A Lesson in Presumption

by Jennifer Connors

  Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Ginny uttered, “I know that's what you believe, but there is a way to make it all right again.”

  “How? He cannot return to me what he has taken.” Megan was bordering on hysteria, but there was no way Ginny would let her play the victim.

  “Oh, did he force himself on you? Did he rape you, Megan? And be very careful about your answer, because I won't have you accusing him of something so grotesque as that.”

  “He was with me while still with you. How can you want to defend him?”

  “Because of all the things he is, he's not a rapist. He has his finer qualities. It was just that he and I weren't meant for each other. Should it have taken over a month to figure that out? Probably not, but I don't blame him for our lack of compatibility.”

  “Not compatible? Why did you share his bed for so long?”

  Releasing a heavy sigh, Ginny said, “I can't really explain it, Megan. It was a mistake, and I own up to that. Are you saying that sleeping with him was a mistake, because I can tell you he doesn't think so.”

  Megan released a very unladylike snort. But Ginny saw that she was flattered that Nathaniel was thinking about her. Flattered enough? Not yet, but hopefully soon.

  “If he would be willing to treat you with so little respect, what chance have I?”

  “Megan, he did something stupid. We all do stupid things from time to time. Give him a break. He doesn't want to lose you.” Ginny barely had the energy to exert herself over this love affair. She would rather spend time with her new sweetie.

  “I... I want...” Megan looked out the porthole towards the ocean beyond, lost in thought.

  Ginny knew it was time to leave her to her musings. But before she left, she wanted to give Megan one more thing to think about, to add to helping her make her decision one way or another.

  “You know you might be pregnant from your one night together.”

  Before she could exit the room, Megan grabbed her arm and whispered, “What?”

  “It only takes once, Megan. And it certainly wouldn't be any child's fault that his parents made a mistake that brought him into the world. Maybe you should consider that as well.”

  Walking up on deck, Ginny found Nathaniel talking to Gideon. Neither man looked particularly happy. As she approached, she overheard their conversation.

  “Are you certain, Gideon? This could mean nothing but trouble for us all.”

  “I know what I saw and it would be a fair bet that if I saw them, they saw us.”

  “Who saw us?” Ginny asked as she stood next to the pair. Nathaniel looked away toward the horizon, but Gideon looked right at her.

  “The Venganza.”

  Blinking to let her friend know that his explanation wasn't enough, Ginny raised her eyebrows when he didn't elaborate.

  Nathaniel let out a curse as he turned to explain. “La Venganza is a ship, Corliss. A ship whose captain does not like me and the feeling is mutual. We have run into each other before.”

  At that, Gideon snorted. “You see, Corliss, Venganza's captain, a surly individual by the name of Roberto Almaraz, has been cheated out of some booty by the Victory. In one case, we came to assist a British ship just in time from being boarded. His ship's name says it all.”

  Ginny knew Spanish, so she was well aware that the name of the ship was Revenge. Very fitting, and just a little pirate stereotypical. Regardless, the two were acting nervous, which made Ginny nervous as well.

  “Is this some back story I'm unfamiliar with?” When Gideon gave her a strange look, she added, “So, this guy wouldn't mind putting a world of hurt on you and this ship?” Her question was directed to Nathaniel, who was scanning for another ship. They had reached Puerto Rico, so part of the island blocked their potential danger.

  Without answering her, Nathaniel spoke to Gideon. “Make sure we are prepared, Gideon. Get Rogers to check on the guns and load any pistols not currently loaded. We could be in for a fight.”

  Fight? Ginny had wondered why they hadn't been in battle yet, but was starting to take it for granted. She could only imagine what a cannonball could do to the human body. It just might be the time to find out. Nathaniel walked away and began shouting orders to his crew.

  When he was complete, he turned to Ginny and asked, in an absurdly casual voice, “Did you speak to Megan?”

  It took a moment for Ginny to realize what he was asking. They were about to attacked, and he was worried about his relationship. Shaking her head, she answered, “Yes. She's still pretty mad, but I think I got her to realize that you are the only man for her. We'll just have to wait and see.”

  Looking at her, his voice its usual stern, he said, “You need to talk to her again, Corliss. We will be in San Juan by tomorrow evening if we haven't been destroyed.”

  “Is that a possibility?” she asked, knowing, well almost knowing, that they had to be victorious. A book ending where everyone dies is sick and depressing and very, very unromantic.

  “Almaraz is good, but I am better. However, there is always a chance.”

  As if a light bulb came on in his head, he pulled her aside, away from the rest of the crew. Whispering to her, he said, “Promise me you will look out for her, Corliss. If anything happens to me, I need to know she will be well. Can you promise me that?”

  Maybe it was the look of vulnerability, or maybe it was the fact that despite being totally wrong for each other, they had meant something to each other for a while, but Ginny nodded her head. Of course she would look out for the girl, because that was the kind of person she was.

  “Don't worry, Nathaniel. I have faith in your abilities as captain.”

  “I hope it will be enough,” he said as he strode off to alert the rest of his crew.

  Ginny had just turned when a ship came into view. Still a distance off, it was more than obvious that it was heading right for the Victory. Whatever Ginny was expecting, she was sorely disappointed. No dark wood, no big, black flag with a skull and crossbones. For pirates, apparently they'd never heard about any stereotypes.

  The minute the ship came around the island into view, one of the crew alerted everyone with a loud shout. Men went to and fro, preparing for a battle. Ginny was clearly in the way, so she went to the railing and watched as the ship made its approach. Nathaniel screamed to the helmsman to take them into deeper water. The Victory turned away from along the shore and headed out to sea.

  Gideon, who was passing her by, saw her confusion. “'Tis easier to maneuver, Corliss. If you are battling with another ship, you just might end up in the rocks if no one is paying attention.”

  Conceding his point, she still thought it was stupid. If a person had to jump ship, it was nice to know that the shore was close enough to reach. Even though the thought of drowning scared her, Ginny was no coward. She would go and prepare herself to do battle.

  Reaching the surgery, Ginny found Spencer looking over his supplies. When he saw her, he said, “I will need your help, Corliss. There are apt to be many wounded, and I am only one man. Can you help me?”

  A little disappointed, she nodded. Yes, she would help Spencer, but not before she got to sword fight. If she had to be in battle, she was damn well going to have some fun.

  “Are you scared?” she asked, not thinking it was insulting to question his bravery.

  Spencer grabbed her arms and kissed her hard. “Yes, I am. I have only just gotten you in my life Corliss, and I would hate to lose you now.”

  Smiling, she said, “I'm too stubborn to die. Plus, I can handle myself.”

  “Promise not to do anything stupid, Corliss.”

  Quirking her head to the side, she responded, “Me, stupid? Never!”

  Giving him a quick kiss back, she left to retrieve her sword. With her borrowed sword in hand, she went back on deck. The first thing she noticed was the deadly calm. Everyone on deck was watching the other vessel to see what it would do. The next thing she noticed was that the other ship was much closer.
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  Walking up to Nathaniel, she asked, “Why don't you outrun him?”

  “I could, but that would not solve our problem. Almaraz is set on vengeance, and I never back down. 'Tis better to get it over with now.”

  Ginny watched the captain's face with rapt attention. The way he looked was compelling. Serious, calculating, deadly. If she hadn't broken up with him and found someone better, Nathaniel would have had the sex of his life that night, when all was said and done. He looked like an ancient warrior, but even smarter and more cunning.

  After a month together, she had wondered why he did what he did. As the child of nobility, he could have lived a life of leisure in England. Now she knew that he was made for this. He had the brain of a brilliant military commander, who led his troops to victory. Thus the name of his ship. Nothing else would do.

  Turning to look at Ginny, he saw the sword in her hands. Shaking his head, he said, “No, Corliss. You are to lock yourself in a cabin with Megan and her father. I cannot have you on deck when the fighting begins.”

  “Why?” she asked, hardly keeping the exasperation from her voice. “I'm a member of this crew. I can handle myself.”

  Grabbing her arm and dragging her to the stairs leading down into the ship, he said, “I need you to protect Megan. You promised.”

  “You said if anything happened to you. Nothing has happened yet.”

  His face turned mean. “What would Sherwood say? He wouldn't want you risking your life. Now, go. On this you will obey me, Corliss.”

  Giving her a gentle push down the steps, Ginny went to Megan's room and knocked on the door. Megan's head popped out of her father's cabin next door.

  As Ginny turned, Megan grabbed her arm and dragged her inside the cabin. Mr. McCarthy was asleep on the berth, snoring slightly, but otherwise still.

  Megan hissed, “What is happening?”

  Whispering in return, Ginny said, “Oh, some pirate wants Nathaniel dead. The other ship is on our tail and Nathaniel has every intention of taking him on.”

  “What?” Her eyes as big as saucers, Ginny saw her chance to convince Megan of just how much in love she was with Nathaniel.

  “Relax, Megan, he should be alright. He told me he was better than the Spanish captain.”

  Sitting hard on the only chair in the room, Megan looked lost. “Spanish? I have heard horrible stories about Spanish privateers.”

  Ginny was fairly certain that the same thing was said about English and French privateers, but kept her thoughts to herself. “I'm here to protect you and your father, so we are to stay in this cabin.”

  And that moment, Ginny heard a loud boom, followed by a big splash just outside the porthole. It seemed that the battle had begun. Megan's hands were working a hole into her new dress, with all the twisting she was doing to it with her hands.

  “Don't worry, Megan. You'll be fine and so will Nathaniel. I promise.”

  It was a fairly easy promise to make, considering he was the mega-hunk and she his heroine. But the thought left her a little uncomfortable. If Nathaniel and Megan were the couple of this novel, where did that leave her? Cannon fodder, she imagined. The red shirt on Star Trek. Expendable.

  Ginny's stomach gave a little twist. Could she be killed? What would happen if she were killed, would her real life cease as well? All the uncomfortable questions came back to her with a vengeance. Was she even still alive in her real life, real body? Or was this her hell? Ginny was surprised that she hadn't thought much about it in a while. Living the lives of other people had taken up too much of her time. She didn't want to die, but she wasn't going to be a chicken and hide. This was her chance to prove that she could be more than she had been before. She could be more than she ever thought possible.

  Chapter 32

  Ginny stayed by the door, listening. She couldn't hear a blessed thing, with the cannon fire from both ships and the shouts of the crew. Prayers went through her head for the crew, especially Spencer and Gideon. Turning back, Ginny noticed something very strange. Frank McCarthy was still fast asleep on the bunk. Ginny's mouth dropped open as she looked at Megan in surprise.

  “He has not been well, Corliss,” she said in explanation.

  “Be that as it may, Megan, he should be awake by now,” Ginny fairly screamed as something hard and deadly hit the side of the ship. The sounds of splintering wood and screams filled the air. Torn between going and helping those injured and keeping her promise to Nathaniel to look out for Megan, Ginny stood planted in her place. Once the shock wore off, she walked to Frank McCarthy's side and checked his pulse.

  His pulse was thready and his skin warm and clammy. There was a pallor to his skin that looked unhealthy. Rolling her eyes, Ginny asked, “How long has he been like this?”

  “Not long. He was complaining about his back last night, and I was not able to wake him this morning.” Megan, who had held onto her composure up until that point, began to shake. “What am I to do, Corliss? He cannot die for I have no one else.”

  Ginny stared at the girl for a long moment before pulling Megan in her arms. Patting her head, like a mother with her child, she said, “It will be alright, Megan. You won't be alone, I promise.”

  As if to make a liar out of her, the ship suddenly lurched, throwing both women against the wall. Ginny's left shoulder took the brunt of it, but both women were left on the floor to recover. Reaching up, Ginny found blood on her head, but nothing serious enough to require stitches. Looking at Megan, the girl had been mostly protected in Ginny's arms, except for the obvious shock of the situation.

  Ginny thought they must have hit something and the only thing they could have hit was the other ship. Like some Mad Max remake, were the captains ramming their boats into each other? Megan got up and went to her father, who had barely moved. Ginny holding her sleeve to her head, got up and went to the bedside.

  “If that didn't wake him, Megan, I doubt anything will. I'm sorry.”

  Numbly, she nodded her head in understanding and took her father's hand. Lost in her own world, Ginny picked up her sword and headed for the door.

  “Megan, latch the door after I leave and open it for no one.” When the girl didn't acknowledge her, she screamed above the din, “Do you understand!”

  Megan got off the berth and did as she was told. Ginny, on the other hand, was about to do what she was expressly forbidden to do. She was going to fight with the rest of the crew. Being holed up with Megan and her dying father would do no one any good. Instead, she would see what was going on and help if she could. She wasn't going to let her friends die while she sat waiting for the fight to find her.

  ********

  Climbing up on deck, the only word for the situation was mayhem. Men ran past her, taking up positions on the railing. Guns in hand, they faced the other ship that was literally on top of them. As if some silent command was given, guns were fired from both ships, but only a few men went down.

  In the moment that the Victory's men were reloading, men from the Venganza began to swing across on ropes tied to their masts. It only took seconds before strange men crowded on the ship, brandishing swords and fighting in close combat. Spotting Gideon, he was engaged with another man, fighting him away from the helm.

  Ginny had to imagine that having control of your enemy's ship was a plus. Standing like a statue, Ginny took in the whole scene. She spotted Nathaniel, fighting back a particularly large man while screaming orders to his crew. How they could hear a word he said was beyond Ginny. Instead, she joined the fray, engaging a man who wasn't much bigger than she.

  The man had an awful, toothless sneer and his image reminded Ginny of the unwashed bodies in the Scottish Lowlands. Toothless wasted no time raising his sword against her, expecting an easy fight. He was disappointed when Ginny maneuvered his sword out of his hands and kicked him in the groin. Down he went, clutching himself as he rolled in agony.

  Turning at a flash out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw another man approach her. He didn't bother con
sidering her skill and merely began to slice at her with his weapon. Ginny held her own, but knew she was outmatched. Not that he was a better swordsman, but he was stronger, faster and had obviously been doing it for a lot longer.

  The man continued to push her backwards, Ginny giving up precious feet in order to keep from being hit. When her back hit an obstacle, which Ginny refused to turn to see what it was, she knew she was in serious trouble.

  Surrender was out of the question, so her only option was to brazen it out. Meeting his swings, one after another, she grew more and more tired. The only thing keeping her going was her arrogance. Letting him win would be like giving up and she wasn't about to do that.

  A second later, her sword was on the ground, and the man before her was holding his sword to her chest. Ginny was breathing heavy, but she never took her eyes off him. She memorized his unshaven face, his steely brown eyes and straight nose. If he was going to kill her, she would die with her eyes open.