Carried Home

by Heather Manning

  The low-cut gown and garish makeup smeared on her face gave her profession and her predicament away as clear as the crow of a rooster. He grabbed onto her arm and she struggled against his grasp.

  “What?” She tried to tug her arm away but he held her tight. “Hey, what do you want with me?”

  Lady Shaw ran near them, halting at the door to the church. She picked up the wailing child and held the squirming bundle close to her chest.

  Something hot and liquid slid down Gage’s cheek and it took him a moment to realize the woman had spit on him. He quickly released her arm.

  Lady Shaw approached, patting the child on the back. Its sobbing slowed and then ceased. It leaned its face against her chest. “Why would you abandon your baby? How could you do that?”

  The woman let out an odd kind of growl. Gage found it hard to read her face underneath the layers of paint masking it.

  “She’s better off here than with me. Now let me be!” The woman hissed, then paused. “Do you work for the church?” She didn’t give them a moment to answer before continuing, “Her name’s Emma. I want her to have at least one part of her heritage, although ’tis a poor one.”

  “I—"

  “How—"

  Before either Gage or Lady Shaw could respond, the woman turned and fled into the darkness.

  Gage shouted out, but there was no response.

  ****

  Gage stared in disbelief from the gurgling child to the woman holding it in her arms. Her eyes pleaded with him. “We need to go after her. She can’t simply leave her child.”

  After a moment of hesitation, Gage jolted forward in the direction the woman had sped away. “Miss! Please, we only wish to speak with you.”

  Lady Shaw’s shoes pitter-pattered as she ran behind him. She followed rather fast for someone holding a little one. “Where did she go?”

  “I’m not certain! Come on.” He snagged her hand, hopefully making it easier for her to keep up with him as she balanced the tyke on her hip. The street ended in an alleyway, which they entered. “Miss!”

  “I don’t know if she went this way.” Lady Shaw worried.

  “There’s no other way for her to go.” Gage continued through the alley to another street. He tensed when he realized what part of town this was. No doubt they were directly on the woman’s trail, but Gage was not about to let a lady walk in that direction. “Lady Shaw, I fear we have lost track of her. It would be best if we continued to the ship.”

  A man sauntered towards the building and planted a slobbery kiss on the neck of a woman standing on the corner. She sent him a hungry smile and pulled him into the establishment, her arm slung low around his waist.

  There was no way Gage would allow Lady Shaw and the child close to this area of the town.

  “But she could have gone in that building.”

  Gage ran a hand through his hair, thinking. “I don’t think so, miss. We need to get back to my ship if you want to set sail for London on time.”

  Lady Shaw bit her lip as she scrambled to balance the child, who was throwing her weight around in the woman’s arms. The woman did a decent job of handling her, though. Gage could tell she was accustomed to holding children. “I…I suppose we should head back then. I do not wish to delay us.”

  Gage nearly heaved a sigh of relief as he braced a hand against the lady’s back, twisted her around, and guided her back to the street on which they had come upon the child.

  “What shall we do with her, Captain?”

  The sounds of the street faded to his ears, and all he could see was the baby in Lady Shaw’s arms. The child turned her little head and reached a tiny hand out to him in a sweet gesture.

  He knew at that moment he couldn’t leave this little one out in the streets. What if someone had taken him and Addie in right away after they had been abandoned? He couldn’t let this girl go through what he had when he was small. But what would he do with a baby?

  “Captain, please. We cannot leave her here, for some stranger to take care of. Her own mother abandoned her. Sweet thing. We need to take her with us. I beg you.”

  Gage stifled a groan. Dash it all, the woman was thinking the same way he was. He had hoped she would have enough sense to persuade him to leave the child alone, so they could begin their journey as soon as she had wanted only hours earlier.

  “Lady Shaw…exactly what are you going to do with a baby on board a pirate ship?” There, he forced the voice of reason out from his throat.

  The child let out a small whimper, drawing Gage’s attention. He had no idea how old the babe might be, but she was certainly not a newborn. Maybe she was a year and a half, or two years old? Gage could not guess for certain. Small copper ringlets of hair framed her face, and wide blue eyes blinked up at him. She again reached her tiny, open palm up toward him, and in that moment, his heart melted.

  There was no way he could let reason make itself known in this matter.

  ****

  Tears wetted Ivy’s eyes as she moved her gaze to Captain Thompson. She would not be able to live peacefully knowing she had left this child behind on a doorstep, alone in the terrible night with no one to love her, no one to keep her safe or to take care of her. A shiver crawled down her spine as she imagined the possibility of something similar happening to poor, dear, William.

  Captain Thompson was staring at the babe and she wondered if she actually caught a glint of moisture in his chocolate brown eyes. How tender and loving his gaze was.

  “Lady Shaw …”

  Ivy prepared herself to close her ears to another objection, but stilled immediately at his words.

  “I…I don’t know what we will do with her, but, yes…I agree we should take her.”

  Chapter Five

  Eden woke that morning to find sunlight streaming in through the window of the cabin. She sat up to discover she was the only person in the room; Caspian and Reed had already risen for the day without waking her.

  Startled, she gathered and donned her clothing before she gazed out the porthole. The sun was already quite high in the sky, reflecting on the churning of the turquoise ocean. Eden quickly headed out of the cabin, eager to find her husband and son.

  The sea freshened the air and the sun warmed her face as she stepped onto the deck.

  “I wondered when you’d wake, my darling.” Caspian’s voice sounded from behind her, and he chuckled, a deep and rich noise that made Eden’s insides turn smooth.

  Eden rotated around to grin at him. He wrapped both arms around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Good morning, love.”

  “Good morning.” She stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips before turning away. “Where are we, Caspian?”

  “We aren’t too far from the Bahamas. Since we are so close, I plan to stop in New Providence to see if we can find information about your brother.” Caspian pulled Eden back against his chest when the ship rocked over a swell.

  “But, Caspian, I know he has been in Port Royal. We should search there. I should have thought of it when we were married there. I should have done something.” Eden fidgeted with her dress.

  Caspian squeezed her tight, stilling her hands. “Sweetheart, we were thinking of other things during our visit in Port Royal, and rightly so. Now, just because your brother has been to Port Royal does not mean that is where we will find him. We are practically looking for a specific grain of sand in the bottom of the ocean, so it will take some searching. We can start at the island closest to us first.”

  Eden had to admit her husband was speaking sensibly. “Yes, Caspian, I think that’s what we should do. I am sorry I’m so frantic about this. I just wonder if he is alive, or what he is doing. He never visited or wrote to me again, and I don’t know why.”

  Her husband brushed a curl of hair from her eyes and offered her a tender smile. “Well, love, remember you told me he chose the life of sailing to get away from your father. Maybe he didn’t want to be discovered and forced back home. I, for one, b
elieve it is more taxing to sit in a parlor room, doing nothing but business every day.”

  Eden lowered her eyes, deep in thought. Everything Caspian said was true, but would her brother really let her think him dead just to escape a boring life? Maybe the price of freedom was worth it to her brother. She had run off from home to be free herself, very much like he had.

  ****

  Agreeing to allow a woman to join him on his ship was one thing, and Gage certainly would be teased enough by his crew for permitting that. But a babe?

  However, Gage knew even if Lady Shaw were not with him, he probably would have taken the little girl on his voyage anyway. He hated to see the poor thing abandoned by her own mother. Families were meant to love and take care of a child, not leave them on the cold doorstep of a church.

  Gage knew all too well the effects of an unloving family.

  “Captain Thompson, for how long do you think you will stop in the Carolinas?”

  Gage spun to see Lady Shaw still cradling the little child, Emma, in her arms. By the loving way she held the baby, Gage could tell she was familiar with little ones. Of that he was glad, because other than growing up with his sister a few years behind him, Gage knew nothing about children. He supposed he had taken a part in raising Reed, Caspian’s son, but the boy had been raised by his mother until he was a little older. Gage had simply been guessing when he had taken care of the little guy.

  He wondered if he would ever settle down to find a wife and have a child of his own. Gage certainly liked children, but he doubted a decent woman would ever want to marry a privateer like him. One glance at Lady Shaw made him wish even more for a wife of his own. She was so beautiful and she cared so much about the abandoned child that he had no doubt she would make a great …

  “Mr. Thompson,” a soft voice interrupted his musings.

  Lady Shaw peered up at him, patting her tightly wound orange tresses with a petite hand. Her legs moved rapidly to keep up with his pace.

  He slowed a bit. “What is it, milady?”

  She blinked. “I asked you how long you intended to stop in the Carolinas?”

  “Oh. Please accept my apology, Lady Shaw. I suppose I was thinking of…other things. I’m unsure how long it will take. I will need to find Addie and see she has everything she needs, get her some money or a way to make a living. Mayhap a week? If that does not succeed, I would be happy to take her with me on my voyage. Then we would take less time.”

  Lady Shaw nodded slowly as they continued walking. “Sir, you said your sister is only seventeen years old, and she is already a widow? Why, she’s younger than I am, and I’ve barely considered marriage yet!”

  Gage averted his gaze, not wanting her to see the anger in his eyes. “Yes, well, I would not say I approved of the marriage. I am not certain she did either. Our…our adopted father practically sold her off to the highest bidder. This highest bidder was a brute of a man who moved her away to the Carolinas. I am afraid to say I have not seen her since before her wedding. She wrote to me expressing her disdain for him, and I recently received a letter telling me of his death.”

  ****

  Ivy knew this man’s—and his sister’s—private lives were absolutely none of her business, but she was intrigued by this woman who was so young a widow. With a glance at Captain Thompson, who seemed inclined to make the rest of their walk a silent one, Ivy repositioned Emma on her hip.

  What on earth was she going to do with a baby once she got back home?

  Oh well, there was nothing she could do about it. She refused to see this poor little girl abandoned. Emma gurgled and reached a hand out to slap Ivy in the face. The impact stung a little, but the baby was only playing with her. Ivy stifled a giggle. She already loved this little darling.

  ****

  The moment Lady Shaw stepped on the deck, right ahead of him, the crew started laughing. Gage barely held back a grimace. Well, if the men had not thought him soft for bringing a woman on board, surely they would now that he had found a woman and a baby.

  It would be more of a struggle now to command like a true captain while his crew laughed at him.

  “Cap’n, a woman and a baby?”

  “Why, Cap’n Thompson’s a real family man now!”

  Gage tried to block the men’s comments out of his mind as they continued to tease him. He knew he was doing the right thing by taking the child with him. Why, it was easy to tell Lady Shaw was going to be a good mother to her.

  The woman backed up against him when one of his sailors stepped too close to her, peering at the babe before leering at the lady. Gage grabbed her by the waist and moved her behind him. He stepped forward and nudged the man back.

  “I will hear none of your complaints, men. This child was abandoned by her mother. It was only the Christian thing to do to take her in with us. Lady Shaw will help care for her.”

  The men grunted and grumbled.

  “If a woman’s bad luck on a ship, then a woman with a girl-child ain’t a good thing, neither! Especially a woman with red hair.” Rogers, a man with a hard face stepped forward, pointing a grimy finger at Lady Shaw.

  “I demand you put an end to your foolishness this instant. Lady Shaw and Emma are here to stay.”

  Adam Douglas, the man whom Gage had met at the port and hired as his first mate, nudged Rogers back. “What, are you all truly frightened of a little tyke? What kind of men are you? And you know the saying of a woman on board being bad luck is pure falsehood. I’ve sailed on a ship with the captain’s wife on board and no harm came to us.”

  Rogers glared at Adam, and then moved his glare to Lady Shaw and the babe.

  Gage grunted in agreement and stepped forward. “Rogers, you weren’t sailing with us when we were with Captain Archer, but we had a woman stowaway on board then. No bad luck plagued us. In fact, I gained this ship and Captain Archer gained a wife.”

  Some of the men snickered at that. “Fine then, Cap’n. We shall see.” Rogers whirled around and disappeared into the crowd of men on the main deck.

  Gage stilled for a moment before speaking to the rest of the men. “I’ll hear no more complaints. Return to your stations and prepare to set sail. I want to leave this port in all haste, men.”

  “Aye, Cap’n!” A chorus of men shouted.

  Gage turned to Mr. Douglas, who had remained by his side. “Please oversee the crew while I take Lady Shaw down to her cabin.”

  Adam bowed slightly. “Of course, Captain.”

  Lady Shaw stepped forward, her eyes wide as she bounced Emma on her hip. The child reached her open hand out toward Gage, her fingers spread apart wide. He touched her tiny fingers and chuckled.

  “Follow me, Lady Shaw, and I will escort you to your cabin.”

  ****

  Ivy took the captain’s proffered arm and followed him down the stairs he called the companionway. He passed a few doors before stopping at one at the end of the hallway. The man opened the door and motioned her inside with a grand gesture.

  It was an odd sight to see a man of such low class acting in such a gentlemanly manner. He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling. “I hope you enjoy your voyage, Lady Shaw. I know the cot is not a comfortable place to bed, but it is all I have to offer you. Please, milady, just tell me or my first mate, Mr. Douglas, if you need anything.”

  He walked into the room after her and held the door open.

  “Will we still be departing tonight, then, Captain Thompson?”

  “Aye, miss. I want to reach my sister in the Carolinas in all haste. I do not know where she is living or what she is doing, but I do know her wretched husband left her with a hefty debt. Even though she is a tough little thing, I don’t want her fending for herself for too long.” A bright, fond look spread across Captain Thompson’s face as he spoke of his younger sibling. The man truly seemed like a great brother.

  “I understand, Captain. I hope she’s all right.”

  Captain Thompson chuckled. “Although I want to make sure she is wel
l, I know how strong a young woman she has become. She should be all right. Thank you, milady. Are you sure there is nothing you need before I go back on the main deck?”

  Ivy bounced Emma on her hip. “Yes, Captain Thompson, I am certain. Thank you very much.” She glanced at the child in her arms, who appeared far too thin for such a young age. “Well, I think it would be good for Emma to eat something before bedtime. Is there some fruit your men could spare for her? It’s probably too much to ask for you to find some milk. Or perhaps something for me to eat, as well?”

  “I will see what I can do, milady. We can’t let either of you fine ladies go hungry, now can we?” He tweaked the child on the chin. “I will leave you two to get settled, Lady Shaw. I hope you rest well.”

  ****

  After a bearded man brought in a banana for Emma and a biscuit for Ivy, Ivy settled herself and the child on the cot in her cabin and took a moment to observe her surroundings. The cot took up most of the room. A tiny table was pushed between the bulkhead and the cot, and a wooden, straight-backed chair rested nearby. The far end of the cabin—if it could be called the far end, because it was not far away—was graced with a little, round porthole. All in all, the room felt quite cramped. Ivy would be lucky if she could cross it in any direction with more than two or three strides.

  Ivy balanced Emma between the bulkhead and her hip as she peeled the banana. She plucked off a section of the fruit and offered it to the child, who was babbling nonsensical words and waving her hands. Emma reached for the piece of food and devoured it within seconds. It appeared the poor dear was hungry. And, well she should be. Who knew when she had last eaten?

  Ivy’s own stomach growled. Now that she thought of it, she had not eaten in some time either. She broke a piece off the biscuit the man had also given them and moved it toward her mouth, but little Emma eagerly held her hand out for it. Letting out a giggle, Ivy offered the piece to the child, who gobbled it down. Apparently Ivy would be waiting to eat until tomorrow, but that didn’t matter. It was best the growing child ate to her fill first.