Hart's Passion (Pirates & Petticoats Book 2)

by Chloe Flowers

  Ha. Did he think Daniel’s acquiescence to his arrangements would sway her mind? Although her anger and frustration had subsided since his departure, her convictions had not. Let him try to keep her from going with him.

  Curious though, she climbed out of the bed and accepted the key from Mrs. Schoen and knelt to unlock the trunk. As she lifted the lid, she heard the Innkeeper’s wife draw in a slow breath.

  “Ooooh!” Mrs. Schoen said from over her shoulder. “Dat iss yust vat you need, ya? Iss goot.”

  “Oh, yes,” Keelan answered softly.” It’s very, very good.”

  She touched the soft silk chemise and stockings. Sliding several undergarments aside revealed two beautiful gowns. One was a soft gray, the other a deep green. A velvet cloak of the same dark green lay folded beneath the gowns. She also found two pair of slippers tucked neatly into the bottom. And a bonnet identical to the one she lost during the storm…without the feathers. She smiled.

  “Would you please bring up some writing supplies? I must write a note of thanks to Captain Hart.”

  Mrs. Schoen nodded knowingly and grinned. “I will bring up to you.”

  In her note, she thanked Landon for the clothes. She also told him she appreciated his efforts to get her and Daniel safely to Philadelphia.

  She didn’t say, however, she would actually go.

  The next day Keelan was able to move about the room with relative ease. Her back would be sore for days, but Mrs. Schoen’s constant tending had kept infection at bay and sped the healing process. There were not many places on her body that weren’t sore or tender, and after spending the last two days prone, her joints were creaky and weak. To get her legs limber again she limped about the room. She had donned the new chemise and stockings but with a defined shudder had omitted the corset. Her attempt at putting on the gown was met with partial success as she stepped into the skirt and pulled the bodice up over her shoulders. The top fit well enough, but the skirt was a bit long. Either Landon was fairly talented at estimating a lady’s size or extremely lucky.

  Fastening the garment, however, was another matter. Keelan winced in pain at the thought of anything rubbing against the wrapped, partially healed gashes across her shoulders. Mrs. Schoen had come to her rescue with a soft wrap for her wounds.

  Eager to be on her way, she packed Landon’s now clean and dry coat into the trunk he had sent yesterday, along with his shirt. Pausing, she ran her hand over the fabric.

  He provided a way to contact him through the Schoens, and it gave her a calmer sense of strength and faith. A knock on the door jarred her from her musings. “Come in,” she beckoned.

  Daniel stepped into the room. His concerned gaze searched her face beseechingly. “I have been so worried. Mrs. Schoen kept assuring me you were healing well, but I finally had to see for myself.”

  “I’m glad you’re here. I am much better, as you can see.” She moved toward the open door. “I have a strong need for some air and a short walk. Would you stroll with me a bit?” she asked.

  Daniel fidgeted. “I am afraid I have some bad news.”

  “Bad news?” Her first thought was of Slaney. The maid’s ship had sailed a few days ago. “What is it?”

  “At Captain Hart’s suggestion, I have been spending the last two days down at the docks. He hopes to find out who had you kidnapped. He seems to think Gampo wouldn’t have gone to this length, putting his crew in peril, unless he had an advantage of some sort…An informant or man in Charleston who could give him access to important information.”

  “That seems to be a lot to accomplish.”

  Daniel shrugged and added, “The captain believes they are connected and one man is responsible.”

  “Connected?” This was confusing. “I don’t understand how I could be connected with the events surrounding Captain Hart’s cargo theft.”

  Giving her a thoughtful look he suggested, “Jared Grey owned both warehouses involved in the theft. The one originally storing the goods, and also the one which stored it after it’d been stolen.”

  The connection was easy to identify. Keelan sucked in her breath. “Captain Hart mentioned that. I had forgotten. He thinks Jared might be the common link?” She was convinced now Dr. Garrison was behind the series of tragic events surrounding her family and her, but she couldn’t fathom why he’d involve Captain Hart.

  “It’s possible, he’s a common link, yes.” Daniel acknowledged. “However, that doesn’t mean that he’s responsible. It could be someone who works for him, someone who would have access to the keys. There’s no solid proof yet. The few pirates they captured the night he found you have refused to talk. Sheriff Pinkerton hopes their tongues will loosen when they are paraded by the gallows.”

  Everett was some way involved, although the sudden transformation from a bumbling, yet well-meaning physician to a deranged murderer was hard to believe. Did Uncle Jared find her letter and read her warning regarding the doctor’s plans?

  “What is your bad news then?” she asked.

  “Mr. Schoen told me Gampo’s men are searching for you.”

  “I know, Captain Hart mentioned it in his note.”

  “There is a reward for your capture, now.” Daniel hesitated before continuing and eyed her carefully, “You are wanted for the murder of a man named Crowe.”

  Keelan gaped at Daniel. It was a moment before she could speak. “Murder! But…he…I did not mean to…he was about to stab Captain Hart!” She drew a deep breath and drew herself taller. “Take me to the sheriff this moment. I am sure once he hears all the details.…”

  “No, Mistress.” Daniel shook his head. “Captain Hart fears if your location is known, your life would be in danger. You must understand, Keelan, it is not the law who wants you. It’s Gampo. Descriptions of you have been given to most of the dockworkers and any ship’s crew still in port, along with the promise of quite a large reward for finding you.”

  A sudden frigid blade of dread sliced through her, as the meaning of Daniel’s message sank in. Keelan’s hand crept shakily to her throat, where she could feel the erratic pulse of her heart, and she sat down with an unladylike thump.

  The manservant sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. You simply cannot be seen in this city as Keelan Grey, without risk of capture by thugs employed by Gampo, or those eager for his coin.”

  “No wonder Landon’s note said to avoid sending for my property or going back to the town house.” Keelan swallowed and met the valet’s determined stare.

  “There’s more, Miss Keelan.” He took a note from his pocket. “The harbormaster gave this to me. Commodore Hall received an urgent request to set sail to Philadelphia post haste to fend off a British blockade. They left yesterday at dawn.”

  “Oh. Well, good.” She almost smiled. Landon’s plan had failed of its own accord. He’d have no choice now but to let her go with him to find Gampo.

  “Good?” Daniel looked at her curiously.

  She glanced out the window, a bit embarrassed. “Captain Hart and I had a small disagreement with regard to the trip to Philadelphia on the USS Glory.”

  Daniels lips twitched. “Ah, then.”

  At her raised brows, he clarified, “It explains the state of irritation he was in when he and I spoke yesterday.”

  “He was being unreasonable,” she mumbled.

  Daniel cocked his head and grinned, unable to remain stoic any longer. “He said as much about you.”

  She might be stubborn, but she’d come out the victor this time. The walls of the small rustic room heaved in even closer. She wasn’t sure she had the fortitude to hide out in the attic of the Whistling Pig for too much longer. Already, the heat and the cramped space made her long for fresh air and a brisk walk. “We should get word to Captain Hart straight away.”

  Daniel ran his bony fingers through his hair and shook his head. “I tried, but the Desire loaded her cargo yesterday evening and set sail down the coast early this morning, just prior to the USS Glory.”

 
A small thunderstorm blossomed in Keelan’s chest.

  He left her behind. Did Landon weigh anchor to draw away Gampo and his men from Charleston and her? Was he even now in the midst of a sea battle?

  How could he depart when he told her only yesterday the repairs weren’t yet complete? Unless…unless he’d been lying yesterday. No. He’d asked her to sail with him.

  An even more horrible thought floated to the top of her mind. Was he trying to get rid of her? Away from her?

  Putting her on Commodore Hall’s frigate and also saying the Desire was not ready to sail was easier than telling her he’d changed his mind. He sailed south. In the opposite direction she was to go. Was he fleeing from her?

  A loud rush of noise filled her ears, and the skin on her face prickled as if a thistle had been tossed at it. Did he not believe her when she told him Garrison’s kiss was unwanted and undesired? Did he conclude he couldn’t trust her? Perhaps he’d come to the conclusion that having a woman in his life was simply too much trouble. Maybe seeing Garrison kiss her had brought back too many painful memories.

  Slaney had warned her. Mother had warned her. She had warned herself.

  A man of the sea always returns to the sea.

  She recalled all her fears about falling in love with Landon Hart, all the reasons why she shouldn’t have allowed herself to fall for his charms, all the warnings… But she had wanted to believe him, wanted to hope they could be happy together but those things had betrayed her, blinded her. It had been foolish to ignore the warnings.

  She would never be able to take the place of his first love, a life of adventure upon the sea.

  He was gone.

  Tears burned in her eyes. She’d hoped a fool’s hope. So much had transpired over the past day. Landon’s love for his ship and the prosperity of his business were the most important parts of his life. A trip north would endanger him and his crew. Gampo’s sole purpose now was finding and punishing her. Even worse, Landon and his fleet were not the targets of Gampo’s revenge, she was. Was Landon simply taking advantage of the distraction she provided so he could flee unnoticed?

  Which was it?

  She wanted so desperately to believe Landon cared about her and was trying to protect her but…She’d known him only a few weeks. Was he capable of such deceit and treachery? Was she so blinded by her attraction to him? Did his true nature hide behind his handsome features and charm, like Garrison’s had hidden behind his gentle demeanor and kindness?

  Daniel waited patiently for her to turn her attention back to him. She’d known Daniel her entire life and could tell he had more to tell her. She immediately read the expression on his face.

  “You already have a plan," she stated.

  Daniel bit back a smile. “Yes, I do.”

  She took a breath and released it. “And I can tell I’m not going to like it much.”

  The corners of Daniels mouth twitched, before he grinned. “No, Mistress, you are not going to like it at all.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “While I was loitering down at the waterfront gleaning information,” Daniel said, “I found out Mr. and Mrs. Schoen seem to have a network of informants in the area. They might be able to help us.” Daniel plucked his sack from the hook by the door and started looking through it. “I suspect the Schoens either harbor runaway slaves or provide information to assist them.”

  “I wondered about that,” she murmured. There’d been something about Landon’s familiarity with the couple and a comment he’d made about gleaning information from them, that had her curious earlier.

  “Mrs. Schoen told me she’d heard Gampo wasn’t the man in charge of Hart’s cargo theft or the kidnapping,” Daniel said. “Gampo has a silent employer, but no one seemed to know his name.”

  Keelan paced the floor. “As hard as it is to believe, I strongly suspect Dr. Garrison is involved somehow.” His behavior these past few weeks changed. Drastically.

  “He could have let the kidnappers into the house,” Daniel mused, nodding.

  She paused as her mind began to make other connections. “He had access to the warehouse keys.” Daniel stopped rummaging and gave her his full attention.

  She continued. “It would have been easy for Garrison to borrow any of Jared’s warehouse keys,” she said. “Uncle Jared kept a spare set in his desk at Twin Pines.” The full realization of what she was saying was overwhelming. She abruptly sat on the stool by her bed. Dread settled on her shoulders as a darker thought seeped into her mind. It was horrible. Ludicrous. Yet—made sense, somehow. “He’s too smart to get personally involved, which could explain why no one captured at the warehouse knows who he is by name.

  “But why?” Daniel asked, shocked. “What would he do such a thing?”

  The doctor had been pleased that she was of no blood kin to the commodore. Why was that fact important to him? “The passenger ship Papa accidentally destroyed,” she thought aloud. “The assassin began targeting Papa’s family shortly after the court martial.” She clasped her hands together until her fingers ached, not wanting to accept what her mind was thinking.

  Daniel nodded. “Your mother’s carriage accident was first. The commodore’s brother’s family was killed shortly after. Then the commodore became ill.”

  “Dr. Garrison mentioned something about losing loved ones at sea,” she said, certain now that she was correct. Daniel’s eyes widened and he finished her thought for her. “This is all about revenge, isn’t it?”

  “If he had loved ones on the ship…” She understood.

  Rachel.

  More than once, he had called her by that name. He carried a tattered letter from Rachel in his coat pocket, expressing her happy anticipation of their wedding day. Keelan’s throat went dry. Good Lord.

  “It has to be Dr. Garrison,” she breathed, glad she was seated.

  “But what about the commodore’s older brother?” Daniel asked. “Garrison was here when he was killed.”

  One didn’t have to be present to be involved, did they? “He had Gampo’s help here,” she said. “He could have had another man’s help in England.”

  “True.”Daniel paced the small room. “When I spoke to Captain Hart, he said he suspected his ship was being watched. The other piers had spies as well, along with Mr. Grey’s house in Charleston.” He paused and looked at her, concerned. “That means that both Gampo and Garrison are searching for you.”

  “I’ll wear my sparring clothes and boots and disguise myself as a boy.” She had fooled Landon Hart and Conal O’Brien the day she met them, hadn’t she? And at close proximity.

  Daniel’s gaze lingered on her long auburn tresses. “You’ll have to cut it, you know.”

  She sighed and waved her hand. “It’s hair. It will grow back.”

  A quick knock broke into their conversation. Daniel stepped over to the door and opened it. Mrs. Schoen bustled in, bringing with her a strong odor of burned ham and carrying a bucket and several rags. She sat it on the small table. Straightening, she put her hands on her hips. “You haf’ to leave. Der is no time to wait for anudder ship to come going north to Philadelphia. You must leave now. I vill help.”

  “What? Why?” The sudden turn of events was a surprise. She glanced at Daniel. The grim set of his mouth told her he wasn’t as shocked as she.

  “Gampo’s men are downstairs,” Mrs. Schoen said in a hushed voice. “They asked to inspect the rooms for rent and I suspect if we deny them, they will make tings…difficult.”

  Keelan pressed a hand over her thundering heart. Would the pirates insist on searching the attic? Either way, she wasn’t ready to find out.

  Mrs. Schoen put the rags in the bucket and continued, “A ship leaves at sunrise in der morgen. My husband has arranged for yu employment. The captain, is a goot man. I vill tell yu more while I work to hide you better, so you can leave here safely.”

  “I have a set of boy’s clothes and boots,” Keelan said, glancing at Daniel, hoping he was right and the Schoen
’s could be trusted.

  Mrs. Schoen lifted a strand of Keelan’s hair and shook her head. “Is not enough to change your clothing. Your hair is like a beacon. We must extinguish it or you vill be discovered.”

  “Extinguish it, how?” What solution was the woman about to offer? Cutting her hair was fine, but she wasn’t about to shave her head.

  “It’s too risky for her to try to travel as a woman,” Daniel said. “We could simply cut her hair and wrap it in a scarf or hide it under a hat.”

  “Und if der wind took der hat? Her hair got out of der scarf? She would be spotted immediately, und turned over to Gampo,” Mrs. Schoen said. She pointed to the bucket. “I haf made a dye. It vill stain your skin for several days. You vill not be noticed.”

  Keelan sat in silent surrender as Daniel trimmed her auburn mane up to her shoulders.

  Mrs. Schoen merrily scooped up the fallen tresses. “Der local toymaker vill be so happy to haf dis beautiful hair for his dolls.”

  She hoped he would pay Mrs. Schoen well for delivering the long red curls. It was the least she could do for the woman who had taken such good care of her and Daniel.

  The next step was applying the dark brown stain to their skin. Mrs. Schoen told them she’d made it out of boiled black oak bark, black walnut hulls, a small amount of molasses and soot from a burned hog carcass. Daniel left to pack his things, giving Keelan and Mrs. Schoen some privacy to apply the dye.

  Several times, Mrs. Schoen soaked a rag in the mixture and rubbed it over Keelan’s arms, legs, face and neck. She carefully dabbed the dye around the wounds on her shoulders and back then for good measure ran it through her hair.

  “A little less like a flame, eh?” she had asked, grinning.

  A little more like a tiger.

  She had to admit, it did mute the auburn tones quite a bit. She picked up the rag and rubbed it through the rest of her hair.

  When it was all said and done, Keelan could pass for any one of several nationality types, and she smelled very much like a charred ham.