“What started this feud between Fynn and Gampo?” she asked.
Landon took a deep breath, scrubbed his face with his other hand and gave a baffled laugh. “Those two salts had been at odds for the past twenty-five years, although no one seems to remember why. Fynn always remained tightlipped about it. His only plan of action was to do as much damage as possible to Gampo’s ship without killing anyone.” He shrugged. “Gampo seemed to have the same intent. Both did their best to hinder the other’s business and disrupt each other’s trade, like a couple of old, toothless dogs.”
“Have many people died?” she asked. A light shadow of whiskers covered his jaws. Curious, she traced her fingers along his chin.
“No lives were lost in all those years. Brendan, Fynn’s son, said Fynn died because he was hit by falling debris from a splintered mast. In truth, Gampo’s shot had been high. He didn’t rake the deck with grape shot, which tells me he had no intent to kill Fynn.”
She moved her hand to his chest and marveled at the ripple of muscle beneath her fingers as he shifted to turn toward her a bit more. She raised an eyebrow. “Now, you’ve lost Fynn and Gampo’s lost his first mate and his sister. It’s become a blood feud, hasn’t it? Gampo is still pursuing the fleet, so it doesn’t seem like he’s ready to call a halt to it.” She was a part of this now. It wasn’t because she married Landon, it was because she too, had raised the pirate’s ire.
Landon stared into her eyes a moment, contemplating. “Conal and Brendan are determined to see him hang for causing Fynn’s death.”
“Where’s Brendan now?”
“He’s waiting for us in the harbor with Fynn’s ship, the Reward.”
There was something else bothering her. In fact, it had been lingering on the fringes of her mind for the past few days. “When we were in the warehouse, Gampo mentioned something about his sister. He seemed to believe Fynn had somehow wronged her. He mentioned Fynn would know how much a Persian would pay for me,” she said. Although she felt safe in Landon’s arms, she couldn’t suppress the shiver which skittered across her shoulders.
He hugged her closer. “Fynn has never engaged in the slave trade, rather, he’s done much to foil it. His group of Freedom Runners is proof.”
“Gampo seems to be convinced Fynn sold his sister,” she said.
“Gampo is mistaken.” Landon smoothed a stray strand of hair away from her face and kissed her forehead.
“How did you come to be on Fynn’s ship?”
“My parents died when I was twelve. Then Fynn took me in. I was lucky.”
When he was young, it had taken wits and strength and luck. Landon twirled his finger in a lock of Keelan’s hair. “Fynn had recently lost his brother to the same fever which killed my parents on the journey to America from Ireland. Although Fynn and Risa had children of their own to care for, they took me in and raised me as their own.” He stroked his fingertips along the soft skin of her arm. “That old salt told the best yarns.”
Fynn’s stories invoked images of daring rescues, duels, and true love. He moved his fingers in small circles up to the silky skin of his wife’s shoulder.
“When Fynn’s wife, Risa, was a young maid, she was taken prisoner from a prize ship and sold by the pirates who’d captured it. Gampo gave the pirate captain a small fortune prior to the sale to buy her before she was placed up on the block.”
“It seems odd that Gampo is outraged that Fynn might have bought and sold his sister when it appears he has his fingers in the slave trade as well.”
Landon leaned close to her ear and breathed in deeply before he continued. Jasmine. Keelan always smelled like Jasmine. She moved her hand from his chest up to her shoulder where his hand rested and wove her fingers with his. Her breasts brushed against his arm, and he fought to remember what he wanted to say next.
Ah yes, Uncle Fynn’s new bride.
“Fynn had been enslaved by the same pirate ship. By the time it made port, he’d fallen in love with Risa. Before Gampo arrived to collect his prize, Fynn sneaked in and helped her escape from the pirate’s gaol.”
Keelan’s eyes widened. “She was in a cell? Was she in love with Fynn, too? How did he release her?”
He smiled a bit roguishly. “No. She was most definitely not in love with Fynn. She was a Spanish aristocrat’s daughter. He was a young seaman. He freed her by outwitting her guards. However, that is a story for another day.”
Keelan looked down at their threaded fingers and hesitated. What was on her mind? She was contemplating something important. He waited.
After a moment, she raised her gaze back to his, and he was almost rendered powerless by the intensity of her dark green stare. A ring of gold rimmed her pupils and then flared out into the emerald irises like an exploding star.
“Did she eventually fall in love with him? Did they travel together? Did they love each other? Were they happy?” she asked.
“So many questions.” He pictured Keelan as a young girl, small and thin, strong and impetuous…desiring the love and compassion of a mother and a father, yet left bereft. In his mind’s eye, he could see her holding a babe in her arms, smiling. He wanted her to have a family because when he looked at her, it was all he could see.
Family.
Keelan desired to know her sire, and by damned, he and Conal would make sure she met him. Even better, she’d become part of a family the two of them would create together.
Bound by love, forged in their hearts and unbreakable. When he looked at her, he saw his future, his life…happiness.
Landon brought their hands to the small space between their bodies and brushed the pink buds of her nipples with his knuckles, and marveled at how her pupils widened and her breath shortened.
He continued, “Yes, and they were happy. Fynn and Risa sailed together. It was unconventional, even cursed by other sailors, but the two did it anyway. They loved each other and nothing kept them from spending their lives together.” He locked his gaze with hers. “Just like you and me.”
Keelan smiled. “Yes, just like you and me.” She kissed his knuckles. “Tell me, did they marry?”
“Yes,” Landon admitted. “And when he sailed, Risa stood firm by Fynn’s side. They had two sons, Brendan and Ronan, and both grew up on the ship. When Fynn sought horses from Persia to trade, Risa rode with him over the desert.” Landon took a long, pensive breath. “It was Risa who offered shelter to two runaways and then wrote to a friend to help deliver them to safety. Fynn then organized an alliance. To this day, we still do our best to aid families seeking to escape to their freedom.”
“Fynn must have loved Risa very much,” she said softly.
Landon kissed her shoulder. “Fynn said Risa was the fairest gem he’d ever met and that he’d never met another woman like her, nor would he ever expect to find another again. She was his light. His star. Just like you are mine.”
Another light rap on the cabin door reminded them of the business at hand. “Sir…Captain Hart. Sir?”
“I’ll be right there,” Landon finally answered. He pressed his lips against the hollow of her throat then trailed kisses up her neck before whispering in her ear. “As much as I would wish otherwise, it appears we must dress and take care of the issue at hand.” He smoothed his hand over her side and down to her thigh, sending shivers through her lower belly. His palm moved between their bodies, tracing a fiery path upward. Gently probing fingers caressed the moist curls before slipping past her folds and making intense circles around the little island of pleasure nestled there. “Although, I would rather dally longer here, as my husbandly duty demands.”
This man. The things he could do with his fingers made her forget her own name. She pressed her hips against his hand and trailed her fingers over his lips, down his neck, and across the taut muscles of his chest, struggling to speak. “Then…when time…permits, I shall expect you to fulfill your duties as…demanded,” she breathed, happy she could at least form the words. Her breath came and went in soft pa
nts, his strokes against her sending swirling eddies of delight through her lower belly.
He caught his breath as her hand moved lower. “Indeed.”
Keelan knotted the scarf behind her head and gave a small sigh. “Although this disguise is easy to move in and comfortable, there are times I wish I could wear a gown again and enjoy the more feminine life I used to live.”
Landon chuckled and finished tying the leather corset which flattened her breasts to her chest. As she had earlier suspected, he was indeed a scoundrel when it came to keeping the ends close enough to tie together.
“I must admit, I’m enjoying the respite from the need to defend you from love-struck sailors. ’Tis hard enough to disguise your more womanly curves as it is.” He tweaked her bottom.
She gave him a mock scowl before she shrugged into one of his old shirts, then pulled up and fastened her trousers. He traced the line of demarcation, stretching across her chest.
“Hopefully, it won’t be for much longer.” He plopped a worn, floppy straw hat on her head and gave it a secure pat. “Your bonnet, my lady.” He chucked her under the chin before planting a lingering kiss on her lips. “We can’t take the risk of Gampo confirming you are aboard. For now, you must remain Mahdi, the emerald-eyed, cook’s boy and son of a Persian horse trader. Next to Lin, Jorge, Renaldo, Hugo and Sakura, you should blend right in.” He winked. “You’d be the only one with all your fingers and toes still attached. I hope no one notices.”
Landon strode across the deck toward the small group of crewmen gathered by the main mast. The fog still hung about the ship like a sodden, gray blanket, muffling the sighs of the sea and the voices of the crew. The fog had kept them from moving the ship closer to Harbour Town’s docks. Too risky to navigate.
It helped to have the scarf; it restrained her curly cropped hair. The moisture in the air would have made it even more unruly. The sailors tied scarves around their heads much like Ruth, the plantation cook, had done at Twin Pines. Depending on the head, it either kept hair out of the way, or scalps from burning under the early summer sun. She’d had done her best to imitate the style. However, as comfortable as her clothes were, she still longed to enjoy other womanly pursuits.
Needlepoint, she could be content without, but a fragrant bath…
“Three of Gampo’s men easily managed to gain access to the Seeker as deck hands; it’s unnerving,” Landon muttered.
“It would have been worse had they been successful in sabotaging the sails,” Keelan answered as they came upon a cluster of men gathered in a circle near the main mast.
“How in the hell did they escape?” Landon ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
At the sound of Landon’s voice, the crewmen parted to reveal Conal squatting near Henry, who was groggily trying to sit upright.
“Near as I can make out,” Conal answered, “a few minutes after the change of the watch, Miss Grey came around with a jug of wine she’d stolen from the galley. Somehow, she managed to convince Marcel to unlock the pantry. She told the men on watch she was grateful to them for saving her from the pirates, and she wanted to reward their bravery.”
Landon’s eyebrows rose. “Are you telling me a single jug of wine inebriated the entire watch?”
“It weren’t no ordinary wine, Captain Hart.” Johnny stepped forward from the group. “The wench only offered us a wee bit. Barely two fingers worth in a tiny cup.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Next thing I knew, Remus was tryin’ to shake the teeth outta me mouth.”
“Well, ye was quiet as a stone, man!” Remus retorted. “For a minute, I thought ye was dead!” He scratched his head and muttered, “Johnny’s never missed waking me to take my turn. When I woke up on me own and the rest of me watch still in their hammocks, I knew somthin’ wasn’t right.”
Johnny rubbed his temples. “Still feels like I was hit in the head with a rock hammer.”
Conal gave Landon a humorless smile. “It seems Henry asked for two shares before he was to climb up to the crow’s nest. We found him tangled in the rigging about halfway up. He’s still fairly out of sorts.”
“Remus and Johnny, take Henry to his hammock,” Landon said, a hardened edge to his voice. “Where’s Miss Grey now?”
“We found her tied and gagged in the hold below,” Conal answered.
“But, why would she help them?” Keelan asked. She was both outraged and bewildered. Doreen’s current actions seemed out of place. She’d changed on this voyage, and for the better. Something wasn’t right.
Conal took an angry breath. “She was threatened. One had freed himself during the night. She’d been on her way to the deck to empty the chamber pot when he attacked her. He told her if she didn’t help them escape, they’d kill her and sabotage the ship, so Gampo could take it. Miss Grey said she made the decision she believed would save lives rather than place them in danger. She felt it was her only choice.”
“So she drugged the watch to keep the pirates from killing them?” Keelan asked.
“Yes.” Conal said.
Poor Doreen. That thought stopped her. There was something she never thought she’d think about her cousin. “I believe she has an aunt here in Harbour Town,” she said.
“I’ll offer to provide an escort there for her,” Conal said. “She’s with Mrs. Camsby at the moment. She was quite shaken. I’m hoping Mrs. Camsby can comfort her and help her regain her composure somewhat.”
Johnny and Remus returned, and the Conal directed his next order to Remus. “Prepare a longboat,” he ordered. “Johnny’s men can go ashore first, along with Marcel, who needs to replenish some of our galley supplies. I’ll prepare a missive regarding the two renegades, which we can deliver to the authorities.”
Remus spoke up. “T’would seem the bilge rats might be only an hour ahead of us. We could catch ‘em!”
Landon nodded. “Aye, they have only two men rowing, and one is wounded.”
“There is another piece of good news,” Conal added. “According to Miss Grey, one of Gampo’s men mentioned that once they were back aboard his ship, Gampo would head for his home on an island off the coast of Jamaica.”
Landon caught Conal’s gaze and his eyes gleamed like a cat ready to pounce. “He’s holing up. We can catch him when he makes landfall.”
“I’d like nothing better than to watch him swing.” Conal spun on his heel and tossed over his shoulder, “Remus, tell Madam Camsby we shall take her and Miss Grey ashore within the hour. Johnny, get the men ready to depart before the next bell, only the next watch stays aboard. I want to find those men.” To Landon, he said, “Let’s meet with Brendan to discuss setting a course for Jamaica. Together, we have a score to settle with Gampo.”
At Landon’s beckoning, Keelan slipped though his cabin door, and placed on the table a small breakfast tray of bannocks, jam, and tea she’d assembled in the galley. The activities they shared last night left her famished.
Her husband stepped forward, closed the door, and took her in his arms. Husband. A soft sensation hugged her heart. She slid her hands around his neck. “I brought us some breakfast.”
“The nourishment I seek is not on that tray.” Landon’s eyes glowed warmly as he gave her a slow seductive grin. “In truth, the sustenance I crave only you possess.” His head dipped and his lips found the pulse now pounding erratically in her throat. The food could wait.
Keelan caught her breath and murmured hoarsely in his ear, “But, all I possess, I have already given to you.”
“Then I want more of the same.”
He moved to her mouth and kissed her deeply. Keelan’s fingers dug into the firm muscles of Landon’s shoulders while his hands traveled freely down her sides and around her waist, before slipping in the back of her breeches.
He trailed kisses along her jaw to that sensitive spot behind her ear. “I will forever demand one more kiss, one more caress, one more night of enchantment,” he murmured in her ear.
“Good. I shall be
happy to provide it.” She smiled.
Keelan’s own hunger grew deep within her belly, and she arched against the hardness pressed against her. A low growl rumbled in Landon’s chest, and he skimmed his palms against her naked backside before pulling her hips against his.
“Well, I guess I should have knocked!”
Keelan jumped at the sound of Annette Camsby’s voice and attempted to disengage herself from Landon’s embrace. His arms only tightened around her and he whispered into her ear. “Stay put, Madam, unless you wish to show her the effect your proximity has had on me.”
Keelan ceased her struggles immediately. However, their display witnessed by another caused a hot blush to suffuse her cheeks, and mild panic to well in her chest. Would Annette blurt out what she’d seen to the crew?
“Yes, a knock would have been appropriate, Mrs. Camsby,” Landon responded coolly. He slid his hands from her breeches and then casually caressed Keelan’s back. She half turned to face Annette.
Annette’s eyes flashed at the formal address given by Landon. She swept her hand toward Keelan. “So this is why you have refused to visit my bed?” she asked flatly.
Keelan caught Landon’s gaze. Calm. Warm. Ornery.
“You’ve ignored me because, you have turned your lust to young boys?” Annette’s voice dripped with disgust. “You’re sick in the head.”
Keelan bit back a sudden snort of laughter.
Amusement warmed Landon’s eyes as he grinned down at her. “Not necessarily,” he said.
Annette sauntered forward, hands on her hips. “Tell me Captain, what does the crew think of this? Or do they not yet know? Because I assure you, your dirty little secret will be out within the hour unless you and I can come to a mutual agreement.” She pointed commandingly to Keelan. “You may go. Landon and I are going to have a private…meeting.”
Hart's Passion (Pirates & Petticoats Book 2) Page 22
