Quest of Honor

by Ellie St. Clair

  Eleanor’s heart clenched, seeing him as a man in despair instead of a haughty, proud Navy man.

  “Sometimes, freedom is a choice we have to make ourselves,” she said, softly. “Sometimes, honor is being true to our own heart and not what others wish upon us. What is your given name, Captain?”

  He lifted his empty glass to her. "Lord Thomas Harrington, second son of the Duke of Ware." Eleanor saw his eyes begin to close as he attempted to remain focused on her. "And yours?"

  “Eleanor,” she replied, without thinking.

  “Eleanor,” he repeated, his eyes now firmly closed. “What a wonderful name for a pirate.”

  13

  When Thomas awoke, it was with a thundering headache, muscles stiff from sleeping in a wooden chair, and a complete lack of memory over where he was and what he had done. It was only when he saw the empty glass on the table beside him that it all came back to him.

  He had thrown ‘Captain Adams’ off the ship, pretending to the crew hands that the man had collapsed and that he had seen red spots covering his body just before he’d died. That had forced the men to follow through with his intention of getting the body off the ship almost at once, afraid that there might be some terrible sickness aboard the ship if they did not. And now he was faced with the problem of a sprightly young — female — pirate named Eleanor.

  Frowning, he tried to get to his feet, aware of the blanket that had been placed over him. Where was she?

  It was barely light and he struggled to make out his cabin in the gloom. She was not in the window seat, where he had left her. Scrabbling at his pocket, he let out a long breath of relief as he felt the door key through the material, relieved that she had not attempted to escape. Not that she would have been able to either, given the dark clouds that had surrounded the ship for most of the night. She would need the stars to guide her if she were to escape in the dark.

  Leaning heavily on the chair, he looked around only to spot a figure lying in his bed. Annoyance flooded him at once, making him want to rush over to her and pull her from what was his domain – but then he caught sight of that pale blonde hair spread out across the pillow and something in him exploded with a fiery warmth.

  She was exactly as he remembered her from the tavern, and memories of how she had felt under his hands pushed themselves to the front of his mind. Her chest rose and fell, her eyes tightly closed and lips slightly parted. She had clearly removed her braids for sleep, and the waves they left through her hair made him want to run his fingers through it. A strange desire to press his mouth to those lips almost had him staggering towards her, but instead, he sat back down in the chair and simply watched her.

  Eleanor had been quite right when she’d laughed at his suggestion of putting her into the hangman’s noose. He would never have been able to do such a thing, but at the time he had been able to do nothing other than threaten her in the hope that she might answer his questions with honesty. His anger, now that he had time to consider it, came from a place of confusion and upset. He hated that she had given herself up in the place of Captain Adams, but he equally despised the sensations growing in his chest whenever she smiled at him. He also respected what she had done, and the courage her actions had revealed. She was smart, witty, and bold.

  He wanted her.

  Shaking his head, Thomas let out a low groan. He could not have such feelings for a pirate, and especially not a captive. Her words to him, while made in jest, were too close to the truth for him to be truly comfortable. She was his captive, and he was holding her in his quarters, against her will. What was it about her that had him feeling such things? He had the opportunity to be with or even marry nearly any woman he chose, a woman who would be proper and upright, who had moral fibre and chose to align herself with the law of the land….but Thomas slowly realized that he did not want that kind of woman.

  That kind of woman was exactly as his life was now: staid and boring, with rules and regulations being the driving force behind it all. Were he to marry a woman like that, she would ensure she produced the heir and the spare, just in case the worst was to happen to his brother, before requesting that she have her own set of rooms in the house, or worse, moving to the country and living her own life. That was not what he wanted. He desired fire and passion, a woman who would be with him because of what she felt, not because of what she felt she ought to do.

  The night he had spent with Eleanor, although it had been short and was somewhat hazy, had been exactly that. She was unlike any other woman of his acquaintance and he could not help but be drawn to that. This was a woman who represented all he longed for in life. Hell, she had even tasted like freedom.

  “She is a pirate still,” he muttered to himself, getting to his feet and walking over to the bed to look down at her. His hand reached out of its own accord and picked up tendril of her hair, rubbing it gently between his fingers before letting it fall. She was a puzzle. She knew how to raise his ire — she rather enjoyed it, he realized — yet she had a caring heart as well. Despite everything, she had been kind enough to remove his boots, place a blanket over him and had then gone to sleep herself, albeit in his own bed. A pirate, yes, but a compassionate one.

  He shook his head and stepped back. That did not add up, for pirates were hard hearted mercenaries, who had no conscience. At least, that is what you have been told, he thought to himself, moving towards the window to look out at the horizon. The sun was only beginning to rise, the first orange beams shooting up into the grayish sky.

  His thoughts wrapped themselves around him until he almost lost himself in his daydreams.

  “It is quite beautiful,” said a soft voice, startling him. He looked down to see Eleanor, her hair unbound and wild around her shoulders, looking out across the sea to where the sun was slowly rising. “I have never become tired of watching a new day begin.”

  Thomas did not know what to say, his heart stopping in his chest as he saw her hair pick up the light of the sun, giving it a fiery glow. Her skin was lit with gold, as the soft smile on her face showed just how much she appreciated the glorious sight.

  It seemed strange that a pirate would care about such a thing as beauty, but he refused to dwell on it any longer. Instead, he simply kept his face turned towards the horizon, watching the sun rise whilst his pirate captive stood next to him, so close that her shoulder brushed his arm. Gooseflesh rose on his skin, hidden by his shirt, as they stood together in silence. He wondered, briefly, if she felt anything akin to what he was struggling with, hoping that, if she did not, that she would not guess what it was he felt. He could not allow himself to dwell on such emotions, however, knowing that he had to somehow get rid of her without permitting her to re-join her ship – as unlikely as that was. No matter what he decided to do, he was sure that she would somehow find herself back on the Gunsway, back with Captain Adams. He still needed to know how she had ended up with such a crew. His heart sank in his chest as he thought of her leaving. The ship would seem cold and dismal without her. But he could not exactly keep her captive here forever, especially when his men could not find out about her.

  “I will be returning to Port Royal,” he said, softly. “It will take us a few days. Once we are there, I will decide what to do with you.”

  She looked up at him, and Thomas felt his breath catch as her eyes met his. They were lit with the sun’s flames, and heat seemed to emanate from them, washing over him like a river.

  “You are not going to hang me, then?” she asked, quietly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She had seen his empty threats for what they were.

  Shaking his head, Thomas looked back out towards the horizon before turning back towards her face, open and inviting. The anger and frustration that had filled him only yesterday already seemed to have vanished, taken away by the sheer beauty of the woman next to him. She seemed softer, her mockery and sarcasm gone from her. It was as if she had been holding that up like a shield but it was now no longer needed.

&
nbsp; “In truth, Eleanor, I do not know what to do with you,” he answered, heavily. “My path has always seemed so clear but now…” He did not know why he was being so honest with her, but he found he could do nothing less, given the depths of her eyes.

  He couldn’t help himself. Giving into his desire, he took her chin in his hand, leaned in, and kissed her mouth with soft lips. The kiss began slowly, tentatively, but she pressed into him, and he took more, his tongue teasing open her lips before tangling with hers. What began as an unspoken desperate soon turned into something more that he felt deep within himself. He ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it back away from her face, as he forced himself to finally let her go.

  Eleanor leaned back, and their eyes locked as they took in one another.

  “Perhaps your path is too strict,” she said, quietly, stepping back and turning to look back out of the window. “We sail wherever we please, do whatever we wish.”

  The magic of the moment broken, Thomas snorted and stepped away from her, walking back to his table to put distance between them and keep himself from reaching out to her again. “You are pirates. You have no agenda aside from your next plunder.”

  “Do you think pirates are all so very bad?” she asked, coming to perch on the table, right next to where he was sitting. “Are we truly all as terrible as you believe us to be?”

  Sitting back in his chair, Thomas tried not to look at her lithe figure, his brows knitting together with the effort. “The Navy would not be seeking to capture and hang pirates if you were not all selfish and greedy ingrates.” Seeing her brows lift, he rolled his eyes in frustration. “Pirates take what they wish and use it for themselves. It is not right.”

  Eleanor studied him for a few minutes, her mouth settling into a firm line. Thomas knew he had offended her, but tried not to allow any kind of guilt to stab at him. He knew he was right. Pirates were all the same, and they all deserved to be taken from the seas.

  “You are quite wrong, you know,” Eleanor murmured, eventually. “Captain Adams would only steal from — that is, he steals from those who do not need their treasure or came by it dishonestly, and he takes some of his wealth and gives it to the less fortunate.”

  Thomas wanted to snort with derision but kept himself from doing so with an effort.

  "I can see that you do not believe me," she murmured, quietly. "Why not put it to the test, Captain? You are a man of truth and honor, are you not? Perhaps if you asked at the ports, you might discover that not all pirates are as you think. Only recently, Captain Adams handed out wealth to those in Arwenack Castle, keeping enough back to pay the crew’s wages for the next quarter.” She leaned a little closer to him, making him jerk back instinctively. “You know, deep down, Captain Harrington, I believe you are envious of the life we lead.”

  Her words sliced through him, his entire body growing as cold as ice as he stared back at her. He did not want to admit it, but there was a modicum of truth in what she had said. Pirates had the freedom to go where the captain chose to go, pursue what they wished. It was a life he longed for, but one that would possibly always be out with his grasp.

  “You are quite wrong,” he replied, getting to his feet and pushing the chair back. “And do not think for one moment that I intend to let you go back to the Gunsway. I will keep you on board here if I have to!” Seeing the sudden fire in her eyes, he stamped away from her, pulling on his coat and reaching for his hat before unlocking the door and going out onto the deck.

  Locking the door securely, he pocketed the key and strode out into the cool morning wind. Looking up at his ship’s colors, he drew in a long breath, telling himself that he simply could never allow any kind of jealousy to grow. He had to hope that, now the Navy thought Captain Adams was no more, he might be allowed to choose his next commission. That would give him some kind of freedom, would it not?

  Sighing to himself, Thomas dropped his eyes and stared across the sea. He could not rid himself of what Eleanor had said, the stories she had told him about Captain Adams and his supposed generosity. Would it be wrong to seek out the truth? To discover if, perhaps, these pirates were somehow different to what he’d expected?

  “Where to, Captain?”

  Turning to the lieutenant, Thomas put his hat a little more firmly on his head. “Arwenack Castle, Taylor.”

  “Sir.”

  Watching the lieutenant depart, Thomas swallowed his indecision away, settling his shoulders as he grew a little more sure of himself. He would find out whether the pirate girl spoke the truth or not.

  The only question that remained was, what would he do once he discovered it?

  14

  Their course now charted for Arenwack Castle back in England, Thomas was focused on a group of islands far to the southeast when his lieutenant called to him.

  “Captain, there’s a ship coming quickly, you best come take look. I believe it to be the Gunsway.”

  “They’re likely here for their captain,” Thomas said, taking a look through the spyglass to confirm his lieutenant’s assessment. Normally he would be ecstatic to finally have the ship in his grasp, but now it was a disastrous turn of events. If Captain Adams and his crew managed to board his ship demanding the return of a girl, any career he had remaining would be sunk. He’d be the laughingstock of England.

  “Are they in range?” He asked his lieutenant.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Fire the cannons. In the meantime, prepare the men for battle. The Gunsway would have to be foolish to board us but prepare nonetheless.”

  As his crew ran about the deck to challenge the Gunsway, Thomas prepared himself as well. He hoped the Gunsway would turn around. Was one woman enough for them to risk their ship for? Captain Adams had never challenged him in the past, and he hoped it wouldn’t take much to make him turn and run. He didn’t want to have to tell Eleanor that he had sunk the ship with its crew, but he didn’t see any way around it. As a Navy Captain he couldn’t very well let the Gunsway sail right up to his ship.

  The naval vessel shook as the first of the cannons fired. They landed just shy of the pirate ship, and he ordered another charge. The Gunsway may have been smaller than his ship, but it was wily, and continued to evade the cannon fire. One cannon ball nicked the side of it, sending wood chips flying, but Thomas knew not much damage had been done. As the pirate ship neared, Thomas thought of Eleanor, alone in his suite with the cannons blasting. He ran through the ship down to his room, unlocking the door and charging in, only to find her fully dressed, one of his own hats perched atop her head. She looked every bit a pirate as the men currently coming after him.

  “It sounds like you are about to be attacked, Captain,” she said. “May I have a weapon?”

  “Certainly not!” he exclaimed. “A pirate ship is approaching, it’s true. Not to worry, we’ll easily keep it at bay. I’ll lock the door so whatever happens, no one will come in and hurt you. I have the only key.”

  He shouldn’t have been surprised by her laughter. “Harrington, no one will be hurting me today,” she said. “You’ve clearly never seen me in combat. Which ship approaches? Perhaps I have some knowledge that would be of use.”

  He evaded her question. “I can’t have you fighting with Navy men and I will not give you a weapon for fear you’ll slit my throat! I shall return when they’ve gone. I came down here simply so you wouldn’t be fearful of the cannons but I see I need not have worried.”

  “You have a lot to learn about me, Captain Harrington, if you think some cannon fire would scare me,” she replied. “Tell the Gunsway crew I shall see them soon.”

  He was halfway out the door when he heard her parting remark. He paused, decided not to engage with her, and continued on his way, locking the door behind him as he returned to his crew.

  Eleanor laughed to herself as she saw the shock on Thomas’ face as he left the room. But of course it was the Gunsway returning for her, although she was annoyed that they had not followed her orders to run a
nd had instead come for her. It did, however, show their loyalty towards her and for that she must be grateful.

  She had meticulously searched the captain’s cabin for something to aid in her escape. Earlier this morning she found pieces of metal she was able to manipulate into a tool of sorts. Instead of picking the lock, she was going to remove it, along with the handle. She had a good start to her task, but now she returned to it in earnest, anxious to free herself and return to her crew. She heard the cannons fire again as she worked diligently on the door. Luckily the captain had been too preoccupied to notice anything amiss.

  The handle finally began to loosen as she heard the sound of boots hit the deck above her head. Her men had landed. She smiled in triumph as she wrenched the lock free and let herself out of the room. She took a look back at the cabin, surprised at her wistfulness of leaving this Navy captain whom she had hated as he had so doggedly pursued them for years.

  She made her way to the deck, staying in the shadows of the rigging. Morgan was standing on the deck, negotiating with Thomas.

  “Return our captain, and we will leave you be,” he said.

  “Impossible,” Thomas responded, clearly confused at the demands of the first mate. “Captain Adams is dead, the body thrown overboard.”

  Morgan looked about to run his cutlass right through the Navy Captain when Eleanor caught his eye from the shadows behind Captain Harrington. She shook her head, then nodded to the sea. Catching her meaning, Morgan bowed his head and murmured, “How unfortunate. What, pray tell, occurred?”

  Thomas explained the infection that had overcome the captain in his version of the events as Eleanor made her way to the side of the boat. She heard Morgan asking for pardon and a peaceful exit, as the Gunsway had not actually attacked the British ship, but instead had requested admittance. She heard Thomas relent, to the dismay of his crew, as she shed her clothing down to her pants and shirt. When the pirates began the return to their ship, she climbed the rail and dove into the water below.