“What else is there to talk about?” came her response. “You finally told me how you really felt about me.”
“Listen,” Charlie said tightly. His patience was beginning to slip through his fingers. “Whether we talk or shout, it doesn’t matter to me. I only ask that we do it face to face.”
“And why should I give you that satisfaction?”
“Because you are my best mate,” he said in a soft voice. The words were out of his mouth before he realized it, but they were pure fact.
The house was silent for a moment, save for the snorts of the pigs that came from the front yard. The door opened then, and Brooke appeared. She leaned on the doorframe, blocking the entrance way so Charlie could not come in.
Narrowing her green eyes at him, she said, “Best friends do not speak about each other the way you spoke about me.”
“I know,” Charlie said quietly. His chocolate eyes pooled into hers. “I know, and I’m sorry. Truly I am.”
Brooke looked at him a minute, studying his eyes, wondering if she could trust them. Finally, she nodded and was about to close the door when Charlie placed his boot to block her door from closing.
“You’re all I have Brooke,” he told her sincerely.
“You are all I have as well, Charlie,” Brooke replied. “I do not trust anyone the way I trust you; not my father, not Joel, not even Fiona.”
She paused for a moment, concentrating on Charlie’s boot. He watched her, unsure if he should say anything or not. When she looked up, her eyes were glassy, but no tears fell.
“I have always dreamed of marrying the person I was truly in love with,” she told him softly. “I am unmarried, not because I want to be, but because I choose to be. I know there is someone out there who will love me for all that I am.”
“There is,” Charlie told her with a small smile. “And whoever he is, whoever you choose to wed will be a very lucky man.”
“Thank you,” she said curtly, looking at Charlie’s boot once again.
Charlie reached up with his hand and curled his index finger under her chin. He lifted it up so she looked him in the eyes.
“Are you all right, love?” he asked her seriously, scanning her eyes with his.
She nodded. “Like you said,” she told him, “I cannot stay mad at you for long.”
This caused him to smile a bit, his gold teeth sparkling in the dark. He released her chin and slid his boot out of the way of the door.
“Charlie,” Brooke said, just as Charlie had turned to leave. He looked back at her, meeting her eyes once again. She smiled at him. “You are my best mate as well.”
He grinned at her, just looking at her for a moment.
“G’night, love,” he said finally.
“Good night, Charlie,” she replied softly, and gently shut the door.
Charlie woke up the next morning to find Kenneth already up and moving in his kitchen. He rubbed his eye with the back of his hand as he watched the old man move about in the kitchen.
“What are you doing, mate?” he asked tiredly, his voice slurring with sleep.
“I was going to cook you and the lass some food, but it appears I do not have much food,” Kenneth said, scratching his head as he looked at his bare cabinets. “I could always get one of the pigs—”
Charlie put up his hand. “Please don’t,” he told the older man abruptly. “She will be very upset and it is much too early to have her upset.”
Kenneth smiled a knowing smile. “Since when do you care about what a woman thinks?” he asked innocently.
Charlie glared at him which caused the older man to burst out laughing.
“All right then,” he said between chuckles. “I know. How ’bout we go to the Crossbones and get ourselves some eggs, hmm? What do ya say?”
Charlie opened his mouth to speak, but a voice interrupted him.
“I would love eggs!” Brooke exclaimed while yawning.
Kenneth’s eyes twinkled at her.
“Then we shall get you some eggs, lass,” he told her, and the two followed Kenneth out the door as he led them through Torro.
Torro during the day was incredibly different from Torro during the night. It was less intimidating as well as less threatening. One could make out families as they tended to their animals or farms. Women went to the market while men worked. Children ran up and down the dirt roads, laughing as though nothing could ever harm them. The whores and drunkards were still sleeping so the town was rather quiet.
Even the Skull and Crossbones was much quieter than at night. While there were a few customers sitting throughout the pub, they were not drinking anything alcoholic and keeping much to themselves. Charlie led them to a table while Kenneth went to place an order with Grace, who was tending the bar this morning. It looked like she barely got a wink of sleep, she looked so tired.
Brooke slid into a seat and placed her head in her hands. Her eyes scanned the inside of the bar. A woman with unruly black hair was sipping milk, reading some sort of newspaper. The text seemed to be in Spanish, and Brooke could make out a few of the words. A man was sleeping with his head on the table, and his arms over his head, as though trying to shield his face from the sunlight. Another man was sitting on both of his hands, looking around anxiously. His paranoia caused Brooke to tilt her head at him, scrunching her nose.
“Don’t worry about him, love,” Charlie said, following her gaze with his eyes. “That’s Sideways Pete; he always thinks someone or something is after him.”
“Why is he sitting on his hands?” Brooke asked, looking back at Charlie.
“I believe he’s afraid he’ll lose control of one of his hands and kill himself,” Charlie informed her.
“Well then,” Brooke murmured as Kenneth brought over three glasses of fresh milk.
“There you are, dear,” Kenneth said, handing Brooke a glass of milk. He took a seat next to her and slid Charlie’s over to him as he took a sip out of his own glass.
“Thank you,” Brooke said before taking a sip of her own milk.
“Eggs should be done soon,” Kenneth informed her, and then turned to look at Charlie seriously. “Now, boy, I did what you asked; I’ve found you a crew. I have not told them about your trinket as of yet, but I am sure that after you make them sign the Articles, you will inform them of your next grand adventure.”
“All in good time, my friend,” Charlie said with a smooth smile.
“In about twenty minutes, the crew will line up on the main dock,” Kenneth explained after he took another long gulp of his drink. “I told ’em to be there at ten o’clock sharp, I did. Before we commit them, I believe you should take a look at them first; see if they’re to your liking.”
“What say you, love?” Charlie said, turning to face Brooke. “Up to meet our new crew?”
“I am up to break my fast with scrambled eggs,” Brooke told Charlie honestly. “But you may inspect them and see if they meet your standards.”
“I will not leave you alone here,” Charlie said, his tone becoming serious. “We have two different crews with two different natures that want this map and will stop at no means to claim it.”
“Charlie, it’s broad daylight,” she said. “Other people are in this pub, and you seem to know the barmaid so I believe she will look after me as well. If we even want to begin looking for this…particular antique, then you need to commit this crew.”
Charlie did not like it; he did not like it at all. He knew that she was right, though. If they wanted to leave at the scheduled time, then he would have to go and meet Kenneth’s crew and make sure they were up to par with his expectations. He just wished Brooke would listen to him and accompany him. At that moment, Grace set down three different plates of eggs. She was about to walk off when Charlie called out to her.
“Yes?” Grace asked him suspiciously, resting her hand on her hip.
“Thank you kindly for the food, dear,” he said with a charming smile. “However, I am afraid me and my older friend
are just about to depart. I do have a favor to ask of you, however.”
“And that be?” she asked, narrowing her dark eyes at him and quirking a brow.
“My close acquaintance here,” he motioned at Brooke with his hands but kept his eyes on Grace, “would prefer to stay here and eat her eggs instead of departing with us. I humbly ask you that you just keep an eye out for her and make sure nothing happens to her. We should only be gone but an hour.” He smiled his charming smile, his gold teeth glinting to emphasize his charm.
Even Grace knew that she could not say no. She sighed and let her hand drop from her hip.
“All right, Charlie,” she mumbled and turned to walk away.
“Thank you!” Charlie called and then turned to Brooke. He shoved his plate of eggs in front of her and then proceeded to place Kenneth’s near her as well. “Eat up, love. We shall be back before you know it.”
“You are treating me like I am a child, Charlie,” she observed, arching her brow. “I am no child.”
“Of course, you’re not,” Charlie said, now fixating his smile on her. “I’m just making sure you’ll be looked after, love. Never can be too safe, as they say.” He got up, and Kenneth followed suit. Before he left, he leaned in front of Brooke just as she placed a bite of eggs in her mouth, his face a few centimeters from hers. She did not chew because he was so close to her, so the food was just sitting in her mouth. “Promise me you will be careful and you will not leave.”
He pulled away, and she nodded as she began to chew.
“I want you to say it, darling,” he prodded.
She swallowed the eggs and then said dryly, “I do so solemnly swear.”
“I know you don’t mean it,” he said, pointing an accusing finger at her, “but it’ll have to do. I will see you soon, love.”
“Go on now, Charlie,” Brooke said, waving him off. “How am I supposed to finish these eggs when you keep talking to me?”
Charlie grinned at her annoyance. “Take really big bites,” he advised.
Brooke rolled her eyes. “Get out of here before I strangle you,” she told him.
“I wouldn’t mind that,” he said with a cheeky grin. “But I must be going. I will see you soon.”
And with that, Charlie and Kenneth made their way out the door. Brooke watched them go, and then glanced down at the three plates full of eggs. She smiled brightly; she had not had eggs in a very long time.
Charlie followed Kenneth to the docks. He looked out at the horizon, a wistful smile on his face. The waves rolled calmly to the shore and broke once the water spilled onto the shore. The sea pulled back the wave and then prepared to do it again. It was almost like a hypnotic lullaby. He looked back on the docks and found a good fifteen men standing straight, looking ahead.
Kenneth took Charlie down the line and introduced him to the men. There was Hugh, a doctor that was six foot two with piercing blue eyes. Daniel was a carpenter, with a strong body and sandy blond hair. Charlie was a French merchant who lost his farm to the king, so he drifted from place to place until he wound up here, at Torro. He went down the row, asking them what their talents were, and many seemed to know a wide variety of things. Finally, he was introduced to Tom, a man around Brooke’s age, with light brown hair and blue eyes. He was quite a good chef, if he did say so himself.
Charlie took a moment to process everything and looked at the crew long and hard. They all seemed fit and in shape; they all seemed ready and willing.
“You still know me Articles, Ken?” Charlie asked quietly after he pulled the older man to the side.
“Aye,” Kenneth said, nodding.
“Write them up and get every lad here to sign it,” Charlie instructed.
“Aye,” Kenneth answered.
“Gents!” Charlie said, turning back to face his newly acquired crew. “Congratulations, because today is your lucky day. Welcome to my crew. I run a tight ship, but I can promise that the rewards will be well worth it.” He took a couple of steps down the line, his hands behind his back. “There will be a lady on board, lads. And before you ask, no, you may not touch her. It is imperative that you listen to me when I say that if you touch her I will not hesitate to maroon you on a spit of land no one’s even heard of, ay? If you have a problem with that, leave now.” He paused, waiting for any man to leave. None did. “I plan to stock this ship and then head out. If you have any loved ones here, take the next hour to properly say your goodbyes. If not, prepare to help Kenneth with stocking the ship.”
Charlie turned back to the older man and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Good job, mate,” he said. “They’re a bunch of scallywags ready to sail the sea.” He paused for a moment and then continued. “Ken, you know where we’re going to attain this treasure, don’t you?”
“I may not be able to see well, Charlie, but what I do see, I instantly remember,” Kenneth told him. “A blessing and a curse, I call it.” He glanced sideways at Charlie. “Why, boy? What’s cooking in that head of yours?”
“I feel a sense of impending doom hanging over me like a storm cloud,” Charlie told the old man honestly. “If anything happens to me, you’ll watch out for the lass?”
“Like she was me own daughter,” Kenneth told him honestly. He could see the anxiety in Charlie’s dark eyes, and that scared him a bit. Charlie was always reckless; he rarely ever thought about the consequences of his actions.
“Good,” Charlie said, nodding. “I am going to go fetch the lass in question. You know what the ship needs and where it’s located, correct?”
“Now, you be mocking me, boy,” Kenneth said, glancing at Charlie from the corner of his blue eyes. “I may be old but I still got my memory.”
Charlie smiled and nodded, squeezing Kenneth’s shoulder in thanks. He made his way from the docks and followed the dirt path back to the Skull and Crossbones, eager to get Brooke and leave Torro. What he told Kenneth was his honest feeling, and he wanted to leave the island as soon as possible. Torro was exactly as he told Brooke, a pirate’s haven, and he always felt safe here. This sense of uneasiness that clouded this island, his island, and shook him enough to actually worry him was what scared him the most.
He threw the door opened and walked over to where he left Brooke, but she was gone.
When the two men had left, Brooke eagerly picked up another bit of eggs with her fork and placed them in her mouth. It did not take her long to finish her and Charlie’s plate. When she got to Kenneth’s, however, her stomach started to close. She managed to get a couple of bites in when she felt a pair of eyes on her.
She looked up, only to find the woman who had been reading a Spanish newspaper was now within a few feet of her, staring at her. She was tall, and lean, her unruly black hair coming to her waist. Her eyes were a regular brown color with specks of gray in them. Her skin was flawlessly caramel brown, and she was dressed much like Brooke was dressed, in a tunic and breeches, but she exuded sensuality. Her clothes fit her in all the right places, and the way she carried herself revealed her confidence. Even Brooke could not take her eyes off this woman’s obvious beauty. The woman was holding the folded paper in her hands oddly; it did not take two hands to hold a newspaper.
“May I sit?” the woman asked in accented, her plucked brow rising.
Before Brooke could respond, the woman placed the newspaper on the desk. Now Brooke could see why she was holding it at an odd angle; there was a pistol hidden inside the folds and pointed directly at her.
“Actually, you don’t have to answer that; I was just asking to be polite.” The woman took a seat across from Brooke, her brown eyes sparkling mischievously. She grinned wickedly, keeping one hand between the folds of the paper, her hand wrapping around the butt of the pistol. “My name is Esmeralda Diablette.” Brooke’s eyes widened, and Diablette’s smile deepened. “I think you know why I am here.”
“I do not have the map,” Brooke told her tightly, her eyes narrowing at the woman before her. She hoped she portraye
d enough confidence to fool Diablette because inside, her heart was hammering with fear.
Diablette chuckled lightly and waved her hand dismissively. “Silly little girl,” she chided. “I am not here for the map. I am here for you.”
“For me?” Brooke asked, tilting her head, puzzled at the thought.
“For you,” Diablette confirmed. Her voice was low and soft so one had to lean forward to hear what she was saying.
“Why?” the young woman asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I know our amigo, Captain Colt has the map,” Diablette explained. “I also know that Captain Colt seems to have a…oh, how do you say it…a soft spot for you?”
“You want to use me as leverage?” Brooke questioned. “Do you really think Charlie will fall for such juvenile trickery?”
“You better hope he will,” Diablette said, her eyes flashing nearly black with anger. “You see, that piece of parchment is worth more to me than you are alive.” She nodded at the pistol. “Now, you can come with me calmly, and no one will get hurt.”
“And if I choose not?” Brooke said challengingly, arching her brow.
Diablette’s smiled widened, and her brown eyes sparkled again.
“Then you force me to draw my weapon,” she told the younger woman. “Now, what is it you choose?”
Brooke glared as she stood up and let Diablette lead her out of the pub. Her eyes sought out Grace, but the barmaid was nowhere to be found.
12
“Grace!” he exclaimed, his eyes scanning the bar quickly while being as thorough as he possibly could. Another barmaid glanced up at the noise as she shuffled through some papers nearby.
“Now what’re ye yellin’ at?” Grace snapped, coming out of the back with a dish in one hand and her apron extremely damp.
To Marry A Marauder Page 17
