"You harm one hair on her head, Poche, and you'll regret it the rest of your miserable life."
Poche gave him an evil grin. "Don't fret. I'll consider her a personal treasure passed from one captain to another." Pulling out a gun, he waved his remaining men to take their exit.
Gregory shook off the two men who were trying to block his path. But when he started for Poche, once again, the gun pointed directly at Bella's head.
Gregory froze.
"Generally, I let the captain go down with his ship," said Bella's captor. "But you look to be one who manages to survive what should be sure death, don't you?"
Bella clutched her stomach, groaning and doubling over.
Her captor grinned. "How could I concentrate on enjoying your woman, if I have to keep one eye over my shoulder?"
The ship was now listing hard toward the stern, portside. It would disappear the way of its sailors, any minute now.
Gregory's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward. "You may be sure," he growled. "Even if I die, I will always be there, right behind you. Know this. If you hurt her, you'll never be free of me."
A small laugh came from the pirate's mouth, but it was unconvincing. His fear was palpable. Even Arabella could feel it.
She looked up into Gregory's face, her eyes large, and mouthed the words, "I love you," just as the pirate turned the gun in Gregory's direction and put his finger on the trigger.
The crews of both vessels ceased breathing, as the sound of gunshot exploded into the air.
No one moved. Despite the storm that raged all around them, all eyes were on the two captains who faced each other, their eyes locked.
Gregory's face was immobile. So was Poche's.
After an eternity, the legs of the pirate began to shake, and his hold on Bella relaxed. He went down slowly, crumpling like a stone. Arabella stared down at him with round, terrified eyes and looked at the weapon in her hand, before she met Gregory's face.
"Arabella?" Gregory's voice brought her back to reality, and she began to cry.
"No, Captain." Another voice spoke up, to his left. Just at the top of the exit to the lower level, stood Miller, a gun in his hand. "She didn't do it. It was me."
Arabella ran into Gregory's arms, sobbing. "I thought he'd killed you."
He reached down to sweep her up into his arms. But she surprised him, when she turned suddenly and ran to Miller, throwing her arms around his neck.
"Thank you," she said, rising up to her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "He'd have killed both of us."
"No doubt he would, missy. But you're embracing the wrong man. Seems your captain is waiting for you."
Gregory waited, his arms open, as she turned and ran back to him, jumping into his embrace. He carried her over toward the side, and both of them stared downward at the lifeboats below.
Lily was screaming her head off, but she wasn't alone. The pirates in the lifeboat began to scream, as well. Gnarled hands, some black, some white, were reaching up over the sides of the lifeboat and grabbing viciously at those inside.
The faces of the remainder of the pirate crew were white with terror, and they began to unsettle the small boats, turning and jumping into the ocean, themselves, to get away. Chloe was frozen with horror as she watched. Sarah had taken the long-handled metal spoon from her bosom and was beating the pirates over the head and pushing them over the side. Cooper escaped Chloe's grasp and was clawing at the hands of the pirates trying to grab hold to the sides.
But the arms reaching up from the water were now attached to bodies, and the crewmen of the Charlotte began to surface. Earl had climbed aboard the lifeboat and was reaching down to the men to help them into it. Others had done the same. Sarah's, "Lordy, Lordy," could be heard above the commotion that was left. When she yelled with delight, she was hugging Benny tightly to her ample bosom. Mercer was climbing into the boat, as well.
But, at last, the storm was calming, and Gregory heard Miller's voice at his elbow.
"Go, Captain. Water's up to the mid-portion of the second deck now, sir. If you wait any longer, she'll suck you down with her. This is your only chance."
Gregory looked down at Arabella and then back at Miller.
"Come with us."
Miller shook his head. "If only I could. I would be hated by either crew, now. Please give my apologies to Miss Lily. I have delusions of grandeur when I drink. Go now."
Gregory put out his hand, and Miller shook it. "Thank you, my friend."
Miller nodded. "Go," he said for the third time.
Gregory moved to the portside ledge of the boat and climbed up to the side. Wrapping his arm around Bella's waist, he looked down into her eyes.
"I love you, too, my darling," he said, just before pressing his lips to hers in an extremely hard kiss and jumping straight into the sea.
Chapter 15
The Mermaid's Revenge
They would be in port in Charleston within twenty-four hours. Gregory had been working hard to help the crew become accustomed to the new ship. As nice as the Mermaid's Revenge was, she was not the Charlotte. The brig was full. It held five men, before their arrival, and it now had nine in it. That was all that had been left of the former crew. Most of them had perished. Unfortunately, Miller had, as well. Gregory wished he'd been able to save him.
But there were some good things happening, as well. Benny had hired on as a permanent crewman. Sarah would be working in the kitchen, helping the surviving cook. Chloe would be returning to England and acting as Arabella's lady's maid until she decided what she wanted to do.
Arabella. A huge grin broke out across his face as he thought of her. She'd been quite loving, since the pirate attack. She had taken frequent walks with him and had eagerly returned his kisses. She'd opened up more about her family and listened happily as he spoke of his. And he knew that he loved her with all his heart.
But the closer they got to Charleston, the more she showed obvious worry and distress.
"Captain." Earl's voice at his elbow, startled him. "Earl, calling the captain."
"I hear," Gregory said. "Just trying to figure out what else needs to be done before we leave Charleston for New Orleans. They'll paint her when we disembark. I'm going to change her name."
"To?"
"The Arabella. What else?"
"Does she know?"
Gregory shook his head. "No. I thought I'd surprise her. She's worried and more than a little irritable, right now. I'm tempted to put her over my knee and spank it out of her."
Earl sighed. "I'm having the same difficulty with Lily. You realize we have to include time for weddings when we disembark. Have you spoken to Arabella about it?"
"Not since I asked her the last time and she refused me. I know she loves me. I love her."
"Ask her again."
Gregory glanced at him. "We don't have much time. We'll be on our way to New Orleans within a week. The cargo must be delivered."
"What are you going to do with the gold and jewels we found in the ship?"
Gregory shook his head. "I don't know yet. If I had a clue to whom they belonged, I'd return them. But I don't. And the Mermaid crew in the brig isn't talking." He grinned. " Neither is Cooper or his new lady love. The men have taken to calling her Copper because of her coloring." He rolled his eyes. "And she's refusing Cooper's offers about the same as Arabella is mine."
Earl chuckled. "Ah, but you'll win out. Does Arabella know how wealthy you are?"
Gregory shook his head. "I'll tell her, but she doesn't care about wealth. She only cares about love. And I lack skill at wooing, I fear."
"Not from what I see. She's smitten. I'm sure of that."
Gregory glanced over at him. "When do you plan to tell Lily that Earl will be your title, not your name?"
"After we're married. If she goes through with it, I'll know she loves me for myself, not my name. She puts a great deal too much emphasis on titles. She doesn't realize that a title is accompanied by a great amount of res
ponsibility. Lily has some lessons to learn." He leaned on the side and looked out to sea. "I have an idea."
"Tell me."
"It's the perfect answer." Earl rubbed a hand along his jaw. "Actually, it's the only way to resolve the situation Picou has created for them both. I was thinking…"
Gregory raised a brow. "I'm listening."
Earl looked behind him to make sure they were alone. "All right, then," he began.
It would be one of the last few meals they would eat together before reaching Charleston. The captain sat at the end of the table, as he always did, with Arabella at his left. Next to her was Chloe. On his right, sat Lily, who had Earl on her right.
The captain prayed over the meal, as usual, and sat down. The men followed.
But after a moment, Gregory nodded toward Earl, who got to his feet.
"I wish, my friends and comrades, to make a toast. To my true love, Miss Lily Collingwood, who will become my wife, tomorrow, when we reach Charleston. And to our future together."
"Here, here." A cheerful chorus echoed throughout the room.
Earl sat down next to Lily, whose hands were in her lap. Her face was pale, as she stared down at the table.
"Earl?" her angry whisper under her breath was heard by more than those at just their table. "You could have spoken to me about this before you…" She looked across the table toward Bella and then down.
Earl's smile disappeared as he looked down at her.
But now, Gregory was standing. "And I have allowed my first mate to show me up." He grinned. "But not for long. Tomorrow, I will also be marrying our beautiful and brave Miss Arabella St. John. You are all invited."
Cheers of, "Here, here," once again rose throughout the room. When he sat, Arabella and Lily were exchanging glances of fury.
At once, both of them stood. Their faces were crimson, their backs straight. Arabella reached for her mug. Holding it out as if to make a toast, she glanced down at Gregory.
"And here," she said. "Here is to bossy, arrogant, heavy-handed men, who need to remember that ladies are not property and should not be ordered about like—" She paused, unable to continue, and set her mug back down.
Lily, opposite her, looked around at the men with a stony face. "Here," she said, setting hers back down, hard enough that her water sloshed out of the mug. "Here."
Both of them left the table without further notice and marched out of the room.
A grumbling sound wafted over from the men toward the captain's table.
But Chloe stood up and moved into Bella's chair.
"Captain, I would like to say something."
Gregory glared at her a moment. Then. finally, he threw up his hands. "Be my guest, Miss Tucker."
She stood, tossing back her long curly red hair and fixing her blue eyes on them.
Finally, Gregory raised his voice as he said, "Miss Tucker has the floor. Please listen to her."
The room became quiet, and Chloe straightened her shoulders, meeting their eyes. "Women…" she said, looking from the captain to Earl "…are human beings. They should not be thought of as property, with no chance to have a say-so in their own lives and no chance to make decisions for themselves." She stared a moment longer. "And that, gentlemen, is all I have to say to you." She turned and sat down in Arabella's chair, staring at the captain, first, and then at Earl. "But not all I have to say to you."
Gregory stared. "Since you obviously seem to have a better idea what our ladies are thinking than we do, go ahead. I'm eager to hear it."
"First. They are not 'your ladies'. Not yet. Even Mr. Picou followed the rules of the game, better than you two. He courted, he asked—although he asked Bella's father instead of her. But most of the time, he followed society's rules in respecting them—at least openly—and at least made it look as if he was allowing them to make their own decisions. Yes, I know he's a scoundrel and a cad, but he allowed them to feel they had a choice in their own destiny."
The crew was still grumbling. Earl turned toward Chloe, keeping his voice down. "You don't understand, Miss Tucker. Lily has come to me and explained her situation, and although what you say may be true, she knows I seek only to protect her. She knows I love her and that I would give my life for her. If she loved me as much, she would understand I'm trying to do what's best for her. And, furthermore, Lily has to know that I will try to take care of this problem for her."
Gregory listened a moment, before speaking. "I have spoken to Arabella about this. Right now, she is upset and worried. She's trying to honor an agreement between her father and Picou, neither of which put her needs first. I'm trying to do that, and she's being stubborn and foolish."
Chloe turned to Earl. "Commander," she said softly. "When a lady comes to someone she loves and expresses her concerns and fears, it is because she wants him to listen. Not because she wants him to take care of it for her. If that's what she wants him to do, she'll ask him. If he comes up with suggestions, he should consult her before carrying them out."
Earl grinned at her. "In other words, I should have asked her before announcing grand plans for a wedding."
Chloe nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying, sir." Then, she turned to the captain, a worried expression on her face, as if she was considering her words carefully. She took a deep breath, as if trying to dig up courage.
"Sir," she said softly. "You understand what it's like to have responsibilities. You, of all people, should understand Bella's problem with walking away from her duties. You are a man of order and plans. When someone else alters them, you spend countless days agonizing over it, because you, as the captain, are responsible for the outcome. But you do bend the rules when necessary, as you did for me and for my friends. I, above all others, know this to be true."
"Chloe." He nodded. "I do see your point. But time is running out, and these decisions need to be made now, to protect both of them before we arrive in New Orleans."
Earl leaned forward and added, "We will make port by morning."
Gregory nodded. "I appreciate what you say, Chloe. But there is no way in Hell we're heading down to New Orleans to allow Claude Picou to take advantage of either of them. Ever. Again."
Chloe sat up straight and looked, first Gregory, then Earl, straight in the eye.
"Then, I suggest, gentlemen, that perhaps you'd better start wooing your ladies. A good start would be to apologize for trying to back them into a corner."
Gregory rose and left the room, with Earl following.
The captain looked around the ship. At first, it occurred to him, in alarm, that perhaps she had gone overboard. But he found her down in steerage, in one of the berths, crying.
Moving quickly to her, he lifted her out of the hammock she was in. "Come here, my darling girl."
"I am not your darling girl," she said petulantly.
He smacked her bottom hard. "Indeed, you are exactly mine. But I do owe you an apology, as Chloe has so kindly explained to me, for getting ahead of us and announcing our wedding without consulting you first."
Raising her gaze slowly, she gave him a tearful glimpse. "Truly?"
"I had no intention of trying to make it seem as if you had no choice. My only intention was to find a way to keep you safe from Picou before we arrived in New Orleans. And I don't know how else to do that other than to have you marry me. If you're still unmarried when you arrive, he might well attempt to make off with you."
Arabella leaned over on his chest. "I didn't realize that's what you were doing. You could have told me—"
"I know," he whispered into her hair. Standing her to her feet, he held both hands and lowered himself onto one knee. "And I realize this is the most unlikely and unromantic place for a proposal, but here it is." He kissed first one hand, then the other. "Arabella St. John, would you please honor me by becoming my wife?"
She watched him, frowning, and he cocked his head. "Now, what?"
"You're quite right. It is most unromantic."
He lifted her up and
put her over his shoulder, carrying her up the ladder.
"Gregory, let me go!"
"No."
"What? Why?"
"You'll see."
She kicked. He smacked her bottom.
"Be still, brat."
"I'm not a brat."
Another smack.
"Ow. That's mean."
"You think so?"
"Yes."
He had her to the second deck, now, but he hadn't realized he was in front of the door to the dining hall. He caught the look on Chloe's face just as he planted another swat on Arabella's wiggling bottom. His expression changed suddenly to a rueful grin, and he moved upward to the top deck with her, still carrying her over his shoulder. She was still pounding on his back.
The commotion from the crow's nest was deafening as he paused just long enough to look up. Lily was crying on Earl's shoulder.
"Where are you taking me?" Arabella's muffled voice said from behind his back.
"I'll show you. It's a surprise. Be quiet."
"This isn't romantic, Gregory."
"No? Give me about thirty seconds."
She sighed.
A moment later, he leaned forward and set her down on her feet. Moving her to stand in front of him, he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Hold out both your arms as far as you can reach. And open your eyes."
Slowly, she obeyed. And gasped.
"Gregory! It's beautiful!"
"It just occurred to me, I never did bring you up here. What do you see, my darling?"
"The crystal blue ocean. It's glorious. Oh, Gregory, I adore it." Her voice was little more than a whisper now.
His voice spoke into her ear, gently. "The very first thing you asked me was to bring you up here. I owe you such an apology, Arabella. You've asked for only one thing. I've scolded you, spanked you, and jumped into the cold turbulent ocean with you to swim to the nearest ship, but I never brought you the one place you asked to be. Here."
She turned in his arms and put her hands to his face. He knew that look. She was blinking, trying not to cry.
Conquered by the Captain (The Conquered Book 1) Page 14
