A Woman Made For Sin

by Michele Sinclair

  Aimee blinked several times to keep the tears from falling, and then with a final nod, she headed down the planks to the awaiting cart.

  Collins watched silently as she said hello to the man and then spoke to the little girl. He swore to himself never to repeat Reece’s mistake. When he became a captain and found a woman willing to share the life with him, he would not be so shortsighted. He would thank the Lord profusely and never let her regret loving him.

  A grunt came from his left side and Collins stole a peek to see who it was before returning his gaze to Aimee as she helped them adjust the cart to make room for her.

  “She really is a lady, ain’t she?” asked Swivel Eye Stu, his voice mirroring the sadness Collins felt.

  “Aye.”

  Stu shook his head. “I don’t think I really believed it until now.”

  Collins did not have to ask Stu what he meant. He knew. Aimee had walked no differently than she always had. Her mannerisms and interactions were the same, but now that she was leaving, he could see what he had previously ignored. Aimee had a gracefulness about her in the way she held her head and arms. No matter what she wore or looked like, she was elegant.

  Aye, Collins thought to himself. Our ship has just lost its lady and all aboard are going to feel her loss.

  Reece bounded down the stairs and down the corridor leading to his cabin, eager to find Aimee and depart for the church. He had left right after they docked, instructing Collins to oversee things while he was gone. The plan had been to be back within two hours, but nothing had gone right.

  Another captain had cornered the harbormaster just as Reece arrived, forcing him to wait his turn to discuss the Sea Emerald’s cargo. When he was finally able to leave, Reece discovered that finding a preacher late Wednesday morning was far from an easy task. Few had residences near the harbor, and those who did were meeting with their parishioners or out conducting church business. With perseverance, Reece managed to locate one and was headed back to the ship when he decided to return to town for a wedding ring. Though an uncommon custom, Aimee’s mother had worn one and Reece wanted Aimee to have one as well. He knew she would appreciate the thought, but it would also signify to anyone she ever met when he was away at sea that both her heart and hand in marriage had been taken.

  Impatient to surprise her with all he had arranged, Reece opened his cabin door without knocking. Instantly he knew something was wrong. The room looked familiar—too familiar. It was once again like it had been before he knew she was on board. Nothing of Aimee’s was in sight.

  He was about to leave when he spied a piece of paper folded on his desk. Tension flooded his body. Reece forced himself to walk over and pick it up. Bringing it to the window for more light, he read the contents, not skipping a single word until he was done.

  Anger and fear raced through him, and for several minutes he could not think. He could only feel. Not since the war had he needed to compartmentalize strong emotions. Slowly, cold determination replaced the turbulent feelings. Putting the letter down, he walked brusquely to the stairs and then to the upper deck. “Collins!” he barked.

  Smiley heard the shout first and elbowed the chief mate in the ribs. Taking a deep breath, Collins went to meet the captain on the upper deck, deciding this particular reprimand was going to be in front of the crew and not in private.

  “Where is she?” Reece hissed, the only indication of his inner turmoil.

  Collins stood poised and unapologetic. His brown eyes locked to Reece’s blue ones. “I helped her ladyship safely depart this morning.”

  Reece took controlled breaths. “When did her ladyship make this request of you?”

  “Three days ago.”

  “And you did not think to tell me?” Reece exploded.

  Collins stood, refusing to move or give any sign of remorse or even guilt. “At the time, Captain, you were expressing concern about being forced into a marriage and later regretting it. Lady Wentworth believed she was doing you a favor by leaving, for now you will not have to worry about either.”

  The words hit Reece full force, and the coldness that he felt before once again washed over him. “I have a mother, Collins. I don’t need another. Neither do I need a confessional or guardian angel.”

  “And I have no intention of being any of those things for you, Captain, but Lady Wentworth?” Collins said tersely, making it clear that Reece was not the only one riled over the situation. “She needed someone to turn to for help, and asking the man who didn’t want to marry her didn’t seem like an option. Now I ask you, Captain, if you had been me, what would you have done?”

  Reece bridled furiously. “I never said I didn’t want to marry her!”

  Collins shook his head and then looked Reece in the eye, remembering the conversation clearly. “You said you did not have a choice. That you feared regret. Perhaps Lady Wentworth misunderstood what you meant, but then so did I.”

  Collins’s anger-laced sarcasm and unhidden disgust were unmistakable, and again Reece felt like he had been hit full force. This time in both the gut and the heart. “Not to her,” he countered, shaking his head. “I never said any of that to Aimee.”

  “Aye, it was to her.” Collins’s tone changed to one that was less sharp and more what it should be as a chief mate. “She was at the door that night when we spoke, Captain. I found her outside your room crying. Her ladyship overheard it all. And you had said quite a bit.”

  Understanding overcame Reece and he could feel the blood drain from his face. The conversation itself was vague in his mind. It was when he was still struggling with not just his feelings but appearing to be a love-whipped boy in front of his crew. What he did remember, however, was Collins and his reaction. Normally, his chief mate was sympathetic to woman troubles, having had his share in the past. But not that night. Collins had not said so, but his aloof mannerisms had made it clear he thought Reece just one step shy of a fool.

  It had spurred Reece into reassessing his situation. He considered the men and truly watched as they and Aimee interacted, waiting to see what would come of it—jealousy, obsession, resentment, arguments. But none of those occurred, nor, from what Reece could see, were they going to occur eventually. The crew was happy, and if he was being truly honest with himself, for the first time so was he. He wanted Aimee. He needed her. He wanted her in his life and had been impatient to get to Savannah, where he could irrevocably bind their lives together.

  “What inn is she at?”

  The question was calmly put; however, refusing to answer was not an option. Based on Reece’s reaction to learning of Aimee’s departure as well as his current look of determination, Collins was relieved. The captain was finally going to do what he should have done weeks ago, if not back in December. “She’s not at an inn. I found her safe passage on a suitable ship that was leaving immediately for London.”

  Reece quickly began to mentally catalogue all the ships in the harbor. The Albatross had arrived after them and would not be leaving so soon. He had seen the Ella Marie, the Bonnie Star, and the Longview in dock preparing to go, but none of them had been taking on foodstuffs, so time of departure was questionable. In town, he had exchanged curt nods with the captain of the Miss Charlotte, who was working out an unwelcome change in his cargo. From what Reece had overheard, the unexpected goods were causing the Charlotte to head directly to the London Docks before going to Spain. And these were just the ships he saw, for there were many more up the river.

  Any captain on his way to England would have agreed to transport Aimee without hesitation. However, her being unmarried and having no chaperone made her extremely vulnerable. Nobility would not protect her. If anything, it would only enhance her appeal. “She had better be safe,” Reece growled dangerously.

  “She is on the Sea Rebel—”

  The first fragments of relief broke over Reece. The Sea Rebel belonged to W & H Shipping. It was one of his own and he knew it well. It was much older and larger than the Emerald, equipped with
a larger crew and more cargo area for bigger hauls. Its captain had also fought in the war and had been handpicked by Reece to manage the bulky ship. Shay was a real hard-ass, but fair and honest. And, blissfully, he was also very married. The man would have no issue with Reece coming aboard, getting Aimee, and leaving with her.

  “—with Captain Shay and his wife,” Collins finished.

  “His wife?” Reece repeated.

  “Aye—she travels with him now and then. Mrs. Shay met Lady Wentworth at a seamstress’s shop where she purchased some new clothes. I would expect they are back aboard the Rebel by now.”

  Reece blinked as he assimilated the information and looked up as he began to deliberate on his next move. Only then did he realize most of his crew was lurking around, pretending to work in order to listen to his and Collins’s conversation. Even JP was among them, only he was openly staring at the upper deck with his arms crossed, doing nothing to hide his obvious curiosity.

  Reece looked behind Collins and waited for his bosun to stop whistling and sneak a peek at him. “Carr, go to the Sea Rebel and tell Captain Shay that he is not to leave until I get there if he wants to continue working for W & H Shipping.”

  Carr’s eyes grew large as he realized that Reece was serious. Anyone who had ever gone to see Shakespeare performed in one of the cheap, unlicensed theaters, knew the saying “don’t shoot the messenger,” but no one ever thought their life would truly be put at risk by delivering a simple message. Then again, no one was reckless enough to deliver a threat to Captain Shay.

  Recognizing he was a dead man either way—refusing Reece or doing what he asked—the bosun finally murmured, “Aye, Captain,” and then left.

  Seeing Carr needed no additional motivation, Collins asked softly, “What are you planning?”

  Reece took in a deep breath of air and exhaled. His gaze fell over his crew and then, loud enough for all to hear, he said, “I am going to go fetch my soon-to-be wife and remind her of just why she snuck aboard my ship. To catch a husband. Well, she caught him and a crew and she is now going to have to live with the consequences.”

  Cheers erupted from the deck. Reece smiled and waved for a few moments before going belowdecks. Men started shaking hands and slapping each other on the back. A few even broke into a brief jig. Only Collins refrained from joining the crew’s merriment upon hearing the captain’s decision.

  It was not that he was not supportive of the captain’s plans. Just the opposite. Collins just feared that it might be too late.

  The captain may now want to marry, but both parties had to be willing before a preacher would agree to perform a marriage ceremony. For that to happen, it was going to take a lot more than charm and some passionate kisses. The only way Collins could envision Aimee accepting Reece’s proposal was if she became convinced that he did not just want her, but truly and absolutely loved her.

  And for that to happen, the man would first need to admit those feelings to himself.

  Reece stepped out of Captain Shay’s cuddy. He clenched his fists and forced them to relax. It was rare he found himself covetous of any ship over his, but having a designated room to converse with officers—or unexpected visitors like himself—had advantages. What was even rarer was confronting a man whom Reece could not intimidate in the least. It was the reason he had hired Shay. He just had never anticipated their being on opposing sides.

  After an hour of explanations and arguments, Reece had not gained any ground when it came to Aimee. Though tempted, he had not threatened Shay’s continued role with W & H Shipping. Good captains were hard to find. Honest ones were damn near impossible, and Shay was both. His morals were so strong that an ultimatum would not have worked. If anything, Reece’s demands were pushing the man toward quitting.

  Not until Reece revealed his and Aimee’s whole story did the old captain begin to understand the real reason Aimee had come to be aboard his ship. Only when Reece had fully admitted his blunder was the captain swayed to let her leave. But only if certain stipulations were met. The four of them would go directly to the chapel. There, Captain Shay and his wife would be present to witness the happy nuptials.

  At first, Reece resented how the man was trying to act like his father, but then realized that Shay had no interest in him. The fatherly role was for Aimee.

  Reece took another deep breath and reminded himself that he had achieved his goal. He and Aimee would soon be married.

  He then proceeded up the gangway, which led to the poop deck. Just before he moved out of the shadows and into view, he heard Aimee’s voice.

  After thanking Captain Shay profusely for his offer to take her home and the lending of the wardroom for her to stay in, Aimee had wandered up on the highest deck in the far aft portion of the ship. She was determined to stay out of the crew’s way and not make Captain Shay regret his decision.

  The Sea Rebel was at first glance similar to Reece’s ship, mostly because of the number of sails and masts. But once on board she realized it was noticeably wider, and had more deck levels, which meant there were more rooms and interior space. Aimee remembered Mr. Linwood explaining how the Sea Emerald was made for smaller cargo and speed, while most of the other ships in her brother’s shipping business were built to transport large amounts of goods.

  With the augmented space and cargo came more work and a larger crew. Like those she had come to know and care for, the men on the Sea Rebel were working side by side, some singing shanties to ensure the rhythm was maintained and to synchronize their efforts. On the Emerald, the crew was smaller, so it was rare to hear more than one song at a time, but not on the Rebel. Some of the songs were sung with one group singing the verse and another the chorus.

  Aimee leaned against the rail and hummed softly to the one being sung in D minor. Its melancholy tone reflected her current state of mind.

  “How do you like your stateroom?”

  Startled, Aimee jumped and then quickly apologized. “Mrs. Shay, pray forgive me for my reaction just then. I did not see you. Oh, and the room is more than lovely. I feel quite spoiled.”

  “Good.” The older woman laughed softly and joined her at the rail, smiling. “I always love coming ashore, but it’s nice to be going again.”

  Aimee sighed in agreement. Mrs. Annabelle Shay had been like a godsend at the dress shop, helping her to navigate the world of ready-made gowns. Aimee had found herself enjoying it far more than she did going to a modiste for a new dress, where she would see the material and the accessories but would not know how the dress looked until it was delivered. It was rare her modiste made something she did not like, but there was something about selecting dresses that were already made that was refreshing. None of them fit as well or were of the quality she typically wore when home, but at sea, such things did not matter.

  “Thank you again for your help today at Miss Henderson’s.”

  Mrs. Shay patted Aimee’s arm. “My pleasure. To my husband’s delight, we had three sons. All of them are now grown and on ships of their own, but how I longed for a daughter. Helping you gave me the chance to know what it would be like to have one.”

  Aimee squeezed the older woman’s slender fingers. She had instantly liked Annabelle. Though in her late forties, Mrs. Shay was still a stunning woman. Her red hair was turning a beautiful white around her temples, perfectly framing her oval face and large dark brown eyes. She was neither tall nor short, and her figure was lovely and feminine. Her nose and cheeks had several freckles and her skin had browned somewhat from being in the sun and wind. Aimee wondered if her own face had taken on the loathed brown color. She secretly hoped it had; then maybe Society would discount her as an eligible marriage choice and allow her to be alone with her misery.

  Annabelle pointed to a group of men who were singing near the mainmast as they adjusted the halyards. “I was wondering how my men would do with you around.”

  “I . . . um . . . I am not sure that I understand. Your men?”

  Annabelle shrugged. “
I travel with Henry in the spring until it becomes too hot, and again in the fall until the weather turns too bitter to enjoy being on deck. Spending so much time on board, I have developed relationships with the crew. From what I saw of Mr. Collins this morning, you have done the same in a relatively short bit of time.” She pointed again. “I think you might have already started to enchant some of my men.”

  Annabelle was teasing her, and despite Aimee’s worry that she would not find anything to smile about for a long time, she found her lips curving upward. “Sailors are unique in personality and demeanor. I am not sure everyone I know would appreciate their good qualities, but they do have them.”

  Annabelle nodded in agreement. “I’m glad you think so, for my husband tells me that the crew is trying to make a good impression. Have you not heard all the songs they are singing?”

  Aimee threw her head back slightly and laughed out loud. “I thought it was because this is a big ship and singing helped to ensure things ran smoothly.”

  “True, but until today I am not sure that I have ever heard four tunes being sung at once.”

  Aimee shook her head in amazement. “But why would these men care about my opinion? They do not know me. If anything, I am an additional burden.”

  “Hmm, well, the crew of the Sea Emerald did not consider you such. I was with my husband when the chief mate came to visit him and ask about berthing space. That young man spoke incredibly highly of you. Even mentioned that you climbed a mast and saved their lives, something that notably impressed my husband. And that is very hard to do.”