by Marie Hall
Devin stopped and everyone looked to the back of the room when the doors opened and Mia was marched in, shackled and held between four armed men. She looked tired and furious and Devin again bit his tongue to stop the warning that rose to his lips.
“Captain Winthrop, explain yourself,” Mia screeched. “I’m pulled out of bed and thrown on the floor and…” She raised her arms to show him the irons. “If this is some new bed sport you’ve in mind I care not at all for it.”
“Mrs. Winthrop,” Devin snapped, feeling the heat rise up his neck. “Please madam, have some decorum.” If he had any hope those rumors from the night in the coach were done, he no longer had it.
“Decorum?” Mia screeched and stepped towards him like she meant to do murder. One of the men guarding her stopped her. “I’m but half dressed, I’ve been dragged from my home and…” Again she lifted her arms this time rattling the chain between the cuffs that held her prisoner. But when she dropped them she swayed on her feet.
“Mia,” Devin called stepping towards her only to be stopped by one of those who’d pulled him off Mallory.
“Perhaps the irons are not necessary,” Admiral Dunham said. “Lieutenant.” Devin turned to give the man a grateful look but the darkening skies beyond the windows made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
The young man handed off his rifle and reached in his pocket, drawing out the key. Before anyone could contemplate it, Mia snatched the key away from him snarled something only the guards could hear that made them all step back. Then she turned and stomped up to the table. She slapped the key on the polished wood before the vice admiral then held out her wrists.
Her glare was enough to make even this man hesitate, but he lifted the key and carefully, as if ready to draw back at the slightest indication Mia would do him harm, unlocked the cuffs. They fell away and Mia rubbed at her skin before turning that heated stare on Devin.
“Mrs. Winthrop,” Admiral Dunham started.
“Give me that,” Mia snapped and indicated she wanted Devin’s jacket. It was then that he noticed Mia was in fact only partially dressed. “If you want decorum, sir, I suggest you don’t drag women from their beds and not allow them a moment to dress.”
“It wasn’t me,” Devin said as he quickly unbuttoned the coat and shrugged out of it.
“I’m utterly done, with the royal navy, nobles and the whole damn kingdom of England. You can all go to Davey Jones,” she yelled and rather than let him help her put the coat on she snatched it from him, but the action again made her sway on her feet. Catching herself on the table edge she took a few deep breaths and moved more slowly as she put her arms in the warm thick wool of the captain’s coat. “Why am I here?”
“Mrs. Winthrop—” Dunham began.
“Captain Cadley,” Mia interrupted with a snarl. “I’ll not stand here and be seen less than any other. I’m a ship’s captain with as much seagoing experience as any of you, more than most I suspect, and…” She again turned eyes on Devin. “I don’t care at the moment to be his wife.”
“Mia,” Devin gasped a bit shocked at her announcement.
“Mrs., that is Captain, Cadley,” the vice admiral began. “I, for now, will extend an apology for the crude treatment, but it seems we need you to confirm a matter that’s before this board.”
“I, for now, will withhold acceptance of your apology,” she told him with a tone that said she had no intention of accepting anything from him. “What matter?”
Dunham cleared his throat. “Mrs., that is Captain, is or is not Captain Winthrop in the habit of calling you names?”
Devin saw Mia pull back then narrow her eyes on the men sitting on the other side of the table. “What is this? Do you now think to start employing measure to ensure your officers are more gentlemanly?” Devin was relieved when she turned that dangerous stare towards Mallory “For sure I could find better manners in a group of drunken barge men than I can find among your ilk.” She made sure to look at each man before going on. “Aye, Captain Winthrop calls me names. A good number of them. Most I’m too much of a lady to repeat.”
Devin bit the inside of his cheek and listened as Mia lit the fuse that would burn down to the powder that would then explode and take everyone in the room with it. The winds whipped up beyond the windows and a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.
“Might you impart to us some of those, perhaps less… improper names he uses,” Dunham seemed to have to really reach for his own words.
“Brat,” Mia was quick to give that one up. “He calls me a mutinous wench when he is unwilling to acknowledge his commands are completely ridiculous.” She turned hard eyes on him. “He calls me a child,” she said her voice cracking a little as she turned her eyes back towards those men who sat in judgment. “Do I at all resemble a child?” Every man shook their head no and muttered that they thought she looked quite a lady.
“Captain Cadley,” Vice Admiral Saumarez called Mia’s attention to him rather softly and Devin leaned a bit to the side when he heard Mia sniff. Her eyes were filling with tears and it was everything Devin could do not to reach for her. “Is there anything else he might call you?”
“Little else that is fine for polite society,” Mia said, and sniffing, used the coat sleeve to wipe her nose.
“Has he an occasion to call you anything… criminal?” Another at the table asked.
“Criminal? Do you mean like thief or murderer?” Mia asked and again everyone nodded. She sniffed again. “Well yes, but I have always believed it no insult, but rather a small endearment.”
“And might you say what he calls you?” Dunham pushed.
“Pirate,” Mia said, sniffed, and again drew the sleeve across her face.
“Mia, for mercy sake,” Devin grumbled, reached in front of her and into his coat pocket, withdrawing a handkerchief. “Why do you never have one of your own?” he chided only to see a tear splash on her cheek.
“I’m not even dressed, and I should have a handkerchief?” Mia cried and stomped her foot at him. “You’re a horrible man to say that to me.”
“Captain,” the vice admiral chided though Devin didn’t know who he was admonishing, him or Mia. “Mrs. Winthrop, that is Captain, that is…” the man stammered as Mia began weeping. “Please madam, are you saying your husband calls you a pirate in a… caring manner?”
“Aye, perhaps not the first few times. The very first was the worst, he said I was dirty scum.”
“I never,” Devin denied and felt eyes land on him a bit hard.
“You did,” Mia said hotly. “You called me a pirate and said pirates are notoriously dirty scum and then you paddled me.” Every man in the room gasped and drew back.
“You completely destroyed my quarters,” Devin countered, realizing too late this wasn’t the place to be having this argument with his wife.
“You locked me in, you called me that,” she spat tossing her hand out in a dismissive gesture, “when Papa said you had to wed me. That, like I was some rubbish.”
Devin rubbed his brow again and closing his eyes muttered, “God save me.” At least the story concocted to cover what happened was going to stand without question.
“I think Captain Winthrop,” Admiral Dunham said, his discomfort at being in the middle of a marital spat showing through. “We’ve a good picture how these entries came to be. And while I can’t say I approve of such unbecoming behavior towards one’s wife, we’ve all come to know your devotion to Captain Cadley has come about nicely. Captain Mallory,” the man called, but before he could manage more Mia came about.
“What entries?” she asked and snatched the papers from the table before anyone could stop her.
“Mia,” Devin said and grabbed for them. He might have written pirate and caused the navy to grumble, but he knew that one word was going to have her aiming cannon at him.
She twisted away from him then backed away so no other at the table could take them from her. It took her less than a minute to find
the one insult he knew would sink her. Her gasp told him when she’d found it. “Devin, how could you? How could you?” She sobbed and lifted her eyes to him. Tears spilled out, but behind the watery pools, heat rose up. “I’m not spoiled. I am not.” She slammed the papers on the table then slammed her fist down on top of them. “I am not spoiled. I wasn’t given anything. I worked for all of it. You said you understood that. I’m not spoiled,” she yelled so loud the vice admiral covered his ears.
“Mrs. Winthrop,” someone was stupid enough to call out in a manner perhaps meant to soothe.
Mia’s response was to sweep everything within reach on the table to the floor. “I… am… not… spoiled.” She punctuated every word with a stomp of her foot. Then with a gasp burst into tears like she had when he stepped on the flower.
“Mia,” Devin soothed, stepping up to draw her against him. “I told you, I recanted that statement. I know you’re not spoiled. I recanted and apologized. That was written early on, before we knew each other.”
It was an odd moment for the wind outside to pick up enough it blew a window open and sent it slamming into the wall to shatter. Every document on the tables then was lifted and scattered around the room. Men were quick to scatter and collect them.
Devin spent a minute trying to calm Mia, but her upset was growing worse. Turning to the table of men clearly confused by Mia’s reaction to the word spoiled when she’d already announced the many other things he’d called her with little more than dismissal, he was about to ask if he might see her home. He’d only a light hold on her though and wasn’t nearly fast enough when she went slack and crumpled to the floor.
“Mia?” Devin called, getting down to cradle her in his arms.
“Fetch a doctor, now,” Vice Admiral Saumarez ordered as everyone else stepped up.
“I tried to tell you, she’s been unwell for days,” Devin said, looking around the room for the man responsible for involving her in this.
“Here, a little sip maybe, she’s quite pale,” Dunham said handing Devin a glass and pulling off his gloves. He was about to set his hand on Mia’s forehead then stopped and looked at Devin with a good deal of concern in his expression. “May I?” Devin could only nod. Mia’s faint wasn’t wearing off and his panic was rising. “She isn’t feverish, but you said she’s not been well?”
“No, in the last week, she’s woken sick, she tires easily and…” Devin said, trying to adjust Mia in his arms so she was closer to him. He was about to burst into tears himself when Dunham laughed, tried to cover it with a cough, but then had to cover his mouth with his fist. It didn’t help. The man was smiling stupidly and chuckling softly.
“Outbursts like this have become common?” Another admiral asked, and when Devin looked up and nodded he saw that man was smiling just as stupidly as Dunham.
“You’ve been wed a year now?” One more man stepped up and Devin was torn between holding onto Mia, and getting up and punching all of these men in the head.
“Nearly a year,” Devin confirmed, not finding any of this amusing in the least.
“Congratulations, Captain,” the vice admiral said and patted his shoulder.
“Congra…” What were they talking about? What? Devin looked down at Mia who seemed to be rousing. “What?” The gentlemen in the room laughed softly and more congratulations were offered. “Wait? What?” He looked between Mia and those men who now were patting each other on the shoulder.
“I am not doctor, but having five myself, and nine grand…” Dunham said. “Captain your wife is with child.”
Devin knew his mouth was agape but… Mia wasn’t pregnant, was she? Though why he would doubt it, he didn’t know. They certainly partook enough in what it took to get her that way and he never used any caution to stall what had to be the inevitable. It was her soft moan that finally prompted him to shut his mouth and look away from those men who were laughing rather openly now.
“Devin?” Mia called weakly as her eyes fluttered open and a little color returned to her face.
“I’m here, Mia,” he said pulling her tightly against him.
“I’m not spoiled,” she said then sniffed and whimpered before balling her hand into a fist and punching his shoulder.
“Here now, let’s get you off the floor,” the vice admiral said and Dunham and two others moved to help her stand and stay standing while Devin climbed to his feet.
“Mia, are you all right?” Devin asked taking her back into his arms.
“I don’t feel well,” she told him, but squirmed until she could turn and face the five admirals. “He’s wrong, I’m not spoiled. I’ve worked for everything I have. I wasn’t given my position as captain. I didn’t buy it like some.” She cut a sideways glance towards Mallory who stood dejected and sinking to the side. “I’m not spoiled,” she repeated.
“No, Mia mine,” Devin said, bent to hook his arm behind her knees and sweep her up. “You’re not spoiled, but you’re about to be. You’re certainly about to be, little pirate.” He didn’t bother waiting for a formal dismissal. He simply turned and walked out of the room with his wife in his arms, sniffing and wiping her nose on his shirt. Behind him laughter rang out then above it Mallory’s name was called. Devin couldn’t care less what the man’s fate was now. He could go to hell, go to sea or go home. If he came near Mia again, even looked at her, Devin would simply kill him and dare anyone to declare him wrong for doing so.
The only thing that could matter now was that Mia was safe and happy. If he’d known then that neither of those things would be an easy course to set and sail he might have welcomed being put in the brig for harboring a pirate.
Chapter 20
“Mia,” Devin’s voice grated and Mia cringed. “Weren’t you told to rest?”
Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her husband. The man was becoming a regular jailer with how he restricted her at every turn. Now as she looked at him leaning casually with his shoulder against the door frame his legs crossed at the ankle and his arms folded over his chest, she wanted nothing more than to throw something at his head. But there was nothing in reach, and worse, she didn’t have the energy to bother if there was.
Alice said this would come and go. That there would be times when she would have all the ability in the world and times she’d be lucky to be able to roll over in the bed. So far the barely roll over days were winning and the days when she did feel quite spry Devin, Mr. Hong and nearly every single male in the royal navy was there to nag her into a chair or onto a bench. If she could get to the harbor, she’d take her sloop and sail away from all of them.
Looking away, she went back to the work she did sorting shipping bills and preparing to fill orders. It annoyed that she did it at her dining table and not in her office, but Mr. Hong was making himself scarce these days and Devin wouldn’t allow her to be there without him.
“Mia,” Devin called and the way he said her name made her skin prickle, but it also made her sex clench. If only he’d touch her. Really touch her, but it seemed like her becoming pregnant made her undesirable.
“I’m not doing anything more strenuous than writing, Captain,” Mia told him, not bothering to look at him for the longing that created in her.
“Mia,” this time his tone was softer. For a moment she wondered what it would take to bring back the warning one. But why bother. Devin didn’t want her. She heard his sigh and then the soft tread of his feet as he crossed the room. “You’ve been sitting here since before sun up and,” he said leaning over to draw the plate of toast closer, “you barely ate anything.”
She set the pen aside and pushed the plate back. “I’m rather tired of dry toast, Captain. I think other prisoners get better than this bread and water that I’m served each day. Perhaps I might tell the admirals I’m a pirate just to find better fare.”
“You could go right now and commit some act of piracy right before them and they wouldn’t take you for one,” Devin told her placing a kiss on the top of her head. “You
ruined that for yourself with them.”
“I didn’t ruin it,” Mia grumbled. “You ruined it. Telling them what you did.”
“I didn’t ruin it,” Devin chuckled and pulled her chair back from the table. “You ruined it. By showing them your pirate side. Now they know you’re just a naughty, mutinous, little pirate that I can well enough manage without the whole of the navy stepping in.” He took her hands and pulled her up and against him.
Mia poked him in the arm but then simply soaked in the rare moment of being held securely by him. It was rather true: her crazed fit before the board made Devin’s teasing name for her sort of a joke. As was her insistence she wasn’t spoiled. She couldn’t go anywhere near the academy without the instructors or the administration teasing her and she couldn’t run into any of the wives or daughters of those men without the same. Though none of the teasing was anything but kind or silly, it seemed to take a little of her ability to intimidate away. She was spoiling now for a good fight, but no one, not even Hong would take one up.
“Come. Let me help you into bed,” Devin said, stepping back and taking her hand.
“No.” She snatched her hand back. “I don’t want to lie down. I don’t need to lie down.”
