His Pirate Wife

by Marie Hall

  “Where is she?” Devin’s panicked voice cut in.

  “She’s here,” Jonah called. “Where’ve you been?”

  “I wasn’t at the school I was at the admiral’s house meeting with the board,” Devin said. Shrugging out of his coat and stepping up to the bed, he eased his arms around her and leaned her against his chest. “Mia, are you all right? What happened?”

  “I don’t know,” Mia said and realized now that Devin was close she was rather frightened. She’d never fainted in her life. But that wasn’t the only thing.

  “Are you all right?” he asked again bending down to try and catch her eyes which were now blurred with tears.

  “I think so, I… I don’t know what happened.”

  “Did you feel unwell, young lady, before you lost consciousness?”

  “No,” Mia sniffed and lifted the cup as the burning in the back of her throat was growing.

  “And the last thing you remember?”

  “Putting the logbooks on the shelf and…” Mia wasn’t sure she wanted to say. Even if it was only her imagination brought on by too many ghost stories.

  “And what?” Devin asked, pulling her closer.

  “Clear the deck. Move, before I hang you from the yardarm.”

  “Papa?” Mia pulled away from Devin. Maybe she was mad. Hearing Papa calling and seeing…

  “Siren?”

  “Papa?” Mia wailed when the man stepped into sight and shoved his way past the small crowd standing in the door.

  “Mia, siren,” Papa’s voice soothed as did his warm embrace. “What happened, my heart?”

  The choking sob climbed up and out as she wrapped her arms around her papa’s body and pressed against him. “I saw Mama,” Mia managed before she couldn’t say anything for the terror she felt.

  Chapter 15

  Devin rubbed his fingers across his brow and sighed again. Commodore Dekker could still be heard making demands to the portion of his crew now standing outside Devin’s home. Mr. Hong was rattling off the information the man seemed to want and need, but Devin couldn’t tell what anyone was saying as so many languages were flying it was a wonder everyone wasn’t as confused as he.

  “Captain?”

  Devin swung around and strode to the bed. “Mia.” He sat down and helped her sit up. “The doctor said not to sleep too much, Mia,” he tried to scold.

  “My head hurts,” she complained. Then when she caught him looking at her she said, “I’m not mad, I saw her.”

  “Mia,” he said softly and brushed at the tears tracking down her cheek. “We know you did. She was in the office. You weren’t the only one to see her. It’s just…”

  “That it wasn’t Mama?” She sniffed. “I know, but…”

  “We’re going to figure it out, Mia,” Devin told her with more confidence than he felt.

  His wife hadn’t seen a ghost, but everyone said she fainted as soon as the woman came in the shop. No one else really remembered much about her because they were focused on Mia. The woman, whoever she was, didn’t wait around for anyone to get her name or learn what she wanted at the shipping office. But Mia was so sure it was her mother. So sure, and as she described her to the commodore, Devin saw the man’s expression go from worried to surprised to angry. But whatever the man knew about who Mia described, he’d yet to share it with Devin.

  And his quiet communication with Mr. Smithe in the carriage they rode home together in was in Portuguese. If he thought Mia was listening, he might ask what they said but she’d been trying to sleep the whole way and Devin had worked to keep her awake. At least every look Devin caught the commodore giving him was kind.

  “Is that Papa storming up outside?” Mia asked, more tears welling up and splashing on her pale cheeks.

  “Aye,” Devin said reaching for a fresh cloth to dip in the basin of water. It was no longer as cold as it was when Mr. Hong brought it up, but for now it would do. Wringing out the excess water, he folded it into a square and handed it to Mia.

  “I’m sorry, Captain,” she said taking the cloth and holding it to the lump.

  Devin smiled. “What could you possibly be sorry for?”

  “Being so much trouble,” she said with a shrug.

  “Mia,” Devin said trying not to laugh. “Of all the storms I’ve been through with you already, if this is what you want to call being troublesome then you might need to rethink your statement about not being mad.” He shook his head. “I think I can handle a little faint. It’s that sailing away from the ship and jumping from cliffs that I found bothersome. God save me, this might be the first common thing you’ve ever done.”

  “Ah.” Mia managed a wobbly smile. “Do you fear I’ll become dull?”

  “Fear it,” Devin gasped then leaned in close. “At least once a week I’m on my knees praying for it.”

  “Captain?”

  “Aye?”

  “You lie.”

  “I do,” he said, smothering her giggle with a kiss.

  The sound of a throat being cleared from the door turned them both. “Papa,” Mia called and held out her arms forcing Devin to move. He stood letting the man take his seat.

  “Feeling better, child?” Commodore Dekker asked, gathering Mia close.

  “Aye, Papa. My head hurts.”

  “Smithe is mixing you up something as we speak.”

  “Oh, Papa. No. His mixes are the worst tasting, vile…” Mia made a face and stuck out her tongue.

  “And they work so you’ll take it, and let it teach you to be more careful not to scare the life out of people.”

  “Really is that what it takes to bring that to a halt, a bad tasting potion?” Devin remarked drily. “Might have been good enough to pass that message to me before she jumped from the cliffs.”

  Dekker turned to look at him. “What’s so terrible about her jumping from a cliff? She’s been doing it since she could walk.”

  “God save me,” Devin groaned and buried his face in his hands as Mia’s giggles filled the room. “Don’t encourage her,” Devin shouted when the man looked at him like he’d lost his mind, making Mia laugh more.

  “I didn’t take you for a man with a weak constitution,” Dekker said, glaring at him.

  “Well maybe if you hadn’t wed me to a woman like that.” He tossed his hand out towards Mia who laughed so much, tears ran down her face.

  “Like what?” her papa snapped and stood.

  “Like… that… perfect.” Devin yelled. “I was all set to have a wife I could leave on shore and forget and you forced that on me and told me nothing about how she can be.”

  “I told you she was a riptide,” Dekker reminded Devin of words he hadn’t paid any attention to at the time.

  “You should have said she’s a typhoon,” Devin yelled, not sure why he was yelling, except this was finally his chance to tell the man what he thought of making him marry Mia.

  “I told you take the wind from her sails.”

  “I did, but then she pulled out oars,” Devin countered and heard the man choke back a laugh. “You gave me a wicked little pirate and she’s plundered my whole world, stolen everything I had, heart, soul, sanity—all of it.”

  “And?”

  “And,” Devin thought about it a moment. “And… thank you. Aye, thank you. I can’t even think what life without her would be like.”

  “Longer,” Dekker said, stepping forward and holding out his hand.

  “Not nearly as lively.” Devin took it then clasped the man’s upper arm and stepped even closer. “Thank you, sincerely.” He took one more step closer. “You’re never getting her back so don’t even think about trying,” he said so only Mia’s papa heard.

  “Only if she is misused, navy. And then only after your funeral,” he said, slapping Devin on the shoulder. They each took a big step back then turned and smiled at Mia who was smiling at them.

  “Here, sea witch,” Smithe came in with a cup and held it out to Mia.

  “No,” Mia said d
ragging up the covers to hold over her mouth.

  “You take it or I’ll pour it down your throat you mutinous little barge,” Smithe snarled, Mia only shook her head and pressed the covers harder against her mouth.

  “Mia, please,” Dekker said and got the same response.

  Devin watched the men for a few more moments then moved over to Mia’s dressing table and leaning against it facing her he slid her hair brush to the edge where he could easily set his hand on it. “Mia,” he called, gaining everyone’s attention. “Do those potions help? Be honest?”

  “Mostly,” she admitted keeping the blankets up to protect herself.

  “Then I think you need to drink it,” Devin said and tapped the brush with his fingers.

  “No,” Mia stated adamantly. Then her eyes went to his tapping fingers.

  “I want you to drink it if it’s going to help,” Devin said picking up the brush he turned it around in his hand casually enough he knew it looked like he toyed with it to everyone but Mia. Her eyes went wide. “You know how we deal with mutiny on this ship.”

  “Captain?” she whined at him.

  “Mia.” He smacked the brush down on his palm. “Drink it. Be a good wife and do as I say.” He smacked it a second time with more force. Mia dropped the covers, snatched the cup and swallowed it back then spent a long while making dramatic gagging and choking sounds. Devin set the brush aside, stepped up to the bed, kissed her on the head, and said, “What a perfect wife you are.” He strolled out of the room then with a smile and the confidence of knowing even with the commodore there next to her, Mia would defer to him.

  Devin made his way downstairs then out through the kitchens to the top of the walk that led to the beach. He wouldn’t go down without Mia, but the smell of salt air reached this far with the winds coming off the waters. It was calming and after today he needed calm.

  The whole of the navy was up in arms. The pirates struck again and this time some viscount or such was killed. They’d actually talked about sending Devin back out being he’d successfully taken them on. It could truly mean years more at sea and years away from Mia. Not that he believed for a minute she’d not follow him to the waters but with the pirates now arming themselves it was a far different, more dangerous matter.

  “You’ve found a strap useful?”

  Devin spun around to see the commodore stepping up beside him. Both men turned to face the water. “Useful, if not distasteful. It rarely takes more than a harsh scolding but she has a strong will and a defiant nature.”

  “I took a ship from her once because she was irresponsible with it,” the man said clasping his hands behind his back as Devin often did. “She has never forgiven me that act and—”

  “Actually she’s never forgiven herself,” Devin informed him and didn’t miss the man jerking his head around to stare at him. “We had a chance to discuss it, as she made the same kind of mistake with me. I corrected with less… permanent measures.”

  The commodore went back to staring at the horizon. “I knew Mia would want to visit her mother once before leaving.”

  “You were in the cemetery.” It was a statement. Devin didn’t need to have it confirmed.

  “What you said to her about her being my child, about it being common for siblings to wish each other gone,” the man said then cleared his throat. “I wish I’d been able to tell her that.”

  “She wouldn’t have heard it from you.”

  “Perhaps. My Molly was a treasure. I had no purpose at all until I found her—”

  “Literally, as I understand it.”

  The man chuckled. “Yes literally. After though, I knew I needed to do everything in my ability to give her what she and Mia deserved. It didn’t even take a year and I’d been able to buy two more ships, By the time Mia was three I had nine. Everything Molly wanted or needed was hers. But she only wanted to sculpt.” He laughed. “You should have seen the ragged dress and apron she wore to work. Beggars had better, but… I wed her when she was only four months gone. I delivered Mia,” he said holding out both his hands. “She came right to these, so very small, screaming out a storm to scare the life from you. But Molly stayed out of my bed until she was a year.”

  Devin turned to look at him.

  “Aye, I didn’t force her, I made sure she and the child had everything. When she came, she came on her own. Charles wasn’t our first child. Molly lost three between Mia and him. And when he came, and he lived,” he shook his head, “I did forsake Mia.”

  “Not intentionally.” Devin looked at him. He hadn’t thought a pirate, even one not totally a pirate, could look so vulnerably human.

  “No, no of course not. Mia… she’s always been everything to me. Maybe that’s why after Charlie was born I tried to spend so much time with him. I knew I favored Mia. Molly knew I did as well, so I think she gave the boy more attention. It was for such a short time, I don’t know what would have happened had they lived. Some siblings…”

  “Mia is a loving woman, I can’t think she wasn’t also one as a child. I can’t say I liked my brothers, but I did and do love them. And now… well there’s always more than one side of the same coin.” Devin lifted his face to the wind. “Why do you tell me this?”

  “The woman in the office today,” he started then stopped, stepped forward and turned to face Devin. “She’s Mia’s aunt.”

  “What?” Devin all but yelled then clamped his mouth shut. “What?” he hissed. “Mia didn’t say she had more family.”

  “Because she doesn’t,” the man was serious in his tone. “Those people abandoned her, left her and her mother for dead in the middle of the god forsaken sea and it’s only to ease their own conscience before they are dispatched to hell they seek out Mia.”

  “You knew they were coming to see her. That’s why you’ve come to port,” Devin reasoned. It had to be something so important to bring the man here where his perhaps less than honorable actions in his pursuits to keep his daughter safe and happy might come under scrutiny.

  “I thought they might when Mia kept her name,” he said and gave Devin a hard look but then smiled. “I selected well when I picked you, another man would never have allowed—”

  “I happen to have great respect for my wife,” Devin announced. “She did ask me, and I told her to do as she felt. The company is hers, yours. I don’t want or need to take that from her. It’s not why I find her the perfect wife.”

  “Aye, as I’ve been told,” the commodore said, and Devin wondered how a man at sea ‘heard’ so much.

  “But you didn’t come here for that specifically?”

  “No, I have something else I’m seeing to. Molly’s kin,” Dekker told him. Devin saw the man tighten then relax. “The old man is dying. His wife, she won’t be far behind.”

  “Mia’s grandparents,” Devin said, wondering how those people must feel, wondering if they knew what fate found the child they threw away. Certainly before he had a chance to speak with his family he didn’t have a bit of sympathy for them. Now, he knew better than to judge without hearing the other side. He hadn’t known his father was putting his faith in the sea to keep Devin out of the mines. Devin only learned that night he and his father spoke, he’d tried to put Ronald in the navy too, but hadn’t found a ship to take him and after two tries couldn’t keep putting his mother through the goodbyes. “You don’t want her to know them.”

  “They don’t deserve to know her,” he snapped.

  “Is that to protect Mia or yourself?” Devin asked, and the man looked away. “She’ll always be your daughter, they can’t change that. But doesn’t she have the right to hear from them why they did what they did? To hear their side of things?”

  “Their side? Their side is that they couldn’t love their own child through her mistakes. Mistakes she didn’t make completely on her own. What good to hear the reason you were nearly murdered when it doesn’t change the fact you were nearly murdered? No. They cast out Molly knowing she was with child. They don’t
get to reel Mia in.”

  “Is that your decision to make?” Devin asked, not sure if he wanted to challenge the man or if he wanted to trust this man knew what was best for Mia.

  “It is,” he snapped at Devin, his hands fisting at his sides. “I’ve never done wrong by her. Don’t mutiny against me on the matter.”

  “The aunt already got that close. You think they won’t keep trying? They know where she is.” Devin turned and looked up at the balcony that led to his bedroom. “You might not be able to keep her from them. Don’t you think it better to be the one controlling the encounter.”

  “Mia’s in your care, you keep them from her,” Dekker said, and Devin turned around when he saw the man looking past him. Smithe stood in the doorway.

  “I may not be here. There’s talk of sending me to sea after that bunch…” He wouldn’t say pirates to this man who was one. “They’re becoming bolder and more dangerous it seems and thanks to your daughter, I’m somehow the only one who can meet the challenge,” Devin finished, shaking his head still not believing the admirals wouldn’t listen when he said it was simply chance and timing that gave him the ability to take them.

  Dekker, though, took in his words with a wide grin and grabbing his shoulder as he passed he told Devin, “You don’t worry about those bitches, they’re not long on the seas and ole Davey has a place set out for them already.” He made his way back to the house then called back. “You see to Mia, it’s the only reason I chose you.”

  And as thankful as he was to be chosen, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his skin prickled. Something bad was about to come to port and heartache was sure to be in its wake.

  Chapter 16

  “I feel like such a jellyfish,” Mia said lifting her cup and sipping the tea.

  “I don’t know what that means,” Alice laughed.

  “Neither do I,” Philip chimed in. “But there’s nothing untoward about a faint. And yours was one of the best I’ve seen.”