by Lisa Olech
Ric set down his quill and poured himself more rum. He contemplated the way it sat in his mug for a long moment before drinking. An odd feeling washed over him.
At one time, the thought of battling and pirating put a fire in his belly and filled him with a rush of reckless danger. It was exhilarating. Manning his gun, smelling the hot oiled steel of the cannon barrel, watching the flame of the quick match drop into the fuse hole, and feeling the power of each blast rock through his body. Seeing that ball hit its mark and explode the target. Turning wood into slivers. Twisting iron like a screw. It’s what drove him. Excited him. It’s who he was, and he was one of the best.
But now…the idea of it didn’t bring the same thrill. Maybe the haunting images of the earthquake’s aftermath were taking their toll. Perhaps the responsibility of being captain was too great. Or it could be deep down he realized he could never go back to how things once were.
He couldn’t rush through life with the same naïve, carefree attitude. He wasn’t immortal as he’d always believed. Defying death took on a new meaning. It wasn’t only him anymore. Jocelyn was part of him now whether she was in his arms, or on the opposite side of the ocean. Or more correctly, he was part of her.
No matter where he went or what he did, she would still hold his heart. The idea brought with it brilliant joy and cavernous, crushing sorrow.
Damn it. The day was almost here, and he still couldn’t think past raising the sail on the sloop. The idea of saying good-bye to her. Walking away without looking back. There was a chance he wouldn’t survive.
Ric emptied his mug, raised the light in the lamp to finish the logs.
“Still at it?” Hornbach came into the galley rolling a barrel of what appeared to be salted meat.
“Aye.” Ric rubbed at his eyes. “Did you manage to gather what I asked for?”
“Ye don’t ask for much now, do ya?” he grumbled. “fresh bread, cheese. Surprised ye dinna ask me to bake ye a cake.”
“I’ll remember a cake for next time,” Ric countered. “And the blankets and lanterns?”
“Aye, it’s all out there.” Hornbach flipped a hand.
“Good, and you’ve passed the word along to the rest?”
Hornbach rolled his eyes. “Aye, we’re all te leave ye to yer tea party.”
Ric didn’t care for the man making light. “I don’t want anyone on deck tonight. You told them?”
“Aye.” He threw his hands up and gave Ric an impatient look, “Why all the fuss? Ye’d think ye ne’re fucked a bloody chit bef--”
Ric was out of his chair and had his pistol pointed in Hornbach’s face before the man could finish his sentence. Ric cocked the hammer. “If you ever talk about her like that again, it will be the last thing to cross your lips.”
“Easy, easy!” Hornbach pushed the muzzle of the gun away from his nose. “Ye ken, there be a time when ye could take a blasted joke.”
“Does it look like I’m joking? Shut your hole and get back to work.” Ric shoved his pistol back into his baldric
Hornbach snorted and lumbered away. “Be glad when ye’re done captainin’. Ye been a lot more fun ‘fore ye started walkin’ round here wit that stick up yer arse.”
Ric snapped. “I thought I told you to shut up.”
Hornbach flipped him a one-fingered salute with both hands. “Aye, aye, Capt’n.”
* * * *
Not long after eight bells, the sun relinquished the sky to the moon. Ric stood in the bow and waited for her.
“I’m going to miss this view.”
Ric turned at the sound of her voice and drank in the sight of her profile in the fading light. “As am I.”
Jocelyn gave him a coy smile and pointed toward the horizon. “I was talking about out there.”
“I wasn’t.” He took her hand. “Come with me, I have a surprise for you.”
Ric led her down the length of the ship and up the stairway to the quarterdeck and past the large oak wheel.
“Ric…” Jocelyn gave a surprised sigh.
At the back rail of the ship, he’d set them a small oasis. A few lanterns scattered the light into a darkened corner where several bottles of the wine they’d scored in stealing the sloop awaited them along with some food, the last of the fresh fruit, bread, and cheese. He’d used more than a dozen blankets to construct a comfortable area for them to relax.
“You wanted to sleep out here. I thought you should have something a bit more comfortable than a coil of rope to rest on.”
Jocelyn held a hand over her heart. “I-I don’t know what to say.”
Ric gathered her in his arms. “Say nothing. Just kiss me.”
She threw her hands around his neck and lifted onto her tiptoes to bring her lips to his. Ric took full advantage of the stretch of her body to slip a hand down the back waistband of her trousers.
When his fingers cupped the roundness of her behind, she pulled away and looked past him. “Someone will see us.”
“Not if they don’t want to be keelhauled come morning.” He smiled. “I gave orders for everyone to stay below deck tonight.”
She pushed her fingertips into his hair. “So we’re alone?”
“Just us and the moon.” Ric jerked his chin toward the crescent rising off the bow.
Jocelyn tilted her head back. “And the stars, don’t forget the stars.”
Ric kissed her throat. “After you explained your conversation with Tupper, I’ll never look at stars the same way ever again.”
Chapter 24
The sun rose through an apricot sky to begin another day. They hadn’t slept. As if neither had wanted to waste even a moment of their last night together on something as frivolous as sleep.
They lay still, wrapped in each other’s arms. Jocelyn with her head on Ric’s chest, listened to the cadence of his heart. She knew he didn’t sleep as his thumb continued to make lazy sweeps across the back of her hand, and every so often, he would kiss the top of her head.
Last night had been magical. The food, the wine. They had made love and wrapped themselves in the night’s sky. Choosing denial, they didn’t talk about tomorrow...or was it now today.
“Seems the sun refused my request.” Ric murmured into her hair. “I’d hoped last night would have lasted forever.”
“It can.” Jocelyn rose on one elbow and stroked his chest. “All you have to do is turn the Scarlet Night around. Forget promises, forget my father and Tortuga, forget everything else except being together.”
Ric lifted her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers before gathering their clothes and starting to dress. “I can’t do that.”
Jocelyn clutched her clothes to her chest. “Why not?”
Ric pulled his shirt over his head. “I love you too much.”
“If you love me, then you should want to be with me.” Fear and desperation mixed with anger and impatience. Why wouldn’t he listen? This was simple. She loved him, he loved her. Didn’t that mean a lifetime together?
He swept his arm. “Of course I want to be with you. Don’t you realize how impossible it would be? This isn’t the life you should have. Battling every day to survive.”
Jocelyn stood and wrapped a blanket around her to cover her nakedness. “Then come away with me. We can take the sloop, sail far away from here, and make our own way,” she pleaded.
“Our own way to what? I can’t give you the life you deserve. Pirating is all I know. I have nothing else. I am nothing else.”
“You’re everything to me.” She clutched at his shirt. “You keep telling me how hard it is to survive. Don’t you see, if you put me back into my father’s stifling world, I won’t want to survive.”
He held tight to her arms and looked deep into her eyes. “You say that now, but in time, you’ll come to thank me.”
“No.” Jocelyn held his gaze. Tears choked her and distorted her vision. “In time, I’ll come to hate you.”
The
muscle in his jaw tensed. “I can live with you hating me, as long as you promise to hate me for a long, long time.”
“I promise, I’ll hate you until the day I die.” A sob caught her, “But, I’ll still love you forever.”
* * * *
Ric left Jocelyn on the quarterdeck. The weight of his heart pushed the air from his lungs. There would be no changing course. The decision had been set in stone that first day. Regardless of what had transpired between them, despite their feelings for one another. There was no choice in this. If there had been, God help him, he would have found it.
Below, he gave the order to raise the anchor, set sail, and travel another hour up the coast. There was a protective cove there, which was a short distance from Port de Prix. The Scarlet Night would be safe, and from there he and Jocelyn could navigate the small sloop directly into Tortuga harbor.
The square sails of the Night snapped as they rose and caught the wind. She leapt over the waves. Ric had always marveled at the speed and grace of this magnificent ship. Today, her speed was more of a curse.
Gathering the ship’s log and the charts, he headed down to Tupper’s quarters. It was time to return them to their rightful owner.
This morning Tupper was plaiting her hair while Bump added a shine to her boots. Leviticus sat near the boy and cawed at him loudly. Bump heard none of it, and only paid the slightest bit of attention to the jabbering bird when it refused to be ignored and plucked at his shirtsleeve with its wide, dark beak.
“You’ve got us off to an early start.” Tupper filled a mug from a barrel of weak ale.
Ric raised one shoulder. “No point delaying the inevitable.”
She moved the bird away from Bump and lifted him to his perch, quieting his squawking with some bits of bread. Tupper glanced over her shoulder. “How’s Jocelyn?”
“She’s hating me.” Ric ran a hand through his hair. He still didn’t have any idea how he could make the situation any clearer to Jocelyn. She had to see reason.
Tupper gave a slow shake of her head. “Hate isn’t so far from love, you know.”
Ric met her gaze. “Her loving me isn’t in question.”
Tupper went back to tending the bird. “She’s stronger than she imagines. Shown some guts. And she knows her own mind. She’s told me how she feels about you. It’ll be tough and she might not think so now, but she’ll get by this.”
“Only hope I will,” Ric mumbled as he dropped the items in his arms on Tupper’s desk. “Before I head out, I wanted to return these.”
Tupper came to stand beside him. “Won’t you need them when you get back?”
“Not anymore. The captain holds the log,” Ric shot her a glance and nodded. “and you’re more than ready to take over.”
Tupper lifted the logbook and ran her fingertips over the tooled leather cover. “I’m not sure I am.”
“The Scarlet Night is yours. It’s always been. Hell, I’ve just been keeping her deck side up for you. Gavin would have wanted you to take his place. The rest of the men agreed to making you captain the first night. We wanted to give you some time, but there’s no reason why you can’t take the reins back today.”
Ric rolled out one of the charts and pointed to a spot on the map. “This is where we’ll be anchoring. It’s a secluded mooring, tucked away. You’ll all be safe there. I want you to give me twelve hours. If things go according to plan, I’ll be back in little more than six. But twelve will still give you daylight to negotiate the reefs and make it into the Windward Passage before dark sets in. Even if something goes wrong, it still gives you a head start. Once the Scarlet’s in the passage, there’ll be no catching her.
“I wouldn’t go much farther without signing on more men,” Ric continued. “You should be able to secure enough crew here or here.” He indicated a few areas on the map known for strong pirate activity. “Then we’re back in business.”
Ric left Tupper to look over the charts while he said good-bye to Bump. Over the last few weeks, the boy had stepped up like the rest, taking on more and more responsibilities. Doing what needed to be done before anyone could ask. Every manner of things from running sail, to packing powder, and tarring rigging. He’d come through when they needed him most.
Losing Quinn had been a crippling blow for the boy. There’d been times when Bump had vanished to wherever it was he went. Ric figured he’d needed to grieve in peace. The first few days after the earthquake, he’d go missing for hours at a time. But gradually, he spent more time with the rest of the crew. He kept watch on Tupper. Bump was turning into a good man to have around.
Ric used the few words he knew using his hands to tell Bump how much he appreciated his help.
“We wait twenty-four.” Tupper announce behind him.
He joined her and spanned the distance between where the Scarlet Night would be sitting and Tortuga with a narrow spread of his fingers. “It’s too dangerous. You’ll practically be sitting in Beauchamp’s back pocket. If you’re spotted, you’re dead.”
Tupper paused to light her pipe. She blew a cloud of smoke over his head. “Twenty-four and not a second less. If I’m captain, I’m making the decision. Besides, you’ll be back in six, right? So call it insurance. Make sure you get your arse back on this ship. You’re the best damn gunner we’ve got, and there’s no way I’m leaving you behind.”
Ric planted his hands on his hips. “You will if you have to.”
Tupper mirrored his stance and angled her head. “Don’t make me do something I’ll regret.”
“Aye, aye, Captain Quinn.”
* * * *
Tupper and Ric joined the rest on deck and with lowering sails and skillful maneuvering, they threaded their way between a narrow jut of land and a barrier reef to slide the Scarlet Night into her hiding spot.
When Ric announced the transfer of power, and Tupper issued the order to drop anchor, the men cheered. She was back.
The others wasted no time in extending the boarding ladder across to the tethered Devil’s Pearl before bidding their farewells to Jocelyn then doing what needed to be done to secure the Night.
Jocelyn approached Tupper. “I suppose this is it.”
“It is indeed.”
“I realize given who I am, and your history against my name, we shouldn’t have been anything but enemies. But you’ve never held the sins of my father against me. You’ve treated me kindly. Been nothing but a friend and a confidant.” Jocelyn reached out a hand to clasp Tupper’s “I’ll never forget you.”
“And you could have held what I did to your father against me, and taken advantage of our crew at its weakest. You were sweet and helped many of us through the worst of days. For that, we’ll not soon forget you either.”
Jocelyn embraced her. “Someday I want to be as strong as you.”
Tupper thumped her on the back. “You’re already stronger than you think.”
“I don’t suppose we’ll see each other again,” Jocelyn took a step back and continued.
Tupper shrugged. “You can’t tell. I rarely forget a favor, or a debt. And you do owe me a skiff.”
Jocelyn smiled. “Ric will bring back the sloop. You’re free to trade it.”
“God’s speed, Jocelyn.” Tupper gave Jocelyn’s shoulder another pat.
Jocelyn covered her hand with her own and replied in a small voice. “Calm seas…Alice.”
Ric cleared his throat, “It’s time we were away.”
The two women separated, and Ric offered a hand to Jocelyn to help her over the boarding ladder. She refused and crossed without assistance.
From the deck of the Devil’s Pearl, Jocelyn waved back at Tupper while Ric hoisted the sail. “Good bye, Scarlet Night.”
Tupper called down, “Be sure to give your father our regards.”
Jocelyn shook her head. “Not until you are safely half a world away.”
Chapter 25
With the sail set, the Devil’s Pearl
sprinted through the water. Steep in the hull, she cut through the water like a blade. The rigging began to sing. To make the sloop ride high and fast, it had been stripped of all but one gun. And that was a fixed stern chaser--a four pounder positioned in the tail to discourage anyone who decided to pursue them.
“Won’t be long at this speed.” Ric called forward. “The closer we get to Port de Prix, the more ship traffic we’ll encounter. Being without any flag to mark our country may not invite attack, but it sure as hell is going to draw some attention.”
Silence greeted him from the bow. Jocelyn hadn’t spoken since they’d boarded. She’d found a place to settle in behind the long bowsprit and all he’d seen of her was the back of her head with her dark hair lifting off the sweep of her delicious neck.
She was upset. He understood. This wasn’t a day basking on the beach for him either. Last night, tasting her delicious neck, he’d been ready to cast everything aside and ask her to run away with him. Lucky for Jocelyn, his sanity returned.
He had no reason to feel guilty, damn it. Let her be angry. He’d explained things until he was blue. He’d not say another word about it. If she chose to hate him, then it was her choice. At least she had one.
“Is it your plan to annoy me by not speaking? Because, it won’t work. I’ll enjoy the peace and quiet,” he insisted feeling the slow burn of impatience.
Nothing.
He gripped the tiller until his knuckles paled. “Do you know how pigheaded you’re being?”
She had the audacity to notch her chin.
They sailed on in silence for a time before Ric couldn’t stand it anymore. He secured the rudder and moved toward the bow.
Standing over her, he planted his hands on his hips. “So this is how we’re to spend our last moments together? Aren’t you going to rail at me? Try and change my mind?”
“Why should I waste my breath? You’ve made your decision.”
He grabbed her arm and made her look at him. “At least tell me you understand?”
“I’m not an idiot. I understand.” She jerked her arm away.
