My Seaswept Heart

by Christine Dorsey

  For the sennight since, Jamie and his crew had worked making repairs on the Lost Cause. It had survived the storm better than the French ship. The morning after the hurricane all that could be seen of the French Whore was the tip of its mainmast. Debris from the wreckage still washed ashore.

  Jamie followed Anne as she walked to the crest of the hill. From where they stood, the island lay below, a crazy quilt of downed trees and windswept fields. Beyond, on the turquoise bay, was the Lost Cause.

  “I know ye don’t want to leave, but—”

  “What made you think that?” Anne looked up at the captain. The incessant wind streamed burnished hair back from his face, showing the glitter of gold in his ear. He looked every inch the pirate, but his expression was gentle as his eyes met hers. “Libertia was my uncle’s dream, not mine. Oh, I wanted to see it succeed... for him. But I will not mind quitting this place.” Her lashes lowered. “At least I wouldn’t if we were together.”

  “Annie.” His voice was raw with pain.

  “I love you, Jamie. Nothing can change that. Not the fact that you’re a pirate...” Her words trailed off. “Not anything.”

  “Why do we have to discuss this now?”

  “When would you prefer? When you leave me in Charles Town? Or perhaps you’d rather we never talked about it at all. It would be easier that way, wouldn’t it?”

  “Damnation, Anne. I think I’ve shown I’m not always willing to take the easiest course. And you’re mad if ye think that’s what I’m doing now.” He turned away from her. “I’ve explained to ye why it would never work.”

  “Because you’re a pirate.”

  “Aye. Nothing’s changed there.”

  “But what if you weren’t?”

  He turned on her slowly, his expression sad. “Annie, don’t do this.”

  “I want an answer.” Anne stepped away from his hand when he would have touched her. “I think you owe me that much.” She ignored the brows he raised at her last comment. “All right, perhaps you owe me nothing. But I’d like an answer just the same. If you weren’t a pirate what would you do?” Lifting her chin she challenged him to answer.

  He hesitated only a moment. “I’d marry ye, Annie, if you’d have me,” he said simply, and Anne was filled with so much love for him she vaulted into his embrace, snuggling against his wide chest. He smelled of wind and salt and freedom, and she was wont to let him go, even when his hands gently pushed her away.

  “What I want, and what I shall have are two entirely different things. ’Twas a lesson hard learned, but not easily forgotten.” With that he turned and slowly walked down the hill. Not stopping until she caught up with him and forced a rolled parchment into his hands.

  His gaze fell on the document, then raised to meet hers in question.

  “Read it,” was all she said. Anne watched his face as he untied the bit of twine and spread the paper out in his hands. He scanned the words written in her uncle’s meticulous script, then read them more carefully before looking up again at Anne.

  “Don’t you know what it is? What it means?”

  “’Tis a Letter of Marque... made out to me. But why...? How...?”

  Anne let out a breath she didn’t realize she held. “The ‘why’ I don’t know for certain, but the how is easy. Uncle Richard founded Libertia on a royal grant, which made him the governor, equal in standing and importance with other royal governors.”

  “Capable of soliciting privateers?”

  “Exactly. England is at war with France. I suppose Uncle Richard felt that since d’Porteau was a French pirate, you were helping England.” She paused. “Uncle Richard had vice-admiralty powers. Actually as royal governor, he had many powers, but in keeping with John Locke’s philosophy he rarely used them.”

  “But he did this.... By official decree he made me and my crew privateers rather than pirates.” Jamie could barely contain the excitement in his voice as he stared down at the parchment, then back at Anne.

  “He was fond of you, Jamie, and he believed in you. As I do.”

  Anne no sooner had the words out of her mouth when she was drawn into his hard embrace. They were both laughing and crying and holding on to each other.

  “Did you notice at the bottom where he gave you a pardon for past crimes?”

  “I did. But I can still hardly believe it. ’Tis like a second chance at life.” His thumb brushed along her cheek. She looked up at him, her eyes bright with love. Slowly his lips brushed hers. “A second chance for us, Annie, love.”

  Epilogue

  Charles Town, South Carolina

  Spring 1764

  As soon as the crew had the gangplank in place Anne rushed onto the Lost Cause. She’d watched from the docks in Charles Town as the sloop sailed into port, shading her eyes and trying to catch a glimpse of Jamie. She waved now as he leaped from the quarterdeck. The sight of him took her breath away, even dressed as he was in the more subdued garb of a respected sea captain.

  He wore his hair brushed back in a queue with nary a glimmer of gold showing at his ear. And his jacket covered a shirt fastened at the throat. But there was something about him that conjured up images of making love with the trade winds drifting over her naked skin and the tide tickling her toes.

  Her body quickened at the thought, and her cheeks were a rosy pink when he lifted her into a sweeping embrace. His kiss was deep and hungry, and Anne’s knees could barely support her when he lifted his head.

  “Captain... please,” she whispered, as she grabbed for the hat tilting off her head.

  “Please what, Annie?” His grin was wicked. A pirate’s grin. “Isn’t this a proper greeting for my wife?”

  “Well, yes.” Anne smiled. “I suppose it will do... for a start. But it’s not as your wife I’ve come aboard.” His brow arched and Anne hurried on. “I’ve come as your business partner.”

  “I see.” His expression sobered. “Then I suppose if it’s business we’re to be discussing, my cabin be the place for it.” He grabbed her hand, before she could say a word and led her through the maze of sailors, toward the hatch. He yelled something to Deacon about needing a private discussion with his partner before hustling her down the ladder.

  He pulled her through the door, kicking it shut and backing her against it. Anne found herself wedged between the hard wood and his equally hard body in one fluid motion.

  His mouth trailed a path down her neck, not stopping when he encountered the border of ruffled lace. Anne arched her back as he bit at her nipple through the binding silk.

  “Now,” he teased, glancing up at her through gold-tipped lashes. “What did ye want to speak with me about?”

  She had no idea. And the more he fondled her breasts the less she cared. Anne moaned when his hands skimmed off her hips to search through the layers of petticoats.

  “Oh, Jamie.” Her fingers tangled in his hair. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “And I ye, Annie.” His palm splayed the tight curls between her legs. “Lord help me, but you’re soft.” His voice caught as she fumbled with the front packet of his breeches. “And wet.”

  His mouth fused with hers as his manhood surged into her hands.

  And then he was filling her, deep and complete.

  Anne buried her hands beneath his jacket, clinging to his hot skin as he lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist.

  Jamie thrust, and Anne melted around him, neither able to stop the explosive release that gripped them. They both trembled, clutching each other as the sky opened to reveal love’s tempting peek at heaven.

  He was staring at her, his forehead pressed to hers, when Anne finally floated back to earth. She couldn’t help the tiny giggle that burst forth. “Two months is a long time,” she said, sighing.

  “Too long, Annie,” Jamie agreed. “I do not like leaving ye.”

  “I don’t like it either. While we were at war with the French there was no choice. But now...” Anne let the rest of the sentence fade away as he s
ettled her feet onto the floor. Taking her hand Jamie led her to his bunk. She didn’t say anything as he brushed the charts and rumpled clothing to the deck.

  When they were comfortably settled, lying side by side, Jamie spoke again. “I wish there was another way to live other than this.” He shifted to look down at her upturned face. “Not that I’m not especially fond of the homecomings, but living apart is hard on us both.”

  “What if there was a way to be together?”

  “Now, Annie, we’ve been through this before. I don’t care if ye have gotten over your seasickness, I won’t be taking ye with me. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I don’t want to go.”

  “Ye don’t?” He lifted her around until she faced him.

  “No. I’ll be too busy to go off on sea voyages.”

  “Doing what?”

  “I’ll tell you in a moment. First of all, I want to know how important captaining a ship is to you. I know how long you’ve done it and how you enjoy the wind in your face and the freedom, and—”

  “Are ye asking as me wife or business partner?”

  Anne settled on his chest, her breasts flattened against his hard chest. “Both.”

  “Then I’ll answer as both your husband and partner. I’d rather be home with ye.” He drew in a breath. “I know that’s not possible.”

  “But it is.” Anne hurried on when he looked at her. “You’ve made a great deal of money, Jamie.”

  “We’ve made it.”

  “Well, you’ve been the one to risk your life going after French ships; all I did was sell some jewels to make some repairs on your sloop.” Even so, he’d called her his partner from the beginning. “Anyway, I’ve been going over the books and we have enough money to expand. Buy a schooner. And there’s more business than we can handle now that peace has come.”

  “’Tis a good idea, but I don’t see how it will help me stay in port.”

  “We’ll need someone to handle the business end, arrange for shipping the rice and the like. And I won’t have time to do it anymore.”

  “A merchant. Me?” Jamie scrunched higher against his pillow. “I think I like the notion.” He hesitated, realizing what else she said. His eyes narrowed. “But what are ye going to be doing, Annie?”

  “Well.” Anne stretched the word out. “I’m speaking as your wife now.”

  “So tell me, wife, what’s goin’ on here?”

  “We’re going to have a baby.”

  Anne didn’t think she’d ever see the pirate speechless, but as he pulled himself to sitting, Anne across his lap, he was.

  “Aren’t you going to say something?”

  He hugged her to him, burying his face in her hair. “A child,” he murmured. “I love ye, Annie.”

  They spent some time just holding each other, speaking of their future and the love they shared, before straightening their clothing and going above deck. Arm in arm they walked to their house on Tradd Street.

  “Oh,” Annie said, as they climbed the steps toward the door. “I almost forgot in all the excitement. Last Sunday at Saint Philips I met a woman with the last name of MacQuaid. She’s married to the Indian agent and lives to the west on the frontier. She was very nice and terribly interesting to talk with. Do you think she could be a relative?”

  “What was her husband’s name?” Jamie scooted his wife through the door and toward the steps leading to the second floor.

  “Raff.”

  “Nay, I’ve but a half-brother named Logan, and he’s far away in Scotland.”

  “Mmmm.” Her pirate scooped her into his arms and Anne had no more time to think of anything but him.

  The End

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed My Seaswept Heart. The love story of the handsome pirate, Captain Jamie MacQuaid and his Annie, is one of my favorites. Perhaps one reason is that I adore men of the sea. And I seem destined to reform pirates. It’s a tough job, but I suppose someone has to do it.

  My Seaswept Heart is the second book in the MacQuaid Brothers trilogy. Thanks to all who helped make the first book, My Savage Heart, such a success. And now the trilogy continues.

  Look for My Heavenly Heart, Logan MacQuaid’s story in e-book format. Logan was introduced in My Savage Heart and he’d just lost his wife and infant daughter in the Cherokee uprising. The sinfully handsome Logan is tortured by guilt and the last thing he wants is a blue-eyed angel to care for. But Logan needs love and perhaps a bit of magic... in his life.

  Please visit my website at www.christinedorsey.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and my blog authorchristinedorsey.tumblr.com

  To Happy Endings,

  Christine Dorsey

  Please read on for a peek at the next book in the MacQuaid Brothers trilogy, My Heavenly Heart.

  My Heavenly Heart

  Autumn 1764

  Queen’s House, London

  “Blast Elizabeth and her confounded romantic notion of love.”

  A grimace accompanied her words as evening dew seeped through Lady Rachel Elliott’s satin slippers. They were blue, encrusted with silver lace, and they matched her gown of silk taffeta. “All celestial blue and star glow,” Prince William, the king’s brother said, when he saw her earlier. “You look like an angel.”

  “Perhaps, but that was before I overheard Lord Bingham demand to know his wife’s whereabouts,” Rachel grumbled to herself as she shifted the wide skirts of her gown to avoid a flowerless rosebush. Despite her effort a bit of lace caught on a thorn. She gave the fabric a yank feeling more devil than angel now. Rachel imagined she looked it, too. Neither the shoes nor the gown were meant for tramping along overgrown garden paths and for all the care she took while hurrying through the arbor, Rachel could tell her carefully arranged and powdered wig was askew as well.

  No doubt about it, her evening was ruined. And all because her cousin and friend, Lady Elizabeth Bingham insisted upon continuing her dalliance with Sir Geoffrey... even though her husband was newly arrived at court.

  Rachel paused to get her bearings. Behind her, aglow with candlelight and warmth was Queen’s House. If she listened intently, Rachel could hear the melodious strains played by Queen Charlotte’s band. There was laughter and fun, and scores of swains, their lips nigh dripping with flattery, awaiting her. The tug to return was strong.

  “Oh...” The sound started deep. in Rachel’s corseted chest and gritted through her clenched teeth as she forced herself to turn away and tramp down the grass-covered slope toward the lake. Wait until she found Liz. She would show no mercy in reproving her cousin. And if Sir Geoffrey spoke up... well, he would feel the sharp edge of her tongue as well. Rachel didn’t care if he was broad of shoulder and handsome of face. She didn’t even care that his very smile sent Liz into a swoon. There was a time and place for such affairs. And from the expression on Lord Bingham’s face when he stormed from the ballroom, it was obvious this wasn’t one of them.

  There were fewer lanterns now that she’d left the formal gardens. They offered little light and Rachel hoped she’d be able to find Liz and Geoffrey. “Don’t let them have gone off to his lodgings,” she pleaded to no one in particular. But Rachel didn’t think they’d risk leaving the palace this evening.

  “Rachel, I must go to Geoff and explain,” Liz insisted earlier in the evening after guiding them both into a small private alcove.

  All around them music played, gaiety abounded, and Rachel’s mind was still on her flirtation with the king’s brother. It took a moment for Liz’s words to register. “Explain what?” Rachel asked, but Liz had simply looked at her with that dreamy expression on her face as if to say Rachel wouldn’t understand.

  And she didn’t. If this was what love did to a person, Rachel was glad not to be afflicted with the emotion.

  Rachel paused when she heard voices over the gentle swishing of the lake lapping the shore. With a sigh she set off toward the sound. The grass was taller here, wetting the hem of her gown even though s
he lifted it. Why couldn’t the lovers find somewhere more civilized to meet, for goodness sakes?

  “There you are.” Rachel marched toward the couple when she spotted them standing near the end of the pier that jutted out into the lake. It was too dark to see the expressions on Liz and Geoffrey’s faces but Rachel imagined they both were surprised when she spoke. They separated quickly, though Sir Geoffrey kept his arm about her cousin’s shoulders.

  “What... what on earth are you doing here, Rachel?” Liz sounded thoroughly flustered.

  “I should think that obvious.” Rachel gave an unladylike snort. “I’ve come to fetch you back.” Rachel addressed Liz. She decided she didn’t give a fig what Geoffrey thought or did. And it wasn’t because he monopolized her cousin’s time... time usually spent with her... since his arrival at court.

  “But, Rachel, I told you where I was going....”

  “Yes, you did. And though I thought at the time it utter foolishness—”

  “I fail to see why Elizabeth and my whereabouts are your concern, Lady Rachel.”

  Rachel opened her mouth to tell him what she thought of men like him but before she could Liz stepped between them. “Please.” She touched Geoffrey’s sleeve with one hand, Rachel’s with the other. “Please don’t argue. You’re the two people I love most in the world.”

  Geoffrey seemed to think this admission called for him to step closer to his beloved.

  Rachel only sighed. “I thought you should know,” Rachel began, “that your husband is looking for you.”

  “Albert stopped gaming long enough to realize I was gone?” Liz seemed to sink back into Geoffrey’s embrace. “Do you think he suspects?”

  “I haven’t a clue.” Rachel softened her voice and reached for her cousin’s hands. They were cold. “I think we should go back to Queen’s House. He seemed angry and—” Rachel paused when Liz made a low, whimpering sound. “Elizabeth, it’s the only way. I’ll say we were together.”