by Andrea Jones
Vigorous cheers arose from the sailors, and they stamped the deck with their boots. Jill felt the tremors in the soles of her feet. She smiled with satisfaction. In another minute, she would have them. Hook’s men would be her own, and the Roger’s security restored. As her own mistress, Jill would be free to employ her energies as she saw fit. She could carry out the captain’s orders, anticipating Hook’s return without fear for herself or his interests.…And then, amid the shouting, Doctor Hanover strolled to the foot of the steps. He raised his hand for attention.
“Madam. As you observed, I am not yet officially a member of this ship’s company. I now remind you that I have every intention of becoming one. If certain conditions arise.”
Smelling trouble, Smee interjected, “You’ve said it yourself, Doctor. You’ve no business meddling until you’re sworn in. I’ll cast the first vote. Aye! to the lady’s regimen!”
Nibs, Tom, Mullins, and several others sang out, “Aye! Aye!”
Raising his voice over the din, the doctor broke in again. “I feel it incumbent upon me to point out a sad truth which cannot be ignored— despite the fact that it will increase the burden of responsibility Captain Hook left on our lady’s…fragile shoulders.”
Incensed, Jill summoned every ounce of her dignity while she sought words cool enough to refute Hanover’s implication. His pretentious smile struck dread into her heart. Dread that doubled as, in one sentence, the surgeon upset the balance she had striven to establish.
“I am not convinced Captain Hook will return.”
“We will discuss your reservations when we discuss your future, Doctor Hanover. This is not the time.”
Hanover blinked. “I apologize if I upset you, my dear. I understand how distressing this tragedy must be to a young woman like you.”
The young woman bit back an angry retort. Losing her temper would only prove his point— and he knew it.
He turned to the crew. “As much as it pains me to grieve the lady, as a man of science, I find it beyond logic to hope, against all indication, that the captain lives. Thorough searches of the ship have yielded nothing to prove his survival, and the one piece of evidence we did discover points toward his drowning.”
Smee snapped, “If you don’t mind my saying so, Doctor, you’re hardly the man to be passing judgment on our ways. You’ve held a grudge against the captain since the start!”
Jill grasped control. “Well said, Mr. Smee. Gentlemen, it is up to Hook’s loyal crew to—”
“I admit it!” The surgeon threw his hands up. “As all of you know, I objected to the manner in which Hook ordered my capture and detained me. But if a new captain is named, I will sign your book of articles without hesitation.”
“All very interesting Doctor,” Jill rejoined, “but again, you are interfering with decisions that concern only ship’s company.”
Nibs leapt to the starboard rail, gripping the shrouds to balance there, his legs spread wide. His gaze darted among the crowd as he addressed the men, respectful but forceful.
“I’m not saying the doctor is right. But if anyone else is feeling the same way, well, let’s have a captain, then.” Jill, Tom, and Smee stared at Nibs. Steadily, he returned Jill’s regard. Then he lifted his head. “I say we make it official. Until Captain Hook returns, let’s call Jill what she is. Captain Red-Hand!”
Enthusiasm erupted from the deck, and glad shouts burst from Tom. Smee pounded his hands together, grinning with pride, and it took some time for the noise to abate enough for further discussion. With victory in her sights, Jill surveyed her sailors. “My proposal has been amended. Who says ‘Aye?’”
As the crowd of men gathered its breath, a simple gesture stopped Jill’s momentum. One man stepped calmly forward, tapping his chest.
“I.”
All heads turned to see him.
“I have a comment, which I believe is critical to our decision.” It was Mr. Cecco, watching Jill, as always, with admiration. “As you know, Lady, I have every confidence in you. You are a jewel among women. And I have no objection to your captaincy…” He shrugged, “Except for one thing.”
Jill met yet another setback, steeling herself for a battle of wits. “Well?”
Cecco tilted his head. His earrings swung. “I prefer to serve a captain who has more experience of sailing than myself.”
“If you recall, Mr. Cecco, I have selected experienced officers— including you— to advise me. I am the captain’s choice to guide the Roger.”
Over the years, Cecco, too, had observed Hook’s methods. Now his timing was impeccable. Before he spoke again, everyone was listening, with rapt attention.
“Aye, Madam. You were the captain’s choice. And a beautiful choice…for his mistress.”
The silence split the sky. Jill inhaled, but stared without wavering. Cecco’s remark was both an insult and a compliment. Although Jill was more than able to stand under Cecco’s assault, he had cunningly designed it to play on the faith of her men. Compelled to observe their reactions, she pulled her gaze from Cecco and scrutinized the surrounding faces. In the stillness, everything changed.
Considering what argument to employ, Jill found that no words of her own could prove Hook regarded her as more than his paramour. In front of those he distrusted, like Hanover and LeCorbeau, Hook intentionally played down her importance in order to protect her. Her duties as Hook’s partner were subtle, obvious only to those who studied the couple— such as Mr. Cecco. And now, speaking as a veteran crewman, Cecco indicated he regarded Jill not as an extension of Hook’s power, but merely a symbol of it. Falling for his deception, the men who had rallied behind her hesitated, rethinking the confidence they placed in her.
A clipped voice addressed her, expressing solicitude. “Are you quite well, Madam? You look faint.” Placing one foot on the stairway, the attentive physician held himself poised to rush to her aid. Smee planted himself in the middle of the stairs, blocking the doctor’s path.
Jill narrowed her eyes. Her reply was stony. “You know, Mister Hanover, that I do not faint.”
“Perhaps, under the stress of this catastrophe, you have forgotten the evening I first attended you for your unfortunate condition. I am afraid that, once again, you are overwrought.”
Tom barged his way to the fore to confront the surgeon, the cut on his temple throbbing with outrage. “Jill was only shamming that night!”
Hanover smiled, condescending. “Indeed? And this is your professional opinion?”
“No, but I know Jill! She’s never been delicate like you’re implying! She was pretending just to get you to—” Tom halted and shot an uncertain look at Jill.
Her position was already precarious. Knowing the folly of revealing the truth to the surgeon, she finished for Tom. “To get you to speak privately with me. You are well aware, Doctor, that I feigned that spell. And why.”
“I am aware that you are effective in manifesting your will. I understand your young men’s desire to support your bid for the captaincy. Life on the Roger has been pleasant for your sons— with their mother in a position to influence their advancement and intervene in their interests. In point of fact, my daughter indicated that Mr. Tootles managed to avoid a severe punishment.”
Catching Tom’s eye, Smee gave a single shake of his head to restrain him, and, just in time, Tom remembered Hook’s order of silence regarding Liza’s beating. Knowing Jill must feel more frustrated than he, her son looked to his mother and watched her eyes burn as she answered.
“Hook never engages in favoritism.”
Her fiancé gestured toward Smee, throwing Jill’s own words back at her. “Come now, my lady. We both know of one exception to every rule.”
“It seems your rules of integrity have found an exception, Mister Hanover. If Mr. Tootles avoided punishment, it was because he deserved none.”
“In your opinion, I am certain he didn’t. My daughter, however…Well, let us just say that she didn’t get her way with a fit of fainting.�
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Jill clung to her dignity. “I remind you, Sir, that you purport to be a gentleman. As such, it would be to your credit to place culpability on the appropriate shoulders. And to show more respect to those you claim to revere.”
Mr. Cecco intervened, serene in his composure. “Lady, we are none of us gentlemen, but we respect any female enough to let one fainting episode pass. If there is some question as to methods of discipline, that is now in the past. A mystery vanished with our master. It is sufficient to know that one of two things are true. Either you suffer from a delicate constitution…or you deceived our captain to contrive an assignation with the physician, with whom, as we have just witnessed, you enjoy to make the sparks fly.”
Restlessness buzzed through the crowd as the men considered Cecco’s insinuation. Not one of her sailors believed Jill was weak. Just now, they had seen her defy Yulunga. She was skilled with sword and pistol, and demonstrated her courage time and again. Those close enough to Cecco’s lash-marked back were reminded that the lady first won their admiration the day he himself requested her mercy— and was denied. She had always insisted on strict adherence to Captain Hook’s authority. But did she feel differently where her sons were concerned? Tom Tootles hadn’t hidden his interest in the girl. He had taken one beating for it. Had his youthful urges earned him another, which Jill prevented? There was no doubt of the lady’s influence on the captain. Would any of her men, even Cecco, deny her what she wanted? They were all besotted. Wasn’t it possible that Hook’s irresistible mistress had used his affections to manipulate him, had even cheated him?
The sailors’ eyes shifted between Jill and the surgeon. Her aspect was tense, and his indulgent. Each man recalled, with envy, the numerous attentions Jill had awarded Doctor Hanover. The two made a handsome pair promenading the deck each morning, afterward withdrawing to her quarters. And with or without the servant girl in attendance, any of these men would find a way to take advantage of a situation like that. Gentleman or not, no doubt the good doctor did the same.
Thinking back on it now, it was apparent Jill had encouraged the physician, and, supreme in his confidence, Hook never openly objected. Bound by their oaths to the captain, the sailors had accepted Hook’s right to her. But one and all drew the line at allowing her to favor any other man. Yulunga was right when he declared she was no longer only one man’s woman. Since Captain Hook’s disappearance, she belonged to all of them, or none. Whatever her motives, her dalliances from now on would be restricted. In the minds of her crewmen, Red-Handed Jill’s role aboard the Roger quickly narrowed, and solidified. Still magnificent, she stood before them, their pirate queen— the emblem of a captain’s privilege.
While the damage wormed its way through the company, Jill remained, steadfast, behind the gilded railing that separated her from her sailors, the companionway now seeming more like a prisoner’s dock than a platform of power. Her mind raced, like her heart. She couldn’t deny she had courted the doctor. Nor could she divulge before Hanover the reason behind her attentions. And even if she attempted to explain, who would believe she was acting on Hook’s orders? Even Mr. Smee, who adored her, had once or twice betrayed twinges of suspicion. She had played the game too well.
Hiding a shudder, Jill remembered how fervently Mr. Cecco believed in her pretense the day he threatened to kill the doctor. And she recalled his words the afternoon he first dared approach her. When something lovely becomes available to me, I take it. He was taking her now! Watching the ruthless Italian, Jill had no doubt who had counseled Hanover to thwart her bid for leadership.…There is nothing I would not do for you.…And Hanover, naturally, had agreed, wanting her to abandon the ship. How cleverly Cecco caged her! Gypsy magic…With a stab of pain, Jill was reminded of Hook. He, too, had used his wits to win her, trapping her in her own truth, cutting away all hindrances until she surrendered her heart to him. Now, the dashing Mr. Cecco stood smiling at her, subtly, with his arms folded, the golden bands gripping his powerful biceps, appreciating her beauty. And biding his time.
But she wouldn’t give in to him. She would fight. Jill read the men’s mood, gauging the effect of Cecco’s attack, and she considered her options. The men admired her still, but doubt lingered in their eyes. Pleading her case would only weaken it. Guided by her instincts, Jill followed the only course left open to her.
“Very well, then. I bend to the wishes of the company. I propose that the captain we choose to act until Hook’s return should be his most experienced seaman, the man who has served him longest. There can be no doubt of his ability. He already commands our respect, and he has proven his worth time and again.” She played her ace:
“Mr. Smee!”
Again, hearty cries arose. Jill smiled her approbation, displaying no hint of the disappointment dragging at her spirit. Nibs jumped down from the rail, and following Jill’s lead in championing the bo’sun, he and Tom, among many others, whistled their satisfaction. At last, the matter was resolved in a manner that reconciled Hook’s interests and the majority’s wishes.
Taken aback, Mr. Smee glanced at the lady for confirmation before he smiled. Then, rising to join her on the companionway, he acknowledged the tribute with a simple nod. His broad chest expanded as he opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted before he began.
“All very well, but the real issue has not been addressed.”
Jill whipped around to confront the surgeon, incredulous at his temerity. Once again, he ventured his disastrous opinion before she could stop him, and the one man who as yet had no say in the matter splintered the accord.
“Voting to install a captain at this point is well and good. But shouldn’t you appoint Mr. Smee, not as a temporary substitute, but as your permanent commander— as indeed, he most likely will be when, in time, Captain Hook does not return? After all, this is a serious decision. Power is not easily transferred once it is established.”
Jill watched as Smee’s expression changed to shock. “Mr. Smee…”
But Smee’s blood was up. He glared at Hanover. “Now, don’t be pushing your poison on us, Doctor! I’d never stand to replace the captain! My loyalty is sworn to James Hook, and if I can serve him by guiding his ship ’til he comes back, I’ll do it. Unlike some here, I’ve no taste for taking advantage of a man’s misfortune.”
“Are you sure you are motivated by loyalty, Mr. Smee? I have often witnessed the liberties you take with his mistress. Perhaps you merely want official license to be the first to enjoy the captain’s prerogatives?”
“Look who’s taking liberties! If I’d had the captain’s prerogative, I’d have given you what you deserve long ago, Hanover! You should be thanking your lucky stars for my loyalty. The captain’s order is the only thing that’s saved you from a thrashing!”
“And is this what we must look forward to under your command? Threats and thrashings when we disagree with you?”
“Thrashings, is it? You’d be knowing a thing or two about that, now, wouldn’t you? Such a fine gentleman!”
“I’ve seen the damage you have done, if that is what you imply.”
“My damage! I’ve been that worried for the females aboard ever since—”
“A handy excuse, no doubt, to hover over Red-Handed Jill.”
“I followed my orders.”
“And your inclination. And see how far it’s advanced you— Captain Smee— little feminine favors to begin, and now, the full command!”
“You’ve stolen your own share of favors—”
“I’m sure we can all understand your craving for the captain’s lady. Which of us would not jump at the— opportunity— she just offered you? But as far as governing men goes—”
“You lying bastard!”
Jill seized Smee’s arm, but it was too late. His Irish temper was stirred to the boiling point.
“I’ll never steal Hook’s woman the way you’ve been angling to do, Hanover. And I’ll never take his captaincy! Never!”
Closing her ey
es, Jill listened, helpless, as the foundation of her plans crumbled to dust, blasted by Smee’s fidelity. Every man aboard now knew what she had always known. Smee would serve and protect his captain to the death. But no matter how capable, Smee was unwilling to equal him. Still, she tried. He was her last hope.
“Smee—”
“No, Ma’am. Don’t ask me.”
Turning her back on the company, Jill begged him with her eyes. “It’s what the captain commands!”
Becoming aware of her hand on his arm, Smee stared down at it. He looked up at her again, surprised, and then scanned the greedy faces of the crew. As if her hold seared his skin, he shook her off and backed away. “No! I won’t take the ship from him. Not even if the rights to you come with it.”
“I am counting on you, Mr. Smee. So is Hook. That is why you must accept this responsibility, no matter what comes with it! For the captain’s sake.”
He almost whispered. “How can you be saying such a thing? Tempting me from my place, in the captain’s name!” He faced the men. “James Hook will be back, don’t you be doubting it. And when he comes, you can be sure he’ll be making an account of who worked for him in his absence, and who against. We’ve sworn our oaths to do our duty, lads, and it isn’t fitting for any of us to shirk it.” He aimed a hostile look at Jill. “Especially you, Ma’am. I’ll die before I betray the captain, and I’m ashamed for you, for even thinking it.”
Regal again, Jill pronounced, “Clearly, you have misunderstood me, Mr. Smee. In any case, you have said quite enough.”
Yulunga’s voice rumbled like thunder, alerting the company to a grim reality. “We are already fighting among ourselves! It is time for one of us to take a firm hand.”
With her heart sinking, Jill’s gaze slid slowly from Smee to Yulunga. She knew what he would say next. She was powerless to prevent it. She had played her highest card, and lost.
“If Hook does return, it will be up to him to defend his position. We need a captain now. I propose…” Yulunga turned. Hoisting his powerful arm, he gestured to the man at his right. “Our Mr. Cecco.”
