paid on my back,” Mia finished and snapping open her fan began waving it like she had the ability to faint.

  The man had two choices at that moment, run or die. He chose not to run. Or maybe he couldn’t as Devin stepped up and grabbed him by his neck. He drew his fist back only to have two men grab his arm.

  “She lies,” he cried, as Devin’s hand squeezed tighter and several men stepped up to pull him off.

  “You call Mrs. Winthrop a liar now?” Lieutenant Commander Yates asked, stepping up along with an army general.

  “What’s this?” the general demande
d.

  “Seems you have less than a gentleman in your ranks, Frank,” Admiral Booker explained as Devin struggled to shake off the hands keeping him from killing the man.

  “I’d say he has a pig in his ranks, but what should I know of what is common for army,” Mia said and didn’t shrink back when several eyes turned her way.

  “You harass and then proposition my wife then have the gall to call her a liar. Sir, I would see you on the field at dawn,” Devin yelled pulling free of the last man holding him, only to be grabbed again.

  “I would stand your second, Captain, and it would be an honor,” Parker said.

  “Stand in line man,” Lieutenant Coventon said, pushing through, followed close by Asher, Brinks and Wilshire.

  “I haven’t in a long while, but set down pups. I’ll stand his second and bring the pistols,” the Duke of Pembroke told them.

  “Avast, all of you,” the admiral yelled and pushed between the combatants. “What do you have to say for yourself, Major?”

  “Beg pardon, the lady misunderstood and—” he started. Devin again lunged for him.

  “I misunderstood? Well perhaps,” she said and even Devin’s head snapped around. Mia wouldn’t try and… “What was it you said? We should try and civilly resolve our differences and you did say you thought on my back I was worth more than a shilling. Isn’t that what you said? You thought I might be worth more than a shilling? Oh yes, I remember…” Mia stepped up and the admiral stepped aside so she could square off against the man. “You said I could earn a ‘pretty little allowance for my time and favor’. Should you like to ask my husband now about such an arrangement, Major? Have it confirmed, both that it would take more than a shilling, or even the full cost of a bribe to free my ships of your overreach, to get me on my back for you. And my allowance is sufficient as it stands.”

  “Miss Cadley,” Bennet cried out. A second before Mia’s hand cracked across his face.

  “Captain Cadley,” she snarled. “You despicable, odious, spineless excuse for a man. Did you think because I was a woman I would turn keel up for you? That you could intimidate your way into my hold? You turn my stomach with your cowardly acts. Shame on you to be so easily played by your source.” Again, her head turned towards Mallory. “You’re bilge water, and like such everything is better once you’re pumped out.”