His Pirate Wife

by Marie Hall

  “Remember the cliffs,” she yelled. Then the struggle was on between her and the man holding her. The waves rolled up tipping the ships apart. Even as it occurred to Devin what Mia meant.

  “No! No Mia, don’t you dare,” he tried to yell back as the ship pulled apart and Mia fought with her captors. “Don’t Mia. No,” Devin yelled pulling off his coat and pulling his feet from his boots. As he stepped to the rails a rope went around his waist. Mia broke free and without hesitation ran for the railing, stepped up and went overboard. Devin stepped back got a running start and went over after her.

  The wave surges pulled him under and the rope restricted where he might go but each time he felt slack he swam forward. Coming up to tread water trying to hear any instruction as to where Mia might be, he tried to look over the white caps.

  “Devin,” Mia called.

  “Mia?” He scanned the waves and she bobbed up not twenty feet in front of him. “Swim Mia,” he yelled, diving down to head to her. He came up again and waited. “Mia?”

  “Here. I’m here,” she cried and reached for him as the wave swept over her. She came up again and Devin put everything he had into the strokes to reach her. The next wave took them both down, but she reached for him as they came up and they clung to each other. Devin felt the rope jerk back.

  “Hold on Mia, don’t let go,” Devin yelled as they were pulled back and fighting to keep their heads above water. The surge must have pushed the ships some distance apart as it seemed like forever before Devin hit the hull of the Briton. More lines were dropped, and Devin didn’t need to instruct Mia on making use of them.

  The crew hauled them up and pulled them over the rails and then let them drop on the deck. Mia didn’t even stop to catch her breath before she turned and looked back at the Black Tide as a small explosion was heard across the water.

  “Mia, I said stay on that ship,” Devin scolded, climbing to his feet. She gave him a crazed look then turned and yelled out to the crew on this ship.

  “She’s going to blow. Hit the deck, everyone hit the deck.” Her call was repeated by the captain and everyone topside fell to the deck as an explosion rocked the ship. Bits of debris flew past, tearing into the sails and sticking in the mast, breaking and knocking things that were stowed on deck. The air rushing over them was hot and the sound deafening. Then mostly silence, until the ringing in his ears stopped and he could make out the sounds of sailors scrambling to put out a few small fires and race to get boats in the water to save anyone they might.

  “Get off me,” he heard Mia cry from where both he and Dekker lay. “I’m getting smashed under you,” she complained some more.

  Dekker lifted off as he was top most, then Devin rolled to his back at her side and after a few deep breaths turned his head to look at Mia who rolled to her back and turned to look at him. “I told you stay on the ship,” Devin grumbled.

  “I couldn’t. I could smell the powder burning even before I warned you I’d jump,” she said with a foolish smile on her face. “They shouldn’t have had so much on board and all that fuse and lamp oil. No one carries lamp oil on a ship, one little spark and…” she brought her fists to her chest then sent them outward opening her fingers as she did. “He must have been navy at some point,” she said with a laugh as she sat up.

  Devin sat up too and for the first time looked out at all that was left of the Black Tide. There wasn’t much, and it wasn’t likely anyone survived the explosion, but they’d look. It was a good thing then that the seas were calming as Captain Ellis gave orders to take all precautions in safety before sending out boats.

  Devin turned again to look at his wife. “Mia, did you blow up that ship?” He really wanted her to say no, that she only knew some carelessness was going to result in it being blown out of the waters. “Tell me you did not blow up that ship,” he begged now as people started gathering around them, helping them to their feet, wrapping them in blankets.

  “Captain Winthrop,” she said, the wickedest smile on her beautiful face, “isn’t that what pirates do?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Winthrop,” Devin said stepping up and wrapping her in his arms. “That is what pirates do. I need a strap.”

  “Ah Devin,” she rested her head on his chest. “You’re so good to me.”

  “God save me,” Devin chuckled and kissed her.

  Epilogue

  Portsmouth, England 1828

  “Mia, I said no, now stop,” Captain Devin Winthrop yelled as he stopped and bent to pick up whatever it was his pirate wife dropped. He knew she was dropping things to delay his catching her before she got to the end of the docks. And of course it worked, despite the fact she could hardly do more than waddle. “Mia,” he ground out as he saw her turn and put her foot on the dock ladder leading down to the row boat that waited. “I said no, Mrs. Winthrop. Now no.”

  “Best get moving, Captain, or you’re going to get left behind,” Mr. Smithe called as he reached up and help Mia down to the boat.

  Devin reached the ladder and looked down at the people sitting there. Other than Mr. Smithe, Mr. Hong and Grim waited, both working to help Mia get comfortable. Lady Alice sat beside Mia, stroking her back as Mia’s face contorted with pain. His grace Lord Lovelace, who looked as giddy as a boy for the small, average adventure underway, and Admiral and Mrs. Booker, the latter of which now looked up and shouted. “Hurry up Captain, your wife is setting course and schedule now.” Everyone else was already out on the ship that waited past the breakwaters of the harbor.

  “God save me,” Devin muttered and balling everything he’d collected as he came down the docks he tossed it down at them a bit violently before turning and making his way down to the boat.

  “Ready oars,” the admiral called, and the oars were lifted, “Row, men.” In they went, and the boat leapt away from the dock sinking any hope Devin had this wasn’t going to be done the way he preferred. So much for being captain.

  He pushed his way between the people to Mia and settled in behind her, so she rested against him. “Had to go and act the pirate again. I am considering myself shanghaied.”

  Her response was to reach into the water and splash him, but then she cried out and he felt her body tense.

  “Breathe, Mia,” Alice urged, and Mr. Hong demonstrated.

  “Row faster or she’ll have this babe in port after all,” Admiral Booker warned.

  “No, I won’t,” Mia countered. “I won’t have this babe in port, you better get me to that ship Captain or I’ll show you the kind of pirate I can be.”

  “Row faster,” Devin called out more sarcastically than for want. The oars pulled the boat through the waters and within minutes they hit the breakwaters. Everyone was tossed about, but they never gave in and as they passed the end of the harbor the Molly came into sight. “Head straight for her, men,” Devin said then bit his lip as Mia’s fingers dug into his arm painfully. She cried out again then panted through the pain.

  As soon as they were in reach, a line was tossed, and the oar lifted so the small craft could be dragged alongside. “Ahoy,” came the call from above and Devin looked up to see Gregor Dekker waiting topside for the party.

  “Permission to come aboard?” the admiral called out observing all ship customs.

  “Permission granted,” Dekker called. “Hold siren, you stay put.” The man moved aside, and four men stepped up to lower a bench down as the call for piping the side went up. “Sit there, we’ll haul you up.” Devin laughed hard as Mia growled and muttered curses.

  “It might take more than four of you,” Devin taunted and was ready when Mia took a swing and punched him in the arm. The last few months of her pregnancy she’d billowed out like a sail in full winds. It was the most beautiful thing in his opinion, in Mia’s not so much. Moaning about being a beached whale and about how she was going to attach a bag of cannon balls to his middle to see how he felt about it. Devin laughed and kissed her as often as he could.

  The rest of the party started up along the si
de of the ship and Devin’s feet touched deck just as Mia was being untangled from the ropes and bench. She doubled over then, and crying out reached for support.

  “Oh, they’re coming a little faster now,” Mrs. Booker said. “Best you get those sheets up and full of wind.”

  “Bother this all,” Mia swore as she grimaced and stood as tall as she could. “Get us out on the water, Papa.”

  “Aren’t Aunt Mary and Marg coming?” Dekker asked, both he and Mia having settled the discourse with Molly’s sisters if not with her parents.

  “No. They are going to see the house is ready when we come back,” Mia informed him. “I think they are afraid of the water.” Her words were followed by a look that said that was nothing but pure madness on their part.

  They stood on deck another moment watching the crew work the rigging and unfurl the sails and as the first winds were caught in them another contraction almost took Mia to the deck. “Let’s get you settled,” Devin said, guiding Mia to the aftcastle of the big classic galleon.

  “Ready come about,” Dekker called over the noise of men working ship. “Set course, Mr. Smithe, heading west, southwest.”

  “Aye, Aye… grandpapa,” the man called back making everyone laugh.

  “Bother this Devin, I don’t want to after all,” Mia whined as she was helped to undress by the ladies and then helped into the large bed.

  “You can do this Mia, you can,” Devin said, getting behind her on the bed so she could lean on him.

  “What if I’m not a good mother?” she asked her voice cracking.

  “You’ll be a wonderful mother, everything you are you’re perfect at.”

  “Maybe not this?” Mia said easing back a bit as the pains rolled off her.

  “This as well,” Devin assured her as he watched everyone who’d come to await the birth of their child moving about and making ready. The winds picked up and the ship surged forward. And somewhere above the sound of a violin and an accordion.

  Oh the times was hard and the wages low. Leave her, Johnny, leave her

  And the grub was bad and the gales did blow. And it's time for us to leave her

  Devin sang the first lines of the shanty and rocked Mia softly with the pitch of the ship and the seas. Dekker and Smithe stepped into the cabin and picked up with the chorus.

  Leave her, Johnny, leave her. Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her

  For the voyage is done and the winds do blow. And it's time for us to leave her

  “Navy Captain,” Mia admonished, making Devin smile.

  “I never will, Pirate Wife,” he reminded her, then resumed the song.

  I thought I heard the Old Man say. You can go ashore and take your pay

  Leave her, Johnny, leave her. Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her

  For the voyage is done and the winds do blow. And it's time for us to leave her

  “We sail together, always,” Mia said, crying out and panting.

  “Aye, Captain and his mate, navy and pirate.” Devin said, in keeping with the soft calm of the Forebitters Shanty.

  Oh her stern was foul and the voyage was long.

  The winds was bad and the gales was strong

  More of the crew and passengers joined in on the chorus.

  Leave her, Johnny, leave her. Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her

  For the voyage is done and the winds do blow. And it's time for us to leave her

  “On any sea, calm or storming?” Mia asked, perhaps wanting more assurances as the pains came one after the other like the waves to the shore.

  “On every sea, horizon to horizon,” Devin said as he let Alice take his place behind Mia so he might be there to hold the child when it emerged from his wife’s womb.

  “My navy husband,” Mia said then set her chin to her chest and bore down as Alice urged her to.

  “My pirate wife,” Devin said leaning over to kiss her.

  The End

  Marie Hall

  Marie Hall is a romantic with an imagination and she uses those skills to both entertain and inform.

  Because of her love for the written word, she spends her days (and a lot of nights too) creating characters in setting and situations the reader will hopefully love and believe in.

  Writing erotica, historical and contemporary, allows her to reach a broader audience. Focusing on the complex dynamics of a dominate/submissive relationship, with love and respect as a main theme.

  Marie uses her degree in history to add facts about the time periods she writes and blogs about those facts from time to time. When she is not writing or blogging she spends time with her family, her husband of more than twenty years and her adult daughter. Mostly, though, with her little four legged fur-child, Tuck. They spend time enjoying the contrasting landscape of Western Colorado. With his high reaching, jagged and rough peaks and its soft sloping valleys it is the perfect setting to sit back and think up stories to tell.

  Please take the time to enjoy a book. Books open doors in life, takes you to places or times you may never have known and lift your spirit.

  Be Safe,

  And as always, READ ON!

  Connect with Marie Hall:

  www.cynsitywriting.org

  Other Titles

  Don't miss these exciting titles by Marie Hall and Blushing Books!

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  Warrior's Scold - Worship Series Book 1

  Royal Scold - Worship Series Book 2

  Scold's House - Worship Series Book 3

  Runaway Scold - Worship Series Book 4

  Scold's Conquest - Worship Series Book 5

  Scold's Claim - Worship Series Book 6

  Master and Command Her Series

  The Pirate’s Daughter - Book 1

  His Pirate Wife - Book 2

  Contemporary Titles

  No Sugar Added

  Anthologies

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